April 20 to 26, 2014 ; Goose Lake State Park, California / Oregon border to Okanogan, Washington

Easter Sunday ; Goose Lake State Park

Our initial plan was to have Easter Brunch or Dinner at a nice casino buffet restaurant, as we did a few years ago at Cactus Pete's Casino in Jackpot, Nevada. But ... we decided to stay here at Goose Lake State Park for a second night.

Today was sunny and warm, a very lovely spring day. We started the day by baking a couple of chocolate croissants ... thank you again, Trader Joe's ... and having a vicious, little squabble. Fortunately and mercifully, it was short lived, before we both found the sense to be conciliatory.

There's no water in the campground because of a broken water line underground. I left Joanne at our campsite and drove over to the Ranger's residence to refill our freshwater tank, then over to the dump station to empty our grey waste tank. We had a slow, lazy afternoon. We went for a long walk with Bo ... twice. Bo eagerly "hunted" the Prairie Dogs' holes. We did a "Bo-gility" session using picnic tables, parking curbs, and trees as agility course components.. We read and napped. We did trip planning of the route and schedule for the next few days. I downloaded from the camera and processed some photos.

I asked Joanne for a campfire cooked Easter Dinner. She prepared foil wrapped packets of cubes of marinated beef, sliced onions, and Heirloom Potatoes from Trader's Joe's. I built a campfire and cooked supper to mouth watering perfection. I enjoy the challenge ... and the results ... of cooking over an open fire a couple of times each year, usually once in the fall southbound and once in the spring northbound. Salad was made with two types of Artisan Lettuce and Heirloom Tomatoes from Trader Joe's. Dessert was fresh ( and inexpensive ) California strawberries. MMMMM ! Excellent Easter Dinner. Thank you Joanne and Trader's Joe's.

Monday ; Goose Lake State Park, California / Oregon border to Sage Hen Rest Area, Oregon

Today was mostly overcast and mild.

Before leaving Goose Lake State Park this morning we refilled our freshwater at the Ranger's residence, then dumped our waste holding tanks at the campground's dump station. We continued northbound on Hwy. 395.

We stopped at the first town we came to, Lakeview, to buy groceries at Safeway and refill with diesel at Shell. Much later we stopped for lunch at a roadside rest area. Much later we stopped for the night at another rest area, the Sage Hen Rest Area between Riley and Hines, Oregon. It was an uneventful day of driving through scruffy high desert with occasional glimpses of Pronghorn Antelope. When we arrived at Sage Hen Rest Area we went for a one mile long hike up and down the Sage Hen Hill Nature Trail. While Joanne prepared supper I returned a phone call to a potential Similkameen Trailer Towing client that I've been playing telephone tag with for the past few days. And the telephone tag game continues !

Tuesday ; Sage Hen Rest Area to Clyde Holliday State Park, Oregon

This morning we awoke to freezing temperatures and blowing snow. DAMN ! Each trip, northbound in the spring, and southbound in the fall, we experience at least one day of blizzard like conditions, usually in Oregon, occasionally in Washington. The temperature and weather varied throughout the day, from freezing temperatures and blowing snow, to partially sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-40's, still pretty darn cold ! It was windy most of the day, and we experienced another "blizzard" episode while driving this afternoon.

We left Sage Hen Rest Area this morning and continued on Hwy. 395, first east a bit to Hines and Burns, and then the road turned north again. I wanted to stop at a commercial RV park in Seneca and use Wi-Fi tonight to post my journal entry for last week to my blog, but when we arrived at the RV park it wasn't really to our liking. And it was darn cold in Seneca, so we kept driving.

Good decision ! By the time we arrived at our "Plan B" destination, Clyde Holliday State Park near the town of John Day, the weather was a bit more pleasant. We chose a site and got set up ... WOO-HOO ... electricity ... I plugged in the "heater blankie", and went to nap with Sully. AHHHHH ! After a nap we went for a long, leisurely hike along the John Day River which runs alongside the campground. Bo loooooves hiking ! The sun was shining, the wind had died down, it was cold but pleasant.

Never met an Oregon State Park I didn't like !

My cold persists. I'm coughing a lot, especially at night, and feeling a bit weak and tired. When I read my journal entry from the same date last year, as I do every evening,
I realize ... I was in exactly the same state last year on the northbound drive home.
Do I catch a cold every year on the northbound drive home ? ! ?

Wednesday ; Clyde Holliday State Park to Wildhorse Casino, Pendleton, Oregon

Today was cold and partially cloudy with occasional light rain. I was ill for most of the day with the beginnings of a Crohn's / ulcerative colitis flare-up.

This morning we did an obedience session at Clyde Holliday State Park before departing. Well done, Bo, good dog. We refilled with fresh water, and dumped our waste holding tanks then headed west for a few miles on Hwy. 20 / 395 before
Hwy. 395 continued northbound again. As we passed through the Ukiah - Dale Forest State Scenic Corridor we stopped for lunch at a pullout on the side of the road beside a lovely small river. After lunch I napped briefly with Sully, hoping that after a nap
I wouldn't feel so ill. No such luck !

Late in the afternoon we reached Pendleton. A few miles east on Interstate 84 brought us to Wildhorse Casino and its adjacent Arrowhead Travel Center. Of the many, many, many places we have boondocked overnight over the last ten years, Wildhorse Casino is my favourite ! Our first stop was at the Arrowhead Travel Center. We went into the laundromat and while Joanne did laundry I worked online for two hours using free Wi-Fi, finally posting last week's diary / journal entry and photos to my blog. We drove over to the RV parking lot, then took a shuttle bus to the casino to have dinner in the buffet restaurant. Excellent food, large selection, reasonable price.

This casino has a parking lot dedicated to boondocking RV's as well as a full service RV park. Cars have their own separate parking lot, as do commercial trucks. A shuttle bus runs frequently from the parking lots to the casino. The Travel Center has a large fuel bar with excellent prices, large, clean restrooms, a laundromat, free Wi-Fi, a propane refill station, free RV dump station and freshwater refill, free air for tires ( most stations in the U.S. now charge $1 for air for tires ), lots of manoeuvering space and parking spots.

Thursday ; Pendleton, Oregon

Terrible weather today ! Cold all day, intermittent heavy rain and winds in the morning.

This morning we drove the short distance from the Wildhorse Casino's RV parking lot to the adjacent Arrowhead Travel Center to take care of some routine chores. No sooner had we started dumping the grey waste holding tank when a vicious squall struck, with heavy rain and even heavier winds. We were drenched and frozen in just moments ! We pulled away from the dump station and into a parking spot and waited out the little storm for about an hour.

When the squall was over we retuned to the dump station and refilled our freshwater tank. Next was adjusting the air pressure in all the truck tires. We are now at a much lower temperature than when I last adjusted the tires about two weeks ago in Yuma, Arizona, so the tires were all about ten pounds low. I had some trouble with the air hose chuck connecting to my valve extenders, so only managed to adjust the pressure in four of the six truck tires. It started to rain again so I left two tires for later. I pulled over to the fuel pumps and partially refilled with diesel.

We got onto Interstate 84 and drove about four miles back to Pendleton to do our
semi-annual Oregon tax free shopping. By the time we got to the shopping mall area we were headed to it was time for lunch. We had lunch at KFC ... Joanne's idea. We went to O'Reilly's Auto Parts. They didn't have what I wanted. Over to Rite-Aid Pharmacy. Didn't have what I wanted. Over to an independent health supply store. Didn't have what I wanted. < sigh > Not doing too well so far !

Over to Wal-Mart. Bought almost everything on our Oregon shopping list. Across the street to Safeway. Bought some baking ... Joanne's idea. Over to Thompson's RV. Bought an RV accessory we needed. Over to Les Schwab's to adjust the air pressure in the last two tires. Drove back to Wildhorse Casino for a second night of boondocking there. Bought a gallon of Lucas diesel fuel additive at their Arrowhead Travel Center.  Darn ... forgot to use the credits accumulated on my Rewards On The Rez affinity card.

By that time it was late afternoon and the weather was finally improving. The rain stopped, the sky cleared partially, and the temperature rose a bit. I worked on accounting and customs declarations, first in the camper and then in the laundromat at Arrowhead Travel Center to use Wi-Fi and have the computer plugged into electricity to recharge the battery.

Friday ; Pendleton, Oregon to Blue Lake, Washington

Today was partially sunny and mild. This morning before leaving Wildhorse Casino we refilled with diesel, dumped our waste holding tanks, and refilled our freshwater tank at Arrowhead Travel Center.

We drove west on Interstate 84 to and through Pendleton and continued on I-84 almost to Hermiston, then north on Hwy. 395 to and through Hermiston. When we reached Umatilla and the Columbia River we turned east on Hwy. 730 following the scenic Columbia River Gorge until the Columbia River turned north, as did the highway, and we entered Washington. Hwy. 395 continued to follow the Columbia River northward. At Pasco the Columbia River began to turn westward and the highway continued northward, leaving the Columbia River Gorge.

We stopped at Country Mercantile, a specialty food business we have been to before. They specialize in "tourist foods" ; jams, jellies, honey, salad dressings, salsas, dips, all made with local ingredients, like the renowned Walla Walla sweet onions grown in nearby Walla Walla, Washington. I bought some jams and a jar of salad dressing. Joanne was disinterested, thinking that everything was too expensive. < shrug >

As we pulled out of Country Mercantile's parking lot, I noticed ... HEY ! There were two large bees walking across my side of the windshield, each leaving a trail of honey smeared on the glass. GET OFF MY WINDSHIELD, YOU STUPID BEES ! HMPH ... now there are two zig-zag trails of dried out honey on my windshield !

We continued northbound on Hwy. 395 until Mesa when Hwy. 395 curved towards the northeast. We got onto Hwy. 17 heading northwest, through Moses Lake and Soap Lake. We stopped for the night at Blue Lake Rest Area.

Saturday ; Blue Lake to Okanogan, Washington

Today was mostly sunny and mild in the Columbia River Valley, warm in the Okanogan River Valley.

This morning we left Blue Lake Rest Area and headed north on Hwy.17. Our plan for today was to visit and check out some state parks on our route. Almost immediately we arrived at Sun Lakes State Park. We refilled our freshwater tank, then drove slowly around the large campground. It was surprisingly crowded for April. People from Spokane start camping early in the season ?

At Coulee City we got onto Hwy. 155 heading northeast to Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River. I wanted to stop at Grand Coulee Dam and get information on their summer evening laser light shows projected on the dam. God Bless America < rolling eyes > ! On the way to Grand Coulee Dam we stopped to explore Steamboat Rock State Park. HMMM ... I think we may have stayed here for one night many years ago.

When we arrived at Grand Coulee Dam we parked and went into the Visitor Center. Joanne decided that we should have lunch in the camper, then join the 2 PM tour of the dam. Okay ... that's what we did. Well ... there's another hour of my life that I'll never get back ! The tour was ... not exactly what we had expected, and ... slightly boring. AND ... < shaking head in despair > ... the "security" procedures were so ... exaggerated ... as to be laughable. Some Americans have completely lost their sense of humour and perspective on "reasonableness" and common sense. I would have thought that we are far enough beyond September 11, 2001 that common sense would have started to return. Apparently not at Grand Coulee Dam. Every tour participant was subjected to body scans and wand searches ( "take off your belt, sir" ) more onerous than those at airports and then ... < sputter > ... the tour group was "escorted" by a security officer sporting a large side arm weapon. C'mon, people ... it's a tour of a power dam out in the middle of nowhere by old people in RV's returning to Canada !

From Grand Coulee Dam we headed west on Hwy. 174 to get from the Columbia River Valley to the Okanogan River Valley. That's a route that we had never driven before. On the way we stopped to explore Bridgeport State Park, then we stopped at a rest area at nearby Chief Joseph Dam. I was tired and needed a nap. While I napped briefly Joanne took Bo to do "Bo-gility" on the children's play structures in the playground. HA HA HA ... Bo loves slides.

When we left Chief Joseph Dam I turned, on impulse, into the village of Bridgeport to see the municipal campground. As we drove through the little village looking for the municipal campground ... HEY ... there are signs in Spanish. This little village has a Hispanic population. HEY ... < slamming on brakes > ... a panaderia ! ! ! Who would have thought that there would be a Mexican bakery this far north into upstate Washington. We bought nine pieces of pan dulce. I'm salivating as I type this late in the evening ... HA HA HA ! We chatted with the Mexican born owner. In both English and Spanish. And ... just like in Mexico ... this little business is more than just a panaderia, it's also an abarrote ( little convenience store ).

At Bridgeport we crossed the Columbia River onto Hwy. 17, and followed that the short distance to Hwy. 97 at the confluence of the Columbia and Okanogan Rivers. We turned north on Hwy. 97 and began the final leg of the journey home up through the Okanogan Valley. We stopped for the night at Okanogan Casino where they have created a small RV parking lot with free electrical hookups. While Joanne prepared supper I phoned my sister. Tomorrow when we cross back into Canada our remaining U.S. cell phone minutes will be lost. Might as well use them up as much as possible.

All of my "Okanogan" references today were spelled the American way. Tomorrow when we cross into Canada the spelling changes to "Okanagan".

DSK

April 13 to 19, 2014 ; Death Valley National Park, California to Goose Lake State Park, California / Oregon border

Sunday ; Death Valley National Park ; Twenty Mule Team Canyon to Wildrose Campground

Sunny and hot in Death Valley during the day. Temperature just shy of 100 degrees ! Cool and windy at the high elevation of Wildrose Canyon in the evening. Today was Day Two of my cold, and I was feeling ... poorly.

This morning we departed our boondocking spot in Twenty Mule Team Canyon and continued on the one way loop gravel road for the final mile or so of it until we once again reached Hwy. 190, the main road through Death Valley National Park. We drove to Furnace Creek, one of the two villages in the park, and into Texas Spring Campground, one of the three National Park campgrounds at Furnace Creek. We checked out the campground, then used their dump station to refill our freshwater holding tank and dump our waste holding tanks.

From Furnace Creek we headed south on Badwater Road seventeen miles to Badwater Basin, the lowest elevation below sea level in North America. We had previously visited Badwater Basin, and I wasn't feeling healthy enough today to want to go hiking across the salt flats so we just viewed them from the parking area. I wanted to conserve what little energy I had for some other hikes I had in mind.

We drove back north on Badwater Road to Natural Bridge, a canyon area with a natural rock formation "bridge" from one side of the canyon to the other. To get to the Natural Bridge requires an uphill hike for half a mile. Normally, not that much of a challenge, but ... on Day Two of a cold ... and with the outside temperature at 97 degrees ... WHEW ... I was huffing and puffing something fierce. The hike downhill back to the parking lot was a lot easier.

We continued driving north on Badwater Road to the Artist's Palette one way, nine mile long scenic drive through "multi-hued volcanic and sedimentary hills" ... like painted mountains ! This was Joanne's primary interest on this visit to Death Valley.

We stopped at the picnic area at Furnace Creek to have lunch. After lunch I napped briefly with Sully. Since there was cell phone service at Furnace Creek Joanne phoned her sister. We departed Furnace Creek about 3 PM, heading north then west on
Hwy. 190 across Death Valley towards Stovepipe Wells, the other village in the National Park. The temperature remained at 97 degrees throughout the afternoon crossing Death Valley.

Shortly after Stovepipe Wells was the road to Mosaic Canyon, a hike through a marble walled canyon. I wanted to hike Mosaic Canyon, but ... I had already done one uphill hike at 97 degrees suffering from a cold, and I wasn't willing to do it again ! We passed by the road to Mosaic Canyon and kept driving.

About eight miles southwest past Stovepipe Wells we turned onto Emigrant Canyon Road for the twenty-one mile trip through Emigrant Canyon, Emigrant Pass, Nemo Canyon and Wildrose Canyon to Wildrose Campground. We were now on the west side of Death Valley in the Panamint Mountains. The elevation rose from below sea level to above 4100 feet. And the higher we got, the thicker the wildflowers became. WOW ... really lovely !

When we arrived at the remote and unserviced Wildrose Campground we were a bit surprised to find that most of the twenty-three campsites were occupied. After getting parked and set up in a site we went for a short exploratory hike. It turned into a much longer hike than we had planned, but we hiked slowly, and it was much cooler here. Bo really enjoyed a long, leisurely hike, as he had spent the entire day in the truck with Sully. Like all U.S. National Parks, Death Valley doesn't allow dogs ... well ... anywhere, it seems !

As we hiked, I noticed a rattlesnake on the side of the road. Oh ... it's dead ! Must have been injured by a car as it crossed the road, although there were no visible crush injuries. A few minutes later as we re-entered the campground ... WHOA ! ! ! A big rattlesnake ! ALIVE ! Good thing I saw it before Bo did. Joanne pulled Bo away and as
I approached slowly to get a better look ... it slithered away underneath a Creosote Bush. Rattlesnakes are shy, and would just as soon avoid a confrontation.

As the sun set, the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped quickly. Chilly evening !

 Monday ; Sunny and warm, nice at this elevation.

 

Our initial plan was to depart Death Valley National Park today, but late last night we changed our minds. While reading the Death Valley National Park tourist information newsletter, I discovered two things ;

1. Death Valley is an excellent place for stargazing, because of the clear atmosphere and absence of light pollution.

2. Tonight ... shortly after midnight ... there will be a total lunar eclipse visible here !

I was very interested in seeing the total lunar eclipse, especially since the positioning of our campsite was such that the moon is visible out our camper's front "picture window" while we are in bed. We can watch the eclipse from bed ! And since I have a cold, a "day off" would be welcome.

So ... this morning we got a lazy start to the day, then ... refilled Elsie's freshwater tank. This is an unserviced campground, but there are a few water spigots throughout the campground. We drove out of the campground and a short distance down a nearby isolated gravel road to dump our grey ( shower wastewater ) tank. As we returned to the campground I decided, on impulse, to drive up to see the 1879 charcoal kilns about eight miles away ... all uphill, from 4100 feet at the campground to something like 8000 feet at the kilns.

On the drive up I had to come to a complete stop to allow a very large snake to slither across the road. From what I could see, I believe it was a Copperhead.

The last two miles of the road to the kilns were extremely rough gravel, violating the decision I had made before leaving Yuma that we would have to forego any rough road / off road adventures on this trip home because of the heavy storage chest on top of the camper and the heavy items packed into the "children's bunk bed" storage area above the dinette table. I need to be better disciplined !

The kilns built in 1879 were used to produce charcoal for a mine thirty miles away ! They used the wood of the abundant Piñon Pines in the surrounding area. It took two weeks to turn the wood into charcoal ! Since the kilns had only been used for about a three year period, they are in extremely good condition, despite being 145 years old.

Sometimes when I look at what our forefathers were able to accomplish, I'm astounded ! This kiln site is so far off the beaten path ... there's no damn path ! ! ! Eight thousand feet up into the Panamint Mountains above the incredibly hostile environment of Death Valley ! Even in 2014 this site is extremely difficult to get to !

 

The entire eight mile return trip to the campground was downhill, so ... HA HA HA ...
I put the truck in neutral and coasted down. For awhile I shut the engine off to really conserve fuel, but ... realized quickly that I needed the engine running to provide power steering and power brakes. DUH ! HA HA HA !

Back at the campground Joanne sat outside in the warm sunlight all afternoon working on Sudoku puzzles while I read and napped with Sully. Late in the afternoon I wanted to start our little generator to give it its monthly "exercise" and ... recharge my computer's battery. I had an extremely difficult time getting it started, and an even more difficult time keeping it running before I clued in. OH ... we're above four thousand feet and the air is thin ! DUH ... again ! ! !

We sat down to eat supper at 7:30 PM ... as the huge, full moon rose above the mountains. WOW !

Yes, yes, the total lunar eclipse was quite spectacular ! And being able to view it from the comfort of our bed was pretty special.

 

Tuesday ; Wildrose Campground, Death Valley National Park to Lone Pine, California

Sunny and warm. This morning we departed Wildrose Campground and drove 21 miles on Emigrant Canyon Road back to Hwy. 190 where we turned west. I was running low on fuel so we had to stop at the first village we came to, Panamint Springs, still within Death Valley National Park, to buy some diesel fuel ... at $5.989 per gallon ! ! ! Without a doubt that will be the most expensive fuel of this winter season. I bought just enough diesel to get us to the first town outside of the National Park, Lone Pine. And just as I finished pumping the fuel, the service station had a power failure, so we couldn't pay by credit card ! Well ... at least I got the fuel pumped before the power failure.

We stopped at Father Crowley Vista Point looking over Rainbow Canyon, the last ( if westbound, first if eastbound ) Death Valley National Park facility. We had lunch and
I napped briefly before continuing westbound on Hwy. 190 out of Death Valley National Park.

 

Just before reaching the town of Lone Pine we stopped at a Visitor Information Center to pick up some information on the route we will be taking, heading north from here, a route we have not travelled before. In town I dropped Joanne off at the local grocery store and I went to a propane supply business to have our propane tanks refilled. After refilling the propane tanks and buying groceries we refilled with diesel at Chevron, then went to find the county park Joanne had picked out for us to stay at.

Twenty-five bucks a night for unserviced sites ? I don't think so ! We found a gravel parking lot behind the McDonald's in town and parked there overnight. With the permission of the McDonald's manager. I spent the last part of the afternoon working in the McDonald's, using their free Wi-Fi, with my laptop plugged into an electrical outlet to recharge the battery. After supper in Elsie I returned to McDonald's to do more computer work. I had a lot of photos to download from my camera to laptop, and then "process" them, and I posted my weekly blog entry.

Thank you very much McDonald's in Lone Pine, California.

Wednesday ; Lone Pine to Crestview Rest Area near Mammoth Lakes, California

Sunny and warm. Today we continued driving north on Hwy. 395, first through the Inyo Valley between the Inyo Mountains on the east and the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the west, then up into the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. The temperature became a lot cooler the higher we climbed up into the Sierra Nevadas. We stopped for the night at a highway rest area just a bit north of Mammoth Lakes ski area. The elevation was somewhere in the vicinity of 8000 feet ASL. It was a pretty chilly evening.

We spent the morning at Manzanar, one of the ten Japanese internment camps in the United States during the Second World War. Over 10,000 AMERICANS of Japanese ancestry were interned ( read that "imprisoned" ) at Manzanar from 1942 to 1945. Bravo for the much touted American Constitution ! < he says with contempt and tongue in cheek > We toured the interpretative center / "living history" museum displays, then watched a brief video presentation. We were fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time. A 74 year old man who was at Manzanar from age 2 to age 5 was also a visitor today. He was persuaded by the staff to give an impromptu presentation of his experience as a young child in the camp, and his life afterwards. Somewhat ironically, he and his wife are also "Snowbirds" returning north to their summer home after spending the winter down south.

We had lunch in the parking lot of the National Park Service / National Historic Site at Manzanar before continuing north on Hwy. 395. At Independence we stopped at a municipal campground to refill our freshwater tank.

Joanne wanted to stop at the "world famous" Schat's Bakery in Bishop and buy some of their "world famous" Sheepherder's Bread. So ... we did ! And we bought a bunch of other baking as well. HEY ... a German bakery is almost as good as a panaderia. HA HA HA ! Across the street from Schat's Bakery was Holy Smoke Texas Style BBQ. Bought a pound of barbecued beef brisket ! Before leaving Bishop we shopped for groceries and refilled with diesel at Von's.

At the ski village of Mammoth Lakes we stopped at the municipal wastewater treatment plant and dumped our waste holding tanks at their RV dump. And just a few miles down the road was the lovely, forested Crestview Rest Area where we boondocked for the night.

MMMMM ... good brisket !

Thursday ; Mammoth Lakes, California to Carson City, Nevada

Mostly sunny and warm. A bit windy in a few areas. A bit cool in a few areas.

This morning before departing the Crestview Rest Area I discovered a truck tire had lost half its air pressure, from 80 PSI to 40 PSI. HMPH ... slow leak ! I did not want to change a tire when the camper was on the truck, if I could avoid it. I decided to risk driving about ten miles back to Mammoth Lakes Village on the low pressure tire. We refilled the freshwater tank at the rest area and headed back to Mammoth Lakes Village, taking the Mammoth Lakes Scenic Loop Road.

In Mammoth Lakes Village we found our way to a tire repair shop ... which was surprisingly busy. I don't know why. Winter / ski season is over, summer / mountain biking season hasn't started yet, why is the village so busy ? I did not want to wait a couple of hours for service, so I filled the tire back up to 80 PSI and we set off again, northbound on Hwy. 395.

Before we reached Crestview Rest Area again, I had a brainstorm. The last time I had a tire slow leak, it was because the screw in metal valve stem had vibrated loose. HMMM ... that could have happened when we were driving over that very rough road to the charcoal kilns a few days ago. We pulled into Crestview Rest Area again. I removed the tire's hub cap and wheel liner, and tightened the screw in metal valve stem. It was a teensy bit loose, so ... hopefully ... that was the problem and it's now solved. I'll know for sure in a day or two.

We continued northbound on Hwy. 395. We took about a half hour or so detour on the June Lake Scenic Loop, passing by four lovely lakes before returning to Hwy. 395. We stopped again at Mono Lake to view the tufa towers, columns of mineral deposits along the shoreline. We stopped in the village of Bridgeport to have lunch, eating our lunch parked in the lot of the closed Tourist Information Center, which was right beside the closed museum and the closed Social Services Office, which was right beside the closed ( forever ) grocery store. Looks like Bridgeport has seen better days !

 

We continued northbound on Hwy. 395 to Carson City, Nevada. Remember the map in the opening scene of the 1960's television show Bonanza ? We stopped at a large shopping mall that had, amongst many other stores, a Wal-Mart and a Trader Joe's. WOO-HOO ... Trader Joe's tomorrow morning. We went into Wal-Mart and did our food and supplies shopping.

I needed Wi-Fi and an electrical plug to recharge my laptop battery ( our little generator is not working ! ). The McDonald's inside Wal-Mart had Wi-Fi, but like many fast food restaurants, no electrical plugs on the walls near the tables. So ... after finishing our Wal-Martin', I reluctantly went to Starbucks. I hate Starbucks. Over two bucks for a small ... sorry, I meant "tall" ... < rolling eyes > ... cup of tea. Pretentious staff. Even more pretentious customers. Obnoxious, too loud, jazz "muzak". Oh, well ! I nursed my cup of tea, worked online, and recharged my laptop battery, for two hours, seated in a corner in a comfortable leather armchair. I suppose that was worth the two bucks !

Good Friday ; Carson City, Nevada to and around Lake Tahoe, Nevada and California to Reno, Nevada

Sunny and warm. Well ... except for when we were up at Mount Rose above Lake Tahoe at an elevation above 8900 feet.

Day seven of my cold and I have finally begun to get better ... at last !

This morning before departing the Wal-Mart shopping mall where we spent the night we walked over to Trader Joe's and ... you know ... spent way too much money buying way too much exotic / gourmet / specialty foods on impulse. Trader Joe's is one of life's great indulgences ! We drove across the street to another mall where I went into Dollar Tree to buy a small hand mirror to replace the one I dropped and broke this morning
< sigh >. Before leaving Carson City we refilled with diesel at Terrible Herbst, a chain of Nevada fuel stations.

We headed north out of Carson City on Hwy. 50, immediately beginning the long ascent up to Lake Tahoe. When we reached Lake Tahoe we stopped at a Safeway store and had lunch in their parking lot. We spent the entire afternoon driving completely around Lake Tahoe, first south to South Lake Tahoe, a very upscale small city, then onto Hwy. 89 around the south end of the lake, crossing from Nevada into California, then north along the west side of the lake. We stopped at Sugar Point State Park to refill with freshwater and dump our grey and black waste holding tanks. At the north end of the lake when we crossed from California back into Nevada and got to Mount Rose Summit, above 8900 feet, I had a brainstorm. HEY ... we don't have any photos of Sully in snow. HA HA HA ! I pulled over to the side of the road, took Sully out of the truck, tossed him into the snow, and took a picture. HA HA HA HA HA ! He was not happy about being awakened from a snooze on the back seat of the truck to be tossed out into the snow. HA HA HA < SNORT > HA HA !

 

We took Hwy. 431 to the northeast which rapidly descended down to the adjacent cities of Reno and Sparks. We stopped at a PetsMart in Reno to buy some dog food, then continued northbound through the cities back on Hwy. 395 once again. We stopped at one of the northern suburbs to boondock overnight in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

Saturday ; Reno, Nevada to Goose Lake State Park, California / Oregon border

Sunny and warm. Before leaving Reno this morning we bought a couple of items at Wal-Mart and refilled with diesel at Smith's, a supermarket chain. We continued northbound on Hwy. 395, crossing from Nevada back into California soon after leaving Reno. We had a long day of driving, covering a lot of miles. We stopped for lunch at a roadside rest area. My lunch was Sheepherder's Bread spread with cream cheese, then a thin layer of smoked salmon / lox, a slice of onion, and some capers. Thank you very much Schat's Bakery and Trader Joe's. HA HA HA !

Late in the day we took a detour to find a National Forest Services campground at the northern tip of California. The campground was supposed to be three miles off the highway. We drove much more than three miles from the highway on a poor mud road. As I attempted to turn around I ripped a mud flap off the truck < fume >.

We continued northbound on Hwy. 395, and as we crossed from California into Oregon we stopped at Goose Lake State Park. Water not turned on, but electricity on, and a dump station available. We decided to stay for the night. We got parked and set up in a site, then went for a short hike with Bo before supper.

Sully wasn't feeling well tonight but ... since we have electricity we will be using his little electric "heater blankie" overnight. That should help him to feel better, hopefully.

DSK

April 6 to 12, 2014 ; Death Valley National Park photos

April 6 to 12, 2014 ; Yuma, Arizona via Nevada to Death Valley National Park, California

LATE ADDITION PHOTOS ABOVE

Sunday ; Sunny and hot. Joanne cooked a "smoky barbecued chicken" dish in the Sun Oven today.

This morning while Joanne finished moving stuff from the fifth wheel trailer to the truck camper I finished preparing the fifth wheel trailer to be moved to the storage yard. At
1 PM a neighbour came over with his one ton diesel dually equipped with a fifth wheel hitch and towed our trailer to the storage yard. Thank you Bob and Fran.

We had lunch in the truck camper then rushed off for some last minute flea market shopping at Arizona Market Place. We still had one item left on our flea market shopping list, a 5 foot by 7 foot patio mat for our deck back home. We found what we were looking for at the flea market, and since it's so late in the season, it was marked down 50%, from $45 to $22.50. I offered the vendor twenty bucks, and he reluctantly accepted my offer. This was a patio mat that would cost about $75 in Penticton, BC.

We returned to Kofa Ko-op and spent some time in the storage yard preparing the trailer for its upcoming 7½ month stay in the storage yard, temperatures ranging from about 90 degrees ( now ) to about 115 degrees or more in the summer. It's the first time we are leaving Harvey down here for the summer, and we are rookies at "summerizing" a trailer to withstand storage in the brutal heat. Sure hope we did things right !

We moved into the truck camper on our lot. I back flushed Elsie's waste holding tanks for the first time. They were surprisingly clean. I hooked Elsie up to electricity for the first time. Everything worked fine, including the fridge automatically switching itself from propane to 120 volt AC electricity ... as opposed to 12 volt DC electricity which requires a button to be pushed to manually switch it over. I connected the camper to our lot's cable TV outlet and used the TV on cable for the first time.

We went to the regular Sunday evening ice cream social where we socialized with a newly arrived couple from our home town of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Afterwards we had supper, then I ... < sigh > ... ran out of printer paper trying to do some last minute printing before we leave, since we're not going to be travelling with a printer.
I had to borrow some printer paper from our friend Carol Mae. Good thing she and Larry stay up late, as do Joanne and I.

Monday ; Happy 100th Birthday to Yuma, Arizona

Sunny and hot, temperature 93 degrees F. / 34 degrees C. WHEW ... time to start heading north ! HA HA HA !

Today we continued and completed our departure preparations. This is the end of our third season as lot owners here at Kofa Ko-op, and the third time we have had to install the Arizona room's solid vinyl snap-on walls at the end of the season. Don't let anybody tell you vinyl doesn't shrink ! ! !

This morning we loaded up our recycling and took it in to a local recycling center, then went to Sally Beauty and Wal-Mart for a few items. I refilled Lanoire with diesel. Joanne decided we should have milk shakes from Wienerschnitzel next door to the fuel station where I was refilling. No argument here !

I had a long phone conversation with my sister. We trimmed Bo's and Sully's claws. We used the truck camper's air conditioner for the first time. It worked well. We went to the swimming pool to cool off. HMPH ... I should have used the swimming pool more often this winter. Bo and I went for a long, leisurely walk around the dog park with an old friend, Bob and his dog Maisie, who have just recently arrived here. I took some photos of the lovely flowers blooming in my cactus gardens. I barbecued steak and baked potatoes for supper. HMPH ... I should have barbecued more often this winter. Appetizer was a honkin' huge artichoke. Think I'll buy more on the way out of town tomorrow !

I actually succeeded in teaching Bo how to eat an artichoke the same way we do. Peel a petal off the cooked artichoke, dip the meaty pulp end in seasoned mayonnaise, stick it between your teeth, bite down gently, draw the petal out using your teeth to scrape the tasty, meaty pulp off the petal. MMMMM ! ! ! He needs help with most of those steps, but he gets the "bite down gently" part, I pull the petal out of his mouth. and he ends up with the tasty meaty pulp part left in his mouth. HA HA HA HA HA ! You can teach an old dog new tricks !

Tuesday ; Yuma, Arizona to Laughlin, Nevada

Sunny and hot ! When we left Yuma before noon it was already 92 degrees.
Mid-afternoon in Parker, Arizona it was 97 degrees.

This morning we finished up our departure preparations, paid our bill at Kofa Ko-op and headed out, saying goodbye to Harvey the fifth wheel trailer ... for the first time in ten years ! Just a few miles south of Yuma on Hwy. 95 we stopped at From The Farm to buy two more large artichokes ... and for lunch, our final date shakes of this winter season. Bo loooooves having date shakes. You know ... for a redneck Terrier from Alabama, he sure has eclectic tastes ; date shakes, artichokes, tamales, Saskatoon berries, ... dead desert rats. HA HA HA !

Between Yuma and Quartzsite Lanoire's odometer rolled over 250,000 kilometres. Well done, what a good truck ! As she passed the 250,000 km. mark I pulled off the road into the desert and took a picture. Maybe I'll send it to the salesman who sold us the truck eight years ago in Belleville, Ontario.

We stopped at Safeway in Parker to buy a few grocery items. Just past Lake Havasu City I was feeling very tired so we pulled off the road into the desert for a snack and a brief nap. HEY ... Bighorn Sheep on the side of that mountain !

As we drove through Bullhead City we stopped to refill with diesel at Circle K, then crossed the bridge over the Colorado River into Laughlin, Nevada. We went to The Tropicana to have "bottomless pasta bowl" dinner ( again ! ) at the Passagio Restaurant. While at the salad bar I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the lady beside me looked a lot like our neighbour Kolly back home at Riverside RV Park. HEY ... there's Paul, Kolly's husband. HEY ... Paul and Kolly ! ! !

Small world ! We had dinner and visited with Paul and Kolly. We paid for their dinner as appreciation for them hauling our fifth wheel hitch head home with them in the bed of their truck. By the time we finished dinner and visiting it was 9 PM. We drove over to the Riverside Casino and boondocked overnight in their parking lot.

Wednesday ; Laughlin to Las Vegas, Nevada

Partially cloudy and very warm. We departed the parking lot of Riverside Casino in Laughlin this morning and headed west on Hwy. 168. until we reached Nevada Hwy. 95 heading north through Searchlight to Las Vegas, arriving in Las Vegas around noon.

First we found our way to The Strip. Tough to drive through Las Vegas with the big truck and camper, but a lot easier than when we used to do it with the big truck and fifth wheel trailer behind. We were looking for ... and found ... a large, free parking lot behind Bally's, near Caesar's Palace, to consider it for use when we go to Caesar's Palace tomorrow night to see Elton John. We decided it would be better to just leave the truck and camper in the RV park we were heading to, and take public transportation to Caesar's Palace.

We left The Strip area and found our way ... in very heavy traffic ... to Main Street Station, a large casino hotel near Freemont Street ... the "original" Las Vegas "Strip". Main Street Station has a reasonably priced RV park. We've stayed there before. We checked in, hooked up, and had lunch. First time we've had Elsie the truck camper hooked up to full services. First time we've used the "city water inlet" function. As with everything else on Elsie, it worked fine. I think we have now used / tested all of Elsie's "systems".

I napped briefly then did a short obedience session with Bo. Good dog, Bo, well done ! We walked over to Main Street Station and explored throughout the large, lovely old building. It was originally the Las Vegas train station ... many, many, many years ago. We followed a pedestrian overpass across the street into the next casino hotel, the Californian. We explored in there for awhile, then went outside again and walked the three long blocks over to Freemont Street. We slowly explored the length of Freemont Street ... five or six long city blocks or so ... and back, then walked home along Main Street.

Joanne wanted to attend the hourly after dark "Freemont Street Experience". Freemont Street "Strip" is covered by a five or six block long "ceiling" shaped like a half pipe. The half pipe ceiling is some sort of video display equipment. Hourly after dark it becomes a sound and light show. So ... at 9:15 PM we left the camper and walked over to Freemont Street again. It's quite different after dark. It's very ... < ahem > ... alive ! With a series of free stages. And buskers of every imaginable sort. And some not so imaginable ! Including mostly naked showgirls who look to be about sixteen years old.
I suppose they're older than that, but not by much ! < blink blink > Nice ass ! Every inch of it ! Some of the “showgirls” were wearing only body paint. < blink blink >

We walked from one end of Freemont Street to the other, and back again ... as we had done in the afternoon. We stopped at 10 PM to stand in one spot and stare up at the sound and light show on the ceiling ; the Freemont Street Experience. We stood for awhile at one of the free stages and watched a performance by “Elvis”. He was pretty darn good ! There was also a lot of pathetic beggars. And plenty of drunks, stoners, and dope heads. And pickpockets. I watched one “working” ... it was interesting.

Yes, yes ... overall, it was quite an interesting, although slightly sad and depraved peek at humanity. To paraphrase Dorothy ... Gee, BoBo ... I guess we’re not at Kofa Ko-op anymore. HA HA HA !

Thursday ; Sunny and hot.

WOW ! Did I mention ... WOW ! ! ! That was ... without a doubt ... the most astounding live performance we have ever attended. AND ... < whispering > ... I don't even like Elton John ! I had heard that nobody ... and I mean nobody ... can produce a stage performance like The Collosseum at Caesar's Palace. And now I believe that !

The Elton John Million Dollar Piano Show was my primary birthday gift to Joanne on her sixtieth birthday at the end of January. Happy Birthday, my love.

We got a lazy start to the day. Had sex in the truck camper for the first time. Wait a minute ... did I just type that out loud ? ! ? HEY ... what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas ! HA HA HA ! After lunch we walked back over to Freemont Street a.k.a. "Downtown" where we caught an SDX ( Strip to Downtown Express ) bus to The Strip. We got off the bus at The Bellagio.

I promised Joanne many years ago that if we ever win the lottery the first thing I will do is book a room at The Bellagio for a few days. She loooooves The Bellagio ! We walked through The Bellagio's astounding front lobby and wandered through the casino to The Conservatory, a large solarium filled with botanical gardens. Very amazing floral displays, changed every three months to correspond to the seasons.

DAMN ! ! ! I forgot my camera ! And our little opera glasses / binoculars for the Elton John Million Dollar Piano Show.

After The Conservatory we walked through The Bellagio and outdoors to see ... < insert drum roll here > ... The Bellagio's Dancing Fountains Show in the "lake" out front on Las Vegas Boulevard. I never tire of watching those dancing fountains choreographed to music. While waiting for the hourly dancing fountain show to start we watched a juggling busker. Limited repertoire, but skilled. I tossed a buck in his "hat".

After the fountains we walked across the street over to Caesar's Palace. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Caesar's Palace, such a huge hotel and casino that it's like a small city unto itself. We found our way to The Colloseum so we would know where it was when it was time to head to the show, then wandered around The Shops At The Forum looking at very expensive and upscale retail stores, and browsing for a place to have supper.

Caesar's Palace, The Bellagio, and indeed the entire Las Vegas Strip are very upscale, compared to the blue collar. somewhat "low brow" atmosphere of Freemont Street / Downtown. I wonder, though ... how many different shows is it possible for Cirque de Soleil to have ? And how many restaurants can bear the Gordon Ramsay name ?

We chose to have supper at The Cheesecake Factory. Poor service, good food, reasonable prices ... by Vegas standards. Restaurants on The Strip are outrageously expensive. Forty to seventy-five bucks for entrees, twelve bucks more for the side dishes. Twelve bucks for a serving of brussel sprouts ? ! ?

We left The Cheesecake Factory at 7 PM and were in our seats in The Colloseum with time to spare for the 7:30 PM show. What an outstanding venue The Colloseum at Caesar's Palace is ! And the show ! ! ! Two solid hours of Elton John playing ... well ... all his hits. He's had a lot over the years ! More than can be played in a two hour show. < pouting > He didn't play "Daniel".

After the show we walked back to The Cheesecake Factory and shared a ten dollar slice of cake. Holy shit ! Worth every penny ! We walked back through Caesar's Palace, then an enclosed shopping mall back over to The Bellagio, then went outside to watch the dancing fountains again, this time in the dark when the dancing fountains are not only choreographed to music, but also lights. < blink blink >

We crossed Las Vegas Boulevard over to The Paris where we caught an SDX bus back to Freemont Street / Downtown. Las Vegas public transit buses are pretty ...
< ahem > ... "lively" places after dark. Standing on the bus in the aisle beside where Joanne and I were seated were two twenty-one year old men from Saskatchewan, first time in Vegas, watching the shenanigans on the bus, looking like a couple of deer in the headlights. I leaned over and said to them ... "Ain't nothing like this in S'toon, eh ?" HA HA HA < SNORT > HA HA !

It was well after midnight when we got home !

Friday ; Las Vegas to Pahrump, Nevada

Sunny and hot. This morning we prepared for departure and left the Main Street Station Hotel & Casino RV Park. We found our way to Interstate 15 and then Hwy. 160 heading west "over the hump to Pahrump". Before leaving the suburbs of Las Vegas we stopped at an Albertsons to replenish groceries.

At Pahrump we found our way to Pair-A-Dice SKP RV Park. We checked in and got parked in their boondocking area, and had a late lunch. I napped briefly with Sully, Joanne took Bo for a walk to the RV park's dog run area, then we went to the clubhouse so that I could check e-mail, and do some other computer work with my laptop plugged into the clubhouse's electricity.

We had supper ... and a slightly boring evening. Initially our plan was to stay here for two or three nights, but ... now I think we'll be moving on tomorrow.

Saturday ; Pahrmp, Nevada to Death Valley National Park, California

Sunny and hot. When we stopped for the night, at dusk, in Death Valley National Park, it was 92 degrees ... and it's not even mid-April yet !

I was sick with a cold today. I was starting to feel it at bedtime last night, and by the middle of the night I was suffering with a sore throat, and sinus headache. Oh, well ...
if you're going to have a cold, it might as well be in the sunny desert in hot weather,
n'est-ce pas ?

Last night at bedtime there was a spilled chocolate milk ... < ahem > ... "incident" ...
< pointing finger at Joanne >. That necessitated doing laundry this morning at
Pair-A-Dice SKP RV Park. So ... with the need to do laundry, and me feeling ill,
we were undecided about whether to leave or stay.

By the time laundry was done, it was lunch time. We had lunch then drove into Pahrump to run some errands. We stopped at a casino's fuel bar to refill a propane tank, but the propane refill station did not have the correct refill nozzle adaptor for an old, horizontal, truck camper propane tank < sigh >. Of course, we didn't discover that until I had removed the tank from its compartment on the side of the camper, not that easy to do. We drove around Pahrump, searching for a propane supply business like AmeriGas or Superior Propane. We covered a lot of miles following bad directions to AmeriGas, before getting good directions to AmeriGas. We finally found our way to AmeriGas and ... < sigh > ... they were closed.

We refilled with diesel then went to Wal-Mart for a few items. I decided to once again check if Wal-Mart's optician shop had vinyl ( not silicone ) eyeglass nosepieces. I had already checked at many Wal-Mart optician shops as well as many private optician shops. Well ... lo and behold ... the Pahrump Wal-Mart optician shop had vinyl nosepieces. Hallelujah ! I bought four pair ! Two pairs for the two pairs of glasses I got this winter in Los Algodones, and two more for the next two pairs of glasses I get, probably in about five years.

By the time we were finished at Wal-Mart it was 4:30 PM. I had enough cold medication inside of me that I was feeling better. The sun was shining. The temperature was hot. The open road was calling. Death Valley is only a couple of hours from Pahrump !
Away we went !

First stop in Death Valley National Park was Dantes View, a difficult thirteen mile climb up to an elevation of 5475 feet ASL, to look down on Badwater Basin in Death Valley, at an elevation of 282 feet below sea level, the lowest elevation in the United States. The last part of the ascent to Dantes View the road grade is 15% ! That's a pretty steep road, and it was all tight switchbacks. Pretty challenging for a large truck and camper, but ... Lanoire's a great truck !

We took some photos. From that vantage point, Death Valley, from the Amargosa Mountains on the east, where we were standing, to the Panamint Mountains on the west, doesn't look that wide across. However, when I fixed my mind on the perspective of flying an airplane at an altitude of 6000 feet above ground, I could see that Death Valley was probably twenty miles wide.

We drove down from Dante's View then over to Zabriskie Point, another viewpoint, although at a much lower altitude. The view from Zabriskie Point is supposed to be best around sunset, and our timing was right. We drove away from Zabriskie Point about
7 PM and we were expecting it to be dark within fifteen minutes or so. Just enough time to drive the three mile long, one way loop, gravel road through Twenty Mule Team Canyon.

And as we had hoped, we found an isolated spot to pull off the narrow gravel road ... and sneakily boondock overnight. That's probably a felony in a U.S. National Park !
Late at night, just before going to sleep, we went for a romantic ( near full moon ) moonlit walk in the canyon. Well ... I thought it was romantic. Joanne thought it was spooky. HA HA HA !

DSK

March 30 to April 5, 2014

Sunday ; Laughlin, Nevada and Bullhead City, Arizona
 
Joanne continues to be intermittently ill, plagued by abdominal cramping which has persisted for almost a week now.

Today started out sunny and extremely windy, becoming hot when the wind died down early in the afternoon.

We got a late start to the day, mostly because it was too windy to go anywhere this morning. Around noon we set out to explore Katherine Landing, a nearby National Forest Service campground. When we arrived, the Ranger would not permit us to enter the park to look around for a few minutes. Not the first time this has happened to us at a National Forest Service Campground in this area. And I'm not prepared to pay a daily user fee just for the privilege of going in to look around for a few minutes to see if it's somewhere we might like to return to in the future. So ... with the experience today at Katherine Landing, and previously at other locations, it doesn’t seem likely that the U.S. National Forest Service is going to be getting any money out of my pocket at any time in the foreseeable future ! ! !

We drove into Bullhead City. I went to Home Depot looking for two items. They had one. I drove to Lowe’s looking for the other. They didn’t have it either. No problem,
I know that Wally’s World in Yuma will have what I need. We drove to Silver View RV Resort to check the place out. We have a coupon for a one week stay at a very good price and we might use it next fall on the way south. Before crossing the Colorado River from Bullhead City, Arizona back to Laughlin, Nevada I refilled Lanoire with diesel at Circle K.

Back at The Tropicana’s RV Park, I cranked up Elsie’s TV antenna, plugged the new, swing arm mounted TV into my little inverter, and turned on the TV to look for CBS. The TV works fine on the inverter ( 12V DC to 120V AC ), and I could receive a half dozen or so TV channels with the roof top antenna, but none were CBS. So ... we were not able to watch Amazing Race tonight. AND ... < HMPH > ... some dumb ass recently mounted a dream catcher from the ceiling, and it blocks the view of the TV when seated at the dinette table !

At supper time we went into the casino with my laptop and two coupons we had for $5 food vouchers. We redeemed the coupons and received the two $5 food vouchers at the Player’s Club, then sat outside the Passagio Restaurant for about half an hour while I worked online using the casino’s free Wi-Fi. After posting my weekly blog entry we went into Passagio for their bottomless pasta special. All you can eat soup, salad, garlic breadsticks, and pasta with sauce ... for $7 ! I had soup, we both had salads. Joanne chose fettucine pasta with alfredo sauce. I chose angel hair pasta with basil cream sauce. And ate two bowls of it ! I had a Diet Coke which mysteriously did not appear on the bill, probably because the waiter forgot to bring it and had to be reminded. Bill was $14 minus the two vouchers = four bucks ! Don’t ya just love casinos ? ! ?

Monday ; Laughlin, Nevada to Yuma, Arizona

Sunny and hot. It had been our intention to drive from Laughlin to Quartzsite, then boondock overnight in the desert. But when we got to Quartzsite late in the afternoon it was so windy, and there was so much desert dust / sand blowing around, we decided to continue all the way home to Yuma.

We dumped our waste holding tanks at The Tropicana before leaving Laughlin late this morning. We made it five days without dumping the black waste tank, which I suspected would be the limit. I was right. We drove south on Needles Highway to Needles, California, then east on Interstate 40 to Arizona Hwy. 95. South on Hwy. 95 to Lake Havasu City where we stopped at Safeway to buy some groceries and have a late lunch.

Upon leaving the Safeway parking lot I made a wrong turn and ... VOILÀ ... all of a sudden I was crossing London Bridge, the only thing of any distinction in Lake Havasu City ! Why would somebody dismantle London Bridge, brick by brick, ship it from London, England to the desert in Arizona, and reconstruct it ? ? ? Some old men just have too much money, n'est-ce pas ?

No, no ... it's not falling down ! It stands proudly in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Betcha most of you didn't know that, didja ?

I made a u-turn after crossing London Bridge, drove back over it, and got onto Hwy. 95 continuing southbound ... through Parker and Quartzsite all the way to Yuma, arriving home about 7 PM, just before it got dark.

Tuesday ; Sunny and very warm during the day, windy and very chilly in the evening.

A busy day, starting to get ready for departure in a week. Worked our final shift of this winter season at Humane Society Of Yuma this afternoon. Went to Wally's World to buy some hardware and screen. Replaced the truck camper's entry door screen that Bo busted a few days in Laughlin < sigh >. Poor Bo, was in a hurry to enter the camper, only saw that the solid entry door was open, didn't notice that the screen door was closed. Jumped up, hit the screen, broke it, fell backwards down onto the pavement. OUCH !

Processed Laughlin trip photos and posted some to my blog in the evening.

Joanne phoned her sister. All seems well so far with ten year old dog adopted a few days ago.

Wednesday ; Sunny, warm, very windy all day, very chilly in the evening.

Too windy to work outdoors much today. Was planning to load stuff into truck storage chest on roof top of camper, but ... couldn't do it on a windy day like this !

Spent the evening working the Humane Society booth at the Yuma County Fair. What a parking fiasco ! Got shuffled from one full parking lot to another until, finally, in desperation, and late for shift, parked at Wal-Mart on Pacific and walked from there. Bit of a slow evening at the Humane Society booth, but ... sold $48 worth of merchandise ; calendars and t-shirts.

Thursday ; Los Algodones, Baja California, Mexico

Sunny and hot.

Around noon we headed for Los Algodones, our last Mexico trip of the season. First stop was TK Beauty Shop for haircuts. Three dollars for me, five dollars for Joanne. Profitable enough at those prices to justify knocking a large hole in the wall and expanding into the neighbouring space previously occupied by a dentist. We had a leisurely, wonderful lunch of pollo asado at our favourite Los Algodones restaurant. Went to Mini Mercado San Valentin across the street and stocked up on Zuko drink mixes. Over to Mega Dulceria Toons a few doors down to stock up on Nugs, Coconugs, and Creminos. Then to Farmacia Phoenix to stock up on some medications. Last stop was Liquis a.k.a. The Purple Store to buy some vanilla for our friend Eilene. Line up to cross back into the United States was about fifteen minutes today. I was "processed" by a shaved head, steroid filled black ... sorry, make that "African American" < rolling my eyes > ... CBP agent who has been watching too many "bad cop" movies. Thought he should flash me some 'tude just because he can. Save it for someone who gives a rat's ass, dude, I'm Canadian !

On the way back home we ran more shopping errands. Harbor Freight for some freebie "guy stuff". HEY ... the coupons said "no purchase necessary" ! Smart & Final for some Liquid Smoke to make candied salmon in the Sun Oven. Fed Ex to pick up a package that they tried to deliver twice while we were away last weekend. Albertsons for some groceries.

Back at Kofa Ko-op we used the remaining couple of hours of daylight to load "stuff" into the truck storage chest on top of the camper's roof. Whole lot easier said than done ! ! ! Went for a walk in the dog park with Bo. Went for a slow, leisurely bicycle ride at sunset.

Friday ; Sunny and very warm.

Headed out to The Foothills late this morning. Dropped Joanne off at Salvation Army Thrift Store then went to Al's RV Service & Supply to buy a few items at monthly 15% off everything sale. Picked up Joanne and headed out of town northbound on Hwy. 95
a few miles to From The Farm to buy a couple of HUGE artichokes ... and a HUGE lemon. Drove back into Yuma Foothills to do some Wal-Martin'. Final stop on the way home was Peanut Patch to buy enough fresh peanut butter to last seven months.

Back home at Kofa Ko-op we worked on getting ready to depart on Tuesday. Joanne loaded stuff from Harvey ( the fifth wheel trailer ) to Elsie ( the truck camper ). I did routine annual maintenance on Harvey before he goes into storage for the next seven months or so in the brutal heat of Yuma's summer.

Saturday ; Sunny and very warm today. Joanne cooked beef stew in the Sun Oven.

Most of the day was spent preparing for departure on Tuesday. Joanne worked on packing and moving stuff from the trailer to the camper. I worked on getting the trailer ready to be moved to the storage yard tomorrow. I worked on cleaning and putting yard furnishings into storage in the Arizona room and shed. Late in the afternoon we gave Bo a bath.

DSK

PHOTOS ; March 23 to 29, 2014 ; Yuma, Arizona to Laughlin, Nevada