January 20, 2021 Somerton and San Luis

Arizona West RV Park Day 7

Happy Birthday Debbie!! We hope that you enjoyed your day!

It began to rain at around 11:30 last night.  It rained most of the night with a couple of very strong thunderstorms.  I could see the lightning through my closed eyelids and the thunder was extraordinarily loud.  I took my time with my morning coffee, waiting for the rain to stop.  For my walk, I did laps around the campground, fearful that if I went any further, I would get caught in a downpour.  I had done 1 ½ miles when the rain began again. 

It was a perfect morning to do a couple of loads of laundry and to work on taxes.

We left at 1 this afternoon and drove to the nearby town of Somerton for lunch.  On the way, we passed lots of citrus groves, lemons and oranges, some already harvested and some with branches heavy with bright ripe fruit.

There were also miles of lettuce fields.

Many of the Somerton restaurants that were listed in Maps were shut down.  We stumbled on a little place called Cielito Lindo Birrieria.  Her specialty was Birria, a Mexican-style shredded beef.  We got the breakfast burritos.  Tim was brave enough to use the chili sauce.  I liked mine just fine without it!

We drove from there to the border town of San Luis.  The new/improved border wall.

We went back to the RV to rest for a while.  Then at around 5 this evening, I went out to finish my walking.  I had just gotten to the dead-end road beside the campground, about

1 ½ miles away, when the rain began again.  I got a little wet.  As I am writing, it continues to rain.  Yuma already had about an inch at noon today.  There were flashflood warnings and while we were out there were several places where there was deep water on the road.  The most recent rainfall in Yuma was on December 10^th.  Prior to that, Yuma had 242 consecutive days without rain.

January 19, 2021 Imperial Dam Recreation Area

Arizona West RV Park Day 6

As I walked, the day began with grey skies and scattered raindrops.

Today’s adventure took us to the Imperial Dam Recreation Area.  We started at West Pond.  We made a snack of a date bar that we purchased yesterday at the date farm.  It was oaty and buttery and filled with sweet dates…so tasty!

There was a pair of white pelicans resting on the rocks with some cormorants.

We took the gravel road past the dispersed camping area. 

Trails wound all over the place up and over the foothills.  The views were incredible as we climbed to higher elevations.

We found this pet cemetery.

Our lunch spot.  Tim climbed down the steep slope and stood at the edge of the gully below.  The gully reached another 20 feet into the earth.

We were loving the scenery and wanted our ride to last longer and so we took Forest Road 800.  We were so glad that we did.

We spotted two feral burros on the ridge.  They moved away from the road as we approached, wary of us, but didn’t run and so we got to get pictures.

View from the top of the hill. The Colorado River from the California side.

It was a good day.  The forecasted rain never materialized and the clouds made for dramatic images.  It is supposed to rain overnight and into tomorrow, perhaps as much as 2 inches.  People who live here look forward to the rain…us…not so much!

January 18, 2021 Naked Date

Arizona West RV Park Day 5

After our morning exercise, we headed out to do a couple of errands. We wanted to get solar panels to use when we are dry camping in lieu of always using the generator to keep our house batteries charged. We went to Wally’s World first. None of the salespeople were wearing masks. COVID numbers are especially high in Arizona…we elected not to stay…we walked out! We stopped at RV World and there too the salespeople are not required to wear masks…It is very disheartening! Why do people refuse to be part of the solution and instead perpetuate the problem. Needless to say, we didn’t even go inside after talking to the guy in the parking lot.

Our next errand was successful. We went to a small bike shop on Main Street in downtown Yuma. Everyone was wearing masks. Tim stayed while the bike man fixed his tire. There were 2 cactus spines in it…a real hazard everywhere here!

We decided to take a drive to the nearby town of Wellton. On the way we passed through a border patrol checkpoint.

Over the mountains.

Into the desert.

There is an organic date farm there that sells all manner of date products and they also serve lunch. I chose an adult grilled cheese sandwich with date jam, garlic, bacon, and cheese on sourdough bread. It was outstanding! Tim had a chicken pesto flatbread and he also enjoyed his meal. We sat outside on the big porch all by ourselves. One of the best things about this place is its remote location in the desert.

Bougainvillea or more commonly called paperflowers.

We saw this gila woodpecker working on a dead branch. If you look closely at the first picture, you can see a bit of orange. It is actually a grub, which the woodpecker enjoyed for his lunch!

The date orchard.

Old tractors.

Old truck.

What a cool place to spend time!

We went on a Jeep ride through the desert. The property abutted the Barry Goldwater Airforce Range.

We crossed over 8W and went north toward the foothills, passing farmfields with of all kinds of cruciferous vegetables…cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage…the air smelled like brussel sprouts until we passed the onion field…then the air was pungently oniony.

Tim drove up into the hills. The sky was blue and the scenery was gorgeous.

It was a great afternoon. We returned to the RV and then around sunset, I took a walk. I should have timed it a little bit differently. The sky was a brilliant orange a short time later. The clouds are moving in. Over the next several days, there is actually a chance for rain here…we shall see…

Feel better Mom. You are in our thoughts and prayers today and everyday!

January 17, 2021 East Canal Linear Park

Arizona West RV Park Day 4

Another nice quiet walk on neighborhood streets began my day.

In late morning, we packed a lunch and drove the Jeep with our bikes to Caballero Park.  We took the East Canal Trail all the way to West Wetlands Park.  It was a little more than 5 miles with a headwind. 

We saw this roadrunner right away.

We saw some coots and these redhead ducks.

We had our lunch along the river. 

We saw an active bee nest in the tree next to our bench.

We were excited to head back.  We knew that we would be riding downhill and the wind would be behind us, pushing us along. 

I was really enjoying the ride, I hardly had to pedal…but when I said the same to Tim, he replied that he might have a flat tire…we were almost 5 miles from the Jeep.

He was able to nurse the bike along as the tire slowly lost more air.  Finally, it was time to stop.  Tim took my bike back to the car and I waited for him to rescue us…the bike and me!

Tim spent the rest of the day watching football.  I talked with family and did a few chores.  Tomorrow, we need to find a bike shop!

January 16, 2021 Go Ravens!

Arizona West RV Park Day 3

 I talked to both Mom and Kyle on my morning walk…what a pleasant way to begin the day!

There are usually tons of snowbirds here in Yuma.   Yuma is the sunniest city in the United States.  The sun shines 93% of the time.  Normally, there are lots of festivals and live music but this year it is very quiet.  Large number of Canadians come here for the winter.  This year, only 4 Canadian families are staying in this RV park.  There are many empty spaces.

Today, we took a bike ride in the neighborhoods surrounding the campground.  There are a lot of wide-open spaces that look like they will eventually be developed. 

There are several communities with one story adobe style houses and tile roofs.   

The afternoon was spent getting a curbside pickup grocery order and working on files and taxes.  Just a normal day.

This evening, the Ravens are playing in a Division Playoff Game against the Bills.  It is nice to have cable television so that Tim can watch!

January 15, 2021West Wetlands Park

Arizona West RV Park Day 2

My walk every morning is going to look a little different for the next week or so…walks around the block here at the RV park.

We got sheets and towels washed this morning and then took our lunch and headed to West Wetlands Park for a bike ride.  The trail runs along the Colorado River.

We had a nice tailwind on the way and then we were up against the wind on the way back…but it was a beautiful day to be outside and I am NOT complaining! It was 82 degrees with 9% humidity.

We rode over the berm and cycled around the athletic park.

We passed these celery fields.  At first, I was not sure what was growing here.  I have never seen celery outside of the grocery store! The workers were cutting and trimming the celery. Then it is washed and packaged directly in the field and then sent to Yuma to be shipped across the country.

We enjoyed a light lunch in a park and then rode along the water back to the Jeep.

This evening, we ordered salads from Prison Hill Brewery.  We took our dinner to a courtyard near downtown Yuma. Tim got a growler of chocolate porter.  He hadn’t had beer in months and he really seemed to enjoy it! 

As we were enjoying a second beverage, we saw a falling star drifting slowly from the heavens…it was lovely!

January 14, 2021 Yuma

Arizona West RV Park Yuma, Arizona

It was dark last night…really dark!  One of the things that we don’t realize is how artificially light our ordinary world really is…electronic devices, street lights, lights from the DVD player and the microwave oven.  In the desert last night on the night of the new moon…it was really dark!

We have visited Painted Rock Petroglyph Site before but I wanted to see it again.  I saved it for my morning walk and in doing so, was able to walk the path all alone.

At first glance, this site looks like any other heap of rocks in the desert but, this is a sacred place.

These petroglyphs have been etched into the accumulated, weathered basalt or desert varnish on the granite rocks.  The first markings were estimated to have been made by indigenous tribes about 7500 BC and then over the course of thousands of years. 

Carvings were also made in the rock by travelers on the Mormon Trail and the Butterfield Stagecoach Trail.

We took 8W across the Sonoran Desert, stopping for breakfast at a rest area along the way.

We crossed the last set of mountains and then Yuma lay below.

We are staying at Arizona West RV Park.  It is a simple place and familiar to us.  We don’t need a fancy luxury park.  We plan to stay put for the next 10 days.  This afternoon was spent setting up, organizing, doing laundry, cleaning, and just enjoying the warm air with our windows open…and our flip flops on!

January 13, 2021 RV Service and Into the Desert

Painted Rock Petroglyph Site and Campground Gila Bend, Arizona

We had to set an alarm to get ready for our morning service appointment.  We left the RV in capable hands at Cummins and looked for a close place to walk.  We found Friendship Park just 4 miles away.  This was a great well-appointed recreation area with fields and tennis courts and dog parks and playgrounds and miles of paved walking paths. 

There was an area where the old guys went to fly their model RC airplanes.

There was a Japanese garden at the duck pond.

Tim walked with me for over 4 miles and then I walked again after our picnic breakfast and did 6 miles.  There was a chill in the air when we first started but the warm sunshine quickly made for comfortable temperatures.

We took the Jeep to the carwash…because it needed it and I think also to fill time.  We headed back to Cummins where I sat working at the outside table, basking in the sun!

The RV was ready by 2 pm.  Oil change, filters, and 21-point inspection.  When you are on the road as much as we are, it is a relief to know that the belts and hoses and other engine stuff all look good!

Tim wanted to drive to Painted Rock Petroglyph Site.  It was a little more than 80 miles from Phoenix.  It proved to be a good decision.  It is so very peaceful here.  Sangria, spinach salad, chili, and fading sunlight all really helped us to relax and enjoy the evening. 

We had a fire and as we sat in the twilight, we spotted an owl on a nearby tree.  We saw him take off, swooping low across the desert floor.  We stayed out to watch the stars.

January 12, 2021 Getting Things Done

Camp Cummins Avondale, Arizona

I walked my three miles,laps around the campground, in 40-degree blustery weather…but I am quite sure I was warmer than I would have been at home.

Today we had a mission.  We have an appointment for service for the RV tomorrow at 8am at the Cummins dealer in Phoenix.  We had only a short 80-mile ride to get here.  On the way, we stopped at a pharmacy and a grocery store to gather stuff.  We arrived in Phoenix around 1pm.  The service department here is wonderful (but NOT cheap).  They got us checked in this afternoon and then we are able to stay here in the lot with electric hookups until morning. 

We got a really nice spider crack in our windshield this afternoon driving on 10.  We already had a smaller chip that we intended to have repaired once we got to Yuma.  With 2 chips, we were glad to find a Safelite only 3 miles away that could accommodate the RV this afternoon. 

The windshield is now fixed!

We parked at Cummins, did some maintenance/modifications on our bikes, and then I went out to get salads for our dinner.

We got a lot accomplished…that’s a good thing!

January 11, 2021 Desert Drive

Rancho Sonora RV Park Florence, Arizona

The morning was chilly, clear, and blue.  I took my walk and I noticed the silence.  I strode along in quiet meditation.  I could hear a cactus wren calling from his perch on the top of a saguaro.  A covey of Gambel quail chortled warnings as I approached.  Suddenly there was an explosion of birds from the underbrush.  They flew low to safe cover on the steep side of the trail.  Woodpeckers were tapping and I spotted a pair roosting on the branches of a creosote tree.  All reminders to slow down, listen, and appreciate the gorgeous surroundings.

It was nice to have two nights in one place after traveling more than 1,500 miles this week.  Now our pace slows as we enjoy wandering in Arizona.  Today, we took Oracle Road out of Tucson to the Pinal Pioneer Parkway.  This is a scenic route through desert.  This is one of the oldest roads in the state.  It was first used by the Pinal tribe as a footpath.  Later, Spanish peoples used it as a stagecoach trail. 

As we approached Florence, we began to recognize familiar landmarks.  We had thought we were traveling through a new town…but we unknowingly ended up making a reservation in the same RV Park that we stayed in last time we passed this way…no matter…it is a really nice park!

We quickly set up and packed a lunch and took the Jeep for a drive in the desert.  We drove on a gravel road east of Florence.  It was a great afternoon.  I am always amazed at the amount of open space and we drove for several hours without seeing anyone at all.

When we got back to the RV, I got fascinated by the hummingbird traffic at the feeder next door.  I worked for about 30 minutes and took more than 50 pictures, trying to capture decent images of the flighty little things!

A woodpecker.