March 7, 2005

March 7, 2005

Usery Mountain Park, Mesa, Arizona

Day 262

 

Today was perfect from a weather perspective. The sky was clear. The sun shone brightly. The humidity was low. The desert sun was hot. The cool breeze and altitude up high here in the mountains tempered it.

Joanne's favourite campground was Rondeau Provincial Park in Southwestern Ontario. I think this place is my favourite. Well ... I'm talking favourites on this trip. Nothing can ever supplant Rushing River Provincial Park as my all time favourite.

We got up early this morning, for a few reasons. First of all, we went to bed early, to conserve power, since we were dry camped. Secondly, we had to be at the campground registration station at 8:00 A.M. to see if a site was available for us today. If not there at 8:00 A.M., people on the waiting list for a campsite stay on the waiting list. Thirdly, we need to get back onto a "normal person schedule" to participate in the upcoming rallies, here, and at Escapade in California. We did get a site, to be available by noon. We got the rig ready to move. I took some great pictures in the overflow camping area we were in. We hiked over from the overflow campground to the main campground, to find our site and see if it had been vacated yet. It was empty, so we hiked back to the overflow campground. The scenery / landscape in this park is astounding. We're high on a mountain, in the desert, overlooking Phoenix. Saguaro Cacti are all around us. The wildflowers are blooming. The birds are singing loudly. Spring rains seem to make the desert happy. We drove over to the dump station to dump the holding tanks. We set up in our campsite. I set out the folding chairs. I opened the trailer awning. I hooked Bo up to his chain outside. I poured myself a Diet Cola. I sat down in my chair, put my feet up, and ... ZZZZZ ! ! ! There went the morning !

After lunch, just to balance things out, I took a nap ! HA HA HA ! After Bo and I had a nap, we went on a hike. Around the campground, and into the desert, following a marked hiking trail. Well ... Joanne and I followed the trail. Bo didn't !

I'm typing this at the picnic table in our campsite, as I barbecue supper, and watch the most magnificent sunset. The sun is positioned between two large Saguaros. The Cacti are in silhouette in front of the red horizon. WOW ! A song bird is sitting on the Ocotilla in front of me, singing very loudly at the setting sun.

I really like this part of the Sonoran Desert ! It's much more vivid than the Chihuahuan Desert in West Texas and New Mexico.

DSK

March 6, 2005

March 6, 2005

Casa Grande to Phoenix, Arizona

DAY 261

 

Today was sunny and warm.

I just took Bo out for an evening bathroom walk. What a beautiful vista here. We are dry camped in Usery Mountain Regional Park, in Tonto National Forest, in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. We are high up on the mountain, overlooking the lights of Phoenix below. Within 50 feet of the door of the trailer, there are Saguaro Cacti, Teddy Bear Cholla Cacti, Prickly Pear Cacti, Barrel Cacti, Ocotilla Cacti, and Palo Verde trees. The desert has erupted in bloom. All around are little orange, yellow, and purple wildflowers and blossoms and blooms, thanks to the recent rains. Apparently the desert only blooms like this once every few years, when the spring rains are just right. The right amount of rain at the right time. We're fortunate to be here at this time to see it.

We left RoVers Roost RV Park this morning. South on Montgomery Road to I-8, east on I-8 for a few miles to I-10, northwest on I-10 to exit 160, and east off the Interstate into the Phoenix suburb of Chandler. I wanted to drop into Kokopelli Winery in Chandler. They were advertising a special event this weekend. Wine tastings, blues and jazz music, Creole and Cajun foods. What could be better than some crawfish, washed down with some excellent Arizona wine, while listening to some Mississippi Delta Blues ? On the way through Chandler, we saw a Petco in a strip mall. We needed some pet supplies that are not available at Wal-Mart, so I wrangled the rig into this strip mall parking lot, and we went shopping ... with Bo. We needed to fit him with a muzzle, so he came along into the store with us. WOO-HOO ... Bo goes shopping. He liked it. We found the winery in “historic downtown” Chandler. We were expecting a winery adjacent to a vineyard, like the wineries / vineyards in the Niagara-On-The-Lake region. This was a retail winery outlet and restaurant. Their vineyard was 20 miles away. Their wines were very good. Their tasting portions were very generous. The tastings / admission fee of $7.00 allowed 6 tastings. The man pouring the samples was pouring a glassful for each sample. It’s a tad difficult to drive Dee-Dee and Harvey after six glasses of different wines ! The music group entertaining while we were there was a jazz group. I’m not much of a jazz fan. However, after six glasses of wine, even the jazz started to sound okay. For lunch, I had crawfish tails in a creamy white sauce, on bow tie pasta. Very, very nice ! After lunch, we had to go walk around “historic downtown” Chandler for awhile, to wear off the effects of all that wine tasting.

Through Chandler, through Gilbert, and through Mesa, all suburbs of Phoenix, to Usery Mountain on the northeast side of the city. The campground is full, so we are in the overflow area. Actually, the overflow area is full, so we are in the overflow overflow area.. I’m not sure if we’ll stay tomorrow, or leave and return in a few days. This is where the Escapees Alberta Roamers Chapter 44 Winter Rally is, starting in a few days. We’re here a couple of days early.

DSK

March 5, 2005

March 5, 2005

Casa Grande, Arizona

DAY 260

 

Today was one of those days where the weather changed on about an hourly basis. During the night, it rained. When it rains in the desert, it's usually not a peaceful, gentle rain. It's usually accompanied by a violent thunderstorm, with high winds and lightning. Last night was no exception. Bo is afraid of those kinds of storms. We think it's from having lived through Hurricane Ivan. Something else about desert storms. After an overnight rain ... the desert changes from brown to green ... and it blooms ! Little brightly coloured flowers all over, both on the ground cover and on the cacti. All the dried, brown ground cover turns green. It's quite amazing.

We slept late again, and after morning chores, we left for Casa Grande. First stop was Dave White Park & Golf Course, a municipal park in the northwest corner of Casa Grande, where the 27th Annual Arizona State Open Chili Competition was being held. Whooo ! They sure do take their chili seriously down here. We walked around the park from about noon to about 2:30 P.M., sampling many of the competitors' entries. During that time, the sun was shining, and it was warm. A "classic rock" band was playing in the park. There was an area of vendors' booths, selling all kinds of things. We both really liked the golf cart modified and customized to look like a miniature antique truck. Regular $18,000, today only $16,000 ! That says something about the demographics of this area, doesn't it ? Lots of affluent, old people with money to spend on hot rod golf carts to drive either around the golf links, or the RV park ! There was an antique and classic car exhibition. Nice '58 Rambler ! What a great afternoon. We cast our "best chili" votes for the Palm Creek RV and Golf Resort. What a grand effort by this large group from a very large RV park. We checked our camping directory later to find out that this resort has 1600 sites, which would put the population of this RV resort at over 3000 people. No wonder they had so many people involved in this chili competition. There were probably a dozen or so people dressed in chili pepper costumes hawking their booth, and passing out home made cookies that were shaped and coloured like chili peppers. They had much more chili available for sampling than any other competitor, and they were more generous with their sampling portions than the other competitors. Most importantly, their chili was the best !

About 2:30 we left Dave White Park & Golf Course, and headed for Casa Grande Municipal Airport, and the 47th Annual Cactus Antique Aircraft Fly-In. We were walking around looking at old airplanes when suddenly another storm blew in. From the time the dark, ominous looking clouds first appeared, until the rain and hail started, was about 20 minutes. Heavy rain, strong winds, and hail, brought the air show to an abrupt halt. Most people went inside the small airport. We walked in the storm back to where the truck was parked. We drove back into the city, heading for Wal-Mart to buy some groceries before we leave tomorrow. The streets were flooded ! They don't design their streets here to allow for rain water to drain. I guess they don't get enough rain to justify it. The traffic was moving slowly, because all the streets were like rivers. Even after we came out of the Wal-Mart, and the rain had stopped about an hour earlier, the streets were still flooded.

As I type this late in the evening, the rain has begun again. I wonder if these rains signal the beginning of spring in the desert ?

By the way, the cactus that jumped out and bit me the other day in Saguaro National Park was a Teddy Bear Cholla Cactus, also known as a Jumping Cactus. HMPH ... with good reason !

DSK

March 4, 2005

March 4, 2005

Casa Grande to Coolidge, Arizona & return

DAY 259

 

Another sunny, very warm day.

Another lazy, late start to the day. Hey ... why not ? I puttered around this morning with routine preventive maintenance, then read the paper while Joanne did some laundry. We had an early lunch, then set off for Casa Grande Ruins National Monument in Coolidge, about 20 miles away. North on Montgomery Road to Hwy. 84 / Gila Bend Highway, then east into Casa Grande. We stopped at the Tourist Information Centre at the Chamber Of Commerce in Casa Grande to pick up some information on local tourist attractions. Then through town, and onto Hwy. 287 east, then north on Hwy. 87 to the town of Coolidge, where the Casa Grande Ruins are.

At the intersection of Montgomery Road and Gila Bend Highway, just a mile or two from RoVers Roost SKP Park is a luxury hotel and golf resort. It's just the sort of place our friends Sep and Susanna Liang from Kingston, Ontario would enjoy. I’m going to invite them to fly down to nearby Phoenix, and meet us here for a winter holiday next year. They can stay in the sort of upscale resort that Sep favours, while we stay nearby, here at RoVers Roost.

The Casa Grande Ruins are the remains of a Hohokam Indian village from the 1300's. They are an interesting, and significant, archaeological exhibition. Archaeology isn't really my “cup of tea”, however. To me, the most interesting thing was the Great Horned Owl sitting on top of the Casa Grande. Casa Grande translates from Spanish as Big House. The most significant archaeological component is, of course, the “big house”.

On the way back, our first stop was at a road side produce stand, where we stocked up on fresh local fruits and vegetables. Then we stopped at the Pinal County Fairgrounds to check out the huge Samboree RV Rally that’s going on there right now. Samborees are the RV rallies conducted / hosted by the Good Sam RV Club. We’re members of that club, but nowhere near as involved as we are with the Escapees RV Club. We wanted to take the opportunity to see what a Samboree was all about, since we were going to be near one. I had wanted to attend, but Joanne did not want to attend three rallies, one after another. From here we are going to attend the Escapees Alberta Roamers Chapter 44 Winter Rally at Mesa, Arizona, then on to Escapees Spring “Escapade” National Rally in Imperial, California.

After stopping at the fairgrounds, and walking around the Samboree site, we drove back into the city of Casa Grande, and through the city to their municipal airport. I wanted to find the airport, and judge whether or not I wanted to attend the second and final day of the 47th Annual Cactus Antique Aircraft Fly-In tomorrow. Probably ! After we attend the 27th Annual Arizona State Open Chili Championship. From the airport, back into the city to find Lupita’s Mexican Restaurant. We had seen an ad for this restaurant, and Joanne wanted to go. It’s only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. It’s owned by a woman named Lupita. All food is cooked by Lupita. No menu, just a buffet. All plates, cutlery, glasses, etc. are disposable. The greeter is Lupita’s son, about 10 years old. The waiter is another son of Lupita’s, about 12 or 13 years old. The Mexican food, and ambience, doesn’t get any more authentic than this. It was like sitting in on a big Mexican family dinner. Lupita keeps coming out from the kitchen to chat with the diners. Except for us Canadian gringos, all the other patrons seemed to be family or friends of Lupita’s. We returned to the trailer over stuffed a bit with Mexican food. Waiting for us were a starving cat and dog. Geez, guys, your supper is only an hour late !

Now our pets have pets ! ! ! Bo refuses to come to sleep without having his duck faced retrieving dummy ( Ducky ) in bed with him. When I climbed into bed, I tossed Ducky off the bed. Indignantly, Bo jumped off the bed, picked up Ducky, and jumped back onto the bed. I tossed Ducky down again. Bo brought him up again. Fine ! Sleep with your freakin’ Ducky !

DSK

March 3, 2005

March 3, 2004

RoVers Roost SKP Park, Casa Grande, Arizona

DAY 258

 

Today was sunny and very warm. The afternoon sun out here in the Sonoran Desert is hot !

We got a late, lazy start to the day. We often sleep in late on days when we're not travelling. We had a nice breakfast, enjoyed some sunshine, read today's newspaper, and firmed up our travel plans for March. We gave Bo a bit of a hair trim on his face. We couldn't see his eyes any more because of the long cascading hair on his face and head. The haircut didn't go particularly well <snicker >. Now we call him Funny Face Bo. I spent an entire long afternoon, and part of the evening, reviewing, sorting, and taking action on January's mail, which we just received when we got here. Dealing with a whole month's worth of mail all at once takes a long time. Much of tomorrow will also be taken up with taking action on the incoming mail. This evening I went to the club house, got online, retrieved e-mail, updated my blog, and retrieved updated investment data, which I'll work on tomorrow as well. Sometimes I seem awfully busy for an unemployed guy. After supper we watched The Apprentice on TV. Goodbye, Audrey.

When I walked Bo late in the evening I couldn't help but notice what a nice warm night it was, and how bright the stars are. We've noticed before how bright the stars are out here in the desert. I wonder if that's got something to do with how many scientific observatories seem to be located here in the desert areas. Does the low humidity, and absence of air pollution, make for clearer night skies ? Bo is happier here than in the last few places we were at. The ground has changed from gravel, with Goat’s Head Cactus needle clusters all over, to smooth, clean, hard packed sand.

DSK

March 2, 2005

March 2, 2005

Tucson to Casa Grande, Arizona

DAY 257

 

Today was sunny and very warm.

We left El Molino RV Park in Tucson this morning. What a dump. One of those places that gives meaning to the term "trailer trash". A muddy park full of old mobile homes, parked close together, with a few empty spots used for RV's. Each mobile home seemed to be inhabited by at least 3 generations of Hispanics / Mexicans, each trailer with at least 2 pre-school children.

We headed northwest on I-10. Every mountain we passed was covered in Saguaro Cacti, but only the mountain slopes. Either Saguaro don't grow on the plains, or the flat lands have all been cleared. Shortly out of Tucson we passed the Pinal Air Park, where airlines from all over the world store their surplus airplanes in the warm and dry desert. WOW ! What a lot of huge airplanes just sitting out there in the desert. We stopped at flying J in Eloy for diesel. Flying J was selling diesel for 10¢ a gallon less than the other stations, and the line up at each of the many diesel pumps was 3 deep with RV's and commercial trucks. A long wait for fuel ! After filling up, we continued on I-10 to I-8, then a few miles on I-8 to exit 167. A mile on Montgomery Road, and here we are at RoVers Roost SKP Co-op RV Park. This was the first SKP Co-op. We checked in, set up, had lunch, and then while I napped for a while, Joanne picked up the mail that was waiting for us here. We had our January mail sent here for us by my sister in Lorette and my cousin in Thunder Bay. The mail office here phoned us a couple of days ago to chastise us for having mail sent here without advising them in advance. I had advised them by e-mail, but apparently they recently changed Internet Service Providers and did not receive my e-mail.

At 3:30 I went to social hour. One of the new arrivals today, in addition to us, was a couple we had met at C.A.R.E. while the woman was there as a participant, recuperating from having both knees replaced. After social hour I puttered around with some cleaning and maintenance projects. I fabricated and installed a heat shield that I designed for our portable propane heater using a roof vent insulated solar shield I bought at Camping World the other day. Then I made a new "bowl within a bowl" water dish for Teddy and Bo. Joanne had made one shortly after we began travelling, using a small pet dish and a Frisbee. I made a larger version today. We need a larger water dish, and larger "spill pan" to accommodate Bo and his sloppy drinking. What a dog !

This evening, I read for awhile, and worked on the photos I took yesterday in Saguaro National Park. I think they're stunning. Late in the evening I went to the club house to get online and update my blog, but apparently this is one of those retirement communities that rolls up the sidewalks at 8:00 P.M..

DSK

March 1, 2005

March 1, 2005

Huachuca City to Tucson, Arizona

DAY 256

 

Today was sunny and warm.

We left Huachuca City this morning heading north on Hwy. 90, to Interstate 10, then west on I-10 to Tucson. At I-10 exit 264 in Tucson we got off to shop at Camping World. After buying a few items we needed at Camping World, we were back onto I-10 to exit 255. At exit 255 we got off for an RV Park we had picked out, El Molino. We checked into El Molino, unhitched, had lunch, then headed out for Saguaro National Park. As we were approaching Tucson, we began to see Saguaro Cacti here and there in the desert. The Saguaro Cactus is the quintessential desert. It's what people think of when they think of the desert. They're the tall cacti, often with "arms" out at the sides. Think of the character Spike in the comic strip Peanuts.

WOW ! ! ! As we passed out of the west side of Tucson, via Gates Pass Road, we began to see "forests" of Saguaros. Tucson is surrounded by mountains on all 4 sides of the city. The mountains are covered in Saguaros. On the west side, where we went, first we passed through Tucson Mountain Park, a municipal park, I think, then we were into Saguaro National Park. We drove the six mile gravel scenic loop road through the park.

We were amazed at the size of the Saguaro Cacti. They are often 25 feet tall ! Out first photo stop was to take a picture of Joanne standing with Bo in front of a tall Saguaro, to give perspective. As I was snapping the picture of Joanne standing in front of the Saguaro with Bo in her arms, Bo leaned over to sniff a nearby cactus. Joanne leaned away just as he was about to get cactus needles in his nose. I took the photo, then as I was walking back towards them ... OW OW OW OW OW ! ! ! I brushed up against a cactus with multiple "arms". At the end of each arm was a lemon sized ball filled with unbelievably sharp, barbed needles. Just brushing against it broke one of these lemon sized balls off, with the needles piercing my jeans, and embedding a bunch of the barbed needles into my knee. OW OW OW OW OW ! ! ! I tried to pull my pant leg away from my leg, and the pain was severe ! I gently grabbed some of the needles on the ball, and slowly pulled it away from my pant leg. The needles poking through my pant leg and into my knee broke off, and the ball embedded into my hand. OW OW OW OW OW ! ! ! We walked back to the truck with me hobbling with a knee full of needles, and this cactus ball embedded against my hand. I shook my arm hard, and the ball broke off, leaving about half a dozen barbed needles in my hand. I pulled the needles out of my hand, and out of my knee. OW OW OW OW OW ! ! ! Each little needle hole bled profusely, itched, and swelled. They bled, itched, and stayed swollen for about half an hour.

As we drove through Saguaro National Park, stopping frequently to take pictures, I decided to touch of these needled balls wearing leather work gloves. I touched it, and the ball immediately broke off the plant, with the needles imbedded into the leather. I shook my hand, but it wouldn't break off. I asked Joanne to try to gently hold one of the needles, while I pulled my hand away, to break the ball off my glove. Oh, it broke away all right. And immediately embedded into Joanne's hand. Ooooops ! Seemed like a good idea at the time.

After driving all the way around the scenic loop through the park, we made our way to a Wal-Mart where we replenished groceries. Then back to the trailer at El Molino, for a late supper, and the first episode of a new Amazing Race. WOO-HOO !

DSK