May 13, 2008 in Williams, AZ
Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Train ride to Grand Canyon
As I posted in 'Where was I', we had an interesting start to the day with the train stopping across the road by the campground to pick us up. They told us to just take a seat anywhere so they could get moving again.
The train ride was fun, mostly thanks to good companions and a great PSA (passenger service attendant) to keep us entertained. We also had a strolling musician come through with his harmonica and guitar.
The trip wasn't the most scenic initially...typical high desert. It eventually got a little prettier with woods, hills and trails. Since it was late morning we didn't see much in the way of wildlife.
We were given a nice box lunch which most ate on the train but I waited till we arrived at the train depot. Found a picnic table, chowed down and then headed up the steps for my first sight of the Grand Canyon (other than from a plane).
We had three hours to hike, visit the historical buildings, learn about the history of the area and, of course, sightsee. Some folks managed to see a mountain lion, several saw the condors that have been re-established in the area, I got to see the squirrels that someone was feeding (against the rules) and a little lizard. LOL!
The train ride home brought more entertainment....same PSA, different musician. It also brought the requisite train robbery. Gotta love masked men with senses of humor...they needed it in our car. One of the SKPs played the part of a 'not all there' individual. Had our PSA rolling on the floor and the robber was speechless.
When we arrived at the RV Park, the train once again stopped at the road crossing to let us off. The locals even stopped to take photos.
We hustled back to our rigs to get our beverage of choice for the late happy hour/social which would be followed by a delicious dinner of chicken/beef Shiskabob, corn on the cob, potato salad and more. YUM! Followed by a delicious carrot cake desert.
The final door prizes were given out (did I mention that I won a HOP jacket at the drawings Friday night? NICE jacket...), the thank you's extended, future plans swapped and hugs exchanged. What a great event it was....the memories will last a long time.
Here is a photo of our HOP hosts enjoying the sights at Grand Canyon.
Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna
SPOT Me!
A while back I wrote a blog - Can you find me now? It was prompted by my fainting and hitting my head in the middle of the night. As a solo, I worry about how my family & close friends would know where I was if something happened to me. Sure I have a cell phone...but as I travel into less populous places it may not work. Same thing for my Internet connection since that is via a Verizon aircard. Plus I don't want to HAVE to blog every day, even when I do have a connection.
When I first read about the SPOT messenger, I thought that would be perfect. Yes, it's a $100 a year but that's less than $10 a month. I can squeeze that in....to me it's worth it. If I get hurt and need help, for example if I'm out hiking, then I can use the emergency 911 feature of the SPOT. On a daily basis I can use the check-in feature to send an email to family members (limited number) as well as post the OK message in a private blog that only family and close friends will be able to access. I can post my daily itinerary there as well so if I don't check in the following day they will have my last coordinates as well as the route I was planning to take.
There is an added Track Me feature that I have no need for but will be used by many of my motorcycle friends. Thus this post. Because of the high interest in the SPOT Messenger, one member of a forum I visit has become a dealer and is offering a discounted rate for the SPOT. In addition for those who want the Track Me feature, it will soon offer 50% off the first year. Regardless, I wanted to post once more about this...if you know ANYONE who might be interested or need the SPOT, the discount site is HERE as well as in my right sidebar. (If you order, please tell them Froggi Donna sent you!)
Thank you for passing this along!
Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Visiting Sedona & Montezuma's Castle
As usual I took too many photos....most are self explanatory so I'll just post the thumbnails and let you choose to look or not. LOL! Hope you enjoy....as I posted, it was a great day. I hope to go back soon...oh, and if anyone wants an UNBELIEVABLE hot dog, visit the Black Cow in downtown Sedona.
I love hot dogs but this was the best I have ever had. A foot long, large, plumped, steamed hot dog inside a freshly baked French baguette and dressed with the condiments I love - relish, mustard and ketchup. Add a bag of chips, a soda and what a meal! It was even better than it looked...the only downside is that I was so full there was no room for their homemade ice cream. Oh, and they had fresh coffee...something not always easy to find in a little cafe like this.
Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna
Where was I?
Where the heck was I when the USPS announced a postage increase? Obviously my head has been in the sand here in the deserts of AZ. I had NO idea! If it weren't for someone mentioning it at breakfast, I would never have known. Wow!! Guess I need to visit the local Post Office and pick up some "filler" stamps.
The rally is over and what a wonderful time I've had. Too much food, too much laughter, too much fun......NAH! Never too much fun......
We had an interesting start to our train ride to the Grand Canyon. We were supposed to be picked up in shuttle buses for the short ride from the park to the train depot. First announcement was that we were delayed by 30 minutes. The 30 minutes came and went and we noticed lots of cell phone work on the part of the campground owners and our rally hosts. Next thing we hear the train whistle and said folks shouting, "Stop the train! We've got to stop the train....."and with phones at full alert....they somehow did exactly that.
Long story short...the owner and driver of the shuttle bus company had emergency quintuple by-pass surgery and with the short staff, they just couldn't make it. The campground owners managed to make history....getting the Grand Canyon Railway train to STOP at the road crossing beside the campground. First time EVER..... They hurried us aboard and got us settled as quickly as possible so they could get moving.
Photos and the rest of the story tomorrow....
Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna
Friday, May 09, 2008
Time flies...once again....
Busy, busy, busy.....but that's a good thing. Going to post a quick update, photos to come later. I should have a little spare time next week before my lady motorcycle friends arrive here in Williams, AZ.
Let's see....last time I posted I was in Congress at North Ranch and dealing with another stomach bug (food issue possibly). Since then....
- Met several folks as they came through North Ranch, some new, some I had met before (and some I didn't remember that I had met before...LOL).
- Caravaned with Steve & Sandy (SKPs and fellow Class of 2007 members) to the RV park in Williams, AZ
- Beautiful ride up to Prescott....RV ran well, I babied it as much as possible, utilizing all the tips everyone has passed along to me.
- Almost got on 89A north...NOT a route for an RV. The city of Jerome is an old mining town built into the side of Mingus Mountain.
From AZCentral.com: "A 15-mile stretch of road snakes up the southwestern flank of Mingus Mountain over a 7,000-foot pass and down 2,000 feet to Jerome. Like a roller-coaster track, the highway plunges, bends and dips in twisting switchbacks that challenge your car's suspension and brakes - and your nerve." - After the short detour, we continued north and soon found ourselves at the park. Great folks and nice park.
- Discovered the transmission was still leaking BUT it appears to only leak when I slow to a stop. Will be getting it serviced before leaving the area.
- Met up with several old friends at the rally and started meeting a lot of new ones.
- Spent Thursday sightseeing with the group....Sedona and Montezuma's Castle. Photos later...what a blast! Got a great, for me, shirt that says DESERT DIVA. LOL!
- Many hours spent talking with other RVers....amazing people....wonderful diversity.
- Tonight I skipped the Pot Luck dinner and went visiting at the KOA - what an evening. My friend Mike (aka Melvis) & I managed to find the wrong KOA, get semi-lost inside the right KOA but eventually found our friends. Spent an hour around the campfire, headed back to pick up our train tickets for tomorrow and found out that I won a door prize tonight! Guess I need to skip things more often. NICE jacket with the Escapees HOP logo on it...perfect for a cool day at the Canyon tomorrow.
- What a time of great catered meals, super hosts, terrific door prizes, making new friends & lots of laughs with more to come!
Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Was it something I ate?
Had barely gotten to sleep last night when I woke with a HORRIBLE case of heartburn...got up, took a pill and went back to bed. Couldn't sleep on either side, had to put my head up, felt terrible. Finally fell asleep around 4am, back awake at 6, back to sleep till a little after 8. Not near enough sleep... Got up, hit the bathroom....okay, so now things appeared to have gone south.
Spent the day feeling lousy, ate some plain yogurt, 1/2 bagel and a little soup. Visited with several folks who stopped by. Took a 2 hour nap. Got the last two Pressure-Pro sensors put on the car. Read some emails & forums....replied to a few. Got a ton more advise about the transmission. Ran a low grade fever. Rested some more.
What a day....apologies to those waiting for email replies...it may be a few more days. In the morning I head to Williams, AZ for the Escapees Grand Canyon HOP. I am caravaning with another couple so if I have mechanical problems, I won't be alone. Oh, and as soon as I'm settled I'll be doing the drawing for the contest winner. Thanks to all who entered!
Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna
Monday, May 05, 2008
Status Update & Contest Reminder
REMINDER! The contest entries must be emailed to me by midnight tonight, Pacific timezone.
Now, just a quick note for those that didn't see my comment on the previous blog or my Shout-Out. I am now at North Ranch SK Park in Congress, AZ.
After many emails back & forth with a SUPER helpful & knowledgeable SKP friend (SOCalToolGuy - Ray), it was determined that I should be able to carefully drive the 15 miles from Wickenburg to the RV park. The leak appeared to have stopped.
I contacted an SKP couple, Mike & Pat McFall, who are in the park and they came over to the gas station after church. Pat drove my car and Mike followed the RV. No leaks, no shifting issues, no slipping....all looked good.
I went to the Sunday night ice cream social (always a great place to meet folks at SKP parks). By the time I went to bed Sunday I had at least FOUR recommendations that B&B Automotive in Congress was a reputable place to take the rig to get evaluated.
I spoke with them this morning and they agree with Ray, the transmission probably overheated and spilled over due to the added load of the car versus the lighter trailer/motorcycle. With the warmer weather they have already seen several cases of this. I have an appointment at noon for them to look it over and I will have them drain & refill the fluid regardless.
When I leave I have a mountainous route to take in order to get to Williams. I will leave early and stop every hour to let things cool down. Fortunately it's only 115 miles to the campground. Not sure there is much else I can do...I don't want to tear up this transmission and until I add a temperature gauge for it, I have no way of knowing if it's overheating.
So, I will post any updates tonight...and once again, a HUGE thank you to Ray, Mike & Pat for going above & beyond and another one to everyone who has emailed, commented & shouted with thoughts, ideas, questions & encouragement. I'm way behind in emails but will get back to those I can (remember, if your profile isn't linked to an email then I can't reply to you). You guys ROCK!
Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Why does it happen on the weekend?
Things were going so well....I had vacillated between Payson, Campe Verde, Wickenburg and Congress - two campgrounds and two boondocking. Since the boondocking outside Wickenburg was at a higher altitude, that was where I finally decided to head.
I took US 60 - gorgeous route but glad my Brake Buddy was working. No photos...I was too busy driving. Around 1:30 about 20 miles north of Sun City, I pulled over for some lunch. Did a walk around, all looked good. Headed on to Wickenburg, about another 20 miles. I needed to get gas before heading to the boonies so I pulled into a Shell station on the south side of town.
As I walked to the back of the rig to be sure the hose would reach, I noticed a trail of reddish fluid under the RV. I followed it back to the front...first thought was transmission fluid because of the color, second thought was oil because I had an oil change done in Tucson and thought maybe the filter was loose (that's about as mechanical as I get). I checked the oil...the engine was warm enough I had to put on a glove. It was a quart low...I often have to add a quart now and then between oil changes.
As I finished pumping the gas and walked back to the front, the gentleman in the truck on the other side was peering underneath. There was now a large puddle under the engine and he thought it was transmission fluid. So I proceeded to check that...nothing showed. His son came out and he looked as well....said he thought it was probably either the front seal or the pump. Both would require the transmission to be pulled. Sigh....
I went in and told the manager that I needed to park on the side until the tow truck came. She said that was fine. Another gentleman came along and helped me put in two quarts of transmission fluid so I could pull it around the building and park it out of the way without seizing something.
I had called Coach-Net and after getting all the pertinent information she asked I wanted to hold for the technician or have them call back. Since my cell phone battery was getting low, I chose having them call back. Within 10 minutes he called and we went through all the particulars. Since it was Saturday afternoon he wasn't sure if he would be able to get someone to tow me to a place where I could stay in the RV. I told him I had no problem dry camping here until Monday morning.
He had to find the closest service spot and call me back. In less than 5 minutes he did just that...the closest service spot would be the Ford dealer in Glendale and they wouldn't allow me to stay in the motorhome over the weekend. So he will contact them Monday and call me to let me know who will come and when they will arrive.
In the meantime, I'm safe and comfortable...boy am I ever glad I have solar! My )2 Cool 12 volt fan is working wonderfully in combination with my fantastic fan, the car is unhooked and ready for any excursions, I have plenty of water, my tanks are all but empty, I have EVDO Internet & cell access...life is good.
Tomorrow is supposed to be over 90, that's the only downside (well, other than a BIG hit to my pocketbook). But I do have a full gas tank so I can run the generator for a couple of the worst hours. There is a nice park in town just behind the Bashas' Grocery store. I'll hit McDonald's for a breakfast splurge, take my coffee and a book and enjoy the park for a few hours. Other than that, I'll just try to not spend too much money...but I will see what Bashas' has to offer.
Monday will bring a new adventure...getting the Lily Pad towed. I have posted in the Escapee forum for anything I need to be aware of....any tips or gotchas to watch out for. At least it didn't happen while I was boondocking in the middle of no where with no cell phone access! LOL!!
Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna
Friday, May 02, 2008
On the move....already adapting....
The day started off perfectly...cool & sunny. I took my time getting things packed up, nice to have a park with a noon checkout time for us folks that like to sleep in a bit. LOL! I stopped at the office to get propane and pay my electric ($9.10 for a week, not bad since I ran the A/C quite a bit). Told them I'd be posting a positive review in RV Park Reviews....I check that site any time I'm looking at campgrounds.
Hit the road around 10:30, stopped in Willcox and got gas ($3.43/gal unleaded) - $90 worth. UGH! Headed north with the intention of trying to find a boondocking spot just south of Safford in the Coronado National Forest. I had used Google Earth to look at the area and THOUGHT it might work out. Well, it looked good on paper....my first warning was a sign that said no vehicles over 40'. The second said the same but pointed out a turn around area just ahead. I decided to pull off to the side and recheck my maps & Google Earth. I also posted a quick notice in the Escapees Forum to see if anyone had any input that might help.
After watching several vehicles head on, I thought I'd give it a try. Yes, I could have unhooked the car and gone up there but was worried about leaving the motorhome parked in the turn around area...hate to come back and find it towed away. I made it up to the entrance where there was a wide pull-off. The bicyclist I had seen riding was paused there and I got out and asked if he was familiar with the local area. He was and we chatted. He strongly advised against going in much further...there was a campground by the next ridge, definitely no further than that. I didn't want to pay a campground for the night and that combined with the tight, twisting road with multiple 10-15 mph hairpins, I opted to head back down.
I knew I had several options...there was a Wal-Mart in Safford that was supposed to allow overnight parking and worst case, it was only about 80 miles to the Apache Gold Casino just outside Globe, AZ. Soooo...I headed to the Wal-Mart in Safford where there was supposed to be overnight parking. Being Friday it was busy-busy-buys. I tried two spots..that was when I noticed the No Overnight Parking signs. Since it was only 3pm rather than try to find out if that was true, I opted to head to Globe where I am now dry camping at the Apache Gold Casino (free - the RV Park dry camp, $5 night, was full).
There was only a travel trailer at one and and a truck camper at the other end of the free (dirt) area. I parked about 20-25 feet from the travel trailer, pulling forward enough that the car was also in the dirt. About an hour later a 30-32' Class A pulls in on the other side of me...opposite direction, not straight, angled in towards me, the front end less then 10' from my rig...and his door exactly opposite my door. Jeesh....if he had just pulled up completely the other way, his door would have been opposite my car and we BOTH would have more privacy. Plus, now that they have headed into the Casino, their dog is unhappy. Hope that stops soon....even worse, when they come back I expect the generator to be fired off. Oh well, it's only one night...
The trip from Safford north to Globe was a pretty one but the winds seemed to pick up a bit. There were a lot of pullover spots, some even with trash cans and some with semi-trucks parking in them. I pulled into one when I felt drowsy...and it also gave the folks behind me time to pass. Definite difference between pulling the trailer/motorcycle and the car. Glad I have the Brake Buddy for the downhill grades.
Still working on where I will head from here...trying to get more information on boondocking in Payson, otherwise I may opt to go through Show Low instead.
Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna
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