June 7th - Sun - Spokane
I took a turn making breakfast this morning. My sister Marg was supposed to accompany a friend to Ft St John for a few days but when I spoke with her this morning she said her water pump quit so she could not leave Dad & a “sitter” with no water and no electric fence. She knew the water had a problem and had made an appointment but the earliest she could get a plumber was Thursday. Cindy left about 10:30 to fly home to Portland.
EllaMae has an electronic picture frame that Terry’s brother Harry had loaded with pictures. He suggested that I add some of our pictures so I edited some that were on the chip and then added some of ours - a time consuming job followed by a late lunch.
We had made tentative plans to meet Bill & Georgia for dinner but Georgia’s Mom was not doing well so we decided to go to the Coeur d’Alene Casino for a while. I won a few dollars which kept me going until we took a break for dinner. We split the Southern Fried Steak dinner and it is so large that I could not finish my half and Terry was too full from his half to eat more of mine. The casino finally ate our “allowance”.
Georgia’s Mom passed away this evening.
June 8th - Mon - Spokane
A couple of errands this morning. The first sewing machine place did not have my bobbin case so he sent us to another store closer to town. On the way, we stopped to chat with friend Gary in his carpet store. Got the bobbin case and the very nice clerk checked out the needle threader and told me what I might have been doing wrong when it didn’t work.
After lunch, we tried a couple of places to get an oil change and ended up getting it done in Liberty Lake. Back to EllaMae’s for dinner & a quiet TV evening.
June 9th - Tues - Spokane
Skip & Kathy stopped by for a visit this morning. We went on a short shopping trip and returned just in time for lunch. Suzanne (Terry’s sister-in-law) came over to do some paperwork and we had a nice visit with her. Terry was antsy so after dinner we went to Northern Quest casino. Didn’t cost much this time for a full evening of gambling.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Saturday, June 06, 2009
June 4th to 6th - Spokane
June 4th - Thurs - Spokane
Cindy arrived last night (after I posted my blog) for her weekly 4 days to look after her Mom.
We played golf at Fairways CG this morning with good friends Mike & Mary. Weather was beautiful, the course was in good shape and the company was super - but they made us look like the duffers that we are. Then on to lunch at Northern Quest casino which is undergoing a huge expansion and remodeling. Of course we all had to try out the slot machines after lunch.
We got back in time for a nice dinner prepared by Cindy and Don.
June 5th - Fri - Spokane
We took the 5th wheel in for the slide adjustments. Made a short trip to a nearby WalMart, returned to find out & approve what needed to be done and then went to Northern Quest casino to pass the time until it was done. I lost my allowance but Terry managed to win enough to get us back to even. We had lunch there before picking up the 5th wheel. We were really happy with the work that was done and felt that the price was reasonable.
Phone calls back & forth with Marg today as her electric fence quit. We were trying to figure out if we could get a new energizer for her here.
The ball game went to 10 innings tonight before the Mariners lost.
June 6th - Sat - Spokane
Terry & I went searching for a roll-up blind for Don & EllaMae’s patio. The late afternoon sun shines under the end of the roof so it is too bright and hot to enjoy dinner on the patio. We finally found exactly what we were looking for at Lowe’s. During our shopping, we bumped into friends Dale & Patsy and stood in the aisle at Home Depot and chatted for a while. A short stop at Costco (including a hot dog) and we headed back. Decided to check out a new WinCo grocery store - nice store with good prices but some people don’t like bagging their own groceries.
Terry & I installed the blind - works great. I decided that I had to get the other 2 zippers done on Terry’s short so I ripped out the old zippers while we all watched the end of a movie. Managed to get the zippers done before dinner. But as I was trying to mend some jeans, the thread snarled up. The bobbin case pulled out when I was getting the thread out and it has a piece broken out of it. Don’t know if it just happened but we have to get it fixed.
Sleepy group here this evening. Guys are snoozing in the living room and Cindy & EllaMae are getting a little shuteye while they are not talking to me at the dining room table.
Cindy arrived last night (after I posted my blog) for her weekly 4 days to look after her Mom.
We played golf at Fairways CG this morning with good friends Mike & Mary. Weather was beautiful, the course was in good shape and the company was super - but they made us look like the duffers that we are. Then on to lunch at Northern Quest casino which is undergoing a huge expansion and remodeling. Of course we all had to try out the slot machines after lunch.
We got back in time for a nice dinner prepared by Cindy and Don.
June 5th - Fri - Spokane
We took the 5th wheel in for the slide adjustments. Made a short trip to a nearby WalMart, returned to find out & approve what needed to be done and then went to Northern Quest casino to pass the time until it was done. I lost my allowance but Terry managed to win enough to get us back to even. We had lunch there before picking up the 5th wheel. We were really happy with the work that was done and felt that the price was reasonable.
Phone calls back & forth with Marg today as her electric fence quit. We were trying to figure out if we could get a new energizer for her here.
The ball game went to 10 innings tonight before the Mariners lost.
June 6th - Sat - Spokane
Terry & I went searching for a roll-up blind for Don & EllaMae’s patio. The late afternoon sun shines under the end of the roof so it is too bright and hot to enjoy dinner on the patio. We finally found exactly what we were looking for at Lowe’s. During our shopping, we bumped into friends Dale & Patsy and stood in the aisle at Home Depot and chatted for a while. A short stop at Costco (including a hot dog) and we headed back. Decided to check out a new WinCo grocery store - nice store with good prices but some people don’t like bagging their own groceries.
Terry & I installed the blind - works great. I decided that I had to get the other 2 zippers done on Terry’s short so I ripped out the old zippers while we all watched the end of a movie. Managed to get the zippers done before dinner. But as I was trying to mend some jeans, the thread snarled up. The bobbin case pulled out when I was getting the thread out and it has a piece broken out of it. Don’t know if it just happened but we have to get it fixed.
Sleepy group here this evening. Guys are snoozing in the living room and Cindy & EllaMae are getting a little shuteye while they are not talking to me at the dining room table.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
June 1st to 3rd - Spokane
June 1st - Mon - Spokane
We made our to-do list and started working on it today after a visit from Terry’s brother Skip and his wife Kathy. Driver’s license office was closed so couldn’t get that done. Got license tabs for the truck & 5th wheel, made a stop at Costco and went to an RV place to make an appointment to get the slides on the 5th wheel adjusted. While we were there we had to check out the Montana that has caught our eye - we’ll keep ours for a while.
Don had ribs boiling when we returned and I used leftover carrots & potatoes to put together an au gratin casserole for an easy dinner.
Don & EllaMae like to watch baseball so we are learning to commiserate with them when the Seattle Mariners blow yet another lead.
June 2nd - Tues - Spokane
I got an eye exam this morning and then spent 45 minutes waiting to get my driver’s license renewed. When we changed our address to our mail box 2 ½ years ago, 2 employees allowed Terry & I to use that address. This time, the guy who waited on me said that according to WA state law I had to have a physical address. When I said we lived in our RV he asked where it was and I told him it was parked on the street in front of my mother-in-law’s house. He asked for her address and I was surprised and unhappy to see that address on my temporary license. That means my new license will be mailed here and Don will have to forward it to us.
Visited a couple of stores, washed the truck and returned to the house. Don & I had sorted through the freezer and I used a “well aged” steak to make stroganoff while Don made a run to the grocery store.
Mariners won tonight!
June 3rd - Wed - Spokane
3 overripe bananas demanded to be used in muffins this morning. Then I had Terry haul in my sewing machine so I could replace zippers in 4 pairs of his shorts. They all have nylon zippers that split open at inopportune times. He loves the shorts and they are fairly new so I figured I would see what I could do. I was a bit of a pessimist and only bought one zipper so after I struggled through one replacement we made a trip to get the other 3 zippers.
Terry’s brother Gary came for lunch today which he does most Wednesdays. It was good to see him again. After lunch Don mowed the lawn, Terry trimmed with the weed eater and EllaMae & I sat in the shade and watched them work. But I took my turn later and trimmed some plants overhanging from the neighbor’s yard. Then I cussed my way through replacing another zipper.
We introduced Don & EllaMae to Frito Pie for dinner. I am blogging while the others watch another ball game.
The weather is lovely here right now. Breezy mornings, sunny all day. I am happy that we are sleeping in an air conditioned house.
We made our to-do list and started working on it today after a visit from Terry’s brother Skip and his wife Kathy. Driver’s license office was closed so couldn’t get that done. Got license tabs for the truck & 5th wheel, made a stop at Costco and went to an RV place to make an appointment to get the slides on the 5th wheel adjusted. While we were there we had to check out the Montana that has caught our eye - we’ll keep ours for a while.
Don had ribs boiling when we returned and I used leftover carrots & potatoes to put together an au gratin casserole for an easy dinner.
Don & EllaMae like to watch baseball so we are learning to commiserate with them when the Seattle Mariners blow yet another lead.
June 2nd - Tues - Spokane
I got an eye exam this morning and then spent 45 minutes waiting to get my driver’s license renewed. When we changed our address to our mail box 2 ½ years ago, 2 employees allowed Terry & I to use that address. This time, the guy who waited on me said that according to WA state law I had to have a physical address. When I said we lived in our RV he asked where it was and I told him it was parked on the street in front of my mother-in-law’s house. He asked for her address and I was surprised and unhappy to see that address on my temporary license. That means my new license will be mailed here and Don will have to forward it to us.
Visited a couple of stores, washed the truck and returned to the house. Don & I had sorted through the freezer and I used a “well aged” steak to make stroganoff while Don made a run to the grocery store.
Mariners won tonight!
June 3rd - Wed - Spokane
3 overripe bananas demanded to be used in muffins this morning. Then I had Terry haul in my sewing machine so I could replace zippers in 4 pairs of his shorts. They all have nylon zippers that split open at inopportune times. He loves the shorts and they are fairly new so I figured I would see what I could do. I was a bit of a pessimist and only bought one zipper so after I struggled through one replacement we made a trip to get the other 3 zippers.
Terry’s brother Gary came for lunch today which he does most Wednesdays. It was good to see him again. After lunch Don mowed the lawn, Terry trimmed with the weed eater and EllaMae & I sat in the shade and watched them work. But I took my turn later and trimmed some plants overhanging from the neighbor’s yard. Then I cussed my way through replacing another zipper.
We introduced Don & EllaMae to Frito Pie for dinner. I am blogging while the others watch another ball game.
The weather is lovely here right now. Breezy mornings, sunny all day. I am happy that we are sleeping in an air conditioned house.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
May 28th to 31st - Pendleton to Spokane
May 28th - Thurs - to Pendleton OR
Headed out past all sorts of crops to the Wild Horse Casino which also has an RV park. Set up, made lunch and went to check out the casino. Rick & Pat were going to do some shopping in Boise so we knew they wouldn’t be here for a while. Pat joined us at the casino and then we went back to the RV park for happy hour. Dinner out - seafood buffet at the casino. We all pigged out on crab & clams - very good.
Lucky Pat once again lived up to her name and stashed her winnings in Rick’s pocket before it all went back into the machines.
May 29th - Fri - to Spokane
We took advantage of breakfast coupons before leaving Pendleton this morning. We chose to take the highway route (4 hours) through Pasco rather than the windier, more easterly route through Walla Walla. Nice drive, lovely weather. We are staying at the Hughes Campground (friends Bill & Georgia’s backyard!) for a couple of days. This is not the greatest time for them to have guests since Georgia’s 96 year old Mom had 2 strokes a week and a half ago. She is out of the hospital and in a nursing home but not doing well. Georgia’s sister Arlene and her husband Joe are here from Minnesota.
Pat & Rick made some stops and were a couple of hours behind us. Bill & Georgia’s back deck is being renovated so we all gathered in the shade of the shop near the “campground”. Pat & I made dinner and Georgia provided dessert. A busy day and mosquitoes resulted in a fairly early bedtime.
May 30th - Sat - Spokane
Georgia made a pancake breakfast for all of us before she, Arlene & Joe went to see their Mom. Pat & I went shopping while Terry, Rick & Bill used the pressure washer to blast off the solid layers of bugs on the rigs. Pat & I returned in time to make lunch. Then Pat & Rick and Terry & I went for more shopping. Rick took advantage of his 3 personal shoppers to find a pair of sandals and fail to find a pair of shorts. Terry was tickled to haggle down the price on a TV mount for our new flat screen.
Got back in time for an abbreviated happy hour before dinner prepared by Georgia & Arlene. Then they went for a short visit with their Mom. Next all of us except Rick played Mexican Train dominoes and added a “Chicken Domino” twist to make the game go a little faster. We finished at midnight (latest most of us old folks have been up for a while!) and headed for our rigs. A sprinkler was hitting our truck & 5th wheel and the swing set beside us so I had to get Bill to turn it off. An incident like this might be grounds to get our money back - oh wait, we didn’t pay any money for this wonderful site!!
May 31st - Sun - Spokane
Pat & Rick headed for home this morning. I was putting a batch of Jelly Biscuits (email for the recipe if you are interested!) in the oven when Bill & Georgia and Joe & Arlene returned from church and a visit to Georgia’s Mom. After coffee & biscuits, I spent some time showing Bill how to use one of my favorite programs - Picasa. For the uninformed few, Picasa is free software to manage digital pictures.
Then on to Terry’s Mom’s house. Sister Cindy was still here (she comes to look after her Mom each weekend) so we got to see her for just a short time before her mother-in-law arrived to drive her to the airport.
We hauled in our big basket of laundry and had a relaxing afternoon. I spent time on the computer figuring out how to cancel EllaMae’s AOL account when no one could remember her password or security question. Hopefully I got it done. Don made a good dinner and then we looked at a lot of our travel pictures. EllaMae is doing much better than when we were here last year. She cannot walk but sits up straight (she listed to the left last year), uses her left arm more and participates in conversations.
Headed out past all sorts of crops to the Wild Horse Casino which also has an RV park. Set up, made lunch and went to check out the casino. Rick & Pat were going to do some shopping in Boise so we knew they wouldn’t be here for a while. Pat joined us at the casino and then we went back to the RV park for happy hour. Dinner out - seafood buffet at the casino. We all pigged out on crab & clams - very good.
Lucky Pat once again lived up to her name and stashed her winnings in Rick’s pocket before it all went back into the machines.
May 29th - Fri - to Spokane
We took advantage of breakfast coupons before leaving Pendleton this morning. We chose to take the highway route (4 hours) through Pasco rather than the windier, more easterly route through Walla Walla. Nice drive, lovely weather. We are staying at the Hughes Campground (friends Bill & Georgia’s backyard!) for a couple of days. This is not the greatest time for them to have guests since Georgia’s 96 year old Mom had 2 strokes a week and a half ago. She is out of the hospital and in a nursing home but not doing well. Georgia’s sister Arlene and her husband Joe are here from Minnesota.
Pat & Rick made some stops and were a couple of hours behind us. Bill & Georgia’s back deck is being renovated so we all gathered in the shade of the shop near the “campground”. Pat & I made dinner and Georgia provided dessert. A busy day and mosquitoes resulted in a fairly early bedtime.
May 30th - Sat - Spokane
Georgia made a pancake breakfast for all of us before she, Arlene & Joe went to see their Mom. Pat & I went shopping while Terry, Rick & Bill used the pressure washer to blast off the solid layers of bugs on the rigs. Pat & I returned in time to make lunch. Then Pat & Rick and Terry & I went for more shopping. Rick took advantage of his 3 personal shoppers to find a pair of sandals and fail to find a pair of shorts. Terry was tickled to haggle down the price on a TV mount for our new flat screen.
Got back in time for an abbreviated happy hour before dinner prepared by Georgia & Arlene. Then they went for a short visit with their Mom. Next all of us except Rick played Mexican Train dominoes and added a “Chicken Domino” twist to make the game go a little faster. We finished at midnight (latest most of us old folks have been up for a while!) and headed for our rigs. A sprinkler was hitting our truck & 5th wheel and the swing set beside us so I had to get Bill to turn it off. An incident like this might be grounds to get our money back - oh wait, we didn’t pay any money for this wonderful site!!
May 31st - Sun - Spokane
Pat & Rick headed for home this morning. I was putting a batch of Jelly Biscuits (email for the recipe if you are interested!) in the oven when Bill & Georgia and Joe & Arlene returned from church and a visit to Georgia’s Mom. After coffee & biscuits, I spent some time showing Bill how to use one of my favorite programs - Picasa. For the uninformed few, Picasa is free software to manage digital pictures.
Then on to Terry’s Mom’s house. Sister Cindy was still here (she comes to look after her Mom each weekend) so we got to see her for just a short time before her mother-in-law arrived to drive her to the airport.
We hauled in our big basket of laundry and had a relaxing afternoon. I spent time on the computer figuring out how to cancel EllaMae’s AOL account when no one could remember her password or security question. Hopefully I got it done. Don made a good dinner and then we looked at a lot of our travel pictures. EllaMae is doing much better than when we were here last year. She cannot walk but sits up straight (she listed to the left last year), uses her left arm more and participates in conversations.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
May 25th to 27th - Winnemucca to Boise ID
May 25th - Mon - Winnemucca
We returned for the $3.99 ham & egg breakfast this morning. Then we took a drive by some “in the woods” camping spots up into the hills above the town. We passed by some very nice housing areas that you cannot see from the highway area. Stopped at a grocery store on the way back to the park where we dropped Rick off. He was going to do some chores while the 3 gamblers returned to the casinos.
Once again I had a short lived lucky streak that kept both Terry & I in the black for a couple of hours. Lucky Pat struck again and made off with some money. I’m not sure what she told Rick so I can’t put the actual amount in the blog!
Back at the RV park, Pat & Rick did laundry and then I remembered that I wanted to wash our sheets so got that done just in time for happy hour and a combined dinner. We pulled out the cards for Hand & Foot Canasta and the guys let Pat & I win - sure they did!!!!
May 26th - Tues - to Boise ID
We left at 7:45 for today’s 3 ½ hour trip to Boise. Nice roads with little traffic most of the way. Up & down hills/mountains, lots of scrub land, some irrigated & isolated farms and then land that will support cattle. We drove though a stretch of road where there was an insect infestation which we think were Mormon crickets. They were swarming down an embankment and onto the road where a lot of them were run over. The road was red with squished bugs for about ¼ of a mile.
We arrived at the On the River RV park about 1 (back to Mountain Time), set up , had lunch and then scrubbed the bugs off the truck & 5th wheel before we got too lazy. Pat & Rick arrived just as we were finishing. Terry took me for a haircut and Rick took his truck for an oil change. We got back just in time to head to Linda & Steve Holder’s house for dinner. Steve wasn’t home but Linda was a great hostess and made a wonderful dinner. After dinner, we went for a walk on a path along the Boise River which is very close to their house and close to the RV park.
May 27th - Wed - Boise ID
Started today with a 9 o’clock tee time at the Plantation golf course where Steve & Linda are members. Linda, Rick, Terry & I played and Pat enjoyed a nice walk with us. The weather was perfect and all of us got enough good shots to make us want to play in the future. Then we enjoyed breakfast on the patio at the golf course. Back to the park to drop the clubs, picked up Linda and went to Camping World. Rick was looking for a bicycle rack which he found on sale - bonus!! On to Costco and then back to the RV park. Pat & Rick took off again while Terry & I set up chairs & tables and boiled baby backs for dinner.
We invited Rick & Diann Stone (spent some time with them in Mesa/Apache Junction in April) to join us & Linda for dinner.
Terry went with Rick S. to pick up a TV that we are buying from him while Pat & I took a walk around the RV park. We briefly considered playing cards but everyone was ready to crash after a busy day.
We returned for the $3.99 ham & egg breakfast this morning. Then we took a drive by some “in the woods” camping spots up into the hills above the town. We passed by some very nice housing areas that you cannot see from the highway area. Stopped at a grocery store on the way back to the park where we dropped Rick off. He was going to do some chores while the 3 gamblers returned to the casinos.
Once again I had a short lived lucky streak that kept both Terry & I in the black for a couple of hours. Lucky Pat struck again and made off with some money. I’m not sure what she told Rick so I can’t put the actual amount in the blog!
Back at the RV park, Pat & Rick did laundry and then I remembered that I wanted to wash our sheets so got that done just in time for happy hour and a combined dinner. We pulled out the cards for Hand & Foot Canasta and the guys let Pat & I win - sure they did!!!!
May 26th - Tues - to Boise ID
We left at 7:45 for today’s 3 ½ hour trip to Boise. Nice roads with little traffic most of the way. Up & down hills/mountains, lots of scrub land, some irrigated & isolated farms and then land that will support cattle. We drove though a stretch of road where there was an insect infestation which we think were Mormon crickets. They were swarming down an embankment and onto the road where a lot of them were run over. The road was red with squished bugs for about ¼ of a mile.
We arrived at the On the River RV park about 1 (back to Mountain Time), set up , had lunch and then scrubbed the bugs off the truck & 5th wheel before we got too lazy. Pat & Rick arrived just as we were finishing. Terry took me for a haircut and Rick took his truck for an oil change. We got back just in time to head to Linda & Steve Holder’s house for dinner. Steve wasn’t home but Linda was a great hostess and made a wonderful dinner. After dinner, we went for a walk on a path along the Boise River which is very close to their house and close to the RV park.
May 27th - Wed - Boise ID
Started today with a 9 o’clock tee time at the Plantation golf course where Steve & Linda are members. Linda, Rick, Terry & I played and Pat enjoyed a nice walk with us. The weather was perfect and all of us got enough good shots to make us want to play in the future. Then we enjoyed breakfast on the patio at the golf course. Back to the park to drop the clubs, picked up Linda and went to Camping World. Rick was looking for a bicycle rack which he found on sale - bonus!! On to Costco and then back to the RV park. Pat & Rick took off again while Terry & I set up chairs & tables and boiled baby backs for dinner.
We invited Rick & Diann Stone (spent some time with them in Mesa/Apache Junction in April) to join us & Linda for dinner.
Terry went with Rick S. to pick up a TV that we are buying from him while Pat & I took a walk around the RV park. We briefly considered playing cards but everyone was ready to crash after a busy day.
Monday, May 25, 2009
May 22nd to 24th - Winnemucca NV
May 22nd - Fri - to Winnemucca NV
We got an early start for the 3 hour drive this morning to the Hi-Desert RV park (PA) in Winnemucca. Set up and then started several loads of laundry. Had a sandwich for lunch while the laundry was washing - so much to do that we have to multi-task! Pat & Rick are also arriving today so after the laundry was done I did some prep for dinner, we scrubbed the bugs off the 5th wheel & truck and relaxed in the sun.
There is a motorcycle rally (Run-A-Mucca) in town for the weekend so we expect to see a lot of bikes like the 2 that moved into the RV site next to Pat & Rick.
Pat & Rick arrived about 3:30. After they set up, through dinner and after dinner we tried to catch up on nearly a year of not seeing them.
May 23rd - Sat - Winnemucca
We all went for a very good $3.99 ham & egg breakfast this morning. The casinos here are small and most are part of a hotel or restaurant. So after eating we had to try out the adjacent casino. Lucky Pat (as we call her!) lived up to her name and came out money ahead while Terry & I continued to donate.
Next to WalMart for a few items.
Pat’s turn to make dinner today. Before happy hour we napped, watched TV and/or read a book. While we were sitting out later, the wind came up and dust started blowing. We had to close all windows and move inside. There is good cable TV here at the park so we watched a couple of “Deadliest Catch” episodes after dinner since the wind was too cool for us to head back outside.
May 24th - Sun - Winnemucca
We had a 9 o’clock tee time to play 9 holes at the nearby golf course this morning. It is a full length course, in nice condition and the weather was lovely. Pat injured her shoulder last winter so she cannot play yet - just enjoyed the walk and commiserated with the rest of us when we made the expected bad shots!
We dropped off the clubs and went back to WalMart to try to find some shorts for Pat - no luck. Back to the park for lunch and then downtown to check things out.
There was a street market in conjunction with the motorcycle rally so we wandered through that before going to a casino where Pat immediately won some money. That casino and another were not nice to Terry & I until Terry won some and we persuaded him to cash out before he lost it all again. So at the third casino we started with money that Terry had won and I finally got a co-operative machine where I grew my $5 to $120. And Terry was winning as well so unfortunately we will continue to gamble!!
Hamburgers on barbeque for dinner (yum!) and then the cool evening wind sent us inside to watch more episodes of “Deadliest Catch”.
We got an early start for the 3 hour drive this morning to the Hi-Desert RV park (PA) in Winnemucca. Set up and then started several loads of laundry. Had a sandwich for lunch while the laundry was washing - so much to do that we have to multi-task! Pat & Rick are also arriving today so after the laundry was done I did some prep for dinner, we scrubbed the bugs off the 5th wheel & truck and relaxed in the sun.
There is a motorcycle rally (Run-A-Mucca) in town for the weekend so we expect to see a lot of bikes like the 2 that moved into the RV site next to Pat & Rick.
Pat & Rick arrived about 3:30. After they set up, through dinner and after dinner we tried to catch up on nearly a year of not seeing them.
May 23rd - Sat - Winnemucca
We all went for a very good $3.99 ham & egg breakfast this morning. The casinos here are small and most are part of a hotel or restaurant. So after eating we had to try out the adjacent casino. Lucky Pat (as we call her!) lived up to her name and came out money ahead while Terry & I continued to donate.
Next to WalMart for a few items.
Pat’s turn to make dinner today. Before happy hour we napped, watched TV and/or read a book. While we were sitting out later, the wind came up and dust started blowing. We had to close all windows and move inside. There is good cable TV here at the park so we watched a couple of “Deadliest Catch” episodes after dinner since the wind was too cool for us to head back outside.
May 24th - Sun - Winnemucca
We had a 9 o’clock tee time to play 9 holes at the nearby golf course this morning. It is a full length course, in nice condition and the weather was lovely. Pat injured her shoulder last winter so she cannot play yet - just enjoyed the walk and commiserated with the rest of us when we made the expected bad shots!
We dropped off the clubs and went back to WalMart to try to find some shorts for Pat - no luck. Back to the park for lunch and then downtown to check things out.
There was a street market in conjunction with the motorcycle rally so we wandered through that before going to a casino where Pat immediately won some money. That casino and another were not nice to Terry & I until Terry won some and we persuaded him to cash out before he lost it all again. So at the third casino we started with money that Terry had won and I finally got a co-operative machine where I grew my $5 to $120. And Terry was winning as well so unfortunately we will continue to gamble!!
Hamburgers on barbeque for dinner (yum!) and then the cool evening wind sent us inside to watch more episodes of “Deadliest Catch”.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
May 19th to 21st - Utah to Nevada
May 19th - Tues - to Fountain Green UT
Uneventful drive through valleys and more mountains to Burns Bros Ranch & RV park just east of Nephi in Fountain Green. Unfortunately, we made a reservation - credit card requested & given - for 2 days. When we saw the park we would rather not have stayed at all. It was in the middle of nowhere in farming country (as the “Ranch” in the name might imply!) and badly needed mowing. We decided we would stay one night and told this to the young man checking us in. He called the woman who made the reservation and she said we could get a credit for a future stay for the second night. Terry came unglued at this and she ultimately said we could stay one night. The young man said our credit card would not have been charged until we checked in.
We joined the other 5 rigs scattered about the many sites, picked up one fuzzy TV channel and wondered what to do. A huge windstorm gave us something to do for a while - wondering if we were going to be blown over!! It got so bad that we pulled in the slides so Terry could turn the rig to have the wind hit us front-on instead of broadside if it got worse. We saw later on a weather report that towns around us had wind gusts from 45 to 60 MPH.
The young man working at the park was able to answer my question about a great many metal barn-type structures along the road. They used to house turkeys but apparently the market is not supporting them now so some are used for pigs and some for sheep and the rest are empty.
May 20th - Wed - to Wells NV
Out of the frying pan into the fire - almost! Wells is a very small town with nothing much to do. I think I mentioned previously that we are meeting my cousin Pat & her husband Rick in Winnemucca so that is giving us time to spare. Mountain Shadows RV park is OK (PA) with a row of permanent rigs, a couple rows of pull-throughs and a row of back-in for transients. It was pretty empty when we arrived but the pull-throughs almost filled up by evening.
When we were approaching town, there was a sign on the freeway saying the road was closed and we had to exit so we pulled into a service station to fuel up. I called the RV park and received directions since we couldn’t get off the freeway at the given exit. We were at the intersection of Hwy 93 (N/S) and Hwy 80 (E/W) and there were trucks everywhere. Westbound traffic could exit where we did and then get back on the freeway on the other side of town. But eastbound traffic was stuck until the highway opened. We found out later that there was a high speed chase, the pursued car went the wrong way on the freeway and was stopped by a police car but then said he had a chemical bomb in his car. Turned out there was no bomb but the freeway was closed for over 2 hours.
May 21st - Thurs - Wells
Relaxing morning and then we went to check out “historic front street”. Turns out there was an earthquake here in Feb 2008 that did a lot of damage, especially to the historic buildings. They are all falling down and roped off. So we decided to go golfing. Decent full length 9 hole course. Not a lot of golfers and we were the only ones walking. After 9 holes I had developed a blister so I had to make a quick run back to the RV park to put on different shoes. Then Terry also ended up with a blister so he played several holes in his bare feet. I think it improved his game. Actually, his drives were amazing and his back nine was great until we both faded from the heat and unaccustomed 18 holes.
I had put a pork roast in the crock pot and we golfed through lunch time so I made an early dinner. Then I convinced Terry to drive to Angel Lake. The desk clerk at the RV park said it was a very pretty drive. It is also a very steep drive. 12 miles across some hills and then up the side of a mountain. The little lake is still mostly covered with ice but that did not stop several people from fishing. Didn’t see anyone catch anything.
Finally time to sit out & read/watch TV before catching up on the blog. Same scenario as yesterday - the park mostly emptied out this morning but pull-throughs are full now.
Uneventful drive through valleys and more mountains to Burns Bros Ranch & RV park just east of Nephi in Fountain Green. Unfortunately, we made a reservation - credit card requested & given - for 2 days. When we saw the park we would rather not have stayed at all. It was in the middle of nowhere in farming country (as the “Ranch” in the name might imply!) and badly needed mowing. We decided we would stay one night and told this to the young man checking us in. He called the woman who made the reservation and she said we could get a credit for a future stay for the second night. Terry came unglued at this and she ultimately said we could stay one night. The young man said our credit card would not have been charged until we checked in.
We joined the other 5 rigs scattered about the many sites, picked up one fuzzy TV channel and wondered what to do. A huge windstorm gave us something to do for a while - wondering if we were going to be blown over!! It got so bad that we pulled in the slides so Terry could turn the rig to have the wind hit us front-on instead of broadside if it got worse. We saw later on a weather report that towns around us had wind gusts from 45 to 60 MPH.
The young man working at the park was able to answer my question about a great many metal barn-type structures along the road. They used to house turkeys but apparently the market is not supporting them now so some are used for pigs and some for sheep and the rest are empty.
May 20th - Wed - to Wells NV
Out of the frying pan into the fire - almost! Wells is a very small town with nothing much to do. I think I mentioned previously that we are meeting my cousin Pat & her husband Rick in Winnemucca so that is giving us time to spare. Mountain Shadows RV park is OK (PA) with a row of permanent rigs, a couple rows of pull-throughs and a row of back-in for transients. It was pretty empty when we arrived but the pull-throughs almost filled up by evening.
When we were approaching town, there was a sign on the freeway saying the road was closed and we had to exit so we pulled into a service station to fuel up. I called the RV park and received directions since we couldn’t get off the freeway at the given exit. We were at the intersection of Hwy 93 (N/S) and Hwy 80 (E/W) and there were trucks everywhere. Westbound traffic could exit where we did and then get back on the freeway on the other side of town. But eastbound traffic was stuck until the highway opened. We found out later that there was a high speed chase, the pursued car went the wrong way on the freeway and was stopped by a police car but then said he had a chemical bomb in his car. Turned out there was no bomb but the freeway was closed for over 2 hours.
May 21st - Thurs - Wells
Relaxing morning and then we went to check out “historic front street”. Turns out there was an earthquake here in Feb 2008 that did a lot of damage, especially to the historic buildings. They are all falling down and roped off. So we decided to go golfing. Decent full length 9 hole course. Not a lot of golfers and we were the only ones walking. After 9 holes I had developed a blister so I had to make a quick run back to the RV park to put on different shoes. Then Terry also ended up with a blister so he played several holes in his bare feet. I think it improved his game. Actually, his drives were amazing and his back nine was great until we both faded from the heat and unaccustomed 18 holes.
I had put a pork roast in the crock pot and we golfed through lunch time so I made an early dinner. Then I convinced Terry to drive to Angel Lake. The desk clerk at the RV park said it was a very pretty drive. It is also a very steep drive. 12 miles across some hills and then up the side of a mountain. The little lake is still mostly covered with ice but that did not stop several people from fishing. Didn’t see anyone catch anything.
Finally time to sit out & read/watch TV before catching up on the blog. Same scenario as yesterday - the park mostly emptied out this morning but pull-throughs are full now.
Monday, May 18, 2009
May 16th to 18th -Utah parks
May 16th - Sat - Panguitch/Bryce Canyon National Park
We had a wonderful day in the park. The weather was perfect - not too hot, comfortable in long pants and short sleeves. We made a short stop at the Red Canyon info center and then decided to go to Bryce Canyon first. We drove to the far end of the road, took many pictures and then stopped at all the view points on the way back since they are then on the right side of the road. In Bryce Canyon you view the amazing rock formations from above, rather than from below as you do when you drive through Zion Ntl Park. Several view points have short trails to even more incredible scenery. The road & trails are all at least 8000 ft above sea level so even short inclines on trails make breathing difficult. We had packed a lunch which we enjoyed at a stop with picnic tables.
We had gotten an early start so we had time to continue on to Kodachrome Basin State Park. We were very disappointed there. I think you have to be a hiker and an avid photographer to appreciate this park.
After dinner I persuaded Terry to return to Red Canyon and walk some paths to take pictures since we are leaving tomorrow. The sun was just setting and there was no one else on the trails so I really enjoyed my walk. Terry took shortcuts and waited for me.
May 17th - Sun - to Torrey UT
It got very cool last night. I am happy not to be in one of the several tents in the campground.
Not a long drive today - a couple of hours. We were on Hwy 12 which has been designated a National Scenic Byway and an All-American Road indicating that it has one-of-a-kind, exceptional features. It was an wonderfully scenic drive - not so much for the driver as for the passenger who could look at all the scenery.
We climbed to 9600 feet at one point. Unfortunately, most view points were on the left side and, since we were towing the 5th wheel, we could not stop at any. One section of the road ran along a narrow mountain ridge that was barely wider than the road with steep drops on both sides.
We picked a site as instructed by a sign on the office door of the Wonderland RV park and set up. We went to a nearby visitor information center to get brochures for tomorrow when we will go to Capitol Reef National Park just down the road. We drove into the small town of Torrey and then just relaxed for the rest of the lovely warm afternoon.
May 18th - Mon - Torrey/Capitol Reef National Park
Looks like we are trying to hit all the National Parks! Just a few miles to the park boundary and a short walk to our first viewpoints. A stop to see some pictographs and then a hike to Hickman Bridge (arch). It was a mile each way and it was hot. Uphill most of the way there otherwise we would not have continued - only did so knowing the return trip would be downhill. Saw 4 bighorn sheep with full curl horns.
Then to Gifford Farmhouse to check out the homemade pie & ice cream - very good. Revived us to go on the 10 mile scenic drive into the park. The rock formations are varied and incredible. We checked out 2 dirt roads where you drive down washes & gullies, sometimes with straight, solid rock walls. There were trails at the end of each but they were classified as “strenuous” and we barely handled the “moderate” hike earlier! I will post too many rock & mountain pictures shortly.
We crashed and relaxed when we got back. After dinner we drove across the street to wash all the dirt off the truck.
We had a wonderful day in the park. The weather was perfect - not too hot, comfortable in long pants and short sleeves. We made a short stop at the Red Canyon info center and then decided to go to Bryce Canyon first. We drove to the far end of the road, took many pictures and then stopped at all the view points on the way back since they are then on the right side of the road. In Bryce Canyon you view the amazing rock formations from above, rather than from below as you do when you drive through Zion Ntl Park. Several view points have short trails to even more incredible scenery. The road & trails are all at least 8000 ft above sea level so even short inclines on trails make breathing difficult. We had packed a lunch which we enjoyed at a stop with picnic tables.
We had gotten an early start so we had time to continue on to Kodachrome Basin State Park. We were very disappointed there. I think you have to be a hiker and an avid photographer to appreciate this park.
After dinner I persuaded Terry to return to Red Canyon and walk some paths to take pictures since we are leaving tomorrow. The sun was just setting and there was no one else on the trails so I really enjoyed my walk. Terry took shortcuts and waited for me.
May 17th - Sun - to Torrey UT
It got very cool last night. I am happy not to be in one of the several tents in the campground.
Not a long drive today - a couple of hours. We were on Hwy 12 which has been designated a National Scenic Byway and an All-American Road indicating that it has one-of-a-kind, exceptional features. It was an wonderfully scenic drive - not so much for the driver as for the passenger who could look at all the scenery.
We climbed to 9600 feet at one point. Unfortunately, most view points were on the left side and, since we were towing the 5th wheel, we could not stop at any. One section of the road ran along a narrow mountain ridge that was barely wider than the road with steep drops on both sides.
We picked a site as instructed by a sign on the office door of the Wonderland RV park and set up. We went to a nearby visitor information center to get brochures for tomorrow when we will go to Capitol Reef National Park just down the road. We drove into the small town of Torrey and then just relaxed for the rest of the lovely warm afternoon.
May 18th - Mon - Torrey/Capitol Reef National Park
Looks like we are trying to hit all the National Parks! Just a few miles to the park boundary and a short walk to our first viewpoints. A stop to see some pictographs and then a hike to Hickman Bridge (arch). It was a mile each way and it was hot. Uphill most of the way there otherwise we would not have continued - only did so knowing the return trip would be downhill. Saw 4 bighorn sheep with full curl horns.
Then to Gifford Farmhouse to check out the homemade pie & ice cream - very good. Revived us to go on the 10 mile scenic drive into the park. The rock formations are varied and incredible. We checked out 2 dirt roads where you drive down washes & gullies, sometimes with straight, solid rock walls. There were trails at the end of each but they were classified as “strenuous” and we barely handled the “moderate” hike earlier! I will post too many rock & mountain pictures shortly.
We crashed and relaxed when we got back. After dinner we drove across the street to wash all the dirt off the truck.
Friday, May 15, 2009
May 13th to 15th - Pahrump to Panguitch UT
May 13th - Wed - Pahrump
I made my delicious (if I do say so myself!) jelly biscuits for breakfast which we enjoyed with coffee outside - in the shade. Next a trip to Radio Shack & WalMart to get the TV for outside. I caught up the blog while Terry ran wires from the bedroom to the large storage compartment. Terry now thinks the 19” TV is a bit small but I think it is just fine as long as he keeps the volume down so the rest of the park does not have to listen to it.
We had the leftover baby back ribs for dinner. There were so many that we were not able to finish them. Last night we had joked with our neighbors Bob & Loretta about being able to watch “Wheel of Fortune” on the TV outside so they joined us to do so and to chat for a bit.
May 14th - Thurs - Pahrump
Busy day. Before 10 we had cleaned the underside of our awning, cleaned the bugs off the front of the 5th wheel and the truck, dusted the truck and laundered a load of sheets. Then we walked over to the casino and had an excellent breakfast for a low price. We drove all over town looking for Velcro without a sticky back - could not find any. I got a piece of fleece material and sewed a cover for the new TV to protect it when we travel.
The laundry room is right across the street from our site so I decided to do a couple more loads in the afternoon. While they were washing, we walked to the pool for a cooling dip.
Nice dinner on the BBQ, chat with neighbors, relax.
May 15th - Fri - to Panguitch UT
Left about 7:30 this morning. Terry wanted to avoid going through Las Vegas so we took a slightly different route - which took us through Las Vegas! Some construction slow down but not too bad.
We stopped at a casino in Mesquite for breakfast & fueled up in Cedar City. From Cedar City we headed east on Hwy 14 which goes up to 9900 feet and then back down but I don’t know the elevation where it joins into Hwy 89 heading north. Very picturesque. We saw quite a bit of snow on the ground when we were driving along grassy, lightly wooded areas on top. There are also a surprising number of nice, mostly log construction, “cabins” along Hwy 14.
We are staying at the Red Canyon RV park south & east of Panguitch, 15 miles from Bryce Canyon National park. It is a small park, pretty basic. The weather is much cooler (75 when we arrived) and there is a slight wind. Utah is in Mountain Time so we are an hour ahead of our PDT friends.
I made my delicious (if I do say so myself!) jelly biscuits for breakfast which we enjoyed with coffee outside - in the shade. Next a trip to Radio Shack & WalMart to get the TV for outside. I caught up the blog while Terry ran wires from the bedroom to the large storage compartment. Terry now thinks the 19” TV is a bit small but I think it is just fine as long as he keeps the volume down so the rest of the park does not have to listen to it.
We had the leftover baby back ribs for dinner. There were so many that we were not able to finish them. Last night we had joked with our neighbors Bob & Loretta about being able to watch “Wheel of Fortune” on the TV outside so they joined us to do so and to chat for a bit.
May 14th - Thurs - Pahrump
Busy day. Before 10 we had cleaned the underside of our awning, cleaned the bugs off the front of the 5th wheel and the truck, dusted the truck and laundered a load of sheets. Then we walked over to the casino and had an excellent breakfast for a low price. We drove all over town looking for Velcro without a sticky back - could not find any. I got a piece of fleece material and sewed a cover for the new TV to protect it when we travel.
The laundry room is right across the street from our site so I decided to do a couple more loads in the afternoon. While they were washing, we walked to the pool for a cooling dip.
Nice dinner on the BBQ, chat with neighbors, relax.
May 15th - Fri - to Panguitch UT
Left about 7:30 this morning. Terry wanted to avoid going through Las Vegas so we took a slightly different route - which took us through Las Vegas! Some construction slow down but not too bad.
We stopped at a casino in Mesquite for breakfast & fueled up in Cedar City. From Cedar City we headed east on Hwy 14 which goes up to 9900 feet and then back down but I don’t know the elevation where it joins into Hwy 89 heading north. Very picturesque. We saw quite a bit of snow on the ground when we were driving along grassy, lightly wooded areas on top. There are also a surprising number of nice, mostly log construction, “cabins” along Hwy 14.
We are staying at the Red Canyon RV park south & east of Panguitch, 15 miles from Bryce Canyon National park. It is a small park, pretty basic. The weather is much cooler (75 when we arrived) and there is a slight wind. Utah is in Mountain Time so we are an hour ahead of our PDT friends.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
May 10th to 12th - Pahrump NV
May 10th - Sun - to Pahrump NV
Turns out that Terry & the swap meet vendor were not communicating too well so the TV mounts were not what we wanted. The detour to meet him added about 30 miles to our trip today and sent us over the Hoover Dam which is a pretty way to go and the security check takes only a few minutes.
We are staying at Terrible’s Lakeside which is a very nice park with the sites around a little man-made lake. Lots of grass & trees.
I made a late lunch after we set up and then we went driving and hit a couple of casinos where I came out a few dollars ahead and Terry didn’t lose anything - what a change!! Back to the park where we went for a bike ride, a swim and took a peddle/paddle boat for a lap around the lake. The peddles are too close to the seat so it is not comfortable to go too far or too fast. Got out the BBQ for dinner. It was warm today but the neighbor’s rig and a tree provided late afternoon shade so it was lovely.
May 11th - Mon - Pahrump
To WalMart for a few groceries and Terry checked out the TVs again. Yet another casino and Terry hit a little lucky streak this time. He ended up with enough points on his card to get “2 for 1 buffet” for a late lunch. Back to the park for a cooling swim followed by a relaxing drink. Then walked to the on-site casino for a bit. You’d think we would be tired of casinos by now! True gamblers I guess.
Since we had a late lunch, I also made us a late dinner.
May 12th - Tues - Pahrump
Sightseeing in Death Valley today. We ate breakfast, headed out shortly after 8, filled up with diesel and over-rode Wanda’s instructions for miles. She wanted us to go many miles out of the way. We stopped for a short walk to the Zabriskie viewpoint where there is different scenery every way you look. At the park Headquarters & Visitor Center in Furnace Creek (-109 ft below sea level), we watched a short, narrated slide show and went through an interesting museum of the park history. We choose to go north to Scotty’s Castle rather than south to Badwater so we missed the lowest point (-282 ft) in North America. It is quite a long drive to Scotty’s castle - 58 miles from Furnace Creek. We arrived just in time for the noon 50 minute tour of the castle which was well worth the time & money. Very briefly - Scotty’s Castle was a vacation home owned by a wealthy man from Ohio named Al Johnson . William Scott was a con artist who ended up being a good friend of Al’s after conning him into investing in a non-existent gold mine. Al built his home over a long period of time, allowed Scotty (for various reasons) to call it “his” castle and supported Scotty with a lot of money over the years.
We did not find a place where we wanted to stop for lunch on the way back (came back on Hwy 95 rather than back through the park) so had a small snack with a cool drink when we returned. Then we walked to the casino to have the $9.99 baby back rib special. You get a whole, LARGE rack of ribs so we have plenty for dinner tomorrow night. If we had seen a plate before we ordered we would have split the dinner.
We were enjoying the perfect “sitting out” weather when a new neighbor walked by. He (Bob) joined us, then a couple (Jim & Sharon) from the other side of us came over (we had spoken with Jim earlier) and then Bob’s wife (Loretta) came out. Jim & Sharon are really new (1 week!!) full timers. Non-stop talking & a buddy burner made for a great evening.
Turns out that Terry & the swap meet vendor were not communicating too well so the TV mounts were not what we wanted. The detour to meet him added about 30 miles to our trip today and sent us over the Hoover Dam which is a pretty way to go and the security check takes only a few minutes.
We are staying at Terrible’s Lakeside which is a very nice park with the sites around a little man-made lake. Lots of grass & trees.
I made a late lunch after we set up and then we went driving and hit a couple of casinos where I came out a few dollars ahead and Terry didn’t lose anything - what a change!! Back to the park where we went for a bike ride, a swim and took a peddle/paddle boat for a lap around the lake. The peddles are too close to the seat so it is not comfortable to go too far or too fast. Got out the BBQ for dinner. It was warm today but the neighbor’s rig and a tree provided late afternoon shade so it was lovely.
May 11th - Mon - Pahrump
To WalMart for a few groceries and Terry checked out the TVs again. Yet another casino and Terry hit a little lucky streak this time. He ended up with enough points on his card to get “2 for 1 buffet” for a late lunch. Back to the park for a cooling swim followed by a relaxing drink. Then walked to the on-site casino for a bit. You’d think we would be tired of casinos by now! True gamblers I guess.
Since we had a late lunch, I also made us a late dinner.
May 12th - Tues - Pahrump
Sightseeing in Death Valley today. We ate breakfast, headed out shortly after 8, filled up with diesel and over-rode Wanda’s instructions for miles. She wanted us to go many miles out of the way. We stopped for a short walk to the Zabriskie viewpoint where there is different scenery every way you look. At the park Headquarters & Visitor Center in Furnace Creek (-109 ft below sea level), we watched a short, narrated slide show and went through an interesting museum of the park history. We choose to go north to Scotty’s Castle rather than south to Badwater so we missed the lowest point (-282 ft) in North America. It is quite a long drive to Scotty’s castle - 58 miles from Furnace Creek. We arrived just in time for the noon 50 minute tour of the castle which was well worth the time & money. Very briefly - Scotty’s Castle was a vacation home owned by a wealthy man from Ohio named Al Johnson . William Scott was a con artist who ended up being a good friend of Al’s after conning him into investing in a non-existent gold mine. Al built his home over a long period of time, allowed Scotty (for various reasons) to call it “his” castle and supported Scotty with a lot of money over the years.
We did not find a place where we wanted to stop for lunch on the way back (came back on Hwy 95 rather than back through the park) so had a small snack with a cool drink when we returned. Then we walked to the casino to have the $9.99 baby back rib special. You get a whole, LARGE rack of ribs so we have plenty for dinner tomorrow night. If we had seen a plate before we ordered we would have split the dinner.
We were enjoying the perfect “sitting out” weather when a new neighbor walked by. He (Bob) joined us, then a couple (Jim & Sharon) from the other side of us came over (we had spoken with Jim earlier) and then Bob’s wife (Loretta) came out. Jim & Sharon are really new (1 week!!) full timers. Non-stop talking & a buddy burner made for a great evening.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
May 4th to 9th - Laughlin NV
May 4th to 9th - Laughlin NV
We checked in here for a week before we knew there would be an unseasonable hot spell in the weather. The 6th through today have been over 100 degrees - yesterday & today officially 103. So any plans to ride bikes around the large RV park were abandoned. We have done a lot of walking along the river walk to various casinos. The casinos have not been nice to us but you can keep cool in them. The air conditioner in our 5th wheel cannot keep up with mid afternoon heat so it gets to about 85. Any movement causes sweating! I even put my convection toaster oven outside to cook dinner.
We have also done some driving around the area but there is not much to see. We have already been to Oatman so didn’t go there again. Cars started arriving yesterday for a big car show so they have been parked all over town. We found a swap meet today and are going to meet a vendor when we leave here tomorrow to buy a couple of TV mounts that he had at home.
We checked in here for a week before we knew there would be an unseasonable hot spell in the weather. The 6th through today have been over 100 degrees - yesterday & today officially 103. So any plans to ride bikes around the large RV park were abandoned. We have done a lot of walking along the river walk to various casinos. The casinos have not been nice to us but you can keep cool in them. The air conditioner in our 5th wheel cannot keep up with mid afternoon heat so it gets to about 85. Any movement causes sweating! I even put my convection toaster oven outside to cook dinner.
We have also done some driving around the area but there is not much to see. We have already been to Oatman so didn’t go there again. Cars started arriving yesterday for a big car show so they have been parked all over town. We found a swap meet today and are going to meet a vendor when we leave here tomorrow to buy a couple of TV mounts that he had at home.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Apr 30th to May 3rd - Hemet, Laughlin NV
Apr 30th - Thurs - Hemet
Did some shopping today. Quite a few uses ago, my convection toaster oven started burning the top of everything. We checked 4 stores before finding what I wanted at Target. Then Terry spotted an ice maker there that he just had to have so we got it too.
Barry & Yvonne invited us over for dinner amd we enjoyed a great steak meal. We also enjoyed sitting out on the front porch after dinner.
May 1st - Fri - Hemet
Worked on emails and tried to plan our next three weeks this morning before doing laundry. Grabbed a very good hamburger poolside at the RV park before Barry & Yvonne picked us up to go golfing again. We went to Seven Hills GC. Summer rates started today so it cost $14 for 18 holes and a cart. The course was in great shape. I could get used to this type & price of golf!
I put a roast into the crock pot before we left so just had to do potatoes & veggies for a great dinner for all of us. The weather was absolutely perfect to sit out after dinner and enjoy a buddy burner for a while.
May 2nd - Sat - Hemet
Barry & Yvonne took us on a big sightseeing loop today. They picked us up at 8:30 and we headed towards the coast. An hour drive took us to a huge golf store where Barry & Yvonne both bought a new club. Then on to a large outdoor swap meet/market. The weather was lovely for walking up & down the whole place.
From there we stopped for lunch and then went to Newport Beach. We took a tiny ferry to Balboa Island, squeezed through the very narrow streets and off the other end by a bridge. We intended to head south a bit and then go to Capistrano but our tour guide kind of missed the turn so we got to see more scenery and came back via Oceanside.
Back to our rig to water & feed Dolly and then to a Chinese restaurant across the street for dinner. We are leaving tomorrow so we said goodbye to Barry & Yvonne after dinner.
May 3rd - Sun - to Laughlin NV
We did one of our “change our minds as we’re driving” routines today and ended up in Laughlin instead of Pahrump as planned. We are meeting my cousin Pat & her husband Rick in 3 weeks so figured we had some time to burn.
Most of our drive today was though miles of nothing in the Mojave Desert (Hwy 40). Quite a few hills. It was very warm when we checked into the Riverside Casino RV park. We relaxed outside for a while and chatted with some neighbors. Then we went to see Robosaurus - a huge robot that shoots flames from its nostrils and crushes cars in its claws & jaws. Why? Because it was nearby and we can add it to our “quirky” list.
Of course this lead us to a casino. For a change, Terry won enough small amount at the slots that we broke even when we left at 9:15. Talked to Marg (sister) on the phone and cooked a couple of lovely artichokes for dinner.
Did some shopping today. Quite a few uses ago, my convection toaster oven started burning the top of everything. We checked 4 stores before finding what I wanted at Target. Then Terry spotted an ice maker there that he just had to have so we got it too.
Barry & Yvonne invited us over for dinner amd we enjoyed a great steak meal. We also enjoyed sitting out on the front porch after dinner.
May 1st - Fri - Hemet
Worked on emails and tried to plan our next three weeks this morning before doing laundry. Grabbed a very good hamburger poolside at the RV park before Barry & Yvonne picked us up to go golfing again. We went to Seven Hills GC. Summer rates started today so it cost $14 for 18 holes and a cart. The course was in great shape. I could get used to this type & price of golf!
I put a roast into the crock pot before we left so just had to do potatoes & veggies for a great dinner for all of us. The weather was absolutely perfect to sit out after dinner and enjoy a buddy burner for a while.
May 2nd - Sat - Hemet
Barry & Yvonne took us on a big sightseeing loop today. They picked us up at 8:30 and we headed towards the coast. An hour drive took us to a huge golf store where Barry & Yvonne both bought a new club. Then on to a large outdoor swap meet/market. The weather was lovely for walking up & down the whole place.
From there we stopped for lunch and then went to Newport Beach. We took a tiny ferry to Balboa Island, squeezed through the very narrow streets and off the other end by a bridge. We intended to head south a bit and then go to Capistrano but our tour guide kind of missed the turn so we got to see more scenery and came back via Oceanside.
Back to our rig to water & feed Dolly and then to a Chinese restaurant across the street for dinner. We are leaving tomorrow so we said goodbye to Barry & Yvonne after dinner.
May 3rd - Sun - to Laughlin NV
We did one of our “change our minds as we’re driving” routines today and ended up in Laughlin instead of Pahrump as planned. We are meeting my cousin Pat & her husband Rick in 3 weeks so figured we had some time to burn.
Most of our drive today was though miles of nothing in the Mojave Desert (Hwy 40). Quite a few hills. It was very warm when we checked into the Riverside Casino RV park. We relaxed outside for a while and chatted with some neighbors. Then we went to see Robosaurus - a huge robot that shoots flames from its nostrils and crushes cars in its claws & jaws. Why? Because it was nearby and we can add it to our “quirky” list.
Of course this lead us to a casino. For a change, Terry won enough small amount at the slots that we broke even when we left at 9:15. Talked to Marg (sister) on the phone and cooked a couple of lovely artichokes for dinner.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Apr 27th to 29th - Hemet CA
Apr 27th - Mon - Hemet
Lazy morning and then Barry & Yvonne picked us up at 11 to go golfing at Sun City. It was cool this morning but warmed up to just perfect for golf. The course is short with no par 5’s but with wicked sand traps in front of many par 3’s.
We finished our game earlier than we thought so Yvonne suggested that we check out a new casino - Pechanga - not too far away in Temecula. For a change, I did not spend my “allowance”. Then we headed back to a Mexican restaurant near the golf course for a nice dinner.
Apr 28th - Tues - Hemet
Yvonne is having a small surgical procedure today so we are on our own. First a trip to WalMart for groceries. Then Terry cleaned the truck and the 5th wheel while I finally worked on our pictures. Next a bike ride around the park - over 3 miles going on all the roads. Still cool enough that I had on long pants and a shirt jacket.
After dinner, I finished up the captions on pictures and posted them - see 2009 #3.
Apr 29th - Wed - Hemet
Another day to catch up on things. I did the expenses for April and Terry spent time surfing the internet. I got a much needed haircut. Then we drove around Hemet a bit and could not go past the Big Lots store without stopping!
We had Barry & Yvonne over for baby back ribs for dinner. A breeze came up and cooled us down just as Terry was finishing the ribs on the barbeque.
Lazy morning and then Barry & Yvonne picked us up at 11 to go golfing at Sun City. It was cool this morning but warmed up to just perfect for golf. The course is short with no par 5’s but with wicked sand traps in front of many par 3’s.
We finished our game earlier than we thought so Yvonne suggested that we check out a new casino - Pechanga - not too far away in Temecula. For a change, I did not spend my “allowance”. Then we headed back to a Mexican restaurant near the golf course for a nice dinner.
Apr 28th - Tues - Hemet
Yvonne is having a small surgical procedure today so we are on our own. First a trip to WalMart for groceries. Then Terry cleaned the truck and the 5th wheel while I finally worked on our pictures. Next a bike ride around the park - over 3 miles going on all the roads. Still cool enough that I had on long pants and a shirt jacket.
After dinner, I finished up the captions on pictures and posted them - see 2009 #3.
Apr 29th - Wed - Hemet
Another day to catch up on things. I did the expenses for April and Terry spent time surfing the internet. I got a much needed haircut. Then we drove around Hemet a bit and could not go past the Big Lots store without stopping!
We had Barry & Yvonne over for baby back ribs for dinner. A breeze came up and cooled us down just as Terry was finishing the ribs on the barbeque.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Apr 23rd to 26th - Arizona, California
Apr 23rd - Thus - to Camp Verde AZ
We are heading to Quartzsite to visit friends Clem & Marlene (from SD, met in Quartzsite 2 years ago). Said goodbye to Terry & Judy and left about 8:30. We were planning to stop at Flagstaff but the drive was easy & uneventful so we carried on to Camp Verde which is about an hour south of Flagstaff.
We stayed (for free!!) in the parking lot of the Cliff Castle Casino. Hooked up the generator so we could have dinner and watch TV after spending a little time in the casino.
Apr 24th - Fri - to Quartzsite AZ
The casino parking lot was as bright as day with huge lights and it was quite warm so not a good night’s sleep. Terry thought we would be fighting Phoenix traffic and we had just gained a hour again by going back into Arizona so we left at 5:30! But we decided to turn west towards Wickenburg north of Phoenix so we missed heavy traffic and discovered a very nice road (Carefree Hwy) that joined into Hwy 60 which goes most of the way to Quartzsite.
Clem & Marlene bought a house in QZ this winter. It is an acre with a double wide with a large covered patio, a garage with a 2nd laundry area, a bathroom and a covered patio and 3 other sheds. Lots of room to park RVs so we pulled up right beside the house, hooked up to water & electric and had a sewer dump nearby - lovely!
We all went for a good breakfast at the Quail Café and spent the afternoon catching up and playing a dice game. Out for pizza for dinner and turned in early.
Apr 25th - Sat - Quartzsite
Coffee on the patio while we watched birds & rabbits demolish the seeds put out by Clem. Back to the Quail Café for another good breakfast. We spent time looking up shipping container buildings on the internet and then decided we needed to do something so we went to the casino at Parker. We all played for quite a while on not very much money. We were waiting on Terry and he got down to 14 cents when he hit a small bonus. He ended up cashing out $35 when we HAD to get going.
Stopped at a grocery store and Terry picked up inexpensive Scotch & Vodka at the CVS pharmacy. I made chili when we got back and we had Frito Pie for dinner. If anyone wants to know what this is, send me an email. We looked at pictures on our computer, I tried to set their sprinkler system timer and we had dessert before another fairly early night.
Apr 26th - Sun - to Hemet CA
Got up early, made jelly biscuits and packed up before joining C & M on the patio. On the road about 8 for the 3 hour drive today. We checked into the Golden Village Palms RV park where we have a coupon for half off the first week. It is a very nice park - we stayed here last year in early April.
Terry went for propane & diesel after we set up and then we called friends Barry & Yvonne who live here. They came over and we made some plans - dinner at their place today, golf tomorrow, Yvonne is tied up Tues, and dinner at our place on Wed.
Barry had his “family famous” lasagna ready to put into the oven so we could just relax & chat before dinner. I helped Barry download & set up Picasa on his computer.
We are heading to Quartzsite to visit friends Clem & Marlene (from SD, met in Quartzsite 2 years ago). Said goodbye to Terry & Judy and left about 8:30. We were planning to stop at Flagstaff but the drive was easy & uneventful so we carried on to Camp Verde which is about an hour south of Flagstaff.
We stayed (for free!!) in the parking lot of the Cliff Castle Casino. Hooked up the generator so we could have dinner and watch TV after spending a little time in the casino.
Apr 24th - Fri - to Quartzsite AZ
The casino parking lot was as bright as day with huge lights and it was quite warm so not a good night’s sleep. Terry thought we would be fighting Phoenix traffic and we had just gained a hour again by going back into Arizona so we left at 5:30! But we decided to turn west towards Wickenburg north of Phoenix so we missed heavy traffic and discovered a very nice road (Carefree Hwy) that joined into Hwy 60 which goes most of the way to Quartzsite.
Clem & Marlene bought a house in QZ this winter. It is an acre with a double wide with a large covered patio, a garage with a 2nd laundry area, a bathroom and a covered patio and 3 other sheds. Lots of room to park RVs so we pulled up right beside the house, hooked up to water & electric and had a sewer dump nearby - lovely!
We all went for a good breakfast at the Quail Café and spent the afternoon catching up and playing a dice game. Out for pizza for dinner and turned in early.
Apr 25th - Sat - Quartzsite
Coffee on the patio while we watched birds & rabbits demolish the seeds put out by Clem. Back to the Quail Café for another good breakfast. We spent time looking up shipping container buildings on the internet and then decided we needed to do something so we went to the casino at Parker. We all played for quite a while on not very much money. We were waiting on Terry and he got down to 14 cents when he hit a small bonus. He ended up cashing out $35 when we HAD to get going.
Stopped at a grocery store and Terry picked up inexpensive Scotch & Vodka at the CVS pharmacy. I made chili when we got back and we had Frito Pie for dinner. If anyone wants to know what this is, send me an email. We looked at pictures on our computer, I tried to set their sprinkler system timer and we had dessert before another fairly early night.
Apr 26th - Sun - to Hemet CA
Got up early, made jelly biscuits and packed up before joining C & M on the patio. On the road about 8 for the 3 hour drive today. We checked into the Golden Village Palms RV park where we have a coupon for half off the first week. It is a very nice park - we stayed here last year in early April.
Terry went for propane & diesel after we set up and then we called friends Barry & Yvonne who live here. They came over and we made some plans - dinner at their place today, golf tomorrow, Yvonne is tied up Tues, and dinner at our place on Wed.
Barry had his “family famous” lasagna ready to put into the oven so we could just relax & chat before dinner. I helped Barry download & set up Picasa on his computer.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Apr 15th to 22nd - Albuquerque NM / RV Rally
Apr 15th - Wed - to Albuquerque NM
Terry hooked up the truck last night so we could get an early start. We didn’t know how many others would be lining up at the dump station. Turned out just to be us so we were early to meet Terry & Judy (we traveled with them in Newfoundland and afterwards last fall). We were meeting at a casino near the rally park so we played a bit while we waited. Had breakfast with them and then all gambled a bit more waiting for their friends (2 rigs- Rick & Lorraine and Chuck) to arrive at noon.
We caravanned to the rally park (Balloon Fiesta Park) as you had to arrive together to park together. There was a solid line of rigs snaking into the parking area. We had to pull out of line to allow the owners of the one motor home in our group to unhook the tow car. The large grass parking area was marked off into rows & sites with little flags. Volunteers directed the parking procedure - rigs alternated parking from each side of the double row of sites so no one had to back in. Just pull all the way through and then the next rig pulled past before any slides were out. A little backing was required sometimes to straighten out and end up right on the flag markers. We are parked on the end of a row (right on the access road) so we ended up with a large area to park our truck and Terry & Judy’s truck.
Setting up did not take long as there is no electric & water to hook up. When we were done, we had to go to the Expo Center to register. The Balloon Fiesta Park is about 10 miles from the Expo Center. We got on a bus for the trip - about a 25 minute ride. Registration didn’t take long and we were on the bus heading back - a little slower with rush hour traffic.
It was quite cool and very windy in the afternoon so happy hour (and catching up with T & J) was inside.
Apr 16th - Thurs - RV Rally
Very cold this morning and Terry & Judy’s furnace is not working. Everyone in our group put in their 2 cents worth but nothing worked to get it going. They called a repair service that would be on site and were put on a waiting list.
Today is an early bird day with some seminars so we took the bus in again and went to a seminar on making money with your laptop while traveling - not too helpful. T & J waited for someone to repair their furnace and rode a later bus.
One of the sponsors has a number match “game” during the rally. Everyone is given a large circle with a number and you try to find someone with a matching number. There are actually 4 of the same number. When you find a match, you show up on Saturday with your matching partner(s), receive a small prize (bag or cap) and are entered into a drawing. So you are always looking for someone wearing your number.
I was just starting to make dinner when Judy came over to invite us for dinner.
Each evening there is entertainment - luckily in a tent here at the Balloon Fiesta park so we don’t have to go back to the Expo center. Tonight was a local group called La-La and the Hubcaps. A wacky group with Elvis pompadours and leather jackets. Fun but cold in the tent and very cold walking back.
Apr 17th - Fri - RV Rally
We were waiting for the park shuttle to take us to the bus this morning when it started to snow! We had a 3 bus wait (about 45 minutes) in the cold. Just as we were getting close to the Expo center, Terry H got a call from the repair guy and had to stay on the bus and return to the park. We & Judy shopped and stood in a long line for a not great hamburger for lunch. Terry returned in time to join us going through additional vendor booths. About 3 I suggested that we leave the rest of the vendors for tomorrow and join the line to catch the bus. Little did we know that the line was blocks long. We ended up waiting for 1 ½ hours. Of course it had to start raining so Judy & I found shelter while the guys held our place in line!
I cooked the pork chops that I was going to have yesterday and we got together with T & J for a combined dinner.
Tonight’s show was Neil Sedaka. Hard to believe that he has been performing for 50 years - he puts on a good show. He wrote a lot of songs for other singers and performed many that were well known. Before each show, there is a half hour of rally information and updates. We were supposed to be taking part in trying to set a record for the number of people wearing balloon hats but the hat tent blew away so that was canceled.
It is still cold but we all wore warmer parkas tonight amd weren’t so chilled when the show was over.
Apr 18th - Sat - RV Rally
Sunshine!! What a welcome difference!
We decided to drive to the Expo center today so we and Terry & Judy left just before 9. We looked for matching numbers, registered with number matches and shopped. T & J bought a bunch of stuff from Camping World and then Terry H. had to go with the delivery driver back to the RV park. Terry, Judy & I spent the time looking for a number match for me and playing bingo - free with little prizes.
When Terry returned, we got some lunch and then attended the prize drawings for the day - none of us won a thing. Stopped at an ATM and then filled up the generator gas cans on the way back.
The entertainment tonight was Rita Coolidge. Not our cup of tea so we all decided to join a lot of other people and left after about 3 songs. We went back to our place and played Mexican Train dominoes. Dolly had to go out and when I took her out I looked down the road by our rig. There were some hot air balloons doing a “night glow” where they tether the balloons and light up the “envelopes” with their burners. I called the others and we all walked the whole length of the park to watch the show. It was fascinating and I got some good pictures (which you will see when we slow down a bit!). Since we had a late lunch, we didn’t have dinner - just brownie sundaes while we were playing dominoes!
Apr 19th - Sun - RV Rally
T & J and we went out for breakfast this morning. After the GPS directed us to a restaurant that was no longer there, we ended up a Denny’s which always has a decent breakfast. Then we checked out a swap meet across the street from the Expo grounds - not great.
The sponsor special today was a casino event. The coliseum was filled with Black Jack, Craps, Let it Ride and Pai Gow poker tables. You could go to each table, receive $100 in chips and gamble. When you had enough to pay back your $100, you could then buy raffle tickets - 1 ticket for every $50. People quickly figured out that you bet the whole $100 on a hand and if you won, cash in and buy 2 tickets. Then move to the next table and do it again. Some dealers were “assisting the players” so I ended up with a lot of tickets but again did not win anything in the drawings. Good prizes - generators, GPS systems, lawn chairs, 2 week cruise, 1 week in a condo in Orlando, etc.
We stopped at a grocery store and I made seafood lasagna for us and T & J for dinner. The show tonight was the Osmond Brothers - 3 of the older brothers who have been performing for 45 years. Very enjoyable.
The weather was sunny & warm again today.
Apr 20th - Mon - RV Rally
Back to the Expo center this morning (again by truck, don’t trust the busses!). We lined up for a chance to open a “treasure” chest and found out when we got there that the prizes in the chest were pretty lame. Judy took part in decorating a sombrero, Terry M. went looking at rigs and Terry H and I went to a seminar on Picasa. It was well presented and informative. When we got back together we decided to go “offsite” for lunch and found a good buffet.
We still had some time before the sombrero judging so we went to the casino right there at the Expo center. Of course I finally had to win a bit of money and anything over $50 has to be paid by an attendant. Terry & Judy finally left for the judging while Terry & I waited for my $80.
There weren’t many people at the sombrero judging as all the vendors had closed and the rest of the stuff at the coliseum was being taken down.
No dinner tonight since we had such a large lunch - drinks & snacks sitting outside with the whole group.
We were entertained by Papa Do Run Run tonight. They did familiar songs from the 50’s & 60’s - think Beach Boys, Roy Orbison. Unfortunately the vocals were often drowned out by the instruments but the songs were well known so you knew the words anyway.
Apr 21st - Tues - to Bernalillo NM
This was one of our shortest moves ever - about 10 miles to Coronado Campground just north of Albuquerque.
Everyone figured there would be a huge traffic jam with all the RVs leaving today but some people evened out the rush by leaving at 5 am! Just after 9 we called the RV park where we were going and our spot was empty so we headed out. The city of Albuquerque did an excellent job of placing police officers to control traffic lights and keep the rigs moving onto the freeway. No sewer hookups here so we dumped our tanks at the dump station and set up. Very nice spot on the Rio Grande River (narrow, muddy stream) with a picnic table under a lovely shelter.
We went to the nearby Santa Ana Casino for a $2.99 breakfast and Terry spent the credits on his frequent player card. I had messed up printing my credits so they gave me another code to try again. When we returned, we met up with a couple from Illinois (David & Joanne) who we had spoken to a couple of times at the rally. They came over and we chatted for a couple of hours. Shortly after they left, Terry & Judy arrived. They had spent the day having some work done on their 5th wheel.
After Terry & Judy unwound with a drink, we invited Chuck to join us for leftovers for dinner.
Apr 22nd - Wed - Bernalillo
I helped Judy, Terry, Chuck & Rick get credits on their casino cards and then we all went for breakfast at the casino. I had to play my credits (and some more!) and Terry didn’t do well either. Next a trip to the laundromat (Judy also) and then a quick sandwich for lunch. T & J had brought back quite a bit of shrimp from Mexico so we all got together for deep fried shrimp for dinner. I had to introduce Judy to Big Lots so dinner ended up being a little late - but it was great. Enjoyed the buddy burner for a while and everyone headed home early.
Finally a chance to catch up on the blog while Terry naps on the couch!
Terry hooked up the truck last night so we could get an early start. We didn’t know how many others would be lining up at the dump station. Turned out just to be us so we were early to meet Terry & Judy (we traveled with them in Newfoundland and afterwards last fall). We were meeting at a casino near the rally park so we played a bit while we waited. Had breakfast with them and then all gambled a bit more waiting for their friends (2 rigs- Rick & Lorraine and Chuck) to arrive at noon.
We caravanned to the rally park (Balloon Fiesta Park) as you had to arrive together to park together. There was a solid line of rigs snaking into the parking area. We had to pull out of line to allow the owners of the one motor home in our group to unhook the tow car. The large grass parking area was marked off into rows & sites with little flags. Volunteers directed the parking procedure - rigs alternated parking from each side of the double row of sites so no one had to back in. Just pull all the way through and then the next rig pulled past before any slides were out. A little backing was required sometimes to straighten out and end up right on the flag markers. We are parked on the end of a row (right on the access road) so we ended up with a large area to park our truck and Terry & Judy’s truck.
Setting up did not take long as there is no electric & water to hook up. When we were done, we had to go to the Expo Center to register. The Balloon Fiesta Park is about 10 miles from the Expo Center. We got on a bus for the trip - about a 25 minute ride. Registration didn’t take long and we were on the bus heading back - a little slower with rush hour traffic.
It was quite cool and very windy in the afternoon so happy hour (and catching up with T & J) was inside.
Apr 16th - Thurs - RV Rally
Very cold this morning and Terry & Judy’s furnace is not working. Everyone in our group put in their 2 cents worth but nothing worked to get it going. They called a repair service that would be on site and were put on a waiting list.
Today is an early bird day with some seminars so we took the bus in again and went to a seminar on making money with your laptop while traveling - not too helpful. T & J waited for someone to repair their furnace and rode a later bus.
One of the sponsors has a number match “game” during the rally. Everyone is given a large circle with a number and you try to find someone with a matching number. There are actually 4 of the same number. When you find a match, you show up on Saturday with your matching partner(s), receive a small prize (bag or cap) and are entered into a drawing. So you are always looking for someone wearing your number.
I was just starting to make dinner when Judy came over to invite us for dinner.
Each evening there is entertainment - luckily in a tent here at the Balloon Fiesta park so we don’t have to go back to the Expo center. Tonight was a local group called La-La and the Hubcaps. A wacky group with Elvis pompadours and leather jackets. Fun but cold in the tent and very cold walking back.
Apr 17th - Fri - RV Rally
We were waiting for the park shuttle to take us to the bus this morning when it started to snow! We had a 3 bus wait (about 45 minutes) in the cold. Just as we were getting close to the Expo center, Terry H got a call from the repair guy and had to stay on the bus and return to the park. We & Judy shopped and stood in a long line for a not great hamburger for lunch. Terry returned in time to join us going through additional vendor booths. About 3 I suggested that we leave the rest of the vendors for tomorrow and join the line to catch the bus. Little did we know that the line was blocks long. We ended up waiting for 1 ½ hours. Of course it had to start raining so Judy & I found shelter while the guys held our place in line!
I cooked the pork chops that I was going to have yesterday and we got together with T & J for a combined dinner.
Tonight’s show was Neil Sedaka. Hard to believe that he has been performing for 50 years - he puts on a good show. He wrote a lot of songs for other singers and performed many that were well known. Before each show, there is a half hour of rally information and updates. We were supposed to be taking part in trying to set a record for the number of people wearing balloon hats but the hat tent blew away so that was canceled.
It is still cold but we all wore warmer parkas tonight amd weren’t so chilled when the show was over.
Apr 18th - Sat - RV Rally
Sunshine!! What a welcome difference!
We decided to drive to the Expo center today so we and Terry & Judy left just before 9. We looked for matching numbers, registered with number matches and shopped. T & J bought a bunch of stuff from Camping World and then Terry H. had to go with the delivery driver back to the RV park. Terry, Judy & I spent the time looking for a number match for me and playing bingo - free with little prizes.
When Terry returned, we got some lunch and then attended the prize drawings for the day - none of us won a thing. Stopped at an ATM and then filled up the generator gas cans on the way back.
The entertainment tonight was Rita Coolidge. Not our cup of tea so we all decided to join a lot of other people and left after about 3 songs. We went back to our place and played Mexican Train dominoes. Dolly had to go out and when I took her out I looked down the road by our rig. There were some hot air balloons doing a “night glow” where they tether the balloons and light up the “envelopes” with their burners. I called the others and we all walked the whole length of the park to watch the show. It was fascinating and I got some good pictures (which you will see when we slow down a bit!). Since we had a late lunch, we didn’t have dinner - just brownie sundaes while we were playing dominoes!
Apr 19th - Sun - RV Rally
T & J and we went out for breakfast this morning. After the GPS directed us to a restaurant that was no longer there, we ended up a Denny’s which always has a decent breakfast. Then we checked out a swap meet across the street from the Expo grounds - not great.
The sponsor special today was a casino event. The coliseum was filled with Black Jack, Craps, Let it Ride and Pai Gow poker tables. You could go to each table, receive $100 in chips and gamble. When you had enough to pay back your $100, you could then buy raffle tickets - 1 ticket for every $50. People quickly figured out that you bet the whole $100 on a hand and if you won, cash in and buy 2 tickets. Then move to the next table and do it again. Some dealers were “assisting the players” so I ended up with a lot of tickets but again did not win anything in the drawings. Good prizes - generators, GPS systems, lawn chairs, 2 week cruise, 1 week in a condo in Orlando, etc.
We stopped at a grocery store and I made seafood lasagna for us and T & J for dinner. The show tonight was the Osmond Brothers - 3 of the older brothers who have been performing for 45 years. Very enjoyable.
The weather was sunny & warm again today.
Apr 20th - Mon - RV Rally
Back to the Expo center this morning (again by truck, don’t trust the busses!). We lined up for a chance to open a “treasure” chest and found out when we got there that the prizes in the chest were pretty lame. Judy took part in decorating a sombrero, Terry M. went looking at rigs and Terry H and I went to a seminar on Picasa. It was well presented and informative. When we got back together we decided to go “offsite” for lunch and found a good buffet.
We still had some time before the sombrero judging so we went to the casino right there at the Expo center. Of course I finally had to win a bit of money and anything over $50 has to be paid by an attendant. Terry & Judy finally left for the judging while Terry & I waited for my $80.
There weren’t many people at the sombrero judging as all the vendors had closed and the rest of the stuff at the coliseum was being taken down.
No dinner tonight since we had such a large lunch - drinks & snacks sitting outside with the whole group.
We were entertained by Papa Do Run Run tonight. They did familiar songs from the 50’s & 60’s - think Beach Boys, Roy Orbison. Unfortunately the vocals were often drowned out by the instruments but the songs were well known so you knew the words anyway.
Apr 21st - Tues - to Bernalillo NM
This was one of our shortest moves ever - about 10 miles to Coronado Campground just north of Albuquerque.
Everyone figured there would be a huge traffic jam with all the RVs leaving today but some people evened out the rush by leaving at 5 am! Just after 9 we called the RV park where we were going and our spot was empty so we headed out. The city of Albuquerque did an excellent job of placing police officers to control traffic lights and keep the rigs moving onto the freeway. No sewer hookups here so we dumped our tanks at the dump station and set up. Very nice spot on the Rio Grande River (narrow, muddy stream) with a picnic table under a lovely shelter.
We went to the nearby Santa Ana Casino for a $2.99 breakfast and Terry spent the credits on his frequent player card. I had messed up printing my credits so they gave me another code to try again. When we returned, we met up with a couple from Illinois (David & Joanne) who we had spoken to a couple of times at the rally. They came over and we chatted for a couple of hours. Shortly after they left, Terry & Judy arrived. They had spent the day having some work done on their 5th wheel.
After Terry & Judy unwound with a drink, we invited Chuck to join us for leftovers for dinner.
Apr 22nd - Wed - Bernalillo
I helped Judy, Terry, Chuck & Rick get credits on their casino cards and then we all went for breakfast at the casino. I had to play my credits (and some more!) and Terry didn’t do well either. Next a trip to the laundromat (Judy also) and then a quick sandwich for lunch. T & J had brought back quite a bit of shrimp from Mexico so we all got together for deep fried shrimp for dinner. I had to introduce Judy to Big Lots so dinner ended up being a little late - but it was great. Enjoyed the buddy burner for a while and everyone headed home early.
Finally a chance to catch up on the blog while Terry naps on the couch!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Apr 14th - Grants NM
Apr 14th - Grants NM
We are going to be dry camping for the next 6 days at a huge RV rally in Albuquerque so we did some prep today - laundry, fill propane, fill water, call friends to arrange a meeting place. I will not be posting my blog until after the rally as I probably won’t be plugging in the computer when we are running the generator to charge the batteries.
Two pieces of not good news today. Terry’s Mom (Ella Mae) went into the hospital last night with pneumonia. Her husband Don says we are not to try to head to Spokane immediately.
The next ugly news concerns Terry’s cousin Theresa who we visited in Texas. Their farm was totally burned in the wild fires in north Texas last week. I was concerned about fires in Oklahoma as they have property there as well but the fires just missed them there.
There are lots of RVs heading for Albuquerque on Hwy 40 today. The park where we are staying has many units heading there as well. We are really looking forward to the rally and will report on it next week.
We are going to be dry camping for the next 6 days at a huge RV rally in Albuquerque so we did some prep today - laundry, fill propane, fill water, call friends to arrange a meeting place. I will not be posting my blog until after the rally as I probably won’t be plugging in the computer when we are running the generator to charge the batteries.
Two pieces of not good news today. Terry’s Mom (Ella Mae) went into the hospital last night with pneumonia. Her husband Don says we are not to try to head to Spokane immediately.
The next ugly news concerns Terry’s cousin Theresa who we visited in Texas. Their farm was totally burned in the wild fires in north Texas last week. I was concerned about fires in Oklahoma as they have property there as well but the fires just missed them there.
There are lots of RVs heading for Albuquerque on Hwy 40 today. The park where we are staying has many units heading there as well. We are really looking forward to the rally and will report on it next week.
Apr 9th to 13th - AZ to NM
Apr 9th - Thurs - Apache Junction
I made a nice, late breakfast while Terry was cleaning the truck a bit. There has been enough wind to coat everything with a fine layer of dust. I spent time figuring out how to reorganize a storage compartment under the oven. This required a trip to find racks for vertical baking pan storage and a stop for groceries on the way back.
Nice & hot so we went to the pool, came back for a lunch snack and then returned to the pool. What a wonderful, relaxing day.
Apr 10th - Fri - Apache Junction
Visited with Luke & Judy this morning. Soaked & pre-washed Terry’s micro fiber cloths and then took them and a load of towels to the laundry room. I exchanged books at the large park library on my trips to do the laundry.
We went to Hobby Lobby to buy 10 pounds of paraffin wax for our buddy burners. We want to compare paraffin to the candles that we have been using and that are hard to find for a reasonable price sometimes. Terry melted enough wax to fill the one burner that we had used while I did misc chores.
Very warm again so we spent some time at the pool.
Apr 11th - Sat - to Tucson AZ
Left at 8:30 for a 2 hour drive to Tucson to meet friends Claude & Val who are just returning from a winter in Mexico. Rained last night and one & off on our drive. We arrived at the RV park before them, paid and went to park as they were turning into the park so they just followed us to our site. The spots turned out to be too short for our rigs. Terry gave it his best shot but in order to miss the power box with our slide we were sticking out at least 4 feet onto the road. So we stood in the road & the rain and found another park. We got our money back (they were very nice about it) and found our way to the second park (Rincon Country West) which turned out to be beautiful. It cooled off enough that we moved inside after sitting outside only a short time after setting up.
We made dinner for Claude & Val and then introduced them to one of our favorite board games - Sequence. They both enjoyed it and caught on quickly.
Apr 12th - Sun - Tucson
C & V’s dog Tucker had a nasty cough so they decided they better find a vet to get him checked out. Their truck is going into the shop tomorrow so they will be without wheels and unable to wait for Monday and a “regular” vet as opposed to an “emergency“ vet. They also needed groceries and asked if we wanted to ride along with them. We didn’t have other plans so off we went.
On the way out of the park we saw some people using the park’s model train setup in front of the office so we stopped for a look. It was wonderful - buildings, flowers & small shrubs, figures, a circus and a farm complete with a scarecrow in a garden and someone using the outhouse. It had 4 rail lines and there were 3 trains chugging around puffing smoke.
When we got to the vet office, there were other people waiting and the staff was working on some major emergency. After a while we were told it would be an hour so we went to Camping World (closed for Easter!) and then stopped for something to eat. When we arrived back at the vet in 1 ½ hours, everyone was still waiting but their pets had been looked at. End result - we were there for probably another hour, the vet did not know what the problem was and wanted to do x-rays & tests which would be very expensive. He did say that Tucker’s lungs sounded OK so C&V decided to wait a couple of days and see how things went.
A stop at a grocery store for Val to stock up, back to the rig for happy hour and dinner prepared by Val. It was late by the time we finished dinner and looking at jokes & pictures on our computers so we didn’t get back to Sequence.
Apr 13th - Mon - to Grants NM
Long drive today so we were on the road at 7:15 after saying good-bye to Claude & Val. A sign informed us that there were daytime closures on Hwy 77 so we went, as advised, to Hwy 79 which was the same road that we took going to Tucson on Saturday. So we hit a “single lane” delay of 20 minutes on Hwy 60 between Superior & Globe instead. Then a “wait for pilot car” delay on Hwy 61.
The highlight of the trip was the Salt River Canyon between Globe & Show Low on Hwy 60. The road winds down one side of the canyon, crosses the Salt River and climbs out the other side. We stopped once for pictures when we reached the canyon and then I took lots of pictures as we drove. Very beautiful and worth a detour if you are near the area.
We finally arrived at the RV park (Blue Spruce) at 4:30 which was actually 5:30 in New Mexico as it is in the Mountain Time zone but does observe daylight savings time. It is a small park just off Hwy 40 - adequate for a couple of nights. They have a narrow strip of drive-through spots. Our length & the power box blocking our slide means that we are blocking the driveway to drive into sites past us. The guy who checked us in said that the people beside us are leaving in the morning and if someone else comes in there tomorrow they will have to back in - “if they can’t back in, they shouldn’t be driving” according to him!
I made a nice, late breakfast while Terry was cleaning the truck a bit. There has been enough wind to coat everything with a fine layer of dust. I spent time figuring out how to reorganize a storage compartment under the oven. This required a trip to find racks for vertical baking pan storage and a stop for groceries on the way back.
Nice & hot so we went to the pool, came back for a lunch snack and then returned to the pool. What a wonderful, relaxing day.
Apr 10th - Fri - Apache Junction
Visited with Luke & Judy this morning. Soaked & pre-washed Terry’s micro fiber cloths and then took them and a load of towels to the laundry room. I exchanged books at the large park library on my trips to do the laundry.
We went to Hobby Lobby to buy 10 pounds of paraffin wax for our buddy burners. We want to compare paraffin to the candles that we have been using and that are hard to find for a reasonable price sometimes. Terry melted enough wax to fill the one burner that we had used while I did misc chores.
Very warm again so we spent some time at the pool.
Apr 11th - Sat - to Tucson AZ
Left at 8:30 for a 2 hour drive to Tucson to meet friends Claude & Val who are just returning from a winter in Mexico. Rained last night and one & off on our drive. We arrived at the RV park before them, paid and went to park as they were turning into the park so they just followed us to our site. The spots turned out to be too short for our rigs. Terry gave it his best shot but in order to miss the power box with our slide we were sticking out at least 4 feet onto the road. So we stood in the road & the rain and found another park. We got our money back (they were very nice about it) and found our way to the second park (Rincon Country West) which turned out to be beautiful. It cooled off enough that we moved inside after sitting outside only a short time after setting up.
We made dinner for Claude & Val and then introduced them to one of our favorite board games - Sequence. They both enjoyed it and caught on quickly.
Apr 12th - Sun - Tucson
C & V’s dog Tucker had a nasty cough so they decided they better find a vet to get him checked out. Their truck is going into the shop tomorrow so they will be without wheels and unable to wait for Monday and a “regular” vet as opposed to an “emergency“ vet. They also needed groceries and asked if we wanted to ride along with them. We didn’t have other plans so off we went.
On the way out of the park we saw some people using the park’s model train setup in front of the office so we stopped for a look. It was wonderful - buildings, flowers & small shrubs, figures, a circus and a farm complete with a scarecrow in a garden and someone using the outhouse. It had 4 rail lines and there were 3 trains chugging around puffing smoke.
When we got to the vet office, there were other people waiting and the staff was working on some major emergency. After a while we were told it would be an hour so we went to Camping World (closed for Easter!) and then stopped for something to eat. When we arrived back at the vet in 1 ½ hours, everyone was still waiting but their pets had been looked at. End result - we were there for probably another hour, the vet did not know what the problem was and wanted to do x-rays & tests which would be very expensive. He did say that Tucker’s lungs sounded OK so C&V decided to wait a couple of days and see how things went.
A stop at a grocery store for Val to stock up, back to the rig for happy hour and dinner prepared by Val. It was late by the time we finished dinner and looking at jokes & pictures on our computers so we didn’t get back to Sequence.
Apr 13th - Mon - to Grants NM
Long drive today so we were on the road at 7:15 after saying good-bye to Claude & Val. A sign informed us that there were daytime closures on Hwy 77 so we went, as advised, to Hwy 79 which was the same road that we took going to Tucson on Saturday. So we hit a “single lane” delay of 20 minutes on Hwy 60 between Superior & Globe instead. Then a “wait for pilot car” delay on Hwy 61.
The highlight of the trip was the Salt River Canyon between Globe & Show Low on Hwy 60. The road winds down one side of the canyon, crosses the Salt River and climbs out the other side. We stopped once for pictures when we reached the canyon and then I took lots of pictures as we drove. Very beautiful and worth a detour if you are near the area.
We finally arrived at the RV park (Blue Spruce) at 4:30 which was actually 5:30 in New Mexico as it is in the Mountain Time zone but does observe daylight savings time. It is a small park just off Hwy 40 - adequate for a couple of nights. They have a narrow strip of drive-through spots. Our length & the power box blocking our slide means that we are blocking the driveway to drive into sites past us. The guy who checked us in said that the people beside us are leaving in the morning and if someone else comes in there tomorrow they will have to back in - “if they can’t back in, they shouldn’t be driving” according to him!
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Apr 6th to 8th - Apache Junction
Apr 6th - Mon - Apache Junction AZ
I corrected our current location on this entry. We are only a few minutes from the RV park in Mesa but we are actually in Apache Junction.
Rick & Diann left late this morning - heading for home (Boise, ID). We had a lazy day. Rode the bikes around the park which is not too far since this is a small park. Printed our copy & e-filed our federal income tax return and then went to the pool. The water is a little cool but feels great when you get in. We were kind of hungry so we came back and snacked a bit. Soon we were hot again so we returned to the pool and chatted with a guy from Illinois.
By the time we were sitting out again, we were in the shade of our rig and it was absolutely perfect. After dinner we went for a walk and did not get far before we stopped to talk with a guy (David) who is from Devon, Alberta - near Edmonton. Actually, his summer “home” is a spot in the Devon Lions Club campground where we stayed. It was nearly dark when we left him so our walk was short .
Apr 7th - Tues - Apache Junction
We went for a long drive today. We headed NE on Apache Trail Historic Road (Hwy 88) and stopped first at Goldfield which is a reconstructed gold mining town. It was a little before most of the stores opened so it didn’t take too long to walk through “town”. A lot of the drive was through the Superstition Mountains and very scenic.
We stopped at Tortilla Flats - it doesn’t seem to have changed much since we first saw it over 20 years ago. Stopped at several overlooks for short walks and pictures. Right past Tortilla Flats, a 22 mile stretch of dirt, wash board road began. Fish Creek Hill is a particularly narrow, windy, hilly portion of the dirt road. Apache Lake is a beautiful lake created by a dam on the Salt River.
At Roosevelt Dam, pavement was a welcome sight. We stopped for lunch in Globe and turned onto the
Gila-Pinal Scenic Road (Hwy 60) for the rest of the loop. There are huge tailing “mountains” from copper mining in the area with current mines visible from the highway at Superior.
Terry dusted the truck and washed the tires when we returned - not that it needed it much!
Our neighbor Luke came over for happy hour. When we pulled out a buddy burner he went and got his wife Judy to see it. She hadn’t joined us earlier as she had a sore throat & coughing spells. The weather was perfect and we sat out until 8:30 when we were all getting hungry.
Apr 8th - Wed - Apache Junction
Chores today but first a visit with Bob & Susan from Bellingham WA. Then we spent some time getting Luke’s laptop to talk to the park wifi which blocks Skype and Vonage. Vonage was starting automatically on Luke’s computer so he got an error when he tried to connect. He had taken the computer to the office but the lady there had not been able to figure out the solution which was to not let Vonage start up.
Next was laundry. The laundry room is close so we came back for lunch once the clothes were in the dryers. We did some rearranging of items in the main & front storage compartments with a view to sometime putting a small TV in the main compartment for outside viewing.
A trip for groceries and the evening spent inside as it cooled down a lot and a wind came up
I corrected our current location on this entry. We are only a few minutes from the RV park in Mesa but we are actually in Apache Junction.
Rick & Diann left late this morning - heading for home (Boise, ID). We had a lazy day. Rode the bikes around the park which is not too far since this is a small park. Printed our copy & e-filed our federal income tax return and then went to the pool. The water is a little cool but feels great when you get in. We were kind of hungry so we came back and snacked a bit. Soon we were hot again so we returned to the pool and chatted with a guy from Illinois.
By the time we were sitting out again, we were in the shade of our rig and it was absolutely perfect. After dinner we went for a walk and did not get far before we stopped to talk with a guy (David) who is from Devon, Alberta - near Edmonton. Actually, his summer “home” is a spot in the Devon Lions Club campground where we stayed. It was nearly dark when we left him so our walk was short .
Apr 7th - Tues - Apache Junction
We went for a long drive today. We headed NE on Apache Trail Historic Road (Hwy 88) and stopped first at Goldfield which is a reconstructed gold mining town. It was a little before most of the stores opened so it didn’t take too long to walk through “town”. A lot of the drive was through the Superstition Mountains and very scenic.
We stopped at Tortilla Flats - it doesn’t seem to have changed much since we first saw it over 20 years ago. Stopped at several overlooks for short walks and pictures. Right past Tortilla Flats, a 22 mile stretch of dirt, wash board road began. Fish Creek Hill is a particularly narrow, windy, hilly portion of the dirt road. Apache Lake is a beautiful lake created by a dam on the Salt River.
At Roosevelt Dam, pavement was a welcome sight. We stopped for lunch in Globe and turned onto the
Gila-Pinal Scenic Road (Hwy 60) for the rest of the loop. There are huge tailing “mountains” from copper mining in the area with current mines visible from the highway at Superior.
Terry dusted the truck and washed the tires when we returned - not that it needed it much!
Our neighbor Luke came over for happy hour. When we pulled out a buddy burner he went and got his wife Judy to see it. She hadn’t joined us earlier as she had a sore throat & coughing spells. The weather was perfect and we sat out until 8:30 when we were all getting hungry.
Apr 8th - Wed - Apache Junction
Chores today but first a visit with Bob & Susan from Bellingham WA. Then we spent some time getting Luke’s laptop to talk to the park wifi which blocks Skype and Vonage. Vonage was starting automatically on Luke’s computer so he got an error when he tried to connect. He had taken the computer to the office but the lady there had not been able to figure out the solution which was to not let Vonage start up.
Next was laundry. The laundry room is close so we came back for lunch once the clothes were in the dryers. We did some rearranging of items in the main & front storage compartments with a view to sometime putting a small TV in the main compartment for outside viewing.
A trip for groceries and the evening spent inside as it cooled down a lot and a wind came up
Monday, April 06, 2009
Apr 3rd to 5th - Mesa AZ
Apr 3rd - Fri - Mesa
Terry got plenty of exercise today - pacing back & forth inside and outside the rig while he worried about the truck and waited for a phone call. He also packed up stuff to move tomorrow.
I baked muffins for breakfast, gave Dolly a haircut and a bath, did a load of laundry, hand washed Dolly’s bed and vacuumed. Amazing what you can get done when you can’t go anywhere! Actually, Diann phoned and offered to come pick us up if we needed wheels. Also, a lady camped behind us came over and said that she noticed that our truck had been missing for a couple of days and said to let them know if we needed a ride anywhere. This is one of the wonderful things about this lifestyle - we had not spoken to these people before as they and we have been gone a lot .
The shuttle from the Chev dealer picked us up about 2:30 and we picked up the truck. Then we made a mad dash to the Mesa Marketplace so we could pick up a coupon to stay for a week for $75 at the park where Rick & Diann are staying. The lady in the booth was just leaving but we got our coupon.
Terry was not interested in eating lunch but once we had the truck back he was suddenly starving. So we stopped at WalMart and got some of their good General Tsao chicken for an early dinner.
Apr 4th - Sat - Mesa
Less than a 3 mile drive this morning to the Meridian RV Resort so we pulled in shortly after 10. We are a site away from Rick & Diann but the occupants of that spot left right after we parked. This park has only RVs, no park models.
After setting up, visiting with R&D and having lunch, we all went to a couple of flea markets in Phoenix. The first one was pretty small but R&D got a couple of items. The second one is at the greyhound park and is larger. But it was nearing closing time so we just took a quick walk around. Stopped at Costco on the way back.
We moved our chairs onto the patio of the site between us so we could enjoy the sun for a while with our happy hour(s). When the sun went behind R&D’s rig, we moved inside as it instantly cooled off with a slight breeze. We had planned to go out for dinner but after too many snacks & drinks we finally decided to each do our own thing for dinner.
Apr 5th - Sun - Mesa
Terry & I returned to the greyhound park swap meet this morning and did not find a thing to buy. Got a lot of exercise however - the first clue that it was a bad parking spot (far from the entrance) should have been that there were many spots available! Then we carried on to the Goodyear Marketplace which is west on Hwy 10. Almost identical to the Mesa Marketplace - we had some lunch while we listened to a lady singing and headed back.
Stopped at Camping World for a water pressure valve and at WalMart to check TV prices. Rick has a 26 inch LCD TV for sale and we are trying to decide (with our recent truck repair in mind!) if it is too good a deal to pass up.
Shorter happy hour today and then to a Chinese buffet for dinner. It was a wonderful buffet - very busy so the dishes were replenished often which kept them fresh & hot. I tried a few different types of sushi (including one with eel which I did not like), baked mussels & seaweed salad as well as several familiar items.
Got back at 8 and crashed as everyone was tired and full.
Terry got plenty of exercise today - pacing back & forth inside and outside the rig while he worried about the truck and waited for a phone call. He also packed up stuff to move tomorrow.
I baked muffins for breakfast, gave Dolly a haircut and a bath, did a load of laundry, hand washed Dolly’s bed and vacuumed. Amazing what you can get done when you can’t go anywhere! Actually, Diann phoned and offered to come pick us up if we needed wheels. Also, a lady camped behind us came over and said that she noticed that our truck had been missing for a couple of days and said to let them know if we needed a ride anywhere. This is one of the wonderful things about this lifestyle - we had not spoken to these people before as they and we have been gone a lot .
The shuttle from the Chev dealer picked us up about 2:30 and we picked up the truck. Then we made a mad dash to the Mesa Marketplace so we could pick up a coupon to stay for a week for $75 at the park where Rick & Diann are staying. The lady in the booth was just leaving but we got our coupon.
Terry was not interested in eating lunch but once we had the truck back he was suddenly starving. So we stopped at WalMart and got some of their good General Tsao chicken for an early dinner.
Apr 4th - Sat - Mesa
Less than a 3 mile drive this morning to the Meridian RV Resort so we pulled in shortly after 10. We are a site away from Rick & Diann but the occupants of that spot left right after we parked. This park has only RVs, no park models.
After setting up, visiting with R&D and having lunch, we all went to a couple of flea markets in Phoenix. The first one was pretty small but R&D got a couple of items. The second one is at the greyhound park and is larger. But it was nearing closing time so we just took a quick walk around. Stopped at Costco on the way back.
We moved our chairs onto the patio of the site between us so we could enjoy the sun for a while with our happy hour(s). When the sun went behind R&D’s rig, we moved inside as it instantly cooled off with a slight breeze. We had planned to go out for dinner but after too many snacks & drinks we finally decided to each do our own thing for dinner.
Apr 5th - Sun - Mesa
Terry & I returned to the greyhound park swap meet this morning and did not find a thing to buy. Got a lot of exercise however - the first clue that it was a bad parking spot (far from the entrance) should have been that there were many spots available! Then we carried on to the Goodyear Marketplace which is west on Hwy 10. Almost identical to the Mesa Marketplace - we had some lunch while we listened to a lady singing and headed back.
Stopped at Camping World for a water pressure valve and at WalMart to check TV prices. Rick has a 26 inch LCD TV for sale and we are trying to decide (with our recent truck repair in mind!) if it is too good a deal to pass up.
Shorter happy hour today and then to a Chinese buffet for dinner. It was a wonderful buffet - very busy so the dishes were replenished often which kept them fresh & hot. I tried a few different types of sushi (including one with eel which I did not like), baked mussels & seaweed salad as well as several familiar items.
Got back at 8 and crashed as everyone was tired and full.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Mar 31st to Apr 2nd - Mesa AZ
Mar 31st - Tues - Mesa
Terry wanted to wear a favorite shirt this morning and we couldn’t find it. He went back to the laundry room and found several shirts that I hadn’t removed from a dryer! Never did that before.
I finally caught up on entering expenses in the computer, dealt with emails and used TaxCut to prepare our tax return. We are using this stay to catch up on some chores so we continued today by going through some storage containers and tossing items that have not been used since we started our full time traveling in Nov 2006.
We went to the small post office here in the park to mail Theresa’s hand lotion and discovered lunch being served beside the pool. So we had a hamburger before looking for a place for me to get a haircut. I would have had to wait too long at a couple shops so we continued on to a casino. Should have waited for the haircut!
Back to the park to relax in the lovely sunshine and warm weather.
Apr 1st - Wed - Mesa
Finally got a haircut this morning - not so great! Picked up a couple of items at WalMart and then found a Costco. Forgot how inexpensive Scotch can be in Arizona. And then - no April Fool’s joke - the truck would not start. It cranked over just fine but would not catch. A bystander suggested a 10 minute wait to reset “something” but that did not work. Looked up a Chev dealer in the GPS and they recommended a tow service called Pinky Tow with a bright pink tow truck. The driver was wonderful. We pushed our truck out of the parking spot and he had it loaded on the flatbed in no time. Luckily, the Chev dealer was less than 3 miles from Costco and we got there about 2.
And then we sat & waited & waited. It didn’t take them too long to determine that it wasn’t getting fuel and move it to the diesel specialist. But then they could not find the “leak”. At 5:25 they gave us a ride back to the RV park. We can look on the bright side and be thankful that this didn’t happen when we were towing in the middle of nowhere. And that we had a small cooler in the truck with frozen chicken to keep a large pork loin cool!
Apr 2nd - Thurs - Mesa
Rick & Diann picked us up this morning to go golfing. On the way, we got a call from the Chev dealer - bad news. They have to replace the fuel pump (or the diesel equivalent) which is a big job on this truck. We will get the truck back tomorrow afternoon.
The golf course (The Links at Queen Creek) was beautiful and the weather was perfect - sunny, warm and a slight breeze to keep us cool. We had a great time and Terry almost managed to forget about the truck for a few minutes. We had lunch at the pro shop, stopped at a meat market and toured the RV park where Rick & Diann are staying before they brought us back.
Between salad & dinner, we went for a bike ride around the park. The weather at 7:00 pm is so perfect for riding - lots of others doing the same.
Terry wanted to wear a favorite shirt this morning and we couldn’t find it. He went back to the laundry room and found several shirts that I hadn’t removed from a dryer! Never did that before.
I finally caught up on entering expenses in the computer, dealt with emails and used TaxCut to prepare our tax return. We are using this stay to catch up on some chores so we continued today by going through some storage containers and tossing items that have not been used since we started our full time traveling in Nov 2006.
We went to the small post office here in the park to mail Theresa’s hand lotion and discovered lunch being served beside the pool. So we had a hamburger before looking for a place for me to get a haircut. I would have had to wait too long at a couple shops so we continued on to a casino. Should have waited for the haircut!
Back to the park to relax in the lovely sunshine and warm weather.
Apr 1st - Wed - Mesa
Finally got a haircut this morning - not so great! Picked up a couple of items at WalMart and then found a Costco. Forgot how inexpensive Scotch can be in Arizona. And then - no April Fool’s joke - the truck would not start. It cranked over just fine but would not catch. A bystander suggested a 10 minute wait to reset “something” but that did not work. Looked up a Chev dealer in the GPS and they recommended a tow service called Pinky Tow with a bright pink tow truck. The driver was wonderful. We pushed our truck out of the parking spot and he had it loaded on the flatbed in no time. Luckily, the Chev dealer was less than 3 miles from Costco and we got there about 2.
And then we sat & waited & waited. It didn’t take them too long to determine that it wasn’t getting fuel and move it to the diesel specialist. But then they could not find the “leak”. At 5:25 they gave us a ride back to the RV park. We can look on the bright side and be thankful that this didn’t happen when we were towing in the middle of nowhere. And that we had a small cooler in the truck with frozen chicken to keep a large pork loin cool!
Apr 2nd - Thurs - Mesa
Rick & Diann picked us up this morning to go golfing. On the way, we got a call from the Chev dealer - bad news. They have to replace the fuel pump (or the diesel equivalent) which is a big job on this truck. We will get the truck back tomorrow afternoon.
The golf course (The Links at Queen Creek) was beautiful and the weather was perfect - sunny, warm and a slight breeze to keep us cool. We had a great time and Terry almost managed to forget about the truck for a few minutes. We had lunch at the pro shop, stopped at a meat market and toured the RV park where Rick & Diann are staying before they brought us back.
Between salad & dinner, we went for a bike ride around the park. The weather at 7:00 pm is so perfect for riding - lots of others doing the same.
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