Tucson and a return to Borrego Springs

We were in Tucson for 2 weeks and for the life of me, I don't know what all we did.  We did get the carpet, tile, and ceiling cleaned by Kyle of Complete Carpet Cleaning in Benson.  Luckily he comes to Tucson.  I would highly recommend him.  We did do the mandatory trip to Costco.

We got together a couple of times with good friends Rodger and Sharon.  Rodger does wood-carving and his pieces are beautiful.  He gifted me a Kokopelli carving I had been drooling over.

We met Al for dinner one night at the casino for prime rib.  He has been traveling with a SOLOs group.  They provide lots of activities for their members.  He is always doing something.

There were a few short walks at Tucson Mt. park.  With my sciatica I can't walk very far or stand for any length of time which is seriously a pain in the ass for me. Walking has always been my thing!

We decided we wanted to go back to Anza Borrego to see the wildflower superbloom.  We were not disappointed.  Since the temps were high we stayed at an RV park in town as we didn't want to be couped up inside running the generator in order to boondock out in the desert which would have been our first choice.

We took off early on a Monday morning hoping to beat the crowds.  The weekend was gridlock with traffic at all the popular locations.  The flowers were at their peak.  We even found some cacti blooming up in Glorieta Canyon.

Anza Borrego to Yuma by way of Quartzsite

Our final days in Anza Borrego were highlighted by the arrival of Canadian friends, Dan and Heather.  Not only did they come for a visit, but brought dinner with them.  Now that's some super-special friends.

In Quartzsite we spent a few days boondocking at Hi Jolly BLM just north of town.  The big tent RV show opened on January 21 and Howard went down the next day to look for a few products we use on a regular basis.  The only vendor he could find was the Orange Oil wood products. He was hoping to find the Dri Wash'N Guard cleaner we use on the motorhome's exterior, plus a water filter, and a few tools.  These we can find in Yuma.

We spent a great afternoon visiting with Nan and John Talley who are parked at La Posa South.  Like many of our friends, we first met the Talleys in Anza Borrego two years ago.  The following day we all met for pizza at Silly Al's; the Tallys brought Sandie and Jim Dixon, and we invited friend Al, who was parked with the Escapees SOLO group. It was great to meet Sandie and Jim and see Nan and John again.

On to Yuma!  We have a list of projects and repairs needing to be done and Yuma is the perfect locale
with access to all or most of our needs.  We decided to stay at an RV park with full hookups for a change and decided on Caravan Oasis in the Foothills area east of town.  It is an old park but we thought the monthly price of $535 was reasonable.

First was to find someone to reupholster our living room couch.  Our friend Beth, who lives in Yuma, provided a great rcomendation.  Ricardo and Arlene came over with samples and prices.  We picked a vinyl beige (Sand) color.  Ricardo measured and Arlene soon provided us with a price which we thought was very reasonable.  Our 16 year old couch was soon dismantled and hauled away.  If we are satisfied with their work we will have our remaining 3 chairs done next year.

I also found Ron's Mobile Screen Door repair and he came out right away and replaced the old screen that had been damaged by one of the granddogs running through it.  We have an appointment with a mobile RV service and repair place.  We are hoping they can fix a water leak we have around our slide by replacing the rubber seal.  We also need to get our Hurricane heater functioning which has been the source of some not so nice language over the years after dealing with one problem after another.

By now we are needing some fun.  Friends Beth and Chris invited us over for dinner at their new home in the Foothills.  We had a wonderful time catching up and enjoyed a great dinner.

Once we have most of the repair work done, we can concentrate on getting to Algodones for a check-up with our dentist, Dr. Jorge Cortez.  We both have issues we need to attend to.

So no beautiful pictures to share. And not very exciting commentary.  We all have these times when things need to be done and not much time for sightseeing.  We did drive over to Ogilby Road to check out the boondocking sites.  We will definitely go there on our next boondocking outing.  Also keeping an eye on Anza Borrego as the wildflowers will soon be blooming.  Hoping for a good season after all the rain we have had.  And speaking of weather, the winds have died down and we  have been enjoying sunny days with highs in the mid 70s here in Yuma.

Until next time~~~

We're winding down our stay in the Anza Borrego Desert~~~

This last week we've been winding down our stay here in the Anza Borrego Desert with a final trip to Tito's to get the MH air filter installed and batteries checked, and get togethers with friends who are in the area.  Got to play a bit of tourist with Beth and Chris as they stopped by on their way back from the FMCA rally in Indio to see the Brecedo statues. Our Canadian friends, Dan and Heather, arrived just a few days ago.  We are happy we got to see them before departure.  There was a final dinner last night at Carlee's with Nan and John and lunch today with Carolyn and Tom who took us on a great jeep drive up Coyote Canyon (whew!).

The weather out here has been "strange", for lack of a better word.  We've run the gamut from warm and beautiful, to rain and very high winds, especially a few days ago when visibility was practically nil!

On Monday we leave for a rejuvenating week at Catalina Spa RV Park in Desert Hot Springs.  This park honors our Passport America membership of half price ($22.50) for the entire week. We need a good soaking to rid our skin of all the dust and dryness.  See you there.....

Ho Hum sums it up!

We've been out here in the Anza Borrego Desert for over two weeks now and I've taken few photos. Our surroundings just aren't the same, spoiled by years' past.  One day it is cold with heavy gusts of wind, then rain showers, mud puddles and snow in the mountains.  Clark Dry Lake...isn't. There is water. Today is a brilliant, sunny gorgeous day that gets us outside enjoying the elements.  Howard is working on water-proofing the slide before the next major storm blows in.  Walks for me have been short, maybe a mile or two, as my back pain is kicking up, but Howard (the elder) still jogs his 4-5 miles barely breaking a sweat!

We have very nice neighbors....

New Year's week was crowded with lots of rigs and groups of 4-wheelers enjoying the many off road tracks and bringing in the New Year.  We got together with Nan and John for an enjoyable happy hour complete with pizza and drinks. This week the groups have gone and we have lots of open space in our line of sight.

Enjoying the first sunset of the new year.  See the crowds?

Clark Dry Lake....isn't!

There is snow in them there hills!

Funny story!  We have friends attending a rally at the Riverside County Fairgrounds where the FMCA show debuts this week.  A few days ago we decided to drive up  to see all the vendors, possibly find our water filter cartridge, and say a quick hello to our friends, the Panys.  It's about an hours drive each way. When we got there we couldn't find any indication of the big show or parking facilities, and when we finally found someone in the know we were told the show  didn't start until Thursday!  And on that note, we headed for the Costco in La Quinta and spent far more than the cost of a mere water filter!

We got the car serviced at Tito's in town and discovered we need a new battery.  Had been having trouble with the battery being dead when we towed for long distances.  We are now awaiting filters for the rig and will take it in Monday to be serviced.

I'm going to wrap this post up while the internet is sort of working.  We are right on the fringe of service for both the MiFi and phone.  Not sure where our next stop is.  Guess we'll wait and see next week.  Until then......Best wishes for the New Year!

Misery loves virtual company...

I never get sick...famous last words!  Over a week ago I was broadsided by a nasty virus that has had me practically bedridden for over a week.  Low-grade fever, deep chest cough, unrelenting nausea. Not nearly as serious as some, no need to sit in an urgent care facility with dozens of others, no antibiotics (not bacterial), no appetite.  No gatherings with local friends, though Kathie and Bob did stop by and she brought me soup and crackers, bless her heart!  Not exactly the tri-tip dinner we had planned to grill on our new propane Weber, along with local fresh asparagus and strawberries from a nearby farm stand. Though the major symptoms have dissipated, the weakness and malaise persists.

So virtual company through blogs and Facebook has provided much mind-diverting entertainment and taken me to happy places. Seeing photos of sprouting desert flowers, more gorgeous sunsets, hikes, beaches, travels to places added to my ever-growing list, and knowing this too will pass, prompted me to dig back a few years and contribute a few of my own wonderful memories.  These were taken in 2010, before the drought hit Anza Borrego and recent rains had produced a bounty of beauty.

Henderson Canyon

A hike up Coyote Mountain

Aside the road

Palm Canyon

Glorietta Canyon

Off S-22

Desert lilies in our backyard

Glorietta Canyon

Glorietta Canyon

Glorietta Canyon

Glorietta Canyon

After extending our stay at Lake Cahuilla several days longer than planned, we've finally hit the road heading for the Tucson Mountain area, and looking forward to putting this whole episode behind and having some fun. Thank you again for the hours of pleasure and entertainment in an otherwise sickly week.  Lesson learned...Never say never!

Reflections~~Lake Cahuilla County Park, La Quinta, CA

It was time for a change of scenery.  It was time for some major provisioning calling for the likes of Costco, Walmart, Trader Joe's.  It was time to attend to tank issues.  So we headed to La Quinta and Lake Cahuilla County Park, about 60 miles from our Anza Borrego home of almost 2 months. Yes, it was hard to leave, say goodbye to new friends, leave those gorgeous sunsets, park for free, but the temps were heating up and the wind beginning to blow.

Looking back at the campground from across the lake.  

This has always been one of our favorites and makes for a nice interlude with water and electric. The park backs up to the Santa Rosa Mountains, those same mountains we gazed at while in Anza Borrego, which would be about 25 miles as the crow flies just over the above photo.  No dry lake here, but a large reservoir full to the brim, making for a nice 2.5 mile walk-around.

Fishing is allowed but no swimming or watercraft..

Free WiFi is offered with its own little shady enclosure, including electric plug-ins for your devices, chairs and a nice workstation.  Most of the park hosts are super friendly Canadians who love to landscape, as we know. There are 60 sites in the developed section and probably the only drawback is parking on dirt, but Eucalyptus trees provide shade in the campground.

The large day-use area has grassy picnic sites by the lake with playground and Palm trees, and a swimming pool that opens in May. There is also an equestrian area with RV sites as well as horse facilities, and birds galore.

So this is home for now.  We're getting a few things done like replacing our old charcoal Weber for a new propane Q1000, doing a little polishing and window washing on the MH.  The inside will be professionally done by Kyle of Benson Carpet Cleaners when we get to either Tucson or Benson sometime in the near future.  The leaks we sustained late last year during the major rainstorm in Petaluma left a stain on our ceiling.

It was super meeting up with the Talleys for lunch one afternoon.  They were staying at the nearby Fantasy Springs Casino, planning to return to Anza Borrego...as is Gaelyn we hear. (Keep us posted on the wildflowers!)

We are looking forward to visits with friends; Earl and Gail who winter in Indio, and Bob and Kathie heading this way from Chula Vista.  Then it'll be time to head toward Yuma, maybe with a stop in Quartzsite, Kofa, or Imperial Dam, depending on which route we decide to take.  We know there will be duck a la rotisserie with the Panys, and hopefully Beth will be seeing clearly after cataract surgeries.  Until next time...

Happy Valentine's Day

Sprouting roots here in the Anza Borrego Desert, a 2nd Jeep drive to Palm oases, and a dry waterfall in Hawk Canyon…..

I think after almost 7 weeks here in our lovely free boondocking site, we may qualify for homesteading rights.  Honestly, every time we start to make plans to move on; Ogilby Rd., Imperial Dam, Kofa are all on our radar, Yuma, Scottsdale, Tucson, too; we go for another hike, and gaze at the night sky and say... maybe next week!

Phone shot collage as we were heading out to dinner...

Looking east with the last rays of sun!

A new (for us) trail up the side of Coyote Mt.

Howard in a prickly, green frame

Quatro ocotillos

There have been a couple more trips to Tito’s repair place in town to have motorhome issues resolved. Yes, we would recommend him. Yesterday was the final visit hopefully, and involved installing a new filter on the air system, a part that had to be ordered from Country Coach.  The dash air needs a new compressor but that’s going to wait till we can find an after-market replacement at about half the price.


Before Tom & Carolyn left for other parts, we finagled another Jeep drive.  We headed east on S-22 and turned south to Arroyo Salada, 17 Palms, and 5 Palms, stopping frequently for short hikes and photos. 

Driving thru Arroyo Salada

At the 17 Palms

To the 5 Palms...not a bad sky day!

Hooking up with the Cut Across Trail, winding south towards Butte Mountain and The Slot, we happened on Hawk Canyon.  This turned out to be a beautiful find with no less than a dry waterfall, an interesting sign, and a half-petrified piece of wood. 

The sign conjures up all sorts of mental images.  Possibly an alteration of "wood", tho there are sheep in these parts!

Notice how this piece of wood is petrified on the right side only!

The beautiful sandstone cliffs of the area are evidence of an ancient marine environment. The Coyote Creek earthquake fault runs north and south on the east side of the east mesa of Borrego Mountain in the highly active San Jacinto Fault Zone. The Borrego Mountain earthquake of 9 April 1968 was logged at 6.5 on the Richter Scale. Earthquakes have made their mark here in the form of fault scarps.

I see fossils, at least in my head..

Formations and colors reminiscent of the John Day Painted Hills Unit...

Navigating thru Arroyo Salada

We've done our fair share of socializing with neighbors and friends.  There was the rather impromptu Super Bowl party with Dan & Heather, and Patrick with his dog, Rinse. Probably the only time we'll root for the Seattle Seahawks, who consistently give our SF 49ers a boot to the butt.  But we had to go for the west coast team. Howard and Dan had a $1 bet, Howard taking the Patriots.  Luckily he quickly noticed Dan trying to paying him off with 4 Canadian quarters!

Another amazing day with good friends!

Heather does the gourmet turkey burgers, Dan & Patrick gaze at the mountains...

We met Bob and Kathie Maxwell for lunch a few days ago in Julian, about equidistant between here and their current location in Chula Vista.  Bob has been dealing with some serious health issues but is on the road to recovery and planning to be back on the road soon!

With Bob & Kathie in Julian...

We also offer doggy day care by appointment only.  Patrick was in need of clean laundry, a hike in Culp Valley, and a few podcasts downloaded from the library.  We got Rinse for the day!  His name, we found out, was originally Prince, which Patrick found unacceptable!

A big Thank You to the couple in the red pickup, towing the 5th wheel.  You made Howard's day when you stopped alongside him jogging on Rockhouse Trail, and asked...."are you Stillhowlyn"?!  We hope you got your water pump fixed.

Have you ever wanted to hike the Grand Canyon?  I was catching up on Gaelyn's Foto Friday Fun, and noticed a bridge pic linked with her 2009 hike!  Totally blew my mind.  This is as close as I'll get to the real thing!

Decisions, decisions, where to and when?!  Thanks for stopping by...

A Jeep drive to Split Mountain & Fish Creek, hiking the wind caves, sunsets galore, and some other news~~

Last year's Coyote Canyon drive

Howard and I have spent some of our best outings in our old Jeep Wrangler, exploring many of the numerous backroads here in the vast Anza Borrego Desert, pushing our limits at times, possibly not using our best judgment, but loving every adrenalin-rushed moment. Since getting our much more comfortable and roomy Toyota RAV-4 last year, which does have 4-wheel drive, though certainly not Jeep-worthy, we've been experiencing some adrenalin withdrawal.

But that all changed with the arrival of Carolyn & Tom who have a very photogenic and roomy red Wrangler. When they graciously suggested an outing, we immediately said YES, and provided some suggestions.

C-MYSTE is their blog & personal license plate

Split Mountain & Fish Creek:

Now this is a serious geologic wonder with views to match. With a few internet searches I managed to glean some basic information.

Split Mountain is indeed separate mountains split into two ranges, the Vallecito Mountains on the west, and Fish Creek Mountains on the east.  Geologists claim that the canyon was formed when water was continually draining from the Carrizo Badlands in the west to the Salton Sink in the east.  As the mountains rose over time, Fish Creek Wash continually gouged down into the new mountains creating the canyon we can drive through today.

On the right side of the canyon, where the rock layers are bent and warped, is what geologists call an anticline~~

Split Mountain

Families and pets camped up the way, out for a walk

A Fossil Reef - High and Dry

Twenty million years ago, where we are standing was the bottom of a warm shallow sea.  The Gulf of California covered the region. Thriving in the warm waters were many varieties of fish, corals, and shellfish. Over thousands of years shells of oysters and pectens accumulated on the sea bottom and were covered by shifting sand.  Thick deposits of shells formed reefs in the shallow sea. The Gulf retreated, faults shifted, and the land uplifted, leaving the ancient reefs high and dry.

So many layers now exposed

  

Wind Caves:

Once we past the narrow drive through Split Mountain, the road opens up and becomes Fish Creek Wash.  A short distance further we see lots of tent campsites belonging to the families we saw out for a walk.  On our left (east side) sinister formations reminiscent of the fictional, prehistoric town of Bedrock appear high up on the hillside.  

These are the Wind Caves~~

There is a short, somewhat steep and rocky loop trail, about 2 or so miles round-trip, depending on which trails you follow.

And this is what we find up close and personal;
room-size sandstone caves, large enough for us to walk in for some shade and sit awhile admiring the views of the undulating waves of the Carrizo Badlands.

Sunsets:

The sunsets have been spectacular, as they are in most parts of the southwest this time of year. Most evenings find us sitting out with the camera and tripod facing the western sky as it lights up with pure magic.  Then we turn to face north and east, as the sun lowers and lights up the Santa Rosa Mountains.  Shadows and clouds join the party.  We see splashes of color and a variety of shapes. Some displays look like puffs of cotton, others like fireworks.

 

Other news:

We went back to Indio on the designated date for our Verizon phone and internet upgrade; nothing exciting, just a new Droid Turbo and Novatel MiFi.  Both chubby little suckers with big batteries, and about the same signal strength as before.  We are just on the fringe of 2-3 bars of 4G and our old antenna/booster is 3G only.

An unrelated set-back occurred about 10 minutes after our departure from the Verizon Store as we're nicely settled into lunch before attacking Costco and heading home. The new phone went crazy with texts and emails announcing fraud alerts from two of our credit/debit card companies.  A $2000 purchase had been attempted at a nearby Walmart, and when one card was refused, apparently the other was quickly produced.  Though the actual theft had to have taken place at the Verizon store during our transaction and was very slick, the idea of charging an item costing that amount of money was pure stupidity. All in all, there was no damage done, just a lot of nerves and inconvenience.  And yes, we did go back to the store and report the incident and discuss better floor surveillance with the manager.

We are beginning to talk about a possible departure date for Arizona.  In the meantime, we are enjoying lots of walks and hikes, socializing with friends and neighbors, and trying to plug away at the ongoing maintenance issues. And I know for sure there is at least one more Jeep adventure to report.....