tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89349130439353432772024-03-05T12:49:24.294-08:00Diary of a Pair of RV VirginsJoin us as we navigate a whole new world - the world of full time RVers. Laugh with us at the idiotic mistakes we are bound to make. Enjoy some of our cool experiences. Read our reviews of various campgrounds, routes we took getting from here to there and there to here, as funny things are everywhere (with a nod to Dr Suess), and other assorted items we choose to share.Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.comBlogger165125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-89779368128552579962018-04-18T10:41:00.005-07:002018-04-18T10:41:36.489-07:00RV Park Mini Reviews - March 2018<b>San Benito Thousand Trails - Paicines, CA: </b>This was our second trip to San Benito, and it has become one of my favorites. It is the wildlife and the setting that attracts me. This time we stayed in the 30 amp section, site 75, which backed up onto the creek. We had deer visit our site each morning. We spotted wild pigs and just got a glimpse of one of the bobcats in a tree. The parade of quails scurrying back and forth is always entertaining. I hung a bird feeder from a nearby tree. It took a few days but soon the sparrows, finches, flickers, scrub jays and so on came to visit. We had neighbors with hummingbird feeders so we were able to enjoy these as well. This is what draws me to this park.<br />
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We had a decent Verizon signal for our wifi and phones. The free wifi at the club house was pretty good as well. We were able to get good satellite signal for Direct TV but have patience when setting it up. This campground is surrounded by hills and the signal tends to bounce around. The "cafe" is open at the clubhouse on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for dinner, and I think daily for breakfast and lunch. The food was pretty good. We aren't activity people so we did not spend much time doing any of the activities offered at the park. We didn't check out the bathhouses either.<br />
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One of the topics that often comes up in relation to this park is whether or not to take Highway 25 going from the park, or coming from the south. My opinion is this - it's doable, but most people would find it stressful. It is a 2 lane road, narrow in many places, and there are a lot of twists and turns. I certainly wouldn't want to take this if I were driving a big motor home or pulling a rig. We opted to do a "Sunday drive" to check it out, and I was glad we did. We took the loop around, picking up Highway 101 in Hollister, taking that south, and then heading east at King City, and then taking Highway 25 north back to Paicines. It was a very pretty drive. If you like the pretty drive thing, try take a right when you exit the park. Cienga Way goes through and comes in at the back side of Hollister. It takes longer than going through Tres Pinos, but it was a different view.<br />
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<b>Lake Minden Thousand Trails - Nicolaus, CA: </b>Okay, this was not my favorite park. There are two sections - the 50 amp full hook ups that are near the office, and then the 30 amp W&E only on the other side of the lake. Things are tight in the 50 amp section. Sites are larger in the 30 amp section. The positives about this park are that the staff is great. The restrooms were clean. It was a nice walk around the lake. The setting was nice. If you have kids, there was so much open space for them to run around and play. I'm a bit hesitant to talk about what I didn't like about the park. It rained most of the time we were there. It appeared that greater than 75% of the park was made up of long term residents. One gal I spoke to told me that many of the people in the park were there because they had been misplaced due to the fires and flooding that had occurred in the area over the past year. The whole place just had a "trailer park" type feel. People walked through your site. It just wasn't a place I really wanted to return to. I was glad when the week I had planned there was up. Now all that said, I have since talked with other people who love the park. They visited when the weather was more cooperative. We may try again, but will only plan on staying for a few days. I did like exploring the area, driving around Yuba City and down to Marysville. It is an easy drive to explore Sacramento if that appeals to you. I have pictures of the surrounding area on the post titled March Pictures. I was so glad to get out of the park that I forgot to take pictures of our site, but here is a picture of one of the more interesting resident.<br />
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Another travel note here, when we left Lake Minden headed north, we stayed on Highway 99. What a nice easy and lovely drive!<br />
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<b>JGW RV Park - Redding, CA: </b>This is one of my go to parks when traveling north or south. One of the reasons we stop here, over and above the easy off and on from I-5, the setting on the river and the fact that it is a nice clean quiet park, is that they have a great on-site laundromat. After a week without a sewer hook up at Lake Minden, I had a bunch of laundry to do. I didn't take any pictures this time around but you can see our previous stay by clicking <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8934913043935343277#editor/target=post;postID=1715518829411268273;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=1;src=postname" target="_blank">here</a> .<br />
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<b>Seven Feathers RV Resort - Canyonville, OR: </b>Another favorite place to overnight.....or more. The park is beautifully laid out and landscaped. They have a free shuttle to the casino (and free dry camping in the casino parking lot). There are laundry facilities and an indoor pool and spa at the RV Resort. This is a popular place, so reservations are recommended.<br />
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<b>Brookhollow RV Park - Kelso, WA: </b>And here we have yet another of my favorite overnight spots. This is a well run park. Easy access from I-5. Far enough away from the freeway that noise is not an issue. Plenty of shopping and restaurants within 1-2 miles.<br />
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<b>Tall Chief RV Park - Fall City, WA: </b>This is an Encore Park, owned by the same parent company that owns Thousand Trails, namely Equity Lifestyle Properties. We hadn't stayed in this park in about ten years, which means it was probably more like twenty years - because I am of that age that it seems like yesterday and I'm always shocked about how long ago it really way. At any rate, the primary benefit of this park is location, location, location. Depending on traffic, this park puts you 30 - 60 minutes from Seattle. The park if basically a piece of forest land near Issaquah - a bedroom community for Seattle and Bellevue. The sites are good sized. It has 30 amp electric, however, the voltage dips when the park is full...or when rather your loop is full. Satellite spots are hit and miss. Husband and I grew up in Western Washington, and for the last 25 years have lived about 40 miles from this park. That explains why I don't have much to contribute about touristy things. We didn't do much of anything. We stay here primarily because of family in the area. What I do want to share is that if you don't want to drive into Issaquah or Redmond to grocery shop, there is a very nice Albertson's store less than 5 miles from the park. And I found a fabulous laundromat in Carnation, with big machines and attendants that keep the place very clean!<br />
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Note: I have been struggling with this blogging program, when it comes to uploading pictures. I'm not sure if it is our internet access which is slow - although it has been slow for the last 5 months and all up and down the west coast. Or is that because I am no longer participating in blogger's advertising program that they have downgraded my priority. Am I posting too many pictures? Or is it just that blogging has become such a popular thing to do that blogger's servers are overwhelmed? Or is it an Apple vs Google thing. I don't know. I don't really care. I just know that it is frustrating for me, and for the six people that routinely read this blog - it is not worth the effort to figure it out. However, because I write this blog as much for my own enjoyment as a way of documenting our experiences as I do to provide information for those surfing the internet for information on RVing, I attempting to learn to work with Word Press and moving the blog to our own domain. The name of the blog will be changing to Northwest Travelers. So stay tuned.<br />
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<br />Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-35987670875744762302018-04-09T16:19:00.000-07:002018-04-09T16:19:07.980-07:00Photos From March 2018<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Thousand Trails San Benito Campground in Paicines, CA</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who wouldn't want to camp in a spot like this?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this is a golden eagle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still trying to identify this bird.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Site #75 -decent Verizon and satellite signals</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daily morning visitors to our camp site</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow billed magpie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flicker</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Western Scrub Jay<br />
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<b>Highway 25 - South of Paicines</b></div>
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<b>Highway 1 - Just north of Big Sur</b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeGJpZMq2T-KG28lj7T1z669epVXDgSt-aEwrwI3DhH4DPmks9ZkR7H2NTVqILe7sZ9TrYBuhHWYMKEBTZWB2TsQ69v0SJOmsmSyJFD-8u86jj4yX4d_z_bdjlVsUVZPyxkxiSR44SIM/s1600/KivrRMYiQu6c6eG%2525auAz2g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTeGJpZMq2T-KG28lj7T1z669epVXDgSt-aEwrwI3DhH4DPmks9ZkR7H2NTVqILe7sZ9TrYBuhHWYMKEBTZWB2TsQ69v0SJOmsmSyJFD-8u86jj4yX4d_z_bdjlVsUVZPyxkxiSR44SIM/s320/KivrRMYiQu6c6eG%2525auAz2g.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying out our new selfie stick</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgca9jj_Zs0mL7-263UigCaN7uSpJuCtBfoP0r1AJ3M9AYtST_liSgvyByBHUJtogIDw-20aY1jrTSrO48FwZ_imudf8P0_bKXERn9p5PiiJBn_MZ-1z2Ss6AInDm7kUKK3mXu460kLWk/s1600/fullsizeoutput_159a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1430" data-original-width="1600" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgca9jj_Zs0mL7-263UigCaN7uSpJuCtBfoP0r1AJ3M9AYtST_liSgvyByBHUJtogIDw-20aY1jrTSrO48FwZ_imudf8P0_bKXERn9p5PiiJBn_MZ-1z2Ss6AInDm7kUKK3mXu460kLWk/s320/fullsizeoutput_159a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little guy is enjoying the view too</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcOIm7r8dGwG5vxPdxnMGf6Dah619u2FU7nOj_QQf16nJeHQSqm8jK298hru-sXYbw6xtvu3Mj00Jb3KnC5PuRz3_iBfgbDFEZnjUN2_moUa31X-n4IwNsWz8RBazYIhowdwjYzWVoVQ/s1600/Cg0Rw02LQ0yu0ZvpntNOjw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcOIm7r8dGwG5vxPdxnMGf6Dah619u2FU7nOj_QQf16nJeHQSqm8jK298hru-sXYbw6xtvu3Mj00Jb3KnC5PuRz3_iBfgbDFEZnjUN2_moUa31X-n4IwNsWz8RBazYIhowdwjYzWVoVQ/s320/Cg0Rw02LQ0yu0ZvpntNOjw.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salmon for lunch at Phil's Fish Market in Moss Landing, CA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKTBTS7HAMEJzuzC02z5Q4KIkBnNmgRx356Hie-W3uwVls0PXoQu-9CxisknaaP94XzofZ1JChVIeQ83GOhrsC11Sowa0S0Qeb3FEpU4K1XhbO5u5HJqPjtRwvNOr_7PMMg7e01Ovi30/s1600/FYZDCrXWQJ2xOWj418riZA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKTBTS7HAMEJzuzC02z5Q4KIkBnNmgRx356Hie-W3uwVls0PXoQu-9CxisknaaP94XzofZ1JChVIeQ83GOhrsC11Sowa0S0Qeb3FEpU4K1XhbO5u5HJqPjtRwvNOr_7PMMg7e01Ovi30/s320/FYZDCrXWQJ2xOWj418riZA.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new favorite food - deep fried artichoke hearts</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7cLxjriiwdGZFEyFcYupnufkO1-9AF_HNzGETQX5NzpAjMFcco9Ee3KTXz12T596xPMfcFQn-1WJZxabtr5Sc2P1qCauE58VTW9XwJqyRVSCofzCqdGUMENzCvKQNXAvmZeRWuFKvd4/s1600/wjl%2525wEw1R0%252B%25251kubkgt2Ww.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7cLxjriiwdGZFEyFcYupnufkO1-9AF_HNzGETQX5NzpAjMFcco9Ee3KTXz12T596xPMfcFQn-1WJZxabtr5Sc2P1qCauE58VTW9XwJqyRVSCofzCqdGUMENzCvKQNXAvmZeRWuFKvd4/s320/wjl%2525wEw1R0%252B%25251kubkgt2Ww.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh scallops at Phil's Fish Market - Moss Landing, CA</td></tr>
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<b>Sutter Buttes Scenic Drive - Yuba City, CA</b></div>
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<b>Lake Minden, Nicolaus, CA</b><br />
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(Note: I have a few more pictures to post, but the upload speeds are so slow with blogger that I am exploring other options.)</div>
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Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-10881266198469027992018-03-03T08:39:00.000-08:002018-03-03T08:39:59.176-08:00Photos From February 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Phoenix, AZ</b></div>
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For me, the primary reason for going to the Phoenix area is to visit with family and friends. It's too bad that we are so busy visiting with family that we forget to take pictures - LOL. At least I remembered to capture the moment with friends!</div>
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<b>Parker Dam, CA</b></div>
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This area is right across the Colorado River from Parker, AZ. Loved the river, loved the sunrises and sunsets.</div>
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<b>University of California-Riverside Botanical Gardens</b></div>
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<b>Oceanside, CA</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the house from Top Gun where Kelly McGillis' character lived. How sad it looks now.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9cTTKziCwRhpAfJAY0BIfjHIwT2TSj3T375WLaJ4Y8b-fmrWjZoLJbi1RGsTecZeNm4R0sI67uzAmKpoh31ElirHqVMmaIXS2hHHDRbEBhVffdvjk5qrRhQ1E5dZCpKPk5kjMxUFQ34/s1600/IMG_6915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9cTTKziCwRhpAfJAY0BIfjHIwT2TSj3T375WLaJ4Y8b-fmrWjZoLJbi1RGsTecZeNm4R0sI67uzAmKpoh31ElirHqVMmaIXS2hHHDRbEBhVffdvjk5qrRhQ1E5dZCpKPk5kjMxUFQ34/s200/IMG_6915.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After 3 months on the road, we finally caught up with Kim's aunt and uncle!<br />
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Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-41706750280776077972018-03-03T08:38:00.001-08:002018-03-03T08:38:26.774-08:00RV Park Mini Reviews for February 2018<b>Destiny Phoenix RV Resort - Goodyear, AZ</b>: We have stayed here before. It is just a few miles from where family lives, so it makes it very convenient. It is a little pricey for nightly or weekly stays, and caters primarily to long term snow birds. It's a very social place. I would recommend it for anyone who likes this type of camping. Next year, we will probably look at one of the county parks.<br />
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<b>River Lodge RV Resort - Parker Dam, CA</b>: We have been scoping this place out for years. You know how you build things up in your mind, and then the reality hits, and disappointment sinks in. Yep, well, that's what happened. Let me be clear. The place itself is fine. If you are a golfer, you will love it, because it has a 9 hole course, and it is free with your space rent. The RV sites are of decent size. We had excellent satellite reception for Direct TV. And the weather for the 9 days we were there was wonderful. Our huge problem is the total lack of cell and wifi service. That just did not work for us. We even purchased the park wifi package, but it was slow and sometimes it would not connect at all. For some people this might be okay, but for us, not so much. It is a very social group here among the long-term snowbirds. Everyone one was friendly, but we just did not fit in. It was too bad, because on the surface, this place ticked off most of our boxes. The other down size is that it is 12 miles into Parker - if you have a big ass truck that will not fit going over the Parker Dam Road.<br />
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<b>Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails - Menifee, CA</b>: One of our favorite parks in the Thousand Trails system. Not sure why exactly. It is in the middle of some small farms as well as residential areas. There is close in shopping. The sites on the 30 amp side are of good size. There is a 50 amp area with sites a little closer together but not bad. If we were here in the summer and wanted to run AC units, we might consider that area. During this visit, we drove around, just exploring the area. We did take a trip up to the UC-Riverside Botanical gardens, which was a nice half day excursion. And the highlight was finally catching up with husband's aunt and uncle. We met for lunch and a stroll on the beach in Oceanside.<br />
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<b>Orange Grove RV Park - Bakersfield, CA: </b>I have read about this park for years, and we finally decided to give it a try. We left Menifee, CA and came up north on I-215 to I-15, cut off at Hwy 395, over to Hwy 58 and down into Bakersfield. The park is an easy exit off of 58, and I was surprised given how close we were that there was very little traffic noise. Check in was quick and easy. Orange trees by every site. You are free to pick the oranges and the park even provides the picking tools to reach the ones high up in the tree. The nightly cost came to about $40 and I thought was a fair price for FHUs, convenience and oranges! Unfortunately, I failed to take a photo of our site :(<br />
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<br />Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-30782766135768733042018-02-03T13:13:00.000-08:002018-02-03T13:13:21.565-08:00Photos From January 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Cibola National Wildlife Refuge - Cibola, AZ</b></div>
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I can't wait to go back here again. We had someone hiking in front of us that was a little loud, and although they saw lots of other birds and animals, those same birds and animals had retreated by the time we got there, 2 minutes later. (Insert sad face here)</div>
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<b>Quartzsite, AZ</b></div>
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Quartzsite is an experience in and of itself. Come January, there is a huge gathering of RV fanatics and rock hounds that take over the small town. There are big tents with all sorts of vendors. I read that more than 2 million people descend on this area during January and February. I think the year-round population is somewhere in the 2000 range. Quartzsite is an experience every RVer should try, at least once. The first time we went was in the middle of the Big RV Show, and it was overwhelming. This year, we went just as the rock and gem people were starting, and the RV show was two weeks away. If you are an introvert like me, this is definitely more doable.</div>
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Below is the monument to "Hi Jolly" a camel driver hired by the US Army to lead an experiment in using camels in desert situations. The experiment largely failed because the other pack animals used by the US Army, mules, donkeys, etc, were frightened of the large camels.</div>
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Vendors and more vendors</div>
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<b>Tucson, AZ</b></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arizona Sonora Desert Museum - The hummingbirds were nesting.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-MKgjWsEggLnny6zTjXZ1AMk-HA82AhD-ylTffqJnxJZlAxKnCV4QLfJUrvrGG3FI080uCNtWDfWoWXz2XGUtbKXzwynM26x6YL72onxYHv84uVBe9Yxj7SQ-tbhmkfuK3HToiWtZGY/s1600/fullsizeoutput_14b0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="1600" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs-MKgjWsEggLnny6zTjXZ1AMk-HA82AhD-ylTffqJnxJZlAxKnCV4QLfJUrvrGG3FI080uCNtWDfWoWXz2XGUtbKXzwynM26x6YL72onxYHv84uVBe9Yxj7SQ-tbhmkfuK3HToiWtZGY/s320/fullsizeoutput_14b0.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arizona Sonora Desert Museum - Hummingbird Exhibit</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arizona Sonora Desert Museum - Hummingbird Exhibit</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arizona Sonora Desert Museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arizona Sonora Desert Museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBNMLjA6pVcCMohMi7ztyx4M36zFVvFAx5z843iI0ownIIFxjqoUuMlC-c1J2PCd_yTAgF9R71F9haKxLvEA20KFSMEocrlYhGtHPZQX5G2dq5Z6rmAnOK71w20zjXWUthUMfTzTLOxM/s1600/fullsizeoutput_14a5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1418" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXBNMLjA6pVcCMohMi7ztyx4M36zFVvFAx5z843iI0ownIIFxjqoUuMlC-c1J2PCd_yTAgF9R71F9haKxLvEA20KFSMEocrlYhGtHPZQX5G2dq5Z6rmAnOK71w20zjXWUthUMfTzTLOxM/s320/fullsizeoutput_14a5.jpeg" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arizona Sonora Desert Museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catalina State Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catalina State Park-Cardinal</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catalina State Park-Gila Woodpecker</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catalina State Park-Coyote</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catalina State Park - Verdin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoEY8oe20sGIc41iJZg9qZdu7v3hPuHhJ7qzIKgPoaZJmF4CuYh0QL-hHisAg0U8BTf6EiqmW78M7UNZPAfjbDQbtlUpcJLXpmIbayqZPSJ5TXLKR0Z1PMvwagwWBqoo1xrYMk9NVtBZo/s1600/fullsizeoutput_149f.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1279" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoEY8oe20sGIc41iJZg9qZdu7v3hPuHhJ7qzIKgPoaZJmF4CuYh0QL-hHisAg0U8BTf6EiqmW78M7UNZPAfjbDQbtlUpcJLXpmIbayqZPSJ5TXLKR0Z1PMvwagwWBqoo1xrYMk9NVtBZo/s320/fullsizeoutput_149f.jpeg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catalina State Park - Roadrunner</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arizona Sonora Desert Museum - Wolf Exhibit</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arizona Sonora Desert Museum - Mule Deer<br /><br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYPPPTsTVPsqdqzfD9eGNd3GDluEqMkBGR6u1xlXmOAQq3q7mTgGCYFUyLlyVhW-hVWTJz7aWavdpNwS8DDwGe2RnQ4eE20XCr4eCZ6vKBs16pBnmHEQGutUB0jKxmmoD7iEU922EMpc/s1600/fullsizeoutput_14aa.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1326" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYPPPTsTVPsqdqzfD9eGNd3GDluEqMkBGR6u1xlXmOAQq3q7mTgGCYFUyLlyVhW-hVWTJz7aWavdpNwS8DDwGe2RnQ4eE20XCr4eCZ6vKBs16pBnmHEQGutUB0jKxmmoD7iEU922EMpc/s320/fullsizeoutput_14aa.jpeg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Arizona Sonora Desert Museum - Burrowing Owl<br />
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Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-71259095360759120382018-02-01T08:18:00.000-08:002018-02-01T08:18:05.141-08:00RV Park Mini-Reviews - January 2018<br />
We wrapped up our stay at Thousand Trails Wilderness Lakes in Menifee, CA. This park will be on my repeat list for sure. It's laid back. Sites are generous in size. Good shopping is close by. Husband likes the pool tournaments. Plenty to do and see should I care to venture away from the rig. And best of all, friends nearby!<br />
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<b>River Breeze RV - Ehrenburg, AZ: </b>This is one of my favorite parks. It is conveniently located and well maintained. It is right on the river. There is an even distribution of long term residents and monthly/weekly transients. They have a clubhouse type room, a laundromat, boat ramp, and good management. The only drawback is the lack of shopping. You do need to go into Blythe, CA for groceries, and even in Blythe, there isn't much of anything. We drove out to the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, and did a run to Quartzsite to check things out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj7zpZGlx-Up0GEZ2tPiv_sosr0BCo-XF8nz20frpZ5W6YOlAqRZDTlFavxmjATfWmzf2NuB73Fy2JvwcuYwncR25MVXST3OYDsLNFoLiiabFnj7g0PIJBbKPRnjzvZkryVuvrZ2f3ek/s1600/IMG_6816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbj7zpZGlx-Up0GEZ2tPiv_sosr0BCo-XF8nz20frpZ5W6YOlAqRZDTlFavxmjATfWmzf2NuB73Fy2JvwcuYwncR25MVXST3OYDsLNFoLiiabFnj7g0PIJBbKPRnjzvZkryVuvrZ2f3ek/s320/IMG_6816.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River Breeze RV Resort - Ehrenburg, AZ<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NMSSpEUN_-6F78x3tjRDqFR3gQLwxHFYISeZKBZVcOzdijFj6jL7BT8p8XWvPwMvd5Pnp1blxFxHq4A3ESVicCPaPCbKPSZXS-kLuDVUPzqUFoJtuU3qYIY8lmc1sA7YqAhRELpmg3s/s1600/S1650004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NMSSpEUN_-6F78x3tjRDqFR3gQLwxHFYISeZKBZVcOzdijFj6jL7BT8p8XWvPwMvd5Pnp1blxFxHq4A3ESVicCPaPCbKPSZXS-kLuDVUPzqUFoJtuU3qYIY8lmc1sA7YqAhRELpmg3s/s320/S1650004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cibola National Wildlife Refuge - Cibola, AZ<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitWglbbpf_MYTdsr1VvJXggnlRpWcM-KpEf5StpVe-ZhopppHBI4tBb8nwDbfJLXAUJIiQ_8iqAYl-NWrapumlP9axBCUJVd8XdHbUkMpUOzU9I1KaRYJ54DA8UWma3iObdgfC_hxz1M/s1600/fullsizeoutput_134a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitWglbbpf_MYTdsr1VvJXggnlRpWcM-KpEf5StpVe-ZhopppHBI4tBb8nwDbfJLXAUJIiQ_8iqAYl-NWrapumlP9axBCUJVd8XdHbUkMpUOzU9I1KaRYJ54DA8UWma3iObdgfC_hxz1M/s320/fullsizeoutput_134a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cibola National Wildlife Refuge - Cibola, AZ</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhkc4Kkv5a-Z09HWTWTR6H3GnHGXzUuJ6MSk86K4yf9agbofItsw3PbCj-q-F3mqpA0rddOqUeu_SVvn0io3gk3OM7tJScN543Gvpaz6pO3pv0vtrSEtSAGHSml8tyDxe8uv51DoRS-g/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1357.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1299" data-original-width="1600" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhkc4Kkv5a-Z09HWTWTR6H3GnHGXzUuJ6MSk86K4yf9agbofItsw3PbCj-q-F3mqpA0rddOqUeu_SVvn0io3gk3OM7tJScN543Gvpaz6pO3pv0vtrSEtSAGHSml8tyDxe8uv51DoRS-g/s320/fullsizeoutput_1357.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cibola National Wildlife Refuge-Cibola, AZ</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQMPsuTKRzAwIVhbXuLCMKEn_lvv6z2BeWKQ2uqYC5DTn5MWMNsAbtHMgKPMvTiPlZrQ9G2D_gIBOcRtsOR9C1Aj_yVe-1ZNTjj1xuMyWPsiBuI5TGJq0ZY9cNLfyxGBnm6VD6S64M0I/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1372.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="1600" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQMPsuTKRzAwIVhbXuLCMKEn_lvv6z2BeWKQ2uqYC5DTn5MWMNsAbtHMgKPMvTiPlZrQ9G2D_gIBOcRtsOR9C1Aj_yVe-1ZNTjj1xuMyWPsiBuI5TGJq0ZY9cNLfyxGBnm6VD6S64M0I/s320/fullsizeoutput_1372.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boondockers in Quarztsite, AZ before the big rush of the annual RV shows<br />
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<b>Pioneer RV Park - Wellton, AZ</b>: This is a 55+ park, well kept with lots of activities. I would guess that 75% are long term/extended stay residents. It is about 20 miles east of Yuma, on I-8. There is one small grocery for essentials in Wellton, otherwise the main shopping is in Yuma. It's an easy drive, although on the return, you have to go through the Border Guard check point each time. It's no big deal and we were waved through most of the time, but you never know how long the line will be in front of you. My other complaint was the train noise and whistles. Nothing the park could have done, but if you are a light sleeper, it can be annoying. If you choose to stay in Yuma, then you deal with the noise from the airport or I-8, as most RV parks are either in the flight path or bordering on the freeway. There is a great Fry's store in the Foothills area of Yuma, and a more than decent Walmart. Lots of good restaurants. A regular type mall in west Yuma was appealing. We found a small portable humidifier that uses simple plastic water bottles at Bed, Bath and Beyond. This was a godsend as I was zapping everything I touched with all this dry weather. Our primary reason for stopping in Yuma was to see some good friends who spend their winters in Yuma. We had also intended to go to Los Algodones, Mexico for some dental work, but unfortunately that didn't happen - chalk it up to poor planning on our part. While in Yuma, the only other excursion we did was a visit to the West Wetlands Park. I had hoped for some photos in the butterfly and hummingbird gardens, and along the trails. This has not been my trip for wildlife photos so far.....other than water fowl.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhlwCqDOvBf1DHqDrM4f36YEF8_71fhbtFAa6eMk0nAs-zqciFVY4yEmZSglPmZ5hwDMUnNRM8_TVkVWzNB2FT678RgE73QS8ZS5BXXzvdjsmNPFGwPVmBm5NscgGXsSrdagnjHOKO-k/s1600/ReNvQCACRo2thB%2525E2zMAdg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhlwCqDOvBf1DHqDrM4f36YEF8_71fhbtFAa6eMk0nAs-zqciFVY4yEmZSglPmZ5hwDMUnNRM8_TVkVWzNB2FT678RgE73QS8ZS5BXXzvdjsmNPFGwPVmBm5NscgGXsSrdagnjHOKO-k/s320/ReNvQCACRo2thB%2525E2zMAdg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a stellar picture, but this was a sunrise shot from the back window of our rig while camping in Wellton, AZ<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaecomDJXGQ0ZGyUNx7NoVw2LkoA7TQWKywAqtpkpR6cRqoTYItTDMvI0jbzBSCdlwA6yb0mZGCJyeF55A62vVIg4UqLknbs8-POSPIWJ_Bw9e0qrGgn8H4oWHGmsouTEz69TbjrKJKQg/s1600/DSC_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaecomDJXGQ0ZGyUNx7NoVw2LkoA7TQWKywAqtpkpR6cRqoTYItTDMvI0jbzBSCdlwA6yb0mZGCJyeF55A62vVIg4UqLknbs8-POSPIWJ_Bw9e0qrGgn8H4oWHGmsouTEz69TbjrKJKQg/s320/DSC_0008.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Wetlands Park - Yuma AZ<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_J6jJGjxLexon8WhTB5dGoEENOaC118JWfZfMEfZUxGiok5-LdNNQW0wA7pJsz_nf5o5uxU-_mOB3TPqhdlDu7yWAHgte19kW04QRTS3_f86PwUj0m5X8xMBJ0PX3VGpOYYwhNmXfk5I/s1600/fullsizeoutput_145d.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1086" data-original-width="1600" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_J6jJGjxLexon8WhTB5dGoEENOaC118JWfZfMEfZUxGiok5-LdNNQW0wA7pJsz_nf5o5uxU-_mOB3TPqhdlDu7yWAHgte19kW04QRTS3_f86PwUj0m5X8xMBJ0PX3VGpOYYwhNmXfk5I/s320/fullsizeoutput_145d.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Heron at West Wetlands Park in Yuma<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbV4AUNl9ACvbI0gHBu-VvAuwM3ygATItUORNWPDaLYg1h5LDxwvhe3rTzm43dCb9bEjVmcy1w90Niknd3Jm78tuApu57OCL1TvAKerLYZF6ILlHUA5Nn-bW-A4dkctcFYCXZbyGJAG8/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitbV4AUNl9ACvbI0gHBu-VvAuwM3ygATItUORNWPDaLYg1h5LDxwvhe3rTzm43dCb9bEjVmcy1w90Niknd3Jm78tuApu57OCL1TvAKerLYZF6ILlHUA5Nn-bW-A4dkctcFYCXZbyGJAG8/s320/DSC_0007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is an RV park across the river from West Wetlands Park - looks like my kinda place to enjoy the morning coffee!</td></tr>
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<b>Butterfield RV Resort - Benson, AZ</b>: Let's start with the good - This has got to have been one of the cleanest, most well maintained parks we've ever been in. The maintenance guys patrol the park all day, even taking time to sweep away stray gravel on the blacktopped roads. The staff was fabulous. There were plenty of activities. I would guess there was a distribution of one-third full time residents in park models, one-third seasonal residents (there for the winter) and one-third weekly/monthly transients exploring the area. They have an observatory onsite and offer free programs to guests each evening by the local astronomer, with a chance to look through the telescope. We didn't get a chance to do this unfortunately (cloud cover one night, and temps in the 20s on the clear nights - and someone didn't bring his heavy coat on this trip) but our neighbors said it was wonderful, and they hoped to do it again before they left. Another plus, at least in this bad flu season, was the hospital one block away.</div>
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The bad parts - and none of these should reflect on the park itself - there are train tracks two blocks away, and there must be a safety reason that the conductor blows the whistle multiple times when going through Benson. It's bad enough during the day, but if you are a light sleeper, it is miserable. The only grocery options are Safeway (next door to the park) and a small Walmart. There is very little to do in Benson itself. The Karshner Caverns have a Benson address, but they are actually closer to Sierra Vista. We didn't get a chance to see the living caves because it was pretty cold while we were there, and there was the whole warm coat issue as mentioned above. However, we will come back to do this as I've heard this is well worth it. Like I said, there is really nothing in Benson - a golf course if you play but we don't. We did drive to Tombstone (and saw a cheesy re-enactment of the Shoot Out at OK Corral. We had lunch at Big Nosed Kate's Saloon. We won't need to do either of those things again. We drove done to Bisbee, mostly because I wanted to get a sense of the area as it is the setting of the Johanna Brady mystery series by J A Jance. I wish we had allowed more time. It wasn't at all what I expected. A bit like a trip to Jerome, AZ but bigger. Lots of shops, galleries, restaurants, which really is not our thing, but even the husband said we needed to come back and explore the area. We stopped in Sierra Vista on the way back to Benson. It makes a loop of sorts, taking Hwy 80 from Benson to Bisbee, and then Hwy 90 back through Sierra Vista. There is major shopping in Sierra Vista (Frys, Target, Staples, etc) probably due to Fort Huachuca (US Army Intelligence base and school). When we come back to explore the area, we will probably stay in Sierra Vista instead of Benson, and hope there are no issues with the train whistles there.<br />
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(Apparently, I did not take any pictures of the <a href="http://www.rv-resort.com/" target="_blank">Butterfield RV Resort</a>. But there are pictures on their website - they cycle through photo at the top of the page.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtks8YCxNcMAr-c5aY6-RS0yX-lfAgjo1VW7zsa_fU4kq52XmrJU_yOPSWHlpCiQEg21rt8kJloWYyW_pFk-Kh1v2ocRBMWm2HKdy2nYQe3s_ozczGowOPHZWAvzDj2zeC3ShT4PGY58/s1600/DSC_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtks8YCxNcMAr-c5aY6-RS0yX-lfAgjo1VW7zsa_fU4kq52XmrJU_yOPSWHlpCiQEg21rt8kJloWYyW_pFk-Kh1v2ocRBMWm2HKdy2nYQe3s_ozczGowOPHZWAvzDj2zeC3ShT4PGY58/s320/DSC_0004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boothill Cemetery<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIt_bf47_TP55Qa5o_2DCOP9zCstuwFvLSuSmOoosCj4cRS3JHUeI_SpRBbUCtk_79ZDAH9yornmK9xQgydCnPRcPXbpOxra4FBKFwzDapmYJmMoHzWBrONzfmi3Zi5C3xjTEBP9U7kk/s1600/fullsizeoutput_146a.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIt_bf47_TP55Qa5o_2DCOP9zCstuwFvLSuSmOoosCj4cRS3JHUeI_SpRBbUCtk_79ZDAH9yornmK9xQgydCnPRcPXbpOxra4FBKFwzDapmYJmMoHzWBrONzfmi3Zi5C3xjTEBP9U7kk/s320/fullsizeoutput_146a.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boothill Cemetery</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtrl1xXRCRZbfQ8ofhMtUuk8Gi9emab5lnCbTYfrShNhCWAb3CfM0G37qIY3sjytS6EBPDxNNrfP3xZxv9GJdPd3wj9xOQSnptN06P5C7X6wjY3c_DtexrQKCZNiLg29zXueEU_bSqC8/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOtrl1xXRCRZbfQ8ofhMtUuk8Gi9emab5lnCbTYfrShNhCWAb3CfM0G37qIY3sjytS6EBPDxNNrfP3xZxv9GJdPd3wj9xOQSnptN06P5C7X6wjY3c_DtexrQKCZNiLg29zXueEU_bSqC8/s320/DSC_0017.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tombstone, AZ</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlzlXbsY9bSwx4G7psI_lFubXgE_Nr_YhgSPuPUoI9qK4g_mDvowYuDhKhy1zyBIqQe7Qucabsvdg2HIYDLyGlEQ0IpQiVq54GSs8xheE4-6BX92-Ag-M0YrdBqKBDEEgXtGMz0kydVU/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimlzlXbsY9bSwx4G7psI_lFubXgE_Nr_YhgSPuPUoI9qK4g_mDvowYuDhKhy1zyBIqQe7Qucabsvdg2HIYDLyGlEQ0IpQiVq54GSs8xheE4-6BX92-Ag-M0YrdBqKBDEEgXtGMz0kydVU/s320/DSC_0021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Earp Brothers and Doc Holliday - Shoot Out at the OK Corral re-enactment</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LEm39DnsT2UVd0GqJaeRGv30kp5_Z99-uLJWmJuP8bOvW0hxA-FtB_9o_ZKOjwS3oM_qqksBPpWhlE1Kz1hGl-AXAYYKhwU5e2FFdBb0c8M7nsj4s2A5rYLTlC_IePICZ3a2lenDy6w/s1600/fullsizeoutput_1468.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1351" data-original-width="1600" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LEm39DnsT2UVd0GqJaeRGv30kp5_Z99-uLJWmJuP8bOvW0hxA-FtB_9o_ZKOjwS3oM_qqksBPpWhlE1Kz1hGl-AXAYYKhwU5e2FFdBb0c8M7nsj4s2A5rYLTlC_IePICZ3a2lenDy6w/s320/fullsizeoutput_1468.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Shoot Out re-enactment<br />
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<b>Catalina State Park - Tucson, AZ</b>: I love, love, love this park. The sites are huge. They do have water and electric only at their two main campgrounds - Section B has 50amp and Section A has 30amp, with dumpsites in the park. The roads and sites are paved. The restrooms and showers were very nice. There is an overflow dry camping area as well. We enjoyed hiking in the park, and just kicking back and relaxing. There is great shopping in the area - anything you could want within about 10 miles. Right across the highway is a good sized complex with restaurants, theaters, Walmart. Groceries including Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Sprouts, Frys - all within 5 miles. We will definitely return here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuk0H7b7adTwG63ZURecdiFrwIbbQJWdmVQ-7f6ygCbfO3qd9K3ryAHSFuKO-Imj-GHCtBY9o7TCYxNJFjeUrBB4IHVVzgd-wlQepL6NXwi5ml0C-6xYCnpC0Fmi5579vfzsN532k7nxg/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuk0H7b7adTwG63ZURecdiFrwIbbQJWdmVQ-7f6ygCbfO3qd9K3ryAHSFuKO-Imj-GHCtBY9o7TCYxNJFjeUrBB4IHVVzgd-wlQepL6NXwi5ml0C-6xYCnpC0Fmi5579vfzsN532k7nxg/s320/DSC_0020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Section B at Catalina State Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZMn-uUSUlJ5X4P7r9np9H5ssKpIusmAOsJp12YSI5CBc8TgoFD2zoVX7E62ozDnHaf1aFDXWyNL2EPFZku8_Ab5oY6VPHm8c_Wffv_NEBcHhjsOzPiZdFC_y9bZ93-bb0XN7pfnCns0/s1600/fullsizeoutput_148e.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1125" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihZMn-uUSUlJ5X4P7r9np9H5ssKpIusmAOsJp12YSI5CBc8TgoFD2zoVX7E62ozDnHaf1aFDXWyNL2EPFZku8_Ab5oY6VPHm8c_Wffv_NEBcHhjsOzPiZdFC_y9bZ93-bb0XN7pfnCns0/s320/fullsizeoutput_148e.jpeg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Coyote came to visit</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birding Trail at Catalina State Park</td></tr>
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We didn't do much of anything while in Tucson, but we did go out to the Sonora Arizona Desert Museum. The day we were was windy, and they did not have the Raptor Experience, so we will have to return. I really enjoyed the hummingbird exhibit. I will post pictures in a separate entry.<br />
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Stops planned in February - Phoenix, AZ. Parker Dam, CA. Wilderness Lakes/Menifee, CA.</div>
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Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-28778460704016568462018-01-26T07:44:00.000-08:002018-01-26T07:44:35.941-08:00Favorite Pictures From Our Journeys in November and December 2017<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hz_10xojjfI53WeCJGyRgFADA8x9Z_Ad9xRmDWFnNukqOJn-DkuA4_cHHazBDwNTqfgX40vZrJWT7tCiK6G-9bHSyvDoBDVCNxsSZHuad-6t-cgzov2aBbmGy7Kllj8z_7NgI7Cjtso/s1600/fullsizeoutput_12d7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hz_10xojjfI53WeCJGyRgFADA8x9Z_Ad9xRmDWFnNukqOJn-DkuA4_cHHazBDwNTqfgX40vZrJWT7tCiK6G-9bHSyvDoBDVCNxsSZHuad-6t-cgzov2aBbmGy7Kllj8z_7NgI7Cjtso/s320/fullsizeoutput_12d7.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joshua Tree National Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbDzqwLmRUDdhwe6vUsuG1Nr5ZYhT47ii4Ft0XB9kKAsvic7UhCx9jIVhHqUM0xy5JI2PNWIsUh-aYEGSSzJLBajFY3-_0hHdvOk8V0SxAQJU-h30RaYUgLe1e3dPfwC3yZkq-G6FZOs/s1600/fullsizeoutput_12de.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1600" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNbDzqwLmRUDdhwe6vUsuG1Nr5ZYhT47ii4Ft0XB9kKAsvic7UhCx9jIVhHqUM0xy5JI2PNWIsUh-aYEGSSzJLBajFY3-_0hHdvOk8V0SxAQJU-h30RaYUgLe1e3dPfwC3yZkq-G6FZOs/s320/fullsizeoutput_12de.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joshua Tree National Park<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyMMSUhRbTGDyoio7cc3Ia4ZzI2MJhPDptXypPoqm_bNI1jdoDvU405krgPXJLKNt6YxNYHGfPTzl9osXZpP6NklsLbmZKdH-gkoyhutG79xElR-XPVgnVJ4YWSgL5d6EgzvAiKiY9U4/s1600/fullsizeoutput_12cc.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyMMSUhRbTGDyoio7cc3Ia4ZzI2MJhPDptXypPoqm_bNI1jdoDvU405krgPXJLKNt6YxNYHGfPTzl9osXZpP6NklsLbmZKdH-gkoyhutG79xElR-XPVgnVJ4YWSgL5d6EgzvAiKiY9U4/s320/fullsizeoutput_12cc.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joshua Tree National Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had never seen a pomegranate tree before. Shoshone, CA</td></tr>
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Sunrise - Palm Springs </div>
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Salvation Mountain - Slab City, CA</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wish I could turn my head that far around! Lake Havasu State Park, AZ<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yucaipa Regional Park-Yucaipa, CA<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joshua Tree National Park<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
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<br />Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-41379162967245880572018-01-22T13:16:00.000-08:002018-01-26T07:09:21.725-08:00Birding in November and December 2017I am a beginner when it comes to photography. I have a Nikon D3300. I'm still using auto-focus as I get used to this camera. Wildlife, flowers and landscapes are my favorite things to capture (aside from my grandsons).<br />
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Black Phoebe - Lake Havasu, AZ</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black Billed Magpie - San Benito Thousand Trails Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gambel's Quail - San Benito Thousand Trails Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Blue Heron - Lake Havasu</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Killdeer - Lake Havasu</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Egret - Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Coot - Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Immature Black-Crowned Night-Heron (?) - Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American White Pelican - Salton Sea</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hummingbird - the light was not good enough to tell what kind - Wilderness Lakes Thousand Trails<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock Wren - Joshua Tree National Park</td></tr>
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<br />Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-75233932895460365272018-01-22T09:16:00.000-08:002018-01-22T09:16:02.302-08:00RV Park Mini-Reviews for December 2017During December, we went from Nevada to Arizona to California. <br />
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After leaving Bullhead City, AZ, we drove to Pahrump, Nevada.<br />
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<b>Pahrump, NV - Wine Ridge RV Park</b>: This is a nice, well kept RV Park, with great amenities and lots of activities. We are not activity people, but there is plenty to do if you like that sort of thing. Bonus points for the winery that is attached to the park! We spent our time in Pahrump relaxing and just driving around, checking things out. I won $50 at Irene's Casino, which is a little hole in the wall place with a good restaurant, a bar and about 250 machines. We also drove out to Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge, an oasis in the desert and worth the trip - we were only gone a few hours. They have a nice visitors center and well informed rangers.<br />
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<b>Las Vegas, NV - Thousand Trails Las Vegas</b>: There were a couple reasons we stopped here for a few days. First was just to check it out. People either love or hate this park, or they admit that it is primarily about location, location, location, plus a free place to park the rig if you are a Thousand Trails member. I will say this is not my favorite, or even close to favorite park, but what it does have going for it, aside from the location aspect and as a base camp for exploring LV, is the staff. All the rangers and staff we met were very friendly, helpful and on the job. The spaces are tight, and it is basically a gravel parking lot, and not the type of campground where you sit outside and visit with people walking by. </div>
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The other reason was to see our niece who lives in Summerlin, and whose sister was also visiting from Washington, so two nieces in one trip, and a wonderful late breakfast at the Peppermill. That alone made the stay at this campground worthwhile!</div>
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<b>Lake Havasu City, AZ - Lake Havasu State Park</b>: This park had been recommended to us over and over again. Let's get the bad news out of the way first. These sites are W and E only. There is a dump station in the park. Inconvenient, yes, but certainly doable. We had a river front site, and the boats were loud. I can't imagine what it is like during the summer. Those are really minor gripes. The big sites, the beautiful views, the trails, everything else - I loved this park and would highly recommend it.</div>
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<b>Palm Desert, CA - Thousand Trails Palm Springs RV Resort</b>: Truth be told, we came to this resort expecting to just hate it. It pretty much borders on a busy section of I-10 (there is a frontage road between the resort and the freeway). Many reviews of this park were not good. You will hear that the spaces are tight, it's too loud, there are trains at all hours, etc., etc., etc. However, you will also hear the people that love it at this resort. We decided to check it out for ourselves. We were surprised how much we did like it. There is a 50 amp section, which is tight - most spaces are between palm trees. There is also a 30 amp section, where spots are much wider and bigger. This is where we stayed. There are lots of activities, again if you like that kind of thing. While we were there, we encountered many friendly campers and people to chat with. Kim joined in on the daily pool tournaments, and he really enjoyed that. There are so many things to do and see around this area, even if you are not the touristy type - which describes us. We did drive out to the Salton Sea, Slab City, East Jesus and through Joshua Tree National Park. We will be going back because there was still so much we didn't do or see. As Kim often reminds me, we are not on vacation. We are full timing. We don't have to do and see everything the first time there. We know we will be back.<br />
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<b>Menifee, CA - Thousand Trails Wilderness Lakes</b>: This is a park where we had stayed about 7 years before. At that time, there was a big dairy farm nearby, and you could smell it. The dairy farm closed down but the property has remained agricultural, minus the smell. We like this park. The site spaces are big. It is low key, but close to shopping. Hemet, Temecula and Lake Elsinore are just 10-20 miles away plus you could easily make a visit to San Diego in a day trip. This park also has plenty of activities, plus a separate family and adults only pool. Kim enjoyed the daily pool tournaments here as well. We have a number of friends in the area which is why we continue to come back.<br />
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<br />Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-17155188294112682732018-01-20T12:37:00.000-08:002018-01-21T18:13:09.509-08:00RV Park Mini-Reviews for November 2017Here are the parks where in stayed in November 2017.<br />
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<b>Chehalis, WA - Thousand Trails</b>: Nice rural, forested park. Space sites were good. <br />
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<b>Creswell, OR - Meadowlark RV</b>: Right off I-5. Traffic noise. Employees with a great sense of humor. Nothing special.<br />
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<b>Grant's Pass, OR - Bridgeview RV</b>: Overnight spots are right on the river. Other side of the river is the freeway, so there was noise. Very nice and friendly owners/managers. Easy on and off from freeway. This was our view!<br />
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<b>Redding, CA - JGW Park</b>: Stayed there before. On the river. Nice clean park. Good laundry. Easy on and off the freeway. With another great view!<br />
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<b>Lodi, CA - Flag City RV</b>: Right off the freeway. Nice clean park. Manicured sites with cement pads.<br />
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<b>Paicines, CA - San Benito Thousand Trails</b>: This park is out in the middle of nowhere - about 15 miles from Hollister where there is major shopping, and then another 10 miles north is Gilroy. What I loved about this park was the wildlife. There are deer, fox, birds, and my favorite - the resident bobcat family!<br />
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<b>Santa Barbara, CA - Rancho Oso Thousand Trails</b>: This Thousand Trails Park is also a working horse ranch, so one of the perks they offer is guided trail rides. It is a rather nerve racking mile long drive into the park on a one lane road (once you turn off onto the park property from Paradise Road). People either love or hate this park. I was in the latter group, but that was mostly because cell, wifi and satellite service was iffy. And the drive in terrified me. That road is the reason there is an 11am check out and a 12pm check in time.<br />
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<b>Acton, CA - Soledad Canyon Thousand Trails</b>: Another rural park. We were there during a time when it was warm and dry .... really dry and dusty. Depending on where your site is within the park, you may or may not get cell, wifi or satellite. Commuter trains and an occasional freight train run daily. The park is showing its age, but the sales office and check in area have been updated. The pool and clubhouse were fine.<br />
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<b>Bullhead City, AZ - Mirage RV Park</b>: This is a nice residential park, with a few open spots for travelers. The spaces are good sized, and paved. Park residents are friendly. We enjoyed our stay. Lots of restaurant and shopping in Bullhead City. We especially liked the Smith's Store for groceries. Laughlin, NV with gambling and entertainment is on the other side of the Colorado River. We took a side excursion to Oatman, AZ - about 40 miles. This is an old ghost town where wild mules wander the streets. It's a tourist thing, but worth the visit.<br />
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<br />Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-24618111998446174852018-01-16T11:33:00.000-08:002018-01-16T11:33:21.110-08:00Two Years Later......First, I'm kind of surprised that this blog is still here, and that I can access it!<br />
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So long story short....we sold the Hitchhiker II and bought a 2017 Arctic Fox 35-5Z and a new Ford F450 to pull it with. Put the house on the market. Sold or donated most of our belongings. Rented a storage locker for a few items. And hit the road on November 1, 2017.<br />
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While no longer really RV Virgins, we are slowly remembering things about living and traveling in an RV. We are currently on a journey to find places we really like, especially to spend the winter, and then we will move on to places to spend the summer. Our goal is to stay in areas where we can enjoy daytime temperatures in the 70 - 80 degree range, and evenings that still above freezing.<br />
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We spent about a month driveway camping, to get back into the swing of things, and to learn which electrical items you can't run at the same time when you are hooked up to 30 amp.<br />
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Then we hit the road - first stop, Thousand Trails in Chehalis, WA. We did not much there but practice setting up and taking down, going over the "check list" and getting acclimated again to the art of living in an RV in a campground.</div>
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In the last 2 ½ months, we dashed over the Siskiyous to get down south before it snowed, and have spent time in California, Arizona and Nevada. We are appreciating the mild weather. We are missing our kids and grandkids and friends we left at home.<br />
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Up next on this blog: A post of mini-reviews of the places we have stayed.Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-19016163365797847752015-08-12T17:13:00.000-07:002015-08-12T17:13:04.852-07:00And A Year Or So Later...........Bedroom done! Living room to go!<br />
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With any luck, there will be no "surprises" when we lift up the living room carpet!Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-76485053626649637062015-05-06T15:29:00.000-07:002015-05-06T15:29:28.944-07:00Flowing Lake County Park, Snohomish, WAA nice county park with boating, fishing, swimming and, yes - CAMPING! There are rental cabins, tent spots and RV spots with hook ups. This is only 20 minutes from home for us, so we took a little drive out to see what was there. My only regret was that I didn't get a chance to take a photo of the roped off swimming area/playground; they were mowing and I didn't want to get in the way. Also, I missed getting a photo of site D3; it would accommodate a large rig, a boat and a car. Site #15 was also pretty bit (see that photo below). You can check on rates and other information by clicking here: <a href="http://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Flowing-Lake-Park-at-Leckies-Beach-31" target="_blank">Flowing Lake County Park, Snohomish, WA</a><br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">This is spot # 15.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAHMj6rc_-Zfz5qqulUo4PVRtm_GG4n4mB3U-I2vugYI0SeMLKHjqM8BaUjwiyqGzhg-iTauNfN3UHBfLqHkUOA4hJQh_tIaCVR8MxV6jj-AXGPUvWfYyeEngUQNQ-OajwkgthtRv1ijo/s1600/DSCN0756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAHMj6rc_-Zfz5qqulUo4PVRtm_GG4n4mB3U-I2vugYI0SeMLKHjqM8BaUjwiyqGzhg-iTauNfN3UHBfLqHkUOA4hJQh_tIaCVR8MxV6jj-AXGPUvWfYyeEngUQNQ-OajwkgthtRv1ijo/s1600/DSCN0756.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><br />
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<br />Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-20649392633254666482015-04-19T10:08:00.000-07:002015-04-19T10:08:27.526-07:00The 100 Day Challenge: Day #14 Hot Air Ballooning in Snohomish, WAI have been posting my 100 Day Challenge pictures on my other blog, <a href="http://www.betsysblahblahblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Betsy's Blah Blah Blog</a>, but I thought I'd share this morning's picture here as well. If you are ever visiting Snohomish, WA, you will learn the area is famous of antique shopping, skydiving and hot air ballooning. The hot air balloons often take off from a big grassy area near our home. I was hoping to catch the launch today, but I was about a block away when I heard the whoosh. I got a few decent pictures though. The company that owns this balloon is <a href="http://www.balloondepot.com/" target="_blank">The Balloon Depot</a> .<br />
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<br />Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-85918430621215833862015-04-17T08:21:00.000-07:002015-04-17T08:21:12.654-07:00The 100 Day Challenge: Day #12 - Thousand Trails ThunderbirdWe've all explored campgrounds or seen photos of places that look like wonderful places to set up. I have one of those places just 15 miles from home. Mind you we have yet to camp there, but I have been out to explore Thousand Trails Thunderbird Preserve in Monroe, WA many times.<br />
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The camp ground is split into 3 areas. The main area with the full hook ups, the bath house, pool, and family lounge is on the south side of Ben Howard Rd. The other two areas are on the north side of the road, and offer views of the Snohomish River. These sites offer water and electric only. There are port-a-potties available, but regular bathrooms, showers, etc., are in the main campground area.<br />
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I'm a "view person". I have wanted to bring our 5th wheel out here for a long time. The spots are back-in only (in fact all the sites in the campground are back ins), and we have a nice view window out the back of the rig. These spots along the river would offer great sunrise views (my favorite), bird watching, and so on. Once our rig is repaired (or we buy a new one, which ever comes first), this will be one of our first stops.<br />
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I didn't take any pictures of the rest of the campground, sorry. Just pictures of future views for my dream board.<br />
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<br />Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-31107327094778930142015-04-10T17:10:00.002-07:002015-04-10T17:10:47.256-07:00RV Show at the Evergreen County Fairgrounds in Monroe, WAWe are probably a year away from buying a brand new rig, but we do spend a lot of time looking at floor plans and checking out different 5th wheels. There are so many brands, and so many levels of quality. What we have determined is that if we are going to full time it for 5-10 years (that's the current plan anyway), we are going to want what we want. While cost is important, it will not be a deal breaker. <br />
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Right now we have a 2005 NuWa Hitchhiker II LS. We love the floor plan and are looking for something similar but with a W&D connection that isn't crammed into the bathroom.<br />
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For whatever reason, the dealers did not bring the "new" fifth wheels to the show. I guess the newest models won't be arriving until June. Some of the sales people we talked to said they had new rigs at their permanent locations, and we should stop by and see them there. For the ones we talked to that actually listened to what we were looking for, we will be stopping by at some point. For the ones that didn't listen, and just wanted to push whatever they had on hand, well, we won't be your customers. Your loss.<br />
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We've narrowed down our major front runners to Forest River, Arctic Fox and DRV. The Forest River models at the show were not the top of the line, and the ones that were there were used rigs, more than a few years old with floor plans that were no longer available. Arctic Fox said their new rigs would be coming in this June. We will be following up with them then. I'm one of those people that can read reviews and become educated about the quality of the finishings, but I really need to see it and get a feel for it before I can make a decision. DRV did have one rig there that I liked. If I ordered from the factory, there might be a few things I'd see if we could customize. Like I said, if I'm going to live in something full time for 10 years, then I am going to want what I want.<br />
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Here are a few pictures I took of the DRV Mobile Suites rig. I think this was a 2014 model (or maybe even a 2013). The inside pictures did not turn out as well as I would have liked, but they will do. At least it did have the rear window that we want. We would take out the couch and put in swivel recliners, so we can enjoy the view.<br />
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Not the best show I have ever attended, but it was free for us with comped tickets from the sponsors website and the parking was free. The other plus was I got in half of 10,000 steps for the day climbing in and out of the various rigs!<br />
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Our rig is still in the state of disrepair. I praying for a June finish date. In the meantime, if I can't be camping, I can certainly be dreaming about our next rig!Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-75971550402874143802015-04-08T14:59:00.001-07:002015-04-08T14:59:29.216-07:00Tip Toe Through The TulipsToday Kim and I made the 40 mile drive up to Skagit County, WA to visit the Tulip Festival in the LaConner/Mt Vernon area. This has been on my bucket list for many years. If you are in Western Washington in late March or early April, this is definitely worth a visit. There is a Thousand Trails RV Park in LaConner, and one in Bow (about 10 miles north).<br />
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And I found this lovable guy in amongst the red tulips.</div>
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And I found this as well</div>
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Who leaves a shoe in the middle of a muddy field? We won't even talk about the pair of underpants I saw (but didn't photograph) in the mud.</div>
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Until next time.......</div>
Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-9119654883114519772015-03-09T15:42:00.000-07:002015-03-09T15:42:17.025-07:00Maintaining Two Blogs - Time For A HiatusWhy do I have two blogs? That's the question I often ask myself. It certainly isn't to produce income. I've never mastered that, and it really isn't a motivating factor for me. I had started my other blog, <a href="http://www.betsysblahblahblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Betsy's Blah Blah Blog</a> , back when I first retired. I started this blog - RV Virgins - when my husband and had purchased a used 5th wheel trailer and were beginning our road trips. Then grandkids happened, and we found ourselves traveling less, and babysitting more. We are still traveling less, but now we are babysitting less as well. We aren't quite ready for full timing, but we are spending more and more time thinking about it, and preparing for it. This last month I have been digging through boxes and boxes of things I packed away after my mother passed away. It is time that all this "stuff" finds a new home where someone will enjoy it. Our list of things to fix, repair, upgrade, paint, etc., is growing and growing as we prepare to think about putting the house on the market. The weeds are growing and growing; why is it that my green thumb only applies to weeds? Kim continues to poke away at getting the trailer ready for what now looks like some summer time traveling, at least in Washington and Oregon. I'm a little antsy, but there is nothing I can do about it.<br />
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As you see, I do have a tendency to get side tracked. As I was saying, I'm trying to decide why I have two blogs. One is to share RV experiences. And one is for other stuff....thus the blah blah in the title. So as I have little to say about RV experiences for the time being, this blog will be on hiatus until we are on the road again. I appreciate all of you who have read and perhaps enjoyed our posts. I hope to catch up with you again sometime.<br />
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If you are interested in keeping up with the goings on in our lives, my painting, recipes, spiritual topics, rants and raves, please do stop by to visit <a href="http://www.betsysblahblahblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Betsy's Blah Blah Blog</a>.<br />
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Wishing you pleasant journeys!Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-82523013549958759412015-02-11T09:33:00.000-08:002015-02-12T11:18:20.224-08:00Ch-ch-ch-changes......<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The older you get, the easier it is to recognize that you are pushing too hard to make something happen. And that is where we find ourselves this week.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our lives were getting back to "normal" (whatever that is). Our daughter and her two sons (ages 4 and 2) had been staying with us. She had sold her home, and had made arrangements to rent a duplex near us. The landlord had said it would take a month or two to get the unit ready to rent. It just made sense that our daughter and the boys should move in with us. Well, two months turned into nine. The boys were thrilled. As Sam Levinson once said, <span style="color: #141823; line-height: 19px;">"The simplest toy ever invented, one even the smallest child can operate, is called a grandparent." After about six months, the adults, however, looking forward to having some space to themselves. But, I digress. The kids moved into their own place last week, and we are working at getting back into our normal routines.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #141823;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Kim has been working hard to fix the leaks, and replace the wall areas that had signs of wood rot. He is making progress. His expectation was to get the bedroom fixed, replace the carpet, put the bed, the dresser and cabinets back in. We would head south for a few months, and then come back and he would tackle the living room slide. My expectation was that it would all be done before we left. I was disappointed, but trying to be understanding. We had rescheduled trips to the Wine Ridge RV resort in Pahrump, NV and the River Lodge Resort in Parker Dam,CA four times. I had planned various routes and stops, depending on travel dates, more than a few times. We were both looking forward to getting out of the rain in the PNW.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 19px;">Then, as they say, $hit happens. Kim wasn't as far along with the repairs as he had hoped. We got a fabulous quote for removal of a huge tree in our yard that has needed to come down for a few years as long as the work was done within 60 days. We have windows that needed replacing. Dental work that needs doing. But the thing that made us really rethink our plans was that the daycare center that the grandsons go to is closing in less than a month. It is a scramble to find decent day care at any time, but in the middle of the school year, it is almost impossible. We just didn't feel we could leave until other arrangements had been made for the boys' daycare. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span style="color: #141823; line-height: 19px;">So for many reasons, we have chosen to change our plans again. I knew it was the right thing to do because both Kim and I immediately felt a sense of relief. So much to do....so much more time. It's a good thing. It will be even a better thing if we have warmer weather and reduced rain here in the Seattle area!</span></span>Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-69626331376118423002015-01-30T10:07:00.001-08:002015-01-30T10:07:41.446-08:00Saying Goodbye To ParenthoodAnd I'm crying my eyes out, darn it!<br />
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I feel quite different from most RV bloggers whose adventures I read about. I do not hike. I do not ride bikes. I don't even socialize very much. I do, however, watch a lot of TV. I do this not because I consider myself lazy, but because I really enjoy the medium. Many people I know are big fans of going to the theatre for movies or live performances. I prefer to stay home and watch things on TV.<br />
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This year we are seeing series finales of quite a few of my favorite shows. We've said goodbye to Sons of Anarchy earlier this year. Last night, it was Parenthood. And yes, I'm a sap; I cried throughout most of the episode. Such touching moments they were able to capture. And Max Burkholder, the actor that has played Max, a young boy with Asperger's Syndrome, deserves an award for his performances. It was a lot of dialogue done in monotone with a straight face, and he captured his character in an outstanding way. I will miss this program.<br />
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Also to say goodbye this season will be The Mentalist and Justified. So far this season, I've found The Mentalist to be boring. It is like they lost their original writing team, and have now just taken the easy way out. I've been able to easily predict what is coming, and I do hate it when that happens. Now Justified, on the other hand, is looking to give us a great final season. We are only two episodes into it, but I've enjoyed them both immensely.<br />
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I do, however, take great pleasure in knowing that there are many RVers out there who will be enjoying TV this weekend - whether in their own rigs, in the clubhouse, or in a local bar/tavern. Of course, I'm talking about the Super Bowl. So I will end this post with a shout out to all the 12ers around the country - GO HAWKS!Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-44409051917695508002015-01-28T10:41:00.000-08:002015-01-28T10:41:14.580-08:00Hair Care On The RoadDisclaimer: This is most definitely a chick-post. Men may want to read for informational purposes only.<br />
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When we first bought our 5th wheel, my hair was somewhere between my elbows and my waist. I most often wore it up on my head with a clip or bunched up in back with a scrunchee. I'm not a girly-girl. I hate messing with my hair or fussing with makeup. Sounds perfect for life in an RV, right? Well, the problem came my long hair started clogging up drains. And the next problem occurred when I would get out of the shower. Why is it my DH always had to be heating water for coffee or tea at the same time I was blow drying my hair. Yep, you guessed it. We dealt daily with pop goes the circuit. Our breaker box is under the refrigerator. Not easy to get to (at least if you have arthritis in the knees), and hard to see. So there was always mumbling going on about the situation. The solution was easy. The next year, I just cut my hair off, really short. No hair dryer needed.<br />
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This worked very well for awhile. And then I went to the dermatologist. She pointed out that I had a precancerous lesion on the top of my hair. She burned it off - it happened so fast I wasn't sure what she was doing - and told me I needed to be sure to wear a hat when I was outside. But, but, but, but....I don't look good in a hat when my hair is short. I don't necessarily look good in a hat when my hair is long either, but at least I look better.<br />
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As our departure south has been put off due to RV repairs, I decided to grow my hair out. It is now chin length. Hopefully it will get to the length where I will just need a bang trim and some shaving around the neck during the time we are gone. I've always heard that a good haircut is the key. So here is a plug for my niece, Opal Fitzpatrick, at the Ola Salon in West Seattle. Best hair cuts I have ever had. She is also a very talented colorist. Anyway, I've been discussing with her about what to do when we are on the road. What terminology do I use so the stylist knows what I want.<br />
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It brought up the discussion of how to choose where to get your hair done when you are on the road. Is it trial and error? Do you ask other women in the campground? Do you pick the cheapest walk in place just to get it done? Curious minds want to know.<br />
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We will see how long I am able to maintain my new do. While I don't think drain clogging will be an issue, there will be time added to my "getting ready" routine, which already takes longer than DH would like. And we will be going back to "pop goes the circuit" I'm pretty sure.<br />
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Do you think this is a silly topic for a blog post? Perhaps it is. Perhaps I am making much ado about nothing. Or perhaps I'm just trying to be the good wife and traveling partner, keeping things easy for the guy that does most of the work. Or perhaps I am just a tad more vain than I think I am.<br />
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As always, comments and suggestions are appreciated.Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-8863165508476537972015-01-14T14:17:00.000-08:002015-01-14T14:17:09.950-08:00Thousand Trails, K/M Resorts, and RV Park ReviewsYesterday I received a number of posts from a representative of K/M Resorts and other "anonymous" posters about an entry I had made a few years ago. The posts I received yesterday addressed comments made from visitors to my blog about experiences with K/M Resorts as well as Thousand Trails resorts.<br />
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I'm not complaining as obviously people found their way to my blog and that is good. (This blog is not a money earning venture - LOL - I think I have made about $25 total from two blogs since 2008.) What puzzles me is why they choose to respond to posts that are more than two years old. They were not responding to me but to other people who had left comments. It just struck me as odd. Or were they just not paying attention to the dates. Who knows, but I approved the posts because I like to share not only my own opinions, but those of others as well. I just ask that the posts be kind and respectful.<br />
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Today I renewed our zone membership with Thousand Trails. When we bought the TT Zone Pass last year, we took advantage of the "buy one zone, get one zone free" special. When I called about renewing, I wanted to make sure I was getting the same deal. I'm happy to say that I was. We've looked at upgrading to a different plan. I'm looking for those memberships that offer 2-3 weeks per park with no time out. I'm not interested in the free rental cabins or free memberships with ROD or RPI. We've been exploring buying a "used" membership. If you are reading this and have any experience with it, I'd love to hear from you. For this year anyway, our plans are to explore as many of the TT parks in Washington, Oregon, and California as we can. If we enjoy those experiences, then maybe next year we will upgrade. Time will tell.<br />
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For those K/M Resort fans, I'm thrilled for you if you like their parks. I was not impressed, and there were not enough parks for the money I was paying. That was the basis for my decision. Nothing against K/M at all. I just prefer the options that TT offered at this point.<br />
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Here's a question for you - When did RV Park Reviews change the look of their website? I find it much more difficult to navigate now. I'll get used to it, but sometimes I wonder if businesses shouldn't just hired "normal people" consultants to see what they like. What seems like an improvement to a programmer may be just plain confusing for the normal Joe/Joanne.<br />
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And that's my two bits for the day. Have a good one!Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-90804632264104567132015-01-13T12:40:00.002-08:002015-01-13T12:40:54.372-08:00Trip Planning and PackingWell, I'd love to say I was already packing for our upcoming (fingers crossed) trip down to some warmer weather. I'm just thinking about packing. Because I have taken up painting, I now have an easel, paints, brushes and canvases to pack. I've learned from many full-timers that if you take along something new, you have to leave behind things you've taken before. <br />
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I will be leaving behind some books to start. Considering I have most of my books on my iPad, this is not a big deal really. What I will have to watch is the hard cover/paper back books I usually carry around on the subject of writing fiction. Somehow, I have collected quite a few of these books over the years, and I admit that I have really written very little since I started writing a mystery a few years ago.<br />
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I've learned I don't need to pack around every DVD I might want to watch. I have no problem finding things to watch on TV. We have only camped in a few spots where we could not pick up a satellite signal, and most of those spots had campground provided cable. We will probably bring along the Boardwalk Empire series that we have yet to watch, and my personal favorite, West Wing.<br />
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I have a tendency to bring more pots, pans and kitchen gadgets that I have ever needed. And more canned goods than necessary. Therefore, I will be giving serious consideration to watch what makes its way from the house into the rig. Honestly, we mostly grill our meat and steam our veggies for dinner. I'm not inclined to try new recipes while on the road. Seriously, how many pans do I really need. I hate to cook in general, and I really don't like cooking on the gas stove in the rig. I save my experimenting for at home. And speaking of new recipes and experimenting, I posted a recipe for turkey, bean and corn stuffed peppers on my other blog, <a href="http://www.betsysblahblahblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">www.betsysblahblahblog.blogspot.com</a> I thought it was great. Nothing I would make on the road, but pretty tasty.<br />
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However, my biggest category for overpacking is clothing. I have always packed for every conceivable situation or weather condition. But, just like at home, I wear the same favorite clothes, and the rest just hang in the closet. Do I really need to pack funeral appropriate clothes or fancy occasion clothes in the RV? If I should find myself needing them, it makes much more sense just to go buy something to wear. My "northern" clothes consist of jeans or sweats, a tee shirt and sweater with crocs or sneakers. My "southern" clothes are shorts and a tee shirt, or a sun dress, with flip-flops. One fleece jacket, one rain jacket, and one pair of rain boots should be more than enough for emergency weather situations. My husband will be so excited if I can accomplish this. If I start now to think about what I really want to wear, and plan accordingly, this should be a goal I can easily reach.<br />
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All of this because I've taken up painting. And speaking of painting, here's my most recent:<br />
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I think I've come up with the main stops for our trip this spring. We will be spending a week at the Thousand Trails Wilderness Lakes in Menifee, CA. Then off to the River Lodge Resort in Parker Dam, CA. The next stop will be the Wine Ridge Resort in Pahrump, NV. And we will wind up the trip at Thousand Trails Palm Springs (fingers crossed we will be able to get reservations there).<br />
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When you head south from Washington, anytime between November and April, you just never know what the weather will be like. The Siskiyous could be clear and dry, or covered in snow. We won't know which route south (I-5 or 101) we will use until we leave. I have stopping points planned for each route. Our trip back north will be toward the end of April. I'm hoping we will be able to explore some of the Thousand Trails campgrounds in northern California and in Oregon on the way home. At some point, you just have to get home. For us, it will be because of property taxes and yard work.<br />
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I'm keeping my fingers crossed that things go as planned. I've rescheduled this trip so many times. It's not yet January 31st, so as our agreement goes, I am not yet able to nag my husband about when he will get to working on putting the rig back together. Sometimes I just have to check to make sure my tongue is not bleeding. Here's to an on-time departure!Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-80332016159828289412014-12-29T15:37:00.000-08:002014-12-29T15:37:34.090-08:00Good Books and Great TV and A Little Bit Of PaintingI am generally a "home body" whether we are on the road or at our sticks and bricks home. And if you have read many of my posts, you know that I am basically a couch potato. I like the idea of hiking, and I like the idea of swimming, and I like the idea of walking hither and yon, but I rarely do it. And yes, this makes me wonder if I will ever fit in with full time RVers, because from the blogs I read, you are a busy and physically active group. Perhaps it is because those of you going and doing actually have something to blog about. I, on the other hand, blog about couch potato activities, recipes and general musings, especially when we are not on the road.....which we are not now, not that I'm whining. Okay, maybe I'm whining just a wee little bit.<br />
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When I find an author I enjoy, I tend to binge read all their books. Then I get frustrated when I get caught up to the last (most recent) book. I'm always on the look out for new authors and new series. I prefer the mystery genre, and I love books that are set in cities with which I am familiar. Books set in Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, Louisiana, California, Alabama, Hawaii and Florida, top my list as those are the areas I have visited. I can picture in my mind the settings and surroundings that are described. I've been catching up on some J A Jance books I had missed over the years. I love all of her series, including Detective Beaumont, Ali Reynolds and Joanna Brady. I did a binge reading marathon of books by Chelsea Cain, which take place in the Portland, Oregon area. I'm so glad I discovered her. I've always enjoyed John Grisham, and it appears that I have missed quite a few of his newer books. That is where I am finding myself now.<br />
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On to TV......Well, Sons of Anarchy has aired its last episode. I loved those characters. I know those characters. I was not enamored of the last season. However, because it was so wonderfully written by Kurt Sutter and his team, what happened was exactly what should have happened. I just did not want to say good-bye.<br />
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I have to ask though, what the heck is up with the "winter season finale" - at least I think that was the term they were using. Apparently it is now common to develop an arc, insert a cliffhanger, and make you wait through the month of December to see what happens. It's not the end of the season, but instead a 4-5 week waiting period. And some shows only introduced a few episodes before they inserted the winter season cliffhanger. Can't wait for How To Get Away With Murder to return. I'm also waiting for new episodes of Scorpion, Madam Secretary and Stalker. This will be the last season for Parenthood. I've enjoyed this show in the past, but so far, I'm bored. I will watch until the last episode, but I have to wonder if the writers have changed or if they just ran out of story line and are trying to wrap things up. The Mentalist is in its last season as well. And it is the same thing with the few episodes I've watched this season. I've got my fingers crossed for the return of Justified, also in its final season. I love the characters and the way they have been written. <br />
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Two shows I have enjoyed in the past, The Bridge and The Divide, I hear have not been renewed.<br />
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I hope they don't mess with The Blacklist and The Following!<br />
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When I'm not reading or watching TV, or doing the mundane things such as housework, laundry, dishes or cooking, I have been painting. Here are a few of my recent projects.<br />
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What is up this week? Cleaning off my desk is on the list. It is usually in a state of organized chaos. Recently it has crossed the line into just plain chaos. I'm not sure what else, but I'm sure it will include reading, watching TV and painting. I love retirement!Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934913043935343277.post-10572071591306753252014-12-29T11:34:00.001-08:002014-12-29T11:34:51.040-08:00A Post Holiday MusingFirst an RV update: The infernal leak has been located and patched. We've had 3 relatively heavy rainfalls (sometimes spanning more than a few days - go figure, we live in the Seattle area), and the patch has held. No signs of any leaks. Kim will now begin to put things back together, and he has assured me that if I start making reservations for March and April, I will not have to change them up yet again. I'm holding him to it.<br />
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Now, on to the musings....<br />
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Re: Holiday Traditions<br />
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When I was growing up, we had set holiday plans. It rarely varied. All holidays were celebrated at our house, with my paternal grandparents. My mother claimed Christmas Eve to share her traditions. This meant lutefisk, boiled white potatoes, rutabagas, peas and creamed onions. This was followed by a drive around the area admiring Christmas lights. It also meant opening presents Christmas Eve. Christmas morning, my sister and I were allowed to get up on our own, open our stockings and see what gifts Santa brought. We just had to be quiet about it. Eventually the adults got up, and we had breakfast of Yulekaka (Norwegian Christmas bread), scrabbled eggs, sausage and grapefruit. Then it was off to church. The rest of the day was spent playing quietly (as it was in those days, children were to be seen but not heard). Most all of the Christmas Day foods and traditions (roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, broccoli and pecan pie served on Christmas Tree Spode and using the good silver), was determined by my dad's side of the family. Whether or not my grandfather gave dinner a two thumbs up was what decided if it was a good or a bad holiday.<br />
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Of course, in my mind, it was always a good Christmas. There was no drama. Everyone got along. All was good. In hind sight, I'm guessing my mom would have told a different story.<br />
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Once my sister and I grew up and got married and had kids, things changed a little. My grandparents had passed away. My sister and I both married into large families that had their own established traditions. My husband had a son from a previous marriage, who always celebrated Christmas at his mother's home. We started celebrating Christmas with my family the day after Christmas. It just worked out better for all. I think my mother appreciated that she could have a relaxed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, go to church without having to rush home to cook, and make sure everyone was happy.<br />
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Once my mother was of an age that she could no longer host the holiday celebrations, it landed on my sister and me. We tried to keep the traditions going but eventually our father had passed away, and our mother was nursing home bound. We started celebrating just with our own immediate families. By this time our kids were old enough that we were working to establish our own traditions. My Christmas Eve tradition is that we will never, ever, have lutefisk in our house again. Other than that, I have really established any tradition other than a Christmas Wreath jello mold that I serve every year. We also use the Christmas Tree Spode, but not the good silver (I also don't want to polish silver if I don't have to).<br />
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Four paragraphs later, and I'm finally getting to the point of this musing. How the heck can I have the Christmas of my childhood memories when I'm the one in charge? I've tried. It is darned near impossible, not with toddlers around. And should I mention that it is totally unrealistic? It is all about expectations, isn't it? <br />
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This was the insight I had at Thanksgiving this year. My grandsons did not care about how I had imagined this perfect turkey dinner, where everyone sat down at the table, said grace, and then raved about my wonderful cooking. Heavy emphasis on the word "imagined" here. First of all, I'm not a great cook and if anyone raves about just one dish - I'm usually pretty pumped. While grace was part of every meal I had growing up, it is not something I've carried through with my kids. We do have the talk about all the things for which we are grateful, but formal grace has rarely been said. And finally, I have yet to cook the perfect turkey. Half of us like it moist and juicy, half of us like it definitely cooked through and through. The potatoes are never warm, and the gravy turns out only about 50% of the time. And like my mother, God bless her, I almost always forget to take the rolls out of the oven. All this happens on its own. Add 4 grandsons under the age of 5 to the mix, and the whole day is far from relaxed. They are never all hungry at the same time, nor do they like the same foods, and they seem to find nothing more fun to do than run around the kitchen. I love my grandsons, and I would never change anything...except maybe my own expectations.<br />
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Taking this all into consideration, I decided to try something new for Christmas. My son and his wife and their two boys, would come to our house at noon on Christmas Day, to be joined by our oldest son, and our daughter with her two boys. We would have a day of snacks and finger food. The kids could open their gifts and play. The adults could munch away and visit. We used paper plates and paper napkins. My grandparents would have been appalled. My mother is undoubtedly applauding my decision to take away all the stress of fixing a meal, and just taking time to enjoy my family. As the grandsons get older, there will be plenty of time for formal sit down dinners with the Spode and the good silver. For the next couple of years, it will be munchies and paper plates and no expectations. Life is good.Betsy Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07454972916460790510noreply@blogger.com0