Friday, January 30, 2009

PS to Gila Bend

Hooray, I just found out how to view your comments, so thank you folks for your kind words and keep them coming. Just go to the bottom of the latest blog you are reading, it says comments, just click & then you can write something....got it Roger?? Much love to all.

We survived Gila Bend

We bid farewell to Yuma on Thursday morning (1/29/09) the fun we had and the nice people that we met. We will definitely be visiting our 2 WA state couples - Sally & Lloyd and Ann & Al when we continue our trip this summer to Oregon & Washington.

Well we decided to stop half way between Yuma & Tucson on Thursday which happened to be Gila Bend. I am reminded that this place has the distinction in the summer as being the hottest place in the country. Anyway, we stayed in a RV park located directly behind Holt's Shell gas station off Hwy 8. As hard as it is to imagine the place fills up every night with snowbirds..i.e. old people. What a busy place between the truckers, the RV park, Subway, Mexican food restaurant, HOTEL, (all at a Shell gas station folks) and of course the Mexican selling his pottery & stuff from Mexico....it was a jumping place. It was a good nights sleep & this morning we wanted to get an early start. After Will hooked up the Saturn we couldn't get the car to start up. Of course my first thought is suicide or nervous breakdown....remember we are in the desert in the middle of frigging no where who's going to fix anything? Anyway, Will patiently fooled with it & the fuse we have to take out to tow must be installed before I guess the car will start. We thought we had driven before without the fuse put back but I guess we were wrong. OK, now can we go???? After pressing the buttons to get the slides in (so we can drive) the jacks are next to come up, Will hits the button & they start & then STOP....they are stuck, half up, half down....can't drive that way. I of course can't believe this is happening and start running for the manuals to find out what to do. After reading & not finding anything, I want to call the dealer when one of the RV residents.....TOM, knocks on door & says, are your levels stuck? He then comes in & tells us he had an RV like this & it happened once to him & you have to push 2 buttons together, unfortunately, he's not sure which 2 buttons. As Tom said, "I went to sleep last night & don't remember yesterday." Anyway, Will gives him the driver's seat & Tom starts pushing buttons, and God bless him, he finds the right two buttons, which of course I immediately write down for future reference. Well, we bid Tom a big thank you & farewell to him & Gila Bend....I won't be coming back.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

More from Yuma, AZ

On Saturday, 1/24/09 we spent the day in Yuma, enjoying Bluegrass in the Park. It was a nice, clean park that was set up with a stage and vendors and played from 10 am to about 6 pm. Will and I arrived about 11:30 am dragging our ice chest, 2 chairs and of course a variety of sun tan lotion (that's for you Chris) It was really a wonderful day with 5 bluegrass groups, of which we saw four. It worked out perfect for us, Will was in the shade of a small tree & I was next to him, in the sun. By the time we left at 4:30, I was showing some very nice color. The music was terrific & we hope to get to another festival before coming home.

Sunday, 1/25 was a day of house cleaning and I mean we really cleaned plus washing clothes. It was a day when you just take care of business and then rest. Especially knowing that on Monday we were suppose to be going to Mexico. Our new friends that we met at the lettuce festival, Ann and Al from Washington called Sunday evening to see if we still wanted to go to Los Algodones, Mexico. Of course I did but Will was a little nervous about it but I got our passports out and we were all ready.

They came over 9:30 am on Monday and Will drove the Saturn down to the border, which is about 10 miles past Yuma. The local Indians have a big, fenced and guarded parking lot on the American side of the border, which costs $5.00 then you just walk across....as easy as that! What a place, the main industry of this border town is souvenirs, dentistry and glasses!!! I am not kidding when I say there are at least 25 places to get an eye exam & buy glasses....with delivery all within 2 to 3 hours. Each place has so many frames to pick from it's almost impossible but I did. Of course the eye exam was a joke as it consisted of 5 letters to read thru the machine, then the "doctor" checks your old prescription (Will is sure they give you your old prescription) but I ordered my first pair of prescription sunglasses and my regular trifocals, no lines and transitional lenses....with the total bill coming to $259 and that includes the fabulous eye exam. Actually, the glasses seem just fine and I'm so excited to have my first pair of prescription sunglasses.

Our friend Al showed us where he went for dentistry work he had done....4 crowns that were very cheap and his dentist at home said it was very good work. So when I need those future crowns I think I will come back here. If anyone out there needs Dr. Jerry's number, let me know I would be glad to share it. Ann and I had a great time walking thru all the shops looking & touching everything. She bought a wonderful palm tree made of iron and I bought a new laundry bag but we had a lot of fun. It really worked out great as Al & Will drank coffee and sat in the square, as they were not interested in looking at all the "junk" and I was sooooo grateful to have Ann as my companion for the day. The four of us had a nice Mexican lunch in an outdoor restaurant with good music. It was a great day with a fun couple and we will visit them in Washington, at their home, this summer. Of course, coming back over the border is not as easy as getting in. The line when we started was at least 5 blocks long and the total line wait was 1 1/2 hours to reach the border guards. They check each & every bag & purchase you bring back..

We leave for Tucson this Thursday morning so I will be back on the blog this weekend. I sure hope someone out there is reading this because not to many are posting comments on the blog. Just go all the way to the bottom of the blog, click on comments & you can write something...at least I'll know someone is reading these ramblings...........bye for now.

Friday, January 23, 2009

The Lettuce Festival in Yuma

Just when you think it can't get any better on this trip...it does! We arrived in Yuma, AZ to find that Friday, 1/23 was the start of their 3-day lettuce festival, so after coming from the world's largest RV tent show & swap meet - now this!

So early this morning we set out for historic downtown Yuma where they had lots of booths with stuff for sale (think Friday night downtown Clovis), free bus rides of their agriculture fields and a fabulous $2.50 salad bar, which I had for lunch. Will had his healthy hot dog and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. We met a very nice couple from Washington, wintering in Yuma, and we are driving down to Mexico with them on Monday. We discovered you can get prescription glasses very cheap in Mexico so I'm going to take a chance as I need a new pair. I will keep you posted on this one.

And yes Roger, we are doing the historical stuff on this trip. In Parker & Quartzside we went to the local museums & found out about Watt Earp in that area and so much local history. One of the most interesting was Poston, CA where the Japanese from San Diego were held in interment camps during World War II. The library in Parker had a wonderful display of pictures, art work by the Japanese and so much interesting information. Unfortunately, in Parker the Indian Museum was under construction and all that was open was the gift store.

And this afternoon we visited the Yuma Quartermaster Depot, where thousands of tons of supplies were transported to outposts through out the Southwest. This included the living quarters, the pump house where water was pumped out of the Colorado river and many old vehicles, old wagons and tools. It was really more interesting than we thought it would be.

After that is was on to see the Yuma Territorial Prison State Park to view the prison, the guard tower, the cells, the "dark cell" which was solitary confinement and the prison museum. This place was unbelievable & of course Will believes all these practices should still be enforced today.....

We purchase our tickets today for the Bluegrass Festival that is being held tomorrow, Saturday in downtown Yuma and are really looking forward to this all day event. Well that's it for now and hope all is well with everyone.















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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Last day in Quartzside, AZ

Well this is our last day in Quartzside, AZ, it's hard to believe we have only been here 6 days when it seems like 16. However, it is hard to complain because I can wear my black shorts and the sun shines every day. What more could I ask for.

Will tired of the RV tent show and swap meet VERY quickly and didn't want much more to do with it after a few days. I however on the other hand loved looking at all the junk available so each day I headed out, alone and walking to all parts of the show. Yesterday I walked at least 5 miles and that was thru the desert, crossing over the overpasses of Interstate 10 and then rows and rows of vendors. I was gone for hours and exhausted when I returned. Will has spent his days listening to some Bluegrass singers & pickers that are playing at their site each day and really enjoying that. Tonight we are going to try and go to a western dance that is playing locally....our kind of time...6:30 to 9:30 pm we just might be able to stay up that late.

Tomorrow, Thursday 1/22 we head out for Yuma, AZ for 7 days and it will be nice to get back into, what I hope is a real city with newspapers and such. We may even try to "walk" across into Mexico, however, they say the wait to get back into Yuma is at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours, so we shall see.

I hate to keep saying this but the trip is fabulous and we are really enjoying ourselves and having a great time. We have seen some RVers even name their rigs and my 2 favorites so far are: Cramalot Inn and Villa Costa Lotta. Hopefully, we can come up with something fabulous for ours. Any suggestions???? RV and Saturn working great....Thank you, Jesus.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Still in Earp, CA

The weather is so fabulous here (87 & sunny) we are staying several extra days and not rushing down to Quartzside. However, we found that we were only 40 miles from Check SpellingQuartzside so we decided to drive the car down and get an RV spot first before heading down there Friday. We were very lucky & found a great RV spot about 2 blocks away from all the action so we can walk & not have to drive the car....which is a fabulous bonus. Got info from the Chamber of Commerce & lots of happenings next week, free pancake breakfast, lots of music & dances going on and the worlds largest garage/vendor sales going on every day. The actual RV Tent Show runs from 1/17 thru 1/25 and should be very interesting. I would venture out on a limb and say we will never be back after this time.

Will is excited (it takes so little) one of the workers here is going to wash and wax the motor home starting today and finishing up tomorrow at a very good price. He's hopeful he will also do the car.

I must say this way of life is really wonderful and seems to be agreeing with both of us. We are taking walks, meeting & talking with lots of people and really relaxing. We have our RV plans made for the next couple weeks..Quartzside, AZ 1/16 to 1/21 and Yuma, AZ 1/22 to 1/28 then who knows.

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Day 2 in Earp, CA

Well we survived our first day on the road and are still acquiring our "travel legs." Our first night stay was in Newberry Springs, CA and trust me folks, this is nooooooooo place you want to be for long. It is outside of Barstow absolutely in the middle of no where but we stayed our first night here on our trip back in May 2004 so it seemed like a "swell idea." Unfortunately, we didn't make it before dark so it was a bit frantic in the desert, but we made it. The next morning we woke up and the RV was 36 degrees inside but the sun was shinning........

Day 2 we are in Earp, CA at an RV park, Emerald Cove Resort that has 410 spaces and is almost full. It's a great park right on the Colorado River with 2 swimming pools, club house, store & lots of walking trails. After wandering around the park we came upon Karaoke and free popcorn in the outside bar and hung out this afternoon. It's such a great place here (77 degrees and I have my black shorts on) we decided to stay an extra day and leave Tuesday for Quartzside, AZ.

Well at least I found out the computer works with the magic AT&T connection (thanks Nancy) and hopefully somebody out there will be reading this....please let me know. We are really enjoying this beautiful RV and looking forward to much more fun and travel.