Flowing into 2017

My, how quickly 2016 went by! It was a year rich in experiences, some pleasurable and others challenging but always fascinating.

What better place to transition to a new year than by spending some time at Slab City where I had been a few times! 

"The Slabs" are called that due to the presence of cement slabs that still exist from the army base that was situated there during the war.There is no sign of the buildings that used to be on them except some holding tanks for water and sewage. 

One of the many slabs, after the rain

Slab city street signs

It felt good to arrive in a familiar area. I was disappointed that some of the people I had met last year were no longer there but there were still some I knew. We caught up on news and had a very nice potluck dinner on New Year's eve. Someone nearby had fireworks as soon as it got dark but had to quit due to a thunderstorm that rolled in. The lightening was quite spectacular but the heavy rainfall was a concern due to the possibility of flooding. The desert is usually dry but once in a while there can be a brief heavy downpour sometimes resulting in a flash flood. Fortunately the rain didn't last long and we were safe from floods. The loud thunder brought in the new year with a bang!

camping at Slab City

someone's permanent home at the slabs, with a unique fence!

a beautiful painting on the old sewage tank

I left the next day after stopping at the hotsprings for a soak. The atmosphere was festive with much laughter from the people there.



I had to leave early because my fridge stopped working and drove to CJs RV service in Yuma that someone had recommended. As they were quite busy, I was able to stay there overnight. They hooked me up to elctricity and provided water as well as letting me put some food in their fridge. I had emptied my fridge and placed  everything on top of a bag of ice then wrapped in a blanket and sleeping bag. It was quite a mess to clean up and I had to throw some food out. It made me realize just how dependent we are on refrigeration.
I had to get the cooling coil replaced which was a major job , requiring the removal of the fridge from my RV.

On the way to Yuma, I had passed a holding area for beef cattle , many large farms, and some beautiful dunes. The desert is very dry but farmers have built canals to bring water for irrigation from the Colorado river. It was interesting to see these vast fields of produce surrounded by desert.

holding area for cattle...puts you off eating beef!

one of many canals built for irrigation

 dunes near Yuma

Yuma is a great city covering quite a large area of desert on the southwest part of Arizona and just a few miles from the Mexican border. Because of that, there are often checkpoints to go through. Some are there to check for illegal immigrants or drugs while at the border into California they are more concerned about fresh produce and the possibility of the spread of disease.
Last year, I almost lost the oranges and lemons  I had until I found out that I could take them across as long as they were peeled.  I still laugh when I look back at that time, pulled over to the side and spending almost 1/2 hr peeling them all then handing the peels to an amused border guard!
This year, I knew what do.

From Yuma, it was just a few miles west to  "The Q" casino where it was free to park. The "Sleepy Hollow" campground I stayed at last year closed a few months ago which was very disappointing. The casino was on the same road and about 1.5 mi from the town of Algodones in Mexico where I had a dental appointment.

parked at " the Q " casino

I enjoyed Algodones with its Mexican food, crafts, music and medical services.
This year seemed busier and there was a constant stream of people and vehicles going across the border both ways. Heading into Mexico is easy as you can just walk across, not needing to show a passport. Coming back is quite another story and the lines can be very long. I had never seen such a long line as when I was there this time and was told it would take 2-3 hrs to get through. I decided to stop and have lunch, hoping that many of the people would have gone through but when I got there, it took me about 15 min to walk to the end of the line ( 2-3 people across) and I estimated there were close to 1000 people in that line!
As it was very slow moving, there were all kinds of people selling crafts, jewellery, and water at increased prices due to the hot, dry weather. 
One advantage of being in a line that long, is that I met some interesting people. Most of them were from the US but I did see some Canadian passports too. Almost all were there to see a dentist, get glasses, or visit the " Purple Pharmacy" where you could buy some prescription drugs over the counter
 at very low prices eg amoxicillin $6.00 for a bottle of 100 Capsules or some blood pressure medications for similar prices. That pharmacy also had vanilla, honey and chocolates for prices about 1/4 to 1/3 the cost in Canada. Inside the same building they sell all sorts of alcoholic drinks, again at greatly reduced prices.

I had lunch at this colourful outdoor restaurant

optometrists, dentists , and vendors line the streets

The majority of people wandering around the town were tourists and almost all sales staff speak English. All the money is in US dollars. The dentists ( I was told there were over 60 of them in that town! ) preferred cash, charging an extra fee for those paying by credit cards.

Dr Erick Escobedo was the best dentist I had ever been to. I had usually been dreading going to see a dentist but my experience with him was good. The costs were a lot less than in Canada eg $ 220US for a crown and the work can be completed in one day as they have a lab close by. 

The Purple pharmacy and liquor store

During my time parked at the casino, I met a friend from Quebec who was there to see a dentist, so it was fun to see her.
The parking lot was quite full and most people were there not just because of Algodones but also to gamble. I don't like risks enough to try it and also dislike the loud atmosphere inside the casinos.I do appreciate being able to park there though and once in a while have a meal in one of their restaurants.

After just a couple of days at " The Q", I drove to another hotsprings area west of there to have some time to re!ax. Because of extensive road construction in the whole area around Yuma, my GPS was not reliable, leading me onto a dirt road in the desert! I had no idea how to proceed and was fortunate that some locals happened to drive by in their 4- wheeler. They led me to the hotsprings but driving on that sandy "road" was nerve-racking! Up and down hills,between bushes, rough terrain, small rocks, I was relieved when we got to a paved road. I thanked them then asking " Are you trying to make my RV into a dune buggy?"
We just laughed but I was still a bit shaken after my harrowing ordeal.

Soaking in the hotsprings a couple of times a day was wonderful. I had many interesting discussions with people there. There were varying opinions about the election! 
I met some people I knew from last year while in Arizona. It seems that RVers often cross paths while touring around the country and the longer I do this, the more of them I meet again in various places.

After a relaxing week at the hotsprings, it was time to drive to Quartzsite for the huge annual RV show and sales as well as sales of gems. Thousands of RVers gather there for this event and the experience will make some good stories for my next blog.

              "Motivation is when your dreams put on work clothes".
                                                          --- Benjamin Franklin

For cat lovers:
    What is the longest living cat on record?
        "Puss" lived in England, died in 1939 just one day after her 36 th birthday.

What does the invisible man drink at snack time?
                                         Evaporated milk.



A late Happy New Year!

Maria

whyknotrvmaria@gmail.com

Westward, Ho!

Continuing my journey southwest took me across a large bridge over the Mississippi River, ( we used to love spelling that name when we were children!) and through Louisiana, with its mostly flat landscape and many farms. The rain stopped after more than a week of wet weather, causing flooding in many areas. Luckily the roads were not affected but I did see many flooded fields. It was such a delight to finally see the sun breaking through the clouds!

On the radio were many discussions of the election. There are various opinions and it will be interesting to see what it will be like when Trump is president! I sometimes had a hard time understanding the southern English accents. Of course, since it is December, there were also many Christmas carols.

After traveling much of the day, I arrived at Hwy I-10 and crossed the border into Texas, stopping at a Pilot truck stop. It was much warmer by then, the vegetation and trees having gradually become greener as I drove along.

By the time I stopped, I saw my first palm trees! It was time to change from a jacket and sweater to a T-shirt. The night was still cool though.

Pilot gas station Orange, Texas

While driving through Texas, the trees became less and the distances more vast. The traffic was very light and consisted mostly of transport trucks, the weather sunny and warm. The speed limit was 80 mi/hr in some stretches!

It was now Dec 6, The feast of St Nicholas that we celebrated as children. How we used to look forward to his visit, bringing many treats if we had been good.
( I was always amazed he knew so much about our behaviour!)

I drove as far as San Antonio, my favourite city. It took a long time to get past Houston ( pop over 2 million). Looking like a ghost city, it was shrouded with fog as I drove by.
The Walmarts at San Antonio were on the outskirts of the city and no one I asked knew of the bus service. It was getting late, so I drove into the city. Driving in heavy traffic in a city in the dark was something I usually avoid but I wanted to see their wonderful Christmas lights. I found a place to park downtown and was just about to pay the $15 charge at the machine when someone who left gave me his ticket which was still good for several more hours. It often happens when I least expect it that someone makes a kind gesture. There are many good, kind people in the US!
I walked the few blocks to the "River walk", having been there last year during the Christmas season and loving the lights.
There are walking paths along both sides of the river that passes right through the city and with many bars and restaurants along the way. At Christmas the sides of the river and hanging from buildings and trees, are colourful lights. Music can be heard along the way, creating a magical atmosphere.
 I spent a couple of hours just marvelling at the sights and feeling happy and peaceful. While stopping for a rest, I saw a woman taking a photo and she pointed out to me a beautiful Christmas tree in a window. We chatted for a while and she told me she is a traveling nurse driving back to her home in Florida after a 3 mo contract at a hospital in Colorado. 
It's always fascinating to meet people during my travels and hear their stories.

I stopped a small cafe for a burrito,then walked back to the RV. It's a good thing I had taken my GPS with me as I got all turned around and wasn't sure how to get back to where I had parked!
I found out that parking there was not allowed overnight, so even though it was already 11pm, I decided to drive out of the city to the next truck stop. Driving at night with heavy traffic was stressful and I was happy to find another Pilot station after about 1/2 hr, at Fort Stockton, Texas.
The next day,I continued to a truck stop in El Paso, on the border of New Mexico. 

The countryside had become full desert and it felt good to be able to look so far into the distance. This part of my journey brought back good memories of driving through Texas last winter. 
The desert looks bare and bleak but it is rich in its diversity. The vegetation varies, the flat areas result in a vast view of the sky and some of the rocks and mountains are fantastic. There is a feeling of being able to breathe more easily and of any built up stress disappearing. The desert brings a sense of peace and relaxation and has a unique beauty.

Hway #10 looking east

A rest stop on the way to El Paso

Desert land near the rest stop

From El Paso it was an easy 2hr drive to a campground near Deming, New Mexico, where I wanted to stop for a good rest.
The campground is owned by the RV club "LOW" ( Loners on Wheels, a singles camping club since 1969 ) of which I am a member since last winter.
The "LOW HI " ranch is the international headquarters for the group. 
I was happy to finally have a chance to discover this place, having heard many good things about it. It was bigger and even better than I had imagined, with 65 serviced sites and a large area for boondocking. They have laundry, showers, water, a dumping station, and even an air compressor for filling your tires.
The main office is attached to a TV and meeting room as well as a large kitchen and dining area for special potluck dinners. They also have a bunkhouse which has a library and videos and where early bird campers gather for  morning coffee.
I was very impressed by how clean and well taken care of the park is.
Some of the campers live here permanently, hooked up with their RVs, while others visit for various times, usually on the way to another place. 
It felt like coming home and is very inexpensive, at $180/ Mo plus electric during the high season ( Sept to May) for full hook up, and only $85/Mo if boondocking.

They have various activities that campers can take part in if they choose to.
My favourite one was a trip across the border to Mexico, less than an hour's drive, to visit "The Pink Store" for lunch. This is a weekly outing and the staff at the store had a long table all set up for us with salsa and chips. They provided a free margarita and live music for us. The Mexican food was very reasonable and delicious. We were serenaded by the live band playing Mexican music which I love to listen to and creating a festive and fun atmosphere.
After the meal we had time to browse around the store with its crafts and artwork, then headed back. This time we needed to show our passports to get back into the US.

The Pink Store

The LOW HI ranch is just a few minutes from Deming and many other interesting sites. 
One day I drove to Deming to see about a door lock that is broken but will have to wait until I get to Yuma. It's the door to my residence so I have to use my truck doors to get in and out. 
I decided to go exploring and drove to "The City of Rocks" , a state park about a 45 min drive north. It was a fascinating park with many large rock formations surrounded by mostly flat desert with some mountains in the distance. At the tourist information office, I was told that those rocks were produced by a very large volcanic eruption 34.9 million years ago.

  

   

 

 
A short distance from the City of Rocks, were the "Faywood Hot Springs" which had public and private pools as well as a camping area. 
The property was well looked after and soaking in the hot water was a treat, particularly since there was a cool breeze.



The days passed quickly, usually with cold nights and warm days. One night the temp dropped to 16 F !! In the morning my windshield had a thick coating of ice.
The sun had just come up and I saw some Canada geese flying north. It was probably warmer there!
That week we had a sand storm and visibility was poor. It was a day to stay inside and it reminded me of the snow blizzards of Canada. It took a while to clean the RV of the sand that got in through any cracks.

sandstorm

There were enough activities to keep life interesting. On Fridays we met for a pizza party and Mondays for potluck. I often joined a small group to play cards in the evenings. I'm not usually a card player but playing "31" was fun.

The weather kept changing and a few days ago we had quite a bit of rain lasting through the night and next day. The ground was covered in large puddles resulting in muddy conditions. The desert does not get much rain and when it does rain, the ground dries quickly. There is always the danger of flash floods
in some areas and I remember seeing signs warning hikers.

I decided to stay at the ranch until Christmas, enjoying the time there and the friendships I had developed.
We decorated the TV and meeting room. On the morning of the 24th, One of the campers, Ted, took some of us on a hike about 1/2 hr away where there were some petroglyphs. He knew the area well and was a great guide. We wondered how those ancient people lived and survived in the desert without the conveniences that we have.

We returned in time for the Christmas eve celebration and gift exchange.
I loved the simplicity of just one small gift, good food, and being together with friends in the quiet atmosphere of the desert.
Gary, who does maintenance there, made hot buttered rum for us, a Christmas tradition and something I had never tried. It was delicious but also quite potent!


The next day was Christmas and we met for a fantastic potluck dinner. What a joyful celebration that was! Someone told us that she took her dog out just after midnight and saw snow falling, so we did have a white Christmas for a brief period! There was no snow left at the campground when I got up but my windshield was covered with thick ice again and there was snow on the mountains. The cold nights ( down to 22F that night) are not uncommon in the high desert in the winter. Someone told me we were at over 4000 ft elevation.
That evening, some of us played cards again and the laughter was contagious.
I laughed more than I had in a long time and that sure felt good!

It was hard to say goodbye when I left the next day to continue my journey west.
That place felt like home and I knew I would be back.
I took I-10 from Deming, west to Tuscon,  stopping at the "Texas Canyon" rest stop with fascinating rock formations.

the snow looked pretty!

rest stop at Texas Canyon

My route was familiar, having driven that way last winter. It was exciting to enter into the Sonoran desert and see the Saguaro cacti scattered throughout the landscape.

Hwy I-10 continued Northwest to Casa Grande, Arizona and another handy truck stop. I filled up with gas at $1.96/ gal, knowing that it would be far more expensive in California. 
I had thought of stopping at a rest stop along the hwy and was grateful I had kept going because when I looked it up later, there were warnings not to stop there due to drug smuggling through that area and possible shootings! 


The next day I turned onto Hwy 8 west because #10 turned north to Phoenix. It didn't seem too long to Yuma to stop at a Walmart on the outskirts of the city and stock up on groceries. Yuma is at the southwest corner of Arizona and California as well as near the border of Mexico. I liked listening to the Mexican music on the radio all along that route. It took a long time to drive out of the city due to construction and heavy traffic. 
Once into California, I had totally forgotten about the check point there and when asked if I had any fresh fruit or vegetables, I reluctantly showed the guard the bag of groceries I had just bought. He was very polite but had to confiscate the avocados which are not allowed to be brought in due to possible diseases affecting the crops in California. I suggested he eat them rather than throw them out! I was allowed to keep the rest as didn't have any citrus fruit.

Construction continued most of the way west to El Centro and eased up when driving north to Niland, on the southeast side of the Salton Sea and where I had been to before. On the way, I stopped at Calapatria for their delicious apple fritters and to fill up with gas again ( this time it was $2.45/gal !!).
It was then only 10 more min to reach my destination where I will celebrate New Years with another LOW group and which I will write about for my next blog! ( hint: it's a very unique place in the desert that I was at last winter)

"Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you                     haven't planted."
                                 --- David Not

       "Lack of interest is poison of the mind."
                                                       --- Mooji


Did you know......

--- Baffin Island, in Canada's northern arctic, has Nettilling lake, the world's largest lake that is found on an island. ( from Coffee News)

---Los Angeles's full name is  "El Pueblo de Nuestra Seniora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula" and can be abbreviated to .."L.A."
                                                    ( from "Look what's cookin' weekly")

   " A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity;
      An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
                                                         --- Winston S Churchill

Happy New Year!
Maria

whyknotrvmaria@gmail.com