On Friday night, we are going on an overnight camping trip with the Jeep and staying in the roof top tent. The blog will not be posted until sometime on Saturday!

February 18, 2021 Hanging Out

Riverfront RV Park Yuma, Arizona Day 4

It was really windy this morning.  I was feeling rather uninspired, but I forced myself to go out and walk anyway.  I chose a route along the canal with trees on one side and the levee on the other.  It wasn’t too bad there. I had never been down that path before. There was some really neat artwork on the slopes.

I was going to come back along the river but the wind gusts were causing the sand to whip around my ankles.  Instead, I stayed on the main park road.  I was glad to get my 3 miles finished and be back at the campground.

When I walked past, the duck man was sitting in his lawn chair, holding the duck and petting it.  I really wanted a picture…but I thought it might be rude to ask!  That poor duck is going to be very sad when the man heads north this spring!

Tim decided he wanted to bike the 13 miles to Somerton.  He had it planned so that the wind would carry him there and he did make very good time!  He finished his ride in 1 hour and 15 minutes.  I did a couple of errands and drove there with a picnic lunch to meet him. 

His ride took him across farming country and parallel to the Mexican border.  They were harvesting lettuce today.

If you look at the picture carefully, you can see the border wall in the background.

When you buy mixed baby greens in the grocery store, I bet you didn’t know that they plant them so that they can be gathered, washed and packaged in the field.  All kinds of greens are planted together so they can easily be combined. 

This afternoon, I spent time learning about our new power bank.  We wanted to have a reliable way to charge our phones when we are out in the tent overnight.

For dinner, we took leftovers from yesterday and went to watch the sunset.

February 17, 2021 Errands And Chores

Riverfront RV Park Yuma, Arizona Day 3

Another beautiful morning walk.

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!

February 15, 2021 Back To Yuma

Riverfront RV Park Yuma, Arizona

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.

February 14, 2021 Valentine Adventure

BLM 633 on S34 Winterhaven, California Day 2

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!

February 13, 2021 Follow That Toad

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.

February 12, 2021 Meeting Good Friends

BLM EC 633 Winterhaven, California

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. 

February 10, 2021 The Morning After

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.

The Ajo Museum