We are now in New Mexico

Ok. So here is the update. We learned that staying at RV parks is not our favorite way to travel. We were not only smaller than all of the other trailers, we were so much smaller that the next largest was at least 2 or 3 times larger than we were. Many people stopped by and told us that they thought our trailer was cute, but they did not know how they could get by. Well, the reason we can get by is that we usually have a lot of our stuff on the outside of the trailer and it is not possible to do this in trailer parks. We have decided that we prefer to stay in state campgrounds. They are not only cheaper, but they are more what we like.

We visited Kartchner Caverns in Arizona. OMG. It was truly amazing. It will be one of the highlights of our trip. We learned about the geology of this area and got to see live and growing stalactictes. It was awesome. There was a very nice campground outside of the caverns and if we ever come back to this area I would prefer to camp in that campground rather than in the RV park.

In the afternoon we went to the Chiricahua National Monument. This was a recommendation from one of the women doing her laundry in the RV park. (This is a very good way to get recommendations - just start talking to people.) This was an awesome sight. The rocks from the volcanoes were huge and beautiful and I cannot recreate this in pictures, but I took many many. There was a short walk around the site, and Bob was not able to take the walk because he kept running out of breath, so I took many pictures. This was a very worthwhile trip. I now have a much better understanding of the formation of Arizona - and New Mexico.

We left the RV park and Arizona and headed for New Mexico. Our plan was to go to Columbus New Mexico and stay at the Pancho Villo state park. But the winds were very strong on the way there. There was a sandstorm so bad that they actually had shuttle vehicles to lead us through. When we got to the park we learned that the bathrooms were closed except on weekends (in order to save money). The combination of the winds and the bathrooms discouraged us from staying there - although it did look like a nice park. We left and drove into Deming - about 50 miles away. We decided that we did not want to just park the trailer. We wanted to camp and enjoy the outdoors. All of the RV parks there were narrow sites and we would have had to just stay in the trailer. We decided to keep looking. We headed toward Silver City. On the way we found a nice rest area and almost stayed there. But we decided to try the state park a few miles away called the City of Rocks. I was so gald that we did. It was gorgeous!!! It got very cold that night and we had no electricity and had to get by on our batteries, but it was worth it. In the morning we got up and took some walks. The elevation was about 5000 ft. and that made it very hard for Bob to breathe. If that had not been the case we would have stayed there for a couple of days. But we took our walks and then moved on. The rangers there were very helpful in directing us to other parks.

We drove to Silver City. This is a very artsy city with a history of mining and the home of Billy the Kid. Many mines in the area. There was a small and cute museum and many shops with "ART" noted on the sidewalk. There were local artists and some very lovely pieces, but more than we wanted to pay. On the other hand, we got a good recommendation for lunch and had the best Mexican food that I have had in a long time.

We left Silver City and drove over some very high and windy mountains and got to Truth or Consequences New Mexico. At the recommedation of the ranger at City of Rocks, we are staying at Elephant Butte state park. This is a very large park right on the Rio Grande river. (Did you know that the Rio Grande was in New Mexico? I did not.) It is a very nice park and allows us to put our stuff outside the way we like. We went into town to buy groceries and our only option was either a very small and expensive local market or WalMart. Yuck. We just could not go into Walmart.

We will stay here for a few days and then move on - looking for more good recommendations. this is great!!!!!

Benson Arizona

Wow.
So much has happened in the last two days. We spent the last days at Agua Caliente in very strong winds. We couldn't even sit outside. And it was starting to get colder. So we thought that we would do better moving east. Wrong! But more about that later. Yesterday morning we were all packed up and ready to leave by 8 am. But it was a stop and start leaving. First Bob realized that he did not have his hearing aids in. So we stoppped and opened the trailer and took out the hearing aids. Then I couldn't remember if I had secured everything, so we stopped again so that I could check. Then I couldn't remember if I had closed the vent on the top of the trailer. In all, we had to stop five times and open the trailer to make sure that everything was secured.

We did have an unusual challenge on this leg of the trip. From Sunday night at sundown to Monday night at sundown, it was my brother's yahrzeit (the anniversay of his death). We are supposed to light a memorial candle and keep it lit for 24 hours. We lit it at Agua Caliente and then carried it with us in the truck's cup container until we stopped for the night, then in the trailer. That was a true challenge.

Driving through California and then into Arizona I realized that there is really a lot to see in the desert, but it takes quite a while to realize what you are seeing. At first it all looks the same. It takes a while to realize that there are major differences in the cacti and in the ground and in the mountain. (The mountains in Arizona are lower but more rugged looking than the ones in California. The cactus is also lower and there is lots more of it. The ground seems to have a lot fewer rocks.) I will never really like it, but I can learn to appreciate it. I was also impressed by how fertile it is when water is added. The Imperial Valley was incredibly green in spots and then really barren in other spots. It all depended on the water.

One of the things that surpised both Bob and I were the number of times that we have gone through Border Patrol checkpoints. Nine during this week. They take one look at us, ask if we are US citizens and then pass us through. But lots of them. Undoubtedly this is because we were so close to the Mexican border. At times we could see into Mexico from I-8.

We drove through Yuma and did not see anything but RV parks - lots and lots of theml We tried to find the Arizona Tourist office, but could not. The most interesting thing about Yuma was a large billboard with a big picture of George W. Bush that said "Miss Me Yet?" Hmmm. Not me.

When we got to Tucson it was pouring!!!! - and it was rush hour traffic. Bob and I decided that we would stop at a Holiday Inn Express, but it was $100 a night. Not worth it. So we drove another five miles to Benson Arizona and we are parked in an RV Resort. It is not camping - it is parking the vehicle. We hooked up the power, walked a block to a great restaurant, and came back and went to bed.

Last night the temperature went down to 33 degrees. I think it is warmer in Portland. We are south, but we are at 3500 feel elevation. During the day today it got up to the mid 50's and was very sunny, but it was very cold last night.

Today we went to Bisbee Arizona, where we went to a great museum that talked about copper mining in Arizona and life in the desert in the early 1900's. It is a town that is surviving on tourism, but it is nicely done. I say that because we then went to Tombstone. Too too touristy for me. Nothing really but shops selling overpriced stuff that is not even local. They put on fake shows of the gunfight at the OK corral. Bob and I were both bored.

We then just started driving, not sure what to see next. We saw a sign to Colossal Cave Monument Park and went there. We took a tour of a HUGE cave (65 feet underground). That was definitely worth seeing. The paths, the handrails and the lights were put in place in the 30's by the CCC. What a good way to spend federal money.

We are now in the social room of this RV Resort. There are three very noisy tables of people (all over 65 years old) playing poker. Interesting. but not camping.

Pictures of the desert

I am just figuring out how to download pictures. I tried to get these on the last blog but couldn't. Here are pictures of the desert, including Bob hiking and our scooters.

Southern California

This is a different part of southern California. It is desert. It is dry and generally hot, although it has been windy and a little cool yesterday and today. Our campsite is great and we have met some very nice people. They have also given us some good tips on what to see next. The volunteers even brought us free camfire wood for a few nights. (The closest store is about 50 miles away.)

The campsite has no cell phone or internet coverage so it is hard to connect with people, but I suppose that it is nice as a start to be isolated. We are currently about 10 miles down the road from our campground at a private campgroud that has a laundry area - yes it is time to do laundry. They have free wifi so it seemed time to update my blog.

The drive here from Oregon and the Bay Area was long and tiring and it is good that we have just stopped for a week to make sure that everything works. (We are really spoiled in Oregon that we do not have the kind of traffic that they have in LA.) We spent one day on the scooters riding around, but there is not much here within scooter distance. We also spent one day driving to the Salton Sea. We actually drove all the way around - it took two hours. It was vey interesting because there was lots of green and crops on one side of the road but very dry and arid on the other side. Of course it is all due to irrigation. The irrigation canal was right next to the road. As far as we could tell there was lots of oranges, dates and grapes growing there. There were also lots of refrigerated trucks on the road to pick up and deliver all of the crops. But it was a nice easy drive.

At my insistance we turned off the road at a place called Bombay Beach - sounded good? Well it was very depressing. A very small area filled with old dilapidated trailers and shacks. Very poor. Apparently there had been a beach there at some point, but the beach now had a sign that it was closed.

Our campground has a regular pool and a therapy pool. We have spent some time in both - although a lot more in the therapy pool. The therapy pool is about 102 degrees and apparently (according to the sign) contains many minerals. Bob says that it does make his back feel better. I just plain enjoy it.

I have been pretty diligent about doing exercise and have even lost another pound. There are some great hiles to take. As we drive around or walk around I see more and more in the desert. People kept telling me that there was a lot to see - but it takes some time to get over the feel that this is barren and there is nothing to see. There are many off road hikes and campsites along the road.

Last night the wind came up pretty strong so we pulled in everything that could get hurt by the wind and even had dinner inside Fanny (the trailer) because it was so windy. This morning it is cloudy but the sky is clearning and it is getting warmer.

The next few days will be more sitting, reading and swimming. Then on to Arizona.

Bay Area

We had a good time in the Bay Area with Ira and Cathie. Saw Stef's friend Anna and her husband and beautiful baby. I may post pictures later. Right now we are in the southern California desert and there is no cell phone coverage in our campsite. We took the scooters and went about 4 miles and found another park where we had coverage.

The desert is beautiful and dry. The weather is very warm during the day and chilly at night. Bob got so tired driving here on Sunday. We made it from the Bay Area to just outside of San Bernadino. We just stopped in a rest area and got up early the next morning and took the back roads. We got to the campsite too early so we dropped off the trailer and went about 50 miles to the nearest town to buy groceries for dinner. Then we came back and it took about 1 1/2 hours to set up camp. We got all set up and went into the hot therapy pool. It was delightful! After we came out Bob was not feeling too good - I think too much therapy pool. We had dinner and barely made it to 8 pm before we fell asleep. It was a really good idea for us to take a few days and just rest before starting across the country.

Today we will just take it easy. A picnic at a cute park that has cell phone access and then back to the campsite for hikes and swimming. We stay here for a week. Lots of hiking and swimming in our futre.

It took us long enough to set up that I think we will try to stay for a few days and at each campsite and then do day hikes. We will see how that works.

Hanging out in the Bay Area

We are now here in the Bay Area with Ira and Cathie. We have spent a lot of time catching up and comparing grandbaby pictures and stories. It has stopped raining and the sky is blue and the temp is about 60 degreees. Very comfortable. The trailer and the pickup are parked in the parking lot and look like they are pretty safe. Last night we went out for dinner and had some really great Thai food. Just hanging out today and then leave tomorrow for Agua Caliente. I feel very mellow and laid back and am thoroughly enjoying having no appointments or responsibilities.

Bob wants everyone to know that I am still forcing him to exercise. In fact, yesterday at the campground I made him do it in what he calls rain. It was actually a very light mist, but we did get wet. It was funny watching people watch us. Maybe we will start a new trend?

We have started!

We have started. We took off and tried to think of everything. Of course, there is one thing that we already realized we forgot. (The battery for Bob's bike. He will have a hard time biking without it.) I am going to ask Scott to Fed Ex it to nephew's house. Hope that works.

You can see the picture of us as we were ready to leave. I had to ask Bob to get out of the truck in order to take the picture. The weather through Oregon was great. We went over the Siskiyou summit in bright sunshine. Then in about Yreka California it started to pour. It was not looking comfortable and we discussed whether we should stop or just keep driving. We decided not to camp in Redding because it was still too rainy and cold. We drove another 30 miles to Red Bluff and found a great campground just off the freeway. It is only drizzling now and a little chilly. We have not even unhooked the trailer. Bob is currently warming the chili that we brought with us. We will eat in a bit and then amuse ourselves. Bob wants to get an early start tomorrow and get into the Bay Area.

The trip down here is one that Bob and I have taken many times. The beauty of the Rogue Valley always amazes me. The starkness of Northern California is also amazing. I am glad that we are out of the mountains and ready to move through the valley.