Sandtrap Wash:  our last ATV ride for this season

On Saturday, we joined four other couples and Effie to ride out near Alamo Lake.  It will be our last ATV ride for this season.  Keith has made arrangements with one of the residents at the air strip next to our park to store his ATV in his hanger for the summer.

The day began overcast and a little windy which we hoped would help blow the dust away from the trail.  We've only had measurable rain here one day all winter so it's very dusty on the trails.  We are so lucky to have met friends who have been coming here for years and know the trails, because there are so many intersecting trails that we would be lost if we tried to navigate the desert ourselves.  Our destination today is Sand trap Wash in the red rock area of Alamo Lake.

We were in awe of the beauty of the area.  Here are some pictures:

Entering the wash

It narrows as you near the end

We walked into the end where it was too narrow to ride

Huge bee honeycomb attached to crevice high overhead

The rock formations were amazing

MARCH:  temperature is rising, snakes are appearing, and we're leaving the Desert Palms RV Resort in one week.

March has been another busy month.  The beginning of the month, we drove to Yuma for three days.  After we checked into our hotel, we drove to the nearby Mexican border and walked over to Los Algodones for the afternoon.  It's known for the dentists, opticians, and pharmacies that line the streets.  There are also a lot of street vendors hawking their wares.  We didn't get any root canals, but we did pick up a nice little table.  We started bargaining at $35 and agreed on $18.  Good deal.

Lunch in Los Algodones

Friday, we visited a date farm, a peanut farm and toured some of Yuma.  The big event was the Yuma Car Show (called "Midnight at the Oasis") Parade with over 900 street rods and muscle cars.  Keith was in heaven.  It was cool and very windy but the guys set their chairs on the curb so they could get a good look at them.  The gals stayed in the truck to keep warm...900 is a LOT of cars.
Saturday morning, we went to the Car Show where the guys got to get a close look at all those cars.

We all agreed that the little guy who rode in this car seat is definitely destined to be a "motorhead"










On the way back, we took a side trip to the Imperial Sand Dunes at Glamis, CA.  We had a chance to watch some ATVs and cycles riding the dunes.

Because the snakes are waking up, we're no longer hiking in the desert, but the Hiking Group did go out for a cook-out on Friday.  Some of the guys went out early and started a fire for us to roast dogs.  The food was good and we had a great time. 

This past Sunday, I rode our ATV on a "girl's ride" in the desert behind our park.  It was a little scary at first going up and down some of the steep hills, but after I got my confidence up, it was so much fun.  We saw a desert tortoise along the trail.

And away we go

Don't run over the turtle









Took this with my iphone...I love it



February is a short month but I didn't expect it to fly by so quickly.

On Valentine's Day, we went to Buckaroos, a local cafe, for dinner and dancing to the Highway 95 Band. 

Great fun!

The following week, Keith and I went in to Scottsdale to meet our friends, Carol & Dale Bennetch, and go to the Arabian Horse Show with them.  We'll be going back to stay at their RV park for a week before we head East at the end of March.

The 18th was the Salome Chili Cook-off.  It was held at Centenial Park, the local community center.  Ellen and Donna are members of the 'Salome Strutters' line-dancing group here.  They performed eight different routines...in the hot sun...dressed in black.

The beer cans are just 'props' for the dance

Local girls performing traditional dances

And, for Keith, the 26th was the best day of the month --Daytona, the beginning of the Nascar season.