January 24, 2021 NFL Playoffs

Arizona West RV Park Day 11

Today I walked, got a grocery pickup order, and rode my bike around the campground and the neighborhood a couple of times.  The laundry is caught up.  I talked to family.  I also read…a lot.  Tim watched NFL playoffs this afternoon.  Not much to report…no pictures…just a regular restful kind of day.

January 23, 2021 Picacho State Recreation Area

Arizona West RV Park Day 10

We both finished our morning exercise and got ready for a road trip.  We packed the cooler and headed west.  Just over the California line, we followed Picacho Road.  We crossed the American Canal.

It was then that we saw our first sign…4×4 Recommended Beyond This Point.  I swear that this gives Tim a thrill!!  He says that is when the fun begins! 

We started across the desert.  Gradually we began to climb in elevation and the landscape started to change.  We rode along a ridge with sweeping views.

Tim spotted a large bird, a red-tailed hawk. 

Our destination was Picacho State Recreation Area in Winterhaven, California.  This is a very remote park accessible only on these primitive gravel roads or by boat, along the Colorado River.  The first 6 miles were paved then we traveled 18 miles on the dirt road.

This is fee use area.  We had to self-register.  Our fee would have been $9.00, if we had correct change…we put $20.00 in the envelope and went on our way.

We took the Railroad Canyon Trail to the Colorado River Overlook.  Our first glimpse of the river was breathtaking.  This place is so far off the beaten path, rugged and stunning. 

We were initially disappointed that the picnic area at the Lower Dock was crowded.  It turned out to be lucky for us.  We drove further to the Upper Dock and had the whole area to ourselves.  A beautiful setting right along the river. 

We were joined by a couple of American Coots. 

Something else was here this morning before us…maybe a raccoon…maybe a muskrat…

We took every road to the end.  We didn’t want to miss anything!  We saw evidence of carnivores, coyotes and mountain lions, and bobcats live here.  We saw lots of evidence of burros, everywhere, but no encounters. 

We took Indian Pass Road out of the park.  This was also a 4WD trail.  Initially it ran in the bottom of a wash in soft gravel.  As we climbed out of the wash, the road was pretty rough and fun!  The scenery continued to be spectacular.  This was one of the prettiest rides we have taken since Baja!

It was almost 5:00 when we approached Yuma.  We decided to get carryout from Prison Hill.  Tim chose a burger and I had a smoked brisket sandwich.  Tim also chose a porter.  We took our meal to West Wetlands and very much enjoyed our food as we watched the sunset. 

January 22, 2021 Ordinary Day

Arizona West RV Park Day 9

Another 3+ mile walk in the neighborhood…not too fast moving today after all of yesterday’s walking and cycling.  My legs were pretty tired this morning.

We decided to stay another week here at Arizona West.  We had thought about venturing into southern California…but most camping areas in California are currently closed.  We thought about going to spend some time in Kofa National Wildlife Refuge and dry camping in the desert…but the weather forecast shows nighttime temperatures in the 40’s and even as low as 39…So, I decided that we should stay put!

We tried to get new windshield wipers for the RV but it doesn’t rain much here and they are very special wiper blades so, no luck.  We will have to order them.

We spent a long, quiet afternoon in the RV.  It was cloudy and cool and we both retreated and took naps. 

We did a short bike ride in the neighborhood later.  I grilled fresh salmon and made sauteed brussels sprouts hash with apples.   Just an ordinary day.  We haven’t had one of those in a while!

January 21, 2021 So Much Fun!

Arizona West RV Park Day 8

I started my day with a walk.  I have been doing a little more than 3 miles each morning so to challenge myself a little, I am working on increasing my speed.  It was a blue-sky beautiful morning and I enjoyed moving.

Our first order of business was to get our tax package copied and mailed.  We went to FedEx where I was able to get this accomplished in a short time.  The guy working the counter couldn’t have been more kind and helpful.

We took the bikes to West Wetlands Park.

We cruised along the river all the way to the end of the pavement, about 3 miles.  We decided to continue on the gravel canal road.  Organic lettuce crops were planted along the trail. 

We ate a snack at a table along the river and then headed back.  We saw a pair of white pelicans and only one stayed around long enough for a photo op.

We got back to the park entrance and decided that since we were enjoying our ride so much, we would do another lap!

We ate our lunch while sitting on baseball bleachers, and after eating, we were tired and ready to go back to the Jeep.  We cycled about 15 miles.

Tim had the idea to pack a cold picnic dinner and drive to the foothills to watch the sunset.  It was a very good idea!  We ate some smoked salmon with goat cheese and blueberry preserves on flatbread and raw vegetables and hummus too while sipping some Beaujolais. 

We noticed the ocotillo starting to bloom.  We had heard that this desert plant, which looks like a bundle of dry sticks and has super sharp spiny thorns, quickly becomes green and blooms after a rainfall.  

The sunset was lovely.  We watched small bats flitting about in the fading light. 

We took the backroad home.  It was a gravel washboard road that lasted for miles…we don’t need to go that way again!  We had another great day spent outside and together.

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!