The Cooke's Retirement Page for 2006

>>>>>>>>>>>> The Cooke's Retirement Page for 2006 & 2007 <<<<<<<<<<<<

April 2, 2007

Rita retired from the Carson City Sheriffs Office December 31, 2004
Art retired from Honeywell January 31. 2005
February 2006:

Returned home to Carson City

Brought our new American Eagle Motor Coach on eBay

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Placed House on the Market so we can go full time

Flew to Fort Meyers, Florida to pickup the Eagle

Spent a week in Yuma as we drove home

Spent a week in Las Angeles and Sacramento with friends as we drove home

March 2006:

Sold the Bounder to a couple in Walker River

Housing market not good home still for sale, no one looking

April 2006:

Did some maintenance on the Eagle getting ready for this years trip.

Housing market not good home still for sale, no one looking

May 2006:

Spent a week at the Mopan River Resort in Belize (Pictures coming soon check back)

Housing market not good home still for sale, no one looking

June 2006: Start Cross Country Trek in the Eagle

May have an offer on the house

Going to Jake's Elementary School Graduation

Going to Marisa's Preschool Graduation

Doing some final work on the Eagle, new TV Satellite System and some other small repairs

Arrived in Prattville, Alabama to attend Jim's wedding to Dianna. We are staying at Kountry Air RV Park while visiting in Alabama.

Picture of Jim, Dianna, Layla and Manda's Home in Prattville, AL:

Jim and Dianna's Wedding July 15 at their home in Prattville:

Our Nieces Manda and Layla Cooke

Our house in Carson City closed today, July 15, 2006 we are officially full timers

Things to do in Montgomery, Alabama:

Hank Williams Museum - The music of this legendary singer and songwriter will haunt you long after your visit. See the car he rode in on the day he died. Hear his music, watch the videos and learn about the man behind the legend.

First White House of the Confederacy - Enjoy a guided tour of the home where Jefferson Davis lived at the birth of the Confederacy. The entire house reflects the period during which the house stood as the headquarters for the Confederacy, including many authentic artifacts used by Davis and his family.

Alabama State Capitol - One of a few state capitols designated a National Historic Landmark, the Alabama State Capitol is where Jefferson Davis took the oath of office as President of the Confederate States of America.

Went to the Montgomery Zoo with Rita, my sister Connie from Cleveland and Amanda our new niece.

PRATTVILLE, ALABAMA - A kudzu shroud slowly inches toward thousands of crosses - symbols pointing the way from earth to heaven, said William Carlton Rice, whose Cross Garden is a testament to his faith. Homemade crosses with aged, peeling paint punctuate about 11 acres on both sides of the winding, twisting County Road 86. Red painted signs warning against the evils of sin and offering the message of redemption are emblazoned on a variety of recycled window air conditioner covers, refrigerator doors and auto parts. Red, black and white cloth strips symbolizing the blood and death of Jesus and purity flutter gently from crosses and tree branches.

Went to Six Flags Over Georgia in Atlanta. Six Flags Over Georgia has unleashed a GIANT in 2006. Soaring over 200 ft. above the park and covering an area 8.5 acres in size, this much anticipated steel monster is appropriately named: GOLIATH

   Height: Over 200 feet at apex of first drop
   Drops: First drop - 170 feet, second -175 feet, third - 129 feet, fourth - 118 feet, fifth - 79 feet, sixth - 56 feet, seventh - 48 feet
   Top Speed: 70 miles per hour
   Track Length: 4,480 feet
Elements: 170 foot drop
6 camel backs (“zero gravity” hills)
1 high speed, banked curve
1 double helix (giant spiral)
1 over banked horseshoe

July, August & September 2006:

Arrived in Seville, Ohio to spend time with Pat and other family and friends

Visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. This is the world's first museum dedicated to the living heritage of rock and roll music. The Museum features dynamic interactive exhibits, intimate performance spaces and presents a rotation of artifact and costume displays from the museum's permanent collection. Exhibits showcase specific eras, styles and milestones, as well as highlight the many facets of rock and roll’s evolution. The Museum presents public programming, including the popular Hall of Fame Series, which regularly features Hall of Fame inductees in an informal interview and performance setting. The annual American Music Masters Series is dedicated to the exploration of an early influence inductee's music and enduring impact on popular music.

Connie setup a Cooke Family Reunion at State Road Park. Thanks Connie!!!

October 2006:

Traveled to the Alabama Gulf Coast and stayed at Fort Morgan RV Park, on beautiful Mobile Bay.
Something magic happens when you visit the Alabama Gulf Coast. The moment you arrive, the world starts to fade away. Maybe it's the sound of waves gently lapping the shore or the smell of coconut oil. Perhaps it's our white sand beach and sparkling emerald water.
Visited the USS Alabama Battleship at Battleship Memorial Park, one of America's finest military parks. Here, along the shores of Mobile Bay, you'll experience heroism spanning more than seven decades from World War II to Desert Storm. Attractions include:

LAMBERT'S CAFE is located in beautiful Foley, Alabama., eight miles north of Gulf Shores. One of the greatest attention grabbers at the cafe is the fact that the BEACH is located no more than eight miles away. The service is impeccable and the food is GREAT!!!! While you're visiting, talk to some of the workers. Who knows, maybe one of them can tell you the best places to visit!!!
Stopped at Biloxi, Mississippi the hurricane damage is very evident but the Gulf Coast is coming back. For Rita's birthday we spent October 25 at the Beau Rivage Casino owned by the MGM Mirage. The 32-story Beau Rivage features 1,740 rooms, including 95 luxury suites. Elegant rooms feature lush fabrics and draperies with Spanish and Grecian marble throughout spacious bathrooms. Each room has original artwork and offers a stunning view of the Mississippi Gulf or the Back Bay.
On to Corpus Christi, Texas we are staying at Sea Breeze RV Park on the Gulf Coast. Sea Breeze RV Park is a secure, clean and quiet park and features full hookups. Phone service is available. There are bay view sites and a private lighted fishing pier. The hot tub has both open and covered patios. The pool is heated and complete with a waterfall and a beautiful view of the Corpus Christi skyline. Our site is on the water and the park has a number of fresh and salt water canals separating the site area's. We will be staying here until November 2 when we will complete our trip to our winter RV Park in Yuma, AZ.
Visited the Aircraft Carrier USS LEXINGTON Museum On The Bay. Once you step foot aboard this WWII aircraft carrier you become a part of the story. So get ready to embark on a journey like no other. Let your imagination run wild aboard the USS LEXINGTON. The sights and sounds are so real and so intense you'll feel like you've been transported back in time. Climb behind the controls of a Jet Fighter, catch a movie in the Mega Theater, take a ride in the Flight Simulator or just enjoy the breathtaking views from the Flight Deck.
We also visited the Padre Island National Seashore, encompassing 130,434 acres, is the longest remaining undeveloped stretch of barrier island in the world, and offers a wide variety of flora and fauna as well as recreation. Because of its location on a major migratory route known as the Central Flyway, approximately 380 species of birds have been documented within the National Seashore. This is almost 45% of all bird species documented in North America. In cooperation with several partners, the park conducts an extensive program to detect nesting by Kemp's ridleys and other sea turtles. Staff and volunteers, up to 140 per year, patrol North Padre Island repeatedly each day searching for daytime nesting ridleys. Eggs that are found are removed from the beach for protected incubation and the hatchlings are released.

November 2006:

Rita and I have settled into our Winter home in Yuma, AZ at Las Quintas Oasis RV Resort. We plan to stay until sometime in March or April. If anyone wants to get a break from the weather your welcome to spend some time with us just call, our cell service if free on weekends and after 7:00 PM MST weekdays. We have put over 8000 miles on the motorhome and we have had a great time, except we miss the grand kids. Thanks to everyone that we stayed with during the trip, it's wonderful to have good friends and family!!
Yuma is nestled in the Yuma and Gila valleys of southern Arizona, offering a climate that blends pleasant desert sunshine with the cool waters of the Colorado River. Our clean air affords residents and visitors alike a year round vista of surrounding rugged mountains. Ranked by Money Magazine as one of the top places to live in the United States, no wonder many of the people who visit our community one day return to raise a family, retire in comfort, or simply take advantage of being part of one of America's fastest growing cities.
Yuma River Tours --- In talking with people over the years, we have found many are looking for new activity ideas. Some are looking for excitement; others are looking for relaxation. Some enjoy wilderness trips; others relish historic tours. All enjoy beautiful scenery. A day on the Colorado River is filled with all of the above. Join us on one of our jetboat tours on the magnificent Colorado River north of Yuma and we will be your guides through this wilderness wonderland.
Imperial National Wildlife Refuge protects wildlife habitat along 30 miles of the lower Colorado River in Arizona and California, including the last unchannelized section before the river enters Mexico. The river and its associated backwater lakes and wetlands are a green oasis, contrasting with the surrounding desert mountains.

December 2006:

Spent time in Reno/Sparks with family and friends for Christmas. We drove the Toyota up to Northern Nevada and left the Eagle in Yuma. We stayed with Jared, Lori and Marisa. Check back for Christmas pictures as soon as Lori sends them to me.

March 2007:

Left for Carson City on March 28. We will be staying at Silver City RV Resort just South of Carson City.
On our way to Carson we spend a few days at Simi Valley, CA and had a great visit our friends the Adlhoch's

Visited the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library. The Library was dedicated by five American presidents on November 4, 1991. This facility is much more than a 'library' in the conventional sense. This bronzed Presidential Seal, for example, designates a peaceful knoll where the burial site is situated for the President and First Lady. Several hundred researchers visit Simi Valley each year to take advantage of the Library's extensive archival holdings. There are nearly 50 million pages of documentation. There are more than 1.5 million photographs. There are large amounts of film and video tape available here. Since Opening Day over 800,000 Americans have toured the Library & Museum. You are invited to begin your visit to the world famous Ronald W. Reagan Library & Museum by touring the online exhibit, at the Library Lobby. This famous Library & Museum has many exhibits. While at the Library we were able to board Air Force One and see the historical aircraft from the inside.

Stayed in Tracy, Ca and had a short but wonderful visit with the Cox's and Edelblute's.

April 2007:

We arrived in Carson City on April 2nd in time to celebrate Easter with Jared, Jeff, Lori, Jake and Marisa. We have settled in at our home for the next couple months the Silver City RV Resort just South of Carson City.