3 November ‘09

A couple of days behind our “schedule”, but we’re still doing great !!!  Tonight we’re parked in a campground within 50’ of the border crossing in Lukeville, and we’re the only guests staying here.  At one time this must have been one heck of a campground.  I would guess that there is more than 250 sites here with water and electricity and plenty of shade trees to handle the harshest of bright and hot sunshine.  We left the great company of Mark and Susan this morning, stopped for propane and some antibiotics, and a small box of Amish pastries before heading east on Hwy 8 for Gila Bend.  The high temperatures of Yuma (in the low to mid 90’s) are still hanging around and we will be carrying them with us to the border town of Lukeville…all this without “cab air-conditioning”.  We must be getting a little tougher because the highs of the day didn’t wipe us out as it did when we first arrived in the south.  The drive was scenic but un-eventful.  Arriving in Gila Bend about noon, we stopped for lunch, topped off the fuel tank, and turned south for the border.  Tomorrow we’ll be crossing early and heading for the tourists offices to get all of our paper work in order for our 6 month journey. 

31 October ‘09

HAPPY HALLOWEEN….  Tonight Louise and I are parked in the driveway of Mark and Susan’s and giving out treats to all the little “tricker treaters” of the neighborhood.  Having Halloween here in Yuma vs. the Seattle area is quite different with tonight’s temperature hovering close to 80 degrees and all the tricker treaters dressed in their costumes without heavy/rain coats covering.  It also gives us a chance to watch a little bit of the World Series (game 3).  Mark and Susan are at a Halloween party tonight so we’re handling the door and giving out the treats.  We have been busy getting the coach ready for our journey into Mexico this last week.  Over the last couple of days I’ve changed out the shower, bathroom sink, and the kitchen faucets.  Tonight I changed out the electrical power converter because we’ve had to put up with a noisy one that can keep you awake throughout the night.  In the morning I’ll go back onto the roof and re-caulk the screw heads on the skylight and around.  They’re flaking off and I’d better get it done before we get some rain.  Louise got news this afternoon that her meds wouldn’t be available until late Monday afternoon, so we’re not going across the border until Tuesday now, buts that’s ok since we’re enjoying Mark and Susan’s company and the great food of the area.  Yesterday we took a short trip into Algadones for a margarita, a taco, and a little shopping of no description. 

28 October ‘09

I think we could almost call Yuma our “second home”…  Since coming back to the states and doing our thing, we’ve found ourselves staying in Yuma for at least a couple of weeks.  This time is no exception, we’re here for at least two weeks.  We spent the first four days and nights sitting in Mark and Susan’s driveway and now we’re back in our campground at Pilot Knob.  The weather has been hot, but who’s complaining???  We’ve been in the low to mid 90’s but it gets down into the 60’s for our sleep.  Yesterday the winds came up because of this approaching cold weather front and dropped the temperature down to 75 for today’s high.  They called for the winds to really get with it, but fortunately it wasn’t too bad.  With the Imperial Sand Dunes within sight, we could have been buried…   While at Mark’s, I took gross advantage of him having a great tool selection and got caught up on doing some little projects on the Minnie before our heading across the border.  The only problem I had was getting as much accomplished as I could before it got too hot to work.  I installed 2 roof cap covers and did some caulking on the roof and a little on the front side along with cleaning all the exterior windows of the hard water stains (that was one Hell of a job…).  Since arriving here at Pilot Knob, I’ve worked more inside than out.  The shower faucet had to be replaced and I cleaned all the vent and hood screens.  Last night I took Louise to one of the local casinos.  I left ALL I waged behind (as usual) and Louise broke even… 

23 December ‘08

Tuesday

We really enjoyed our time at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument but it was time to leave.  Our drive took us back up Hwy 85 and then junctioned with Hwy 86.  The roadway was pretty flat as we traveled through the Tohono O’Odham Indian Reservation.  Their land stretched on and on, in fact we joined it just outside of OPCNM and stayed within it all the way to Casa Grande.  The lands bordered the Mexican border and as we traveled the roads we saw signs like “You Are Traveling in a High Surveillance Area”.  Now they weren’t kidding, as there were Border Patrol vehicles and towers just about everywhere you looked and every once in awhile you would see 3 or 4 pickups stopped alongside the road with someone in cuffs.  The area was mostly scrub grasses with Saguaro Cacti mixed in.

  This is mostly cattle country although we didn’t see any cattle…Must be the “rustlers”.  This is the 2^nd time we’ve visited Desert Shadows RV Resort in 2 years so we didn’t have any trouble finding it.  Last year I was able to sell 2 kayaks here during one of their “Garage Sale Saturday’s”.  This last Saturday I wasn’t so lucky but while trying, I was met by a couple that we had met last year…”Joel, is that you???”  It was Sue and Dave… 

They are also from the Northwest and are now traveling with their 5^th wheel.  Louise and I joined them for a glass (or 3) of wine and we also were introduced to some friends of theirs.  Pat and Stan, who were also out of the Northwest and are now also traveling in their 5^th wheel.  Pat, Stan, Sue, and Dave met originally in Yakima where they were working and living at that time living.  A little later they decided that they should take some time off of work and bike across the country.  It was gutsy but they did it and they still love riding their bicycles once they reach their next campsite. 

This campground is one of those that seem to have it all together.  There is something to do here in the campground all day long if you want and that includes getting up in the morning and having fresh muffins waiting for you at the club house.  We also joined them last night for pictures with Santa…

it was sponsored by the local fire department.  The $5 proceeds for the picture with Santa goes to the local “Fire Victims Fund” and that was easy to give to.  The night before we went up to the clubhouse for an evening with "Whistle Stop".  Whistle Stop is a Bluegrass / Gospel band that is made up of Mom, Dad, 2 daughters, and a very good banjo player from "outside" (the family that is...).  They were good enough that we were enticed to purchase their CD. 

Last night we received an email from another couple that we had met last year.  Bob and Marlene have now purchased a new “winter home” here in Casa Grande and invited us over.  It was really good to see them again.  Their new home is really wonderful…what a find!!!  They have always been great hosts and today wasn’t any different.  Marlene also surprised us with lunch, an incredible Chicken Salad.  We will definitely make a return visit…

18 December ‘08

Thursday

A lot of time has passed since our “Garage Sale” at Pilot Knob, and a lot of miles have passed under our wheels.  Right now we are sitting right in the middle of some spectacular cacti’s at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, but I want to do a little catch-up.  While in Yuma and camped at Pilot Knob, we had a chance to get together with Mark and Susan for dinner a few times.  We joined them at their new home for dinner one night and had a chance to see all the wonderful new landscaping they had just put in, and their “spool” (swimming pool/hot tub). 

They have found out how to really live in Yuma…  Louise and I also took a day to have our teeth cleaned in Algodones.  We did find a new dentist and found that this was a good change for us as we were really impressed with our cleaning and the chair-side attention that was given.  Of course we made sure that we were there for our shrimp tacos and cervasas…  We also took advantage of the being here in Yuma to have our windshields replaced

and pick-up our reverse-osmosis system.  After having some on-coming trucks drop gravel in front of us, which took out our windshields, we chose George and Son Glass and RV Connections because of their knowledge, stock, and as it turned out, their price.  We are using it to fill all of our water needs.  It fills directly into our 100 gallon fresh water tank so that we can have pure and soft water no matter what we are doing, having a glass of drinking water, showering, or even washing the clothes in our washer/dryer.  It installed easily but took a couple of days to fill the tank.  Prior to installing the system we decided to drive up to Ehrenburg (Quartzite) and I could take 4 or 5 days there to get everything done.  It would also give us a chance to hit the “deals” at Quartzite or just to see what was going on prior to the “big tent” on the 16^th of January.  As it was, we did find a couple of places to spend a couple of dollars prior to heading back to Yuma.  We wanted to spend at least one more day in Yuma so we headed back and spent the night in the parking lot of RV Connection.  Early Tuesday morning we pulled out of RV Connection and stopped to top off the fuel tank.  Diesel prices were $1.94 !!!  I really don’t expect that price to last too long so we pumped as much into the tanks and filler tube as possible and hope that we will continue to find good deals as we move east.  As I mentioned, we are now in a campground at Arizona’s Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. 

 In getting here, we drove east on I-10 to Gila Bend and then took a right.  AZ 85 took us all the way down to Organ Pipe and yesterday it took us another 5 miles Lukeville and the Mexican border.  The storm that has hit the entire west coast has caught up with us as well.  From the moment we hit the road out of Yuma, we were in the wind and rain and it continued throughout the rest of the day and the night.  As we were driving through the National Monument we could see very little of the cacti that we knew were out there,

but we were resigned to see as much as possible, rain or shine.  Fortunately for us, when we awoke the next morning (yesterday) the sun was out and showed us what we had missed on our drive in.  We are surrounded by mountains and in the slopes and valleys below we are seeing the reason we are here…CACTUI !!! 

We’re in the Sonoran Desert and right now, I’m happy we’re here in winter.  The late spring to late summer temperatures are very hot, reaching 105 and higher a lot of the time, but the cacti that dominate this area thrive on this heat.  Yesterday we took a 10am class on cacti,

drove 21 miles on a dirt road to see some of the “out of the way” beauty of the park, and…took a 4 ½ mile hike to see a deserted mine.  The Victoria Mine sits at the base of one of the mountains and straight across the desert plain from where we are camped. 

The narrow and rocky trail took us through a menagerie of cactus and other desert plants, over hills and down and out of the many “wash” (the areas were the rain water rushes through coming from the mountains).  We thought this was going to be an easy 4 mile hike but we were totally surprised.  The rocky and narrowness of the trail kept us off balance and if it weren’t for our Nautilus Walking Sticks…it would have been a bigger challenge yet. 

Today took us on another adventure.  Our first stop (after 8 miles on a dirt road) and short hike took us to Alamo Canyon.  In the late 1800’s there was a small cattle ranch that was located at the end of one of the many canyons here in the park.  After hiking a mile further into the canyon, we came upon the remains of the “ranch house”. 

 It was not the sprawling ranch house of today but given then time and the location…it was more than comfortable (for someone else I’m sure, but not for wimpy me…).  We had driven through a small town on our way to the park.  It looked really interesting so we wanted to make the drive back to explore.  Ajo became a lively little town in 1906 when it became the first copper mine in the state.  We drove through town, stopped at the visitor center, enjoyed lunch, and then drove up to the top of the hill to look down into the mine.  They told us that it is a little over a mile in length and width and drops over 800 feet.  Sitting just off the edge of the pit we found the local museum.  The museum is located in what used to be a mission church and a school for the local Native American/Mexican children. 

 In a lot next to the museum sits a small observatory, that is, it used to be…  Arizona University built this little building and used it for 10 years or so and then abruptly took the telescope and left town.  Now all that is left is…    

2 December ‘08

Tuesday

We drove 187 miles yesterday to arrive here just after noon at the Pilot Knob Campground (Pilot Knob is located 6 miles west of Yuma on Hwy 8).  The drive from Ramona took us through some beautiful areas of rocks.  These rocks reminded us both of the rock fields we saw throughout the Baja…HUGE…  They stood like sentinels on the mountain and hill sides with some as large as a house.  When we were checking in at Pilot Knob we asked were the best prices where in Yuma for diesel as we were getting a little low.  I thought we might full the tank before setting up.  Boy, we were blown away when we heard what the prices were.  The high for diesel was $2.34 and the low…$2.12 !!!  I must say, we are getting a little excited at these prices and hope that they will hold, at least for awhile.  This morning the campground had a “garage sale” for all of us that wanted to set-up a table in front of our RV’s.  Louise started digging in the closets and cabinets inside as I was digging through the basement.  We knew we had things to sell, but putting our hands on them took a little effort.  Finally we found most of the items we knew we wanted to put on the table and placed them beautifully on display.  I even set up the kayak to see if I could find someone that might want to place an order for one of those too.  Well when all was said and done, we took in a grand total of $3.50…  Well it could have been worse, but then again, it could have been a lot better too.  After putting everything into the basement, and ready for next Tuesday’s garage sale, we drove into Yuma to do some shopping at Wal-Mart.  We really didn’t need much but maybe a loaf of bread, some wine, and a couple of other small items, but the surprise came when we checked out…apparently we needed a lot more than either of us knew as it filled the car to its maximum load. 

18 April ‘08

Friday

This morning we pulled out of the campground early so that we could stop for fuel and a stop at the lumber yard to pick up a piece of oak paneling.  We had it cut to fit the opening, but unfortunately it was unfinished so I’ve got another project to finish soon.  This paneling was to cover the area that once contained a wall of mirror which had to be taken down to install the shower faucet a few weeks ago.  After stowing everything, we headed to Lees Ferry Landing.  We were to meet Laurie and Bob at the campground in Lees Ferry and get ready for the Colorado River in the morning.  The drive from Page to Lees Ferry was taken through some absolutely beautiful territory.  We climbed through these red mountains to over 7,500 feet before dropping into the gorge while winding and twisting at a 6% grade, down to 3,200 feet.  Lees Ferry is the jumping off place for all the “floats” through the Grand Canyon and in the morning we’ll be in the water too.  The big difference is, we’ll (Bob, Laurie, Louise, and me) be picked up by a large river raft and transported kayaks and all up river.

  We were dropped off just before the dam

 at Lake Powell and from there we could float (and do a little paddling) the river back down to Lees Ferry.  Our float/paddle took us just under 6 hours.  The river was running at about 5 miles an hour through the canyon so it was easy to just sit back and enjoy the scenery.

When we did paddle, it was to go from one side of the canyon to the other or to beach and explore.  On one stop we were able to see some petroglyphs

that we were told date back over 1500 years.  Another stop was for a potty break and lunch (not necessarily in that order or importance…).  About every couple of miles there was a sandy beach that had a potty…pretty handy huh?  It was great to get into the Colorado River at this point and especially to be able to paddle with another kayak.  Bob and Laurie have had their kayak

about 4 years now and have been in a lot of incredible areas that we are looking forward to seeing as well.  Well, with the day coming to an end, we finally paddle enough to get us back on land, deflate the kayaks, and head up to our RV’s for dinner and a de-briefing of our day on the water.  Fortunately, Bob and Laurie will be heading to Hurricane, Utah as well for a few days.  We also heard from Dave and Carol Welling (who recently purchased a kayak from us) and they are in Hurricane also.  I hope that we will all be able to get into the water somewhere there. 

17 April ‘08

Thursday

One thing that continues to justify why we keep doing this “Full-Timing” is in meeting other “travelers”… those that like the feel of the wheels under them, those that like a hike, a paddle down a river, lake, or even the ocean, those that are looking for that piece of history or to watch the future in front of us, those that like to explore a glass of wine or taste a specialty beer (especially those)…  Well let me introduce Bob and Laurie Lynch.  We met them deep inside the Upper Antelope Canyon yesterday and today, we spent the day hiking the Toadstools and exploring Cottonwood Canyon by car.  They had heard about this hike into “The Toadstools” and ask us to join them, so with a name like the Toadstools who would pass? 

I am blown away with the different rock, sand, and mud formations that we have seen here in Arizona, and this one sure didn’t let us down.  We did explore a couple of small canyons but most of our time hiking was at the base, or at the top, of some striking hills.  These hills actually looked like someone had taken a large bucket of sand and water, added a little color here and there, reached in and pulled out a handful of the mixture, squeezed it through the palms of their hands, and formed these unusual walls, mounds, and spires.  The Toadstools area was a mix of red rock and a dirty white hard sand that seemed to melt its way from the top of the hills to the bottom…it looked like the sun was melting a huge block of white cheese, and letting it run down the sides it droplets.  Some of the “Toadstools” were of the “white cheese” and balanced on the top, the red rock. 

 Others were red on red…spectacular.  Getting back in the car and driving about 2 miles south, we turned onto a well maintained dirt road and headed deep into the desert.  The dust was flying (and most of it stuck to the every surface and crevice in and out of the car) as we approached the multi-colored mountains.  This drive was to take us out to the mountains and a stream bed that was not visited much by “tourists”.  The whole area was nice to see, but was it worth the effort?  I would probably pass the next time, but for trying it this time, it was a lot of dust, but a good drive.

16 April ‘08

Wednesday

After pulling into Page and the Lake Powell area, we found ourselves totally involved with getting out and seeing everything (or as much as we could in the few days we are staying).  Unfortunately, the wind hasn’t helped our plans…  I remember when we were in Ramona, California and they had the heavy rain, followed with 3 to 4 inches of snow…”the most snowfall in 25 years”, was the story.  Well Tuesday we had wind, and I mean wind.  “The strongest winds in over 25 years” they tell us.  We had planned to take a tour into one of the canyons.  The Upper Antelope Canyon is supposed to be one of the most spectacular canyons available to visit anywhere so we signed up.

  Across the highway is another spectacular canyon, the Lower Antelope Canyon, so we decided to see both of them in the same day.

  The upper is available only with a guide so, with instructions clear to all parties, we followed the Jeep out to this location that we were to leave our car.  As soon as we “all” pulled into the parking lot, Louise and I got our camera, jackets, tickets, and started to run to the Jeep.  Just about 2 feet away from our car, the Jeep took off…”where the hell are they going?”  Well, they took off through the dust and left us standing.  Now remember I mentioned the wind?  I got right on the cell phone and called the tour company and let them know what happened.  Of course, they apologized and couldn’t have been more un-happy that this happened, but now they would have to ask us if we could do it the next day.  Getting back to the wind…I, we, are so happy that they got away from us.  After watching them blast away down that sandy, windy, bouncy road and catching all the above in their eyes, ears, nose, and CAMERAS…no thanks, tomorrow will be just fine.  Tomorrow arrived and we did make the drive down that same sandy path (they called it a dirt road) but before we did that, we took a short mile hike to see the famous “Horseshoe Bend” on the Colorado River.  The view from on top of the ridge to the bend in the river and the huge rock on the other side was amazing.

  I wish we could find a way to put the kayak in and paddle that part of the river…wishful thinking.  Arriving back in town we found ourselves about to enter yesterday’s canyon.  As I mentioned, this is the upper canyon and all we had to do was walk through this very narrow entry and then into some of the most beautiful wind and water carvings you could imagine. 

 The walls that stood beside us, and sometimes over us, are carved out with the rushing waters of today and those of centuries ago.  The winds also have helped.  The winds yesterday actually “blasted” through the canyon and did its own bit of handy work.  Along with doing a little etching, it sent sand down through the small narrow openings in the “ceiling” and doing that, actually created a few “sand falls”. 

Now I didn’t mention the colors…  The colors ranged from soft sand to pink, red, orange, and burgundy.  The gorgeous sloping angles of the rocks, coupled with the shafts of light that make their way down from the rum of the canyon, combine for a scene that cannot be fully explained with words.

  I must admit the pictures that we had seen at the different galleries in town and the pictures in the “tourist” magazines caught the moment and the beauty easily.  This canyon was about a half mile long, so in an hour we had had the opportunity to enjoy it all and now, Louise and I had another appointment across the street to see the “Lower Canyon”. 

 We weren’t sure what we were going to see there, but in a short minute after arriving, we were walking across a solid rock area and looking at a narrow slice in the ground.  Upon closer inspection we noticed the ladder…  We were on our own on this adventure, so approaching the ladder, sliding in though the opening sideways, we descended about 15 feet down to the floor of the canyon.  Centuries ago, when the water rushed through this canyon, it must have come-in swirling, as the length of the canyon kept us leaning either one way or the next.  We were soon stepping down more ladders.  One or two only took us down a step or two, and then there were the others that took us down another 15 to 20 feet.  In my opinion this canyon was on par with the beauty of the “Upper”, but a hell of a lot more fun in making your way through. 

11 April ‘08

Friday

We’ve left Albuquerque behind and now reside just outside of Canyon de Chelly (d’SHAY..) in the Northeast corner of Arizona.  I found this description of the canyons to give you an idea as to what we are seeing:  “A red-tailed hawk casts moving shadows on the sheer walls as it floats high above the canyon.  A Navajo woman tends her corn on the canyon floor, surrounded by a cathedral of towering red cliffs.

  A family at Spider Rock Over-look marvels at the 800 foot free standing spire and the quilt of colors far below.

  For each there is a different view.  Yet, for all, the canyon is quiet…its silence challenged only by the call of a distant raven.”  After pulling in and setting up the coach, we headed right off to see the south side of the canyon, as it’s this time of day that the sun is right for the full impact of the canyon and of course, pictures.  If you were to see Canyon de Chelly from the air, it would look like a huge “V” shaped lightning strike, with the campground right at the base of the “V”.  Our drive today took us over a couple of passes of 6,500 feet and more, and the top of Canyon de Chelly is at an elevation of 5 to 7,000 feet so altitude is becoming a common thing to deal with.  This evening’s drive took us to the overlooks of Tsegi, Junction, The White House Ruins, and finally Spider Rock.  As we made our first stop, it was amazing to see how deep the canyons are, and the steep, vertical walls that seem to either push you back or pull you even closer for that breath taking “closer look”.

  There is the smell of wood smoke rising from the canyon floor and the sounds of sheep bells, barking dogs, and kids playing…the crops of corn, alfalfa, and small fruit orchards all surrounded with fences to keep the animals out are laid out like a tapestry.  The “new spring” colors of the canyon floor that complement the many reds and blacks of the canyon walls.  All of this was brought to our eyes as one of the prettiest “canyons” we have had the chance to visit.  They tell us that “The Navajo culture emerged from this land”, and from what we’ve seen of the canyon and the Navajo people that we’ve met today, it must be true.  Tonight we had dinner in the cafeteria of the Thunderbird Lodge.  In the late 1880’s, this cafeteria was established as one of the earliest “trading places” in the Navajo communities  Believe it or not, the food was still good, even after all that time…  I had the most incredible “Indian Taco” and Louise had a chicken fried steak…mine was by far the best…  Well, tomorrow we will visit the north rim and then head back to the south to hike down to the White House Ruins. 

 31 March ‘08

Monday

Last Friday we drove up to Tucson to take in another National Park.  Saguaro National Park is split down the middle by the city of Tucson and by the looks of it, it didn’t hurt it a bit.  Our plan for the day was to hike the Cactus Forest in the Rincon Mountains but when we got there we changed our minds.  I’m not sure whether it was because our last hike was in one of the most exciting places or if it was just that we weren’t too excited about the area.  The Saguaro Cactus, the other cactus families, the many different species of birds, and the wild flowers were really beautiful, but taking a 2 to 3 mile hike just didn’t seem to be “the thing to do” today.  Now, a little bit about the Saguaro…it all starts with a very small black seed.  The seed is about the size of the point of a pin and then verrrryyyy slowwwwlllllyyyy grow to 50 feet and weigh as much a ton in 150 years.  That is if they make it…most don’t, but those that do are a piece of art. 

We also were looking forward to getting our car back from the dealer, but that didn’t happen.  They said that the parts were lost out there someplace…OKKKK    Well that gave us the weekend to go through so we did our best to enjoy it.  You know you can enjoy just staying “home” and “piddling”…and that’s what we did.  We also got together a couple of times with Bob and Marlene Rea to enjoy a dinner and a cool drink or two.  This morning we moved down to Sierra Vista (just 20 miles south of where we were) and in the same city our car has been for the last week.  We did get the call tonight that we’ve been looking for…our car is ready for us. 

26 March ‘08

Wednesday

The plan for the day…Chiricahua National Monument.  Approximately 70 miles east of our campground (at St. George) is the “Wonderland Of Rocks”, otherwise known as the Chiricahua Mountains.  These mountains were the lands controlled by the Chiricahua Apaches and under the leadership of Cochise, who led the Native Americans resistance in the 1860’s.  The ride into this 12,000 acre park took us all the way up to 7800 feet and into some of the most unusual rock formations you could ever imagine.  The territorial views from up there were unbelievable.

  We would look out to one mountain range and then onto another.  At one time we saw 3 different mountain ranges from this one spot.  Prior to arriving in Arizona last year, my thoughts were that Arizona was mostly flat…well, that was a big mistake.  There are mountains in every direction I look, and some of these are mountains run as high as 12,000 or more feet.  The research on how the rock formations developed here, says that about 27 million years ago there was a huge volcanic action that covered the area with a deep covering of ash.

  After the ash cooled and fused into a 2,000 foot layer of rock, “the forces of erosion” took place and created the sculpted shapes we see today.   Our 3 mile hike took us in a large circular route that ran down into the canyons below and then back up, and all the while keeping in mind how great a place this must have been to hide a complete nation of peoples.  After finishing our hike, having a bite to eat from our backpack, we drove back down the mountain to visit the Faraway Ranch.  The Faraway Ranch was a homestead that was built by Neil Erickson (who fought against Cochise) in 1888, and was continuously kept in his family until the Chiricahua National Monument was established in 1928. As we walked the ranch and looked into all the existing buildings, it gave us the feeling that the Erickson family could be still living there and, could possibly pull into their “driveway” in just any minute. 

24 March ‘08

Monday

Sunday we stayed close to “home” and didn’t do too much, but on Monday we headed south to Bisbee.  Bisbee is about 40 miles south of St. George, were we are now, and 2 miles north of the Mexican border town of Naco.  Now Naco doesn’t have too much to brag about but being a small Mexican town that supports the copper mines of Bisbee with man-power.  The drive to Bisbee was quite beautiful as we drove through the high desert.  Fact is, Bisbee is over a mile high and sits in a beautiful cut between two mountains.

  The streets of Bisbee are narrow, winding, and all going uphill (OK, some go downhill too).   All this, is best enjoyed by walking.  The whole town is listed on the National Historic Register and you can certainly see why.  The main commercial area is old and “historic”, and the small homes that cling to the hillsides of the mountains are quaint and beautiful (some more than others).  We took a great walk through Bisbee and found lots of interesting places, things,

 and people that make Bisbee “Bisbee”.  Just as you leave town to the south you find the huge copper mine terracing it’s self far below the highway.

  At one time Bisbee was the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco as well as being one of the richest mineral deposits in the WORLD.  Today it’s a reminder of the “Good Ole Times and the Past Charms” of days past.  Lunch time came just in time…  as we were passing the front porch of The Copper Queen Hotel, we knew we had found just the right place…  Now it was on to find were Coronado passed through between 1540 and 1542.  While we were there we just happened to run into one of his “soldiers”.

  What were Coronado and his crew doing in this area???...one word, GOLD !!!  It was never found.  Heading a little further West, we found ourselves in Sierra Vista again.  The last time we were here we were heading to Parker Canyon Lake but this time, I wanted to find the Suzuki dealer that I heard was here.  We’ve been having a “whine” coming out of the transmission and I wanted someone to look into it.  After finding the dealer, going for a test drive with the mechanic, and calling the Suzuki rep, we found ourselves driving a loaner car back to the coach.  They feel that there are at least 2 bearings that need to be replaced so why not get it done right now??? 

22 March ‘08

Saturday

In this campground, Saturday morning is “Cinnamon Roll” morning…  Yes, I know, I know, but I feel I must have one and you know how “good” they are for me…  After a quick trip to Wally World (Wal-Mart), we decided not to waste the rest of the day at home so we headed east on Hwy 10.  Our destination was the Cochise Stronghold.  The Chiricahua  (cheer-E-cow-a) Apaches, led by their chief Cochise, used a natural granite fortress as their “haven” from the U.S. Cavalry.  This is also the place that is believed to be the final resting place of Cochise.  Cochise wasn’t killed but actually died of old age.  His son, who became Chief of the Chiricahua Apaches, is believed to have buried “The Chief” somewhere in the rugged natural fortress of the “Stronghold”.  At one time, Cochise led more than 1,000 followers, of which some 250 were warriors.  As Louise and I hiked the trails of the Stronghold,

we could feel the presence of the Apache warriors above us, ready to sweep down to do what they did best…they really had a perfect fortress to set their defenses and it worked perfectly. 

21 March ‘08

Friday

About 25 miles south of our campground here in St. George is the town of Tombstone, a spot in Wild West infamy and we were going to check it out today.  Main street Tombstone has been kept as close to original as possible, including having a light dirt spray put over the asphalt.  The only wheeled vehicles that are allowed on main street are 3 or 4 stage coach and mounted and un-mounted horses.

  You could almost feel some of those who graced the OK Corral, Big Nose Kate’s Saloon, and other places like the Bird Cage Theater were Doc Holliday played some of his best poker.  The OK Corral still has the re-enactment  of the famous “gunfight”, but today it costs $7 per person to watch it…  I wonder if they charged admittance in 1881?

After walking the town, sharing a steak hoagie sandwich, we headed off to Sierra Vista and then Fort Huachuca.  Sierra Vista looks like new and is growing leaps and bounds.  It also sits right next door to Fort Huachuca which is not only a historical site that is said to have been the location that was instrumental to the surrender of Geronimo in August 1886 but is still a very active military base for the Army.  We were able to drive through the base, as we wanted to go to Parker Canyon Lake, and taking that route saved us about 50 miles or travel time of an hour or more.

   Driving through the base and then through Parker Canyon proved to be stunning.  The roads were very narrow and winding

and the mountains, hills, and vegetation outstanding…it was well worth taking the ride today.  The unfortunate thing about Parker Canyon Lake, it’s too far away to give us a day of good kayaking.

20 March ‘08

Thursday

Yesterday morning it finally happened…our shower faucet let go.  This wasn’t really a surprise to us as it had been “acting” a little funny the last couple of months and when Louise turned the water off the cold side started spitting water all over the shower.  Fortunately I had already contacted the technical people at Monaco a couple of months ago and they had given me a possible idea as to what I had to do to replace the faucet.  What they had told me was so impossible to believe I called for another opinion…they gave me the same answer.  The shower stall sits on the corner of the wall that backs to the kitchen and the faucet is directly in the corner of the shower stall. 

 Now, attached to the kitchen wall are floor to ceiling and doorway to exterior wall, beveled mirrors and they have to be removed.  Yep, they have to be taken off so that I can get to the back of the shower to remove 2 retaining nuts and remove and re-install the two water lines, and that’s all...  As it was, neither Louise nor I had really liked the mirrors but there wasn’t really any reason to take them down until now.  So for having the faucet go out gave us the reason and timing to get rid of them.  There is only one more thing we have to do now and that is pick out a new wall covering and get it mounted over the hole we now have in the kitchen.  I was a little surprised as to how little time it took to get the wall of mirrors off, the faucet replaced, and settling down to lunch having gone as far as I could in finishing the project…now let’s get ready for a sharing a bottle of wine with Dave and Carol (a couple that purchased one of my kayaks).  Louise and I look forward to doing some paddling with them back up in Washington. 

12 March ‘08 

Wednesday

Joelle arrived right on time yesterday and we all stayed close to the coach to do a little catching up on “family happenings”…but today is going to be something else.  Louise and I had such a great time up at Tortilla Flats kayaking the other day, that we thought Joelle would enjoy it just as much.  All of us were out of bed early, enjoyed breakfast, and headed out for a long day.  Our first stop was at Goldfield, an old mining town. 

 Goldfield looks across a grass valley that climbs steeply up Superstition Mountain. 

Superstition Mountain is where the many legends come regarding the “Lost Dutchman Gold Mine”.  If this is where the mine was, it was never re-discovered, although many a man and woman had tried.  An hour later we were winding our way through the spring flowers that have sprung forth covering the southern sides of just about every mountain and hill in southern Arizona. 

A little later in the spring we will see the cactus bloom but for right now we’re looking for lunch.  The last time we were at Tortilla Flats, we saw this great looking, but funky restaurant, so that was our goal for lunch.  Twenty minutes later, after traveling this most beautiful winding and twisting road, we pull up in front of our destination…unfortunately, so did half of Arizona.  The waiting line was no less than 2 hours before enough room would be made for us.  Well that just wasn’t going to work.  The ladies were really getting hungry so I went looking for an alternative, another restaurant…  The “other” restaurant was 10 miles further down the road, but the “road” was DIRT !!!  With two hungry ladies riding in the car, it meant only one thing…go for the dirt.  This not only changed our lunch plans it changed our kayaking plans as well.  On the other side, it meant that we had another choice of restaurants and hopefully we would have another location to explore by kayak.  Fortunately all went well…we found that “other” restaurant (which was good, but I’d rather have had lunch at the first one), had lunch, and then continued for another 10 “dirt” miles to Lake Roosevelt.  Just before the dam, we found a small campsite that gave us access to the river.  Within 15 minutes, Joelle joined me in the kayak and we headed up-stream. 

 Just like it was further downstream at Tortilla Flats, the scenery and the water were perfect for kayaking…    

10 March ‘08

Monday

Louise and I have been looking for a place to hit the water with our kayak for over a month.  Last Saturday, when we were having our “garage sale” and showing our kayak, Jim and Carlotta Lindeman came by. 

Now Jim was giving some thought to purchasing another kayak so that when his twin brother comes down from Alaska, he would have a kayak for him and his wife to use.  Jim and Carlotta have their own kayaks and asked if Louise and I would like to join them for a day trip to Tortilla Flats.  They came by in the early morning, I tossed our kayak and accessories into their trunk, and we were off.  Tortilla Flats is about 30 miles east of Phoenix or 70 miles northeast of Casa Grande.  The weather couldn’t have been better.  Tortilla Flats is a large water area with fingers that run off in all directions.  With deep walls of solid rock, it was difficult to find a place for lunch.

  The flowers were covering the hills all around us and some of the rocks were actually a complimentary cream color…it was amazing.  We were but just a few boaters on the water today.  As we paddled from one “finger” to another we were most often by ourselves but with a couple of exceptions.  One exception was two ski boats tied together and all aboard seemed to be having one heck of a good party.  The other was a paddle-wheeled excursion boat, and that was filled with visitors to Tortilla Flats.  Louise and I were excited to get back into our kayak again and it was a lot of fun paddling alongside of Jim and Carlotta for the day. 

 Well, tomorrow morning we run to the airport and pickup Joelle (our youngest daughter) who will be spending a few days with us.

9 March ‘08

Sunday

Well I thought we were going to Mt. Picacho yesterday, but with the garage sale, we had to pass and make it today.  Fortunately for us, the re-enactment was still going on.  The particular skirmish that we were going to observe was the Confederate victory at Glorieta (the Gettysburg of the West), New Mexico. 

The story goes that after the Confederate victory at Valverde, the Texans had arrived at the mouth of Apache Canyon, just east of Santa Fe.  They were looking to choke the access of the Santa Fe Trail to the Union.  The Confederates had about a thousand men and 3 cannons while the Union

numbered about 850 men and 8 cannons.  Well when the fight hit the fan, the Confederates had driven the Union way back and it looked like their back was broken.

   It very well could have been but a small group of Union soldiers had slipped by the Confederates.  What they found when they got around them was all of the stash the Confederates had left in hiding.  Things like huge supplies of ammunition, all of their food (with the exception of that the soldiers were carrying into battle), their wagons and the remainder of their horses. 

 With a couple of well placed charges  the whole stash was up in smoke.  This spelled disaster to the Confeds who won the skirmish but lost the war…  Well anyway, we arrived with our beach chairs in hand, water, a little snack, camera and lots of suntan lotion and found a location to set-up our “camp”.  The re-enactment was held in the sage and cactus at the base of Mt. Picacho so that gave us the opportunity to find a place on the hill side and among the rock and brush to set our chairs.  We also visited the encampments and visited with both the Confederates and the Union soldiers, and also found ourselves in line to get a glass of “root”beer and a bag of KETTLECORN???  We spoil ourselves sometimes… 

8 March ‘08

Saturday

Today started out with a neighborhood garage sale and I took advantage of this to market our kayaks.  I must admit, we had great interest.  I sure wish we would have had some water around us, it would have been great to do a little on water demo…  As I see it, the closest water is 25 miles east of Tempe so this makes it a little difficult to get all interested parties there.  Oh well, if they really like it like we have, they’ll contact me when they can.  The rest of the afternoon we were touring the ruins of “Hohokam” Casa Grande.  This is one of the largest “prehistoric” structures ever built in North America and its just 25 miles away.   

The area was established by the Hohokam and used primarily as irrigation farming with a little trade tossed in.  All this took place about 1350 C.E., and then without a trace, the ancient ones flat out disappeared a thousand years later.  Actually “Hohokam” means “Those Who Are Gone”, which is pretty fitting if you ask me.  There’s not much left of this great area but a few walls, that are thought to have been used as security walls, and the “Casa Grande” or great house.  Back in the mid 1800’s, the early arriving tourists started taking too many souvenirs home, so fortunately President Benjamin Harrison stepped in and saved all that we are able to see and enjoy today.  By setting aside one square mile of Arizona Territory surrounding the Ruins of Casa Grande, he established a national treasure and the first prehistoric and cultural reserve. 

8 March ‘08

Friday

There are a million and one trails around Arizona and yesterday Louise and I joined 11 others from our campground and headed out for a 6 mile hike. 

 It was another “Arizona Winter Day”, blue cloudless sky, and the temperature in the low 70’s.  For most of us it was what you might call a “moderate” hike, but I’m sure we will feel some after affects tomorrow if we don’t take a couple of Tylenol at bed time.  The desert is still very green and the spring flowers, well they are starting to show some early color.  Even the cactus is a healthy green but no less dangerous to the touch.

  We were all lucky with the cactus spines, but a few had found their way into some of the soles of the hiking boots.  A couple of the hikers were on the watch for rattle snakes, but none were seen or heard.  I was amazed at the amount of trash that was dumped…tires, beds, clothing, furniture, you name it and it was “DUMPED”.  It is pretty sad that those people will go out of their way to take their trash to the desert instead of to the dump…  Who knows, it could be that the Goodwill would have taken some of it but no, the dumb bastards have to take it out into the desert and create another “landfill” of shit!!!  OK, I’m upset…but it is a shame and an embarrassment that someone who lives in this country would do this to “Their own neighborhood”.  Louise and I purchased some good walking/hiking sticks last December at the Palm Desert market and this was the first time we had used them to hike in the hills.  I must say, they really worked as advertized.  I/we will most definitely use them more and more as we go out walking the streets or hiking the hills/mountains.  One of the beautiful sites that we came upon was Mt. Picacho. 

We are going to take the day this Sunday, and head up there.  They are having a Civil War re-enactment of The Battle of Picacho Pass and we thought it would be interesting to attend...we’ll write more on that later. 

5 March ‘08

Wednesday

Our campground in Casa Grande the Western Horizon Resort and let me tell you, they constantly have something going on.  As I was going to the rec room to pick up a freshly made muffin, I walked pass Greg and Doretta Oaklief.  They were just about ready to make their presentation on 4 wheeling the Pinal County Box Canyon and I had to listen to what they had to say.  Louise and I have had the Suzuki out in the mud before but if we were to go with Greg and Doretta this morning it would give us some time going over some “moderate rock and water” obstacles while trying to get further over the pass and into the canyon.  Louise was in her exercise class while I was sitting through Greg’s lecture but I made the big decision that we were “in” for an afternoon of 4 wheel’ in.  I through a quick lunch together, grabbed my camera and waited to tell Lou what our plans were for the day…  She was as excited as I was to join in.

  At 11am, Gary and Mary-Ann Tennent of “BC”, Greg and Doretta, and Louise and I headed out.  The box canyon was about 40 miles northeast of Casa Grande.  On the way we passed through Coolidge and then Florence.  I’ll write more on Coolidge in the next couple of days but in regards to Florence…it is one of the oldest towns in Arizona and has the oldest courthouse in the state.  A little note about the clock tower, they ran out of money when it came time to purchase the clock so they just painted the time of completion at the location where the clock would fit…11:40am is still painted up there and the plans are to just leave well enough alone.   Another interesting note on Florence, they have 5 different jail/prisons here in this little town.  The state penitentiary, a Home-land Security Prison,  the city jail, 3 private jails that they contract to bring in inmates from outside of the state, and a juvenile facility...tough place but their economy is growing leaps and bounds !!!

 Now a little about our drive through the canyon.  The pavement continued for another 5 or so miles and then we made our turn off to the right…all dirt, rock, and water for the next 4 plus hours.  There were times when the dirt was just about as smooth as the pavements we have traveled in California but that soon was exchanged for challenging rocks of all size and a little flowing water down the drying streams. 

The scenery was excellent.  Cactus of all type and size, lots of new spring flowers, and of course the mountains…it was “excellent”. 

3 March ‘08

Monday

Coffee is brewing, Louise is in the shower, and I’ve just got to get something written this morning.  We left Pomona on Saturday morning after getting in line with the coach for our scheduled weighing.  It is very important to have the coach weighed at each wheel so that we have a good idea as to how much weight is at the corners…too much weight and it puts a heck of a strain on that tire or tires and it also lets us know if we are carrying a heavier overall cargo as well.  Our report card showed us that we passed with flying colors…we were under our maximum gross weight by quite a lot and our balance was within 5lbs. from the left to the right side…we got high praise.  Unfortunately this kind of weighing isn’t available just everywhere, so we jumped at the chance when we found it available at the rally.  Well now we are on our way to Casa Grande, Arizona for a couple of weeks.  We pulled onto Hwy 10 and headed east as far as Ehrenburg, Arizona, which gave us a run of about 200 miles and a familiar campground to stay at for a couple of days.   In 1965, Louise and I moved into a new house in Alderwood Manor, which is a suburb of Seattle, and met another couple that had just moved into their new home as well…that was Karl and Nicki Ostrom.  In 1969 Louise and I left the neighborhood as I was transferred to Portland, Oregon and unfortunately we had only seen Karl and Nicki once since and that was in 1986.  Well we remedied that by finding out that they had a winter home in Lake Havasu, Arizona and try as we could, we finally got together Saturday.  We met in Parker and enjoyed a lunch together and exchanged a lot of our past experiences since we last saw each other, family, and old memories of the neighborhood…it was great to see them again.  Yesterday was our checkout day, but the winds came ripping across the desert and we opted to stay one more day to let them blow themselves out.  This morning the sun is again with us, the temp is going to be in the low to mid 70’s, and “we’re ready”…Casa Grande, here we come.

30 January '08

Wednesday

Louise left me yesterday and didn't look back...until she ran out of money at the casino and caught the bus back.  She joined a group from the campground and took a bus tour to the Viejas Casino which is located about 35 miles east of San Diego.  She had a good time but next time she would rather come back with a jackpot or two in her purse.  I stayed back to work on the trim around the floor.  The only thing left now is the stairway and I hope to have that finished tomorrow (Thursday).  This morning we met again with Mark and Susan and spent most of the afternoon at a couple of museums here in Yuma.  The first was the the old Fort Yuma and then we went across the tracks to the old Arizona Territorial Prison.  Both of them were very interesting and a real asset to this area. 

28 January '08

Monday

It's been a little while since we've taken the day and went out into the desert and took a hike.  Louise and I joined up with Mark and Susan and drove out to the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge and hiked the Painted Desert Trail.  Our drive took us right through the middle of the Yuma Proving  Grounds (just about ALL of the military weapons are tested here) and past the beautiful Martinez Lake. 

As we passed the lake we were immediately met with the "stickiest and slickest" red mud I've ever been in.  It was like driving on snow and ice only it didn't melt off of the car.  OK, getting back to our hike...  We walked through rocky washes and over variegated mesas that were left behind by volcanic action many, many years ago.  We were also on the outlook for the desert critters (the rattlers aren't out yet) such as the mountain/desert goats, wild donkeys, coyotes, and lizzards.  Unfortunately all we saw were a couple of lizzards.  We did have a good time, a good hike, and good food (packed by Louise and carried by me).  

With all the recent rain we've had the desert showed a lot of green and will soon show a lot of flowers as well.  Arriving back in Yuma the first stop was diffenately the car wash...unfortunately the $10 wash was worth only a buck.  Most of the mud was still attached to the bottom of the car and the rest of the car was so grimmy looking that we headed over to Mark and Susans place to "re-do" the whole thing.  Hell, I don't think the car wash machine could have possibly gotten that red "mud ???" off. 

Even after the second and third wash of the day it is going to have to be done again tomorrow.

27 January '08

Sunday

We've got rain...  It started last night just before bed time and at 2 in the afternoon it hasn't stopped.  I've been watching the LA TV Network and seeing all the flooding, slides, and snow that they are receiving.  I ask myself, "is that really "The Sunny California" that we've always known to be the sun tan capital????  I know, it's the Global Warming.  Louise is helping that cause right now, she is roasting a turkey for our dinner tonight...mmmm good !!! 

Well the new floor is in and I've just about finished with setting the trim work as well.  Unfortunately I had to "purchase" another tool to set the finish pieces.  I bought a new nailer.  I had to buy this  compressed air nailer so that the nails would penentrate the new flooring and/or the walls.  I tried to use a standard hammer and finish nail but I just couldn't get it to hit pay dirt and hold...Oh well, I've always wanted a "nailer"...  The people at Home Depot and Lowes are getting to know us on a first name basis because of all the visits we've made to their establishments.  Yesterday we met with Louise's brother and his wife (Mark and Susan) and attended the annual "Lettice Festival".  It turned out to be pretty much the standard street market with the addition of "The Largest Salad Bar" in the world.  I don't know about the "Largest", but it was about 20 feet long and in the middle of the street.  We lasted about 2 hours and then the snarling of our tummy's got to us and we had to find the local "Hot Wing Bar"...nothing better than a nice sunny day, hot wings, a cold beer, and eating out on the sidewalk... 

19 January '08

Saturday

It's been a couple of weeks since I've been here and let me tell you, it hasn't been because I've been doing nothing.  After leaving the "Full-Timers" group in the desert we drove back to Ehrenburg to plug-in, dump our tanks, and take on fresh water before heading back to Yuma and our campground at Pilot Knob.  Our plans are to have the floors taken up and replaced with "Purgo" type hardwood floors.  We will be here for a month so that should give us plenty of time to get it done.  We got a call from Bonnie and Doug and found out that they were stopped by heavy snow in Medford Oregon while on their way down to Cabo San Jose.  Two days later we again got a call from them and they wanted to meet us in Brawley Calfornia (just 24 miles north of El Centro) for dinner.  Brawley is about an hours drive from Yuma so we drove over to see them before they crossed the border into Mexico.  Two days after that we got a call from Ralph and Susan Keith (a couple we first met in Cos, Turkey when we were camping there). 

They live just outside of Calgary and were on their  way down to Cabo San Lucas for 3 months.  Again we drove up to El Centro and met with another couple heading across the border.  It had been at least 3 years since we traveled with them and it was really good to see them again.  It was tough letting them head off to Cabo and not tag along...  Well back at "camp" I finally decided to take on the flooring project and do it myself.  Day 1,2,3, and 4 were taken up with pulling up the old carpet and the hard surface.  What I thought would be a moderately easy job turned out to be a huge challenge...it turnsout that the total flooring is laid before any walls or cabinets are installed in the coach.  There-fore I had to chisel all the hard surface material out of every corner, around all the cabinets, shower, and doorways.  Of course not only was it tough to chisel those areas I also had to do the same with the floor that was glued down. 

 Well today is day 5 and I have now laid, glued and screwed the sub-floor and started to lay the new flooring.  We have chosen a hardwood oak flooring (Purgo) to cover from the bedroom to the very front of the coach...no more wall to wall carpeting in the living area for us...  Another couple of days and I will be done.  Louise keeps telling me it would have been much cheaper and quicker if we had "hired" it done....Ya, you think so ????  Oh yes, I forgot, I also refinished the kitchen cabinet doors too...I've been a little busy doing all this but not to busy to pass a few gatherings at one or two of the local "watering" establishments with Mark and Susan or at a few of the neighboring RV's when invited. 

31 December '07

Monday

Well Louise and I pulled out of Yuma last Saturday and headed north to the desert around Quartzsite.  We were invited to celibrate the New Year coming with a group of Holiday Rambler Full-timers who were going to have a mini-rally in the desert. 

About 3 weeks ago we met George and Lou Small while we were in Ehrenberg.  They also have a Holiday Rambler "Endeavor" (the same coach as we have) and they belong to a group of other Holiday Rambler owners.  They are all full-timers and members of the Full-Timers Chapter 400 Club.  You must be full time motorhomers to belong and you must own a Holiday Rambler...well we fit the requirements so they ask us to join them for the desert party.  As we pulled off the highway at the location of the flag and arrow directing us out into the desert, we found a circle of Holiday Ramblers waiting for us.  We have really been having a great time meeting, eating, drinking, and shopping with everyone of them.  We start the day with breakfast around the fire pit and we end the day with a dinner gathering. 

 It has been a lot of fun with and without all the company.  Louise and I have taken walks out into the desert, shopped ourselves blue in the tent city of Quartzsite, and just in general have had a good time.  I just want to say;  May peace break into your house and may thieves come to steal your debts.  May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills. May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your lips! May your clothes smell of success and may happiness slap you across the face,and may your tears be that of joy. May the problems you had, forget your home address!   In simple words    .......May 2008 be the best year of your life.

26 December '07

Wednesday

We were going over to Mark and Susans for Christmas dinner yesterday but the wind came up and started one heck of a sand storm.  It was so bad it woke me up about 3am and continued to get  worse throughout the morning.  It got so bad that I pulled in both slides on the coach.  Later on in the afternoon when the wind had let up I stepped out side and found that sand had found it's way into every little nook and cranny and also had blown one of our chairs down the street and taken our flag completely off the pole and taken it half way to the Mexican border.  Luckily it had caught on a fence so I was able to get it back...I can just see the red, white, and blue flying through Mexico...  Today we finally got together with Mark and Susan at their house.  The wind had finally deminished, the sun was warm, and all of us were ready for a great Christmas steak dinner.  On the 27th, about noon, I talked Louise to join me back in Algondones for another shrimp taco.  Algondones is just 3 miles away from our campground so getting there is just the thought.  When we arrived in the parking lot we saw that there was a whole lot more cars parked there today...no big deal, there are a lot of places for everyone to go.  And as it turned out it wasn't a big deal.  We went to our margarita patio, had lunch and walked back out to the border crossing.  As we rounded the corner to the crossing we were taken back as we saw the line of those that decided to go back at the same time as we did...  Once we got to the back of the line we knew that we were in for a long wait to get across the border.  It was a very agravating 2 hours.  Our "taco lunch" cost us $20 plus the $5 for parking, plus the 2 hours of waiting in the line and the gas to go the 6 miles....what a bargain!!!  I guarantee you we wont do that again...

24 December '07

Monday

Christmas Eve and Mark and Susan join us for a trip across the border to Algondones, Mexico.  

This is the little Mexican town that specializes in drug stores, dental offices, and optical warehouses.  As you approach the border we pull into the parking lot that is run by the Native American Indians (the border borders their reservation).  About 95 percent of those going to Algondones parks there for $5 and then walks across the border.  Susan had a list of drugs that she wanted so that was our first stop, and then we went looking for the best taco we could find.  We all had shrimp tacos and a Pacifico con limon (Beer with a lime slice).  Then it was off to see some more of the town and stopping by a number of optical showrooms as we came upon them.  Shopping done it was time to find our favorite afternoon margarita.

  Louise and I have only been here 3 other times but in that short time we have a favorite place to end the day.  I think Mark and Susan agree with us and they are already planning a second trip back.  Leaving Algondones this afternoon was a snap.  Most often we have to wait in line for 1/2 hour or more to get through Americn customs but today we walked right up and through.

23 December '07

Sunday

Waking Friday morning we found ourselves in the middle of a "Wind Advisory".  Wind advisory, hell we are supposed to move on this morning and we are "advised to stay put"...  Well we slowly ate our breakfast and waited another couple of hours before going up to the office to see if there was "room in the inn" for another night.  The masses have yet to show up in the Quartzsite area yet so the opportunity for us to stay another night was no problem.  Later in the afternoon I did meet 3 different rigs that had braved the advisory and they all told me it would be the last time they would do that.  It was a "white knuckle" drive for all of them and they did see a couple of big rigs off the road on Hwy 10 as they were traveling from Indio.  The wind continued through the night again but as morning came it was a blessing to see that we could in fact move on.  After packing up we drove up the hill to fill the fuel tank on the coach and top off the tires with air.  With the price of gas being sooo much lower in Arizona than California, and the fact that we were just across the Colorado River from California, and the fact that this was the last "traveling" weekend before Christmas, the lines all 7 pump areas were extremely long.  Now that we have a full fuel tank and new air to ride on we headed down Hwy 78 from Blythe Ca. to Yuma, Az. and Pilot Knob, the campground we'll be in for the next week.  We called Mark and Susan (Louise's brother and sister-in-law) and told them we would meet them at Applebees for dinner at 5.  We'll be with them for Christmas and some exploring around the Yuma / Mexico areas over the next few days.  After breakfast this morning Louise and I drove into Yuma and took in the "Flea Market".  The wind is still blowing, but not near as hard as it was, and in doing so it was quite cold.  Everyone would look for a wind break to stand behind as the sun would warm you up just as soon as the wind was blocked.  The wind "is" the topic of discussion around here and from what they say will be for a few more days to come. 

20 December '07

Thursday

Over the last week we've been into Quartzsite at least 3 times and finally found our water filters.  We picked up enough to last a year and a half or purhaps a little less if we get into some really bad water somewhere.  I also had a chance to talk with Discount Solar about our coach.  I was thinking that we might want to install a larger panel while we were here, but they talked me out of it for now.  They thought I wouldn't be using it enough to justify the investment right now...maybe a little later if we find that we are Boondocking more.  We also made a trip across the river to Blythe.  Louise needed a haircut and I wanted to visit Starbucks... I also wanted to pick up a couple of things from Ace Hardware.  While there we found a piece to finish off our Christmas decorations.  It is a "Santa Moose" holding a lighted Christmas tree. 

It really came out quite well, at least we've gotten a lot of nice comments on it...  I've also been busy putting a coat of wax on the car and the motor home.  I finally finished the coach today.  It takes a little effort and time to get this thing waxed but boy does it look good.  Yesterday we joined 20 others on a bus trip to a casino.  For $5 each we were to get a bus ride to a casino in Laughlin NV., a great buffet lunch and a full day of gaming.  Once we got there (2 1/2 hours to get up there) we found out that they no longer offered the "included" buffet but you could earn it... it only takes 50 points on your gaming card.  Well hell, I went through $40 and all I had at that point was 7 lousy points...  By the time I would get 50 points I would go into shock from not eating.  I don't know exactly how much I "lost" but it was around $60+.  Now for Louise, at one time she was up almost $200 but by the time she was settling into her seat on the bus it was a minus $15.  She still had a great time, but for me it was a pleasure to be able to go with her wheather she won or lost.  Well tonight is our last night here and in the morning we head for Yuma and back to a campground we were at last year a couple of times...Pilot Knob. 

27 April ‘07

Friday

I think we did a good job of visiting the Grand Canyon.  Although we were at the South Rim for 3 days, we were on the go.  Now it’s time to journey on.  We only drove down to Kingman for our next stop.  The weather has really started to heat up.  Yesterday it hit 92 and today it is supposed to have been about the same.  We thought we wanted to go back into the campground in Bullhead City which we visited last November.  When Louise made her call for reservations, she was told that the whole area was full, because 70,000 “Laughlin Runners” were coming into town.  Well as we were traveling toward Kingman we were amazed at how many motorcycles were on the highway.  As we were checking in at our campsite, Louise asked “is Oatman was close by”.  “It is, but with the Laughlin Motorcycle Run going on this weekend, it may not be the best time to go”.  Now we know about “The Run”…  Hell could there possibly be 70,000 motorcycles in Laughlin?  We decided to take on Oakman with or without the motorcycles.  The thing we had heard about Oatman was that there were quite a few western movies made there, and Oatman had some how adopted a few donkeys.  These donkeys have the rule of the town…  Well, we’ve got to see this… Oatman is located on old Highway 66, and let me tell you, it is narrow, absolutely no shoulders (by for worse than those in Mexico), and full of very tight turns and twists.  All this while climbing steep hills that have tons of gold mines on both sides of the road.  Some of these mines are still in operation and others are just holes in the ground.  One of the mines had posted signs that said “Private property, keep off” over the next 12 miles… now that’s a mine.  As we pulled over the hill and into Oatman we found this little “Old Western Town” of Oatman, and lining both sides of the street were motorcycles.  About 3 to 4 hundred of them and most were Harleys.  We had to park beside the road about ¼ miles up the road and walk in.  At first we saw nothing but crowds of bikers up and down the street.  Every once in a while, someone would fire up their bike and drive out of town, turn, and then drive back.  We had no sooner made it half way through town and we saw our first donkey calmly walking right down the middle of the road while motorcycles were going bye on each side.  You know what a Harley sounds like, well those donkeys just didn’t seem to care.  Oatman was just as advertised… Quaint little western town that is high in the mountains with tons of gold mines within a short distance, and home to wild donkeys that love to come into town for carrots, kettle corn, or just about anything edible.

25 April ‘07

Wednesday

Today is going to be a busy one.  We were at the South Kaibab trailhead by 9:30 with our backpacks filled.  Snack foods, lots of water, and extra jackets for the possible cold.  Yesterday as we were looking over the rim, we noticed a mule train winding its way up from the floor below.  It was coming up South Kaibab trail.  Today Louise and I are heading down that same trail.  As we leave the rim, we are on a narrow, steep path that will traverse back and forth until we are over 700 feet below were we started.  Trekking the 3 ½ hours of Kaibab was a real treat.  The views and fresh air, the hike in its self really made it a great day.  After the decent and then the long hike to the top, we knew we had just finished a great morning of much needed exercise.  Then it was back to the coach for lunch and when finished, back out to see the rest of the “South Rim”.  There is a great free bus system here at Grand Canyon.  Today we caught the blue bus from the campground and took it to the red bus line.  From there we took in the west end of the South Rim.  Our first stop was to the Maricopa Point.  From there, we hiked the rim to the next 3 view points.  Now it wasn’t that we couldn’t see the “view points” all along the trail, because we could, but the “view points” are locations that have printed material that tells you what you are, or can see below.  For instance we could watch those camping at different locations below, or floating the Colorado River.  After our morning hike, then adding this one, we are sure we will be sleeping good tonight. 

24 April ‘07

Tuesday

With an agenda in mind, we head out.  We’ve decided to take this “South Rim” of the Grand Canyon from one end to the other.  The Grand Canyon is over 270 miles long and most of it is only accessible by floating the Colorado River.  The average distance from one rim to the other is 10 miles.  Well first off we are headed to the furthest east end to find the Watchtower at Desert View.  The Watchtower was built in 1932 by the Fred Harvey Company and the Santa Fe Railroad.  It was used as an observation station and convenient rest stop for Grand Canyon visitors who were coming by train and car.  The architect was Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter and she wanted to design it so it would fit into the natural beauty of the Grand Canyon, as well as keep in harmony with the legendary lore of the land.  As you enter into the watchtower, you find a large circular viewing room with a staircase that takes you up 3 stories.  Painted on the walls are replicas of Hopi sacred art and language.  We really enjoyed our time at the Watchtower and happy we didn’t pass it up.  Next, we were off to see the “Points of Interest” that follow along the crest of the canyon.  All of these are incredible views that take your breath away.  One thing that we noticed, is that there are very few railings that keep you away from the edge…if you want to jump, well don’t, nobody wants to see that…  Being able to walk out onto a protruding rock 3000 feet above the canyon floor is part of the experience in visiting the Grand Canyon and that I wouldn’t want it change.  

By 6:30 we were back home, had dinner and were racing for the bus.  Our destination was Hopi Point and a grand sunset over the Grand Canyon.

23 April ‘07

Monday

Snow….can you believe it???  When we pulled out of Sedona, we knew that we would be getting into some light rain, but snow wasn’t mentioned.  About 10 miles south of Flagstaff, we got into our first snow since we left the Netherlands in February ’05.  This weather pattern followed us all the way to our campground at the Grand Canyon. Thank God it was only a “frosting” of snow.  After checking in, setting up the coach with electricity and water, we jumped into the Toad and headed off to see the Grand Canyon in the snow.  We didn’t have any real itinerary set, but we thought we would take this opportunity to look over the canyon and watch the snow cover the trees, brush, and peaks.  We were also treated to some dramatic wind and cloud patterns.  Some of the clouds were just sitting right on top of the tallest peaks and others were flying out of the bottom of the canyon, sliding up beside the panicles like they were shot out of a gun.  Trying to photograph the clouds turned out to be a tough job and I flunked.  To sit there at the edge of the Grand Canyon watching this show was like watching a Broadway show put on by the best of producers, “Mother Nature”.

22 April '07

Our last stop for the day, and probably our last here in Sedona this trip, was at Slide Rock State Park.  In an area where summer highs can get into the 100's, a good ole swimming spot is a great spot to have.  Slide Rock is a portion of Oak Creek where the creekbed is a sloping chute of slippery rock, and making it a natural waterslide.  The large slabs of red rock would made great picnic and sunbathing spots as well as giving the water a beautiful clearness.  This whole area used to be the Pendley Homestead, one of Sedona's major orchards through the first half of the 20th century.  The main house and the apple packing building are still there along with dozens of apple trees.  This must have been a stunning orchard in it's day.  The slides in the river are in constant use, although today was one exception...it was too damn cold !!!

21 April '07

It's amazing as to how many sites there are around the Verde Valley and the Red Rock Valley that offer so many Indian cliff dewellings and pictographs.  Today we found another...The Honanki site.  Again they inhabited this area from 600AD to 1425.  The last of the Sinagua disapperred from the archaeological record around 1450, and then the area became the home of the Yavapai people followed later by the Apache, whose descendents can be found here today. 

20 April ‘07

Friday

We’ve been hearing about a huge petroglyph site here in the area.  It is at V-V Ranch and it is the largest petroglyph site in the Verde Valley and one of the best preserved.  They sit in a tree shaded area alongside Beaver Creek and were made by the Sinagua Indians who entered this area about AD 650.  The rock art consists of 1,032 petroglyphs on 13 rock panels.  The figures on these rock panels are animals, birds, and snakes, along with those that represent “man”.  The guide was telling us that the female figures can be recognized by the knobs on each side of their heads that are reminiscent of the historical hairstyle of unmarried Hopi women. 

This whole area of the petroglyphs were kept a secret by the people that owned the V-V Ranch until late 1950’s, because they didn’t want anyone who might steal or destroy any part of the walls.  When it came time to leave ranching, they called the Forest Service…the rest is now “history”.

19 April ‘07

Thursday

We drove to the Sedona tourist information office and received some great suggestions as to what to do and see in Sedona.  The Chapel of the Holy Cross was one of them.  It seems that people flock to Sedona to watch the sun rise and set off of the red rocks of Sedona and especially at the Chapel.  It has been built directly into the butte and offers a spectacular view of the valley 200 feet below, no wonder they have over a hundred weddings there every year.  I was taking photo after photo of the chapel and then all of a sudden I noticed that I didn’t have the digital photo card installed.   I left it at the coach…not a smart thing to do.  Oh well, I’ve made a promise to go back as this is one of those pictures I want in the gallery.  Then we did something else that I was going to want my camera for.  We were told of Schnebly Hill Road.  This is a 4 wheel drive road that takes you from 3,000 to over 7,000 feet in 11 miles of dirt and rock.  We wind up the hill side from the middle of Sedona and make our way around and through the red rocks that give this area its mystique.  The views back into Sedona and the red rock pinnacles below were unbelievable.  Our ride over 11 miles took us over 2 ½ hours, but it was worth the ride. 

18 April ‘07

Wednesday

It’s been a lot of years since we’ve seen Ron “Pete” Petersen, and now we get a chance to meet his lovely wife Penny.  Even with all the years that have passed, getting together with them was like we were neighbors that had just moved away a short while ago.  We had lots of memories to talk and laugh about, and then on the other hand, we had so much to learn about each other.  Ron is still entertaining, and Penny, she is writing plays.  Fact is, one of her plays will soon be preformed in Vermont, and they will be traveling there for the opening.  Congratulations Penny…”We know a Playwright”…

18 April ‘07

Wednesday

Ron (Pete) Petersen and I have known each other since the 9^th grade at Jane Addams Jr Hi.  During the summer of 1955 I was asked by Ron and Chuck Schoning to join them in an R&R band called “The Four Frantics”.  Going into high school and being a member of one of the most recognized R&R bands in the Seattle area was great.  We played at most of the school dances for Lincoln High and for all of the other 7 high schools one time or another as well.  I remember playing at the Seattle Coliseum in 1955 and having the Musicians Union Representative stop the “gig” because we weren’t members yet.  Well it was either sign the application and pay the fees or pack up and head home.  Hell, with a huge group of teenagers from 8 high schools on the dance floor, we signed and paid…  I had a great time playing with these guys.  Then there was the time when we tried out for The Ted Mac Amateur Hour program.  We had to drive to Spokane and preform for the auditions...we came in 2nd.  Oh well, it was the opportunity that mattered (at least that's what they said).  We drove to Spokane in my dad's new 1955 Pontiac convertable, 4 of us with all of the instruments.  Top down and off we go...We were fortunate in having the opportunity to make some “45’s” under the “Dalton” label, and we even made it to into the national charts with an instrumental in 1959.  Louise and I just happened to be in London, England  in June of 2005, listening to BBC 2, when we heard this DJ telling his listening audience that he had brought in his personal collection of records from the 50’s to the 70’s, that he personally enjoyed listening too.  Yep, he played one of our songs, “Straight Flush”.  His comments were;  “This is a group from Seattle, called the “Frantics”.  That Ron (Guitar), Chuck (Organ), Bob (Alto Sax), Dean (Bass), and Jim (Bass) and myself on (Drums) that at one time either made up the “Four Frantics” or the “Frantics”. 

17 April ‘07

Tuesday

Yesterday was spent at “home” for most of the day.  I did run into Cottonwood to talk with a man at “Custom Muffler”.  I wanted to find out what they could do for the missing muffler on our coach.  Well, I liked the way they talked, the look of the shop, and the price that they quoted me to get what I wanted done, so today it was taken care of.  While they worked on the tail-pipe Louise and I drove to Sedona and then took the drive through the Oak Creek Canyon.  Prior to heading up into the canyon, we stopped in and had a cup of coffee at Starbucks.  I think the main reason for wanting to stop was to take in the stunning atmosphere of Sedona.  We have had the chance to visit a lot of beautiful towns and cities, but this one takes the “Most Beautiful” trophy.  We have all seen the “Red Rock” formations of Arizona in the magazines and movies, but when you see Sedona in person…everything we’ve seen before just doesn’t do the real thing (Sedona) justice.  First, you are up at 4400 feet, with the air so clear and crisp that you could cut it with a knife.  Second, once you are in town the “Red Rocks” are standing guard so close, you would think that the homes and stores were carved directly into them.  The giant striped monoliths take on shades from bright red to pale sand, and then seem to change with each passing cloud or ray of sunshine.  Now remember, we were just passing through…we will be coming back in a few days and then I can really get excited.

17 April ‘07

Tuesday

We wanted to visit a place called Walnut Canyon, so we finished our coffee, drove through Oak Creek Canyon and Flagstaff and at last found Walnut Canyon National Monument.  This canyon was occupied in the 1100’s by the same tribes that we have found across the many planes of Arizona.  This group has been dubbed with the title “The People Without Water”.  There were as many as 300 homes (cliff dwellings) dug into  this canyon.  Far below there was a river that would flow for a short while each year and then just disappear.  They were found to be farmers, or as some would put it, “seed planters”, and they would find a small or somewhat larger spot on the side of this canyon and plant their seeds.  We walked down just under 300 steps to get to a land bridge that would take us to “The Island”.  This island, being elongated, allowed us a chance in walking the perimeter, to visit some of the “homes”, easily see across to the canyon walls, and as we got lower, study the dry river bottom.    

15 April ‘07

Sunday

This morning we decided to run up the highway 75 miles to Flagstaff and then go and see a couple more Arizona wonders.  The wind was still blowing, but if we were to travel only on the days that were perfect, we would still be sitting in Seattle.  Apparently Flagstaff got its name from a large Pine tree that was devoid of its branches and used as a flag pole.  As the settlers that were heading for California were to come into this area they could easily find a safe place to stay by locating this huge flag pole…the name stuck.  Flagstaff is about the same size as Coeur d’Alene but without a lake and sitting at 6,905 feet above sea level.  I have to tell you, at that altitude I found it surprising how the altitude affected my breathing.  We did go to the Sunset Crater Volcano and take a 3/4 mile hike up its side to follow some of the lava flow.  After a couple more stops along the way, we finally ended our drive east by coming to the famous Wupatki Pueblo Trail.  From roughly 400 to 1700, a culture of farming and pottery, in the southwest, was started by large migrations of Sinagua, Cohonina, and Kayenta Indians.  This became a densely populated landscape supporting a complex society of people, goods, and ideas.  As people gathered here during the 1100’s, the housing grew into a 100 room pueblo with a tower, community room, and ceremonial ball court.  This wasn’t what you would think was a perfect spot to stop and develop farming…summers are hot, dry and windy, and the water supply was and still is almost non-existence.  By 1190, as many as 2,000 people lived within a day’s walk and today I would guess that you could possibly find as many as 6 people that live within a days walk, quite a difference.  Another thing that we found very interesting was the "Blow Hole".  At the bottom of the hill and next to the Ball Court, was this 12"x12" hole that was capped with local rock.  If you were standing within 10 feet of the hole, you could hear what sounded like running water, but what it was, was wind that was pushing (with a lot of force) out of the hole.  They say that the wind that was blowing, the more force coming out of the hole.  It was another of those moments that tell us how lucky we are to be on our journey. 

14 April ‘07

Saturday

After leaving Fort Verde, we headed east to Payson and a couple of stops before to see some local sites.  We soon came to a tiny valley surrounded by a forest of pine trees that run clear across Arizona to California and onto the Pacific Ocean.  In 1877 a prospector named David Gowan stumbled across a huge natural bridge while he was being chased by Apaches.  He hid there in one of the many caves for 2 nights and 3 days before coming out.  Once out, he saw that he had stumbled into something quite unique.  As it turned out, he had stumbled into what we now know as Tonto Natural Bridge. It is believed to be the largest natural travertine bridge in the world.  The bridge is 183 feet high over 400 feet long and at its widest point, 160 feet.  It is huge.  The walk down the cliff is not the easiest hike, but it was well worth it.  Once there, we were pelted with water coming from over the top while trying successfully to traverse the interior.  There was a small river flowing through the tunnel, but we could cross it by jumping from rock to rock.  Now it was time to hike back up to the top…

Now we were off to see Payson.  Payson is a small and very charming town of 35000.  If we were looking for a place to settle down, Payson would most likely be our first choice as we see it now, BUT WE’RE NOT LOOKING !!! 

14 April ‘07

Saturday

Yesterday morning Louise and I took the self-guided walking tour of Fort Verde State Historic Park.  In doing so, we were told of a special happening starting this morning…”History Of The Soldier 2007”.  They were already setting up for the next morning by setting up tents and displays.  Well this morning as we arrived, the parking lots and all the streets were covered with cars and the fort grounds, covered with people.  As we walked past the gates we were met by soldiers playing brass instruments and wearing period clothing from the late 1800 or early 1900’s.  Then to our right were some of the tents that were being set up yesterday.  These were manned by soldiers from WWI to the Army of today.  All were there to introduce us to who they were and are today, what they do or did, and answer any and all questions that we might have had about their job or position in the services. 

13 April ‘07

Friday

Now that we are in Camp Verde and the Verde Valley, we are going to be very busy visiting some wonderful locations and sites. 

Montezuma Castle is one of them.  It stands in a cliff recess about 100 feet above the valley floor.  It is thought to have been built by the “Southern Sinagua” farmers in the 12^th century.  A lot of the earlier settlers thought the structures were built by the Aztec and that is how the name “Montezuma” came about.  The largest of the dwellings is about 45 rooms, but is badly deteriorating.  Most of the other dwellings are but one room, but again, built right into the sides of the cliff.  The creek below was a source of water for personal use and a reason for the land to be so fertile for farming.  Game was abundant during this period, so everything that was needed for survival was here. 

13 April ‘07

Friday

Montezuma Well was our second stop and is about 5 miles north of the “Castle”.  This “well” was formed by the collapse of an immense underground cavern.  The springs that ran through the cavern now feed the well, and flow continuously up into the well and then exit through a series of man made ditches.  This is how they could channel the water to their crops.  All along the top and in the cliff sides you can find dwellings like those found at the larger cliffs of Montezuma Castle.  Some of the large pueblos found here range from 50 rooms to one.  It is estimated that anywhere from 150 to 200 Southern Sinagua people lived here in the periods between 1100 and 1400 AD. 

13 April ‘07

Friday

We leave Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well and travel west about 30 miles and come to Tuzigoot.  Tuzigoot is Apache for “crooked water” and is the remnant of a Southern Sinagua village that sits high on a hill and was built about the same time as the others were.  It sits about 120 feet above the Verde Valley and has a river that winds all around the fields that they cultivated.  The original pueblo was 2 stories high and had 77 ground floor rooms.  Unlike homes of today, most of the entrances were through the roofs.  They used a ladder to get to the top of the roof and then another ladder to get down into the rooms.  They always had a security person located at the top of their dwellings to watch for the “enemy”, whether it was here at Tuzigoot or either of the Montezuma locations.  Somewhere in the 1700’s the Southern Sinagua Indians started to disappear.  It’s not known whether they just walked away because of the decline of game, or what, but they do know that they just didn’t die there. 

Then there was one more stop for the day…as we were driving to Tuzigoot, we saw this small town located high on the side of a hill.  It reminded both of us of the hill towns of Italy, France or Spain.  Well we just had to find the road that would take us up there.  It turned out to be the town of Jerome.  It initially was a mining town that got its name from the guy that owned the mine and just about everything else in the town itself.  All the buildings were hanging off the side of the hill and the streets were either going up or going down, not a single flat piece of land or road available.  The shops were still set up in the original buildings from the early 1900’s, with the squeaky floors, high ceilings, large storefront windows that not only looked into the store and all it’s displays, but on through to the large windows at the back that looked out over the Verde Valley below and the red rock plateaus heading toward Sedona.  We (  I  ) found a wonderful bakery in the basement of one of the buildings that was started by this young lady and her husband.  She is the granddaughter of “Giselle” (also the name of the bakery) who developed all the recipes in France while she (Giselle) was dreaming of starting her own business in the US back in the 20’s.    

11 April ‘07

Wednesday

After a “terrible” nights sleep in the parking lot of Applebee’s, we were up and on the road by 7am.  We can’t blame the noise on the loss of our sleep, because it was a relatively quiet night.  I don’t know, maybe it was just that we were in a parking lot and not a standard “campground”.  Our destination this morning was Phoenix, which was about 150 miles away.  We have been hearing about this wind storm that was to arrive this afternoon and it was one thing that we didn’t want to be a part of, so that was another reason to get the early start.  The scenery hasn’t changed a lot, except as we got closer to Phoenix we got to see more and more cacti.  The cactus here are large, fact is, VERY large…it must be the water…  Tonight we had to make a trip to COSTCO, we were in the need for our jar of mixed nuts.  Tomorrow…North…

10 April ‘07

Tuesday

We asked Mark and Susan to join us at Squaw Lake, which is just behind Imperial Dam and is a part of the backwaters of the Colorado River system.  It has been three weeks since we have had the kayak out, and this would be a perfect place to enjoy it.  This was the second time for us to visit this lake.  Last November we were there for a week and had a great time.  This morning we drove the coach down to the mall to meet them, and because of the large parking lots available, a place to leave the cars for the day.  What a great day for kayaking…85 degrees, hardly anyone on the water, and having our choice of parking locations at waters edge.  Mark and Susan took the first turn on the water while Louise and I got the barbeque all set up for the wiener roast.  There is this one route that will wind you through the tall reeds and tall rock cliffs, and then empty you into another lake.  From there you will find another trail through the reeds that will take you out to the Colorado River. During this time of year, the river is running high with a lot of current, so when you make it to the river you receive a free ride back “home” at a real good pace.  When Mark and Susan returned, Louise and I donned the life jackets and took our turn on the water.  We didn’t see any long horned sheep this time, but we did see a lot of very large bass jumping…they must have known that I didn’t have my fishing pole…  After getting back we immediately got the barbeque fired up, the brocks cooked and ate, and then had the rest of the afternoon to just set back with a couple of cold beers and have a great visit with family (and friends).  Well it was time to head out.  We all climbed into the coach, went back to the mall, and then off to dinner and a nights stay (in the parking lot) at Applebee’s. 

3 / 9 April ‘07

Tuesday / Monday

OK Les (Leslee, one of our daughters), I know I’ve been a little lax on writing the journal, and I promise I’ll do better. 

We met with Mark and Susan (Louise’s brother and sister-n-law) at their winter home here in Yuma last night (Wednesday).  They bought this beautiful “garden home” in the Foothills area of Yuma about 2 years ago.  Both Louise and I could easily see ourselves living here for the winters.  They have a large covered patio in the back, an unbelievable garage, two bedrooms, two full baths, living room, dining, and a great kitchen, so when you are in the area, call them for they will always have room for you to stay (don’t tell them I sent you…).  During the rest of the days that we’ve been here we have been to the mall at least 3 times.  The first time we found a great fan that we have been using in the motor home to push the air around during the hottest part of the days.  I also found a wireless speaker system that I can use outside under the canopy.  I’ve been turning the radio up to hear the music out there, so this will help a lot.  On Thursday we found a place to help us with our taxes.  Fortunately we were able to walk away with our shirts still on our backs.  Easter Sunday we joined a large group here at the campground and had a very nice brunch and then settled back and enjoyed a little pool time.  The weather has really been good.  The day temp is running anywhere from 85 to 95 and the nights are getting down to the mid 50’s.  We also had our windshield fixed on Sunday.  Just before getting across the border last week, we were struck by a small rock and it gave us a nice little “spider” just above the bottom of the passenger windshield.  This morning (Monday) we were entertained by “Air Force 1” coming into Yuma.  It seems that President Bush was coming to town to see just how the new border fencing, and all the other changes at the border, are working out.  We on the other hand, were going across the border once again.  We were off to Algodones for a dental appointment and a re-supply of tequila. 

1 / 2 April ‘07

Sunday / Monday

We are camped in the one of the same campgrounds we were in last of November, last year.  Sunday gave all of us a chance to make phone calls to our families in Canada and the US and do a little bit of catching up.  Louise and I called one of our daughters (Mikleane and family), and found out that “We Are Expecting”… After a couple of strange “I’ve got to let Ric talk to you”, or “I’ve got to call you back”…we found out we had been “APRIL FOOLED”… Now let me tell you…WE WILL GET EVEN !!! 

5 December ‘06

I know that we are in Southern Arizona, but the evenings and early mornings are very cool.  When I went to the bathroom sink this morning, the water came out as if it was semi blocked.  My guess was that at some point in our water line it must have been like slush.  Ok, washed, brushed, clothed, and fed, let’s get ready and head out….  We were not only early for our solar appointment this morning, we beat all those that work there by 30 minutes.  Well, the gate is locked and nobody around, “let’s go get some breakfast”…  After splitting a Denver Omelet between us, we headed back to the shop and found everyone expecting us.  A quick walk-through our coach with the installer and we were off to explore Quartzsite once more.  One thing we wanted to do the last time we were in town was to visit the “Hi Jolly” monument.  Haiji Ali was his real name, but the soldiers of 1884 couldn’t pronounce it so they just called him Hi Jolly…  His job was to train the soldiers in how to handle the 71 camels which were brought here to work for the Army.  Ok, now it’s time to see the town…  It is amazing how many “entrepreneurs” have arrived in this very unusual village over the last couple of weeks.  3 weeks ago when we were here there was not one RV dealer that had any stock, but now there must be a least 6 dealers that have huge inventories.  Then we have the “tent city” strip malls that go on and on and on.  You can find ANYTHING here, from just plain junk to “I’ve been dreaming about finding this” …  I guess we did find something…a vinyl table cloth for $3.  Heck, it could have been a new motor home…we went through at least 50 and had to constantly explain to the sales agents that “we’re just looking”…  About 3, we headed back to get the instructions on how to operate and maintain our new solar system. It’s pretty much automatic, but after the introduction we relieved to receive all the “instruction” booklets for…“just in case”.   

2 December ‘06

After an hour and a half drive from Yuma, we arrived back in Ehrenberg.  We have our appointment for the solar panels on Tuesday morning so we decided to head up here for the weekend.  Quartzsite (where we are having the work done) is but 15 miles away, and this campground is part of our $4 per night campground group, so here we are…  Oh yes, I forgot to finish the report on the “warrantee work”.  Well it seems that the whole thing was a complete “BUST”.  I must admit, I’m not pleased…  On the other side, the rep at Four Winds (the manufacture of the coach) suggested that sometime this Spring we might find it better to find a warrantee dealer somewhere in the north, who most likely would have a better idea as to how to fix the leak.  This is because that dealer is more inclined to have a much higher rainy season and be more aware of how to fix this leak.  Well let’s hope so.  OK, another subject…the weather.  Night before last we had to start up our second electric heater…two heaters to keep us warm through the night…  Last night I had wished we had used both of them as well.  It is cool, very cool.  I can’t complain too much as I know just how cold it is back in the Northwest.  We’ve been in the high 60’s during the day and in the low 40’s at night but it’s the low humidity that really has made it feel that cold.

27 November ‘06

This has been the longest period of camping without any hook-ups since we started our journey.  So far we have really done well.  Making this a little easier was the purchase of a battery operated lantern that gave us enough light inside the coach when we needed it.  Next, we watched our water usage…water used is also water to one of the waste tanks as well, which means that we have to make a run to the “dump” site a mile away.  We also fired up the generator twice.  Once was to bring the batteries back up to full charge and the other was to watch one of our favorite TV programs (we didn’t want to rough it too much…).  We’ve pretty much made up our mind to have a complete solar system installed prior to going into the Baja.  First we’ve got to get our warrantee work completed, which is set for Tuesday. 

24 November ‘06

Yesterday was a full day of activities…  The hills around us have been calling to us every since we arrived.  So this morning we slipped our hiking shoes on, grabbed the camera and a couple of bottles of water and headed out.  The hills are surrounded by the water that we had been kayaking through for the last 3 days so this is going to give us another prospective.  We both feel really good about hiking, it’s just getting out the door and doing it.  Today the weather couldn’t be more perfect for hiking (or anything else).  Unfortunately we didn’t see any wildlife but the view over the waterways we had paddled through made up for it.  It was like looking down into a giant maze.  Well yesterday also happened to be Thanksgiving Day and we had made reservations for dinner at a private campground across the river.  Louise thought an early dinner would be best, so by 3pm we were sitting down to a nice dinner of turkey, ham, and beef with all the trimmings including pumpkin pie. 

22 November ‘06

Tuesday morning we took the coach into the shop for some warrantee work, but about 2 in the afternoon we found that they couldn’t really do anything until they got “authorization” from Four Winds.  Now we are back out looking for a new campsite that will take us until Tuesday of next week.  After paying the $32 a night at the last campground, I was looking to save some money, so having been told about the Imperial Dam BLM camping we were on our way to see just what this was all about.  BLM (Bureau of Land Management) has quite a number of good campsites all around the country and we have heard nothing but good things about all of them.  This one is located beside the Colorado River and the Imperial Dam.  There are RV’s parked all over this desert area, some in pre-marked camping locations and others are just scattered throughout the desert.  They all have one thing in common…no hook-ups, just “dry camping”.  We can run our generator if necessary and we have enough fresh water to last at least 7 to 10 days.  One of the biggest draws to this site is the water.  We have the most beautiful little bay just outside of our window.  It comes off of the river about a ½ mile away and from that, it flows all around the hills in the area, making up these little lakes.  All of these lakes are tied together by a beautiful waterway through the high grass and reeds.  There isn’t just one waterway, there a many and each one is something special.  We watch the many water birds scurry away as we row close and we watch the larger egret’s fish from the shores.  We’ve also had sightings of 2 large mountain goats, a coyote, and fish in the crystal clear water. Our first afternoon of kayaking, took us to some incredible photo opportunities.  I’m sure we will be on the water more over the next week.  

14 November ‘06

Last Saturday we pulled into Ehrenberg, Arizona for a weeks stay.  A weeks stay in Ehrenberg???, yep, I’m not really sure why, but here we are.  The town made famous by the RV community, Quartzsite is just over 20 miles away, and then Blythe, California is across the river from us.  The river, which runs directly behind our coach, is the Colorado River and then, other than that, there just isn’t much except the fine weather.  When I hooked up the water filter last Saturday, I found that one of the hose attachments was cracked and leaked like crazy.  Then, I found a screw in one of the tires on the Tracker (toad).  Soooo, yesterday we traveled into Quartzsite to see what we could find to fill our needs.  Luckily we found a good deal on a water treatment system, but as far as the tire, it was fixed ok, but as we got onto the freeway I found that the balance of that fixed tire was way out.  Now we will have to make a return trip just to get the tire balanced…damn. 

Today we made the decision to register for the caravan trip leaving from Texas through 7 countries, and onto and through the Panama Canal and back.  We will be leaving the 7^th of January 2008 for 78 days…anyone want to join us???   Fact is, I met a couple today from Twisp (Chuck "The Cougar Research Guy" and Kathy Smith) and I’m working on them right now.  Well, we finally got our appointment in Yuma to get some warrentee work done.  Keep your fingers crossed that it wont take too long and that this will take care of our water leaking slide.