January 2019 In Search For Warmer Weather

We are starting the New Year off with snow in Oklahoma.
Our plans are to pack up and head west soon, and this is putting a kink in the packing and plans.
Of course Chuck has been on top of the weather issue and has redirected our trip so we will not freeze to death as we make our way to Arizona.

January 9th we find our way out of the cold and searching for warmer weather.
The morning is cold but the sun was shining, so we might as well set sail and make some miles.

Mile marker 80 on Texas I40, we pulled over for a potty break.

Noticed the door wasn’t shut and the safety bar was what was keeping it closed.

Chuck worked on it and I grabbed us a bite of lunch for us to eat once we start up.

Vienna wiener and string cheese, oh now that is healthy...NOT!








 

Santa Rosa, NM was not the warm spot we are looking for
 but its our stop for the night.

Santa Rosa RV Park is our usual stop.
We ordered from their menu and had it brought to the rig.














Fireplace and heater are on and we are tucked in for the night.
Even Bronco is enjoying the fireplace tonight!

Thursday Day 2

We drove New Mexico Highway 54 to Highway 60 towards Hatch AZ..

First time going through Hatch.

Looks like it would be a fun stopping place, but we have miles to make, so we will tuck this idea away for another time.

Massive solar panel field along the way.

Made it to Lordsburg, NM and it was raining.  Since it was still too early in the afternoon to stop, we decided to drive on to Willcox, AZ and find a place to spend the night.

Rain had all but stopped when we pulled into the Lifestyles RV Park.
The ladies were very friendly and directed us to our site.
We pull right in and no more get out of the truck and a gentlemen comes over and tells us that our rig is really long. (haha)

Got set up and went downtown for some local Mexican food.
La Unica Tortilleria Restaurant was just a little hole in the wall, but it delivered a really good plate of food for us weary and cold travelers. 

Back at the trailer, the park was very quiet other than the emphasis train passing through every hour or so.

Glad to see the rain has at least stopped for the night!

1-11-18 Friday

Woke up to fog.

As we pull out around 8:30 it is lifting so should make for a good drive.

Fog was spotty but by the time we got to Tucson, AZ city limits, we had nothing but blue skies.

Stopped at Gila Bend and fixed a bite for lunch.
Chuck and Bronco checked out the giant dinosaurs in the dog park.
Sure was nice to have some sunshine warming the air today!
We may find warmth soon....very soon!















As we make our way to the casino, we are pretty hesitant as we have to go under a 14' clearance bridge.
We hope it is marked correctly as our rig is 13'6" and would really like to have all the air conditioners still on the roof as we exit the underpass.
I hold my breath, as if that is going to help, but we come out still in one piece.
Sure does make a person squirm a bit.   LOL

Made it to Paradise Casino in Yuma, AZ. parking area without incident. 

Just as Chuck had seen on google earth the giant parking area for RVs was out to the side of the casino and made a nice spot to stay over for the evening.

We found a spot to park (wasn’t hard as there is only about 6 RVs when we came) and we set up the trailer.

We pay our $10 fee and we are officially boondocking this evening.

Our Dish network is doing its typical thing and we have no DISH.

I will explore the problem tomorrow after we move to our RV home(Sans End RV Resort) that is just down the road a couple of miles.

We are finished for today.
Dinner is going to be at the casino, it is a short walk for us....perfect!!!!
We have a beautiful sunset this evening....and the weather is warm...all is good!

Tomorrow we meet up with our friends Ida and Steve.

1-12-19 Saturday

We make the move to the RV park today and meet up with Steve and Ida.

Chuck and I drive over to the RV park to find out when we can pull over here.

Chuck tells the girl at the office we are concerned about the tree in the lot.

She said she will get them to trim it up to accommodate our rig.

We can check in between 12-1.

With some time to kill we find a grocery and I pick up a few things we need.

Before you know it it’s time to attach the trailer and make a short drive to Sans End RV Park.

I would love to say it’s one of the best parks we have stayed at but I can’t.

It’s somewhat tight.

We got into the spot without much effort but getting out may be a totally different story.

I just don’t understand when you tell someone you have a big rig and even tell them how long it is they seem to think it’s no problem to make turns and get in and out a spot without worrying about damaging your rig or someone else’s.

I guess we will see how we make our way out of here when we pull out on Sunday to head to Quartzite.

Ida and Steve pulled in shortly after we got in.

Their site was a lot easier spot to navigate.

We all get our rigs set up and decide on a place to eat dinner.

Prison Hill Brewing Co was our choice.

It’s located in downtown Yuma.

Dinner was good and the company was even better.
It is so good to spend some quality time with our friends from Desert Gardens.

I truly had no idea how much produce is actually grown here in the valley.


It is amazing  to see broccoli, cauliflower, romaine, and cabbage everywhere you look.














Guess this is where 90% of our veggies and fruit come from in the winter months.
Quite interesting to say the least.














The next couple of day are spent running over to Mexico to get our eyeglasses and all kinds of trinkets we probably didn’t need.

Los Algodones is such a fun little town.  

I think we all had a great time and got to get some treasures along the way.

We visit the Yuma Territorial Prison one afternoon with Ida and Steve.

Again it was a very interesting place to see how the town of Yuma actually got on the map so many years ago.

We get a bit of rain one evening and our road in front and back of the rig looks like a small river. 

Sure hope it dries up before we have to pull out in a few days.  

During one of our outings we had lunch at the restaurant across the street from the Brewery.  

I found a new cider beer that I am in love with. 

It is called Ace Berry Rosa Cider...and I will be looking for this one, as I am sold on it.  

Before Ida and Steve leave we drive out to the Foothills to look at property that we had been looking at over the Internet.

There are so many places for sale, and so many areas.

I think this may take a while to actually figure out where and if we want to be out here.

I found out that our T-Mobile sucks, and I mean sucks big time in Yuma. 

I have been in contact with T-Mobile and they are sending me a signal booster to see if it can help.

The service is oh so spotty.

Just like not having it at all....LOL

I had to use Ida's phone (ATT) to call a realtor about a property that we wanted to look at.  

We meet Deena the realtor later in the day and look at one of her listings.

She is very nice and someone that I think might be able to help us find a spot we might call a second home.  

I suggested we text each other instead of trying to call, as I am not kidding you, our cell service is terrible.  

Ida and Steve are heading back to Desert Gardens.

We will be attempting to get out of our spot and head to Quartzsite to meet up with Diana & Chris.

Through a conversation, Diana realizes she didn’t bring their passports.

She will have them mailed to the park so when we get back from Quartzsite they will be there.

Sunday.

We get up and make our way out of our tight site.
Amazing when you are attempting to direct your husband that the people of the park decide to come down and watch.
I know The Taj-mah-hauler is big, and I know she is stuck in this spot like a pair of Louis Vuitton shoes that are two sizes too small, but please let a girl do my job...LOL

It took a few stabs but we made it.  Chuck actually had to back out and back down the road we came in until we found a spot we could get through in order to get to the outlet drive.

On to meet Diana and Chris and find a place to boondock for a few days in Quartzsite.

Our travels toward Quartzsite was uneventful until we got behind a very slow traveler.

We had passed some slow motorcycles and unfortunately they passed us again while we were caught up with the slow driver.

You know it’s a slow driver when you are passed by a little smart car.















It looks like Chris and Diana have found a place for us somewhat close to where we boondocked last year.
They said they would meet us at the cut off and lead us in.
Sure enough we see the two of them on their little motor scooters and they lead us to their rig.

we are in the way of this guy!  (the little white rig on the left)

We are out in the middle of the BLM (Bureau of Land Managment) area and we decide to park in an area where there isn't too many other trailers.
There is one trailer but he is pretty far away.
As we get out and start surveying our spot, the gentlemen that I just spoke about came over to us.
He asked if we could back our rigs up a bit so he would have room to get out...
Are you kidding me....we are in the middle of a giant sandbox, you can go any direction without any effort.  He was dead serious!
The guys decide to make the guy happy, and we move our rig a little and make sure our trucks are parked so this guy won't bump them as he leaves tomorrow.  Heck, he's over 300 yards away!

I am pleased to say that the gentlemen was able to get his rig out without any problem today.
Heck, he talked like he would be leaving at the butt crack of dawn, and at noon he was still fiddling around.

Our stay in Quartzsite will be for three days.
Hopefully it is warmer than last years visit.
This is an interesting time for us to see how the solar panels that Chuck has put on The Taj-mah-hauler work out for us.

The afternoon was a perfect time to go and shop the outside vendors.
The weather was perfect...not a lot of wind and the temperature was nice.

We will wait and visit the big white tent tomorrow.









Our trip to Quartzsite is not complete until we meet up with our dear friends Konni and Jerry.
These people are so special to Chuck and I.
They really are someone we miss seeing since we left Desert Gardens.










Dinner was at the Quartzsite Yacht Club this evening.
If anyone remembers our lunch there last year, Chuck never got his mud pie.
















Well, he got it this year, as the owner came by and we told her our story about paying for pie he never received.
She brings him a big ole piece of pie and he devours it before we even order dinner.

That's the way Chuck does it, desert before the main meal...LOL

The big white tent is being explored today. 
The wind decided to blow today so I guess it was a good idea to be inside to explore the vendors.
Lets see, we heard a lady scream and it was very close, so we walked towards the commotion.
Seems two dogs had decided to get a little snippy with each other and this lady was freaking out.
My question to this whole thing is, why do you bring your animals with you inside a very busy tent filled with people and other dogs.
There is no way Miss Bronco would be put in this situation.
I feel for the pets.
All was OK, and no dogs or people were hurt.
According to one of the vendors this goes on several times a day....REALLY!!!!!
Maybe they should not allow people to bring their pets, unless of course they are service dogs...but there too lies a problem....and I won't even address that!

Upon further exploring we see some really cool electric bikes.

The guys talk to the owner about them in quite detail...Chris was very very interested....ever since we saw them in Florida.  

The guy tells us that he will have some big tire ones in tomorrow if we want to check them out.

Diana finds some really good Bloody Mary Mix and of course we have to purchase it.  

Looks like we will be getting some tomato juice to try this stuff out this evening.  

As we leave the tent we set sites on finding that tomato juice....and find a grocery store.

Hmmm, not a lot to choose from here in Quartzsite, but we finally find a place. 

Slim picking on the juice but we make do and get our ice so we can mix up these famous Bloody Mary's.  

Enjoyed our time at the trailers tonight and Chris fixed Brauts on the Tragier grill...now this is living...and oh yeh, those Bloody Mary's were delicious.  

Goodnight John Boy.....

1-23-19

Today we will pack up and head back to the Sans End RV Resort.

Before we leave we make a stop and check out the fat tire electric bikes.  

The guys look at them and touch them, and then decide to buy them.

We will all have a new mode of transportation to try out once we get back to Yuma.

They weren't even put together, we took them in the box....made it easier to transport them.

We are loaded with the new bikes and make our way back to Yuma, or actually Winterhaven, CA.


The girl at the front desk at Sans End has been so nice and she told us we would be able to move to another site when we return.
It was such a blessing to move to the outer longer sites they have.
The other part of this is that we are next door to Diana & Chris.
The sites are narrow, but they are long enough for the rigs to fit.







We have another toy hauler to the north of us.
A younger guy comes out and introduces himself.
His name is Alvis....and he is from Canada.
He is here with his dog...his very large white dog.  

After we get set up, Chris starts getting his bikes out and starts to put them together.

They were really easy to assemble, and once the few nuts and bolts are tightened they are ready to plug the batteries in and charge them according to the directions...that we actually read! :)

1-24-19
We awoke to some nice warm weather and it was time to test out the new bikes.
I think the general consensus of this group of four is that we like them....we like them a lot!  

After the short bike ride we got ourselves together and headed to Los Algodones.

Negotiations for two talavera sinks were successful.

Diana and Chris got a new sink for bathroom.

We got one for our trailer too.

Ordered new eye glasses and will return tomorrow to pick up.
I am using my frames from last year and just upgrading to the new prescription that I got recently.

Lunch at our usual place of El Peraiso and the margaritas were delightful as usual.

Of course the guys are weighted down with all our purchases, and wouldn't you know today is going to be a very long wait to get back into the USA.














The government slowdown has got the border entry at a snails crawl.
Stood in line for 2-1/2 hours to get through customs as they only had two lines open.
Hopefully the government shutdown won't last too much longer and everyone can get back to their jobs.  

1-25-19
What did we do today you ask...we went back to Mexico to pick up glasses and buy more useless junk, but first we get to watch Chris participate in the air rifle competition that they have at the RV park weekly.














They were kind enough to take his money for the entry fee and even let him use one of their guns.








Little did they know that Chris would win one of the rounds...LOL...winner winner!














Back to Mexico we go and since it is a little later in the day we thought


we were going to beat the long wait line to get back through customs but alas that didn't happen.

The same 2-1/2 hour wait happened again today.  







With all the shopping and standing we decided to go over to the Paradise Casino and have one of their prime rib dinners this evening.
They are still working on their remodel but the dining room is complete.
The food was really good, or maybe we were just tired from all our shopping today.  :)

1-29-19
I have been wanting to get to a Starbucks in California to pick up my Starbucks cup and add it to my collection.
Today we took a drive to El Centro, California.
It wasn't a long drive and we got to see some beautiful sand dunes along the way.  
Amazing to see these huge piles of sand.
They appear out of nowhere.















One minute you are looking at the lush produce fields and then, boom, there is sand.












Upon arriving back at the park we look at our new electric bikes....well, it appears that our ride yesterday to downtown Yuma has been a bit hard on our tires.


Looks like the goat heads have done a number on our poor tires.
We all have flats!

The guys have a little fixing to do....will have to get some green slime and attempt to fix them all.

The workers were out picking the fields very close to us this evening.

It was quite a thing to watch as they methodically worked and plucked the field clean of cauliflower.

They still had bright lights on the rigs at 8:00pm finishing up the fields.

It sure makes me appreciate the hard work that goes into producing and keeping our food chain going in this country.

1-30-19
With our bike tires all slimed up we ride the bikes downtown for lunch.
We sit outside at the Pint House Brewery and I can just taste my Ace Berry Cider as we sit down.
But, they didn't have it on the menu today....what the heck!
I had to go with Ace Perry Cider this time.
Diana tried the Four Peaks Arizona Peach Ale.
Mine was OK, but I still really do like the Ace Berry Cider the best.



After we return from our bike ride and lunch, it is decided we need to go and visit a local Date Farm.
Have never seen so many date trees in my life.
If you read about the dates, I guess they have really found their perfect place to grow here in the Valley.
The weather and the soil is just exactly what is needed to have several crops a season of these things.
We went to one of the date stores and had a very unhappy employee make us our first ever date shakes.
They were very sweet is all any of us could say.
We didn't buy anything else from the not so happy employee.

Driving back towards our rigs, we see another date farm.
Berryman Farms Date Shop looked like a perfect spot to pull in.
It also says they have produce.
We entered the place and the nicest ray of sunshine of an employee said hello to us.
She was very informative and told us a lot about the area.
I think we found the place we should have come to in the first place!!!!!
We decide to buy some fresh broccoli and she goes back into the cooler and brings us out some fresh picked bundles.
Diana buys a bag of oranges as well.
Of course we felt we needed to buy some dates, so we both picked up a couple of different types.

With our broccoli, dates and oranges in hand, we head back to the RVs.
Tonight we had fresh broccoli (raw) with ranch dressing.
It was delicious.
The sunset was exquisite as well.

1-31-19
Of course we have to go back to Mexico as we probably have forgotten to get something and Diana & Chris will be heading back to Oklahoma tomorrow.
You are wondering if we found anything else to purchase...but of course we did.





Diana saw this gentleman making necklaces out of wire, and after further inspection we realize they are only $7 a piece and we think we have some granddaughters that just might like one of them.
We write down on a little notebook the names we want to be made and he tells us to come back in about an hour.









Just enough time to go and grab a bite to eat before we have to get back in the dreaded long line at customs.









Upon our return to the gentleman making the necklaces, he is still working on one of mine.
It was very interesting to watch him twist the wire and make cursive names out of the large spool of wire he has wrapped around his arm.
I asked him how long he had been doing this and he says almost 50 yrs.
He stands the whole time as he makes each personal piece of jewelry.
I am so happy that Diana spotted him as I think the final product is something I think our grand girls will love.














Yes, the line was long, but I think it wasn't quite as bad today...or maybe we are just getting used to it...LOL





















My find for today, other than the wire name was the tiles that we got for the trailer back splash.
It is a really pretty scene, and my plans are to put on a wooden board and place it behind the stove in the Tah-mah-hauler.









Back at the trailers we walk out to the freshly harvested fields of cauliflower and are amazed at all the stalks that are still visible.
I guess they know which ones they don't want to harvest and just leave it to be turned back into the soil for the next crop that will be planted in about 2 or 3 weeks.
It was so tempting to grab a bunch of them, but we left them where they lay.

Hate to see Diana & Chris packing up to make their way home.
It's going to be lonely here without them.


Tomorrow starts a new month and I am sure there will be more adventures to write about, but for now I will close my blog for this January.
One thing is certain, we have found warmer weather!