So Monday morning we checked out of John Wayne RV Ranch and headed toward the race track. Ann left earlier in the car with her laptop, the MiFi, and her cell phone so she could participate in a work call before I got there in the motorhome, and got set up.
Check in was easy. The lady that checked us in was the same lady that checked us in last year. Her husband has an RV blog that I follow. The next step was to find a suitable spot. A lot of the terrain in the unreserved camping area is not level, but because we got their on Monday we had no trouble finding a decent spot. Here is a look out our side window looking south toward the Estrella Mountains.
In the last update I talked about installing the 1000 watt Pro-Watt inverter. I havent yet got it hard wired, so in the mean time, I just applied the proper adapters to our 50 amp power cord, and plugged it into the inverter.
It will work as long as we shut off the on board battery charger, and not try to use the air conditioners, or the microwave.
The next step was to get the tv antenna up, aimed, and programmed so we could tune into the Daytona 500 on FOX. In just a few minutes we were in business. I dint think the race was all that good. I actually liked the two car draft of the last few years, compared to the "pack" racing that NASCAR spent so much time and trouble on before the race. Too many crashed with "pack" racing. I heard that of the 122 cars and trucks that participated in the racing that week, 99 some of them had some damage caused by a wreck, and I am not counting the jet dryer truck that Juan Pablo Montoya ran into. :)
That is not racing, that is a demolition derby!
After the race was over we went looking for tickets for the Phoenix race. Last year we bought tickets from a ticket broker who had set up a tent just north of the race track.
We went back there and he was there again, with the same information that he gave me last year when I stopped in on Monday; I have some tickets now, but I will have some better ones on Wednesday evening, so we headed back to the motorhome at the track.
Before we left to look for tickets, a couple young guys who worked for the track were going from camper to camper warning everyone of the high wind warning for the afternoon and evening. We had seen the warning on tv, so we didnt have the awning out or anything that could blow away. On the way back to the motorhome, and huge dust storm blew up and cut down visibility quite a bit for a few minutes. Here is a few pics we got of the dust blowing.
Fortunately, the dust cloud didnt last long, but the wind kept up most of the night, but was not as bad as it was last year when we were in Quartzsite, and ended up pulling the slides in and turning the motorhome into the wind about 10:30 one night.
Tuesday was so slow that in the afternoon I went for a ride on my bicycle to check what was happening in the area. Here is a pic of the empty grandstand.
The scoring tower in the middle of the infield.
The Speed Cantina where they have bands and booze all week long.
Then there are the rows of beer recycling collection stations.
And the reserved camping area started filling up.
While even on Wednesday the unreserved area still had plenty of room.
Then there was this guy just to the south of us who must have been very bored as he was first raking his camping area, then sweeping it.
Actually, he was clearing an area for some friends that showed up later and pitched a tent.
After Ann finished her workday we went back to the ticket seller and purchased some good seats for both Saturday and Sunday. He was quite the story teller and told us of some his experiences as a ticket broker. Besides race tickets he also brokers tickets for the Major League Baseball Spring Training Games in Scottsdale Arizona. One interesting tidbit he told us was that instead of using his personal car driving around town buying and selling tickets, he rents a car to save the wear and tear on his own car.
Then it was back to the track by way of the Golden Corral Buffet to try out there new chocolate fountain. Just as we were about to pull into the campground parking we caught up with one of the trucks for the support series for the weekend. Got to see some NAPA know how up close.
Thursday was the day of Ann's big bike ride. She had been planning on a good bike ride with her new bike, and researched some bike trails in the area. So we loaded the bike up on the car rack and set off for 91st Street and the bike trail. It was very close to the University of Phoenix Stadium, where the Arizona Cardinals play football.
Here is Ann in her full bicycle regalia, and ready to ride.
And a shot down the bike trail.
Her plan was to ride the bike trail that ran along the Grand Canal that travels several miles south east from where she got on the trail, and when she got tired, she would call me with her location, and I would pick her up.
I have a niece and her husband who live fairly close by, so I went to their house to wait for Ann's call. My nieces mom(one of my sisters) was baby sitting for my nieces daughter(her grand daughter) and we had a nice visit, and I got to meet the baby for the first time.
After what I thought was past time for Ann to call, I tried calling her but no answer. Shortly after that Ann did call and told where she was, and asked me how to get back to the motorhome! I expected to head south east to pick her up, but because the bike trail didnt work out, so she just took streets and headed back to the campground. I looked at a map and gave her directions. All in all, she had ridden 26 miles! Wow, Awesome!!! Look out RAGBRAII!
Friday was the first day of action on the track. All three series practiced. The Nationwide, and Sprint Cup series cars had two practices. It is not the most exciting day at the race track, but just hearing the sound of race engines is music to my ears. On the way up the stairs to the grandstand I took a picture of the Speed Stage, the place Speed network does live broadcasts from during the week.
By time I got back to the mororhome after a day at the track, and had something to eat. I climbed on top of the motorhome to get some pics just before the sun went down. You can see the place is filing up nicely.
Our next door neighbors were quite the group. They brought almost everything they set up in the white trailer on the left. They showed up Friday and while I was gone put up the three tents, the three easy ups, and all the rest including the huge camp stove powered by 2 20 lb propane tanks. Quite the set up!
The sun was about to go down, and the fun was about to pick up.
We decided that we should go out and about and see what kind of fun things were going on in the campground. We first ran across this young man who paid $30.00 to get a Dale Jr. haircut.
If you notice the pic is a little out of focus. It is my testimony under oath that I didnt have the camera on the right setting, and it had nothing to do with the guys who were giving away free shots of tequilla that we had visited earlier. :)
We also found some very patriotic fans, and also some Jeff Gordon, and Jimmy Johnson fans.
Then we followed the sound of music a few blocks and found some fun karaoke singers and fans. Here are some pink haired girls having a fun time. It is probably a good thing you cant read the words to the song that are being projected on the side of the camper, as the song was a bit adult in nature. :)
Ann put in a song, and after a few other singers ahead of her, she did her usual fine rendition of Reba McAnitre's version of Take it Back. It was appreciated by all. :)
By that time it was time to call it a night, get some rest and be ready for the Nationwide race on Saturday.
We laid pretty low on Saturday morning. the Nationwide race wasnt till later in the afternoon, so we had plenty of time just to relax. After some discussion about our current scanners, Ann decided that she would buy a new scanner for me, and she could have the one I have been using.
So when we got to the track we went to the Track Scan trailer, purchased the new scanner and had the older one programmed for the frequencies the teams use to communicate between the crew chief in the pits, the driver on the track and the "spotter" who stand on top of the grandstand to get a good view of the action on the track, and provide information the the driver.
The race wasnt all that bad, but since the track was widened last year, there is a lot more room to pass, so the racing isnt near as exciting as it was the year before, but a bad day at the races is better that the best day at work!
After the race we went to the on site Basha's grocery store to pick up a few things, and while in the store we saw a sign that said the Robby Gordon, one of the Sprint cup drivers would be signing autographs at 5:00 PM. Since it was about 45 minutes after 5:00, we figured he may have already finished, but when we left the store he was still signing autographs and handing out samples of his own brand of energy drink called Speed.
He was nice enough to sign my race bag, and I was able to thank him personally for putting on the Double Duty Tour in 2003 when he ran both the Indy 500, and the Coke 600 in Charlotte North Carolina in the same day. We flew to Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday and attended a get together at Robby's shop in the evening, and on Sunday morning we boarded a Hooter's Airline plane and flew to Indianapolis, Indiana to watch the Indy 500. As soon as the race was over it was an escorted bus trip back to the airport, and then the return flight to Charlotte, and then another bus trip to the track. Thanks again, Robby!
After the race we just took it easy and didnt participate in any of the campground festivities, so we would ready for the race on Sunday. Evidently, others did have that concern, as the music, fireworks, and general noise lasted well after midnight.
On Sunday we headed to the track an hour or so before the race started, to get Ann's scanner reprogrammed again, and visit some of the booths at the track. Once inside we saw Miss Sprint Cup, who was kind enough to pose for a picture with me. BTW, this was the highlight of the day, as the race was boring. It seems who ever got out on the track up front after a caution was able to pretty much drive away from the rest of the field.
As soon as the race was over we went back to the motorhome, and finished preparing to leave as we wanted to get back to Yuma Sunday evening, so Ann could be set up for work on Monday morning. It was pretty easy to get out of the track, and we headed west of Highway 85, which then turned south toward Gila Bend. Although, there is still a lot of construction in the Gila Bend area, we were able to navigate through it and found the Shell station that I had heard had a free dump station and water. Sure enough they did so we dumped our tanks and filled the fresh water tank. The cement slab next to the dump was slanted away from the dump so I used the jacks to raise up the drivers side of the motorhome so we would be sure to get the tanks empty. After finishing that chore, we went into the adjacent Subway and ordered sandwiches and drinks to go, and continued on to Yuma.
About an hour after it got dark, a pickup passed us with a mattress and box springs tied down in the back, but the tie down job didnt look all the secure. Another 5 ot 10 miles up the road I could see a pickup off the road on the right hand shoulder. Doing the right thing by slowing some and moving to the passing lane shouldnt be a problem, right? Well, just as we got into the passing lane a huge blob appeared in the headlights. Instinctively, I swerved to the left to miss the blob, I presume it was the mattress, and or the box spring. Anyway, I missed it but there was a palo verde tree growing off the left shoulder that hung out over the shoulder, and I scraped it a bit, but no damage to the motorhome! Whew! A close call!
The rest of the trip to Yuma was uneventful and we arrived at the Cocopah Casino early enough to get set up, and go to the casino to run a few bucks through the machines to earn enough points to stay for another day. We already had enough points to stay 5 extra days. In the last post I believe I talked about how things work here. First 3 nights for $5.00, then 200 points on the players card for each additional day, but on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday they give seniors 250 bonus points if the "earn" 5 points on those days. I have learned that if you just want to "earn" points the best machines are the penny machines, and only bet from 25 to 50 cents at a time. You usually dont win a lot, but in about 15 minutes you usually have enough points to get the 250 point bonus.
Monday was a leisurely day. I tilted the solar panels to get maximum power from the sun. So far the best I have been able to get from our 30 amp solar system is a net 22 amps. I dont think that is too bad, as we are usually using about 4 amps, so add that to the 22 the Trace TM500 is showing and I am satisfied.
Monday was also another day to go to the casino to "earn' some more points. This was a good day! I earned my bonus points and came out up $40.00! Just like getting paid to stay at a campground! Another job completed on Monday was to have our mail forwarded to General Deliver at the Somerton, Az. post office. A week or so before I had ordered our new license plate stickers. The current ones expire at the end of March, and I wanted to be sure and have the new ones on before that.
Tuesday was the first full day of Nick Russell's Gypsy Journal Rally at the Yuma fairgrounds. We had attended the rally the last two years, but didnt stay on site the last year, as the Harrier Jump jets from the Marine Corps Airbase, which is right across the street from the fairgrounds simply make too much noise on landing and take off for Ann to be able to work. Nick usually has some good seminars, and it is always nice to have a chance to visit with other RVers. Also, we wanted to get some name badges for a couple of groups we belong to. The RV Forum and The Escapees. Two ladies who make such badges were at the rally. They call themselves the Two Crazy Ladies, but they make good badges!
I attended seminars on Tips and Tricks of RVing, Solar Charging, Gypsy Journal FAQs. The Tips and Tricks seminar was interesting, and I learned a couple of things. The Solar Charging Seminar had some useful information on solar systems. Since we have had ours now for a couple of years, I have a pretty good understanding of how things work, so more than learning new things, the presenter basically confirmed what I already thought to be true.The Gypsy Journal FAQs was about how Nick and his wife Terry got into RVing and some of there adventures, and mis-adventures.
After the Gypsy Journal FAQS Seminar I came back to the motorhome and got Ann so she could go to a seminar on RV Driving For Women Only, while I went to a Seminar on Understanding, Monitoring & Protecting RV Electrical Systems. Although, the Driving Seminar was pretty basic, Ann found it useful. I had been to the Electrical Systems Seminar other years, every time I go I get a clearer picture of how these systems work and how important they are.
On Wednesday it was back for more of the Gypsy Journal Rally. I went to seminars on The VA Medical System, Computer Q&A, and Improving Cell Phone & Cellular Broadband Signal. The VA Medical Seminar was just a rehash of last year, but different people having the same problems as last year. One take away from the seminar is that you have to really understand the system in order for you to make it work for you. Computer Q&A was pretty basic, as there are lots of people who need lot of help in the basic understanding of how computers work, and what they can and cant do. The Cell Phone Seminar was pretty boring, as I have looked into the topic a lot before we bought and put together our own system. The presenter was a really smart guy, but wasnt quite up to snuff of the product line he was selling.
Thursday was more of the same. I attended seminars on Boondocking Tips Roundtable, and 10 Things Every RVer Needs. I didnt learn a whole lot from the Boondocking Seminar as we have boondocked many days in the last two years, and have learned a lot of conserving water and electricity, which is the heart of boondocking. Of the 10 things every Rver needs, we have 7 of them, and 2 of the other 3 pertained only to diesel engines. I f we had a wand for cleaning the hot water heater we would have had them all. Here is a pic of Greg White explaining how the SilverLeaf software that monitors and displays several parameters for diesel engines.
There were not any seminars in the afternoon that I was interested in, so instead Ann and I went to Somerton to pick up our mail, get a few groceries, and stop for lunch at the local Jack in the Box restaurant. Our mail was in and the new license stickers were with it. Good news! The grocery store was interesting as was the Jack in the Box. As with many places in Yuma and Somerton, for virtually everyone there, English is a second language. I do admire their ability to switch back and forth from Spanish to English with such ease.
Later on Thursday it was back over to the casino to "earn" some more points. I think I broke even on this trip, but I "earned" another day of free camping.
After Ann finished her work, we decided to get a new shade for the window on the drivers side that had been giving us fits for some time. We fixed it once, but it was just wore out. Ann's research showed that Home Depot had the type of window covering we wanted, so a quick trip there, and visiting with a young salesman who was very diligent we had him cut down a 72" wide blind to a 60" one, and we were on our way. Removing the old one was no problem, and we had removed it once before and tried to fix it. The new one required different brackets, but was not much a problem. Once we got the new one up, the next issued was to shorten it to fit our window. After much thought we came up with a plan to shorten the blind. Of course our original plan didnt work so well, but with one of Ann's huge sewing needles, she was able to overcome the problem of getting the string back through the support in the bottom of the blind. Here is the finished product.
Friday I didnt do much, but Ann was her usual busy self with her work. We did end up going to The Crossing in Yuma for dinner on Friday evening, but just stayed around the motorhome the rest of the day.
On Saturday there was sprint car racing over at the Cocopah Speedway which is right across the street from the casino. So as soon as the NASCAR Nationwide race got over on TV from Las Vegas, we made a quick trip to twn for a couple errands, and get some Church's Chicken for dinner. It is amazing to see how fast these cars go, and with the huge wings on the top of them, how well they stick to the ground. The racing was fast and furious, and you really had to pay attention to know who was running where. I had only heard of a couple of the drivers, so it wasnt quite as exciting as it might have been, but all in all a fun evening albeit we were covered in desert dust at the end of the night.
Sunday was more NASCAR, but a little better racing than the previous week in Phoenix. While the race was on Ann decided to go on a 14 mile bike ride. The weather was beautiful, about 80, sunshine, and not much breeze. About mile 11 of her ride her front tire went flat so she called to come and get her. A quick inspection of the tire showed two thorns stuck in it. Tough thorns her in Arizona, sharper than nails. A quick call to the local bike shop and we found out that they closed in 8 minutes. Looks like a project for Monday. After a nice dinner of grilled Iowa chops and macaroni salad, another weekend was put in the books.
As most everyone knows the time switched at 2:00AM Sunday morning to Daylight Savings Time, most everywhere except Arizona, so there is now a two hour difference between Iowas and Arizona which makes Ann's life a little more complicated as she works on Iowa time, and she usually gets up an hour before her normal start work time of 8:00AM. Today was the first day she got up at 5:00AM Arizona time for work, and in order to watch all of The Voice tonight she had to stay up till 11:00PM Iowa time, but I am sure she will adjust, or she will be very tired. Speaking of which, it is about 11:40PM Arizona time, which is past my bedtime, so I am going to post this now, and perhaps proofread it tomorrow, and make and necessary corrections then.
So good night all, and I hope you readers get something out of these blogs.
Paul
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