Better Late, than Never

Happy New Year and may 2024 bring everyone good health, and  be a year of peace.

Usually we start our trek south in late October, but due to us deciding to move, and a few medical tests, our departure was delayed.  And what a year to have this happen – the weather co-operated and stayed unseasonally warm and we spent Christmas at home with the kids.

Of course, no trip is without the odd hitch.  It started when we went to pick up the motorhome – it wouldn’t start.  The strange thing is that it had been running just 10 days prior so after much coaxing, and threatening, and two new batteries – away it went.  We parked it on the street in front of.   our place, woke the neighbourhood at 6:30 a.m. with the rumble of the motor, packed (poorly I must add) and we were off.  Driving conditions were ideal – sunny skies, clear roads and little to no wind.

We found a fairgrounds which was off the highway, and not right next door to a train track and called it a night.  Travel on day two was much the same although in the mountains, there had been a bit of snow so there was some moisture on the highways so enough to make a huge mess of everything.  But when we stopped for fuel we realized that our step did not retract when we left so, another repair.  With some spray and a bit of shoving, it is now working again.  I guess in time, a lot of crap gets into the moving parts.   We found a large, flat parking lot and called it a night.

As with any big city, Las Vegas traffic was rather slow at times.  Due to constant construction, here is a sample of the slow moving traffic with extends for miles.

There are some huge solar installations in Nevada.  What you see is not a lake or body of water - this is all solar.

As we were coming out of Las Vegas on day three,  oops, hot engine.  So we limped into Searchlight, NV, stopped at a service station where a nice gentleman let us clean the road crap off our radiator, and as we had hoped, we were good to go.  It was great to be able to call it a day before nightfall,

and not have to leave before dawn.  We made it down to Yuma on day four and it was time to relax – well almost.  At home we will often see large bales of hay.  Here in Yuma, it is large bales of cotton.

 We found that the tailpipe broke off from the muffler so once the repair shops are up and running after the holidays, we will be looking for a repair shop.  In the meantime, we are going to enjoy the sun, enjoy our visits, and bring in 2024 quietly.

Despite the little challenges, it was marvelous to have three plus days of great driving, good roads, decent temperatures.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and the new year will be filled with health and happiness.

 

We Have Arrived

The time has come to make the journey northward.  The weather hasn't been spectacular and there seemed to be an endless stream of storms further north, we decided to go to Mesquite for a few days and do a little touring. 

Not wanting to stay in a casino parking lot (with everyone else who is travelling through) we found a spot just a few miles out of town on a much less travelled highway which parallels the interstate. 

The spot was overlooking the Virgin River and valley and was a pretty spot. 

 It was nice and quiet at night so it was perfect.  Of course there was the regular weather checks and sure enough, rain was predicted in a couple of days.  Although we quite liked our spot, there was a fair bit of clay and we really didn't want to be here in the rain.  Oh, but just ten or so miles up the road, there is the Virgin River Campground where we have stayed a number of times and the view is incredible.  We decided to go and spend a few days there while looking for a three day window to hit the road for home.  On the interstate, however, there seemed to be a continual long lineup  which seemed to be due to some construction work which resulted in a traffic restriction. 

According to the highway department this restriction was every day from 6 am to 6 pm.  No problem - we weren't going far so we would wait until after 6 pm and go there for a few days.  This is where it starts.

We get to the on ramp to the interstate and it is blocked by an ambulance and police car.  We stop and talk to the police and the comment was "there is an ambulance parked there".  Well, he was right as it was just parked and we would have to go around to the west onto a secondary highway.  That's no problem except it does not go to the campground.  They were not going to open the ramp until after nightfall and we did not want to travel the interstate as it goes through the Virgin River Gorge at night.  So off we go and now we have to find somewhere to park for the night and it is now becoming dusk.  We see some campers parked on the right and on the left is a nice clearing - we will just stop here for the night so in we turned.  As we go to turn around we discover that an error in judgement meant that it wasn't quite big enough so it was tight but we were able to get the Jeep unhooked, got turned around, went across the road and spent the night.

Now this road does come out at St. George, Utah but it is now too far to go back to our campground so we said - let's go.  It isn't very far before we were in the snow

and of course, a snow squall had gone through so the roads had been icy

(fortunately not for us) and there was about 20 miles of wet, sloppy roads.  Everything was covered in a wet, dirty, salty muck.  From there it was smooth sailing......until we got to just past Salt Lake City.  There was a bad accident so the interstate was blocked.  Once again, a traffic jam as you have three lanes of traffic merge into one to go off onto a secondary highway along with traffic from two other roads.  That was stop and go for a couple of hours.  Our stop was Idaho Falls for the night for a very cool and crisp night.

The next day proved to be a day to drive.  The skies were overcast to start but did mostly clear, no wind, dry roads and cool temps which the motorhome seems to like.  So drive we did - 1432 km and got home.  Only almost bump was when three deer ran out in front of us - but they scattered soon enough to avoid venison stew! We simply parked the motorhome in the RV dealers parking lot, turned the furnace on, and went home.  The temps dropped to -23C that night.

The next morning is the task to winterize, and unload.  No problem, except the water line froze so can't winterize.  We should have run the furnace during the day as it was quite cold out, and we should have had it higher at night.  It was should have, could have.  We spent some time by running the furnace at a higher temp, put in a small hair dryer, and after and hour or hour and a half, winterizing was done!!  But we're not done - under the motorhome there appears to be an antifreeze leak.  That will be dealt with at a later date with some warmer temps.  The fellows at the dealership washed all the grime off and things are looking good again.

But we did make it safe and sound, laundry is all done, we are all rested, and can now reflect on a great winter.  We can now all look forward to spring and the joy of seeing the birds come back, the trees leaf, and grass grow.  Until our next trip, this will be it for a while.  I hope everyone has a wonderful summer.

The Time Has Come

The time has come to think about heading towards the snow - well almost.  The past week has been mostly quiet and just doing some chores that had been a bit neglected over the past months.  Plus, last week I inundated you with pictures so I thought I had best give you all a break.

We went for a drive over Parker Dam and down the California side down to the town of Parker, AZ. 

For all the years we have been in this area, we have never done that trip and it is a beautiful little drive.  Parker Dam has been quite protected since 9-11 so no RV's or trailers are allowed across it.  There seem to be quite a variety of flowers growing along the road side which is great to see; although with the rain I would have hoped there would be more but I guess they are waiting for some heat as well.

I had heard that there were wild burros in the area, and sure enough - there were four that sauntered across the road and then just stood there, waiting to have their picture taken.

There were several turn-offs along the road that said dead-end so we decided to see where they led to.  At the end was a boat launch and a picnic table and several areas to fish.  Just before the end there were parking areas so you could unload your boat and park for up to 10 days while you were on the lake (Lake Havasu).

A few weeks ago, I showed a photo of a fire pit that someone had built - it had a chimney and closed in on one side.  Well, unfortunately, someone else decided that it was not to be - such a shame.  Here are before and after pictures.

There is a Mexican restaurant in town that I quite liked.  Unfortunately, I didn't think the food was as great as it has been - or else I have become a lot more particular.  I also love the decor as it makes the place such a happy place.

There has been a fair bit of rain in the area.  The other day we went shopping, and here is how the stores contend with rain problems.

And the week has come to a close and next week will be at a new address.  I hope you have a great week and may the sun gods shine upon you.  And melt the snow and bring warm weather.  Until next week..............

Fun In Lake Havasu

 

This past week started with some incredibly perfect weather and the arrival of my brother, Tom, and sister-in-law, Liz.  As most of you know, our camping preference is boondocking – staying somewhere for free without the services (and cost) of electrical and water.  We had reconsidered this when we knew we were going to have company but a comment that Tom made “I want to see what you do all winter” made us decide to stay out in the “gravel pit” which is exactly where we are – an abandoned gravel pit.

Sunday morning  we met our friend Kathy, with her brother and daughter and made a trip across country to the Bunker Bar. 

This is a desert bar out in the middle of nowhere which is only opened on weekends.  The décor of this bar is geared to military objects and is done up nicely. 

At the main road

Who needs a road

A drone

Main eating area

Bandstand

We had a quick, tasty lunch, listened to some music, and then headed back as we had another destination – the casino on the other side of Lake Havasu on the California side.  They did build a new casino several years ago but the best part is the boat ride and back.

Since Tom and Liz were only here for a couple of days, the next morning it was off to another neat spot – Oatman, AZ.  Oatman is an old mining town on the original Route 66.  As we got onto the Route, we came across a Rest Area – interesting as it was, no one used the facilities.  

As we crossed through the narrow and winding road, we commented on the challenges folks experienced as they drove through the area in years past.

 We passed Schaeffer Springs which is a neat spring along the road which has quite a few goldfish in it.  There is a stone staircase that goes up to it.  Fortunately, it isn’t too high as there is no handrail to hang on to so one does need to be careful. 

About at the top of the route, there is a makeshift cemetery where headstones often were made up of things that obviously meant something to the deceased and/or their families. 

At the end is a bench which overlooks a beautiful valley.  

As we were driving along, up on the mountainside were four sheep.  We took some snapshots but unfortunately, we were too far away to get a good picture.  In fact, in many of them, one would have to recognize the blobs as that is really what it looks like.  As we headed down the mountain, the area was covered with poppies.  The sun was shining and the picture was absolutely spectacular.

  Just past the flowers, and off to the left were three burros – they stopped and looked and watched. 

Then into Oatman we went – here the burros roam freely throughout the streets.

  We missed the gunfight at noon but hoped to catch the one at 2:30 – nope, it didn’t happen today.  We did go for lunch into a restaurant that was packed.  Once again, the décor was quite unique as all the walls and whatever else, was covered in one dollar bills.  

There were three entrances and people coming from everywhere.  We spotted a table for 6, but only 2 were at it so we asked to join them and they obliged.  They were a very nice couple from Washington state. 

A shared lunch

Interestingly, he was wearing a red MAGA hat so we definitely knew what his political stripe was.  Afterwards, we had quite a chuckle at our restraint when he made the comment “we have the dumbest president in the world” – it was tempting to remark that he definitely was out by one.  But, they were nice enough for us to join them for lunch so we saved it for our private joke!

Back home after a really full day.  The next day Tom and Liz headed back to Las Vegas to continue with their trip.  We, on the other hand, just relaxed and hung out.  The weather became more unsettled and the next day wham – a thunder storm.  We did get a wee bit of small hail and some wind, and tons of rain. 

Just north of town there apparently quite a bit of hail and about 15 miles north, there were reports of a tornado.  Glad we only had the rain.  And needless to say, our windshield leak is not completely gone so Mr. Repairman Gerry got to do a bit of repair work once again.  Hopefully, that is the end of it!!!!

Lake Havasu City has an amazing park – SARA park which has many recreation areas which would be the envy of many communities.  All in one area, there are hikes, bike trails, ball diamonds, rodeo grounds, speedway, dog park – just to name some of them.  We went on one of the trails – the Trashcan, which wasn’t difficult but it did give us a workout. 

The biking trails even have a repair station – how convenient!!

The weather continues to be cool and windy, but sunny so the key is to try and get out of the wind.  The week has sped by.  I hope your week was good and hope you will be back next weekend.

 

A Little Further North

Surprise - I'm a bit early this week.  We are expecting some company tomorrow so I decided that perhaps I best try and get ahead of the game a bit.  Part of this past week was spent with Gary and Marleen in Yuma as well with another couple of pleasant young fellows, their son Travis and friend Jason.  Of course, everyone one needs their cup of Java in the morning so Travis bought a large coffee urn - much like the ones used at community gatherings.    He decided to launch an experiment in what he describes as "church coffee".  Each morning we would get a text announcing the brewing of "church coffee" and we, along with his parents, would go over for church coffee and we were tasked with rating the quality.

The winner was Tim Hortons with McCafe a close second.  There was certainly quite a difference in the taste - this proves that there is no such thing as "just a coffee"!

It was also time to move on as we were meeting someone at Lake Havasu in a couple of days.  Of course, as we go to leave, the Jeep won't start.  The darn thing has sure been a bit finicky this year.  We got a jump start and off we go without being real sure where we would stay.  We stopped at a gravel pit just south of town where we had stayed several years ago.   It's not particularly scenic,  but for a temporary base, it will be just fine.  There are quite a few here and this is one the  few places we have stayed this winter that is definitely solar deficient, so it is rather noisy, especially in the evenings with the many generators running.  Fortunately, the nights are pretty quiet.

We were able to have lunch with an old friend, Kathy, who we have known for many years but it has been quite some time since we have had a chance to visit.  Sure was nice to see her again.

We went for a walk up into the hills behind us and the view is definitely improved.

Some folks get quite ambitious when building a fire pit.  This one is designed to provide some much need warmth during the winter evenings.

There is a huge variety in the type of units we see during our travels - from small to large.  This fellow rolled in last night.

He is hauling a tracker and as he was getting ready to take it off the back of the truck.  Before long, we noticed that that something was not going right, so there goes my handy man to see what the problem was?

Turned out a dead battery so that plan did not happen.

The weather is finally starting to warm up but we did have a few showers this evening but they are promising warmer temps and lots of sunshine in the coming days.  Many of you are having some nasty weather this weekend - hopefully that will be the last hurrah of winter.  Stay warm, and stay dry - have a great week.

  

And It Continues

After spending the past 10 days plus at Mittry Lake we are back in the Fortuna Foothills for a few days before carrying on.  It has been quite a week with a variety of things going on.

Early in the week we celebrated with our friend, Gary, as he celebrated this 82nd birthday. 

It is a bit concerning when our birthday celebrations with friends are celebrating eight or more decades.  The upside of all this is that we are celebrating eighty plus years.

Last week I posted a photo of a sheep that was on the road.  This week, he came wandering through the area several times, stopping to munch on some bushes.

One of our daily rituals is going for a walk - sometimes down the road,

Some days were mighty chilly

sometimes over the mountain,

and sometimes down along the canal. 

And on occasion, we do drive up the mountain to a communications reflector where we can see across a large area.

Once more we have had a week of repair.  First, we had a day of a fairly steady rain when we heard "drip, drip".  Yup, a leak at the windshield.  We got an appointment at a glass shop where they, hopefully, cured that problem. 

Then the jeep would, intermittently,  make some strange noises.  Gerry tried to determine the problem but couldn't seem to find any issues.  After a couple of phone calls, he did get an appointment to have it looked at but they found the same thing - nothing, so hopefully, all is good.  While Gerry was out getting the Jeep looked after, I went to get something from one of the bays and oops, there it was - in my hands. 

After a bit of struggling, I was able to get it set on the ground and wait to have a couple of repair fellows do the repair.  The door is held on with a rubber hinge that tends to split.  Between Gerry and myself and a friendly fellow camper, we got it back on and repaired.

People are often rather ingenius in how they live in their RV.

A makeshift clothes line

A hot water 

Another week has come to an end and a wet and chilly week it was.  There is a promise of nicer weather ahead.  Hopefully it is soon before we have to leave it behind.

I hope you had a great week and that you will be back next week.  Take care all!!