Archive for February, 2009

Moving East

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

Only a little east.  We moved to Apache Junction today which is just east of Mesa, AZ.  Paul hopes to help some RV dealers with their computers and we will get to visit our friends, Mike & Claudia Sanford.  We arrived at our RV park in the early afternoon since it was only about an hour drive.  Something we noticed as we entered the area is they have such nice freeways.  They are beautifully landscaped with desert plants and rocks.  The sound walls and hardscape areas are amazing.  Lots of red cement and lots of architectural elements.  The roads are so smooth I thought our RV was not moving!

We took a drive to where Mike & Claudia are workamping and visited awhile enjoying hearing about their experience.  They are working in a beautiful RV park.  This place is a full service property complete with big time entertainment.  They are having the time of their lives and are busy doing activities that they would not have gotten to do had they not signed up to work at this place.   It was so nice to see friends from home.

Our RV park is small but very clean and has a pool, spa, shuffleboard and various activities to keep you entertained when you just can’t relax alone any longer – not a problem so far with me!

View from my patio

View from my patio

Enjoying the fulltime lifestyle

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

Happy Birthday Dad!  Today is my dad’s 72nd birthday and he is taking care of mom along with the hospital staff.  Mom is doing fine and sounds really good on the phone.  She is tired and weak but getting better.

Today we golfed again at the Casa Grande Golf course across the street from our home.  It is so much fun to decide to go golf, grab the hand cart and walk across the street, pay your $11.00 and hit the course.  It was a bit windy and we were 1 of only about 4 couples on the whole course.  Beautiful! 

Here in Arizona the RV parks are big into activities.  You can do something in the hall just about anytime.  Paul goes and plays pool in the afternoons sometimes; Duke and I go for long walks in the desert most afternoons, sometimes more than once.  I am not really into the crafts or cards yet, however tonight was Casino night and we participated.  We played many different games and made a bunch of money playing blackjack.  We started out with $500 each and ended the evening with $2200.  This is a fundraiser so the prizes are gift certificates to local establishments as well as some very interesting items donated.  We put our coupons into the buckets for Fry’s (not electronics) Food Store, Chili’s & Starbucks.  We won the Fry’s coupon and will buy some much needed groceries this week – Yeah, we get to eat again.

Bad news day

Monday, February 9th, 2009

The very thing that I think anyone moving away worries about happened this morning.  I got a call from home that my mom had a heart attack and was in the hospital.  The good news is it happened yesterday and they interupted the attack and inserted a stint where the blockage was and she was already recovering.  I really wanted to rush home however I stayed calm knowing my dad, sister, brother, uncle, and of course Stephanie was right there.  Through lots of phone calls especially to my mom I felt comfortable in staying put.  She is doing fine and resting so I will worry but no panic.

My favorite day so far!

Sunday, February 8th, 2009
This is what life is all about!
This is what life is all about!

This is a really long post but keep reading as I really enjoyed writing it!  Four weeks today since we started on this adventure and it was a fabulous day.  The day started out with moving across the street to an Escapee RV Park.  Escapee’s is an organization for RV people that have all kinds of support including taking care of you when you can’t anymore!!!  We joined Escapee’s several months ago in anticipation of this adventure so that we would have places to stay without reservations and really cheap!  It is costing us $5 per day.  The camping is not beautiful and there is no electricity, water or sewer but we don’t really need that as we stayed in the desert for 17 days without and were fine.  What a park like this has is socialization and near town!  Most of the people own their space or lease it and stay the whole winter or year round so they have lots of activities to keep them busy.  Tonight was Birthday & Anniversary night for February and August cause no one is here in August!  They sang Happy Birthday/Anniversary and took photos and then served cake and ice cream.  My birthday is in August but I begged Paul to keep quiet and he actually did!  I am not quite ready to jump right in but maybe next time.  After ice cream Paul got involved in an interesting game of pool called “101” and I was ready to go home when a nice lady asked if I would like to play cards so I did.  I forget the name of the game but it is like “hand n foot.”  I played a couple of games and then it is 8:30, time for bed!  Paul loved it!  I enjoyed it!  The most fun is meeting the people and telling them where we are from and hearing their stories.

But the best part of today was we went adventuring.  First we made a trip to Walmart so Paul could get a new GPS as he sold his right before we left California.  Then we found this place in the desert where they teach skydiving.  It is called SkyDive Arizona and they have it all.  They have places to stay while you are taking the lessons; they have RV parking, a bar, restaurant, hotel, bunk rooms, and an indoor skydiving adventure.  There was the most amazing storm while we were there so we only got to watch the indoor skydiving.  This looked like so much fun! We may have to go back so I can try it. 

skydivingaz1

This is the outside of the Skyadventure.  Inside this structure there are giant fans that create wind so they can go in and practice.  There were beginners who could barely keep there knees bent and experts that could stand up in midair and do flips and jump around moving up into these tubes and back down.  I could have watched for hours.

Back to the desert storm – while we were visiting the skydiving site a storm started coming across the sky.  You could see this huge black cloud and areas where it was reaching the ground.  The desert is so flat that you can see this happening miles away.  Well when the storm finally hit where we were it was raining sideways because the wind was so strong and then it began to hail.  It rained really hard for about 15 minutes and then it is past.   It was very cool and the sky looks amazing cause you can see so far – there are not many mountains to block your view.

This is Picacho Peak that is probably 10-15 miles away right after the storm passed over us.

This is Picacho Peak that is probably 10-15 miles away right after the storm passed over us.

Picacho Peak State Park was were we were headed when we left the RV park this am. We finally made it there about 3:30 pm and it was very much worth it.  This peak is right off the interstate but you can see it forever and at the top of the peak you can see forever in both directions.  We took a hike up to a lookout point that was about a 1/2 mile but it was straight up I swear!!!  I had to keep stopping to catch my breath.  I guess I better get in shape. 

In Arizona even dogs get to enjoy the trails

In Arizona even dogs get to enjoy the trails

Paul and Duke were like mountain goats.  Duke was not on a leash as there was no one around so he ran ahead sniffing and exploring and waiting only when I told him to stop.  It reminded me of when we hiked when the girls were little, they were always running up the hills and me struggling to keep up.  Life is like one big circle.

Saguaro Cactus

Saguaro Cactus

We were able to get up close and personal with the cactus’.  They are very much like a tree with green bark.  We could see the roots and they appear to look just like other trees.

No idea what type this is but I thought it was fun looking!

No idea what type this is but I thought it was fun looking!

Paul and Duke at the base of the trail

Paul and Duke at the base of the trail

Yep, Duke is there.  He blended in with the landscape so well it was a good thing he listens well or we might have lost him.  Later they made me go ahead of them so they could watch me.  I guess they were waiting for me to fall- too bad I never did!

Almost to the lookout point

Almost to the lookout point

So that was our Sunday.  Oh, I almost forgot.  I got a Starbucks Latte this morning after over 4 weeks without.  It was wonderful.  Can’t wait to see what the rest of the week brings!

Moving East

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

Yesterday we left Yuma and headed to Phoenix.  We made it almost to Phoenix and are spending several days in the little town of Casa Grande.  We golfed 9 holes today for $7!  There is a lot of farmland all around this area so it isn’t dusty but still a lot of wind. 

For those that are curious we have spent about $400 for gas since we left Stockton.  That is for both the car, the Motorhome and my dads truck which I borrowed for several days while in Quartzsite.  I made 2 trips to Yuma which is over 200 miles round trip.  So far fuel is not as much as when we were living in Stockton!  Just pray the prices don’t shoot up too soon.

Sonoran Desert Cactus

Sonoran Desert Cactus

We saw so much of these cactus’ as we drove through the Sonoran Desert on our way to Casa Grande.

The start of a Par 4 hole!  Yep, I got Par.

The start of a Par 4 hole! Yep, I got Par.

Yuma, Arizona

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

On Monday we finally left Quartzsite and moved south to Yuma which is right on the border of Mexico & California.  My parents live in Yuma for the winter so we were there for a family visit.  During our 4 days there my sister and my uncle also were visiting so it was like a little family reunion.  There is alot of open land all around Yuma and we took Duke running in the desert everyday. 

My dad took me to Mexico on Thursday.  As soon as you cross the border all you can see is Eye, Dental, Pharmacy & Alcohol stores as well as the shops for merchandise such as yard decorations, clothing and jewelry.  This is also where you can buy those expensive Coach purses and sunglasses.  I bought a bottle of vodka cause you can bring one bottle back across and I figured I should help their economy.  We had lunch and decided it was time to head back home. That was at 4 pm and we made it across the border at 6 pm.  The line was incredibly long so I went for a margarita and sat on the patio chatting with other tourists while my dad waited in line.  I joined him at the 1/2 way point.  The line actually ended up being a lot of fun. Everyone in line was laughing about the length of time to get out of Mexico compared with entering.   When it was our turn to go through immigration I step up to the counter, hand over my passport and when asked did you bring any alcohol, medications or tabacco back I declared my 1 bottle of vodka!  I was asked to open my purse and in it was the 2 sunglasses I had bought before lunch and had forgotten.  Well apparently you are suppose to declare EVERYTHING cause I got a big lecture about it being criminal to not declare EVERYTHING you purchase in Mexico!  I guess next time I better tell them about the Chiklets I gave the little indian boy a $1 for and ate!

On our way back to Yuma we made a westwardly detour and reentered California to see the Imperial Desert Dunes.  Lots of sand; lots of 4-wheelers and you can see Mexico across a really small fence along the border.  We stopped and saw the plank road that is what they used in the early 20’s to cross the desert.  Pretty impressive that they built this wooden road to get across the desert.

Paul & Dennis enjoying halftime at the Superbowl

Paul & Dennis enjoying halftime at the Superbowl

 

Sunset at Imperial Dunes, CA

Sunset at Imperial Dunes, CA

Go Cardinals!

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

We have not seen to much of the freenzy as we are in the desert in an area where the only people here are from other places!  I did see an interesting sign the other day when I was in Yuma.  On the sign for a local church where they post when they are having services and usually a quote of inspiration was the following “It is a Cardinal sin to be a Steeler” I thought that was fun!

Being people watchers Paul and I are having a lot of fun.  We have been parked on BLM land for two weeks and across the road there is an older small class C motorhome, a small trailer with a 55 gallon drum for water in the back and an old van that looks like the type you could also live in.  We have never seen the people other than when they leave at 9 pm for town.  Sometimes they return later and sometimes they don’t return until late morning.  We have been speculating about there habits for a few days now which is way more fun than to just go over and meet them!  Paul thinks they work in town at night.  My thoughts are way more fun.  I think they go to town to party and sometimes they don’t get back cause they needed to spend a few hours with the local sheriff.  Regardless we find it amusing. 

Yesterday while on the scooter ride we saw a large motorhome with a really long trailer, a Mini Cooper and a Jeep. The guy waved at us so of course Paul stopped to chat.  As we pulled up the guys wife came out and said hi and after only a few moments of small talk the guy starts telling us about his sex life!  I thought he was telling a joke but he wasn’t.  He was telling us he had just bought his wife an outdoor oven cause if she can cook when she wants he gets more sex!!!  We never even got their names! Awe the desert is an interesting place—