This gentleman stays here in the campground all winter. About a month ago, a duck started to visit his campsite. He and his wife began feeding the black and white duck. When I walked past the other day, the man was gently approaching the duck. He reached down to stroke its back. The duck allowed the man to pick it up and hold it. Today when I went by, the man was standing at the rail of the canal calling the duck. Quack…quack quack quack…quack. The duck paid the man no attention and swam away. The man headed back to his chair.
After breakfast, we went to Sprouts to get groceries and did a couple of other errands as well.
This afternoon, Tim took the Jeep to get new tires.
I stayed back at the RV and scrubbed a layer of desert dirt off of everything.
This evening, I made my version of chicken pad thai with cabbage and shredded carrots and edamame and peanuts and onions and peppers all in a savory, spicy, nutty sauce…YUM!
February 16, 2021 From The Wall To The Softball Field
Riverfront RV Park Yuma, Arizona Day 2
The white-winged doves greeted the new day and brought me to wakefulness. They sit in the tree behind the RV.
I was excited to take my morning walk. I started in the campground along the river.
I walked into West Wetlands and wandered on the paths through the park. I explored Gowan Grove and then walked through the hummingbird garden.
I saw lots of birds and flowers as well.
Gambel Quail
African Senna
Crimson Bottlebrush
Spanish Broom
On my way back, I walked the riverside. It was such a beautiful day!
Long-horned Beetle
I was looking for the river cats. The campground host told us that she owns a property down the road. There is a cave there where the river cats or bobcats live. They walk each day along the water and into the park to the bridge. I was, of course, hoping to see one. Maybe another day! I did find this track which just might be a river cat print.
Later this morning we went to Big O Tire to order new tires for the Jeep. We also stopped to try to get propane for the grill and to get more purified water.
After lunch we took another bike ride. We rode on the paved canal road and then all the way to East Wetlands. On our way back we cycled through the park.
This evening, we took a drive. When we were biking yesterday, we couldn’t figure out exactly where we were. Tim looked at a map and figured out that we had been very close to the Mexican border. We wanted to go back and look. We found the border wall. It has large unfinished sections. It looks like all work on it has stopped. The wall sections are laying there but all the construction equipment is gone.
We drove back through more farm fields.
We went into town and got some spare bicycle inner tubes.
We ordered food from Prison Hill and picked up our carryout.
We headed to the park and found a picnic table where we enjoyed our meal. After eating, we drove to the top of the berm to watch the setting sun.
We saw that the lights were on at the athletic complex. We drove over and watched some men playing softball. It was nice to be outside and doing something different and kind of normal!
I woke up early and saw the sky turning pink. I got up to have my coffee and watch the sunrise…no pictures…just enjoyed the sunrise.
Claudia and I took one last walk across the desert. We were looking for pretty rocks and animal tracks and chatting. It’s so easy to walk when you have someone there to share it with 😊.
Today, we said goodbye to our friends. Lee and Claudia were headed to Yuma to see Aunt Mavis. She is 89 years old and stays in Yuma every winter. Lee and Mavis have a tee time on Tuesday morning to play a round of golf.
Tim and I also decided to go back to Yuma. The Jeep needs new tires and we have a couple of other things on our list as well. Instead of going back to Arizona West, we wanted to try camping at Riverfront RV Park, right along the Colorado River. This park is older, Jean has had it for thirty years. She told us that this is the very first year that the park has not been full in February. This place has a quaint, old fashioned, homey feel to it. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. They have a lot of old signs and a telephone booth and old gas station stuff. It’s really neat.
It is a lot quieter than the other park we have stayed at. Another wonderful thing about this place is that it is adjacent to West Wetlands Park. I am looking forward to walking there every morning! It is also where we have come to ride our bikes many times.
This afternoon, we were a bit tired and lazy. At around 3, we went out on our bikes. We biked west along the canal and up on the newly paved levee road. We passed farmland and water treatment plants.
This evening we ate leftovers. The weather is mild enough that we have our windows open. We are thinking of our family members in Texas who are without power in frigid temperatures. Hopefully things there will get better quickly. We feel so lucky to be warm when we know that most of the U.S. is in a deep freeze.
During the night we had some wicked, whipping, northwesterly winds. Tim got up before sunrise to pull the slideouts in.
This morning, the winds were at 18 mph with a forecast for gusty winds through 3:00. Claudia and I gamely tried our morning walk. The winds pushed us out to the road. For a short distance, we walked with a crosswind and that was okay. When we turned to face the wind, it was brutal. I thought to myself that if Claudia was okay, I was okay too! I felt the crunchy little grits of sand between my teeth. All at once, Claudia said: “This is no fun!” We gratefully turned around with our backs to the wind and hiked back to the RVs.
We had a plan to ride across the desert on Indian Pass Road and into Picacho State Park. It was so windy that we were in a quandary. We tossed ideas back and forth. We even thought about packing everything up and driving to Yuma. In the end, we decided to give our Jeep adventure a go.
We enjoyed our 4WD ride into the park. We stopped at intervals to get out and admire the pretty scenery.
We traveled along the Colorado River.
We saw a group of kayakers. Because the wind and current were so strong, they were not having to paddle except to steer. The river carried them along.
Last time Tim and I were here, we missed the turn to Bear Canyon Falls. Today, I was on a mission to find it. This turned out to be a neat little place for lunch.
We made it as far as the Upper Docks and decided to call it a day. It took us about 4 hours (with lots of stops) to get to this point. It was going to take about 3 hours to get back. Claudia voted to go back on Picacho Road. This is a 2WD passable rough gravel road. We then had to take the highway and S34 back to the RV. This proved to be a good decision. Our return trip only took 1 ½ hours. I did the driving. I wouldn’t have been able to help too much if we had gone back the other way.
This evening, we enjoyed a Valentines’ feast. We had asparagus and tortellini with shrimp and peas in a lemon butter and garlic sauce. We grilled some garlic bread.
Another day well spent with adventuresome buddies! It is really wonderful to share this part of our lives with two people that always “get us!” Thanks Lee and Claudia for a great weekend!
Claudia and I took a great walk on BLM roads through the desert.
Later this morning, we packed coolers and went Jeeping.
We wound our way around in the Chuckwalla Bench, exploring the area.
Our lunch spot.
We found BLM Route 585. This was a fun, moderate Jeep road with some smaller obstacles. It felt a lot like riding on an old wooden roller coaster; up and down in the small foothills.
This evening Lee and Claudia made delicious nachos and elk machaca burritos. The meat was rich with flavors and spices. We enjoyed the meal and the fellowship of friends.
I began the day with an uneventful walk along 85 in Ajo.
The campground has this amazing little cactus garden. It is always filled with birdsong.
Today was moving day. We traveled north on 85 and stopped at a wayside to have breakfast. We were in the Barry Goldwater Range. We watched 4 jets practicing tactical maneuvers. We could see the pilots dive low and then we saw bursts of smoke coming from the ground several miles away. The aircraft would then climb dramatically before veering sharply to the left and then the next jet would come through, executing the exact flight pattern. We could hear loud rumbling noises. It was thrilling to watch.
We stopped in Yuma to get groceries and supplies. We also filled the RV with fuel. We are going back into southeastern California and we remembered that fuel was nearly 4.00 a gallon there.
This evening, we camped off road on BLM EC 633 where we camped 2 weeks ago. We were joined a short while later by our good friends Lee and Claudia. We had a wonderful evening with great conversation, wine, appetizers, a campfire, chicken feta burgers, pizzelles and chocolate covered strawberries. After our meal, we stood together looking at the stars. We are looking forward to adventuring with our friends this weekend!
February 11, 2021 Revisiting Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Ajo Heights RV Park Day 4
The coyotes were having a party last night here in Ajo!
I started my day with a walk down the main road. I was chatting with my mom on the phone when I saw 4 javelina on the sidewalk at the Family Dollar Store. They jogged across the parking lot and regathered at the ice cream parlor. We spent more than 24 hours in the desert. We saw a bunny and some lizards. Here in town, I have seen a coyote and the javelina. It makes me wonder if the people here in town are as enchanted by the desert critters as we are. The animals probably have more to eat here and there could be a couple of retirees feeding them as well.
We went to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument to explore. We stopped at the Visitor Center to plan our adventure.
We took Puerto Blanco Drive. This road eventually connects to the backroad entrance that we found yesterday. It would have been a 65-mile journey and we wanted to see the rest of the park.
We drove all the way to the end of 85 to the Lukeville Border Crossing. This looks very different than it did when we were here two years ago. It is much more formal and there is a huge x-ray machine for cars, RVs and trucks. The border wall WAS a 15-foot fence with barbed wire at the top. It went on for a few miles and then there were concrete bollards to prevent cars from driving over. Lastly, it faded to nothing. NOW the new wall goes on as far as the eye can see. We wanted to ask if people are climbing this new 30-foot steel wall with concrete reinforcement. There are lights and cameras in place at intervals as well. There were lots of border patrol officers cruising through the park and along the highway. There were also officers out on ATVs. Much of the road along the border is closed to ordinary vehicles, citing safety concerns. There is still a lot of construction equipment here and we have seen work trucks in the campgrounds. They must still be working on a portion of the wall.
We were able to go a short distance on Camino de Dos Republicas. The road leads to an old line camp. This is where you are able to approach the wall. We could hear chickens and roosters and Latina music coming from the other side, from Mexico.
We took the 21-mile scenic loop. We have been here before and I loved it the first time. You can forget just how beautiful a place really is. It was just as breathtaking today. Today I felt overwhelmed and awed by the magnificence of this green desert.
This is an organ pipe cactus named thusly because someone thought it looked like organ pipes. This National Monument protects and preserves the northernmost range of this cactus. They grow commonly in Mexico but they are very rare here in the United States. They like to grow in the rocks that have tumbled down from the mountains over the ages, in the bajadas or the feet of the mountains. They prefer the southern slopes where they can get the best Arizona sunshine. They flower in May, lavender and white flowers that bloom only at night. The blossoms close during the day to protect the cactus from additional moisture loss.
We had our lunch along a wash. In this wash, the Hohokam people planted beans, squash, and corn 12,000 years ago. They organized a complex system of dams and irrigation ditches and were able to produce crops with just 4 inches of rain in a season. Later, the Tohono O’odham practiced similar dry farming methods.
More scenery.
The last gravel road, Alamo Canyon Road, took us to a primitive campground in a gorgeous setting. Someday, we can return with our Jeep tent and spend the night.
This evening I went out to get some firewood, more purified water, and carryout from Arriba Mexican Restaurant.
Tim fixed my flat tire…another cactus thorn!
We have quickly passed through Ajo on two other trips. I am glad that this time we chose to stay.
We took our time this morning. We enjoyed hot coffee by a warm fire. We could already feel the warmth from the rising sun.
We decided to explore some more gravel roads. In a couple of miles, we found ourselves at the backdoor of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. We are exempt from paying the fees because we have the senior pass. We were looking for a view to go along with our breakfast.
We passed by this water station. Anyone passing through the desert is welcome to get water here.
A short distance later we found this rescue station. Anyone needing assistance, is able to push the button and help will come. Many people walk over the Mexican border and pass by this way. No matter what your views and beliefs about immigration…we must remain humane and we cannot let people to die in the desert.
More pretty scenery.
We climbed up to a ridge and had our breakfast.
Border Patrol has a strong presence here. We could see two vehicles watching.
We were back in Ajo shortly before lunchtime. We stopped at the Ajo Farmers Market and Cafe for breakfast burritos stuffed with eggs and chorizo…huge portions and excellent!!
I liked the message on the window.
This town gives humanitarian aid to people passing through They have a Good Samaritan network. The restaurant is also affiliated with a food pantry for people who could use a little extra help. This town has a good message to share and a good vibe. We like it here.
Back at the campground, I paid to stay another two nights. The host was asking about our tent camping experience. Somehow, we started talking about rattlesnakes. Last summer, there were 8 rattlesnakes in the campground. There was also the incident with the Mojave green. A woman was exiting her RV and going to get into her car. Her husband was coming down the steps and saw a Mojave green aggressively strike out at his wife. He whipped out his firearm and killed it…wow! We had heard that rattlesnakes start to emerge in February. I was told by Kathy, that although they will come out now to sun themselvs during the day, they don’t really become active until May.
This evening we took a picnic dinner to the town square. It felt odd to see green grass!
We took a walk around town.
More from Artist Alley
We drove to the Ajo Mine Overlook. This was the first copper mine in Arizona. Spaniards mined here in the 1750’s. The mine is no longer active.
I walked down Main Street this morning. On my way back, I saw a coyote walking in the wash behind the grocery store. I really wanted a picture but common sense prevailed. February is mating season and the coyote can be particularly aggressive at this time of year. I crossed to the other side to continue my walking.
We were packed up and ready for our first roof top tent adventure. We left directly after breakfast. We left our perfectly warm, safe, comfortable RV at Ajo Heights.
On our way through town, we stopped to look at some of the street art. We have posted the first one before but it is a good reminder…Humanitarian Aid Is Always Legal.
We were on pavement for a short distance.
We took Darby Wells Road and just kept going. We wanted to be closer to the mountains and further from people. We were able to achieve those goals. The nearest camper was 6 miles away! How is that for socially distant? We found a perfect spot for our overnight wilderness camping.
The camper is supposed to be up and ready in 1 minute…we need some practice before we are that proficient…but it is easy enough to get it up and ready! We have two good sleeping bags and we brought extra blankets because it was forecasted to get down to 48 and we were not sure how warm we might be. We packed a lot of gear from the RV. As we get better at overnight camping and supplement our gear with some better options…maybe we will have to pack less than a full Jeep load for just one night!
We were in a really stunning area. A beautiful setting with expansive views of the valley far below. It is hard to visualize with pictures…but Tim would like to share this video with you.
We spent the afternoon gathering firewood and exploring the area around our campsite. I spooked a little cottontail.
This is a packrat nest. They like to incorporate shiny bits into their nests. It is important to keep the hood of the car open when camping in their habitat…they like to build nests in motors and chew on wires and stuff!
Bits fall off of cholla cacti. The bits are then carried sometimes by wind or water but more often by animals and on peoples clothes…(as Tim can attest…they are very pokey and are hard to get out of skin and socks)… where they drop to the ground and grow a new cactus. Sometimes they are also called jumping cholla for this reason. They are very resilient and need very little to plant themselves.
We saw lots of these little lizards darting about.
I took a nice walk but not too far from our setup.
We enjoyed a nice bottle of malbec and a fire as we watched the shifting light and the clouds. We listened to an owl hooting off in the distance. The peace and the solitude were deeply soothing and relaxing.
We were camped not far from the Barry Goldwater Range where military piolts train. For a while this evening we had our own private airshow, the jets weaving serpentine arcs across the sky.
We enjoyed a dinner of turkey chili and grilled pitas as we watched another sunset. It was so cloudy that we didn’t think we would see much color but we were pleasantly surprised.
Cotton candy colored clouds.
We got up together during the night when Tim thought he heard something scratching around in the engine. We didn’t see anything with our big light! The clouds obscured all but a few stars. The tent was sturdy and comfy and warm enough. Temperatures really didn’t plunge into the 40’s until around three this morning. We slept and woke up with the sun rising over the mountains. It feels good to push ourselves to try this new thing…we are so fortunate and happy! We had so much fun!
Good morning!! No time for our usual morning routines today. We were awake and on the road as the sun came up.
Today the true reason for our stay in Phoenix is revealed! About a week ago, Tim and I were riding across the desert. We were looking at all the amazing, remote places that there are to camp. We carry a tent with us…but we haven’t really wanted to sleep on the ground here. It is rocky, and there are snakes and scorpions and tarantulas that call the desert THEIR home. There have been several times that we have been on a trail and have had to turn around and go back…even though we really wanted to see more. Anyway, the other day I asked Tim if he had ever thought about getting one of those tent things that go on the roof of the Jeep. He wasn’t sure I would be interested or that I would want to crawl up in there…but the tradeoffs are enormously rewarding. We started to do some research when we got back to the RV. The IKamper Skycamp 2.0 was highly rated and had a hard case and was big enough to sleep 4. We got really excited about it. We wondered if we should wait and get it later this spring and then we realized that we could really use it here. Tim found a dealer in Phoenix. Boris from Simply Go Camping was very helpful. He wasn’t sure that we could get the large tent camper on the Jeep but he did have a Skycamp Mini in stock. The next day, Tim called him and told him we would be at his shop first thing Monday morning to get the tent installed. So, we spent a very enjoyable weekend hanging out at White Tank Mountain and then this morrning we were in the city by 9.
Boris was very patient with us. He answered all of our questions and he and Tim found safe way to mount the larger camper on the Jeep. This is exciting news because we really want to be able to use the camper with Ollie and Austin!
Thanks Boris…we are looking forward to many overland adventures with our new tent!
Simply Go Camping has this logo. Boris is trained as a graphic designer. He calls his logo “cake”…mountains, roads, trails and waterways.
We left at about 11. We had thought we might go to stay at Painted Rocks. Instead, we headed south to Ajo. We got a nice site at Ajo Heights. We wanted to explore off-road camping options for tomorrow and so we took a ride. We have a couple of options in mind.
When we got back to town we went to get purified water and some groceries. It was already dinnertime and so we stopped at Agave Grill and got great sandwiches.
We spent the rest of the evening getting ready for tomorrow’s overnight trip. We had to set up the tent and leave it open to air. It seems really roomy and comfy inside. We won’t post a blog about our first RTT (Roof Top Tent) adventure until Wednesday.
