From Yuma to Salome to Quartzsite

Where to start.  Since our last blog post we have relocated twice, suffered through a computer failure, battery failure, and an inverter failure, but with sunsets like this, it is still worth it to be able to be a snowbird in the winter.

On Wednesday January 8 Ann and I started the day by going  for a walk around the casino property, and stopped off at the casino gift shop to extend our stay for a few more days.

In past times when we have been here, you paid cash for the first three days, and then in order to stay longer, you had to cash in "points" earned in the casino.  Since I had plenty of points, our first stop was to cash in points for a voucher which then you took to the clerk in the gift shop.  When I asked to cash in points for the voucher, the cashier just swiped my card, then gave me $30.00, no voucher.  When I asked about a voucher, she told me to just go to the gift shop.  Thoroughly confused now, we went to the gift shop, where the nice lady explained that they had changed the way they did things, and their policy now was that you just paid $10.00 cash for every three nights you wanted to stay, no more having to earn points to stay longer.  Not a bad deal; about $3.00 per day for dry camping on a nice asphalt parking area that is well lighted and has security guards.

One of things on the "to do" list while in Yuma was to get Ann's bicycles ready to ride.  Both her mountain bike, and her road bike needed some attention, so we loaded up the bikes on Ann's car and headed for Johnny Yuma's Bike Shop to get the bicycles serviced, and a flat tire fixed.  On the way we stopped at the  Kneaders here in Yuma, a place where we had eaten while here other years for lunch.

Then it was back to the motorhome.  Another issue besides the computer was that our batteries were not lasting long enough in the evening.  With about 200 amps of useable power, we should be able to run our computers, the entertainment system, and lights all night, and still have plenty to power to spare, but since we couldnt, it was time to check things out.  The first step was to test the voltage of each battery.  Here is what that looked like.

As you can see the third battery was only showing 4.42 volts which indicated a dead cell, not a good thing.  My temporary solution was to eliminate the bad battery, and one of the good ones from the circuit.  Using two good batteries is better that using three good ones, and one bad one, as the bad one drags down the good ones.  Here is my revised battery set up.  We are connected to the ones on the left.

With the battery bank working again, albeit at a reduced capacity, it was back to the computer.  After trying everything I could think of, I decided my best course of action was to load the backup I had made in June.  I would lose some stuff, but at least I would have an operational computer again.  Loading the back up worked, however, one of the things I lost was my notes for blog posts, which I had been doing since I started blogging on this trip.  I am not sure why Microsoft doesnt have a way to reapir the operating system without losing files, as they used to with XP, but I guess that is progress.  So in order to make this blog post, I am having to really think to try and remember what we did the days for which I dont have notes for.

While in chat on the RVForum.net on Wednesday evening I came across another example of how small the world is.  In the course of discussion we talked about staying at Fortuna d'Oro RV Park.  One of the other regular chat participants mentioned that he had met a couple from Iowas when they stayed at the park in 2010.  It turns out that the Iowan's lived close to us back in Iowa, and he was a school teacher at the local school.  Again, It is a small world!

Because of my computer failure on the evening of the 10th, I lost my notes for Thursday January 9th, so not much for today, but we did go for a walk today, and saw another one of these birds.  I dont know what kind they are, but there are lots of them here.

Later in the afternoon, we saw this plane come in for a landing.  I believe it is a C-141 Starlifter cargo plane.

For dinner I cooked us some nice steaks, and I took this picture of a reasonably boring sunset.  Something you dont see here often.

On Friday January 10th about noon we went to Somerton to pick up our mail that we had forwarded.  I had checked the tracking number, and it showed that our mail was in Somerton and ready for delivery.  Again great service from the USPS; two days from Panora, Iowa to Somerton, Arizona!  After looking through our mail, we started looking for a place to have lunch, and since none of the places looked good, we just headed back to the motorhome, and Ann made us lunch.

Later in the afternoon, I noticed that Ann's car had been strafed very accurately by some unknown bird. Because the sun was reflecting off the car, the "strafing" wasnt all that visible.  Probably just as well, as most of us have had our cars "strafed" at one time or another, so we know what it looks like.

For dinner we went to Lin's Grand China Buffet after it had been suggested to us by our RVForum friends Ray and Liza.  It was a great suggestion!  The food was plentiful, varied, and delicious!  Thanks again, Ray and Liza!

Then it was back to the motorhome to contemplate preparing to relocate, if everything works out tomorrow.  I had shut my computer down before going out for dinner, and when I tried booting it up upon our return, it would boot part way then just stop.    All I had was a mouse on a black screen.  I tried rebooting several times in different modes; normal mode, safe mode, command prompt, but no matter what I did the result was the same; no joy.  Next it was time to try some diagnostic tests.  Although, the computer passed all of them, and didnt show any problems, it still would not boot all the way, so I left it for the night to contemplate the issues.

On Saturday January 11th my computer still wouldnt boot, so I decided to load the back up I had made back in June when I thought my hard drive was failing, so I had purchased a new hard drive and made an image of my current drive on it.  I knew that if I loaded the image, I would lose all new stuff I had put on the computer since June, but that was better than not having any computer. The image worked, and I was back in the computing business!  One of the things I lost was notes I had made for the blog, so a couple of days are kinda sparse.

Our plan for today was to relocate to 3 Dreamers RV Park near Salome, AZ, where my brother Brian has been staying for the last month, but our travel plans depended on Ann's bicycles being read to go.  Ann called the bicycle place and the bikes werent ready, but they might be by the end of the day.  So while I prepared the motorhome for travel, and went shopping for groceries, some new shorts, and finally to check on the bikes.  Part of the preparation for relocating was to put the solar panels down, however, when I did, the holes to lock in in place would not line up.  Not sure how this happened, as I had been putting the solar panels up and down for four years.  Anyway, I ended slightly enlarging the holes in the panel, and then it worked fine.  Ann's bicycles were done just at closing time, and by the time she got back, we decided it was too late to try and drive up to Salome tonight.

On Sunday January 12th  we were up fairly early, but when  Ann started the generator to make coffee, it ran only a minute, and then died.  We had run our main gas tank too  low to run the generator, so we made coffee on the propane stove.  After having a couple of cups of coffee, we headed out.  We stopped at the Flying J on the north side of Yuma to fill will gas then it was over to Daybreakers Cafe for breakfast.

While walking across the parking lot on our way to the motorhome we noticed the hubcaps on this truck. Looks pretty dangerous to me.

Here is the entrance of 3 Dreamers RV Park.  Interesting, to say the least!

We arrived about 1:30 PM and got set up, except I couldnt get the cable tv to work.  I never did decide whether it was a problem in the motorhome, we hadnt been hooked to cable tv for 3 years. or it was a problem with the cable, or possibly a problem with the connection at the post.  We never did fix it, and we lived with out cable tv for a few days, but I did setup the portable Directv dish we have, so we would have at least some tv available to us.

For the second half of the Denver Bronco vs San Diego Chargers, I joined my brother in the clubhouse.  The second half was much closer than the first half, with the Broncos giving the Chargers too many chances to get back in the game, however, with a late three minute clock-killing drive, the Broncos were able to hang on for the win.

After the game Brian brought some Irish Stew he had made for our dinner.  It had some spice to it, and was delicious!  Thanks, Brian.

On Monday January 13th we talked with Wayne, a resident of 3 Dreamers, who said he could get us deep cycle batteries at a good price, and he would get them tomorrow. Sounded good. In the afternoon Brian and I went into Quartzsite to run some errands.  First it was a couple of stops to check on battery prices.  The best price we could find on Trojan T-105 deep cycle batteries was $109.00.  Then it was off to Gamblers to try and find a switch for Brian's motorhome.  They didnt have one.  We wandered through a few other booths, then stopped at Silly Al's Pizza for a beer, before stopping at the Road Runner market to get a few things before heading back home.

I made brats on the grill and Brian made some baked beans to which he added salsa and honey to really spice them up, and we ended the evening with some tv and computer time.

On Tuesday January 14th I was up a little earlier than usual, as I had to get the batteries out of the motorhome so Wayne would have cores to exchange for the new batteries, and he was leaving for Phoenix at 8:00 AM.  Early in the afternoon Ann started a beef roast in the crockpot using an awesome recipe that she had made before.  Brian and I then headed into "Q" for a couple more errands.  We stopped at Discount Solar to get a couple of new cables for the new batteries.  La Casa del Rancho for lunch, then it was off to an RV awning dealer, but no one was at the booth, so we wandered about for a bit, and when we checked back at the awning place no one was there, so we left, and on our way home we stopped at Carquest to get some battery acid neutralizing spray to clean the battery box on the motorhome before putting in the new batteries.

Back at the motorhome, I cleaned the battery box, and worked on rebuilding an excel spreadsheet that I had lost some information for when my computer died.  Then Wayne arrived with the new batteries.  They were not what we thought we were getting, but we went ahead and got them.  I guess you spends your money, and takes your chances when you are dealing with people you dont know well.

In addition to the great roast beef that Ann had prepared, she also, made mashed potatoes and green beans with bacon for an awesome dinner!  After dinner we went to Brian's RV where we were joined by Dave, another resident of the park that Brian had got to know during his one month stay at the park.

On Wednesday January 15th we traveled to Quartzsite to the location of the RVForum annual rally.  We got going about 11:30AM, and stopped off at the Black Rock Cafe just a few miles west of the campgound. 

Our lunch was good, and the inside of the restaurant had a nice mural on it, and we got some pics of it, and of the outside of the place.

Then it was on to La Posa- Tyson Wash BLM a few miles south of Quartzsite to meet with other RVForum members who are already there.  On the way in, we put up the RVForum Framily road sign for others, who may not know the exact location, to find the place.  It didnt take us long to get set up, this is dry camping, or as others call it "boondocking" so there are no hook ups, but with a full tank of water, and 400 watts of solar power, we have gone as long as 12 days with out dumping and refilling or running the generator.  Ann then went back to work, and I went and chatted with a neighbor for a bit before Brian arrived, so I then went to help him get parked.

Since Brian's generator is having issues, and he had noticed when he got here is that his house batteries were only at 12.1 volts  not good after only being unhooked from electric for about an hour. I hooked up his coach to our inverter, causing it to kick out, and then the GFIC could not be reset.  Hope I didnt ruin the inverter!  So I just started our generator, and connected his RV to ours.  We got his batteries charged enough to get him through the night.

On Thursday January 16th the people who were parked just to the west of us left, so Brian and I repositioned our coaches; ours to take better advantage of the sun for our solar panels, and Brian to be close enough to be able connect to our generator.

Here are a couple of pics of Thursday's sunrise.

And here is our home for the next couple of weeks.

In the afternoon I went into "Q" for a couple of errands.  First I went to RV Lifestyles to get a hose to connect propane to Brian's Kozy World Heater, and to check if RV Lifestyles did service work on these heaters.  They made the hose, and yes they do service work on these heaters, so tomorrow I will bring the heater in for service.  On the way home, I stopped at Road Runner Market for a few grocery items we needed, and just as I got back, Brian was ready to head to Phoenix for a flight to Denver to visit with his kids and friends till next Tuesday. While he is gone we are taking care of his dog Radar, who is a very well behaved.  I am sure he will be no trouble, except for me having to get up pretty early in the morning to take him for a walk.

Later in the evening I chatted with my sister Terry on FaceBook, who along with her husband Walt, are on their way down here to Quartzsite,  She told me that they were in Las Vegas, NV, even though, they had planned on being a lot farther south by Thursday night, but when they were packing the RV on Wednesday evening, they noticed a bad front tire, and decided to get new ones on Thursday morning before leaving Lyons, Co.  She said they plan on being in Quartzsite by Friday night, but that will be about 700 miles of driving in one day.  A long day, for sure!

 Friday January 17th started for me by taking the dog for a walk way before the sun came up.  Pretty cool and crisp out there, but no wind, and close to a full moon, so plenty bright despite there being no lights for a couple of miles around here. About 10:00 AM I took the Kozy World Heater to RV Lifestyles for service.  They said they were running about three hours behind, so I said I would stop back later.  On the way home, I stopped at the Love's Truck Stop to let them know I was planning on having a package sent there.  I am planning on ordering a Progressive Dynamics model 9260 converter charger.  They took my name and phone number, and I got their address.  I have had stuff sent there other years we were here, and it worked fine, hopefully, it will again this year.

Early in the afternoon Ann wanted to get out of the RV, go into town, and have some lunch. I had spotted a new restaurant in town on one of my previous trips so we decided to try it out.  My cheeseburger at the Times Three Restaurant was good, but Ann's chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes left something to be desired.

After eating we returned to RV Lifestyles.  The heater was serviced, and after paying a $20.00 service fee we headed toward Kuehn Street and the hundreds of vendors there, but first we stopped and took some pics of an unusual place on the way.  They have a combination of old cars, a couple of old airplanes, and a half track.  I dont know what the purpose is, but they make interesting pics.

We then headed to the many vendors on Kuehn Street where Ann bought a ski mask in case she ever rides her bike in the winter in Iowa, and a camping present for a friend back in Iowa.  We both then had some great ice cream cones, and then I bought a case to carry my cell phone in.  A good day of shopping.  We got back to the RV just in time for the first official rally Happy Hour when everyone introduced themselves, and the rules were explained.  Then it was a free for all conversation with many topics discussed by many small groups.  One couple had called an RV awning place to come look at the awning on their rig, and since we need a new slide topper for one of our slides, Ann went over to talk to the guy as well, and get an estimate of the cost of a new slide topper.  Next plans were made for a trip to Desert Bar tomorrow. Then it was back to the RV for dinner for which Ann made Oriental vegetables and rice with Schwanns products.  After some computer time, and walking the dog it was the end of another day in the desert.

Saturday January 18th started with another dog walk at O dark thirty.  Brian usually starts his day about 5:00 AM and usually walks his dog before starting work.  I dont get up that early, but I hope the dog can adjust to a 7:00 AM walk, as I dont see anyway of me adjusting to a 5:00 AM walk.  After having coffee, I started on this blog update.  Not necessarily an easy process after losing a couple of days notes.  About 10:00AM Ann got ready to go to the Desert Bar with some friends. I am going to stay home, work on the blog and watch the dog.  Plus I have a couple other things I want to do today as well.

A few minutes ago my sister Terry called and said they probably wouldnt make it to "Q" tonight, but would be here probably by noon tomorrow.  700 miles in one day is a long way.

Well, I think I am going to post this, and hopefully get a couple of other things done this afternoon before Happy Hour.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Paul