Yes I'm alive....

What a whirlwind the last couple of weeks have been....I will post more next week but for now I wanted to at least report in. Gillette was great, had a blast, amazing July 4th fireworks, got in some motorcycle riding as a trike passenger, talked to a gazillion people (old & new friends), attended a few sessions, bought a few things (love my new outdoor mat).

When it was over I took my rig into Pierce RV in Billings, MT to get a few things adjusted, tweaked, maintained....etc. Since it was going to take several days, I left it there and did Yellowstone with my trike riding friend. WOW!!!! We rode it two days straight - deer, buffalo, eagles, brown bear, black bear, elk, coyote, ground squirrels, chipmunks....and scenery to die for. What a blast!! My neck is sunburned and sore...you'd think I would know better by now. LOL! I promise to upload photos later...today we are moving up to Anaconda and will attend the Butte International Folk Music Festival. Then on Monday we will go back to Billings so I can pick up my rig and head up to Conestoga RV Park in White Sulphur Springs for my summer workamping assignment.

More later....and some AWESOME photos coming!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Checking in from Gillette, WY

I know I haven't blogged in a while...been busy with life & other 'stuff'....LOL! Here are a few photos of the Bighorn Mountains Campground. I enjoyed my three days there and will go back. They have about 6 mules who help keep the grass mowed...the large building contains the bathrooms/showers and laundry on the lower level with the office & owners quarters on the upper.

I did a little sightseeing but not as much as I had hoped for....I did snag a pretty good photo of a Prong Horned Antelope.



On Wednesday morning I headed East to Gillette. Nice sunny day, a little windy and some decent scenery along the way. I arrived at the Cam-Plex in Gillette, got checked in easily. HUGE complex but perfect for this type of gathering. That evening I became a member of the Gillette Elks Lodge #2825.



Today was the HOP for Devils Tower...what an amazing experience. So much history, such a sacred place for many Native American tribes. June is their most sacred month and we saw many prayer bundles in evidence. Here is a great page to learn more about Devils Tower. I took a ton of photos and had a hard time choosing which ones to upload....here are a few of my favorites but there are many more here.




We had plenty of time to take the 1.3 mile hike around Devils Tower. In fact we could have done it twice since there was a mix-up at the caterers about lunch. They thought we were coming on Friday so nothing was ready. We made the best of it...not much else we could do. LOL!

After our Devils Tower visit followed by our very late lunch at a picnic area, we made a quick stop at the prairie dog town before heading back to Gillette for a tour of the Eagle Butte Mine owned by Foundation Coal. By this time I was pretty exhausted and opted to stay in the bus so no photos. Sorry...hee-hee!

Tomorrow is a day of rest and socializing with others here. Will snap some photos of the campground & complex. This weekend I hope to attend at least some of the Wyoming Celtic Festival activities that will be held here in the Cam-Plex as well as checking out the Escapade vendors on Sunday. Blogging will be sporadic....lots going on!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Evanston to Rawlins, WY

First, I knew there was something I forgot to post about in yesterday's blog but was too tired to worry about it. Remember I mentioned those wheel deep potholes...well, other than the normal things that fell (stuff on walls, etc), the rig shook so much that:

1. It vibrated my Fantastic Fan enough that it slightly opened and the fan turned on
2. I lost a screw out of the return air vent on the A/C
3. When I got to the park, I had no propane.
   

Needless to say, not having propane was the biggest thing...I noticed it because the check light was on the frig and the temp was way too warm. Then I realized the water heater never fired. So I did what little troubleshooting I could think of...reset the propane sensor, checked to be sure I had propane and that the Extend-a-Stay hadn't vibrated loose. Nothing.

Since it was after 4 on a Friday, I knew I'd better do something quick or I could be without for a while. I walked back to the office and asked the host if she knew anyone might be able to come out and take a look at it. She volunteered her father (he built the park and ran it for years) and called him. He walked over and we went through the basics. He had me try to light the stove...nothing. Then he checked to be sure gas was flowing from the talk to the Extend-a-Stay. Plenty of pressure there. Then he started tracing out the wires, figuring out that they were connected to the propane sensor (and I had already learned that it would shut down the flow if there were a leak). He found a loose connection around the side of "something", LOL, and tightened it with his fingers. I reset the sensor inside and it worked! Phew...one more thing added to my troubleshooting list.

This morning I hit the road at 10am, after getting gas. You'll NEVER guess what the first vehicle was to pass me after pulling onto the highway....



Several people have either commented or emailed me...seems as though this is some type of tour bus. When it pulled past me I noticed people sitting in the windows so made that assumption myself.

The ride was fairly boring since it was all interstate, but there were some scenic areas. The giant wind turbines are always a treat and the signs and gates for road closures another reminder of what winter is like in this area.



One of the prettiest section was the west side of Green River. I saw that area when I was touring in 2005 on my motorcycle...I met up with a lady rider friend in Rock Springs before heading down through Flaming Gorge (and had NO idea what I was getting into...LOL!)



I saw several trains today...some VERY long ones. I also saw my first LIVE wildlife, a doe and her two fawns. My previous wildlife consisted of 2 dead deer, 1 dead fox, 2 dead squirrels/prairie dogs & 1 dead skunk.



I arrived in Rawlins, WY and am safely nestles into the Western Hills Campground in an electric only site ($22). Wide open, no problem with DirecTV satellite signal...nice breeze and great shower & laundry facilities (not that I used them but did check them out).



Tomorrow I head to Buffalo, WY where I will be staying at the Big Horn Mountains Campground for three days before moving on to Gillette and the Escapade. I have some friends already there and they've invited me to dinner.

NOTE: For more photos from today, visit my SmugMug gallery.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

...and today is

What a day...felt like Thursday but maybe it was Saturday, but no, it was actually Friday. It was nice to wake before 7 and not have the sun shining in brightly already. I hoped to get on the road by 10 so fell asleep for a little longer. Had a weird dream....someone stole my motorhome. EEEK! That was when I woke up....phew!

It was a good thing I didn't plan to leave before then...there was an endless stream of ATVs, trucks with trailers full of ATVs and people...all right where I needed to pull out. Fortunately they went their way before I was ready. I headed off by 9:30 and as I drove through Marysvale proper I realized that this was where I stopped on my motorcycle....center of town a little general store with table & chairs out front. I got a soda and an ice cream sandwich and sat out front to enjoy them. I thought it was a neat little town...I remember it being pretty quiet, no ATVs running around. LOL!

I continued north on US89 but made one slight error when I took I-70 to get on I-15. I missed that I was supposed to go the other way which would have kept me on US89. Added about 25 miles to the day but the scenery was still pretty.

Somewhere along the way a bright red vehicle pulled out on to the road ahead of me. It looked like a bus front with a utility travel (double height). I snapped a couple of photos but when we hit a construction area (one of many today), I got to stop right behind it and discovered it was a Mercedes and had both an international tag as well as one from Alaska. Would have loved to chat with them!



The drive towards Provo took me through some pretty areas and I even got to see my first Super C, a Gulfstream Ultra. NICE!



As I headed north the road quality got worse. I would have thought an Interstate like I-15 would be in good shape. NOT! Then once I got on US189 and went through Provo, I found some potholes that I swear were half the depth of one of my tires.

If you have never driven through Provo Valley, you really should. I can't wait to go back in a car where I can pull over more easily and enjoy the views. A motorcycle would be even better. I think it is some of the prettiest views I have seen thus far! I couldn't snag many photos due to the curves & grades.



I had two campgrounds picked out for tonight. The first was Holiday Hills in Coalville, UT and the second was Phillips RV Park in Evanston, WY. I wanted to make Wyoming but if I was tired, Coalville would work. Well, after 5 hours of bouncing, curves, grades and not taking time for lunch, I was ready to stop in Coalville. Only problem was....there was no room at the inn. So I took a 15 minute break, caught my second wind and headed off to Evanston (yes, I called to be SURE I could get in there....LOL!). I'm finding that I need to make reservations more often, at least on weekends.



It's a nice little campground, perfect weather, lilacs blooming and trees abound...of course that means no satellite TV but that's okay. I've got 6 new DVDs and am watching "Dragonheart" as I type. I got a discount for Good Sam and another 105 for paying cash. Works for me!

Today ended up at 278 miles, tomorrow will only be 205. I'm headed to Western Hills Campground in Rawlins, WY (yes, reservation made). Should be an easy day with more perfect weather.

NOTE: For more photos from today, visit my SmugMug gallery.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

I needed a clone.....

What a day.....got out on the road at 11am, no need to rush since I was only going 167 miles (Williams to Page). Tires were freshly filled, all the gear was put away, the bicycle was mounted on the back of the car, the tanks were dumped and I headed out.

The drive was amazing.....north out of Flagstaff you rise in elevation, think I saw 7000' sign. Pretty views and lots of anxious traffic that wanted to get around me (and I was doing the 65 mph speed limit). Life's too short to be in such a hurry....

Of course what goes up must come down....but the down grade wasn't bad at all and the next few miles were fairly flat and nondescript. That soon changed...and from this point on I wish I had a clone. The scenery was SPECTACULAR! Remember, Route 89 is just east of the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Red rocks everywhere, striped, stacked, racked...you name it, I saw it. All this is within the bounds of the Navajo Reservation. Along with the rocks crafted with the love and fury of Mother Nature, are houses, trailers, huts, abandoned buildings, high power transmission lines and fences.

It was VERY windy the entire trip and the road was pretty rough in spots. That meant two hands on the steering wheel at ALL times which meant NO photos. Sigh.... Yes there were pull-offs and twice I tried that....both times the pull-out was in a low spot and the scenic beauty...not so much. LOL! I might drive south a little tomorrow in the car and see if I can get a couple of shots.

I arrived at the Page Lake Powell Campground a little after 2pm and got checked into my back-in site. First time I've had a tree on the afternoon sun side providing some shade. Nice....of course it's almost 100 degrees outside....LOL!

Tomorrow I will do laundry first thing in the morning, then do a little sightseeing until it gets too hot to bear. I'm vegging now....already took an Aleve to help the neck. back & overall pain from three hours of white knuckle driving.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Sunday Sights and Friends

Perfect Sunday.....slept in till 8:30, not sure why since I was wide awake at 6:30. Closed my eyes and next thing I know, it's 8:30. Decided to splurge with a Big Breakfast at McD's since I've been good about NOT going there the last couple of days. Read for a bit while enjoying my coffee, did some people watching (one of my favorite pastimes), then headed off to check out the two spots on my boondocking list.

One, actually two, things I've discovered about boondocking - 1) most hard core boondockers don't want to share their best spots and 2) places listed as good boondocking spots may actually not be. Oh and 3) what is perfect for one boondocker may be the pits for another. LOL!

The first spot I wanted to check out was the closest in, less then 2 miles from McD's. I headed out and soon found my turn off. Drove to the end...other than a NFS campground (for pay), the rest was all private property. But the scenery sure was nice...

Okay, nice drive...turned around and headed back through town and south to Dogtown Reservoir. Some other Escapees Full-timing Class of 2007, Tony & Pamela, had sent me info on this area, supposedly several good boondocking spots. It was about 4 miles out of town and then a mile or two into the National Forest Service. I knew it was going to be good when I saw my favorite sign...14 day limit (camping).

I drove in around, up, down....had a blast and found a bunch of good spots. All had at least 2 bars EVDO cell phone reception so my AirCard should work just fine. I stopped and walked around several spots, enjoying the area and wishing I were parked there now. But I still have to get my mail so will move on Thursday.

A little before 2 pm I had plans to meet Tony & Pamela at the Pine Country Restaurant for some pie. We hadn't officially met even though we had been at a couple of the same events this year. GREAT folks...had a blast talking with them, we have so much in common. Doncha just love these smiling faces!?!



After I left the restaurant, I headed to Safeway to stock up on a few things. On the way there I saw a Can-Am Spyder sitting outside a restaurant. As I got closer, a lady rider walked out and got ready to leave. I put down the window and asked her if I could take a photo. She said, "Sure!", so here it is. I love these things...so different for a three wheel motorcycle.



Oh, funny thing happened at Safeway....Tony & Pamela were there, too. Got to meet their adorable pup, Jones. I got done before them and headed home. Saved almost $14 with my Safeway card...plus if I ever run into a Safeway with a gas station, I will get 10 cents off each gallon.

Another beautiful evening...snapped a couple of sunset photos to share. Great day!



Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

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

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

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!

A huge thank you to everyone for all your support this past week...I couldn't have done it without you. Mike & Pat McFall for the help with getting my RV to North Ranch and putting on my new Pressure Pro sensors when they knew I felt really lousy. Ray for all the email troubleshooting on my transmission. Steve & Sandy for the advise and caravan company. Everyone that emailed, posted and wrote a shout-out either about the transmission or my getting sick. THANK YOU!!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Ghost Towns & The Town Too Tough To Die

I woke up early, enjoyed a quiet breakfast while I watched the birds tackle the refilled bird feeder. Then I read a few blogs, answered a few emails and finally got out on the road around 10:00. Off to sightsee for the day....intentions were to visit Tombstone and Bisbee.

First stop ended up being a visit to my first ghost town, Fairbanks. My friends Gary & Judie had mentioned this when we met in town the other day. Gary said it had been let go quite a bit and the last time he was there most of the buildings were closed because they were unsafe. There was a hiking trail if I felt up to it. Well he was right...the little "barn" was the only building that you could enter and after a short hike I turned back before I found the river. Figured my time was better spent heading into Tombstone. But hey, it was my first ghost town....LOL!

First stop in Tombstone was the famous Boot Hill Graveyard...everyone posts the same photos so here is my composite of some of the more interesting signs.



After that I drove around the main part of Tombstone and finally parked in a public parking lot not too far from downtown. I really enjoyed myself. The weather was perfect, the crowds non-existent and the working folks great to chat with.



I ate lunch at Big Nose Kate's Saloon...felt a little strange ordering "Kate's Breasts" which was a delicious grilled chicken sandwich. The drawing was over the bar and I suspect it was supposed to be of Kate.



I ended up buying a small desert watercolor done by a local resident and a new felt hat...yes, something will go OUT since I am bringing something in....LOL!



On my way back to the RV park, I stopped to take some photos just above the San Pedro river...you can see all the green trees (I think maybe Cottonwood?) lining the river.



Got home around 4:00 to find the bird feeder empty. I settled into my chair and watched them come and snatch up the bread crumbs I scattered (rather than filling the feeder so late in the day). I noticed that my neighbor to the east had a storage bin open and remembered the time I had opened one on the driver side, forgot it was open and had it pour that night. LOL!

Sometime after 6 I noticed a gorgeous sunset, something I hadn't seen here before. I grabbed my camera and took a few shots. As I came back to my site I noticed that my neighbor's storage bay was still open so I headed over to let them know. As I was telling the lady about it, I looked down at her little dog coming down the steps. In shock I had to ask if that was "Surely". It was...turns out that my blog friend Pepper, who is traveling with her mother as well as Surely, was my neighbor! They are here for a month. Small world....it was so great to meet for the first time.




Oh, you're right - I never made Bisbee. Maybe I'll extend one more day and see it tomorrow!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Photo & Location Catch Up

It's late, I'm tired, the blog is behind....so what else is new? LOL! Here are some photos I took while at Beaudry RV Resort a few days ago. Nice park when not packed...don't think I'd want to be there then.

I did get OUT of Tucson yesterday morning. The mobile tech showed up at 7:45am to install the new deadbolt and double check the propane leak. After he left, I took my time to get the new Brake Buddy installed (it worked) and left the park around 10:30.

The drive south to Huachuca City wasn't much more than an hour but when I finally got to the park, Tombstone Territories RV Park, and got checked in and set up, I was beat. My fibromyalgia was in full flare and I was exhausted and in pain everywhere. Most of the time it's under control but I think the combination of the stress from the last week+ and the short nights for 3-4 days merged with the windy drive south just pushed my body over the edge. I vegged all afternoon, even taking an hour long nap. I felt much more like myself this morning.

Today I went into Sierra Vista, had a nice breakfast, did a little shopping and got my haircut. Once done with that I managed to meet up with Judie & Gary who live in the area. They are RVers and we have been in email contact for close to 12 years. Judie was the one who mentored me in the early days of my husband and I looking into RVing. I learned so much from here and it was an amazing experience getting to finally meet! We chatted for several hours, and then I headed back to the park. Tomorrow I plan to head out to do some sightseeing in the area.

The park is very nice....and not crowded this time of year. Very clean, large sites, great amenities (pool, hot tub, two laundry rooms, several shower/bathroom areas, pool table and more). Lots of places to hike, tons of birds and I saw my FIRST jack rabbit! I tried to snag a photo but he was too quick.

Here are some photos of the park here:




Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Too Much.... Too Many.... Too Little....

Too much going on every day, too many photos taken, too little time to post it all! LOL! Yes, this is what retired life should be....living life! So I will try to create a short synopsis of the last several days.

1. Beautiful morning sunrises
2. Gorgeous evening sunsets
3. Hours spent meeting friends, old & new, around the communal campfire
4. Some great campfire meals
   ~ Eggs in a Bag breakfast
   ~ S'mores
   ~ Potato Bake & Pot Luck dinner
   
5. More great meals
   ~ Grilled steak shared with friends
   ~ Community center breakfasts with the group
   ~ In town breakfast (delicious omelette)
   ~ In town lasagna (still have the leftover to enjoy)
   ~ Upcoming pizza (same place as the lasagna)
6. Perfect weather
7. HOT weather
8. Six hour motorcycle trip to see Parker Dam & the London Bridge
   
9. Several nice walks around the BLM are where I'm parked
   ~ Desert flowers blooming
   ~ Interesting deadwood
10. Views that I will never forget
    

I'm sure there is more but those are the highlights. Here are some of the photos!

SUNRISE



SUNSET




DESERT WILDFLOWERS





LOCAL VIEWS





PARKER DAM



LONDON BRIDGE



On Friday morning I head out of here and wend my way to Tucson and the RV Life on Wheels conference. So I suspect blogs will be infrequent for the next week as well. I will try to check in from time to time though.

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

Hopped to a new location...

Forgive the lack of posting, some of it due to being busy but some of it due to not being busy! LOL!! Back to the end of last week....

As you read in my last post, I survived my first trip into Mexico. But due to visiting the eye doctor so late in the day, I needed to return to pick up my glasses (often you can get same day service if you visit early). The plan was to go in to get my glasses, do a little more window shopping, meet some of the other Boondockers for dinner & drinks before coming home.

So Friday arrived, the plans were set and we headed into Algodones to get my glasses. Not a bit of trouble other than the over-the-nose & ear fittings that are always a pain. Got two nice cases and we headed to do a little window shopping. I wanted to find the leather guy that I had seen before and Doug wanted to look at throws & rugs. Well, the leather guy had his sign up but the sunglass guy in his spot said he wasn't there but would be on Saturday...oh well. After wandering to more unseen areas and looking at various items, we headed to the restaurant as planned.

We ended up with eleven Boondockers...nice group. The vendors love big tables of people, especially ones with drinks on the table (Marguerita's were the order of the day for most folks). As I said, I like hats and was interested in getting one more good straw hat so when the hat vendor came around I asked if he had anything in a small, fully expecting he wouldn't. Well, he did...and everyone liked it on me. So next came the price negotiation...I turned that over to the crowd. Turns out one of the other ladies wanted one and we ended up with two for $28 as compared to the intially quoted price of one for $25. It's very tightly woven with a small plaid hatband and I really like it. The closest I could find online was this Gambler Hat (not exact - the crown on mine isn't as high).

So fast forward and the group decides to visit the infamous Green Door, known by the locals as Bar Olimpico. It has a reputation for some seedier goings on upstairs but for the most part, it was tame by U.S. adult entertainment standards. Everyone had a good time (some "gooder" than others.....hee-hee!) and we were back home by 10 pm.

Saturday Doug and I took a trip into Yuma so he could get propane, diesel for his truck and we ended up getting groceries and having a light dinner. We found his bank, Wells Fargo, inside a Fry's Grocery store so we opted to go ahead and pick up what we each needed since we planned to hit the road on Sunday. As I wandered the store I kept seeing "Kroger" mentioned.

For those who don't know, that is a chain in the east that is operates under the name of Fry's in the west as well as several other names (more details here). Since I didn't have a Fry's discount card, I decided to ask if my Kroger discount card would work. The cashier assured me that it did and I replied that was a shame since I didn't have my card with me, it was on my other keychain. After ensuring that my keychain was in my RV in the area and NOT back at home in another state, he swpied my order with their courtesy card so I could get the discounts (saved $6 off an $85 total). Once I explained that my keys had better be with me since I was a full-timer, we chatted about his parents who are full-timers. Not sure how well the folks behind me took his chatter but I thought it was interesting.

We stopped at a little spot that looked like a diner out of the past, Brownie's Cafe. Super staff, great food...would definitely visit again. By the way, the older gentleman that welcomed up was Brownie's brother....and a wonderful host!

We missed the 4:00 social hour but made the 7:00 campfire. We left early to get our rigs set for a 7 am departure on Sunday. Why so early? Well, the wind was already picking up on Saturday night and much of southern CA and southwest AZ were under an all day high wind warning with gust up to 40-50 mph. We had about 100 miles to travel and wanted to get a little ahead of the worst of it.

Not many photos but here are the final sunrise and sunset shots I took in Winterhaven, CA. YOU decide which is which....if it matters. LOL!




The drive over was amazing...both in the scenery in some spots and in the wind. Phew! Didn't dare take either hand off the steering wheel so no photos of the drive. We stopped in Ehrenberg to dump & take on fresh water and I got propane in Quartzsite at the RV Pit Stop. I can easily manage two weeks on a dump/water stop, and probably could make three if careful. Propane seems to be about a month unless it's really cold.

Anyway, we are now parked between Bouse & Quartzsite, parking on BLM land.I have to take my rig back into Q for a tweak to my inverter but other than that we plan to get the bikes out and hopefully get in some good riding. Here are a few shots of the area.




Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna

I survived my first trip into Mexico!

Los Algodones, Mexico was the destination and new prescription glasses were the game. (Gee, that sounds SO much more dramatic that it actually was....LOL!) Of course the first stop was the Post Office to see if my mail had arrived and if my birth certificate was in it. It had and it was....we were Mexico bound.

It was a true hop, skip and a jump...in fact the entire trip from our boondocking site to Algodones via the Post Office was under 30 miles. We parked the car, $5/day, and headed into town.

Once we crossed we could already see a LOOOOOOONG line of folks waiting to cross back to the U.S. even though it was only 3 pm.



We headed pretty straightaway to the optical shop that Doug had used before, Algodones Optical, since we weren't sure how late they stayed open. After trying on several frames from a wide selection and price range, I settled on two I liked. One for regular glasses and one for sunglasses....IF the price was right. I wear progressive lenses so in the US it's not uncommon for them to run me over $400, even with cheaper frames. Well, the price was right...I walked out with my eye exam and two pairs of glasses (on order, will get them Friday when we return for dinner with a group of RVers) for.....$155!

Doug wanted to get his shoes shined so once we found someone to do that, I wandered a bit just taking it all in. Much of the stuff being sold was either not to my taste (already have enough leather everything) or too big/bulky for my little RV. I did find what looked to be one interesting vendor who was engraving stuff on small leather pieces (like key fobs, etc) but since he was already packing up for the night, I didn't bother him. I hope he'll be there on Friday.

There is a ton of inexpensive jewelry, some handmade, some from China I suspect (as I suspect for many items being sold). Lots of t-shirts, clothes for youngsters, knick-knacks, hats (may have to try some of those out ), pottery (although much of it is probably the cheaper resin), rugs, and more. As I wandered in & out around the shops I found a nice central eating spot with music.



Once Doug was done we continued perusing things, checking out the prices in the liquor stores (some great buys there but each person can only bring back one bottle) as well as the pharmacy prices. I may get some of my meds refilled on Friday...one I can get cheaper at the Wal-Mart $4 price but another is much cheaper there.

Since it was now getting close to 5 pm, we noticed most shop owners were closing up. Most of them pack everything into totes, only to have to take it all out the next day. It was an exhausting procedure to watch. What didn't get packed away was carefully covered and tied down. While wandering the deliveries were starting...time to restock the liquor stores and pharmacies. Talk about tight parking! Check this out....and there were vehicles on both sides of them parked just as close! Eeeek!



We stopped for dinner at El Rancherito, checked out the line (still long) and then headed to another restaurant where we could sit, listen to music and watch the antics of the non-locals, who were obviously having fun. The live music was geared to Baby Boomers and several were dancing and singing along. Vendors strolled amongst the tables, hawking their wares - the best selling item seemed to be the "hair hats" that I first saw in Quartzsite. I did notice that the best sales were being had at tables where the liquor seemed to be flowing pretty freely.





I had ordered a Diet Coke and Doug got a Martguerita which came in a rather large glass. I got a kick out of my Coke being "Coke light" and all the writing in Spanish.



Eventually some of the vendors' children came out...some of the older ones were selling wallets & other small items but my favorite was this little boy who came out with his pet snake and startled several folks...until they realized it was a puppet!



Around 7 pm we headed back out, the line was empty except for some of the folks from the same restaurant...although they had obviously been there MUCH longer than us. My birth certificate was barely glanced at and my purchases smiled at. All in all, a nice day. I'll report this weekend on how well my new glasses work out!

Till next time - keep on rollin',
Froggi/Donna