EASTER IN BRANSON, MISSOURI

Lee here. We had hoped to be back home by now but the cold weather is keeping us south . . . where it is not so warm either! It looks like we should have above freezing temps next week so we will end our first retirement trip . . . 2 months and 4+ thousand miles later. Now hold still so I can get a shot of you.

CORTEZ COLORADO

Lee here. We left Arizona the end of March and headed for Cortez, Colorado. Up into northeast Arizona we skirted Monument Valley to the north and passed through the "Four Corners" area where four states touch and on to Cortez. We were pelted by small newly hatched "no-see-ums" which made the windshield sound like sleet was hitting it; eventually, further down the road, we went through a number of snow squalls. Cortez is in the middle if some of the most outstanding Navajo ruins in the US. We hiked in Sand Canyon, which was a recent addition to the National Parks in the Clinton Administration and finally Hovenweep, one of the most outstanding examples of early Indian culture. The day there was warm, sunny and off-season so in the 2 mile hike, we were 2 of 12 on the trails - serene and inspiring.

SEDONA, ARIZONA

Lee here. We spent the end of March in the Sedona area. Some claim the county there is the most beautiful in the US. We found it hard to argue with that. Again, we were blessed with excellent weather. Even the rock formations look great from a gas station! We were joined by Bob West, from San Francisco, for 3 days. He was a graduate student for Jeanne when she worked at Southern Illinois University. On our last day at Black Canyon City we couldn't resist a picture of us on a small tractor that was a backdrop to our RV site.