Our Journey

February 6-14, 2011 Casa Grande

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Well we accomplished most of what we wanted to do here: cleaning, washing, fixing and updating some items, haircuts, bills, financials, etc. etc.

Tucson VA

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we drove to the Tucson VA – Andy had to get some testing done (he is all okay, by the way). We were very impressed by this VA in 2010 and continue to be – it is truly a top-notch center. On Tuesday as I was in the waiting room, three veterans started to talk about their experiences during the wars (one was from WW2 and Korea; another from Korea and Vietnam; and the third from Vietnam). For me, it was extremely POWERFUL and emotional to hear them talk. I almost felt like I was intruding on a private conversation (yes, there were others there too and probably felt like I did). We all need to thank our veterans and active duty personnel for the great job they have done and are doing to keep us free. Oh my!!

Rov’ers Roost SKP CO-OP Park

We remain number 4 on the list and getting excited. This past week was their annual meeting and celebration “February Follies” and we attended a few of the events as well as the meeting. Lots of fun – :-))))

We have also met quite a few people that are leaseholders and hopefully will get to know them better next season. We will probably not be back here this season unless we get a lot but you never know.

Friends

One of the best things about traveling around and keeping the blog as well as Facebook is reconnecting with friends we have met along the way.

On Friday, we got together with Larry and Cheryl (who we first met in Alaska in 2009 and we just touched base with each other this past January in Quartzsite). They came over for our own little Happy Hour and we got to talking about geocaching. Well here we are – found the one near the park. This is the third geocache for us and the second for them.

Afterwards we all went to dinner and the Elks and continued getting caught up. Hopefully our paths will cross again this year – :-))) (Check out the writing on Andy’s t-shirt – LOL.)

On Sunday we got together with Jan and Ken – we also met them in Alaska in 2009 and have not seen them since Whitehorse. It was great to have lunch with them and hopefully we will get together more when we have our lot here.

Our friends from NJ – Carolyn, Pete, Kathy, and Dave came into the park and we had a wonderful couple of days getting caught up – hopefully our paths will cross again this season. (Sorry, no pictures.)

Geocaching

And speaking of geocaching – we found another one plus discovered two trackables (thanks, Katy). We are still learning the GPS, downloading the information, and the tablet but we are looking forward to having a great time with this.

Tomorrow we are headed for “The Steps” near Lake Havasu for the Winterblast – 4 days of fireworks – so stay tuned.

Here is a great link for state park passes and national park info: State Park Passes

Enjoy Life - It Has An Expiration Date

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February 1 – 5, 2012 Casa Grande

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After saying our goodbyes on the 1st, we headed east to Casa Grande and the Escape CO-OP Park where we will be for two weeks. We found out that we are number 4 on the list. Yee Ha! We just may get a lot here this season.

For us, coming to this park is almost like coming home. We have met some wonderful people here over the years and it is always good to see them again. We are truly blessed with the people in our life.

So the past few days, I have been working on getting caught up with all my computer “stuff” and taxes. If I owe you an email and you have not received it, please email me again. And with this blog I should be caught up..

Speaking of the blog, I have been going thru a “should I” or “shouldn’t I” continue. And then comes the question: what type of blog do I want to have – a travel blog, a personal blog, a combination of both, or none. I admire those who keep a journal – something I would love to do but know me well enough that I know I won’t keep it up. When I first started doing this (can you believe it is almost 5 years ago – WOW!), it was to be a travel blog only. When we got home, I stopped blogging. When we spent a few weeks with family, I posted rarely. And my belief was that it is my personal life – not to be fully public. Somewhere over the past year or two, we have slowed down in sightseeing and become more involved in socializing – :-)), which really is a good thing but then how much do I want to publish. Hmmmmm…… much to think about.

Speaking about socializing, last evening we were invited to Bob and Donna’s Happy Hour – very nice and we got to meet and talk with more of the people who have a lot here. There are also a number of ham radio people here so they are talking about starting a club. I know Andy will enjoy that.

We also have some friends that are in the area and hope to get together with them later this week.

This coming week is the park’s annual meeting and celebration so since we are so close to being residents, it will be interesting to see how it all works. And between all that we will be doing organizing, cleaning and a few things I want to do in the motorhome.

Our little kitties are doing well. And they do just love being together:

And I will leave you with two photos from Boomerville – thanks Judie:

Our stats for February 1st:

Miles Traveled: 186 Miles

Routes Traveled:

Arizona: Plumosa Road (Quartzsite); SR-95; I-10 Business; I-10; SR-85; I-8; Montgomery Road

Laugh when you can,

Apologize when you should,

Let go of things you can't change,

Life is too short to be anything but happy.

January 29 – 31, 2012 Geocaching

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On Sunday after saying our goodbyes, we traveled about 15 miles to the Escapee Geocachers BOF Rally (another Escapee subgroup). Andy and I have been interested in doing some caching and wanted to know more about it. So we were told “Just Show Up” and that is what we did.

Many of the people there were also Boomers so it was like a mini “Boomerville” except with lots of learning.

On Sunday night, we went to the “Z-Circle” that Sue Pace put together (thanks, Sue). There were 5 rigs that were host rigs. Because of the time frame, we did three rotations. So this is how it works. We showed up at the first rig with a snack (along with other people). For about 30 minutes, we all got to know each other, then a horn would blow and we moved to another rig with new people for another 30 minutes and then one more time. This was our first Z-circle and we had a great time and got to know lots of folks in a short time. Thank you Sue.

On Monday, we went to three classes and learned about geocaching – introduction and what does it all mean; the software and web sites – how to get around them; and learning our GPS. On Tuesday, we participated in Geocache games and learned about what we should take along when we do go. The nice thing for us is that many of the items we already carry in our hiking bag.

And I have to do a Thank you to Pam, who has and is mentoring us in this hobby. Now all we need to do is go out and do it!

Here is where we parked:

The classes took place here next to Judy and Luke’s rig:

A sampling of the different type of travel bugs, trackables, and path tags:

So stay tuned for our new adventure.

January 17 - 28, 2012 Boomerville in Quartzsite

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Quartzsite and Boomerville – What a wonderful time we had – :-))).

We belong to a sub group of the Escapee Club known as the Boomers and every year in Quartzsite there is a non-structured rally for two weeks. This year there was over 130 rigs parked in the desert. We reconnected with old friends and made new ones.

There is also many rallies throughout the Quartzsite area and on the 18th and 19th, the Escapee Club sponsored two happy hours. When we came to the southwest in 08/09, we were adopted by another couple who took us under their wings. And we saw them again at the main Happy Hour – how wonderful!

Here is Boomerville:

The arrow points to our rig:

We parked with Bill and Shelly and Bruce and Sue. Bill and Shelly’s rig is on the left, we are in the center, and Bruce and Sue are on the right. Don also stayed with us for a few days too but his rig is not in this photo.

Our rig – notice the new sunscreens (from Yuma). It really makes a nice difference in the motorhome:

The weather was wonderful most days this year and we took advantage of it. Most mornings, Tom would take off in his ultra light (the aerial pictures above are from him – thanks Tom)

Happy Hours and Announcements were held here every day at 4 PM:

Campfires on non windy nights – L-R – Geri, Sue, Bruce, Andy, Shelly, Bill, and John:

And in between……

Chili Contest

The judges:

The winners – Bill placed 2nd:

Andy and Bill:

Our group awaiting the Judging – Don, Andy, Sue, Bill, Shelly (Bruce was a judge):

This was even an entry – how funny!

There were LOTS of entries – and a great dinner afterwards. I even made a pot and called it “Non-Farty Chili” by Gassy’s Wife – LOL!. It was actually hamburger stew and tasted pretty good (Tina, you would be proud!)

We made a trip to the Desert Bar one day. This bar is only open from September thru May on Saturday and Sunday. And it is all powered by solar. We have been here twice before (so I will not be giving any history this time but here is a link if you want to read more: http://www.thedesertbar.com/)

The Bar is north of Parker and then back on a dirt road for 5 miles – the scenery along the way is BEAUTIFUL!

The last turn – very tight:

The Church:

The owner’s home:

The Bar:

The view from the Ladies Room – oh my:

The bathroom sink:

Another day, Andy, Bill, and Bruce went on a 4x4 trip where they came upon this cabin:

Where people left items that went undisturbed:

Their destination was “Dripping Springs” where they found these petroglyphs:

And, of course, that day, the girls went shopping. This is the camel at Gem World:

Another day, there was the “Geraldine” Contest. From what I understand, there was this gentleman named Jerry who was very curious about the women’s circles. And one day he dressed up like a lady just to see what was going on. Jerry has since died and every year they have a contest in his memory. Mark (on the right with the pink hair) won the contest.

Group Pictures (thanks Judie):

Some of our other activities included:

Lots of socializing (which is why I did not write a blog – :-(((;

Geocaching Seminar; Tablet Seminar; Potlucks; Lots of shopping – :-)))); Playing Mexican Train; And just a general good time.

One of the other things we did was sign this flag for our troops. Here is the link http://supportrsoldiers.org/ and I would encourage you to check it out. They are doing a lot of good work. (Thanks, Judie for the picture.)

And this was Friday night – our last night all together:

Bruce, Sue, Me, Andy, John, Geri, Bill, and Shelly

We have all had such a wonderful time and I will miss them all as we are all off to various parts of the U.S. Hopefully we will all be together again next season.

We are so blessed with the people in our lives – :-).

Enjoy today.

January 10 – 16, 2011 Yuma

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Another great week filled with….

Shopping – The Arizona Marketplace, the Yuma Swap Meet, the Yuma Indoor Marketplace, and the usual Wal-Mart, etc.

Eating out – oh my!

A visit to Los Algodones for medicine and alcohol – not necessarily taken together – :-).

Andy and Bill - 4 Wheeling in the Desert.

Playing Mexican Train – I really like that game.

Visiting Betty’s Kitchen, Mittrey Lake, and McPhaul’s Bridge (even getting to walk over the bridge, although I am not sure we were supposed to – :-)).

So do I have pictures – why, yes I do – :-)))

Thanks, Judie, for this picture – our Boomer group at Ron and Sharon’s place in the Foothills. And also thanks to Sharon and Ron for hosting.

Goofing off at the Moose:

Birds at Betty’s Kitchen:

When we drove to Betty’s Kitchen, we were shocked to see very little vegetation. Most of the area was devastated by a fire last spring and is now closed – so sad. According to the internet, they suspect the fire was manmade. What a change!

Our next stop was the McPhaul Bridge – sometimes called the Bridge to Nowhere. It is an 800’ Suspension bridge which spanned the Gila River when it was built in 1929 and it was used on the main route from Yuma to Quartzsite.

This link has some great background on the bridge:

http://www.yumasun.com/articles/bridge-71002-mcphaul-yuma.html

http://bridgehunter.com/az/yuma/mcphual/

The bridge has been closed for nearly 80 years and is in disrepair – notice the hole – scary:

Our happy group:

The Gila River – or what is left of it now that dams and irrigation canals are in place:

And I cannot leave Yuma without talking about the farming. The valleys are so green and surrounded by the desert – what contrasts:

And just when you need to go – LOL!!!:

So that brings us to today – Monday. We left Yuma Lakes and are parked at Specialty Sewing Senter. They were running a great special for sun shades so we got four windows done – the windshield, both sides on the front, and the large window by the couch plus the windshield wipers. It looks nice and will have a picture on the next post. Bill and Shelly also had the same done as well as tire covers. The special included the windshield, plus three windows, wipers and a cover. So if you are in the area check them out. If you bring in your RV, they will get it done in a day – costs more if they have to come to you.

So because it was late when we were both finished, we are staying in their parking lot. Tomorrow we are off to Quartzsite and Boomerville, so stay tuned.

January 9 – 10, 2012 Travel to Yuma

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After saying goodbye to Lynne and Fred, we left our little spot in Casa Grande and headed west. We stopped for gas and then at a parking area where we changed drivers. Yep, I drove all the way to Yuma Lakes, where we are staying with Bill and Shelly until next Monday. I am slowly getting more comfortable behind the wheel and hopefully will get better in different situations.

What is really different is seeing the scenery from the driver’s seat vs. the passenger seat. We have been this way many times in the past few years but it almost seems new to me. (I guess I am paying much more attention to the details – LOL.) But the downside is that there is no pictures - Bummer.

Anyway, we are parked in the Redondo Area of Yuma Lakes and sat out until well after dark. The weather is beautiful and it was just great being outside.

This morning, Shelly and I did some shopping at Wal-Mart and then this afternoon, we went to Boomer Happy Hour in the Foothills, hosted by Sharon and Ron. It was great to see some old friends and meet some new ones. We hope to see many of them in Quartzsite next week.

Back at Yuma Lakes, I was able to get touch base with other Boomer friends, Wendy, Vince, Glenda, and Don before they headed out to Quartzsite.

Over the next few days, we expect to go to Mexico, the various marketplaces and flea markets, and some sightseeing so stay tuned.

Stats for today:

Miles Traveled: 168 Miles

Routes Traveled:

Arizona: Montgomery Road E; I-8 East; Fortuna Road; AZ-95 South; South Laguna Dam Road; County 6th Street; Yuma Lakes Resort

January 1 – 8, 2012 Saguaros and Friends

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Happy New Year to all.
Our big trip this week was to Saguaro National Park near Tucson. First some info from the internet:
Saguaro Cactus
The life of the saguaro is a struggle from the beginning. The saguaro begins its life as a shiny black seed no bigger that a pinhead. What it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in numbers. One saguaro produces tens of thousands of seeds in a year, and as many as 40 million in a life time of 175 - 200 years. From the start, the odds against survival are great. Out of all the seeds that saguaro produces in its new life, few will survive to adulthood.
Seeds and young saguaros have the best chance for survival if they are cared for by nurse trees such as palo verde and mesquite. Saguaro seedlings that grow under these sheltering plants are shaded from the desert's intense sunlight, blanketed from winter cold, hidden from rodents, birds and other animals that eat them. Rocks provide similar protection for the young saguaros. Saguaros do best on bajadas, gently sloping outwash plains at the foot of desert mountains.
A saguaro's growth is extremely slow. Growth occurs in spurts, with most of it taking place in the summer rainy season each year. By the end of a year, the saguaro seedling may measure only 1/4 inch. After 15 years, the saguaro may be barely a foot tall. At about 30 years saguaro can begin to flower and produce fruits. By 50 years, the saguaro may be as tall as 7 feet. After about 75 years, it may sprout its first branches or "arms." The branches begin as prickly balls, then extend out and upward.
By 100 years the saguaro may have reached 25 feet. Saguaros that live 150 years or more attain the grandest size, towering as much as 50 feet and weighing 8 tons, sometimes more, dwarfing every other living thing in the desert. These are the largest cacti in the United States. Their huge bulk is supported by a strong but flexible cylinder-shaped framework of long woody ribs.
Saguaros may die of old age, but they also die of other causes. Animals eat the seeds and seedlings, lightning and winds kill large saguaro, and severe droughts weaken and kill all ages. The saguaro is vulnerable during every stage of its life.
Where there is a balance of life and death, saguaro forests thrive. Until recent years, in some forests in the park deaths have greatly outnumbered the growth of new young saguaro. Biologists believe freezes are the park's major cause of saguaro deaths. The saguaros here are at their extreme northern and eastern range, where the coldest winter temperatures most often occur. Humans, too have played a part in the decline. Livestock grazing, which continued from the 1880's until 1979, devastated some cactus forests. Seedlings were killed outright by trampling or were tramping or were unable to find suitable places to grow because the ground had been compacted and nurse plants killed.
Today, with grazing eliminated, recovery of the saguaro is underway in several areas. Thousands of young saguaros have taken hold, and they are thriving. Still natural forces, vandalism, and cactus rustling, the theft of saguaros for use in landscaping, continue to take a toll on the park's saguaro forests.
Information provided by the National Park Service
Other links for more info:
http://www.saguaro.national-park.com/info.htm#cac
http://www.discoverseaz.com/Wildlife/Saguaro.html
http://www.squidoo.com/saguaro-cactus
http://www.desertusa.com/july96/du_saguaro.html
And of course I have pictures:

Sure looks like it might hurt to stand on the cactus:

A Saguaro Forest:

Spines from a dead Saguaro. Native Americans still use these spines as building materials:

An abandoned nest in the Saguaro (sometimes known as a “Boot”):

Spooky:

What a view:

Almost looks like a snake:

Saguaro dying:

Yikees – Check out those hooks on a barrel cactus:

“Howdy partner!”

We saw this building on the hillside as we were eating lunch so we just had to check it out. Turns out it was the original bathrooms built by the CCC – now closed:

The picnic shelters (originally built by the CCC) where we had lunch:

A jet in the sky – I am always amazed at how clear the skies are here:

Since the Saguaro does not get arms until they are over 60 years old, I was always confused on how to tell a young Saguaro from a Barrel Cactus.   And here is the difference. A young Saguaro will look like a baseball bat – it will have a smaller circumference near the ground.   A barrel cactus will have the same circumference from the ground up.   So now I know -
I just love National Parks!!

Some of our highlights for this week:
We saw the International Space Station cross over – WOW and more WOW! The skies are so clear here.
Shelly, Lynne, and I did a girls day in Old Towne Casa Grande. We visited a number of the shops and had a great lunch at the local diner.   A WONDERFUL day.
One of the murals downtown:

We celebrated Fred’s Birthday and Lynne and Fred’s Anniversary at the Moose in Arizona City. (Can I say great time again.)
I had a soup and bread dinner on New Year’s Day. I made raisin bread for the first time – Yummy! (Tina, you would be proud of me - :-)).
We had a potluck on Thursday at Bill and Shelly’s – Yum!
And filling our days with visiting, socializing, line dancing – just generally having a grand time.
Our group on New Year’s Eve – Bill, Shelly, Andy, Lynne, and Fred.   Lee and Brenda also joined us but I didn’t get a picture.

Our time here has come to an end and we will be heading out to Yuma on Monday morning for a week and then to Boomerville in Quartzsite for a while. So stay tuned.

Enjoy today.

December 25-31, 2011 – A Low Key Week

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Just to get you all caught up… Andy and I had a very low keyed week. We were sick for most of it – starting to feel better now, just worn out. And now we are getting antsy..just been sitting too long, I guess. So hopefully next week we get out and about.

Yesterday, I spent the day with my cousin in Tempe – what a wonderful day. As some of you know, I am just getting to know my cousins from my dad’s side of the family and I feel so blessed that I have found them and they me.

Tonight we are headed to the club house to bring in the New Year. Actually we will watch the ball drop in New York on TV, celebrate, and then head home – :-))))

To all my friends, family, and blog readers.

We wish you a prosperous, healthy and happy New Year.

And a thank you for traveling along with us.

December 25, 2011 - Merry Christmas

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(Great Links Below, Just click on each one.)

Merry Christmas

Support our Troops

Christmas Flash Mob

From our house to yours,

MANY BLESSINGS AND MERRY CHRISTMAS.

December 22-24, 2011 Sheep and Saguaros

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On Thursday, 22nd, we headed off early to Casa Grande. Andy went to the VA and I went shopping. Coming back to pick up Andy, I turned left and, lo and behold, all these sheep were being herded up the street – what a sight to see how the dogs and workers kept them together. When the light was red, they stopped them all and then when the light turned green, off they went across the boulevard. Incredible.

Waiting at the red light:

Time to go:

Light is red, oh oh, almost there:

Phew! Made it:

I met Andy at the VA – he had a vision appointment. He has been really impressed with the care and so am I! One less thing to worry about.

This afternoon, we picked up Bill and Shelly and went on a road trip – as Andy likes to say - “An Adventure”. We went thru Stanfield and stopped at one of the cotton fields:

There are many cotton fields in this area and a cotton mill near us. Right now it is harvest time so we see many of the bales being brought to the mill to take out the cotton seeds. I will try to get some pictures next week.

From there we went past one of the large feed lots and dairy farms. Bill really educated us on what everything was and how they usually operate – thanks, Bill. (Sorry, no pictures, didn’t know if the road was public or private so I did not want to stop.)

From there we went south thru part of the Tohono O’Odham Nation Lands, taking route 42, 422, 15. And the scenery was beautiful:

The road:

The Saguaros – LOTS of Saguaros:

More cotton fields – they were harvesting these fields but I could not get close enough to take a picture of the machinery:

Bill checking out one of the fields that was harvested:

Harvested Cotton – these bales are picked up and taken to the cotton mill – they are HUGE:

Right by the road – Yikees!:

More bones scattered – we saw a wild boar here but he was too fast to get a picture:

The road – now this was an adventure:

And we were blessed with this incredible scenery:

The cotton fields are in the background and those white things are the cotton bales:

Our group:

This picture is for our friend Bruce (Yep, still stopping in the middle of the road )

Really neat Saguaros:

Indian Route 15 ends near Arizona City so we explored that area for a while. Arizona City was hit very hard during the housing downturn and they are selling homes there for a reasonable price. There are some really nice developments and many roads that are not finished. If I were ready to stop traveling, I might consider a place for a winter home. Overall a very nice area!

Our Moose Lodge is in Arizona City so we made a stop – it was happy hour, anyway – :-)))). And our last stop was at Chili’s for supper:

What a wonderful day!

On Friday, I woke up with a cold - . Bummer! I did do some line dancing and showed Lynne and Fred some things in Picasa then just took it easy. Today, Andy woke up with a cold and I am not feeling the best. So after a run to town for medicines, we are just taking it easy. There are a number of festivities happening in the park today and tomorrow so hopefully we are up to it.

Blessings to all of you and a very Merry Christmas!

December 14 - 21, 2011 Organ Pipe Pizza, Cats, and Casa Grande

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On Thursday, 15th, we had an Escape get together at Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa. We were here last year and here is the post with details on this really neat place:

http://thehitzels.blogspot.com/2011/01/december-24-december-31-2010.html

More info at: http://www.organstoppizza.com/

But this year I have videos and only a few pictures – enjoy:

Check out this organ:

And the videos:

We had a wonderful time and the music was great. From there we went to the Church of Latter Day Saints for Mesa Temple Garden Christmas Lights and it was OUTSTANDING!

Bill, Shelly, Andy, and I enjoying the lights:

And our last stop was the Tumbleweed Tree in Chandler - different - .

Info from the internet:

“This unique Chandler tradition began in 1957, when Chandler resident Earl Barnum raised the idea of a tumbleweed tree after he saw a similar one in Indiana built out of cone-shaped chicken wire with pine boughs stuck in the holes. Many members of the community helped create the first tree in Chandler using tumbleweeds that they gathered from around town. Little did these folks know that they were the first to do such a thing and that it would continue as an annual Christmas tradition from then on. In fact, Chandler is the only city in the southwestern United States that has such a tree!

How is it done?

First, members of the City's Park Operations Division gather tumbleweeds from the outskirts of the City. With Chandler's rapid growth and development, fewer stretches of empty land are within the City limits, which makes it harder to find tumbleweeds in large quantities. So, the Park crews must start collecting the tumbleweeds earlier each year.

Between 1,500-2,000 tumbling tumbleweeds are collected each year, and approximately half of those are used to adorn a 25-foot tall wire frame. Then, the tumbleweeds are sprayed with 25 gallons of white paint, 20 gallons of flame retardant and dusted with 65 pounds of glitter. The tree is later adorned with approximately 1,200 holiday lights that give it a spectacular look, day or night.

The lighting of the Tumbleweed Tree draws a large crowd, with more than 12,000 expected to watch the Mayor and members of the City Council flip the switch to light this magnificent sight.”

And of course there are pictures:

And how are our little kitties? Bella is doing well. She tolerated the collar and could not wait to have it off (which happened on Tuesday, 20th). I did take it off a few times a day while keeping an eye on her. Thru all of this, she wants to be held constantly – here she is saying “Pay attention to ME!”

And our Dusty, well, as you know he has had some problems with “travel tummy”. So Wednesday, 14th, we took him to the vet and what an ordeal. He had to have two tests which he screamed thru. (Don’t know if it was worse on him or me hearing him.) Anyway, all tests were negative – no diseases, no parasites, etc. And since then, well… let’s just say, it has been interesting. He actually got worse then started to improve. So hopefully we are on the right path. Sheesh.

Thru all this we bought a present for the kitties:

Then had to go and buy another – but they still like being together -

Shelly and I continue to learn to line dance – three times a week. Having a great time – good workout and good brain work out (which is probably why I am staying with it – I get bored very quickly with just standing there doing exercises.)

We have also been having fun meeting new people at the park, going to beading, getting together with Lynne and Fred, Bill and Shelly; learning Mexican Train (a domino’s game) and helping out at the park Christmas party.

Andy has had his VA appointments for bloodwork and regular checkup. He has a few more coming up. We are really impressed with the VA here in Casa Grande and last year in Tucson. So glad we did this after losing the supplemental insurance.

Hope you are all enjoying the holiday preparations.

Enjoy today.

December 13, 2011 – Cats and Birds

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When I left you yesterday, we were getting ready to pick up Bella from the vets. What an adventure for us last night! They put an E-Collar on her that was a little too big and she continued to take it off and lick her wound (which she is not supposed to for 10 DAYS! – Yikees. Plus we could not calm her down. So over the course of the evening with two runs back into town and the vets, we got a new collar and calmed her down. But did she sleep – nope. It was about 2 AM until that happened and yes, I was up with her.

Today was a much easier day with her. She slept a lot and was okay with the new e-collar. She is quite funny when she walks around – bumps into a lot of things – :-)). Dusty has been growling and hissing at her ever since she came home – I really think because of the medicinal smell. Tonight was the first time he went past her without hissing or growling.

Here she is – poor baby:

I usually take the collar off a few times during the day so she can eat and drink but in between she finds a way – :-)). Although, there is usually lots of water and food on the floor during her attempts – LOL:

Dusty has been having a few of his own problems. We are still dealing with “travel tummy” for him. So last night in the middle of the uproar, we also had to take a sample to the vet which was negative for worms and parasites. So back to the vets on Wednesday to see our options.

What an interesting life!

This morning we had a few visitors to see how Bella was doing: Lynne and Fred, who came in last night and Bill and Shelly. After everyone left, we decorated the RV and went thru all our mail (which came in yesterday – thanks Tina.)

We also put out our hummingbird feeder and immediately had visitors:

Dusty waiting – he is enjoying the view:

As you can see in some of the pictures, we are having rain – LOTS of rain. Can’t wait until it clears up – :-)))

Have a wonderful day.

December 12, 2011 – Route 66 Email and Sign

2011-12-13T17:16:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday, December 6, I received an email from Daniel Male of SmartSign.

Here is a quote:

“SmartSign is a leading e-commerce company and the largest distributor of traffic and parking signs. At one of our sites, www.RoadTrafficSigns.com, we’ve just launched a new line of signs about Route 66. I’m reaching out to blogs to do with all things Route 66, to share your adventures with our visitors, and to share our signs with yours. We’re also giving away a free, novelty sign from the line, to bloggers who write on their adventures. We are hoping that you might be interested in promoting this offer on your blog. After you've chosen your free sign, would you be open to the idea of writing up a short post about this promotion, the Route 66 Sign you choose, and/or our website RoadTrafficSigns.com? A link to our website and/or the sign you choose would be fantastic. This will help get the word out to other bloggers and to readers who've also had a taste of adventure along the historic route. And, we can direct our visitors to your blog as well!”

Daniel had been doing research on the Will Rodgers Highway and came across my blog – how exciting. And for those who have been following my blog for a while know that we enjoyed seeing parts of Route 66 and hope to do more. Every day is an adventure to us but for those who traveled Route 66 before the Interstates, THAT was the adventure – :-))

So this is the free sign I choose – can’t wait to hang this up – :-))):

Route 66 Sign

Historic Route US 66 Sign

To my fellow bloggers, here is the link to do the same.

route-66-giveaway-bloggers.aspx

How wonderful is that – :-))) Thank you Daniel.

December 6-12 , 2011 – A Great Time in Casa Grande

2011-12-13T17:11:00.001-05:00

Here is our spot at the SKP Park:

We have been having a great time here – mostly socializing – :-)).

On Tuesday afternoon, there was a knock on the door and it was Lynne. She and Fred were on their way to Tucson and decided to stay here for two nights. Great to see them and we enjoyed getting caught up and having a shared supper.

On Wednesday morning, we got a call from our friends, Bill and Shelly, who we last saw in Albuquerque. They were on their way and came in that afternoon in their beautiful, new to them, motorhome. We got together with them and Lynne and Fred and had another great time getting caught up and having pizza.

On Thursday, Lynne and Fred moved east – we will see them later this month. Thursday evening, Bill, Andy, Shelly and I headed over to Arizona City to the Moose Lodge. This is Andy’s home lodge – very nice. We hope to visit more and get more involved.

On Friday, Shelly and I went to line dancing in the morning. What a hoot and the folks were just wonderful teaching us. They have it three times a week and we hope to continue to go. It was a nice little workout for my body as well as my brain – trying to remember the steps. Then we did a girls day of shopping – what fun. Here we are goofing off at Happy Hour:

On Saturday, the four of us headed to Mesa to the Mesa Marketplace and Swap Meet. It is HUGE! They were having a car show, which the guys enjoyed. Another great time.

On Sunday, Bill and Shelly invited us for dinner – it was wonderful. And we finished the evening at the Club’s Ice Cream Social – Yum!

On Monday morning, Shelly and I were back at Line Dancing – we are having a great time and learning more – :-))).

I think this is probably one of the most friendliest CO-OPs in the park. Monday thru Friday they have a Happy Hour that is attended by most of the park. This is where many announcements are made, new people are welcomed and goodbyes are said to those leaving. They also have birthday and anniversary announcements. And the “Moron Tabanapple” Choirs sings – How funny. Here are two clips from one of those sing-along's:

Yep, lots of noise – what a hoot – :-)))!

We are currently number 12 on the list. And from what we were told, there are a number of lots up for sale so who knows, maybe we will have one at the end of this season.

One of the reasons we are staying here for the month is to get some things done on the motorhome. First on the list is the day/night shades. Two of the small ones ripped so we replaced them with mini-blinds. The cord on one of the larger ones frayed and we could not move it. We took it down, tried to fix it and the cord broke. So our dilemma was whether we wanted to restring or put up mini-blinds. And the final decision was mini-blinds that we got from Home-Depot. Here is the replacement.

In this photo the day shade is on the left and the new mini-blinds on the right – what do you think?

Another item on our list is my computer. Those who have followed my blog for a long time know the issues I have had which Dell did fix. However it is now out of warranty and even though it is the same issue, I am on my own. It has not failed yet but I am slowly preparing for the day. We have been doing some research and trying to decide what to do. Some of our options:

- Update Andy’s computer to Windows 7 and get a keyboard/docking station for the tablet.

- Get another computer when mine goes.

- Do nothing.

Right now I am heading towards doing nothing. (In short, make the move to Andy’s computer and see how it goes.) So stay tuned for that one.

And that brings us to today – Monday. We were up early this morning to take our little Bella to the vet to be spayed and we pick her up at 4 so stay tuned. They told us that she has to wear a collar for 10 days..This will be an adventure.

Enjoy today.

December 5, 2011 Travel to Casa Grande

2011-12-06T16:33:00.001-05:00

We left our little spot this morning, stopped for gas, and headed east. And are you ready for this – I DROVE part of the way. All of it was on the interstate but it is a start for me. My plans are to try and drive a part of every trip to get use to the motorhome. And I am also happy to report that Andy did well while I was driving. :-))

We arrived in Casa Grande and are staying here (Rover’s Roost – a SKP Co-op Park) for a month - (until January 5, 2011). As some of you know, we usually spend the month of December here every year. It is a great little place and we are moving up on the list for a lot. Right now we are number 12 and there are a few coming up for sale. I don’t think we will get one this season but hopefully next season.

The happy hour is great and it was good to see some familiar faces. Looking forward to doing a few things while we are here so stay tuned. (And I do promise more pictures again – :-)))

Stats for today:

Miles Traveled: 168 Miles

Routes Traveled:

Arizona: Yuma Lakes Resort; E County 6th Street; South Laguna Dam Road; AZ-95 South; Fortuna Road; I-8 East; Montgomery Road

December 1-4, 2011 Yuma and Friends

2011-12-04T21:54:00.001-05:00

Happy December to all.

So what have we been up to? Well,

On Thursday, we took Bella to the Foothills Veterinary Hospital for her second booster shot and his first rabies shot. She did pretty good but did not feel well the rest of the day and on Friday (by Saturday, she was back to her normal self – :-)).

Thursday afternoon, I went to beading. I just love getting together with the ladies.

On Friday, we met Lynne and Fred for lunch – great seeing them again and hope to see them again in Casa Grande.

On Saturday, we got together with Sandy and Raul and had dinner at the Moose. Another great time and hopefully we will see them again later this season.

And today, we were just putseying and watching TV. I was making a big crock pot of soup and home made bread – it was a “nesting” sort of day. And then we had a wonderful surprise, Wendy and Margie stopped by and off we went to Margie’s. I haven’t seen Wendy and Vince since last January – it was great to see them and spend some time with them, Margie, Tom and Glenda and Don. Another wonderful time and we hope to see everyone in Quartzsite next month.

We are so blessed with the good folks in our life – :-))).

I have talked about how much we love the southwest in the winter – the temperatures, the sunrises, the sunsets, and the stars. One thing I have not mentioned is how the mountains look different at various times during the day and also how different they look when there are clouds. So here are some pictures:

These photos were taken where we are parked. Every day they look different, depending on the sun, the clouds, and even when it is windy – the dust creates a different look – fascinating!

So our time here at Yuma Lakes has come to an end and we are heading to the Casa Grande Escapee Park tomorrow so stay tuned.

Be thankful for today!

November 30. 2011 – Just a day in Our Lives

2011-11-30T21:52:00.001-05:00

First, to my email subscribers, let me apologize. Apparently there was a problem with FeedBurner and after yesterday’s post, they FINALLY sent you all posts from 11-7 to 11-29 in one email. I am still not sure what has happened. But I really need to thank Lynne for bringing the issue to our attention.

So what did we do today. Well, this morning was laundry. I really have to say that this park has some great laundry facilities and it is really reasonable!!! After I got back to the RV, Andy went to help Sandy and Raul with their motorhome in Yuma. While he was gone, I did the normal stuff in the RV (just like a home) and then sorted out and made phone calls to make sure I understood our Colorado River Adventure and RPI Memberships. Yes, I made LOTS of phone calls and notes. I will say that I am impressed with their customer service – which is a lot to say in this day in age – :-))). So far so good.

This afternoon, we went to check out where the American Legion’s were and also the Moose Lodge. The one American Legion on Virginia has RV spots (for us, it is an FYI for our week out). We stopped in the Moose Lodge – what a great place! And may return later this week.

I have to say that if we decided to stay in Yuma for the season, we have LOTS of options on what to do and see.

Can you believe that tomorrow is December, 2011!!! Sheesh, time really does fly. Please enjoy today – :-))).

TEST

2011-11-29T22:46:00.001-05:00

TESTING for email subscribers….

Let me know if you receive.

November 23-29, 2011 – Friends and Family in Yuma

2011-11-29T22:24:00.002-05:00

Gosh, can’t believe it is week since I posted. So what have we been doing? Well, mostly getting together with family and friends.
* We had a great visit with our daughter and her family and a wonderful Thanksgiving too. This was the first time in about 20 years that Andy spent Thanksgiving with his daughter and I know it meant a lot to him. Her in-laws, Sandy and Raul, were gracious enough to have us all there and the food was DELICiOUS! What a great time.
* After the kids left, we got together with Sandy and Raul and got caught up with each other – A great time and hopefully we will see them again this week.
* We met up with Larry and Peggy for breakfast and got caught up with each other – another great time, great to see them, and hopefully we will meet up again this season.
* Fellow Boomers, Jim and Diane, hosted a wonderful Happy Hour on their lot in the Foothills. We connected with old friends and met some new ones too. Can I say – another great time. We hope to see many of them at Boomerville in Quartzsite in January.
* We stopped to see Margie and Tom today (they are in the park) and hope to get caught up with them later this week. We last saw them at Boomerville in January 2011.
Hmmm, let’s see, what else - :-))).
- We went to Algodones, Mexico for dental work and then walked around to check out the vendors. We did make a stop at our favorite pastry shop – YUM!. Sandy came with us and it was fun to watch her reactions to the vendors – we all go thru it our first time there.
- We made stops to the Arizona Marketplace and the Yuma Swap Meet. No purchases at the Swap Meet but we did get a few things at the Marketplace (New outside chairs – YEA).
- We have been getting to know the park better – going to the restaurant, swimming, hot tub, etc. - and continue to get our questions answered. Today we went to the Sales Office with a lot of questions and were given the rule and guideline book (which we SHOULD have got when we joined).   And I am happy to say that that book answered most of our questions – :-))). So far so good.
- Andy started flying his helicopter today – I think Larry got him excited about flying again. Thanks Larry.
- I spent an afternoon and organized my beads and decided what will be my next projects. It has been over a year since I beaded (mostly due to feeling so poorly over the last year).   Then today I joined the beading group here at the park. It was nice to be back beading again and nice to get caught up with Margie and the rest of the girls.

And that was the short version of our week.   We are having a good time and enjoying the BEAUTIFUL weather. We will be here until Monday and hope to do some sightseeing so stay tuned.

I will leave you with two links that I found real interesting on kindness and paying it forward:

http://state-journal.com/news/simple_article/4895577
http://www.avivausa.com/portal/site/avivausa/content/home/youmanity

Check it out.

November 22, 2011 – Extra View

2011-11-22T23:31:00.001-05:00

Something neat to see on the farming around Yuma.

Go to the blog http://thehitzels.blogspot.com.

On the right, click on the link below “Where are we”.

Once the view comes up – we are the cross – click on Satellite.

What you will see is all the farmland “squares” – fascinating!

(Note: As most of you may know, in some places, google is a few years behind in the satellite views but this still gives you an idea – :-))

November 21-22, 2011 - Yuma

2011-11-22T23:25:00.001-05:00

November 21

We woke this morning to this cute RV near us:

After packing up and saying our “see you laters” to Lynne and Fred, we heading on south thru the rocks and desert:

To Yuma. What always amazes me when we come south from Quartzsite is that as we travel, there is desert on both sides – very little green. Then just as we get close to Yuma, we turn a corner and the landscape flattens out and there is farming all over. What a contrast.

From the internet:

With mild winters, little danger of hard frost and more than 350 days of sunshine a year, Yuma County enjoys the longest growing season in the country. And while the winter is notable for the emerald and ruby patchwork formed by vast vegetable fields, something is either growing or happening in Yuma county fields even during the hottest months of the year.

One reason is because those fields - sediments deposited by the Colorado River over millions of years - have some of the most fertile soil in the country.

But with less than three inches of rainfall annually, water was the missing component, though the mighty Colorado flowed nearby. The Bureau of Reclamation's first big water project in the West gave nature a hand, with construction of the first dam on the Colorado and completion of the Yuma Siphon - delivering water through a huge tunnel built under the riverbed - in 1912, the same year Arizona became a state.

Now, of the 230,000 acres of land utilized for agriculture in Yuma County, 100 per cent are irrigated with Colorado River water delivered by one of the county's seven irrigation districts. Every single field in the county is also laser-leveled and graded using GPS technology, making Yuma's irrigation network one of the most efficient in the world.

All this has made Yuma County first in the state - and THIRD IN THE NATION - for vegetable production. In fact, about 90 percent of all the leafy vegetables grown in the U.S. from November through March are grown in and around the Yuma area.

To put this in perspective, the Yuma area is home to nine salad plants that produce bagged lettuce and salad mixes. During peak production months, each of those plants processes more than two million pounds of lettuce per day.

http://www.visityuma.com/agritourism.html

And the pictures:

We are camped at the Yuma Lakes RV Resort, a Colorado Rivers Adventure Park. Since we are now members, we have decided to check them all out. So we will be here for about 2 weeks.

Once we set up and made our rounds to the grocery stores, it was now family time. Our daughter and her family from Everett, WA are visiting with her in-laws. For those of you who follow our blog, you know that we usually visit the in-laws and our friends, Sandy and Raul, when we are in this area. This year it will be nice to have a family Thanksgiving.

Here are the girls:

The boys:

Andy and Sandy:

What a wonderful day!

Stats for today:

Miles Traveled: 88 Miles

Routes Traveled:

Arizona: Hi-Jolly; AZ-95 South; South Laguna Dam Road; E County 6th Street; Yuma Lakes Resort

November 22

Today was a hang around the park day. For us, we have seven days to decide whether we want this membership and we wanted to check this park out thoroughly since this will be one of the main ones we use.

Here is our site:

Pretty roomy. This is the view out our front window:

Now I know we are on an end and may not have a view like this all the time but as we walked around, it is okay.

I did the laundry – laundry facilities are pretty good – just like an Escapee Park. Then this afternoon, I went to the beading group – great bunch of ladies. So I will be joining them next week.

From there I took a walk around the park. They have these neat “animals” made from trees:

The clubhouse, pool, hot tub, and restaurant:

The lake:

I stopped at the office to get more questions answered – so far so good.

The restaurant serves meals that are extremely reasonable. Tonight was hamburger night – a cheeseburger, potato salad, macaroni salad, and chips for $3.50 – can’t beat it. We sat with another couple who have been members since 2003 and basically picked their brains on the membership.

So are we going to keep it? – yes, I think so. Is is the best for us? – Well, only time will tell. So far, I am impressed with this park – lots of activities and the people are very friendly – sort of like an Escapee Park.

Tomorrow we are off to Algodones for dental work for Andy so stay tuned.

Enjoy today.

November 18-20, 2011 Quartzsite and Friends

2011-11-21T10:52:00.001-05:00

Friday, November 18

We had an interesting start to our day. After packing up, Andy went to start the motorhome and …….. nothing! He checked the starter wire, wiggled it, and it starts – Yea. Then we went to lift our jacks…..nothing. He did a few more things and then they came back up… Hmmm, not sure what is going on.

So off we went headed south thru Parker (with a Wal-Mart stop) and then to Quartzsite and Hi-Jolly. We were so happy to see that our favorite spot along the wash was open and the campfire pit that Andy built 2 years ago is still here – :-))). As we are setting up, our fridge is giving us alarms – will not run on propane. Oh no…that will seriously hurt us for boondocking. So we called “The Gambler” to see if they could check it out and the mechanic’s first recommendation was for us to blow out the area. Lo and behold, it starts up and stays working – :-))))). We need to put that trick on our checklist!

But the best part is that our friends Lynne and Fred are here next to us. We have not seen them since last January so we spent the rest of the day getting caught up with each other and a side trip to the VFW for their fish fry.

Stats for Today:

Miles Traveled: 49 Miles

Routes Traveled:

Arizona: Havasu Springs Road, AZ-95; Hi-Jolly BLM Land

Saturday, November 19

I really missed staying in the desert and especially this time of the season – lots of open space. Our last two days at Havasu Springs Resort were not the best. The neighbor on one side of us played Latin music LOUDLY from 12 noon to 8 PM, whether they were there or not. The neighbor on the other side had a leak in their sewer hose and kept the tanks open so the smell was not the best. (Had we stayed longer, I would have asked for another site.). So waking this morning, seeing the sun rise over the mountain, and having a nice breeze coming in the windows (yes, folks the nights are in the 50’s) was just WONDERFUL!

After our morning coffee with Lynne and Fred, Andy and I headed to town. There are only a few vendors on Kuehn Street and we checked them all – :-)). We wanted to get more LED lights from the vendor next to the Gambler (he always gave us a great deal) but he was not open yet. We also rode around “Q” and checked out some of the other areas. In two months, this area will be packed and we will not be able to do that without traffic jams so we took advantage of it now.

Back home, we got together with Lynne and Fred and enjoyed cooking over the fire – YUM!

Another great day.

Here is Hi-Jolly. In a few months this area will be full of RV’s:

Our site – Lynne and Fred’s RV is on the right:

Our back yard:

Sunday, November 20

Last night was the first time our little Bella heard coyotes (they were very loud so must have been close by) and she hid – poor thing. Dusty goes from being curious to getting scared. As long as he is near me, he will continue to look at the window. Ahhh, one of the great sounds of the desert.

This morning I headed out to Gem World and Joyce’s crafts – :-))). I love just walking thru the aisles, getting lots of ideas. But now I need to get working again.

We just hung out the rest of the day and got together with Lynne and Fred this evening. Tomorrow, we are heading to Yuma so stay tuned.

Enjoy today.

November 16-17, 2011 – Colorado River Adventure Members

2011-11-18T13:14:00.001-05:00

November 16

We showed up this morning for our “sales” presentation and are you ready…we purchased a membership – are we nuts or what????

Anyway as some of you may know, we are currently on the list of three different Escapee Co-op Parks. We had decided that we would only keep 2 of those lots when our name came up. After discussing what this membership offers, we decided we would buy in and only do one Escapee lot.

So did we do the right thing…well only time will tell.

The nice thing about this is that they have parks all along the Colorado River – which will be “free” camping. We hope to try out the park in Yuma over Thanksgiving so stay tuned.

This afternoon we worked on one of the window shades on our slide. The string had broke and we were not sure what we wanted to do. So last week, we purchased blinds to see how they might work ($2.87 at WalMart). Well today we took the shade and the “wood stuff” down and put up the blind. Not bad but we need a wider one. Now we will just see how it works when we travel. Hmmm, may replace a few more day/night shades..

November 17

When Andy and I spend money, we both have doubts on whether we did the right thing or not. So this morning we talked to a few of our neighbors who are members. From there we went to Parker to check out another park in the system – nice place – :-))). And our last stop was back at the office to have more questions answered and make reservations at the park in Yuma. Did we get all our questions answered – yes. Only time will tell if we made the right move so stay tuned for our adventure.

Many years again, people came to this area to mine gold, silver, copper and other minerals. They used burros to haul many of their goods as well as work animals at the mines. When they left, they let the burros go and fend for themselves. And, of course, they multiplied – :-))). Today we saw two of those burros:

Aren’t they cute?

Since we have good WiFi in the park, I have been playing around on youtube.

I just need to share two videos with you:

The first (thanks Bruce):

AMAZING GRACE, SUNG IN THE COLISEUM IN ROME, JUST WAIT TILL YOU HEAR THE MIDDLE......the song was written for this instrument. (The Human Voice!)

THE CHANGE IN THEIRVOICES ARE AN AMAZING GRACE.

Click here: AMAZING GRACE Sung by 4 Men Beautifully!

http://www.clarrissegill.com/videoclips/amazing_grace.php

The second (thanks Tom):

The Beauty of Nature, Caught in Slow Motion..

This is an incredible little video. Slow motion captures each of these wondrous creatures at their best.

http://www.youtube.com/v/xHkq1edcbk4?version=3%20%20%20%20

And I will leave you with one last picture – our little Bella sleeping:

Tomorrow we are heading to Quartzsite for a few days and then to Yuma so stay tuned!

November 15, 2011 – The London Bridge in Lake Havasu

2011-11-18T12:11:00.001-05:00

Road trip day – YEA!!

So today we decided to go north and check out a few places. Lake Havasu:

Havasu Springs Resort:

The Steps..this is BLM land that allows free camping. We hope to be here in February for the firework displays:

Lake Havasu from Cattail Cove State Park:

And our main stop of the day – The London Bridge – :-))

First some info from the internet:

“How did the world famous London Bridge come to make its unusual home in Arizona? The tale of how the bridge came to Lake Havasu City began over 5,400 miles away in London, England.
The bridge’s storied past includes previous structures that spanned the same section of the Thames River before the current bridge was built. The old London Bridge of nursery-rhyme fame was built by Peter of Colechurch between 1176 and 1209, replacing an earlier timber bridge. Due to uneven construction, the bridge required frequent repair. The bridge survived more than 600 years.
One of the more grisly periods of the bridge’s history was at the southern gateway between 1305 and 1660, when it was customary to display the severed heads of traitors, impaled on pikes and dipped in tar to preserve them against the elements. The head of William Wallace was the first to appear on the gate. Other famous heads on pikes included those of Jack Cade in 1450, Sir Thomas More and Bishop John Fisher in 1535, and Thomas Cromwell in 1540. A German visitor to London in 1598 counted over 30 heads on the bridge. The practice was finally stopped in 1660, following the Restoration of King Charles II.

By the end of the 18th century, it was apparent that the old London Bridge needed to be replaced. It was narrow and decrepit, and blocked river traffic. Designed in 1799 by Scottish engineer John Rennie, the new London Bridge was completed in 1831. As time passed, the new bridge began sinking at the rate of an inch (3 cm) every eight years. However, by 1924, the east side of the bridge was some three to four inches (102 mm) lower than the west side. The bridge had not been designed to withstand 20th century automotive traffic.

In 1967, the Common Council of the City of London began to look for potential buyers for the London Bridge. Lake Havasu City founder and entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch placed the winning bid of $2,460,000 on April 18, 1968. McCulloch came by this figure by doubling the estimated cost of dismantling the structure, which was $1.2 million, bringing the price to $2.4 million. He then added on $60,000 -- a thousand dollars for each year of his age at the time he estimated the bridge would be reconstructed in Arizona. (Contrary to popular belief, McCulloch was not under the impression that he was purchasing the Tower Bridge.) Each block was meticulously numbered before the bridge was disassembled. The blocks were then shipped overseas through the Panama Canal to California and trucked from Long Beach to Arizona. Following reconstruction of the London Bridge, Lake Havasu City rededicated it in a ceremony on October 10, 1971.
The London Bridge, Arizona tourism’s second-largest attraction after the Grand Canyon, attracts thousands of visitors each year.”

http://www.golakehavasu.com/about-us/about-havasu/london_bridge1.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Bridge_(Lake_Havasu_City)

So here we are – the start of the park and the English Village under the bridge:

As we were standing under the bridge and taking pictures, there was a vendor selling spaces for a boat ride thru the channel and to Copper Canyon. So, yep, we hopped on the boat and off we went. More views of the bridge:

Swallow nests on both sides:

Coming out of the channel to the Lake:

And these neat lighthouses:

The Lake Havasu Lighthouse Club has been building a series of lighthouses around the lake. These lights are reduced-size replicas inspired by famous lighthouses of the U.S. and Canada. The lights are legitimate aids to navigation, with designs approved by the Coast Guard and locations approved by the state as part of a master plan for lighting the waterways of the lake. Eventually there will be more than 20 lighthouses, including several on the California side of the lake.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/862921/famous_lighthouses_of_lake_havasu.html?cat=23

http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/lighthouse/az.htm

There were all kinds of modes of transportation on the lake:

This is the color of the water – WOW!:

More scenes along the way:

The hole in the “Wall”:

Going into Copper Canyon:

Silver tailings from the mine that was here.

The hole from the other side:

Coming back:

See those holes..they are bullet holes from WW2 – Interesting:

The big area in the center that is chipped off…that also happened in WW2 from a bomb!:

The other side of the channel:

From there we drove out to the island on the other side of the bridge – more lighthouses:

Lake Havasu City is beyond that light house – WOW!

We continued our road trip by driving thru more of Lake Havasu. I thought that this city was more like a small town – turns out it is a big city – oh my… On the boat, we found out the history of Lake Havasu – here is a link – very interesting:

http://havasumagazine.com/history_of_lake_havasu_city.htm

Back at the motorhome – what a sunset:

What a WONDERFUL day!

Enjoy today!