Wednesday, January 28, 2009
QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA
Near the California border, in the desert with a few mountains nearby and tons of cactus and creosote bushes and not much else is a phenomena that happens every winter - the springing up of aluminum glinting in the sun. The summer population of Quartzsite is about 1800 but in January and February, close to 150,000 RVs come and camp for free in the desert. There is an RV show and a Gem and Mineral show and that's why we are here. You come, choose your cactus and park for free. Many come as groups and make a circle of RVs and have their campfires together. There are food vendors and all kinds of RV paraphalia for sale. Lots of people who winter here are "one of a kind". People who prospect in the hills - we have seen nuggets of gold that they have found, older men with grey pony tails and the local used book seller who is a nudist with an all over tan whose codpiece in the only concession to modesty in his bookstore. In the gem seller area, there are lots of polished stones - large and small, including even bits of meteorites for sale (Jack got a piece for free!) as well as all the things you need to make jewelry. Many amatuers and professional jewelry makers come here to buy supplies for their art - packages of beads, stones, string and boxes by the gross for their business.
Coronado National Monument - Caving!
We are in Arizona!! Our first stop was in the south eastern area at the town of Sierra Vista - a fast growing area of "winter snowbirds" We wanted to see what it was like - nice but not for us. But nearby right at the border of Mexico is Coronado National Monument set aside to remember Francisco de Coronado - the Spanish explorer who left Mexico City looking for the "Lost Cities of Cibola (gold)" of local legend. He wanted to stake this gold for the Spanish crown. Unfortunately, he ended up in the middle of Kansas and did not find the gold he was looking for and had to return home a failure. But he opened this part of the country to further explorers. We hiked up a steep trail to a cave that is completely unimproved. That means you have to climb into a smallish opening, bring your own flashlight and explore a VERY DARK cave!! It was a bit scary at first, then fascinating as we picked our way carefully into the great room, past stalagtites, curtins of rocky solidified drips and even a dramatic Indian petroglyph painted on the wall. The flash of the camera provided a bit more light to add to our flahlights as we made our way to the end of the 600' cave. Quite an experience!
From here we drove to the top of Montezuma Pass at 6765' where we had a good view of the San Raphael Valley and Nogales, Mexico in the distance. We had planned to walk across the border at Nogales but changed our minds when the ranger told us it was 54 miles of dirt road to get there and that the US State Department was warning people about going there because drug lords had killed the sheriff and 4 deputies in broad daylight in the middle of town in November. Soooo ... we decided to head the other way and found a couple of Arizona wineries and tasted some local wines on our way home - yumm!
From here we drove to the top of Montezuma Pass at 6765' where we had a good view of the San Raphael Valley and Nogales, Mexico in the distance. We had planned to walk across the border at Nogales but changed our minds when the ranger told us it was 54 miles of dirt road to get there and that the US State Department was warning people about going there because drug lords had killed the sheriff and 4 deputies in broad daylight in the middle of town in November. Soooo ... we decided to head the other way and found a couple of Arizona wineries and tasted some local wines on our way home - yumm!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
City of Rocks State Park, New Mexico
Travel across Texas was sunny but chilly. Night temps went down to near freezing but day time highs got close to 16C The elevations across west Texas are between 4500 and 5300' high so you can see why the temperatures in January can get quite low at night - but the stars are spectacular because of no light pollution from cities. One of the RV parks we stayed in had very iffy power - our toaster could barely dry the bread out even after several minutes. One should be very careful in these kind of parks - sophistacated power systems in modern RVs can be vulnerable to to these fluctuations. But - wonder of wonders! - they had good wifi!!
As we passed through El Paso, Texas, we stopped to refuel (diesel prices are much better than when we began our trip - now at $2.15/gal), get propane, and get a good wash for the RV and Jetta at a truck wash. Two years ago we stopped at City of Rocks State Park in New Mexico, about 25 miles north of Deming. It is such an interesting place that we returned on this trip. The area is high desert with flat land, lots of cacti and mountains in the distance. Many thousands of years ago a nearby volcano spewed rocks out that landed in a one mile area. Many are piled on each other, balanced and hanging, etc. There are areas between that make it look, on the whole, like a city with buildings and streets. Really neat to climb on and around. Campsites are nestled in and around the rocks. When we were out exploring, the ranger showed us a cross high on one rock made by the Spanish Jesuit priests who came here in the 1500s to explore. Likely they held a chapel service here and put the cross there to signify a holy place. He also showed us hidden Indian petroglyphs.
As we passed through El Paso, Texas, we stopped to refuel (diesel prices are much better than when we began our trip - now at $2.15/gal), get propane, and get a good wash for the RV and Jetta at a truck wash. Two years ago we stopped at City of Rocks State Park in New Mexico, about 25 miles north of Deming. It is such an interesting place that we returned on this trip. The area is high desert with flat land, lots of cacti and mountains in the distance. Many thousands of years ago a nearby volcano spewed rocks out that landed in a one mile area. Many are piled on each other, balanced and hanging, etc. There are areas between that make it look, on the whole, like a city with buildings and streets. Really neat to climb on and around. Campsites are nestled in and around the rocks. When we were out exploring, the ranger showed us a cross high on one rock made by the Spanish Jesuit priests who came here in the 1500s to explore. Likely they held a chapel service here and put the cross there to signify a holy place. He also showed us hidden Indian petroglyphs.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Texas - The Lone Star State
We finally left Florida after almost 5 weeks of driving along all the coasts from east to west! We had great weather and a wonderful Christmas there but we want to see Arizona again so on we go.
Our next stop was 2 days in Alabama at Gulf Shores. The beaches are white powder and beautiful. We visited this area 4 years ago right after Hurricane Ivan and saw much damage then but it has almost completely recovered. The State Park has been completely rebuilt but you can still see the great loss of trees that they endured from the salt water that came ashore with the hurricane winds. (Alice and Ed - we did not find the condo tower that you had visited in the past - I think it must have been taken down) We stayed in a brand new "RV Resort" named Bella Terra with all the amenities - I had a coupon for 2 free nights so we could see what a great place it was and consider purchasing a lot - it was lovely but we are not settling down yet!
Then it was on to Louisiana - did not see much hurricane damage from the interstate as we traversed the state - only occasional signs not yet repaired or derelict business. Then we crossed into Texas - just in time for a cold wavehave been VERY cold up north but to us daytime temps of 15C and nights of 2C are very cold - I'm back to wearing socks and long pants!! (I know - Boo Hoo!!)
Our next stop was 2 days in Alabama at Gulf Shores. The beaches are white powder and beautiful. We visited this area 4 years ago right after Hurricane Ivan and saw much damage then but it has almost completely recovered. The State Park has been completely rebuilt but you can still see the great loss of trees that they endured from the salt water that came ashore with the hurricane winds. (Alice and Ed - we did not find the condo tower that you had visited in the past - I think it must have been taken down) We stayed in a brand new "RV Resort" named Bella Terra with all the amenities - I had a coupon for 2 free nights so we could see what a great place it was and consider purchasing a lot - it was lovely but we are not settling down yet!
Then it was on to Louisiana - did not see much hurricane damage from the interstate as we traversed the state - only occasional signs not yet repaired or derelict business. Then we crossed into Texas - just in time for a cold wavehave been VERY cold up north but to us daytime temps of 15C and nights of 2C are very cold - I'm back to wearing socks and long pants!! (I know - Boo Hoo!!)
We spent an enjoyable couple of hours at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park. It was here in 1839 that 59 men drafted a constitution that made Texas a republic - a free country - and they remained so for 9 years before they joined the United States.
Jacque - we passed the Monastery of St Clare Miniature Horses but they were closed for Jan and Feb so we could not visit there.
Jacque - we passed the Monastery of St Clare Miniature Horses but they were closed for Jan and Feb so we could not visit there.
While we were there we spent a day in Austin visiting the LBJ Presidential Library and the state capital building. As all governments do, Texas also needed more office space for its capital workers. Since no building could he higher than the capital building, so they cleverly dug 4 stories deep and laid the building on its side, then made skylights so each office has direct sunlight!
We are now (Jan 15) almost completing the traverse of the state (I-10 is 856 miles across the state). We are in Van Horn tonight - about 120 miles from El Paso on our way to Arizona. The skies are clear an full of stars. The elvation is 4300' so it will be cold tonight but we are cozy in our RV - I'm baking cookies for our coffee/tea tonight.
We are now (Jan 15) almost completing the traverse of the state (I-10 is 856 miles across the state). We are in Van Horn tonight - about 120 miles from El Paso on our way to Arizona. The skies are clear an full of stars. The elvation is 4300' so it will be cold tonight but we are cozy in our RV - I'm baking cookies for our coffee/tea tonight.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
On the Road Again - Florida Panhandle
On Monday, Jan 5, we said "Good bye" to John and Mary. We will not see them again until April. We have traveled together for the past 2 winters and have enjoyed their company but they are busy with their volunteer jobs at Wycliffe and their many new friends. We headed west toward the Gulf coast of Florida. We like to take roads closest to the water. The first night we spent at the Walmart in Chiefland and then continued along Florida's Big Bend - a largely empty area but we did see several logging trucks. At lunch we stopped at Carrabelle Beach - in WW2 it was a training area for the Normandy invasion by US troops. Next stop was St George Island State Park at the mouth of Apalachicola Bay. The sand has a sugary consistency and miles of it - we had a looong walk along it on Wed morning. We saw trees around the campground that showed past evidence of being tapped for turpintine. This area produces 10% of the US oyster crop and sponges have been a prime product in the past. Dr John Gorrie invented the predecessor of the modern air conditioner here to alleviate the misery of yellow fever patients. Apalachicola is a quaint restored village - we ended our day of exploration with an ice cream at a genuine drug store soda fountain
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Ending 2008
Now that the children have returned home, we are again on the road. Our first stop is Sebring - in the middle of the state - to visit friends Bob and Jane Lowe. They are here for only 2 weeks. Unfortunately, they are not yet retired. Bob's mother has had a home in Florida for 30 years but is no longer able to come. They have space next to the house to park our RV. But on the way in, we got mired in soft sand. Our RV is very heavy and it took some effort with shovels, wooden boards and lifting the RV up on its own jacks to get us out and settled on firmer ground. We got a good tour of possible places to have a permanent winter home here. But right now, we are still not letting too much moss grow on our tires - we still like to move to other interesting places every few days.
On December 31, we drove 85 miles to Orlando to the Wycliffe Bible Translators volunteers' campground. Jack's brother John and wife Mary have just arrived to spend 3 months helping out here. We have a campsite right next to them for 5 days. We got a good tour around and then joined the other 120 volunteers for a soup and bun supper and a New Year's Eve candlelight service led by John's Mary. Wonderfully friendly group of people! We feel very welcome. We are checking them out as a possibility for a future winter service project. John and Mary helped us ring in the New Year. When we phoned our friends at the annual New Year's Eve party - the first time in at least 25 years we have not been there with our good friends - it was a nostalgic call. We miss you guys! but we're havin' fun here!
On December 31, we drove 85 miles to Orlando to the Wycliffe Bible Translators volunteers' campground. Jack's brother John and wife Mary have just arrived to spend 3 months helping out here. We have a campsite right next to them for 5 days. We got a good tour around and then joined the other 120 volunteers for a soup and bun supper and a New Year's Eve candlelight service led by John's Mary. Wonderfully friendly group of people! We feel very welcome. We are checking them out as a possibility for a future winter service project. John and Mary helped us ring in the New Year. When we phoned our friends at the annual New Year's Eve party - the first time in at least 25 years we have not been there with our good friends - it was a nostalgic call. We miss you guys! but we're havin' fun here!
Christmas in Florida - December 22 - 28
Derek arrived safely in Florida on Wednesday, December 23. It was snowing lightly when he left the farm but roads were slippery. He had a short spin out but landed softly against a snow bank. After driving to Uncle Arnold's home, they took him on to Detroit airport through more heavy snowfall. Thankfully, the plane took off on time and landed in sunny Florida without incident. He was happy to be in a warm and sunny place. Though our Canadian dollar is not too strong against the US dollar, the pre-Christmas bargains were good and much of our shopping was done here in Florida. Christmas eve candlelight service at Calvary Baptist Church was a wonderful experience. Very good interpreters helped Derek to be part of the service. On Christmas day, we were all together with the McEvoy family for a traditional turkey dinner preceeded by a swim in the pool! On Boxing day, Jack, Derek and I drove 90 min to Disney in Orlando. Derek had been to many of the venues before so he chose Hollywood for the day. They had a captioning device for his use but it did not work too well - most often he got a book with a manuscript of what was being said and he could follow along. This also involved priority seating - up front and close to the stunt show including fire and water splashes as well as shows with dancing and music. We saw most of the park by nightfall - then the grand finale -"Fantasmic" a show of laser and lights and music and fire most done on a backdrop of curtains of water - impressive as only Disney can do. There was a rear window caption device for Derek so he was a real part of the action.
Derek had shaved his head on December 31, 2007 and had not cut his hair since then. He wanted to see how long it would grow in a year's time. I rather liked the long curls in his neck but the time had come - the day before he was to fly home, he went to the barber and got a good looking haircut - mission accomplished!
On December 28, Derek flew back to Detroit - amidst yet another winter storm with high winds and downed power lines. Uncle Arnold's house was without power and Derek had to sleep under sleeping bags to keep warm. Greg and Tara returned to Oakville the following day - Tara had to squeeze her suitcase shut because it ws so full of all the bargain clothes she had bought in Florida.
Derek had shaved his head on December 31, 2007 and had not cut his hair since then. He wanted to see how long it would grow in a year's time. I rather liked the long curls in his neck but the time had come - the day before he was to fly home, he went to the barber and got a good looking haircut - mission accomplished!
On December 28, Derek flew back to Detroit - amidst yet another winter storm with high winds and downed power lines. Uncle Arnold's house was without power and Derek had to sleep under sleeping bags to keep warm. Greg and Tara returned to Oakville the following day - Tara had to squeeze her suitcase shut because it ws so full of all the bargain clothes she had bought in Florida.
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