The border with the US opened on November 8, 2021 after being closed for 21 months. We crossed the following day for some snowbird sunshine. Covid had so gripped the collective consciousness that we were the only vehicle in the Nexus line and one car crossed the regular line. At Costco in Bellingham a trio of employees were asking themselves where all the Canadians were and decided "it was probably because the US was such a shit-show with all the anti-vaxxers and anti-maskers." (California, Arizona & Texas, Nov 9/21 to Mar 8/22)

Ghost towns abound in the south, with a few resurrected to become tourist draws. This one was purchased by the Knotts family of Knotts Berry Farm, so it was well done, balancing the education of an 1880s silver mine operation with consumerism of today. (Calico, CA, Nov 13/21)

After days of relatively cool traveling we arrived in the warmth of Death Valley to hike and marvel at the landscape. Unlike the rocks making up the other hikes, this Mosaic Canyon was riddled with layers of smooth marble. (Death Valley, CA, Nov 14-18/21)

The further afield from the parking lot, the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes became steeper and the footsteps fewer. Eventually ours were the only footsteps on the narrow ridge line.

The 25’ length of our RV was the upper limit of what the Artists Palette loop could accommodate before vehicles would bottom out in the road dips.