New Orleans III

Day 37
Destination: Fort Stockton, Texas

Today was a driving day. The weather remains sunny but the temperature is dropping, from the 90's down to the low 80's now. Very comfortable, especially with a breeze. The 5.25 hour drive from San Antonio was not too bad. Most of it went through low "mountain passes" with evergreen trees that looked more like shrubs. The last few hours it become more desolate, with scattered bushes and cacti. We did see a lot of wildlife, including 4 deer, 2 wild pigs, 1 armadillo, 8 or 9 skunk, and 20 or so raccoons, all sleeping on the side of the road.
The campsite we went to was new, and had a just finished pool. Unfortunately it was not heated, and since it cools off at night here, it was stinking cold, at least that is what I was told by some of our lunatic fringe who jumped in. The owner did take a picture of some of us sitting by the pool, which she hopes to use in her website, so look forward to that at the Hilltop RV Park, Fort Stockton. At night, they had a communal fire which a few of us dropped in for. Listening to the heavy Texan drawl made me want to shout, hee haw.

Day 38
Destination: El Paso, Texas

Another uneventful travel day. It is hitting us all that we are really on our way home, and each destination is a stopover, rather than a point of interest where we hope to explore. The only good thing is the weather remains perfect. The scenery was rather bland today, with very dry, sparsely covered land set against a backdrop of very bare mountains.
When arrived at El Paso, our site was quite bare, and the pool was indoors, so we went shopping instead, first to Saddleblanket, a 2 acre store with all the Mexican blankets, saddles, cowboy boots, cowboy gear, baskets, and mounted longhorns you could ask for. A trip to Costco and Walmart and we were done. El Paso is quite large, but it is spread out, and does not have high rises that we could see. Spanish is heard everywhere and there is a strong Mexican presence. The tour book warned about crossing the border here because of the drug violence. The town directly across the border is the most violent town in Mexico, where thousands have been killed in recent years. We spent the late afternoon reading, writing this blog, and of course, Happy Hour. On a sad note, my new camera remains out of commission.

Day 39
Destination: Willcox, Arizona
We left El Paso on another sunny day. Some had toured the old city and checked out the Mexican border area with its barbed wire fences and wall built to control illegal immigrants. It made them think of how the Americans were so opposed to the Berlin Wall. Similarities? We chose to pass this up, but the concern was evident with all the border police we say frequently, and even the helicopter that flew at night with search lights on. We did drive through the city and we surprised at how big and wide-spread it is. There are no high rises to speak of except the few in a small downtown. There is also a stark contrast between the posher neighbourhoods of the rich and some of the shanty town look of the poor. Of course, across the river is Mexico which is also not so nice looking.
Shortly out of El Paso "Welcome to New Mexico" sign for our album. This was our fourth and last attempt as previous attempts to photograph this elusive sign failed by both Tina and Joanie. Joanie was ready, but as we passed the sign, the shutter on the camera did no go, so, no photo. I might have expressed my frustration at not getting one decent photo out of four attempts at a stationary sign. Joanie did not speak to me again until Arizona.
The drive to the Arizona border went through a flat desert landscape with bare mountains in the background and a long straight highway. There were many large signs along the road warning about dust storms that could reduce visibility to zero, and exercising extreme caution.
At the border with Arizona we passed through a short, low mountain pass. On the other side, another flat valley landscape of desert.
After setting up camp, we went with Gerda and George and Tina on a drive to Chiricahua National Monument, about 30 miles away. It was very nice, with interesting rock formations that looked like voodoos made out of rock rather than clay. Very picturesque. We also saw two deer. On our drive back we could see thunder clouds and streams of rain in the distance. By the time we were back at camp the temperature had dropped to 23 degrees but it felt cold with the gusts of wind. So much for our planned BBQ. Tuna tettracini instead.

Day 40
Destination: Tombstone, Arizona
Al called us at breakfast to say he spotted a javelina, something that looks like a wild pig, but is actually from the hippo family. After getting a few good pictures of it eating under the pecan trees, we were entertained when Elsie tried to get some closer shots and it suddenly charged her, veering off at the last second, as she ran. We learned later that these animals can be quite dangerous and have big teeth.
We had an easy 1.25 hour drive to our campsite outside of Tombstone. We spent the afternoon in Tombstone, seeing the re-encactment of the shootout at the OK Corral involving Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp and his brothers, and Billy the Kid and his brother and friends. This also happened to be the biggest weekend of the year, Hellorado Days and it was very busy. In addition to the locals, many people come from all over the U.S. to relive the old west, all dressed in their 1800's western outfits. Men wore long coats as worn by Doc Holliday, or cavalry uniforms, or even looking like the town drunks from some old western TV shows. The y wore guns and holsters, and apparently some were real working weapons, since this is legal in Arizona. Women wore long flowing, corsetted, satiny dresses, often with very low necklines which left very little covered up. It was like living in a western museum and was quite fun. We also visited Boot Hill Cemetary where many of the victims of of the city's lawless frontier lay.
After our BBQ we swam in the indoor, heated pool. It was so warm that it felt like a cool hot tub.

Day 41
Destination: Sedona, Arizona
We left Tombstone and drove 5.5 hours through Tucson and Phoenix, to Sedona. We were surprised by the cotton fields between Tucson and Phoenix, and loved the beautiful, clean look of the highway overpasses with pictured walls and red crushed rock medians. Downtown Tucson was not very big, and the cities are quite spread out with few highrises. Joanie was excited near Phoenix when we saw the first tall cacti with the upraised arms as seen in Arizona postcards. She wanted to stop and take pictures of the many that grew along the mountain slope, but Tina assured her that in Sedona there were "forests" of these cacti, and in red soil, so it would be even nicer. Soon after that we climbed into the mountains and that was the last we saw of these cacti. The only ones in Sedona were made of metal.
The Sedona campground was nice and green, with tall trees forming a canopy. It was also our most expensive stay of the trip so far, and we could not book the same site for two nights because it was so busy. (We did manage to get the second night in but had to move sites. I even had to back the trailer into a very narrow site!) During Happy Hour, all nine of us climbed onto the limb of a tree for a photo, women first, then the men. Only one person fell off. Guess who? Right, George. Happily, this did not cause any more bruises on his head. Soon after this thundershowers moved us inside.

Day 42
We woke to clear skies and the temperature was very comfortable. We spent most of the day shopping in Sedona and visiting view points on the scenic strip of highway around the town. Sedona is gorgeous. The whole area looks new, from the paved highway to the beautiful, artistic retaining walls, red gravelled medians, shops and Spanish style housing. Contrasting all the red rock and cement are the lush green trees. The shopping galleries are higher end and kept Joanie and Gerda very happy. For dinner the whole group went to a Mexican restaurant for awesome food. Elsie usually has a small appetite. She ordered fajitas. When her dish came, with guacamole, rice and refried beans she was happy and ready to dig in. Then another plate came with a heaping pile of meat, cooked onions, etc. and finally a covered plate with the tortillas. Her dinner covered half the table. After dinner we found ourselves in a thunderstorm with pouring rain.
Internet has been a problem for the past three days. Today we got on but an attempt to skype was abandoned because of poor connections. I tried to see the football game from a few days ago but gave up after it took 10 minutes to see the opening 3 minutes. I do find I am really missing watching football, and it looks like the Lions are really missing me. Since we left, we have only hooked up our TV once, and then only ended up watching the weather channel to make sure we were not heading into a hurricane on our way to Louisiana.

Day 43
Brenda, Arizona
Today we woke to tales of a family of javelinas that visited the campground and were in Gerda and George's site late last night. Today was to be a 4 hour drive to Brenda, in the Arizona desert. We chose the secondary route via Highway 89 and 60 rather than retracing our steps back to Phoenix. It wasn't long before we started a very steep, narrow climb up to Jerome, an interesting looking town where Arizona's first copper mine started, and then through a mountain pass. The road was narrow and had many switchbacks, and we climbed over 3,500 feet. At times you could see 3 levels of the highway above you. It was quite pretty and afforded good views of the valley. The average speed was only 30 MPH. We crossed a dry, flat valley and then ascended another similar mountain pass. On the other side we traversed the flat desert floor, with the road so straight you could nap behind the wheel and be OK for half an hour as long as you did not move the steering wheel. We also saw a return of the tall cacti Joanie was fond of. We left at 8:45 and did not arrive at our destination until 3PM. We then enjoyed a swim in the warm, heated pool. The huge RV park, with hundreds of site, most occupied by residents who stay here all winter, is surrounded by desert and a small hill of lava rock. The edge of the camp sites were occupied with hundreds of gambel's quails which were very flighty and hard to photograph. The temperature was cool for this area, with highs in the low 70's.
For the record, I have worn shorts every day since about September 9.
What has struck me about the RV resorts we have stayed at are all the rules. No dogs in restroom, (only nice looking people?), no talking after 10PM, no washing RV's at any time (although it seems if you pay someone to do it, its OK), dogs may not be left outside without an owner being outside with it, no laughing, no having fun, etc., etc. Of course the office has all sorts of services, but they close by 5PM so good luck with that. If you take all the rules too seriously, it seems very unfriendly.

Day 44
Sky Valley, California
During the night or early morning, we woke to pouring rain. It was the first time it had rained in southern Arizona since March, and we were privileged to be a part of it. By the time we got up it was dry again. After breakfast we went on a quail hunt before starting our 2.25 hr. drive to Sky Valley, near Palm Springs. Joanie loaded up on fruit and yoghurt since we were concerned with losing all the fruit and vegetables we had bought yesterday when we go through the agricultural inspection station upon entering California. We also wolfed down grapes on the way. When we entered California and went through the station, they waved us on. I am glad I stuck with my regular breakfast!
Approaching the Palm Springs, Palm Desert area where Sky Valley is, we drove through the desert. It was by far the ugliest desert we had seen on this trip, rocks, bland brush and no interesting vegetation like the variety of cacti we seen in Arizona. Even the smattering of residences fit the bill. Often they were old, delapitated trailers stuck haphazardly, with junk all around them and of course, no trees, grass, etc. The road was very wavey, like some ride at the PNE and we had to laugh when we saw a sign saying this was a scenic route. Sky Valley Resort sits in the middle of this and is quite nice, with beautiful palm trees, lagoons, pools, and paved roads. This is a haven for church people, including many CRC, who make this their winter home. It is very large and has many permanent homes and permanent trailer sites, as well as trailer pads which are rented by the day and month. The pools and hot tubs are heated naturally by the hot springs in the area and are quite warm. Our first impression? Its nice but feels like an old person place. Apparently most people start out with a negative impression but it grows on them as time ticks on. We'll see.
Traveling with a group provides many learning experiences. One of our group travels in a class A motorhome with a tow car behind it. These motorhomes do not get great gas mileage, often averaging about 7 miles per gallon. However, one day that gas mileage dropped significantly when he forgot to turn off the engine of the car after hooking it up. He drove for 4 hours with his car idling behind him. It was almost out of gas when he arrived at his destination.

Day 45

Today we woke to the sound of Ken's motorhome leaving at 7:30 to go for repairs. Some of the hydraulics and the pushouts were not working. He came back with the motorhome at 6PM and it still had some problems to be fixed the next day. Joanie and I decided to explore Palm Springs, so we drove to town, walked downtown Palm Springs and drove down Gene Autry Trail, Dinah Shore Blvd, over Bob Hope Way to Costco in Palm Desert. Downtown looked somewhat depressed, with few people walking the streets, shops closed and lots for sale. There were jags, Mercedes and Cadillacs parked on the street however.
After lunch we went for a swim. I feel so amature-ish. Not only do I not drive a golf cart to bring away the garbage, I don't know how to swim, not having had local lessons. I jump right in the pool. I still can not get used to jumping and waiting for the cold sensation to hit, only to be greeted by a feeling of warmth as I enter the water. The way to swim here is to walk in slowly, take your noodle and sit on it, and then stay in one place chatting with your neighbour. Women sit in the main body of the pool while the men sit on their noodles near the entrance or in the hot tub. Meanwhile I splash around like some young fool. Joanie on the other hand has learned how to swim on her second day already.
The weather was warm (mid to high 70's), but after 5PM the winds pick up and by 6PM I am ready for my new Texas hoodie and long pants. It is supposed to begin warming up and we hope to be here several more days before our final trek home.
On a sad note, George bumped his head again, and we were all more concerned about what Gerda would say rather than whether he was in pain. He spent much of the afternoon alone while the rest of us swam, waiting for his scab to harden so he won't bleed on his pillow tonight.

Day 46

It was a beautiful, sunny day as we set out for what was to be a hike to the painted canyon some 45 minutes from here. We found the road to the canyon was closed due to flooding from the heavy rains that fell the day before we arrived. We then dropped by a date factory store, Oasis, where you could sample different types of dates that grew on the date palm trees on the property. We then did a ridge hike through the desert along a ridge overlooking the Palm Springs valley. While I remain unimpressed with the bland desert, which looks like an abandoned gravel pit slowly being reclaimed, the view of the valley and surrounding mountains was spectacular, and I really enjoyed the palm tree grove tucked away against the stark desert landscape. There was a good breeze that kept us from getting too hot.
I learned another lesson about Sky Valley swimming: do not jump into the pool because the noodle ladies don't want to get their hair wet. There were also some rude remarks made about both men and women having noodles in the pool but they went right over my head of course.
To quote a famous person in our group, the pen is mightier than the sword. Some have expressed concerns about doing things that might get them mentioned in the blog. Therefore, in an effort to be sensitive, I am not going to mention about the person who walked in the pool, (see jumping rule above), with his wallet full of money in his trunks.
We have now been here several days, and every afternoon about 3PM, the winds pick up, gusting so hard that chairs blow over, mats lift up despite the boulders on each corner, etc. At the pool, you go in the water to warm up, and get out to cool off. Sometimes it howls like a storm and does not let up until later in the evening.
Tonight we went out for dinner for the last time as a group of nine. We went into Rancho Mirage, one of the four cities beside Palm Springs. In the city the wind was gone and it was a nice warm evening. It was so nice we decided to sit outside and have a Starbucks coffee at 10PM after dinner. When we returned to Sky Valley, the wind was still blowing and it howled through the night.

Day 47
It was a sunny day today, but the wind never gave up, often gusting quite hard. The women went to the local market in the morning, leaving the men to enjoy time alone without being told what to do, not that this ever happens. I was looking forward to doing all sorts of things, but thought I would start by downloading my VISA purchases since we left and analyse where the money went. There were some formatting issues and I was almost finished when the women returned. So much for all the other things. We did go for a swim in the afternoon. Joanie and Tina first went for a bike ride and saw the last remaining roadrunner in Sky Valley. I got my camera and checked out the whole place, and I believe road runners are now extinct.
For dinner we did a joint BBQ ribs dinner which was very good. We just came inside (10PM) because the wind is still blowing and it is cold! Tomorrow is not only our last day here, but I believe perhaps my last day in shorts, as things cool off rather fast as you travel north. It will be sad to say goodbye to Ken and Alice and Al and Elsie, as we have very much enjoyed their company and consider them our friends.

Day 48

I hope you can read this. My typing might be a little shakey because I am sitting in the trailer and the wind is howling outside to the point where the trailer rocks. There are very strong gusts. Its been like this for a few days and is unfortunate, because when the wind stops, the temperature is quite nice.
This morning we attended the Sky Valley church service. Outside were mini-parking stalls filled with golf carts, some with flowers hanging from the back. The service began with a hearing aid sound test. That says it all. After coffee together a few of us took a short hike nearby from one palm tree grove to another through the desert. The groves were quite nice, with very interesting palms. This was followed by warming up in the pool. Then tonight we went for our last sit in the hot tub. Its time to pack up and head for home. We will be leaving Elsie & AL and Ken and Alice behind as they will stay a few more days. We will miss them. I can't see myself coming back here for at least 15 more years, and the wind we have experienced every day has not endeared us to this place.
An un-named person bumped his head again today. In other news, Elsie saw a puppy that was for sale yesterday and the standing joke has been that she will own "snowball" by Monday. Looking foreward to seeing if snowball has a new home.
I am sitting here ready to add an addendum to this blog but now I can't think of what it was about. Perhaps its because we have been working on ridding ourselves of the manage a trois we need to consume before we hit the border in about 4 days. Maybe this is just a "senior moment" but then what can you expect in Sky Valley. Anyway, only 3 more nights of making this bed. Good night.

Day 49
Destination: Tracy, California

Woke up to another windy day. We left at 8:20 after bidding adios to The Journey and the Wildcat. We are now down to our Nash and the Jay Flight. It was windy most of the day. We also had rain and fog through the passes near San Bernadino. We took the longer route on Highway 138 to avoid the busyness of Pasidena, and went through a dry area with many joshua trees. We joined I-5 at Palmdale and were soon in the sun on a long, straight stretch down the wide valley of central California. We enjoyed seeing the vineyards, fruit orchards, and ven some cotton fields. We arrived at Tracy around 4:30. This was a very ordinary campground, but then it is now too cold for swimming or sitting outside at night. We had our last happy hour outside.

Day 50
Destination: Canyonville, Oregon

We woke to a cool but sunny morning with no wind. We left at 8:20. It seems no matter what we do, we always seem to ready at exactly 8:20. The drive from Stockton to Sacremento was not as busy as I remember it. In Redding we checked the GPS and found the last In n Out Burger before Oregon. We loved the home taste of the burgers and milkshakes, so my two navigators led me off the I-5 and 3 miles into town. We came to where it was and saw the sign at the last minute. I missed the parking lot, which was quite small, and was directed to go around the corner and try to get in from behind. We discovered that this street was actually the on ramp to the interstate, and we kissed our lunch good bye. The drive through the mountains of norther California by Mount Shasta was very picturesque, with more greenery than we have seen in a long time. We had a few sprinkles at higher elevations. We arrived at the 7 Feathers Casino in Canyonville at about 4PM. The casino provides free RV camping in a lot behind the casino (no hook ups) and provides shuttle service if you want to go to the casino. The lot was full by nightfall.
Joanie and I, as first timers, also got a $5 card each which could be used at the slots. We played the slots and I won $17.65 and Joanie won $2.75. We cashed out and had one free dinner.
Gerda and George did not have such luck. The day began with another bump on the head and while starting a lane change, they were cut off by one of those aggressive female drivers who tried to dart around them at the last minute. The trailer fish-tailed wildy and they were a little shaken. The contents of the trailer were also shaken, on some of those unbreakable corel dishes shattered all over the place.

Day 51
Destination: Chehalis, Washington

We woke up to a cold morning and had breakfast in the casino. We drove through fog most of the morning, and stopped in Portland to visit some stores Joanie and Gerda had scoped out. We ended up at the Walmart in Chehalis at 5:30 after getting stuck in traffic through Portland. It seemed appropriate that the trip started with a free night of camping at a Walmart and should end the same way.

Day 52
Destination: Home

This was a rather uneventful day, which is good. It sprinkled off and on all day. We enjoyed still seeing many trees in full fall colour, especially through Olympia. The border crossing went quickly and we arrived home at 3:30. By 3:35 we were missing the sunshine and warm weather we had the past 7 weeks. However it was good to connect again with our kids and we look forward to seeing friends again.
The trip did not disappoint. We thoroughly enjoyed all the wonderful things we saw and the new friends we were able to spend time with. No regrets!