Roaming Map, Right.....

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Winter in Arizona

Winter in Arizona


Album Pics

Coming back from Death Valley, drove thru the SE entrance, I like to do the back roads or roads I haven't been on before, and while I was planning on hitting Lake Havasu BLM, missed it, was getting late so drove straight through to the "Q"...

(Yah, I know, seen one desert location, seen'em all)

Had a Rvillage Happy Hour meet that was nice.



Stayed at the Hi Jolly STVA and just sort of hung out for awhile.



A few days later, I met up with old friends I grew up with in Pasadena, CA for the "BBB", Busses By the Bridge, in Lake Havasu.



Apparently it's an annual event for all the VW busses that affectionados like.



Quite a selection from Off road, friend's genre, to Psychedelic to many in between.



Nice weekend, I stayed in the parking lot since I wasn't a "Bus" per se...



then right back, stopping to shoot Cattail Cove SP on the down the Colorado River



Then back to Hi Jolly.



I don't normally like to "Off Load" the camper as I have to move everything off the truck and slide the extra battery boxes back to the rear.



Future plans are to have about a 10' interim battery cables so I can leave the boxes at the head board area and just quick attach the cables to the camper's cables.. Will loose some power draw, but not enough to not do it.  That way I don't have to keep sliding the heavy, 2-6vt bats in each box, back and forth as I need the truck.

A few days later, I went over to Black Rock, Joshua Tree NP to meet up with some friends, old Dive Buddies...



Black Rock was ok,  a little uneven, rainy and c-c-cold.



I was concerned that the "Meet up Date" would be rainy too, but luckily it was the best of all 4 days, sunny, but cold.



Had a BBQ and some "Bailey's Mellows", I'm still working on perfecting that one.



I was snowing the day I left, light dusting, but snow nonetheless.





Made it back through the SE entrance and headed down to the Road Runner STVA.  I've always wanted to try the "Bailey's Marshmallow" shooters... so practicing I am... (actually, don't really like Bailey's and these things are too sweet to have more than two at a time, but... fun to do and figure out)




There are apx 5 STVAs and I wanted to hit each one, just to do it. Heheheh, it's all desert krap, so not a whole lot of difference other than Cell coverage.



The RV show was in full swing and the places, STVA and the "Q" were jammed, not much fun.  Time to 'Git'er outta Dodge'...

So some others were heading over to the Carrot Festival in Holtz, CA staying at the LTVA Hot Springs, with a quick stopover at Fortuna Pond, so I tagged along.

(Fortuna Pond -  crowded it was)

Didn't really like the Hot Springs as it was  pretty much what I call "Bush Camping" no 'Room with a View", just staring at bushes...



Did have some good fires and able to hook up their TV and stream the new movie, 'Arrival',... whew, I'm glad I was able to see it.. before buying it, scratched it off the "Wish List", on a scale of 1-10, 10 being best, I'd give it a "2"... Boooorrrrring is the first word that comes to mind....

(old washing machine tubs make good fire pits although bulky)

but?
Able to practice the "Mellow" thing.  I had thought having bigger, giant mellows would be better, but not so.  Just too big and messier.



The Hot Springs was interesting, like an Oasis.. nice to see, didn't do the tub thang..



Left a few days later to the Casino for a trip down to Los Algodones, MX, border town which is now one be Dental/Rx city.




While I needed to do some dental, it had to wait but wanted to check it out anyway.



You can stay at the Casino,



 free, and they have a small bus shuttle that will take you down..



I say small, as it's limited to number of peeps it will take, like 6 or 8, so if you're in a group, plan for some to wait for the next one, apx hourly or more.



Best thing would be to drive or even camp out in the border parking lot, $6 night.




Mexico was ok, pretty much a border town, but peeps, US and Canadians crowd down there for cheaper dental and Rx without needing a Rx.  Believe it's the "Q" crowd migrating down there before they started back to wandering around.  You do have to do your homework on who you want to go with, but some have great reputations, trained in the US.

(Long lines, 1:45 min to get back across.  Either leave early or late)

After that, headed back over to Fortuna Pond.  It has some nice sunsets.



Fortuna Pond is a nice little hidden pond but can get crowded on  the weekends.



It's fishing pond, stocked with Trout, but it's nice to camp right along the shore line.  Quite a few Canadians down there too at the time.



Stayed there for awhile and then headed up towards Mittry Lake and the Imperial Dam LTVA just to check them out.



Mittry lake is nice, buggy and 'Skeeters' but looking very tropical with the palm trees.  



Just a few good spots on the lake front with little walk out jetties.  Other parking up on a hill.



I would guess it's a good lake to go Kayaking (saw a few out there) and probably fishing, lots of wildlife, ducks and things that look like ducks...

Not sure where to next, maybe back to Calif.. or try Mexico if  I can get the info.  There's a place right on the gulf that RV'ers go, about 1-2hrs away.
We'll see...