This morning we returned to the storage yard to complete some last minute / forgotten summerization tasks on the fifth wheel trailer. And we trimmed Bo's claws.
We spent the afternoon putting away all our outdoor patio furniture into the Arizona room, and closing up the Arizona room. We covered everything in the Arizona room with old sheets to keep it all sand / dust free. And the final job, the one I really dislike, installing all the vinyl panel snap on walls on the exterior of the Arizona room.
I back flushed the truck camper's waste holding tanks. Late in the afternoon we went to Albertsons for some last minute grocery shopping. Not too much groceries, we need to leave fridge and freezer room for Trader Joe's stuff. WOO-HOO ... Trader Joe's shopping in Palm Springs in a couple of days. HA HA HA !
For the last few days Bo has been anticipating our departure, based on seeing our preparations. This afternoon when we left to go to Albertsons, he was convinced that we were "on the road again". He was SOOOOO excited ! When we returned to Kofa Ko-op after grocery shopping he was like ... "HEY ! ! ! What a rip off !" HA HA HA ! Tomorrow, Bo !
At 6 PM we went to the clubhouse for the final ice cream social of the season. At 7 PM we walked Bo around the dog park for the last time this season. WOW ... still daylight at 7 PM ! After supper I worked online, finishing up some financial matters before we travel and posting my weekly journal to my blog.
Monday ; Yuma, Arizona to Palm Springs, California
Sunny and very warm in the morning in Yuma. Extremely windy while driving in the afternoon. Warm and windy in Palm Springs in the evening.
Just before we left Kofa Ko-op I received a telephone call from a man in Osoyoos who wants a trailer moved in a month. WOO-HOO ! My first trailer towing job of the summer.
We spent the morning doing our final departure preparations and left Kofa Ko-op about 11:30 AM as planned. For the next ten days or so we will be travelling with our friends from Kamloops, BC, Laszlo and Gail and their dog DeeOJee the Pit Bull. For most of that time we will be introducing Laszlo and Gail to new experiences for them, favourite old experiences of ours.
We headed west out of Yuma on Interstate 8 crossing over the Colorado River into California. About an hour into California we stopped for lunch in Holtville. AHHHHHH ... Holtville Taco Shop’s huge, wonderful burritos. Best burritos we’ve ever had, better even than any we’ve had in Mexico. Carne Asada for me, “Californian” ( with fries inside the burrito ... HA HA HA ) for Joanne, Machaca ( con arroz y frijoles ) for Laszlo, and El Pastor for Gail. Piña to drink for Joanne, Horchatta to drink for me. By the time we finished lunch and were walking back to our rigs in the parking lot across the street, three out of four of us were ready for a siesta. HA HA HA !
No time to nap just yet ! We drove on country back roads mostly north, a bit west, through horrific winds and sand storms to the southeast tip of the Salton Sea and the scruffy little village of Niland. In Niland we turned east for a few miles to the very odd community known as Slab City. All full time RV’ers want to visit Slab City. It’s one of the “must visit” Mecca type places for full time RV’ers. During the Second World War there was a military base there. All that remains are the concrete slabs of the many buildings that were there. Hence “Slab City”. It is now a community of RV’ers, some year round, some winter only, billed as “the last place to live free in America”.
Yeah ... right ! If you’re into that anarchy sort of thing. It is a community of hippies and homeless and religious fanatics and survivalists and every sort of nut job and weirdo you could possibly imagine. It’s filthy ! Garbage and broken glass everywhere. I don’t even feel it’s safe to walk the dog anywhere around there for all the broken glass on the ground. BUT ... yes, yes, they all live there without any “government interference” ...
< rolling my eyes >.
We stopped at “Salvation Mountain” ( go ahead ... Google it ! ) which marks the entrance to Slab City. We sent Laszlo and Gail on to explore the area and I went to take a nap in our camper. They were back within a half hour. They had seen enough. Time for them to nap as well ! HA HA HA !
We left Slab City and drove northward along the eastern shore of the Salton Sea and then west over the northern shore until reaching Hwy. 86 south of Palm Springs. North on Hwy. 86 until we arrived at Spotlight 29 Casino at the intersection of Hwy. 86 and Interstate 10 marking the eastern edge of the Palm Springs urban area ... technically in Indio ... about 6:30 PM. We parked in Spotlight 29’s RV parking area, walked Bo and DeeOJee, then went inside the casino to explore a bit. After a bit of wandering around we left Laszlo and Gail inside the casino playing slot machines and we returned to our camper for a late, very light supper.
Tuesday ; What a great day in Palm Springs. Strange weather though ; sunny, cloudy, warm, chilly, windy.
This morning we left Spotlight 29 Casino, Laszlo, Gail, and DeeOJee with us in our truck. Before getting onto the freeway I dumped our grey waste tank in the desert and refilled with freshwater at the TA Travel Center. We headed west on Interstate 10, then north on Palm Drive into Desert Hot Springs. We stopped at Auto Zone and Laszlo bought two air filters for his truck. Next stop was Glossy, the women's bathing suit store that is the only place where Joanne buys bathing suits. Today she bought three. While Joanne and Gail shopped for bathing suits Laszlo and I walked the dogs. After Glossy we walked down the street to shop at Angel View, a thrift store. Gail bought three tops / blouses / sweaters. I fell in love with a roll top desk that cost only sixty dollars.
< whispering > I really would like to have it ! < sniffle >
We had lunch at Del Taco before leaving Desert Hot Springs. We took Laszlo and Gail on a brief tour of the two RV parks in Desert Hot Springs that we recommend, should they ever return to the Palm Springs area, which seems likely after the great day we all had today. We drove across Interstate 10, from Desert Hot Springs on the north side of the freeway, to Palm Springs on the south side.
We drove through downtown Palm Springs and went to Revivals, our favourite thrift store. Run by a gay men's organization, it is oxymoronic to call this a thrift store. Today we saw a Baby Grand Piano on sale there ... the third time we have seen a Baby Grand Piano for sale there ! And today there also was ... wait for it ... a dental chair for sale. HA HA HA ! I bought a lovely, soft, cardigan sweater. Laszlo bought a very nice windbreaker jacket. And Gail really scored, buying two brand new dresses that still bore the retail price stickers of $70 each, paying $8.75 for each of them.
Next stop was the Palm Springs dog park. We spent quite awhile there, Bo and DeeOJee romping and visiting happily with all the other dogs. Around 5 PM it suddenly became quite chilly, so we left. It seemed a bit too early to go for supper so we went looking for a grocery store, finding a Stater Bros where we bought a few items. On the way from the grocery store to the restaurant we stopped at a panaderia ...
WOO-HOO ... and bought some pan dulce / Mexican pastries for breakfasts.
Finally ... AHHHHH ... we arrived at Sherman's Deli, the highlight for me of each Palm Springs visit. Our waitress was a complete ****wit, screwing up our orders and our bills afterwards. The food at Sherman's Deli is SOOOOO good ... how good is it, you might ask ... that her screw ups didn't matter. HA HA HA ! How's that for mellow on my part ? ! ? HA HA HA ! As we drove back through downtown Palm Springs we stopped for a few minutes at a classic car dealership so that Laszlo and I could salivate over the cars displayed in their showroom window. I wanted the Aston Martin ( like James Bond's ). Laszlo wanted the Triumph TR7.
We arrived back "home" at Spotlight 29 Casino about 9 PM.
Wednesday ; Palm Springs, California to Quartzsite, Arizona
Sunny and warm.
This morning we all went in our truck to Trader Joe's in La Quinta, an eastern "suburb" of Palm Springs. As usual at Trader Joe's, we spent almost a hundred dollars on impulse purchases of gourmet / exotic food stuff. Laszlo and Gail spent quite a bit less than us. I guess spending money foolishly at Trader Joe's is an acquired skill. HA HA HA ! We returned to Spotlight 29 Casino, had lunch and prepared for departure.
We bought diesel, dumped our grey waste tank and refilled our freshwater tank before leaving Palm Springs. Laszlo refilled his truck with diesel and his generator with fuel. Around 2 PM we were headed east out of Palm Springs on Interstate 10. The desert is in bloom. The Ocotillo are all filled with bright green little leaves and brilliant red flowers on top. The Barrel Cacti have a bright red hue to them. After crossing back into Arizona we stopped at a rest area for ... a brief rest, of course. When we arrived in Quartzsite we turned north on Hwy. 95 and drove a few miles to the High Jolly Camping Area on BLM land.
The BLM camping areas in the desert all around Quartzsite are almost deserted this late in the season. We found our way to a pleasant area to boondock overnight, with a good rock fire pit, and no other campers nearby. We got set up, rested, wandered around exploring the desert and arroyo behind us. I flew my Canadian flag kite for awhile. As my kite rose, Gail started and I joined her in a loud rendition of "Oh Canada", our national anthem. Around 6:30 PM I built a campfire. Around 8 PM Gail made a grilled / warm salad and we all roasted wieners for supper. We had a very pleasant warm evening sitting around the campfire chatting and stargazing until 10 PM.
Thursday ; Quartzsite, Arizona to Laughlin, Nevada
Sunny and warm, a lovely day.
We had a slow start to the day, leaving our Quartzsite boondocking spot at 11 AM, heading north on Hwy. 95. We arrived in Lake Havasu City around 1 PM, parked in a waterfront park parking lot, walked the dogs and had lunch. Laszlo and Gail climbed into our truck and I drove us over to London Bridge. Yes, yes ... that London Bridge. And no, no ... it's not falling down. It was dismantled, shipped brick by brick, and rebuilt in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. HA HA HA ... I kid you not ! And viewing it and walking across it was on Laszlo's "bucket list". So ... cross that one off, pal ! HA HA HA !
We left Lake Havasu City around 2:30 PM, continuing north on Hwy. 95 to Interstate 40, then west on I-40 to the Arizona / California border. We followed Historic Route 66 on the Arizona side of the Colorado River to Hwy. 95 ( again ) leading north ( again ) to Bullhead City. We refilled with diesel ( both trucks ) and crossed the Colorado River into Nevada at the Avi Casino a bit south of Laughlin. We drove to the north side of Laughlin and checked into the Riverside Casino RV Park, arriving around 5 PM.
At 7 PM we drove back to the Avi Casino for buffet dinner. WOO-HOO ! Two For One Thursdays ! We listened to a blues band in the bar for a few minutes then went to the Native Harvest Buffet and ... ate and ate and ate ! Laszlo and Gail joined the Avi Casino's Player's Club, and used their new member's "free play" to win enough to pay for their buffet dinner ... with about four bucks left over. WOO-HOO ! What a successful day ! HA HA HA !
Friday ; Laughlin, Nevada, Bullhead City, Oatman, and Kingman, Arizona
We got a leisurely start to the day, leaving the Riverside Casino RV Park at 11 AM in Laszlo's and Gail's truck heading to Oatman, Arizona. Oatman is an "Old West" mining "ghost" town, restored for tourism, noted for the wild burros that freely roam its streets. We crossed the Colorado River from Laughlin, Nevada back into Bullhead City, Arizona, then drove south all the way through Bullhead City and beyond, then east to Oatman. We wandered around for an hour or two, taking photographs, meeting burros, browsing and shopping for souvenirs. Before leaving Oatman we ate the picnic lunches we had brought.
Laszlo wanted to drive the very winding "back road" route from Oatman to Kingman, so ... off we went ! The desert vistas were spectacular, with lots of brilliant coloured blooms in the Mojave Deesert. We stopped frequently to wander around and take photos ... of blooming Barrel Cacti and Prickly Pear Cacti and Yuccas and Cholla Cacti and ... ! We reached Kingman, drove around the little city, then drove back to Bullhead City, Arizona and across the Colorado River again to Laughlin, Nevada.
We walked the dogs, then went to explore the Riverside Casino, whose RV park we are staying in. Our RV park stay includes some meal vouchers for the Riverside Casino Buffet Restaurant. We wandered around the casino for an hour or so, Laszlo and Gail joined the Player's Club, then we went to the restaurant for dinner. While lined up to enter the restaurant we saw a woman Joanne and I know in the line a few people behind us. Karla was a recent visitor to Kofa Ko-op. We were the Welcome Committee when she arrived, so that's how we met her. For quite a few days of her stay at Kofa Ko-op she and her dog Mia joined us on our daily pack walks. She is a single woman and was planning to dine alone in the restaurant. We invited her to join us and she accepted.
Dinner was excellent. Friday night in the Riverside Casino Buffet Restaurant is Seafood Feast Night ! MMMMM ! ! ! We ate and talked and ate and talked and ate and talked and ... ! HA HA HA ! After dinner Karla left to return "home" to the RV park. Laszlo and Gail played slot machines with the "free play" money received when they joined the Player's Club, and once again won just enough money to pay for supper and have a few bucks left over. HA HA HA ... two nights in a row ! The four of us wandered around exploring the casino for awhile longer before catching the shuttle bus back to the RV park across the street, arriving back at our rigs about 10 PM.
Saturday ; Sunny and hot.
We had a slow morning. Today was a bit of a "rest and chores" day. After an early lunch we all got into Laszlo's and Gail's truck and headed out. They dropped me off down the street at the Tropicana, and they ( including Joanne ) continued on to do some shopping for groceries at Safeway in Bullhead City. I found a quiet corner table in a small fast food restaurant inside the Tropicana, connected to the casino's free Wi-Fi, and spent two and a half hours trying to get some online work done. In that time,
I accomplished perhaps fifteen minutes of productive work ! The Wi-Fi was terrible !
< sigh > Story of my travelling life ! ! !
I met Joanne, Laszlo and Gail in the Tropicana's parking lot and we spent an hour or so in the hot sunlight viewing the 1955 / 56 / 57 Chevrolets car show displayed in an adjacent parking lot. We returned to the Riverside Casino RV Park about 4:30 PM. Joanne and I gave Bo a bath. My goodness, what a dirty little dog. I phoned a Similkameen Trailer Towing client with a quote and secured a trailer towing job in a few weeks. At 6:15 PM the four of us walked slowly downhill through the RV park to the Riverside Casino and their buffet restaurant ... again ! HA HA HA ! We ate and ate and ate ... of course ... and chatted until after 8 PM. We waddled across the casino and upstairs to the car museum where we wandered around looking at antique and classic cars ... yes, yes, again. We waddled and farted our way across the casino, past the open doors of the concert venue where Sheena Easton was performing, over to the RV park shuttle bus stop, caught the little shuttle bus, and were "home" at our rigs by 9:30 PM.
Oh, boy ... only thirteen and a half hours until our next buffet meal. HA HA HA
< SNORT > HA HA !
DSK
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