April 29 & 30, 2011: Oliver to Lee Creek; North Shuswap

APR 29, Friday, HOME, North Shuswap, BC
We were ready to go by 9 am but first, we had to stop at a tire shop to get a new tire on “Bear” for the street side and the spare went on the curb side for the time being; I will have to get that spare changed later. We left after an hour of tire work and stopped in Summerland at Travel Land RV to see about a wheel alignment on the trailer. After a lengthy discussion, we decided to go home as there was no way for them to assure us it would be fixed today. As he said, it is Friday and if any problems occur, we could be stuck here for the week-end. We were assured that it would be OK to drive on it without any other problems.
We stopped in Enderby for lunch then went on to Salmon Arm where we picked up our mail and then went to home in Lee Creek, North Shuswap. We arrived at 4 pm, parked and set up and now we relax. HOME SWEET HOME!
We went to visit with Marcel and Donna for a while then it was time to call it a day!

We drove 166 miles in 4 hrs @ 42 MPH average! Now the summer routine begins!


APR 30, Saturday, Lee CreekWe had a great first day at home. Almost everyone is back now. We went to Sorrento to get some meds refilled until we can see our doctors; bought insurance for 6 months for the car then headed to Chase to make an appointment to bottle our wine, do the laundry and buy some groceries. We thought we would go to the local pub and have lunch... that was a mistake!! We had two beers each, two hamburgers and the total cost...$42 including the infamous GST. WOW!!! What a rude awakening. I guess we won’t be pubbing in BC anymore.
When we came back and after doing some work around the place, setting up for summer, we spoke to George and Paulette then we went to Bob and Gail for happy hours with about 8 other people. We had a great time and now it’s dinner time then relax in front of the TV. It’s been sunny with cloudy periods and fairly warm all day.

April 28, 2011; Moses Lake to Oliver, BC, Canada

APR 28, Thursday, to Oroville, Washington then Oliver, BC, Canada
We were on the road by 9 am. I stopped for fuel @ 4.54 so only put $50. until we get to a bigger city. We had to go to Wenatchee first to find a Target store instead of heading straight North on Hwy 17. We bought an ice maker back in Nevada because the old one gave up so when I finally connected this new one, I suspected it was a used one because it was dirty, sure enough, it didn’t work either. There was no problem exchanging it at the store. From here we tried to get back on Hwy 97 and managed to get lost on detours due to constructions but we eventually made it.
We stopped in Oroville, Washington, at the Canadian border, to do some last minute shopping but didn’t buy any vegetables...we learned from last time! At the Canadian border, believe it or not, we had a sudden squall with hail, YES HAIL! Can you believe it!? What a welcome back! It only took 30 minutes to cross after paying duties on the extra booze we have. We went on to Oliver and stopped for the night where Val discovered a tire with a bulging bulb on the outside wall. On the other side, the front one was actually bald. As I inspected the suspension, I found that the tire was out of line so will have to get that fix tomorrow. Is that bloody black cloud back?????
We are at a park we stayed a couple years ago, a municipal park with good prices in Oliver, BC. Tomorrow, we will be home hopefully!

We drove 228 miles (367 Km) in 4 hrs and 30 minutes @ an average 48 MPH. We left at 9 am and arrived at 3:30 pm
We stopped twice for fuel: Quincy, Wash. @ 4.54 and Omak @ 4.29/gal
N 49* 11.037
W 119* 32.880
Alt: 986 feet

April 25 to 27, 2011: From Valley of Fire, Nevada to Moses Lake, Washington

APR 25, Monday, To Heyburn, Idaho
It was a cool morning but the sun was out. I topped up “the BEAST” before leaving then we turned north on Hwy 6 from 50, just outside of town. The scenery became more and more of cultivated fields and we noticed the amount of churches everywhere too. We eventually got on Hwy 68 and drove into the suburbs of Salt Lake City. To get around the city, we took 215 which brought on I-15/84. We hit rain in Salt Lake City and snow on I-84 over a 5500 feet summit and strong winds. We called it quit at Heyburn, Idaho and are staying at Country RV Village. It rained and snowed here too but now, 7 pm, the sky is clear although we can see dark clouds all around us. Where did the heat go!?????

We drove 308 miles (495 Km) in 5.5 hours @ an average 55 MPH. We topped off on fuel in Delta @ 4.17/gal before leaving and in Ogden, Utah 4.19/gal. The head winds on 84 sure didn’t help.
N 42* 34.172
W 113* 43.547
Alt: 4148 feet


APR 26, Tuesday, to Boise
What a windy night! And it still is, gusting to 30-40 mph. The wind is supposed to abate once we get pass Twin Falls so... Saddle up and Forward Ho, nice and easy!
We headed NW on I-84, stopped for fuel at Flying J in Twin Falls @ 4.19/gal then onwards to Nampa, just past Boise where we stopped at Garrity RV Park, a Passport America member (half price on camping fees). It was windy the whole way and a head wind to boot. Needless to say the fuel consumption was lousy; three quarter of a tank!!
We called Linda and Steve once we were set up and went over to their place. We had a marvellous visit and a delicious dinner to boot. We came back to our place around 10:30 Local time (Mtn Time). I fuelled on the way home @ 4.29/gal

We drove a total of 177 miles (285 Km) in 3 hrs and 15 minutes @ an average 54Mph
N 43* 35.262’
W 116* 31.587
Alt: 2553 Feet


APR 27, Wednesday, To Moses Lake, Washington
We left Nampa near Boise, Idaho at 9 am, local time (8 PDT). We had the wind behind us this time so made better mileage on I-84. We stopped in La Grande, Oregon, for fuel and brunch (4.35/gal). We also moved our watches to PDT. The highway was cleared of snow and we had sunshine most of the way. It began clouding over around Pendleton. We turned north on 395 then hwy 17 to Moses Lake, Washington. 3:30 pm and we are in Sunrise RV Resort in Moses Lake, an R.O.D. Park so it is free for us which is great. It’s been a good day and an easy drive.

We drove 346 Miles (556 Km) in 6 hours @ an average of 57 Mph. We fuelled Meridian, Idaho @ 4.39/Gal and Flying J in LaGrande @ 4.34/Gal (and here I thought Oregon was always cheaper.
N 47* 06.161’
W 119* 19.725’
Alt: 1053 feet

April 19 to 24, 2011; Las Vegas to Valley of Fire, Nevada

APR 19, Tuesday, Las Vegas, Nevada
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! So they say, but, I will tell all!
After a lazy morning, we had to go to the grocery so we asked G&T if they wanted to come along which they did. We first stop at BIG LOT where Glenda wanted to show us a small side table they were interested in. It was very nice with a top marble like. This store sells just about everything so I picked up the groceries we needed and Terry and Glenda decided to buy that little table after all. From here we went to Walmart where Val wanted to check on tops but found none. It was time for a drink so we went to a huge casino, SAM’S TOWN, just across the street and we watched a light and water show while having a beer. Unfortunately I didn’t have the camera with us. There was this big waterfall with mechanized animals such as cougar, grizzly bear, birds, an owl and a couple of others. When the show began, the falls became quiet, a mist began rising then on top of the waterfall on this rock, a wolf came out of a cage, howl like one and looked below at all the people. It was mechanized too but so real! Then the water began giving its show, rising to the height of the falls and twisting and dancing. It was very spectacular!
We came home after the show and rested until 5 pm when we went to experience Fremont Street. Very, very awesome! It consists of 2 or 3 blocks with no car traffic and covered with this huge dome where light shows go on as it gets dark. The street was packed with people. We went to one of the 4 QUEENS CASINO, played a couple of slot machines where I won $40 then we went for dinner where they had 2 for 1 dinner. We just had to get a member’s card and a voucher each for the free meal and a free deck of cards. The food was great and the booze cheap. After dinner, we walked Fremont Street from one end to the other and back, watched the light show on the dome, there was a zip line over 280 feet long where some adventurous young people were zooming by over our head for the price of $20. The light show is every hour on the hour so in between, we went gambling and I came out $100 ahead and Val broke even. Took lots of pictures which are posted in Folder “CALIFORNIA TO NEVADA”. Fremont Street is definitely an experience in itself and worth going to. There were all kinds of characters on the street such as Marilyn Monroe, MR T, a warrior from the Athens days, KISS characters and even a guy curling himself in this little box. Of course, there were also show girls clad in very little clothing but huge plumage, bands playing Rock & Roll and Motown. It was noisy and exhilarating! We finally called it quit around 11 pm as Glenda and Terry were driving to the “Valley of Fire”, east of Vegas, early in the morning with their friends Bill and Laurie.
It was a GREAT day and evening and pleasantly warm!


APR 20, Wednesday, Last day in Vegas
Val got dinner going early, a chuck roast, in the slow cooker while I went to the garage to fuel @ $4.15 and got propane for $24. It is sunny and warm again but no complaining when looking at the temperature at home! About 3 pm, someone knock on our door and when I opened it, there was Fred from Alberta whom we met in San Carlos, Mexico. He and his wife Debbie are here for a couple days on their way to Alberta.
Terry and Glenda showed up at 4 pm and it sounded like they had a good day. We had Happy Hour then dinner with them. It was all a success and after dinner, we had ice cream then they went home; Terry was falling asleep on his chair...they did have a long day; over 100 miles drive. We said good night and watched Survivors then it was bed-time for us too.
Tomorrow, we head for the Valley of Fire for about 4 days IF we can get a camping spot as it sounded from Terry that the Park is full!? Easter week-end is coming up at the end of this week!


APR 21, Thursday, to Valley of Fire, Nevada
We left at 9:30 am after saying goodbye to Glenda & Terry and Fred and Debbie. We drove north on Boulder Hwy to get on 515 south then East on Lake Mead Parkway. On the way, we saw a TARGET and stopped to buy another ice maker as ours gave up a couple days ago. We continued on Lake Mead road which eventually became Northshore Drive! Wow, what a drive and the sceneries!!! It was hard to keep my eyes on the road. We stopped at Echo Bay and there was lots of camping available but we decided to continue and try our luck at “Valley of Fire”. It turned out to be to our advantage as we got a spot with water but no electricity which is OK as we have our own generator. We paid for three nights to begin with. After setting up in #4 @ “Atlatl Rock” Campground in the “VALLEY of FIRE”, we went for a little tour of the place. We are near the West entrance so we went back to the Visitor Centre which had a great display of the history of this region and some interesting mock-up of the wild life and the aboriginal people that lived in the region. It also gave a history on the formation of the Valley. It was under water at one time, millions of years ago! Most of the red rock is from sandstone carved by centuries of water and wind erosion and is the newest of the surrounding mountains which are darker. The red color is caused by the iron oxidisation and the holes are from erosion of the wind, water and cold and hot temperature.
From here, we drove on a road leading to the “WHITE DOMES” but first, we stopped at the Petroglyph Canyon and the “MOUSE’S TANK which consisted of a walk down this canyon for about a half mile and where there was two pools of water within the rocks. It really was interesting and beautiful. We drove on to RAINBOW VISTA and WHITE DOMES where there was a mile and half hike but I only did a half mile. About a dozen movies were filmed here including “1000 YEARS BC”, STARTREK and others including cowboys movies. Quite interesting!
After all this excitement, we went to find two Geo-Caches placed here by State Park employees to commemorate the 75th anniversary of this State park. One of caches took us up these stairs to look at petroglyphs near our camp site and the other at Petrified logs.
We came home and had Happy Hour then supper. We sat out to watch the night sky and all the stars. A great day!

N 36* 25.071’
W 114* 33.156’
Alt: 2274 feet

We drove 84 miles in 2 hrs and 15 minutes at an average 37 MPH. We stopped for ¾ hour at Target and the Park entrance.


APR 22, Friday, Valley of Fire; sightseeing and geo-caching
It was a very pleasant night but for some reasons, I was very restless. Got the coffee perked on the stove and sat outside for a while. I got the generator going so Val could do her hair. We left around noon and visited everything else we missed yesterday. Our first stop was the other campground and the Arch Rock where we got another cache. From here, it was the “Beehives”, a couple of huge rocks that looked like a bee hive with its little holes on it. We also got another cache. We drove east to the “Seven Sisters” where we had lunch. There was a group there with kids and as we were walking the desert, Val found a plastic Easter Egg and upon opening it, got a bunch of candy and a dollar bill. This is when we noticed that there were a whole bunch all over the place and realized that it was for the kids so we put it back intact. How neat! We took a few pictures and had lunch then left for the “Cabins” built in 1935 by the CCC to accommodate hikers and visitors. From here, it was the East Entrance and the “Elephant Rock” (SEE PICTURES FOLDER # 76 Valley of Fire). This ended our visit to “Valley of Fire” State Park! We drove on to Lake Mead highway and stopped in Overton, a small town on the north-east side of the park. We got a few more caches on the way, stopped in town for milk and a couple beers then called it a day. The weather was great and we had a good time.


APR 23, Saturday, Last day in Nevada
Once again, a warm night and a gorgeous day! After showering and having breakfast, we headed to the West Gate and I-15 to get the balance of our listed caches. We found 4 on the way, got on I-15 North East to the turn off to Langdale and Orton where we got 4 more. There was an info card where we had lunch and read about the Spanish Trail/Mormon Trail. Interesting stuff and I took a few pictures which can be seen in folder #76. After lunch, we headed south-east, to Orton where we stopped for a beer and picked up some groceries. We eventually made it home by 4 pm and had Happy Hour then dinner, BBQ’ed steaks from Costco and after dinner, Tucker got his bath; he was very dirty from the desert dust and dirt. The park is not quite full as a few people left today. This has been a wonderful 3 days and we would definitely come back here. It has been warm, pleasant, quiet and peaceful. People have been coming in and out throughout the week-end. This is definitely a family place. We observed young kids going up rock faces and playing King of the Hill. Parents have been involved too and it has been fun to watch them.
Tomorrow we head out north towards home!


APR 24, Sunday, Happy Easter; Onward Ho!
We were up by 7 am and after showering and eating, we loaded our stuff, the generator, hooked up and drove to the dump site. We were on the road by 9 am heading west to I-15 and turned south to Hwy 93. We stopped to get some coffees and headed north. The scenery was quite awesome and spectacular. I love deserts and the way they lay. I find it amazing how you can head for a mountain or hill and VOILA, there is a passage through.
We stopped in Caliente for lunch and for fuel @$4.28/gal. We eventually came to the cross-road for Hwy 50, known as the loneliest Highway in the US and I can attest to that reputation. I stopped again at the Utah State line and filled up @ 4.36/gal. Definitely not cheap anymore!
We arrived at Delta, Utah and found an RV park. It is 4:30 pm (5:30 local time, Mountain Time) and we are staying at Antelope Valley RV Park, an AOR member. We came in late so no one was in the office.
We hit rain on the way up on and off. As we neared Delta the sky was really black and we got in on the tail end of a storm according to our neighbour. We climbed over 3 passes and went as high as 6500 feet but easy climbing.
We left this morning, it was 75*F, in Caliente it was 65 and here...54*F (12*C). Val wants to go back to Vegas!!! We have WIFI so will upload the blog finally and post my pictures. I started a new one # 76 Valley of Fire and # 77 Nevada to Home.

We travelled 387 miles (684 Km) in 7 hours and were stopped for 45 minutes @ an average of 56 MPH.
N 39* 21.086
W 112* 35.633
Alt: 4607 feet

April 17-18 Parker AZ to Las Vegas Nevada

APR 17, Sunday, Last day in Parker
Another sunny and hot day; the forecast is for 104*F and it did reach it! I went to the office this morning and got on the internet and uploaded my blog and some pictures. Got the Kirkby’s on Skype and wrote to them to catch on the news...it is snowing at their house!!!
We went to town to explore the place. Not much to see; lots of restaurants and bars though! We found the last of our caches, some in California across the river. I called the Marche’s and talked to Terry. They are presently in Vegas for a week so we may see them, will see!
We went to the ROAD-RUNNER BAR & RESTAURANT just past our campsite and had lunch. What a place! What a show! Most were young people wearing flimsy bikinis and some shouldn’t have been in them!!! We came home and relaxed for the rest of the day.


APR 18, Monday, to Las Vegas Nevada
After dumping our tanks, we got on Hwy 95 North 9 am. It is already quite warm! We drove north to I-40 and turned north east to Hwy 93 where we turned north again. We stopped for brunch in Kingman then continued on. The reason we came this way was to experience crossing the new bridge at HOOVER DAM. They re-routed the highway near the dam to accommodate the new bridge, a four lane crossing, however, due to high cement barriers, there was no view to be had and we crossed without any fanfare into Nevada! We stopped in Boulder to get some info on Lake Mead and the Valley of Fire which we plan on visiting.
We had decided at Kingman to stop in Vegas and visit with Terry and Glenda whom are camping here for the week. We are presently at ROAD RUNNER RV Park. We paid $16 per night for three nights. Pretty cheap! It is a balmy 88* F here and yes, the A/C is on
After setting up at site 21, we went to visit them at their site. We had Happy Hour together and Glenda insisted on cooking dinner for us so we had that together. Tucker was happy to see Glenda again and the feeling was mutual too. Afterwards, we chatted and watched Dancing with the Stars then came home and went to bed.

N 36* 07.241
W 115* 04.243
Alt: 1714 feet

We drove 188 miles (302Km) in 3.5 hours at an average of 49 MPH. We fuelled in Kingman for $4.01/gal and were stopped for 1.5 hr.

I have UPLOADED new pictures in Folder "ARIZONA TO NEVADA"

April 11 to 16, 2011; Ehrenberg to Parker, Arizona

APR 11, Monday, Ehrenberg
A warm and sunny day! Val went for exercises at the club house and afterwards we went to Quartzsite, 20 miles from here, to get a couple parts for the “Bear”. While there, I fuelled @ 4.09/gal then we came back this way but not before picking up a couple of caches off I-10 in the hills. One of them, we took the wrong road and ended doing “real” 4X4 before ending back on the right road. Talk about cross-country! Anyway, we found them then came back to town and had lunch at a new pub in Ehrenberg. We then went to find 4 more hides around here and called it quit just in time for Happy Hour then dinner. I uploaded some pictures...nothing exciting, in Folder “California to Nevada”


APR 12, Tuesday, to Blythe, CA
Exercises for Val; blog, made up an expense spread sheet for the BEAST and BEAR and shower for me then made the bed and took Tucker out for his morning constitution. Sunny and warm once again! We went to find another cache on this side of the river then it was off to Blythe, California, approx 3 miles from here across the river. We went to Wal-Mart where I bought a couple of shorts and Val got some cosmetic stuff. Then it was off to find more caches. We got lost at one point, actually it was more disoriented but did find the cache we were looking for and all the other ones; 15 in all total between today and yesterday. Once home, we went to the pool to refresh ourselves as it was 90*F today and no wind. Even Tucker is having a hard time with this heat. We have the A/C on right now and just finished talking to Louise and Dave on Skype. APR 13, Wednesday, Ehrenberg Sunny, warm and very windy! We went back to Blythe in the afternoon to return and exchange the shorts I bought yesterday. We stopped at Albertson and got some groceries then came home and put everything away. We then sat outside and read and relaxed. We had dinner then watched Survivors. A very quiet day!


APR 14, Thursday, Last day in Ehrenberg
Sunny, warm and windy again; probably a good thing as it kept the heat bearable. Val did some laundry and I washed the BEAST and the front of the BEAR. As I was loading the kayaks, a motorhome parked beside us and hold & behold if it wasn’t an acquaintance, Bill, whom we met about 3 years ago right here in this park. His wife, Vicky, wasn’t with him but was in Denver running a business on a temporary basis. Bill is on his way there after doing some business in California. After we re-acquainted, I finished loading then for dinner, the three of us went to the local pub where we had gone 3 years ago. We caught up to each other’s news and had a good time. Too bad we are leaving tomorrow but such is timing that he would show up here; we had been thinking of them a few days ago so it was good to see him at least one day!


APR 15, Friday, To Parker, AZ
Sunny and warm! We had a lazy morning and loaded everything else that wasn’t packed. After breakfast, we said our good-byes to Bill and got on State Hwy 1, AZ. We drove about 50 miles, turned on Hwy 95 North and arrived in Parker about 3 miles later. We stopped for brunch at a roadside restaurant where we had an excellent breakfast then drove on another eight miles and turned on Riverside to our campground, LA PAZ COUNTY RV PARK at 12:15 pm. The drive was very pretty with fields after fields of wheat, vegetables and straw with mountains in the distance. Past Parker, the scenery became more hilly and rocky. We are parked on the Colorado River with California across and dozens of RV Parks. It is very hot....95*F (33*C). After setting up, we drove back to Parker to Walmart for some shopping then a stop at Beal but Val couldn’t find anything that suited her. On the way back we stopped at a bar besides the road and had a beer then another one where we had happys and it became our dinner. Home to relax and watch the sunset and the crazies on the river. There are a lot of boats for such a narrow river. The park is near full and there are at least 4 Canadian rigs here.
N 34* 13.797
W 114* 11.352
Alt: 371 feet
We travelled 53 miles (85 Km) in one hour and 10 minutes @ an average 44 MPH. We stopped for an hour for brunch


APR. 16, Saturday, Parker; Sunny and HOT...100*F (35*C)
After a lazy morning we finally got going and went to find a few caches near town. We stopped at Walmart to get soap for my dry skin. Then it was time to follow the directions of a few more caches which led us to the famous “DESERT BAR”. It is approx. 5 miles on this gravel road leading into the mountains and the desert. We drove around a bend and there it was! First we saw a church which consisted of one wall built of steel with the steeple and the bell at the top; then we saw a house and huge canopies. When we parked in this big parking lot, we could hear the music; they had a live band. We walked to the entrance way which was a covered bridge and entered into the bar area. There were chairs and table everywhere under the canopies and there was a building with more tables and chairs and the bar where they served beer and wine for really cheap prices. Across the way was another bar but that was where they cooked hamburgers, chilli and hot dogs. Nothing special but the beer was cold and the food cheap in price. This whole place is the work a man who started with just a covered bar and it progressed to what it is today. As we sat there at the bar, we met a couple from Oregon; Barbara and Doyle Hopla. After a while they found a seat outside so we joined them; sitting with them was another couple, Don Dahlgren and Shirley Henderson from Airdrie, Alberta. Don and Shirley are biker friends of Russ and Silvia neighbours of Marcel and Audrey, Val’s sister, in Olds Alberta and whom we know well. What a small world! Needless to say there were a lot of chatters from then on!!! Eventually though, we had to leave so we said our goodbyes and went to find the last two caches near here then home to a cool house! It is 103*F out at 3:30 pm. and a slight breeze. Needless to say the A/C is working full-time.

April 8 to 10, 2011; California to Arizona

APR 8, Friday, DHS
The wind continued overnight but abated some. This morning it is cloudy with sunny periods and the wind is picking up some again. We’re supposed to have this until tomorrow. The park is really empty now...only about a quarter full. After her exercises, Val did the laundry and I helped. When that was completed, we went to Desert Hot Springs to get some milk and a couple other things then, yeah, we went geo-caching and found the last seven that I had on our GPS and picked up two Travel Bug that I will drop in Arizona around Ehrenberg. We came home and prepared and had dinner. It’s been quite cool all day; mid 50’s to low 60’s and gusting winds but not as strong as what they were yesterday.
APR 9, Saturday, last day in Desert Hot Springs.
Sunny but windy and cool, only reached 68*F (19*C). We busied ourselves cleaning house, vacuuming, putting stuff away outside and loading the Kayaks. For dinner, we went to the club house where they had pork, chicken ensalada, green salad and green beans. The place was almost full which was nice to see. The meal was delicious and to top it, I won the 50-50 draw: $26. This is the last meal cooked at this park for this season. After dinner, Val and I went to the pool and soaked ourselves in the hot tub. They are fed by hot mineral water and there are three of them with temperature of 98, 100 and 104 degrees. We were there for about an hour then came home, watched TV and went to bed where I had a very good sleep.


APR 10, Sunday, to Ehrenberg, Arizona
We left around 10 am, drove south east on Dillon and eventually got on I-10 East. We stopped at Chiriaco Summit for breakfast. There is also a museum here dedicated to General Patton who had a small camp near here and trained his tanks for the battles ahead. We arrived at Ehrenberg, Colorado River Oasis RV Park, a WHR park and we are here for 5 days. We are parked on the river and a beautiful grassy spot behind our rig. We went for a walk to explore the place. For dinner, I BBQ’ed steaks and shrimps (from Mexico) while Val made a salad and got the table ready.

N 33* 36.479’
W 114* 31.559
Alt: 283 Ft
We drove 123 miles @ an average 54MPH in 2 hrs and 17 minutes. We were stopped for 43 minutes.

April 4 to 7, 2011; In Desert Hot Springs

APR 4, Monday, DHS
Sunny and warm...90*F and NO wind! Val went for pool exercises but ended up with no teacher as the regular one took the day off and her replacement had a heart attack and was also unavailable. Yeah, you guessed it, we went Geo-Caching after we showered and cleaned up. We found all of 14 of them then came home and Val went directly into the pool. I entered our finds on geocache.com. The A/C is on!


APR 5, Tuesday, DHS
Another hot day; 94*F and hardly any winds. Val went for her exercises in the morning and I dumped the tanks, really exciting stuff! We spent the afternoon sunbathing, puzzling and reading. We met Dave and Louise at 4 pm at Mario’s for Happy Hour: all drinks for $2. until 6 pm and cheap appetizers which became our dinner. Gerry and Linda also came out with D&L and we had a pleasant 2 hours before it was time to say goodbye and go each our own way. We won’t be seeing Dave and Louise until at least 2 years if not before. We came home and sat outside for a while then it was time to call it a day! The wind has picked up and the sky is clouding over. The forecast is for a change by the end of the week.


APR 6, Wednesday, DHS
RAIN! YES RAIN! First rain in almost 5 months! It didn’t last long but did come down heavy. Val still went for her swim exercises and afterwards, we went to Walmart where I bought a pair of sandals and Val got some tops. We then went to Sally as Val was in need of some make-up. Then, you guessed it; we went Geo-Caching for the rest of the afternoon. We found seven along this canyon road. We had a marvellous view of the valley below and also could see where the rain was falling near Coachella and Palm Springs. We came home and had dinner then watch “Survivors”.


APR 7, Thursday, Desert Hot Spring
We woke up to strong winds! Val did go to her swim exercises though. After breakfast, we went back to Walmart to return the sandals I bought yesterday. They were really uncomfortable and my feet kept coming out of them. Afterwards, we went for lunch at a local pub then we went Geo-Caching near our campground. We got ten of them and got to see more country side. It was quite windy though, gusting at times to 35-40 miles. When we got home, the kayaks had been moved by the wind and the satellite dish was blown over. So we set everything once again then it was time for Happy Hour. The winds are so strong now that the whole trailer is shaking.

April 1 to 3, 2011; Desert Hot Springs

APR 1/11, Friday, Last day in Indio; 90*F sunny
The month is starting on a very HOT note! It is already 101*F at noon, YES 101*F (40*C)! The A/C really has a hard time keeping the rig cool. Dave came over this morning and helped me installed two AC outlets; actually he did all the work as I am not that good at that stuff...electricity scares me! I then loaded the bikes and packed the truck. Val did a load of laundry and now she is at the pool with Louise. We met at the Ennis for Happy Hour and Gerry and Linda joined us. The girls decided to go out for dinner so we went to the “Cactus Grill” down on 101. It was a bit pricey but the food was excellent! We had a good time and came home and sat out with L & D and Gerry and Linda for a nightcap. 10:30 pm and it is still 86*F (28*C) outside. The A/C has been on continuously since this morning. Tomorrow we head for Desert Hot Springs, about 45 minutes from here but at a higher altitude so hopefully, a bit cooler!?


APR 2, Saturday, to Desert Hot Spring, CA;
80*F sunny with cloudy period I had a lousy sleep due to the heathence my being up by 6:30 am. I even put our standing fan in the bedroom to help cool off. After packing and saying goodbye to everyone, we got on I-10 by 10:30 am and were at Desert Pool RV Resort by 11:15. We unpacked and then went to town to get some groceries and stopped for Chinese food at the mall. We came home and put everything away. The wind really picked up in the last hour, gusting to 25 MPH. There is a partial cloud cover but it is still sunny and warm...80*F (25*C). N 33* 55.435 W 116* 26.006 Alt: 1055 ft We travelled a whole 28 miles (46Km) in 45 minutes @ an average 38MPH. A long and tiring day. :)


APR 3, Sunday, DHS;
After a very nice cool sleep (50*F overnight) and a very lazy morning, we finally showered. I took the kayaks off the truck and set up the satellite dish. In the afternoon, we went to Costco to pick up a couple items then came home and put everything away. I got a 50 oz of vodka and bourbon for $21 each. I also picked up six (6) huge and thick New-York steaks for $29. Sure can’t beat those prices at home. I also filled up the truck @ 4.25/gal; cheapest anywhere in town at Valero. Earlier, I also skyped the Kirkby’s and learned that they are in Parker with a few mutual friends; unfortunately we will miss them by the time we get there but will see them all at home. Brenda and Al are already in BC at home. Val went to the club house to work on a puzzle and I caught up with my blog. IT is quite windy right now and keeping things cool. It is 73* F right now (5 pm) but it had gone up to 80*F