Yuma, where we snowbirds go..Briefly

Looking good in their 90s

Algodones alleyways

The cold and wind literally drove us out of the Anza Borrego Desert, aided and abetted by less than maximum battery capacity.  We fled to Yuma where thousands (millions?) of snowbirds go for the winter warmth, and quite possibly the few Fry's Supermarket which is by all standards the best we have seen.  But also to visit friends and our Yuma folks, Bett and Norm (90 and 94), my ex-inlaws.  There was also a trip to Algodones, MX to pick-up some meds, insurance for those "just-in-case" conditions in a foreign country, i.e. Roatan, Honduras, that you want covered...just in case!

Walt & Roxie, virtual no longer

But something was seriously wrong with this picture; Yuma was freezing cold and windy also.  We are so spoiled (yes, I admit it) by being able to park at Chris and Beth's lot when passing through for a few days, but, alas, Roxie and Walt beat us to it.  They had recently sold their house in Fredericksburg, TX and bought a new 5th wheel "condo", 3 slide-outs no less, to resume their RV travels after a several-years' hiatus.  

Beth & Chris at the winter cottage

Finding it hard to go from free to $40 per night, we found a Passport America park that actually honored the 50% discount through these popular winter months, so our 4 night stay was only $20 per night.....Oh but there was a catch!  Programming the address into our GPS  we turned south on Ave. E and drove and drove, past the Marine Air Station, past the groves of orange trees, and the sheep grazing on freshly mown alfalfa, even past the turn-off to the Escapees Park; 9 miles south of I-8, to the Southern Mesa RV Park.  We were almost to the Mexican town of San Luis!

Lush lettuces of the Imperial Valley

I often mention our virtual friends on Facebook and blogging sites that now seem like folks I've known forever. Well Roxie is one of those friends.  We originally met on Facebook through Beth (a real long-time friend) where we all played silly games like Farm Town and the like.  So not only did we get to see Chris and Beth at their new winter cottage (the summer home is in Caldwell, ID), we got to meet Roxie and husband Walt, in person, for the very first time. 

Date palm oasis

Unable to get much done outside on the motorhome, like cleaning and polishing, and replacing a new door panel due to nasty wind-blown sand, we opted for a drive. Going west to Winterhaven we took S-24 through the lush Imperial Valley farmlands to Senator Wash and Squaw Lake campground, popular BLM boondocking areas; returning via the Imperial Dam and Yuma Proving Grounds, down Hwy. 95, for a loop drive of about 75 miles.  

Senator Wash Reservoir

The only outside activites were quick stops for photos, a visit to the Date Store where we bought homemade tamales, of course, running into Fry's on the return for some fresh sushi samples, then the tortilleria, and a stop by Roxie and Walt's (our parking spot) for a photo to add to My Friends album of folks we've met "along the way".

War Toys at Yuma Proving Grounds

I kind of like this in Cinemascope

So, as we speak, Howard is driving us toward Tucson, via the roundabout way through Ajo, where we might just spend one night, before getting settled for the final two week countdown to departure. 

 I'm beginning to accumulate recipes of a Caribbean flavor using the basics of black beans, rice, chicken or fish with easily obtained sides like plantains, mangoes, pineapple, so if you have any favorites please send them to me. We plan to do most of our own cooking for the month we're away.