A View From My Window

This is what I saw when I looked out my back window in Quartzsite, Arizona. This is a morning shot taken just after the sun came up.




While in Quartzsite, we boondocked in Tyson Wash, which is a long term visitor's area on BLM land. It is a quiet area with not as many campers as in the other long term areas. We paid $40 for the privilege of camping on on BLM land. Across Highway 95, we had access to water and a dump station. We buy our drinking water.

We took the time to visit the many booths in Quartzsite. It's amazing how many RVs converge on this small town during the winter.

Senator's Wash

We arrived at Senator's Wash on Thursday, February 4. We found a parking spot in the same area we stayed two years ago. While I readied the inside of the RV, Dwain set up outside, including the solar panels and satellite dishes.

Senator's Wash is located at Imperial Dam, behind the Army's Proving Grounds, 20 miles north of Yuma. It is a Long Term Visitor's Area. There are more rigs here this year.

A lady we met two years ago came by to welcome us. It was wonderful to see Judy. We will visit on Saturday and I look forward to our time together.

Thursday was a relaxing day.

Friday morning we went to Walmart in Yuma. We picked up groceries and had the oil changed in the truck. We also dropped off two prescriptions for refill. There are so many retirees in the area that we were told it would take two days to fill the prescription.

We had a relaxful afternoon.

The Next Stop

Here's our set up in Quartzsite, Arizona. We've been here about eleven days and this has been a really good arrangement. I was expecting strong winds when we arrived so I set my satellite dishes and solar panels so the trailer would shelter them. We had a couple of strong gusts that would have caused minor problems had I not done this. The only problem with setting the dishes so close is that I could not open the awning if I wanted to. I didn't here because of the constant wind but it is a consideration to be made.

We chose to park in a Bureau of Land Management, LTVA. "LTVA" stands for "Long Term Visitor Area." There are four of these in this area and you must pay a minor fee to use them. We paid $40.00 for two weeks. The dump site and water fill is about two miles away.

Tomorrow we head South to another LTVA near Yuma, AZ. It's called Senator Wash and is actually in California on the other side of the the Colorado River. Near Imperial Dam.

Reorganizing

We took on the task of pulling all containers from the basement. They were brought into the house and gone through. Very little disposed of. Mostly it was reorganized and condensed. I had a container with small holiday decorations and a box of clothes we do not use but wanted to keep for a colder climate. Everything fit in the basement. It was nice to clear the corner behind the table and chairs.

We had two boxes containing maps, travel info and our Passport and AOR books. I was able to condense them into one box.

Being in the desert allows us time to accomplish projects and it feels good.

Quartzsite, Arizona

This morning we prepared our Montana to hit the road. Once ready, we had a final visit with Sonny and Mary. We were able to leave by 10 am. We took Highway 15 to 210, then onto Highway 10. Our travel was uneventful except for a few drivers who need to take a Drivers Education class.

We contacted the BLM registration booth by 2:30 pm. Their fees are $40 for two weeks or $180 for the season (September 15 to April 15). We registered for two weeks, then proceeded to find a place to park. Dwain was able to set up the TV and internet satellites and to repair the stand for the solar panels.

Looking forward to tomorrow.


We discovered tomorrow is the last day of the Main Event tent. We decided we will check it out Sunday morning. We must be home by 1:00 ... AFC and NFC games will be on.

On the Road Again

We are preparing for travel from Apple Valley, California to Quartzsite, Arizona. It is approximately a five hour drive.

Tomorrow is an errand and laundry day. It is also the last day for visiting with our friends Sonny and Mary. They are the perfect hosts.

It has been raining and blowing so hard we haven't been able to do much outside.

I have rearrange a couple of cupboards. We were in such need of closet space that I took clothing we won't need this winter, packed them in a box and will route to Heather's. She can store them in our smaller RV until we return to Wallowa in the spring.

With all the rain Apple Valley is receiving, I keep checking the seasonal leak under the refrigerator. Our luck has held...it is still dry. :D

On The Road to Apple Valley, California

An unusual situation occurred when we left Charleston ... It was not raining!! We are usually plagued with rain when preparing the RV for travel. The dry weather was a nice gift.

We traveled a few hours south and stopped at Harris Beach State Park near Brookings, Oregon. Oregon was experiencing storms which included high winds. We thought it was a good idea to get off the road for a couple of days. The surf of the Pacific Ocean was so high you couldn't walk the beach. It was a relaxful couple of days spent mostly inside. It allowed me to do a few chores I had been putting off.

Because we were about to cross the border into California, we tried to remember what food could not cross the California border. We assumed it was fruit. We had three apples, four oranges, four kiwi, two lemons and one lime. OMG! I didn't want to give up this much produce. That's like throwing away money for me. So we ate the kiwis, oranges and an apple. I grated and squeezed the lemons and lime for the freezer. Just before leaving, I quartered the remaining apples and hoped we could eat them before arriving at the border. We were so full of fruit, we didn't eat the apples like I hoped we would. When we arrived at the check point, they questioned us about fruit and produce. They didn't want our apples!

Driving Highway 101 in northern California is scenic. First along the beach, then into the Redwoods. We stayed at a Passport America park, Stafford RV Park, in Stafford, California. This park is owned by a local church. They had monthly renters. It had been raining and the ground was soft. It took our 4-wheel drive to park and pull out. We were the only rig parked in the back, so it was quiet.

South of Sacramento we took Highway 20 east to I-5. It was foggy beside Clear Lake. I was disappointed because the last time we drove Highway 20 it was dark. I was looking forward to seeing the lake.

We stayed at a truck stop in Santa Nella, California. After midnight, the trucks settled down and it was quiet for several hours. We woke to thick fog. We talked about waiting for the fog to lift, but decided to take off. Driving was fine. At times the fog was thick and other times it had raised a bit.

We arrived in Apple Valley at about 3:30 pm. We are enjoying our time with our friends Sonny and Mary.