Sightseeing In The Desert

You call it lost, I call it sightseeing.  Any way you look at it, it was a nice drive in the desert.  First however, I needed to spend some quality time with Mr. Cooper.  He's been feeling under the weather and has taken up my newly acquired couch potato skills.

My goal for the day was to find my Canadian blogger friends who dry camp south of town.  Knowing the area well (or not), I loaded up on food, drink and blankets just in case I got lost.  Who am I kidding, I always get lost out here.  

I stopped for a picture of the Quartzsite sign so anyone finding me would know where my rig was located.  I love this sign!

Six miles out of town they said.  So I drove six miles, NOT finding LaPosa South.  I drove a few more miles before deciding I must have passed the entrance, but by then there was no place to turn around.  It was another four miles before I could change directions.

I drove all the way back towards town, to find the gate to be FOUR miles out.  Hey ... four miles, six miles, what's the difference, right?

I passed the dump station and the garbage bins just as volunteers were loading up their pickups and trailers to haul all the bags laying on the ground to the local dump.  It seems the government was threatening to close the place entirely and chase everyone out due to the health hazard.  Thanks to these guys, everyone is thinking that won't happen .... yet anyway. 

I was following a big rig who drove WAY too slow, hitting his brakes every 20 feet or so.  Then he would floorboard it, belching out a huge cloud of black smoke.  Turn right at the second wreath.  Apparently I never saw the FIRST one.  I kept going until the road turned into a gully barely wide enough for my jeep with hardly a rig in sight.

I was looking for two things ... a Canadian flag and the Stinger "B", a gorgeous black, white and yellow Class A motorhome.  I could find neither.  I turned around and headed back, finding "a" wreath and turned left.  At long last, the "B" came into view, rather hidden by another rig.  I FOUND IT!!!!  Imagine that!!

Here's the group ... that's George in the cowboy hat, his wife Suzie on the left, me on the right, followed by Patsy waving, Nancy (same name so I remember her), Deb sitting right under the flag next to her husband Tom in the ball cap.  George, Patsy, Patsy's husband Bill (not in his chair) and Deb all write blogs I read.  I've followed them from Canada all the way to Quartzsite.  

For my Golden Spike friends, Bill's family is all railroad.  His grandfathers (both sides), his father and he all worked for the CNR ... Canadian National Railway.  He brought a book with him showing pictures of his family at the original steam engine repair shop.  What amazing history to view.

We talked and talked until it was WAY past time to hit the road.  I could have stayed and talked another few hours.  Luckily I made it back to my rig without getting lost or almost getting hit by anyone.  Some of these weekend RV drivers are SCARY!!

Once back at the rig, I had to make up to everyone for being gone.  Puppies got a treat and Jonathan got his banana bread.  In case anyone was wondering, this is how Jon travels.  I have two beautiful dining chairs that live in my garage while I sit on a lovely antique piano stool in front of my computer desk.  A shelf pulls out holding my computer, as does a large shelf below for the printer.

Jon's cage is wedged in between the window sash and the counter.  So far (knock on wood) it hasn't moved even an inch during travel.  That's a heater attached on the right (they have to be kept very warm) and a blanket to keep that heat in.  

Much as I want to stay here for the Big Tent opening, I'm really feeling the pressure to get to my house in Tucson.  If I stay, it's two days dry camping in the desert which won't work for Jonathan.  His heater needs to keep the temperature around 85 degrees, which won't happen unless I'm plugged in.  It's been pretty cold in the desert.   With no more days available at the inn, I'll be heading out this morning.

Jan, I hope you are reading this because I'm stopping at your house with hardly any notice!!  Isn't that how it goes with RV people?  Of course I'll call first.  I'm so sorry to miss other blogger friends Rick and Kathy who have been having terrible troubles with their truck.  They were here, I was in Yuma ... they are in Yuma, I'm here.  

Time to load 'em up and move 'em out.