#15 Jan 2014 Arizona - There is so much to explore

In Camp Verde the night time temperature was below freezing and we experienced almost the same temperature by early morning for our last 3 days. We had no 12 volt battery power to operate the lights and furnace. Ralph was up at 4:30 in the morning running the engine to charge the batteries. As we were ready to leave we tried to close the slides and they just groaned. Ralph ran the engine again, the slides came in and we headed for Mesa Regal RV Resort which is next door to an authorized Georgetown dealership. The next day we packed up the RV again, took it to the shop and crossed our fingers. By 5:30 we had a new converter installed and we will deal with warranty when we get back to Surrey. The converter was new when we bought the RV in June. We bought a 30/50 amp surge protector and hope our electrical challenges are behind us.

When we were in Hemet we got a pay-as-you-go phone and hot spot for the computer from Verizon. When we tried to add data to the hot spot Ralph went to the store 3 times to get it updated. Verizon insists on a zip code when setting up any account, even pay-as-you-go. In Mesa we had the same challenge when adding to the phone and hot spot. We have heard other Canadians experienced similar problems and will do more research before we return to the US.

For over 10 years we have been part of a Supper Club with 5 other people. We alternate hosting with the main course, appetizer, salad and dessert. One couple, Sue and Bob, have a park model in Mesa Regal RV Resort. They arrived on the 25th and we started a great visit. We celebrated Ralph’s birthday on the 27th and Bob’s on the 30th. Those were good reasons to try Red Lobster and Waldo's BBQ restaurant. The BBO was delicious including deep fried corn on the cob.

Mesa Regal has 2,000 sites with a combination of park models and RV sites. It is one of eight Cal Am Parks that combine to offer some great entertainers. Gordon Lightfoot performed at Mesa Regal and we were excited to re-live some groundbreaking music. We were all disappointed with the start of the concert until he got into familiar songs. He is 75 and no longer has a strong voice. Many other people were not impressed with the performance but everyone enjoyed some part of the show.

After the show we went to Nandos, a Mexican restaurant, and had great food. Once again we should have shared a meal but we had lots of leftovers.

Mesa Regal RV Resort holds a Country Store every Friday morning with a wide variety of vendors. Just a few miles away, Mesa Market is held every weekend and is Humongous!! It would take 2 days just to walk the aisles and absorb the variety of products – automotive, health and beauty, home décor, home improvement and, of course, lots of clothing and jewelry. We realized in Southern California and Arizona the weather is almost always nice and the vendors only need shade over the tables. No wonder we have encountered so many!

We have known Tom and Joan since we were involved in Lutheran Marriage Encounter in Calgary over 20 years ago. They have a park model in Apache Junction which is about a 15 minutes drive east of Mesa Regal. Their park model has an Arizona room which gives them lots of space and a second bathroom – really a big advantage in a vacation home.

Tom and Joan drove us to Goldfield Ghost Town where we watched an old western gunfight with many casualties. Most of the buildings are original from the gold rush days and the sandy, dusty streets add to the image.

#14 Jan 2014 Old copper, cliffs and highways

When we inquired about points of interest near Sedona many people suggested Jerome. It was known as the “wickedest town in the west” in its heyday. Jerome was a copper mining boomtown in the 1920s with a population of 15,000 and produced 3 million pounds of copper per month – yes, 3 million. Today the ghost town of 450 people hosts businesses in original buildings from the 1890s and clings to the mountain at a 30* angle.

We found a wine tasting store with an incredible view of the valley and waited for dusk with a great glass of local wine.

Montezuma’s Castle and Montezuma’s Well are near Camp Verde. The word Montezuma left us wondering what a Mexican ruler had to do with a “castle” in Arizona. Nothing apparently, since the castle (cliff dwelling) was constructed before Montezuma was born. When settlers found the dwellings in the 1800’s Mexican history was very popular. Mexican names were given to places with no connection to Mexico.

Nestled in limestone cliffs the dwellings are from 700 to 1,000 years old. This dwelling could have housed 35 people. Due to damage from the public it is no longer accessible except for maintenance and repair.

There are additional rooms along the cliff that would have been used for storage of food, etc. The access ladders could be pulled up section by section for protection from enemies. This model shows how the rooms were likely used.

Looking out from the Castle, residents had a commanding view of the their fields, the creek and beyond.

A short distance from the Castle is Montezuma’s Well, a naturally occurring spring which flows constantly from deep underground.

These dwellings were occupied during the same time as the Castle and were part of extended communities along the Verde Valley. They would have been accessed either from above or below the rooms.

From Camp Verde Flagstaff is about an hour uphill and 45 minutes downhill. The city is at 7,000’ elevation with winter, as in snow, at this time of year. The information centre volunteer gave us so much info about the area that we knew most would have to wait for another trip. We did go to the Lowell Observatory and participate in two presentations about the sky above us. After dark there were 4 telescopes available to the public with knowledgeable staff to explain what we were seeing. The most impressive view was of Saturn’s rings and 4 moons. Wow!

Part of Route 66 has been preserved around Flagstaff. We enjoyed reminiscing about the music and mystique of that era.

#13 Jan 2014 Sedona - Words can't describe the red rock!

January 15th we headed for the Sedona area. We stayed in Camp Verde, which is a good location to access Sedona, Flagstaff and many points of interest. We checked into Distant Drums RV Resort and were given our choice of sites. We selected the best one in the park with a view from our windshield over the valley and to the mountains in the west.

We didn’t even close our front curtains at night. No one could see into the RV and we could watch the view throughout the day and night. We had some incredible sunsets and watched the full moon set behind the mountains.

The New Age Movement believes there are places or vortexes that create portals into the earth or gateways to other dimensions. Many people feel that Sedona is one of these special locations. In 1987 they organized the worldwide “Harmonic Convergence”. Today in Sedona there are many places for meditation and shops catering to this Movement.

The reality of the red rocks of Sedona far exceeds anything we could have imagined. Our 45 minute drive to Sedona took 3 hours with many stops and photos.

Rivers and rain soaking through sandstone caused the red colour in the rocks. The water leaches iron into the sand and stains the rocks vivid shades from red to rust, orange and beige. The first dramatic view as we drove was of Bell Rock (a vortex location) and Courthouse Butte.

The Chapel of the Holy Cross is built on the side of the mountain with a breathtaking view of the valley. It is a Catholic Church with Sunday services and is a very popular drive with visitors.

We took a helicopter tour for a bird's eye view of Sedona.

#12 Jan 2014 Quartzite - a town that re-invented itself!

January 12th we headed for Arizona, a state we had never visited. As we drove we noticed many mountains looked as if someone had taken a knife and cut off the tops. We knew the flat tops were called mesas but wondered how they were created. Again, we’re used to the sharp, rugged Rocky Mountains which were created by upheavals from continental plates. In California and more noticeably in Arizona the land was once a sandy ocean bed. As the waters receded they wore down the softer rocks leaving the harder, flat ocean bed on top of the mountains they created.

As we headed for Quartzite AZ, just before we crossed the state line, there was a highway sign “State Prison – Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers”. OK, we’ll keep our eyes open and the door shut.

We had heard that ten months of the year Quartzite is a small desert town of 4,000 people. January and February it explodes with thousands of RVs dry camping in the desert. No kidding – thousands of RVs!

In early January there is a Rock and Gem Show with hundreds of booths and an incredible variety of unpolished and polished rocks and gems. In late January there is an RV Show with dozens of RVs for sale and all the accessories you could ever want, whether you knew it not. Between shows there are still a few hundred booths with everything from rocks, jewelry, Avon, RV parts and accessories, kitchen items and, of course, food.

During these 2 months over a million people visit the shows. We didn’t want to be in the middle of hundreds of thousands of people at the big shows. We arrived between major shows and still spent a day checking out the booths and sampling the food and beer. Those were enough crowds for us.

We spent 2 nights at Desert Gold RV Resort in the open desert. There were only a few saguaro cactus to break up the skyline. They are the cactus we associate with the desert and they are as impressive and spikey as everyone expects.

That night the moon was almost full and cast incredible shadows from the cacti and a few palm trees. What a big, beautiful sky and moon.

We saw in the resort newsletter that there would be a breakfast the next morning from 7:00 to 9:00. We went to bed looking forward to someone else preparing breakfast. At 8:00 we arrived at the clubhouse with our appetites in high gear only to see the tables cleared and everyone leaving. Oops! There is a time zone change between California and Arizona and we missed the sign. Back to the RV for cereal and toast.

We have crossed time zones many times. This trip we only drove about three hours and had to adjust our clocks an hour but the sunrise and sunset did not change appreciably. Usually we travel far enough that the length of daylight changes as well. It was disconcerting that only the clock changed.

On our second morning we walked down the highway for breakfast. As we were eating I could hear bits of conversation from a table behind me. I heard the word Vermillion which is a town 40 miles from Wainwright AB where I grew up. When we left, the other group was standing outside near their vehicles with Alberta license plates. I had to ask if I had heard correctly. Yes, one couple was from Wainwright. They had known my mother, father and stepfather and I recognized them from Mum’s conversations and the United Church where we attended. It is indeed a small world when we look and listen.

#11 Jan 2014 Windmills - No, they are Wind Turbines!

We had seen hundreds of them before Palm Springs and now there were thousands in the valley. We had so many questions we had to take a tour. Our guide was a wind turbine expert extraordinaire having worked in the field for over 25 years. He described the wind pattern between the mountain ranges and how the towers are placed to maximize the wind but not impede the flow to the next tower. There are over 2,700 towers of varying heights which is particularly noticeable between the north and south side of the highway. In the 1970s when the first towers were built the mayor of Palm Springs – Sonny Bono – didn’t want the towers to obstruct the view so limited the total height. In the Palm Springs town limits they are exactly one foot less than the maximum. Across the highway on private land they are up to 240 feet but new ones will not be higher due to logistics. The parts arrive by truck and must fit on the highway.

There were solar panels in one field and everyone on the tour wondered why not more solar installations. Our guide explained the dramatic difference in power generated. Solar power is more suited to small installations such as homes, commercial buildings and, of course, recreational vehicles.

This type of information is why we take tours.

Palm Springs Ariel Tramway drew our attention like a magnet but we waited for a clear day with minimal haze. The road to the Valley Station twists and turns up the mountain to 2,600 feet. Tram cars revolve slowly from within, an eerie feeling, but it gives everyone a 360’ view during the 10 minute ride to the Mountain Station at 8,500 feet.

We took the tram mid afternoon so we could enjoy the view in the day and at night as the lights of Palm Springs came on.

We have seen many spectacular sunsets. We could see this one coming as the shadow of the mountain crept across the valley, up the mountain and into the clouds.

In the winter there can be several feet of snow at the top. In the day it was about 10’ C and in the evening colder with the wind but no snow. We really hope to escape snow completely this trip.

Another day we drove around some back roads looking for a particular date farm. When we stopped to get our bearings a road runner ran across the road directly in front of the car.

Ralph immediately looked for the coyote! No sign of him.

We finally found the Oasis Date Garden and learned the history of date farming in California starting in 1912. Dates are known to be the oldest fruit cultivated by man. We sampled several types including the Medjool which is the most widely produced. Nearby roads are named after the varieties, most of which were imported from the Middle East. We each ordered a date shake which came with a spoon instead of a straw. They were huge. We could have shared one and not been as frozen as the ice cream when we finished.

It’s easy to find happy hour and get to know new people and share where they have traveled and what has been interesting to them. There has been a majority of BC and Alberta license plates in the parks we have visited. We have usually stayed to ourselves and continued to unwind and rejuvenate. However, our last afternoon in Desert Hot Springs we enjoyed a glass of wine with park neighbours from Salmon Arm. We have continued to email and will stay in touch.

#10 Jan 2014 What's in Palm Springs?

January 4th we headed for Palm Springs, having no idea what was there except our images from Hollywood.

The drive is only about an hour but the scenery changes quickly and I wanted to see it all. That day I learned to plan more carefully. I was so busy looking at the map and GPS to find a RV park that we were there before we decided on which park, in which city. There are several cities that run together like many other municipalities. We had a map with city names but no idea of how connected they are.

We settled in Sands RV and Golf Resort in Desert Hot Springs. They offer 1 week plus 2 days for $295.00 which includes Wi-Fi and cable TV.

We have chosen parks based on the info from the GPS which takes into account the length of our RV and roads where we will fit. The parks have been good but we realize we have no expectation at this time of utilizing many of the park amenities such as bocce ball, pickle ball, golf, etc. We are more interested in exploring the countryside and it’s people.

We have not even owned bathing suits for decades. Times must change. In Desert Hot Springs we were referred to the store “Glossy” that stocks over 7,000 women’s bathing suits including well-known brand names - all priced at $29.95. For that price we can’t go wrong. Some day we will even use them.

Sunday we explored College of the Desert weekend street market. It is held in the college parking lot with a huge variety of vendors including food, clothing, shoes, decorations, etc. I bought a silver ring with polished seashells. There were so many unique items but we have no house to decorate so we’ll decorate ourselves.

Monday we headed for Indian Canyons. Andreas Canyon is the first natural oasis we have ever seen. From the parking lot there is a vista of Palm Springs and unending desert with the mountains over 20 miles in the distance.

Behind us the canyon is lush with magnificent fan palms sheltering meandering Andrea Creek. The half mile walk up the canyon takes us through the palms.

The return walk goes along the other side of the canyon where we viewed the streak of green surrounded by barren, weathered cliffs.

We returned in time for a ranger’s talk. He described the history of the area and how the people thrived in the canyon oasis. There are still bedrock mortars and metates used to grind food, medicines, dyes, etc.

In a hostile environment the oasis attracted nomadic people and allowed them to settle and prosper. It was a very labour intensive life led by independent, peaceful people.

Hearing about the people and touching the rocks and plants they used brings them to life and helps us remember what we have learned. There are other canyons but it was late afternoon after we had spent several hours in Andreas Canyon.

Tuesday was our first overcast day in 2 weeks so we settled into the nasty “paperwork” which still follows us. We had very general ideas about the costs of this lifestyle and now we need to record all our spending in order to plan our retirement funds. We are reminding ourselves that “retirememt $” are much less than “paycheque $”. We try to look for discount coupons and senior’s discounts. The senior’s discounts often start at age 62 so that helps both of us.

Every Thursday night a highlight of Palm Springs is Villagefest (street fair). Palm Canyon Drive is the main street and for 6 blocks it is setup with booths of all descriptions. There is an unending variety of food, jewelry, ornaments, soaps, etc. A great people watching opportunity when you can move through the crowds.

As well, every Thursday evening the Palm Springs Art Museum is free. We admired the art for about an hour until a tour started with an extremely knowledgeable, enthusiastic docent. I’m sure he could tell a story about every piece in the museum and it’s creator. We can read the descriptions and admire the work but a good guide brings the art alive and puts it into context within the era when it was created. The tour lasted over 2 hours because people kept asking questions and new people joined. A great evening!

#9 2014 A New Year and New Adventures

Wow! Our parents always said the older you get the faster time flies. I know it’s a cliché but time is proving them right. Once we started planning our retirement there seemed to be so many steps to get there that it was overwhelming and the future seemed far, far away. Now that future is here and we’re starting a new year and moving into our adventure.

January 1st, 2014

For the first time in 30 years we watched the Rose Bowl Parade on TV from start to finish. 30 years ago we watched it live in Pasadena with Auntie Gwen and Uncle Bob then viewed the floats at the end of the parade. What a marvelous show of flowers, etc. and commitment (many of them volunteers) to put together the floats. Since then, the TV version has been a pale substitute.

This year on January 2nd we drove to Pasadena to view the floats after the parade and get a close look at all of them. Ralph wondered about the wisdom of that excursion when I took 20 minutes to view the first 4 floats out of nearly 50.

The Honda float was the longest one in the parade history at about 175 feet. They planned the street corners very carefully.

Many floats had people explaining and pointing out the eggplants, limes, artichokes, sesame seeds, grasses, brussel sprouts, blueberries and of course roses and rose petals.

The accurate, detailed faces on this float are those of real people who have received life saving organ transplants.

This float was an amazing feat of engineering and imagination. The 3 "Martians" drove off the main float in the middle of the parade and visited the audience.

Since April 2013 Ralph and I have been eating wheat free. It has been a challenge but Ralph has lost most of his “wheat belly” and my stomach is less likely to be upset by many foods. The biggest difficulty is a quick lunch that does not include wheat in some form.

Between floats we looked for lunch items that would fit our requirements. A big sausage without the bun and GARLIC fries. Thank goodness we both like garlic as these were fried in garlic oil then fresh grated garlic poured over them. Even we couldn’t stand ourselves but we were in it together.

January 3rd was a day to remember my father who passed away 43 years ago and Ralph’s mother who passed away 21 years ago. Both times I was living in Calgary and vowed not to be living there January 3rd after the next 22 years. That is not so far away now but I expect to keep that promise to myself as we plan to continue traveling for years to come.

Once again we re-re-organized the contents of our living space. That will continue for some time yet until we can find things quickly and realize many items are of no use in this lifestyle. We also started planning the next drive and destination.