Sunday, December 25, 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Wishing a blessed Christmas to our family and friends.

Yesterday, we went on a 40 mile tour of the surrounding desert on ATV's.  There were nine of us and Patches, Ernie's dog, on six ATV's.  It's amazing how Patches manages to stay on the back of the quad while it's going 30-40 mph and bouncing over rocks. 
That's me talking to Patches

Our ATV isn't designed for two riders so I rode in a side-by-side with Effie.  She's from Montana and drives her 35 ft motorhome towing her ATV.  A fascinating woman; we had a lot of time to get to know each other on the ride. 
Effie

We covered some rough terrain but the views were amazing.  Our tour took us through the rocky "Tank Pass".  The story is that General Patton was doing tank training in the area.  Some of his men used this pass to go into Salome for whisky and women.  When Patton found out about it, he blew up the pass.  

We stopped for lunch at an area where there were huge granite boulders.  The granite was used to build the Yuma prison around 1876 and they say that the prisoners were used to mine the granite.  There was a hollowed out area in the boulders where the prisoners were kept at night. 
























It's nice that some of the other campers have been coming here for several years and are knowledgeable of the area.





The last place we stopped was a place they call "the motel."  It was a home carved out of the rock by a miner and his son.
If you think the camper is close quarters, you don't want to live here

After we returned and washed the 'dust' off, we got together with Rod and Ellen for cocktails and dinner. It was still warm so we were able to sit outside for awhile.



After dinner, we watched "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation"...a good day!

Today's another sunny day; it got into the 70's.  It's been cooler for the past couple of weeks so this feels good.  This afternoon, we joined several couples for a potluck dinner. 

Monday, December 19, 2011

Keith's ATV -- all-terrain vehicle

Keith's new toy...they call them 'quads' here.


Picking it up in Lake Havasu City
                                                                                                     The guys ride out in the desert a couple of times a week.  Sometimes, the women go along  (I've got my helmet but haven't gone out yet).  I'll let him get the hang of it first.















Now that's a happy camper!








It's 'Bill Elliott' red...his favorite color

Hiking in the Desert

Friday Hiking Group

We've joined the hiking group on three hikes this month.  We pack a lunch and stop along the way to rest and enjoy the scenery.  The first hike was to Mushroom Rock.



The second week, we hiked to Campbell Claim.  There's a shack barely standing to mark the spot.



This past Friday, we hiked to Ramsey Mine.  It was closed back in the 60's.  It's hard to imagine going down into the darkness.



View of the surrounding mountains

Scenes of Arizona desert

Monday, December 4, 2011

We've been traveling around the area, checking out the nearby towns.  Quratzsite - 37 mi, Wickenberg - 54 mi, Parker - 56 mi, Buckeye - 70 mi, Surprise - 89 mi.  Unfortunately, the furtherest towns are the largest ones with the most stores.  Wickenberg has a Safeway and Buckeye has the closest Walmart Superstore. 

The scenery between Salome and these towns is becoming familiar but still fascinates us. 


Rows of huge cotton bales














Pistachio grove

 
















On the road to Wickenberg, we saw this cactus that I've named Cactus Man.







One day after a storm, the clouds  were so low that they appeared to be touching the desert.


Clouds cast shadows over the mountains

Thursday, November 24, 2011

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Thanksgiving Day, November 24

Keith was concerned that he'd be eating a turkey sandwich today, so when we stopped at WalMart earlier this week I bought a turkey breast, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie to serve along with stuffing, and green bean casserole (of course), so he'd feel like he didn't miss the holiday.  Then, when we arrived here at the campground, they invited us to join in their Thanksgiving dinner.  The campground provided the turkey and stuffing, and everyone brought a covered dish.  There were about 40 other couples.  Yum!

Tuesday, November 22

We arrived at the Desert Palm RV Resort, our home for the next four months.  We were so amazed to find this beautiful oasis in the desert. 






The weather is perfect -- mid 70's and breezy.  The campground is pretty empty now, with most residents coming after Christmas. 



This little oasis is so different than the desert landscape that we drove through during the last two days of our journey. 

Typical landscape for western Arizona



What really intrigued us was the 25 mile long Salome Road going from Rt 10 to Salome.  It was desert, and about every mile there was a sign like this (or painted on the highway itself) warning about the free-range cattle.  But, we didn't see one cow.  We're told that it's not uncommon to find dead cows along this road, hence the nickname "Dead Cow Road"

Monday, November 21

We're taking our time today and tomorrow, driving only about 200 miles each day.  The scenery has changed since Texas, more desert and mountains surrounding us.  All of the rivers that we've crossed were dry, including the Rio Grande which really surprised us.  Today, driving through Arizona, we began seeing a lot of cactus.
The ground looks so dry


Scenery we had only seen in pictures till now

Friday, November 18, 2011

Mission accomplished...another pun (I couldn't help myself)

Thursday and Friday, November 17 & 18

We're at Braunig Lake RV Resort, about ten miles south of San Antonio.  The park is full of travel trailers, many of them are construction workers from Louisianna who are here for the jobs. 

We drove in to San Antonio and signed-up for the Alamo Trolley Tour.  While we waited for the next trolley, we walked through the Alamo and listened to a narration of its history.  It's amazing how much you forget from those high school history classes.

Our first stop on the tour was the Mission of San Jose', the "Queen of the Missions" established in 1720. This is the finest example of a completely restored mission in the US.  (Our tour guide at the mission looks and sounds just like Richard Dreyfuss.) 
By the time we had finished this tour, we were ready to eat.  We took the next trolley to Market Square, the largest Mexican Market in the US.  Lunch was beef enchiladas at Mi Tierra Cafe'.

The food was great, but we thought the market was underwhelming.  Store after store of the same thing; could we interest anyone in a sombrero??
I can never get him to smile for a picture.  Maybe he's worried about the guy beside him!

Later, we took a cruise on the River Barge at San Antonio's famous Riverwalk.  It's amazing how the city wraps around the river. 

While we originally planned to leave Friday morning, we decided to stay another day.  I could tell you that it's because Keith has been fighting a head cold all week and I thought he should rest another day, but the real reason is that I wanted to find a theater so I could see the new Twilight movie that came out today.


Wednesday, November 16, 2011

We're on a roll now...no pun intended!

Saturday and Sunday, November 12 & 13

We are at Little Ocmulgee State Park in McRae, GA visiting with Joe & Sue.  They live in Maine during the summer and have been Park Hosts here during the winter months for twelve years.  What a great park; there's an 18-hole golf course, hiking trails, a lake, and a lodge and restaurant.  We can understand why they like it here.  You could once canoe or boat on the lake, but unfortunately, in the last few years it's become completely overgrown with some water plants. They've tried to get rid of it but to no avail.
The 265 acre lake

On Sunday, we enjoyed a dinner buffet at the lodge...everything was delicious, especially the southern fried chicken! We both agree that we'd like to come back here again.

Monday and Tuesday, November 14 & 15

Yesterday, we drove from GA to DeFuniak Springs, FL (east of Pensacola on Rt 10) passing lots of cotton fields.  It's hard to imagine that at one time people actually picked all this by hand; the plants were only about 12-15 inches high, so you'd really have to bend over.

Instead of litter along the roadside, there were cottonballs

Today, we travelled almost 400 miles from FL through AL, MS and into LA, spending tonight in Lafayette.  We decided to try some authentic Cajun food at Fezzo's Restaurant near our campground --gumbo, frog legs, crawfish, shrimp, oysters, crab cake, stuffed potato and salad -- too much to finish but spicy and delicious.

Wednesday, November 15

We drove another 400 miles today to San Antonio, TX.  It's a  bit farther than we like to drive (and it was a lot of miles of the same scenery -- very straight and very flat), but we've decided to spend a day or two here touring the area -- the Alamo, the Riverwalk, the missions...and, hopefully, get some good Mexican food.

Friday, November 11, 2011

On the Road and heading South

November 11, 2011  -  Veterans Day

It's our third day on the road and we're enjoying the changes in scenery.  We took I-66 from Winchester VA to I-95 toward Selma NC.  It was overcast but the colorful foilage was beautiful. 

This was taken through the windshield and doesn't do the colors justice
We've been unhitching at the campgrounds each day and then going for gas.  This way, we don't have to find as many gas stations that we can easily pull through with the camper;  it's sooo much easier.  We've been fortunate to find some easy in-easy out stations when we needed to refuel on the road.  (Makes Keith a 'happy camper')

Tonight, we're staying at New Green Acres RV Park in Walterboro, SC.  It was very windy for most of the drive today but the sun was hot.  It was only in the 40's this morning but almost 70 degrees when we got here.
    

The colorful foilage gave way to pine trees in SC


Our first palm on our trip South




















We decided to take a detour to Little Ocmulgee State Park in McRae GA tomorrow and Sunday to visit a couple we met in Maine.  They're full-time campers too.  They're work-camping at the park for the winter.  We're anxious to talk with them about their experiences in work-camping.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

On the Road...Finally!

Wednesday, November 9

Hitched up to the new truck and ready to leave
Yes, we're finally on the road.

You'd think that nothing else should go wrong, but when we called to find out if the new refrigerator had been installed since we hadn't heard from the dealer, they told us that they had left a message earlier saying it was in and working.   We hadn't gotten any messages.  Would you believe they had our phone number transposed?

It was a beautiful sunny day, nearly 70 degrees.  Keith decided that we should take the turnpike west to Carlisle and pick up Interstate 81 South through MD, WV, and into VA.  He wants to avoid I95 around Baltimore and DC.  Traffic was light and it was a nice drive.

Calvin had a good day too.  When I checked on him at our first rest stop, I found him sleeping in our bed "under the covers." 
 
After 3 1/2 hours, we arrived at Candy Hill campground in Winchester, VA.  We planned not to drive too far on the first day since we didn't know how early we'd be able to leave.  At 3 p.m., we were one of the first campers to pull in, but by 4:30 we had a lot of neighbors. 

Tomorrow, we'll pick up Rt 64 East to Interstate 95 South.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

It's been a Rocky Road to Arizona...and we haven't left yet!

It's the beginning of November, we're still sitting in Bowmansville, and we're not sure when we'll be able to begin our journey to AZ.

First, when we got back from Maine, Keith decided that we should get a new truck; he didn't think ours had as much power as we might need.  So we bought a new F150 (and, he's right, it does have a lot more power) but we had to order a cap for it and that would take 2 to 3 weeks.  To allow plenty of time for it, we set our departure date for 11/4.  But then it came in early and we decided to leave this past Monday...but that didn't happen.

When we got back from Maine, the RV dealer was supposed to fix the frig in our travel trailer.  They told us that they checked it and it worked???  They said to let them know when we planned to leave and they would plug it in a few days before so it would be cold when we put our food in.  On Friday when we were putting stuff in the trailer getting ready for our Monday departure, I opened the frig and found that it wasn't cold; it wasn't working.  They couldn't find the problem and said that they'd have to order a new one.  The warehouse in NJ was out of stock, so our dealer had to order one from the manufacturer.  It came today but was DAMAGED...what are the odds?  Now, we have to wait for another one to be shipped.

And, as if that weren't bad enough...we had that freak snow storm on Sat and lost the electric at the campground.  We decided to go to a motel because branches were snapping and falling all around.  On our way out, someone stopped us saying that large trees had fallen and were blocking the roads out of here in both directions.  We spent the night in our neighbor's camper because they have a propane fireplace...we had no electric or water but at least we were warm. 
We heard that forty-some large branches fell around the campground, but luckily none of the big ones fell on campers.   Many of the smaller trees just bent like this one.  I shook the snow off and it went back up.

On Sunday, they cleared the road and we went to a nearby motel for 3 nights.  Finally, yesterday the power and water were restored and we came home.  Now, we just have to wait for the new frig.

I'm thinking these may be signs that we're not supposed to go.  But my "the cup is always half full" husband says that all the bad stuff is happening now and we'll have smooth sailing once we hit the road.  Hopefully, the frig will be here and installed by Mon or Tue, and then we'll leave.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Heading home

Saturday, October 1

It's been a busy week, but an enjoyable one.  We had a great time visiting with Rod, Ellen, and Dale.  And, we were happy to see old friends and make new ones.  We're looking forward to spending time with Rod and Ellen (and hopefully, Tony and Donna) when we travel to Arizona in November.
We left Maine this morning and will reverse our path back to PA, staying at Boston Minuteman CG tonight.

Sunday, October 2

Hudson River looking north

We got an earlier start this morning arriving at the KOA Newburgh in the afternoon, so we had time to tour the area.  It was a beautiful sunny day and we decided to find the 'Walk across the Hudson River' bridge.  Despite a "detour" we found our way there thanks to our TomTom.   We've used it all week and it's saved us more than once!  Happily, I was able to walk across and back with my 'new and improved' knee.  Later, we walked through the campground and really liked the layout and it's proximity to the Hudson River Valley and NYC.  We plan to come back next summer and spend more time here.






Monday, October 3

This is our last day of travel.  Since it's a Monday, we waited till after 9 to leave so that we'd miss the morning rush-hour traffic.  We drove through periods of rain but returned home safely by 3:30. 

We had a good trip.  We experienced a few 'tense' moments hitching or unhitching the trailer, but each time we got better at it.  We forgot to pack a few things, but we'll have them before we leave for the winter.  The refrigerator worked on gas but not electric; somthing that Stoltzfus RV will fix for us.  The truck labored on the I81 hills so we may have to think about what we  want to do before we leave for the winter; we don't want to get stranded anywhere on our trip west.

Calvin, the Cat accompanied us on this trip.  We were a little worried about how he'd 'travel' since he has often gotten carsick just going back and forth from Ephrata to Bowmansville.  We got him some motion sickness pills from the vet and they worked great; he didn't get sick once.  I'd give him a dose an hour before we were ready to hit the road and he'd sleep for most of the ride...not unlike what he does on most days.  When he got home, he took up his normal position...

More Adventures in Maine

Wednesday, September 28
We woke to a cool overcast day.  After a tour of the island, we took the ferry back to the mainland.  While Rod and Ellen waited for their "best man" Fred Metzger and his wife Kathy to arrive from NC, Keith and I went to our camper to rest and get ready for dinner at the Bogdahn's.  We met Tony and Donna (friends and fellow RVer's of Rod and Ellen's) when they stopped in Ephrata on their way home from winter in AZ.  They're now friends of the Green Dragon and Country Maid donuts! 
Before going to their beautifully restored New England farmhouse, Tony and Donna took us to Hackett's Hill, an awesome nearby viewpoint, and to the Songo Lock which joins Long Lake and Sabago Lake.  It's still in operation for the local boaters.
The view from Hackett's Hill
Thursday, September 29

This morning, we hitched up again and moved our camper to Freeport Village Campground to be close to the Harrasseeket Inn where the anniversary party would be held. We spent the afternoon shopping at LL Bean, and touring the area; it's overcast and rainy.


Friday, September 30
Joe & Sue, Gary & Sharon, Genny & Alan, Donna & Tony
with Rod & Ellen, Keith & cousin Dale

We were joined at the campground on Friday morning by four other RV couples -- friends and traveling companions of Rod and Ellen.  Along with the good conversation, we got several great RV tips from the others.  They all agree that it gets easier with practice. 




So much energy!
After lunch, Rod and Ellen went to the Inn to get ready for the anniversary party hosted by their children.  The party was so nice -- cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, a delicous buffet dinner, and dancing -- lots of dancing.  The dance floor was hopping all night with sounds from the 60's as we celebrated with Rod and Ellen and their family.

"Shake-down" cruise to Maine


Locked and Loaded
Our first outing in our Forest River Wildcat.  It's a 27 foot travel trailer that we're pulling with a Ford F150.  We were supposed to get hook-up instructions back in August, but we had to postpone because of my knee replacement therapy.  Unfortunately, we rescheduled for Sep 8 - during the week of rain and floods from Tropical Storm Lee.  And, then there was the Hershey RV Show so noone was available for the training.  Finallly, on Wed, Sep 21, we got the walk-through and a quick lesson on how to hitch the trailer to the truck.  Just in time, because we were scheduled to leave on Sat for our trip to Maine to visit with Keith's cousins Rod and Ellen celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.
Hitching to the truck went well
Saturday, September 24
KOA Newburgh, NY
Our first day of towing a trailer went very well.  It was a nice sunny day for driving I81.  We drove about 250 miles and spent Sat night at KOA Newburgh in Plattekill, NY.  They gave us a wide open site near the pond -- it should have been easy to back into, but we were happy when their staff offered assistance.  We difinately need more practice.  "Right...no, the other right...STOP!"




Sunday was another sunny day.  We drove about 200 miles and spent the night at Boston Minuteman Campground in Littleton, MA.  We were able to get a 'pull-through' site -- the best kind.

Monday, September 26
The BEAR BOYS
Monday, we only have 140 miles to travel today.  We've been getting a leisurely start each day, setting out between 9 and 10, and we've been so fortunate with good weather.  We pulled into Kokatosi Campground, Raymond, ME around 2:30 pm.  It's only a mile away from Rod and Ellen's home. 
Keith went along to Portland Airport to pick up Rod's brother, Dale, from Ft. Lauderdale.  They came back with clams and lobsters, and we celebrated Rod's birthday with dinner on their deck as the sun set over the mountains to the west - beautiful. 
This was the first time that 'the boys' were all together since high school and they had a great time catching up and reminiscing about their younger years together.

Tuesday, September 27

"Hold On"
On Tuesday, they took us out to their beautiful lake house on Frye Island in Lake Sabago.  The water was smooth and the sun warm -- a perfect day.  We rode their jet ski and sat relaxing on the dock.

Wed morning's view from the deck