December 26 to 31, 2010; San Carlos, Mexico

DEC 26, Sunday, sunny, cooler
This was a fairly quiet day with everyone taking it easy by reading or as Dave did, wash the awning! Val and Louise went into town, Brenda slept the day away as she wasn’t feeling good. Dave, Al and I went looking for fire wood. We found some and brought it back to our place. I called Vanessa, my grand-daughter and we talked to her for a few minutes; we had missed her yesterday.
Val decided to have left over for dinner with the all of us and we had it outside at Al and Brenda but first, we had happy hour and played CLR, a game with dice where you gamble 3 piece of silver change, in our case, pesos! For some reasons, Val and I couldn’t lose and won about 5 pots. It was fun! Dinner was delicious with turkey, mash potatoes, vegetables and desert by Brenda which we had later in the evening. We played cards after dinner until it became too cold to be out.


DEC 27, Monday, cloudy and cooler (mid to high 60’s)
Val and Louise went for their Tai-Chi class (an extra one) and I waxed the rig where the new paintings are to protect them. We found out that Las Jaibas in Mazatlan has lots of room and cheaper than here which is good. Brenda wasn’t feeling very well today so slept most of the day away. We went to town to find her cough drops and get some milk for us and eggs for Dave.
We went out for hamburgers tonight and they were huge!!! So much so that even I couldn’t finish it all. We came home and called it quit for the night.


DEC 28, Tuesday, sunny and cool (mid 60’s)
Val and Louise went for their Tai-Chi first thing this morning. Later in the morning we went to Guaymas with Louise and Dave; Brenda has a cold and Al is just getting it. We stopped at Walmart then the Ley’s for groceries and pricing bicycles for Louise. We also drove into town centre to check out book store for a new Atlas for Mexico but couldn’t find one anywhere. I guess I’ll have to wait until Mazatlan. We came home and had happy hour with Al and Brenda. As soon as the sun went down behind the mountain, it became very cold so we had and early retreat to our house’s.


DEC 29, Wednesday, sunny & cool again
The whole day was overcast and rain was in the air although it didn’t. Val did laundry and I got the truck washed both in & out for 200 pesos ($18Cdn). We spent the day sitting around reading, Val and Louise went washing, and Louise finally bought the bike for 200 pesos; a great deal! Brenda had a haircut but she went to bed soon after due to her cold. We had happy hour at Dave & Louise. Linda and Steve came over later in the afternoon to check out what John had for sale. We called it quit early again tonight!


DEC 30, Thursday, cloudy & windy
We are being affected by a system north of us which is causing havoc in the States and causing all the clouds and cold temperature we are feeling! Val went for their last Tai-Chi exercises as we are leaving Sunday for Mazatlan. Dave and I went into town so that he could fill up before leaving and I dropped off the truck to get it wash in & out for 250 pesos (approx 23$cdn). Brenda is still not feeling all that well and stayed inside all day.
At 3 pm, D&L came with us to visit our friends Garry and Virginia; Brenda didn’t want to take a chance with her cold so both of them stayed home. We had a very nice visit and came home around 6 pm. The temperature has dropped quite a bit as the sun is down.


DEC 31, Friday, Last day of 2010, sunny, windy and cooler
So, here we are! Another year gone by; it seems only yesterday we celebrated the arrival of 2010...where did the time go!? Well, we had fun and got a new Grandson-in-law and a new grand-daughter so life is pretty rich and wonderful, wouldn’t you agree?
Dave and I went to Guaymas to pick up a few last minute things for the party tonight. We also stopped at the bank and got some deneros (money) for our trip to Mazatlan. The girls got the food ready for tonight and the sun finally came out in the afternoon. It is 64*F (17*C)
The “lot” people arrived around 6 pm and the party began. We had a marvellous time and the food was absolutely fantastic. I even BBQ’ed shrimps wrapped in bacon. The party lasted until almost midnight but we didn’t quite make it. We did watch New-York’s New Year party though. I had brought our little TV from the bedroom outside and hooked it up to cable. The only downfall was the cold which made things a bit uncomfortable but as the evening progressed and more spirit was taken in, the less we felt it!
So to one and all....HAPPY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!!!

December 20 to 25, 2010; Christmas in San Carlos

DEC 20, Monday, sunny
Well, we waited for our famous “guys” until noon then went to phone them. We learned that they would come tomorrow between 3 and 4 pm. We decided to go to Guaymas to get some groceries at “Ley”. Dave came with us but Louise stayed home. We came back, put the groceries away then had happy hour with Brenda and Al, Louise and Dave. The evening was a bit warmer tonight and we had our fire going and Al and Brenda joined us. We stayed out until 9 pm. There is supposed to be a full moon eclipse tonight but I don’t think any of us will be up for it.


DEC 21, Tuesday; Foggy; 4 days to X-MAS
Did our “boys” show up??? NO, they didn’t but what else is new!? Louise finally got the trick behind cycling and had her bike going full blast, blowing smoke! She is quite proud of that achievement and so are we! Al, Brenda, Val and I cycled to town and had a hot dog at “El Cheque" then came home after stopping at “Tony’s” for bread which he didn’t have anyway. We were all home by 3 pm waiting for the upholstery guys and to ensure they didn’t disappoint us, they didn’t show up!!!....Mayana????
We had Yellow Tail fish for dinner and we got a new neighbour behind us. Happy hour at Al & Brenda until the sun went down. It was quite foggy all day!


Dec 22, Wednesday, fog, 68*F
Woke up to low clouds and fog this morning! It finally cleared somewhat in the afternoon but never warmed up more than 65*F (18*C). Our “boys” finally showed up in the morning and brought the covers for our generator and the chairs were finally delivered in the afternoon. Louise and Dave were happy about it and they do look very nice. We went into town then came home for happy hour.


DEC 23, Thursday, sunny, windy
Val went for the Tai-Chi classes with Louise. Dave and I went through the village to look for firewood and we stopped at Garry and Virginia for a while. Then it was hot dogs at “El Cheque” where we met the girls who happened to be returning from shopping.
The whole day was sunny but windy and cool. We had happy hour then went in as soon as the sun went down. The wind died down finally as the sun went down.


DEC 24, Friday, Sunny & warm
We decided to go geo-caching today so after brunch, we all drove to the first cache in two vehicles; Louise & Dave were with us, Brenda and Al following in their little jeep. Our first cache took us on a hike up a hill and an overview of San Carlos and the Sea of Cortez. The second one was again up a hill but a bit steeper and again we had a great view. On the third one we just couldn’t find a way up and we gave up and decided it was time for a cerveza! We went to Froggy’s, had a beer and margaritas for the girls then came home. It was a good day and I think Louise is hooked on geo-caching.
At 5:30 pm we all went to Charly's Rock for dinner and watch the Christmas boat parade. The meal was really great, a smorg of sort with all kinds of sea food, chicken and a few other things that I can't recall at the moment. The parade was a great success with 12 boats participating and 2 kayaks decorated with lights, navigated by Linda and Cathy. We met the four of them afterwards at the Best Western hotel having dinner there.


DEC 25, Saturday, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
First thing in the morning, we called all our kids and talked to everyone then we got the turkey in the oven and began preparation for the big dinner at 4 pm. We set up three tables with all the trimmings and dishes. At 3pm the “Lot people”(Linda & Steve, Cathy & Craig) arrived and we sat around for a little while to chat then it was time to cut the turkey which was cooked to perfection (thanks to Val). Brenda and Louise brought out the mash potatoes, salads and vegetable and Linda brought sweet yams which was delicious. We had a great time and the whole affair was a total success and everyone went home with a full tummy!
Afterwards, we had a fire, thanks to Al, and we sat around telling stories and reminiscing about the past friends who were not present. We finally called it quit around 10 pm. Our neighbour, John, also joined us as he is by himself and stuck here because of a break-down with his vehicle engine.

December 16 to 19, San Carlos, Mexico

DEC 16, Thursday, foggy
Val went for her Tai-Chi this morning in the fog. Afterwards, we all went to Rosa Cantina and had breakfast. The sun eventually came out and warmed up things nicely. The girls decided to go back to town to shop around and the guys stayed home. Louise rented a bicycle for the week-end for $25 to learn how-to. The upholstery people didn’t show up again so we phone and were told mayana as they had run out of material for Al’s chairs. While the girls were gone, the three of us decided to go for a bike ride to town and checked out the car wash and a new restaurant nearby then came home after stopping at Froggy’s for a beer.
We had a short happy hour again as it cooled off quickly. After dinner, Val and I sat by our little buddy burner for a while and Al & Brenda joined us.


DEC 17, Friday, sunny and 70*
We spent the day waiting again for our famous guys. They finally showed up at 4 pm and had to take a chair back from Al & Brenda as the seam was coming apart at one place. As for my cover on the front, they forgot the tool to install the grommets; oh well...this is Mexico!
Val went to the library this morning and I had a couple pair of shoes shined by a handicap Mexican. Dave and Louise went into Guaymas to shop; Linda and Cathy showed up with the dogs and Val and Tucker went to the beach with them for a walk. He had to have a shower when they got back as he went in the sea and got himself all dirty.
At 5 pm, we walked over to Charly’s Rock to watch the sunset and have a margarita. We ended up having dinner there. Al and Brenda joined us later as he wanted to wait for the “guys” who never came back as promised, of course...mayana??? While at the bar, we bought tickets for a pre X-Mas dinner and a view of the sail past parade on the 24th.


DEC 18, Saturday, sunny

The last 3 to 4 mornings, we have waking up to a lot of dew on the truck and trailer. So much so that it dripped quite heavily. Time to head for warmer climate!?
Anyway, today our “boys” were back and installed the grommet and brought Al and Brenda’s second chair back and made a few last minute adjustments. My front cover was installed and Ruben took measurement for the cover of our new generator. He promised to be back Monday with Louise and Dave’s chairs...remains to be seen!!! Louise practice on her bike for a while.
We had happy hour then called it quit for the day.


DEC 19, Sunday, sunny and warmer
We went to Pillar and the beach today to have our pictures taken for Christmas cards/e-mail. We packed our chairs, a few cervezas, the Poinsettias, a sign saying “Felice Navidad” and drove there in two vehicles with all the dogs. When we got there, there were a few Mexican on the beach but we found a place and settled down. As we were getting ready to take the pictures, this lady kept coming in the background then told us to move because her husband was painting the scenery. Well, needless to say we said no way and carried on as he was above us on the dune and could continues without us moving. Anyway, we took our pictures which turned out OK and then moved down the beach a bit away from that couple. Val and Louise and Dave went for a walk down the beach, Al played with Daisy in the water and Brenda and I suntanned.
As the girls got back, Cathy and Linda form the “Lot” showed up with their dogs. We had a short visit then they were on their way and we had to get back to our homes as Louise was making a “New Orleans gumbo” dinner for all of us. Val had to get the rice ready and Brenda brought buns and butter.
We ate around 5 pm and the gumbo was devoured by all. IT was absolutely DELICIOUS! Made of shrimp, Italian sausage and a few other ingredients and spiced to perfection! YUM! YUM!
We sat around afterwards chatting and finally got too cold to stay outside anymore.
(I UPLOADED SOME PICTURES IN FOLDER # 69)

december 11 to 15, 2010; San Carlos, Mexico

DEC 11, Saturday; sunny, 80*F
Val cleaned the house in the am then we went walking into town with Dave and Louise. We stopped for hot dogs of course then walked back to Froggy’s where we had to have margaritas. Back home just in time for happy hour with Al and Brenda.
Hector finished off painting Tucker on the side of the “Bear” and put our names in the front. Looks great! (Check out the pictures in our Picasa link). We bought a Mexican phone to enable us to call the kids. The number is 622 114 0843


DEC 12, Sunday, sunny & warm
Al and Brenda had a Mexican come out to give them an estimate on re-upholstering their chairs in the living room and Dave and Louise decided to do the same with their chairs. I had him measure the lower front of the trailer and after giving me a price, I went ahead with it.
After all that excitement, we all drove to Empalme to check out the open-air market. There were lots of people and lots to see but we didn’t buy anything. We stopped for a cerveza on the way out and the girls had soup while I had Cameron (shrimp) with a sauce and rice.
Came home to happy hour then we all retired early. After a discussion, it was decided that we would go to Mazatlan at the end of the month, stay there for a month then drive back here with a stop at Alamos. Looking forward to that!


DEC 13, Monday, sunny but cooler
Yes cooler! The wind had a chill in it but still warm in the sun. Everyone was waiting for the upholstery guy who finally showed up around 11 am. They picked up the two chairs from Al & Brenda then left after collecting money from both me and Al; I am getting a cover made for the lower front of trailer. I then went to town for a haircut at Maru and came home.
We went to the “Lot” for Happy Hour with the Holder’s and the Johnson’s. We had very nice visit then came home.


DEC 14, Tuesday, sunny
Val and Louise went for Tai-Chi first thing this morning then Al & Louise two chairs were picked up by the Mexican workers. The six of us went to Esparalda Beach to kayak. We packed a lunch and cerveza and the dogs and headed out. We went out while Louise and Dave walked the beach with the dogs. Daisy, Al’s dog, came out in the bay with us. He swam the whole time we were out which was about 20 minutes and did very well. She even swam along our kayaks and we held her to give her a rest. While we were having lunch, the fog began to roll in and by the time we loaded the kayaks back on the trucks, the place was all fogged in. It came in very quickly. We came back to the park only to find engulfed in fog too. The temperature really dropped and we had a short happy hour while the sun shone through the fog.


DEC 15, Wednesday, sunny & fog
We got up to sunshine but the fog rolled-in in the afternoon causing the temperature to drop down to the low 70’s. Today we waited around for the upholstery guys who never showed up, mayana maybe!?
Hector showed up and finished painting our names on the door of the truck. Looks really good! Dave and Louise also had their truck done. We had happy hour but called it quit early as the temperature was dropping even more. We had rice and camaron (shrimp) for dinner.

December 6 to 10, 2010; San Carlos, Mex.

DEC 6, Monday, San Carlos; sunny & 78*
We went to Club Deportivo to find out about tai-chi for Val but it was closed. We stopped for Rico’s hot dog then we went to see a lady near the lot for the Tai-Chi lessons. While she was there, I checked the lot which was just around the corner and found both the Holder’s and the Johnson's settling in. I stopped in and visited for a while; Val joined us and after a short visit, we left them to settle in.
We came back at 4 pm with Al & Brenda and Dave & Louise for happy hour. We caught up to the news with Tammie and everyone. We came home about two hours later. We had a fire in the evening at Al & Brenda.


DEC 7, Tuesday, sunny & 84*
Warmest day yet! Val went for her first Tai-Chi lesson and I just puttered around the house. Another quiet day at home! We all went to Froggy’s pub for pizza night. They now have live music so it makes it more entertaining. We came home and I took out our buddy burner and we sat around it for a while. Our neighbours joined us. It was a nice warm evening.


DEC 8, Wednesday, sunny & 80*F
There is a truck full of trinkets, vases and pictures from Chihuahua that has set up just down the road so we went to explore it and Val bought a little present for grand-daughter Jenaya. We then walked to Tony’s and bought some groceries and lunch while there. We came home and just sat around.


DEC 9, Thursday; sunny
The four of us went to Guaymas to purchase some groceries and looked around the Ley’s and all the shops. From here, we drove to Empalme but first stopped at a little side restaurant called “the Dug Out” and had crab and shrimp tortillas and a beer. Empalme hasn’t changed much but did appear to be a little cleaner than what I remember. IT is just south of Guaymas, a small fishing village and has a few big industries also situated near the village.
We came home and had happy hour with Al & Brenda. While sitting there, this guy walked by with a dog and Al recognized him and called him over. It was Rick whom we had met two years ago in Lo de Marco and Mazatlan. He went home and got Judy, his wife so it became a big reunion for us all except Louise and Dave of course. We are having a big Mexican cook-out tomorrow and invited them over.


DEC 10, Friday; warm and sunny
The girls spent their time preparing for the dinner tonight. Al ran into Hector, a Mexican painter and told him about us and our idea. He came over and talked to us and after agreeing on the price, he began painting Tucker standing above our bear on both the right and left side of the trailer. Of course, everyone came over to see. At four, he decided to quit and go home while we had our happy hour. Judy and Rick came over and Rick brought his famous potato dish (it was delicious). At six, we ate the Mexican dish that Val and Louise prepared and Brenda brought over a salad and vegetables. It was a feast made for Kings! We had our propane burner out and after dinner, we all moved over to Al and Brenda for a wood fire. We finally called it quit around 10:30 pm; quite late for all of us! Hector is coming back in the morning; we had invited him to stay for dinner but he turned it down.

December 1 to 5, 2010; San Carlos, Mexico

DEC 1, Wednesday, San Carlos; sunny & 75*F
WOW, last month of the year and only 24 days to Christmas!!! Sure doesn’t feel like it here, what with 75*F (23*C) temperature and lots of sunshine! We took Dave and Louise around San Carlos, showing them all the sights and important places, stopped at RICO for hot dogs (just as delicious as before) and then to Marius to make an appointment for a haircut and nail painting for the ladies. We came home and had Happy Hour with Al and Brenda then went home for dinner and a quiet evening. I have a cold and not feeling to par yet.


DEC 2, Thursday, San Carlos; sunny & 75*F
Another beautiful day in paradise, it feels like we never left. Val and Louise went to their hair and nail appointment and Dave and I stayed home. I slept most of the afternoon. Happy hour at Al and Brenda then home. The propane truck finally showed up around 5 pm and we had two tanks filled. (One was a small one for the BBQ)


DEC 3, Friday, San Carlos; sunny & 78*F
I spent the morning fixing the valance on the dining room window. It had fallen down on the way down here so I reinforced it a bit more. The drawer below the couch also came off its railing and bent it so I took it apart to see if we can get another one in town. I asked Joseph if he knew of anywhere in town that sold that kind of hardware but he didn’t think so. He had a friend there that was able to straighten it somewhat so that I could put it back together temporarily.
In the afternoon, the four of us went into Guaymas and we showed Dave and Louise the sights. They were quite impressed with the area especially around the waterfront. We stopped for some cerveza and tacos and then went to check out the new Walmart. We came home afterwards and had happy hour with Al & Brenda. For dinner, I BBQ’ed pork chops.


DEC 4, Saturday, San Carlos; sunny with clouds & 78*F
We went into town to get some carneda (pork meat) and some groceries then came home. In the morning, we went to the bazaar at the marina and Dave called his mom in Canada. We had breakfast at the marina and for dinner, we went to Joey for Italian dinner. It was a two for one dinner and was quite good.


DEC 5, Sunday, San Carlos, sunny & 80*F
The warmest day yet and a quiet one at home! We read, went for walks, slept and just plain relaxed. For dinner, the six of us got together and had tacos and salad then we had a fire to complete the evening

November 28 to 30, 2010; Tucson to Nogales & San Carlos, Mexico

NOV 28, Sunday, to Tucson, AZ; sunny, clouds, rain, 55*F
We left at 10 am; a late start but we only have to go to Tucson. The day began sunny and warm on I-8 but cooled off as we got nearer Tucson on I-10. We even had some rain but not much. We stopped in Gila Bend for lunch and I took on some fuel. We arrived at Desert Diamond, approx 10 miles south of Tucson on I-19, around 3:30 pm to a cold wind. Jackets and pants were the order of the day. We went to check out the casino after happy hour and had the buffet special for $8.89 each. We pigged out and now we are back in our respective home with bloated stomach. Louise stayed behind and played a few machines while the rest of us came back to our rigs. Took Tucker for his final walk, brought the blog to date and went to bed. Early rise tomorrow!

N 32* 06.914’
W 110* 57.720
Elevation: 2532 feet

We travelled 255 miles (412 Km) in 5.5 hrs at an average speed of 56 MPH


NOV 29, Tucson to Nogales, AZ; sunny, 50*F (feels like 40*F)
We got up at 6:30 and were on the road by 7:40am. We drove to Camping World only to find out the awning would not fit on our window because of the way it is set up. So, after getting a refund, it was back to Desert Diamond to pick up Louise & Dave and went back to Camping World for Dave to check out a couple things. While there, I bought another generator, a Honeywell 2000i which they had on sale at a very good price. From here, we drove I-10 to I-19 and headed for Nogales. We stopped to fuel in Green Valley and arrived at Nogales around 1:30 pm. We went directly to St-Xavier and bought our insurance then drove to Wal-Mart where we stocked up on last minute items then relaxed. We had D&L over for dinner; chili and hot dogs.
It is very cold here with a wind that makes it even worse. I got my generator going to charge up the batteries as we are using the furnace a lot.
Tomorrow we head for Mexico


NOV 30, Nogales to San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico; Sunny 24*F in the morning
What a cold night. We didn’t hang around. Dave and I got egg Mcmuffin from McDonald and were across the border by 8 a.m. There was no problems except that on the US side, they have something new in that we were stopped and check over. I guess they are trying to stop the flow of money, weapons and drugs going south.
Anyway, our drive south was uneventful and traffic was light. We stopped at KM 21 to pick up our visas which cost 58$ for both of us then drove south. We arrived in Totonaka around 3 pm, paid for a week to start with then set up across from Al and Brenda whom have been here for about two weeks now. It is a balmy 78*F (24*C) right now with a light wind.
After happy hour, we all went to Mariposa, just outside the gate, for dinner. We sat on the balcony. We were all tired so to bed early. Tomorrow the exploring and adventures begin.

N 27* 57.902’
W 111* 01.482’
Alt: 55 feet

We travelled 261 miles (420Km) in 7.5 hrs at an average 40 mph.

November 23 to 27, 2010; Yuma and Algodones

NOV 23, Tuesday, Yuma, cloudy, 69*F
It’s been getting progressively cooler everyday this past week. Even the evenings are cool enough that one has to wear a jacket or sweater.
We went into town this afternoon to pick up some items for the trailer and food in preparation for our departure to Mexico. We also did a few caches along the way, of course. I made an appointment for tomorrow morning to get my windshield replaced as a crack is now all the way across it.
We met Louise and Dave for happy hour and Dave fried Pickerel fish in beer batter. Louise prepared a wonderful mixture of potatoes and green vegetables, little buns and we had a feast! This has got to be the best fish I’ve ever tasted. I just love it!
After dinner, we played a couple games of “Sequence” and let the girls win, of course.


NOV 24, Wednesday, to Algodones for dental work, sunny, 65*F
I had to get up at 6:30 this morning to make my appointment at 8 am. I now have a new windshield but lost all the stick-on in the process.
I came home, had a quick shower then the four of us went to Algodones for dental work. Louise had an appointment at 11 and ours were at 12:30 and 1 pm. We went across and after dropping off Louise, we went for breakfast. At first they (Mexicans) said that it was past 11 a, but the sign said 11 California time so Dave argued with the cook and finally got the OK to get breakfast. We ordered the $1.99 special! That’s probably why they didn’t want to honor it!?? Anyway, Louise joined us in time for her to get breakfast and afterwards we went to our appointments. It was a real disappointment! We sat there for 2 hours and finally called it quit. So much for appointments; we were double booked!?
We went to the street local pub and had a beer while we waited for Louise and Dave whom joined us after a while.
We crossed the border in no time and came home. We had happy hour then went to our respective homes. Val cooked shrimps and Caesar Salad for dinner!


NOV 25, Thursday, Happy Thanks-Giving; sunny and cool: 60*F
We had a strong wind storm overnight. It actually woke me up which says a lots about the noise. When I got up this morning, I found the satellite dish blown over. One of the legs on the tripod came undone and it crashed causing the dish to break at the LNB arm but the arm itself was OK. Now I have to find another dish and I know just where to look...the open air Yuma Market.
After taking Tucker for his walk and having breakfast, we loaded the truck with chairs, booze and buns then drove into town where we searched and found a few more caches. Around 2:30 pm, we drove to Jack and Mim’s place in the Foot Hills and celebrated Thanksgiving with them, Ed and Judy and another couple, friends of J&M.
We had a great time and lots of laughs and the dinner was delicious with all the trimmings: turkey cooked to perfection, mashed potatoes, green vegetables cooked in onions, and sweet yam mashed to perfection. There were lots left over even though everyone had second helpings. We came home around 9 pm after saying goodbye to all. A great day indeed!


NOV 26, Friday, Yuma; sunny, 65*F
We went to Yuma Market hoping to find a dish for our satellite but no such luck. We stopped at Albertson for some groceries and Pet Smart for some toothpaste for Tucker. We went geo-caching for a couple hours before heading to the Foothills to visit friends, John and Sue. They had us over for dinner and we had a very nice visit. We learned that they bought the park model they are presently in so no more rent for them. The park is very nice and clean with lots of amenities. As we discussed my dilemma about the satellite dish, John suggested looking in the “White paper”, a local paper, and I found an ad about a dish for sale. What luck! I called and he had one so after our visit we went to pick it up and came home.


NOV 27, Saturday, last day in Yuma; sunny, low 70*F
Today is our last day here. We leave for Tucson tomorrow. I stored the dish as it’s not worth putting it up for one day.
The four of us went back to the open market to meet Sue and get Tucker’s leash that Val forgot to pick up last evening. We also stopped at another market; turns out it was not the one we were looking for but the Yuma Swap Meet also known as the Mexican Market. I bought a pair of sandals then we went geo-caching and visited the Old Historic Yuma Jail. It was interesting as you can see by the pictures in our Picasa link.
We came home around 4 pm, Val did a load of laundry and I started packing some of the stuff we have out. Dave and Louise came over for happy hour then we all retreated to our respective houses.
Tomorrow, we head for Tucson, Arizona.

November 17 to 22, 2010; Winterhaven, CA & Algodones, Mexico

NOV 17, Wednesday, to Algodones; Sunny, 85*F
We went to Algodones this morning to check out the dentist and made an appointment for next Wednesday. We also went to optical place where I bought 2 pairs of prescription glasses for $200. including Polaroid lenses and non-scratched. Pretty good prices considering it would have cost me close to $600 at home. We went for lunch at the same place we went last year where they play music outside. The same two guys were there again. As we were walking the sidewalks, we found and bought a bear and cub made of ceramic; one more thing to carry!!! It was a job and a half carrying over the border! Talking about the border, it took us a good half-hour to cross; there was quite a line-up!
We came home and enjoyed the warmth; 85*F by now (28*C)! I finally got my satellite dish to work and we watched the Canadian news once again.


NOV 18, Thursday, Yuma, sunny, 88*F
Back to Algodones this morning to pick up my glasses and Val found her purse so bought it. We came across in 20 minutes and drove to Yuma to pick up some groceries for tonight. I also stopped at a RV Centre to get a light cover for outside light. For some reason, it fell off on our way down here!???? We found Walmart then came home. Dave and Louise had just arrived and were settling in so we stopped to say hi and invited them to come over when they were all settled in.
We had happy hour at our place and then I cooked steaks and big shrimp that we bought in Mexico this morning. Val made a salad and preps the steaks and the garlic butter for the shrimps. We had a nice evening of catching up on news and discussing the values of flushing the black water immediately vs. letting it fill first then flush. Don’t ask me how we got on the subject but we had a few good laughs.


NOV 19, Friday, Yuma; Cloudy, 78*F
Well I guess it had to happen. We woke up to a cloudy day but still warm. We went to town with Dave and Louise to the Open Flea Market to take a look. A lot of the stalls were not open yet. The nice thing is that the dogs were able to come inside with us so Tucker was quite happy. He even got a new harness out of it.
We came home and just hung around for the rest of the day. We met for happy hour then it was dinner time and we all retired to our own home. Val called her daughter this evening and talked to her for a while. Val is now a Grand-Mother again!


NOV 20, Saturday, Yuma; Cloudy/sun, 75*F
After a late start, we drove back to Algodones about my sunglasses. They are making my eyes go funny at times. There were no problems having it re-done and while waiting, we went to find a couple of geo-caches. The first one, near the policia estacion was destroyed due to re-constructions. The second one was along the border fence and into a field. We walked up to it and Val decided to wait for me near a building. I didn’t find it and had to leave as the policia arrived and Val got really nervous. We said “Hola” to them and walked back to a little restaurant where we had a light snack then picked up my glasses which were now ready and went back across the border...NO line up!
We went to find more geo-caches on a side road along the freeway. We found all 5 of them. We are over 500 found caches now! In one year, WOW!!!!
We came home, had happy hour with Louise and Dave then the four of us went to the club for dinner: pork chops, mashed potatoes, corn and dessert. Very good for $4 each!
We ended up at our place where I put out our “buddy-burner” and sat around telling tall stories. We called it quit by 10 pm.


NOV 21, Sunday, surprise visit; Sunny & windy, 70*F
We spent the day at home today. Val did laundry and I put the new window in that we had bought in Algodones and did a few other little other repairs/maintenance.
At 4 pm Charlotte and Rudieger whom we had met in southern Mexico a couple years back and had visited in Chilliwack, came over for happy hour and dinner. We wanted to invite Louise and Dave but they were away. Anyway, we had a nice dinner together and proceeded to get a little bit drunk and happy. We had a marvellous visit and lots of fun.


NOV 22, Monday, back to Algodones & quiet day at home; sunny, windy, 69*F
Louise and Dave wanted to go to Algodones so I went with them. Val wanted to stay and do some chores here at home. I had to return my sunglasses once again and Louise wanted to see the dentist and Dave wanted a haircut which he got; Louise had to make an appointment for Wednesday. We walked around a while afterwards and Louise bought a new purse then we came home.
I dry-washed the truck and cleaned the windows on “Bear”. We had happy hour around 4 pm and everyone went home afterwards. It was much cooler today and the wind is biting!

November 12 to 16, 2010; Mesa to Winterhaven, California

NOV 12, Friday, Market Day & visit with Kim & Tim; Sunny 70*F
The four of us left around 8 am and made our way to Mesa Outdoor Market, about 15 minutes from here. This is a huge flea market covering a couple acres, if not more, and we had breakfast there for starter. Terry had coupons for the four of us so we had a cheap but very good breakfast then we walked the whole thing. I bought a couple items I needed for the rig and Val bought a beautiful metal bear scene and a metal partridge with mom, dad and 3 little ones. I will take pictures and post them as soon as they are set up.
We came back home and had lunch and a short break before heading to Tim and Kim’s place in Scottsdale. They used to live in Sierra Vista and we had visited them there last year but they wanted to be closer to their kids and grand-kids. We had a great visit with them. Kim made hamburgers for dinner and the six of us gorged ourselves. Their son and wife came over and dropped off the grand-kids for the night so we got to meet them and the two girls 4 and 2. Beautiful little ones! We left them around 7 pm so that they could enjoy their grandkids, said our goodbyes and came home.
A great day again!


NOV 13, Saturday, Val Vista; sunny, 71*F
It was a quiet day around the park today. We went cycling around checking all the yard sales happening then I put up our two new decorations on the wall. Val did a load of laundry in the morning. We had G&T over for dinner, Val made her famous meatballs and sauce, and then the four of us went to the dance. It was a lot of fun, lots of very friendly people and we danced our shoes away. We couldn’t seat together as the tickets were assigned tables but, still, a good time was had by all and we got to meet new people. The band was called the “Needham” and consisted of two twin brothers whom were very good. We were home by 10 pm and went to bed!


NOV 14, Sunday, Mesa; sunny, 75*F; HAPPY BIRTHDAY VANESSA!!
In the morning, we called Rochelle, Kevin and family and had a great chat with them; then we called grand-daughter Vanessa to wish her a Happy Birthday. Afterwards, we went to Costco as Val has been having problems with her eye lenses. They couldn’t resolve the problem so we came home but first stopped at Fry’s to get some groceries. Once home, we had happy hour with G&T and Dennis and Gloria, neighbours across the street. We had dinner then went to G&T to play some cards and let the girls win to keep things happy.


NOV 15, Monday, last day in Mesa, sunny, 73*F
We went cycling at 8 am with a group from the park, including Glenda and Terry of course. We went for about an hour and a half then stopped at this neat restaurant for breakfast and cycled back afterwards. It was fun and the people were great.
In the afternoon, I took the rig over to Camping World and had a fantastic fan installed then, upon my return, I spent the rest of the day packing gears and storing the kayaks on the truck’s roof. Val spent the day with Glenda and Terry while I was away.
For dinner, we went to Glenda and Terry who had invited all their friends and we had a marvellous evening filled of laughter, games and great food. Needless to say the booze was flowing plentiful. T&G had their buddy burner going keeping everyone cozy and warm. Everyone went home happy and feeling no pains!


NOV 16, Tuesday; Onwards to Winterhaven, California; sunny, 80*F
We left around 10 am after saying our goodbyes to Glenda and Terry and Dennis & Gloria. It has been a great park and will definitely be back.
We headed west on Hwy 60 then North on I-17 and west on I-10 to Quartzsite where we had lunch and took on fuel @ $3.19/Gal. We’ve done this route before so it was a bit monotonous. We took Hwy 95 south and arrived in Yuma then Winterhaven California, across the Colorado River. It is very warm here and I had to change as I sweating too much. Such a tough life!

N 32* 44.749'
W 114* 45.856'
Alt: 270 feet
We drove 243 miles (390Km) in 4,5hours @ an average 55 MPH. Total time= 5.5 hours

November 9 to 11, 2010; Mesa, Arizona

NOV 9, Tuesday, To Mesa, AZ.; Sunny and warm 70*F
We got up our usual time as we don’t have far to go this morning. As I was taking the garbage out, I heard this voice calling for a fellow geo-cacher; I turned around to find Reg standing there with a big smile on his face. We shook hands and caught up to news. We met Reg and Pat last year in Desert Pool, California and geo-cached with them a while. They had arrived last night. Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye!
We left around 10:15 am and got on I-17 south. About an hour and a half later, we came upon a little rest area called Rock Springs, founded in 1909, so we stopped for a bite to eat. It was a really neat place and we bought a pecan pie for tonight. We got back on I-17; the scenery was really nice with small bushes and fields of tall grass. Eventually we began to see Saguaro cactus telling us that we were in the Sonora desert. We turn east and south on 202 then east on 60 and finally arrived at our destination, Val Vista Village RV Resort off Val Vista Street of course. We booked in for a week under Passport America and set up at site 255. We are three lots away from Terry and Glenda.
After setting up, we got together with them and had a marvellous visit and got a tour of their new rig and truck of course. At 3 pm we walked over to the club house where they had live music: Fall River, Country & Rock music. They have various entertainment activities every day almost and music every Wednesday with a wet bar. Afterwards, we went back to G&T rig and got dinner ready. Glenda cooked us baby back ribs with salad, sweet potatoes and the pecan pie for dessert. We also learned that our friends Rick & Pat bought a diesel GM truck.
It’s good to be here with good friends!

N 33* 25.205
W 111* 45.013
Alt; 1287 feet

We travelled 116 miles (288 km) in 2.5 hrs (4 hrs total) @ an average 52 MPH


NOV 10, Wednesday, Mesa; Sunny and warm 72*F
The mornings are a bit cooler now but it warms up quickly. Val went with Glenda to the gym then swim exercises. I called Bob and Gail and made arrangements to meet tomorrow at 3 pm; I also called Tim & Kim and left a message. The four of us went for a bike ride around the park which is huge; it’s 4 parks side by side and all belonging to Cal-Am. There’s even a pool with salt water and lots to do for everyone. Later in the morning, we took a drive to Camping World where I bought a few things that I couldn’t do without. I am also getting a quote on an awning for our dining room window. From here we went to a local pub and had beer and nachos & wings then went home.
Val had a roast in the slow cooker so we shared it with Glenda & Terry.


NOV 11, Thursday, Veterans Day. Sunny, 70*F
After Val and Glenda did their exercises, we went to the Queen Creek Olive Mill where they make olive oil. We took the tour for $10 for both of us and were explained the method of making olive oil and the different types. It was really interesting and we got to taste different ones. We had lunch there then came back home but first, we stopped at BEVMO, a beverage store for all kinds of wine and hard liquor. After that, we stopped at Costco and got a couple things then came home.
We, Val and I, drove to Apache Junction, about 15 minutes from here and had a very nice visit with Bob and Gail, our neighbours at Gateway in BC. They have a park model down here and spend their winters here. We met Gail’s sister and her husband, Sherry and Doug who had come over for happy hour. We came home around 6:30 pm and just watched TV for the rest of the evening.
POSTED NEW PICTURES IN FOLDER # 68

November 6 to 8, 2010: Camp Verde

NOV 6, Saturday, Camp Verde
This was a slow and easy day! The morning was spent doing little chores and I washed windows on the rig and truck, did a few minor repairs that were on the list and in the afternoon, we went chasing a few geo-caches.
For dinner, we went to the club house where they had spaghetti and meat balls then afterwards, they had live music and we even had a few dances. It was fun!


NOV 7, Sunday, to Sedona
We left early and drove to the town of Sedona, famous for its red rock cliffs. We took a loop and went to the State Park but were not allowed to go in because of Tucker, no dogs allowed, even in the truck! Oh well! We continued on, found a few caches and arrived in Sedona where we had a late lunch. We walked the Historic town and drove to the bridge on the North side of Hwy 89A then came back and after another stop to find a couple caches, we went home.
It was a good day and we had fun. The sun shone and it was very comfortable temperature wise. It is wonderful to walk around in shorts and short sleeve! Sedona is a touristy town, very rich and pretty town. It is situated at 4400 feet, a thousand feet higher then Camp Verde. We took a few pictures and posted them in Folder # 68


NOV 8, Monday, Last day in Camp Verde
I spent the morning greasing the wheel bearings, moisturizing the rubber on the slides and just other little maintenance jobs. Val did a laundry chore. In the afternoon, we went to pick up our bikes which weren’t ready of course so we had to wait. We went for lunch at a local pub in the old town then picked up our bikes and came home. Yes, we did a cache but didn’t find it! Anyway, once home I loaded the bikes on their respective rack, loaded the kayaks and put away some of the toys. In the evening, we had rain but only for about 5 minutes then it quit. It was a bit windy too!
Tomorrow, we head for Mesa, just outside of Phoenix, Arizona.

November 3 to 5, 2010; Camp Verde

Nov 3, Wednesday, Camp Verde
It was another hot day, 88*F ( 29*C)! We went to Cottonwood, approx. 10 miles from here and had an oil change done on the truck then we walked the old historic town and had lunch. Afterwards, we drove back to the city of Camp Verde and looked around there. We found a place to have Tucker groomed and made an appointment for tomorrow. We also visited the Fort Verde then geo-cached for about an hour and came home, had happy hour, dinner and retreated inside. The evenings are cool which makes it easy to sleep


NOV 4, Thursday, Sightseeing!
Made a reservation for Mesa this morning, updated our blog and uploaded pictures. I hooked up our Cdn satellite and got that working fine. At 1 pm, we dropped off Tucker for his grooming appointment then we went to Ace to pick up a couple things including a humming bird feeder that sticks to the window, the previous one broke. We then went to Montezuma Castle near here. Our National Pass got us in again for free and we walked the trail to the cliff dwellings. We were not allowed to go up to them but we still got a good view. From here, we went to Montezuma Well, another National Monument. This was really interesting with a round Well created by underground water springs and dwelling surrounding the rim. Over one million gallons flows in the Well per day and it flows out through the limestone to a creek below and the far side of the hill; an incredible amount! The water is a constant 76*F (23*C). We walked up above it then down to its level looking up. Needless to say, we took lots of pictures (Folder # 68). We followed the path out and stopped at the creek where the Well water comes out from the limestone. It was a very pretty place, peaceful and intimate! We sat there a good 20 minutes where we met people from BC and a young Apache lady with lots of knowledge of the area and the State.
We picked up Tucker at 3:30 and came home. We sat outside for a drink then had dinner.


NOV 5, Friday, Chores
A quiet day doing chores was most of our day. I washed the “Bear” and the “Beast” (truck), chatted with neighbours while Val did the laundry and a puzzle at the club house. As I was inflating the back tire on Val’s bike, the inner tube blew. IT was so loud that all our neighbours thought I shot a gun! Hihihihiihi! I also found that my bike’s rear tire had a flat so we took a drive to Cottonwood and found a bike shop to have them fixed and a new tube put in Val’s. We stopped at Walmart and picked up a couple things then came home. BBQ’ed hamburger for dinner and Val made a potato salad.

Nove 1 & 2, 2010; Monument Valley, Utah to Camp Verde Arizona

NOV 1/10, Monday, to Monument Valley and Bike rack mishap
We left at 9 am under a sunny sky. We drove 160 south to the “Four Corners” where we stopped to take a few pictures. We had to pay $3 each to get in. I was a bit disappointed in the whole area, but overall it was neat and I don’t regret paying to see it. We bought a souvenir for our wall and a pin for my hat!
We drove back north for about 5 miles and turned west on Hwy 41. It was not the best of road, very bumpy. It became 162 once we entered in Utah. We turned left on hwy 163 and stopped near Mexican Hat for a geo-cache. It’s a good thing too; I found our bikes leaning against the back of the rig and once we took the cover off, noticed the upright bar holding the bikes down had broken. We took the bikes off, put them in the truck box and backseat and drove into town where I found a welder and $30 later; we were back on the road. I’ll have to get that fortified later! Part of the cause was the bolt that holds the hitch tight had come loose allowing the whole thing to bounce up and down and creating too much stress on the rack.
The scenery really changed in this area. We were now looking at sandstone rocks, red cliffs and sand and eventually saw our first glimpse of the Monuments. We stopped for lunch, checked the bike rack and took a few pictures.
We continued and arrived at the Navajo Monument Park where we had to pay $5 each to get in to get to the visiting centre. We found everything just too expensive here so decided to leave. We went across the highway to Gouldings where we spent the night at a Good Sam Park for $25. At least that was cheap and we have full hook-up, WI-FI and Cable! Beautiful area surrounded by huge boulders and hill side made of red/orange sandstone. Later in teh evening, the furnace wasn’t giving any heat so I checked the tank and found both of them showing empty!??? It was dark so we turned on the electric heater and we went to bed.
Tomorrow, we head to Camp Verde, Arizona where I’ve made reservation for a week. This is a Western Horizon Park!

N 37* 00.420’
W 110* 12.914’
Alt: 5319 feet

We drove 144 miles (232KM) in 6.5 hrs (3.5 driving) @ an average 44 MPH


Nov 2, Tuesday, to Camp Verde, Arizona
We left at 9 am after I fixed our problem with the propane. It was a loose connection and I got it fixed so we were able to have coffee. (I can’t remember if I mentioned it but our coffee pot gave up and refuse to be turned on, even though it’s only a year old! Black Decker?????)
Anyway, we went south-west on 163 and stopped in Kayenta, a small Navajo town where I fuelled up at $3.09 and we had breakfast in a small restaurant built like a tepee or round house, depending on how you looked at it. It was very nice and the food was good and plentiful. Here, we turned on hwy 160 and headed south-west again to hwy 89 where we turned left and went south to Cameron. We stopped here to stretch our legs, let Tucker out and find a Geo-Cache (what can I say!?).
We finally arrived in Flagstaff after going the Coconito Pass @ 7200 feet then it was west on I-40 and south on I-17 to Camp Verde. It was a very good day and an enjoyable drive. We are now in Verde River RV Park, a WHR campground and we paid $35 for 7 nights. We are set up and it is really HOT here, especially compare to what we’ve been used to; it’s 89*F (30*C)

N 34* 36.042
W 111* 52.864
Alt: 3117 feet

We travelled 231 miles (371 Km) in 6 hrs (4.5 driving time) @ an average 53 MPH

October 29 to 31, 2010: Cortez and Mesa Grande

OCT 29, Friday, to Cortez Colorado.
We left Moab at 10:15 and arrived in Cortez Colorado at 12:10 pm.! We drove south on Hwy 191 and stopped in Monticello for coffee which wasn’t all that great. Here, we turned on 491 and soon reached Colorado. The scenery was mainly farmlands and ranching. The road was fairly flat too with a few curves and ups and downs.
Cortez is a typical American small town, quaint but quiet. We found Sundance RV Park on hwy 160 on the East side of town, paid our dues and set up.
We took a drive to the Info Centre and got some information on the area then headed North on 145 to the Anasazi Museum near Dolores. It was a very neat museum with a short hike up this hill with old ruins from an Indian Pueblo. We took a few pictures inside the museum and in the surrounding views.
We came home where I BBQ’ed a huge steak for dinner, good enough for both of us, salad and buns (not Val’s)

N 37* 20.849
W 108* 34.433
Alt: 6162 Feet
We drove 112 miles (180 KM) in 2 hrs @ 52 MPH average. It is 55*F (14*C) at 7 pm


OCT 30, Saturday, to Mesa Verde (Green Table)
Another day of fantastic sceneries! And very warm too which made it all the more pleasant. The Park entrance is 9 miles from town then after going through the gate, we had to drive another 20 miles to the top of the Mesa. We zigged then we zagged and after a 2400 feet climb to 8400 feet, we arrived at the top. We first went to the Museum as the Lodge was closed. There, we bought tickets to see the Palace Cliff Dwellings which is a guided tour. Since we had time, we first went down to the Spruce Tree Dwellings which was a short walk from the museum. Took some pictures then we walked back up and watched a movie on Mesa Verde history and then walked through the museum. By then it was time to make our way to the Cliff Palace. We had a short drive and waited for our guide and tour at 1 pm. Tim was his name and he was interesting and humorous. First we went down along the cliff between huge rocks on steps built in the rocks, and to come back up, we had to go up 3 sets of ladders. It was very interesting and fun. It was called Palace not because of the size of the dwellings but because a rancher back in the 1880 called it like that and it stuck. We saw a painting inside a house/dwelling which dated back to 1200 AD, WOW!
We then took a drive around the Mesa Top loop and saw more old Kiva, (original houses dug in the ground and covered), Pueblo and finally the sun temple where I ran out of batteries on the camera. By this time, it was 4 pm and we both had enough so I drove back down. What a view of the Montezuma Valley and Cortez; hardly used the brakes thanks to the Exhaust brake. We couldn’t go to the Wetherill Mesa as it is closed for the winter; too bad because it’s also supposed to be quite something to see. We walked around in short sleeve all day and could have worn shorts!
For dinner, we went out to a small mom & pop restaurant next door and had their special...Prime roast!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!!!!


OCT 31, Cortez
This has been a quiet day. It was sunny but a bit cool! Val did laundry this morning then, in the afternoon, we went geo-caching. That also took us to Dolores, about 15 minutes from here, where we found our last cache and visited the “Galloping Goose”, an old train made from a truck. There were four of them, one being a bus. (Check out the pictures). I have also uploaded the pictures from our trip to Mesa Grande in folder #66.
On the way back, we stopped at a local pub and watched football for about an hour then came home and I BBQ’ed pork-chops!
Tomorrow, we move to Arizona via the 4 corners and Monument Valley!

October 25 to 28, 2010; Visits to National Parks

OCT 25, Monday, Canyon Land National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park
The day began greyish but eventually cleared and we had sunshine in the afternoon. Today, we went to Canyon Land National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park. It was a 35 miles drive to the entrance of the National Park. We drove along the Moab fault past Arches National Park then turned on 313 Highway. We managed to find a couple of Geo-Caches along the way. On 313, we climbed to over 5000 feet via a couple switchbacks then drove on this flat area for quite a while with not much to see except field of shrubs and grass. According to history, this area was used as cattle feeding range back in the 1800’s. This area is called “Island in the sky” as it is just one big Mesa with canyons on four sides but very wide at the beginning, narrowing down at the end. We had the Green River on the right, the Colorado on the left and they joined at the end of the drive on Island of the Sky. We entered the park and almost immediately the scenery changed and we began seeing canyons after canyons. Our first stop was Shafer Canyon which absolutely incredibly beautiful. Then we went on Upheaval Dome which they think was caused by a big meteor. We had a hike here and even found a track of either a bear or a cougar, not sure but I took a picture of it and maybe someone can let me know. Anyway, we drove back to the main road and our next stop was the Mesa Rock, an Arch giving an overlook of the canyon. There are hundreds of magazines and travel book showing this Mesa and I always wanted to see it...my wish has been granted. (SEE PICTURES IN FOLDER # 63, Canyon Land).
Then it was on to Green River overlook, Buck Canyon overlook and finally the Grand View Point overlook. This is where we see the Green and Colorado Rivers meet in the distance and where the Mesa ends. We were over 6000 feet at his point. What a trip and what sights. I recommend this to anyone.
We drove back out of the National Park and turned to go to Dead Horse State Park. We got there at 5 pm so the office was closed which meant that we didn’t have to pay the $10 fee to get in. We drove to the Point @ 5700 feet and walked around the area taking a few pictures and looking at the Horseshoe formed by the Colorado, one of the most photograph sites in North America, according to the literature.
We drove back home to relax and review our day. The sceneries we are looking at are just mind boggling in its vastness and beauty. This is one incredible place and there is more to see.


OCT 26, Tuesday, LaSalle Mountain loop drive
I have been doing a lot of burping in the last week and my stomach and chest are causing me pain so we went to a doctor today and made an appointment for tomorrow. From there, we took the LaSalle Mountain Loop drive which we were told was quite spectacular and it was!
We found snow at the 7400 foot level and climbed to 8200 feet from there but the road was dry except for a couple spot. What was amazing is finding ranches and houses up there and what a view (check out the pictures, folder #64). The road down was steep with lots of switchbacks but we made it safely. (Otherwise I wouldn’t be writing this now, would I? KEVIN, if you are reading this, you would LOVE these roads) And of course, we found a few geo-caches along the way. One of the thing about doing this, is it gets us moving around in the country side and up and down hill side and one of the benefits is the views one can get at times as you will see in the pictures. We joined back with Hwy 128, the highway we drove on the first day, and found a few more caches. As we drove alongside the “Mighty Colorado” we saw a kayaker coming down the river; he even had his dog with him!
In town, we stopped at a Brewery/pub and had a drink and nachos. It was a neat place and very popular as the place was packed but we did find a seat. Drinks were $2.00 a pint and a jug was $10. Can’t beat that! The nacho was so big that it became our dinner as we were both full.
Another wonderful day! Sunny and getting warmer.


OCT 27, Wednesday, Moab
The sun is shining and it is warming up. I went for my doctor’s appointment at noon and after a quick check-up, gave me some remedies which will hopefully help. We went geo-caching around town afterwards and walked downtown and window shop. Val bought a book and we went into a doggie store and got a treat for Tucker. He likes those stores; he wants to play with everything, quite funny.
We came home and read for a while, I washed the rig then it was dinner time. Watched “Survivors” in the evening!


OCT 28, Thursday, Canyon Lands, south end
This is our last day here. It froze overnight but it is warming up nicely now that the sun is out. I heard on the news today that kids are NOT allowed to celebrate Halloween on Sunday and must do it on Saturday in Salt Lake City, Utah, and a few other places due to religious beliefs. So much for freedom!!???
We took Hwy 191 south then 211 West to South Canyon Land and once again we were not disappointed. This time, instead of looking at the canyons from the top, we looked at them from the bottom. We first stopped at a place called Newspaper Cliffs, where we saw pictograph dating back a couple thousand years. We continued on to the Park and stopped at the Visitor Centre. We went to see the Road side Ruins where there was still an old storage for grains under a rock, dating back a few hundred years; then on to the “wooden Shoe rock” (see pictures) and from here, the Pothole Point. I think that once you look at the pictures, you will agree with me that this is one fantastic country side!
We drove back home, had dinner and relax. Tomorrow, we move to Cortez, Colorado to see Mesa Verde National Park.
I have uploaded all the pictures of this part of the trip. Check out folder # 63, 64, 65

October 23 & 24, 2010: Arches National Park

OCT 23, Saturday, Moab, Utah
We got up late this morning and played the lazy leisure of just reading and drinking coffee. We eventually got ready and went into town after Val did the laundry. Moab is quaint and typical tourist town with all the trimmings. We went groceries shopping and stopped at Ace to pick up a hose sprayer. Oh and I also downloaded some waypoints for some serious Geo-Caching.
After dinner, we had a serious downpour with lighting and thunder. Poor Tucker went crazy as it was quite loud. We even had hail come down but now all is calm and when I went outside, I could see stars in the distance.


OCT 24, Sunday, Arches National Park
The sky is clearing some, so we decided to head for the Arches Park. First we packed a lunch then headed out to find a few Geo-Caches. What can I say: I am addicted!
Anyway, we did make it to the Park and headed in after showing our pass (bought last year and still good until the end of November). We first climbed along a cliff, stopped to read about the Moab Fault just below us and headed inland. From the start we were overwhelmed with the colors, the beauty and the awesome sceneries. Words escape me to describe the vastness of this area. My vocabulary is just too limited to do it justice, so I’ve posted 116 pictures in Folder #61 in our Picasa website. Just click on the link on your right.
We drove to the end and didn’t do any hiking as we planned on doing that when it is clearer. Right now it’s windy and cloudy and getting colder. There was a campground near the end, built amongst the huge boulders. The scenery was fantastic and kids were everywhere climbing on the rocks. We decided on which hike we wanted to do then headed back. The scenery was different going back, looking at it from a different angle, which made it all the more interesting.
In the evening and overnight, we had a storm come through with very strong winds and rain by the bucket.

October 20 to 22, 2010; Jackson to Moab, Utah

OCT 20, Wednesday, Jackson, Wyoming
We had a lazy morning and didn’t get going until noon. The sun is shining and the temperature is around 60*F (15C) so we drove into town and walked into the original part. We went for lunch at the “Million Dollar Cowboy” but it was closed so we went to the Wort Hotel, another old hotel and had lunch in the saloon. We walked around the Town Square and took some pictures then drove to the Elk Art Centre and took a tour of it. Very nice and well laid out!
We went back to town and noticed the “Million Dollar Saloon” was open so we went in for a drink. What a cool place! It was a huge place with two bars and saddles for seat at the bars. Really cool! We had one beer, tried to sit at the bar but ended up at a table. After paying, we went to Albertson and got some groceries then came home. Val had made a spaghetti sauce so dinner was early. Tomorrow, we head south to Rock Spring and points beyond.


OCT 21, Thursday, to Verna, Utah
We got up -28*F but it soon went up to 65*F (16*C) as the day went on. We left Jackson at 9:15, drove on 390, 22 then 191 south and left Jackson behind. The drive to Rock Spring was quite monotonous. We went from 6200 feet to 8000 feet again then back down to 6100 feet in Rock Springs. We stopped for lunch at Farson where the Oregon Trail crossed heading west. There was also a memorial for the Pony Express riders.
We stop in Rock Springs long enough to fuel at 3.09 then went on I-90 West back to Hwy 191 South again. The scenery from here really changed drastically. We slowly climbed back up to 8300 feet and follow this ridge most of the way. At times, we could see both sides’ valley. We eventually started going down to the Flaming Gorge basin. The views were absolutely incredible. The rock faces were different colors of red and orange, there was also a Phosphate mine nearby.
We drove over the dam at 660 feet and went back up to 8000. The climb wasn’t too steep and all went well. Now the landscape went from pines to white birch trees. Quite something to see! Eventually we began our downhill descend to Verna. The road was quite steep and I went into second gear at certain spot. The hill was well marked indicating how many switch back we had to go to the bottom. We eventually made it and went on to Verna at 5402 feet. It’s been a long day and glad to find a park to stay at. We are at Fossil Valley RV Park.

An interesting addendum: As we were driving down and towards Verna, we could see signs indicating fossils spot where they were found...very well done.

N 40* 27.112
W 109* 32.824
Alt: 5402 Feet

We drove 290 miles (466 KM) in 6 hrs and 45 minutes at an average 49 MPH


OCT 22, Friday, to Moab, Utah
Well, I guess it was bound to happen eventually...it is cloudy and we got rained on the way down to Moab. We left at 9:30 am after getting a McDonald breakfast and fuelling @ 3.09/gal. We headed west on Hwy 40 out of Verna and crossed in Colorado about a half hour later. A few miles down the road, we turned south on 64 which turned into 139. From here, we slowly climbed to 6000 feet from 4800 then it became steep, 6 to 8 % grade for 3 miles. The truck did well and we had no choice but to gear down to 2nd gear as the switch back were tight and the road narrow. Once at the top, we began almost immediately going down on the other side. We had switch backs and grades of 8 to 10%. Pretty steep I’ll tell you! We went down in 2nd and first gear with the Jake working full-time. We made down and headed to I-70 where we turned west for Utah. I had chosen Hwy 128, a by-pass hwy, because it showed interesting landscape on Google Earth and we were not disappointed! We followed the Colorado River most of the way and saw some of the most fantastic scenery. If this is things to come, I can’t wait!
We are camped at OK Corral RV Park, a Passport member so cheaper rates; we are here for 7 nights at least!
CHECK OUT THE PICTURES IN MY LINK TO PICASA, FOLDER #61

N 38* 31.256
W 109* 29.342
Alt: 4587 feet

We drove 217 miles (349 Km) in 6 hrs @ an average 44 MPH

October 17 to 19, 2010; Yellowstone and onwwards to Jackon Hole

OCT 17, Sunday, to Madison, Montana
I uploaded some pictures last night to our Picasa link, folder #60. Got up this morning at 7:30 am to 7*C (44*F). Pretty amazing! The sky is clearing too! By the way, we are now on the East side of the Continental Divide but will cross it a couple times more. I should also mention that as a point of interest, the park here is sitting on a thermal source so the water that we are getting from the tap is lukewarm and yes, safe to drink. Very interesting, indeed!
We got up late as we have a very short drive to make. We had breakfast and slowly packed then left for our new destination, Driftwaters RV Park. It was listed in “PASSPORT AMERICA” under a different name but they have changed hands. The lady was kind enough to honor part of it so we didn’t have to pay the full price but it was cheap enough for us to stay here. There is a saloon here that serves beer and meals and at reasonable prices.
As we drove through Ennis, we found this town very picturesque and a true Western style town. We slowly climbed over 6000 feet but the temperature is remaining above 50*F (10*C). After setting up, we drove to West Yellowstone town and looked around. We then drove to the park which is right next door and used our pass from last year which is still good. We first went in to see the Fire Hole Canyon drive which was absolutely beautiful with all its waterfalls; then it was on to the Fountain Park where we began to see our first geysers, absolutely out of this world! We stopped to take pictures of Bison, Elks (Buck and female), but didn’t see any wolfs or bears and grizzlies. We saw lots of deer and antelopes.
We went on to the “Old Faithful” geyser (7300 feet) where we had to wait 30 minutes before it blew its top (figure of speech). Took lots of pictures, needless to say!
At the ‘Fire Hole” Lake Drive, we saw more geysers and saw one that had a cone and just as we were leaving, it decided to provide us with a show of shooting hot water and steam up its hole. It was AWSOME!!!!
We drove back home as it was getting late, almost 5 pm, and once back at our park we went for a beer and chatted with the waitress and found more interesting facts about the area. We decided to have dinner there due to the lateness of our return (good excuse). Most of the day was nice and comfortable except for a couple times when we had a bit of rain and wind.
Fuel was 3.19/gallon or approx .80 cents/litre

N 44* 50.824’
W 111* 31.988
Alt: 6130 feet


OCT 18, Monday, Yellowstone
After breakfast, we left for the park once again. This time we went North at the Junction of 89 and 20 and headed towards Mammoth Village and Yellowstone historic Fort. Our first stop was the “artist paint pots” then onwards to Norris Junction where there is a book store and museum but unfortunately it was closed. We did see the geysers however and it really is breathtaking and awesome! We continued on to the Obsidian cliffs where once again everything was closed but we did look around. This is the type of rock that Indians would use to make arrows and flint for their fires. It is almost indestructible. We saw more geysers as we went along and everyone were unique and breathtaking. Words cannot do it justice so check out the pictures in folder #60.
We finally arrived @Mammoth Hot Springs. Absolutely stunning is all I can say! It is tier down the hill and we had a good overview of the village and fort. Unfortunately everything is pretty well closed in the village and fort so we couldn’t see the museum. Even the restaurants were closed for the season so we decided to head down to Gardiner, 5 miles down the road. Gardiner is the service town for the Park so it is busy and we did manage to find a saloon that served food and good beer.
After lunch, we headed back up, from 5600 feet to 7200 feet where the Mammoth Village is and continued on back home. This is a steep and long climb, not gradual like the West gate.
It was sunny all day and fairly warm considering the altitude. We went from 6600 at the West Gate to 7600 feet as our highest point on the road...no snow anywhere! We had left at 9:30 am and got back at 5:30 pm. A very good day indeed! By the way, temperature reached a high of 60*F ( 15*C)
A few facts about Yellowstone:
- A huge part of the Park is inside the crater of an ancient volcano
- The rim is called a Caldera
- The army provided security and controlled poaching from 1886 to 1916
- Speed limit within the Park is 45 MPH(72 Km)
- The grand loop is 142 miles (229 KM)
- The geysers and hot pool are fed by underground magma
- The route south passes over the Continental Divide three times
- Yellowstone became the world’s first National Park in 1872
- The Caldera or Rim is 30 miles wide X 45 miles long
- There are five Gates (entrance ways) into and out of the Park


OCT 19, Tuesday, to Jackson Wyoming
It went down to 23*F (-5*C) but the sun is up again today. Last night, we decided to head down further south. We will leave the East side of the Park for another time, the distance is just too great; yesterday we put 300 KM and the East side is even further.
We left at 10 am after paying our bill and headed east and south on 191. We re-entered the Park one last time and drove south to Old Faithful and eventually South Gate. The scenery was breath-taking. We slowly climbed to 8200 feet to the first crossing of the Continental Divide then up again to 8500 feet over the Craig’s pass and back down to 82 000 feet where we crossed the Continental Divide again. We crossed it one more time a bit later and made our descend to the South Gate at 7200 feet. This side was bit steeper. The truck did very well considering the thin air and the Jake was appreciated once again.
We almost immediately entered the Grand Tetons National Park and took a by-passed to Jenny Lake and a closer view of the Grand Tetons mountains. We also looked for campsites but everything was shut-down for the season. The Grand Tetons were awesome and huge: Mt Morgan is 12605 feet high and Grand Tetons sits at 13770’ to name a couple. Quite breath-taking!
The scenery south of here began to change and became large area of open prairie like areas and more ranches became evident as we got closer to the city of Jackson Hole. 5 miles south of the park exit, we arrived at the city and stopped to get some info. We will spend a couple nights here. We found a campsite across the Snake River on hwy 390, about 10 minutes from town and set up. It is 3:30 pm and time for bourbon!

N 43* 31.212
W 110* 50.330
Alt: 6229 feet

We travelled 171 miles (274 Km) in 5.5 hours at an average speed of 40 Mph (The slow drive through the Park kept us at a low average but we had very good fuel consumption)