Two of our friends from Med Hat, whom have a winter home in Mesa ask us to join them for lunch at Filly's which is a "Real Authentic Cowboy " Bar and Grill, which is located, in the country side , about 2 miles from our park. Now, I have been to " The Ranchman" Bar in Calgary and it is no doubt a Western " Cowboy" bar where blue jeans, cowboy boots and Stetsons are the dress of the day. But it does not carry a candle to Filly's because this will take you back at least 50 years.
Filly's is so popular with all the " snowbirds" you have to be there by noon in order to get a table even though the Western band does not start until 1 PM. The band is outdoors and so is most of the seating/tables, however, you can bring your own chairs and sit on the lawn. Even thought they have sufficent waitress, they have a " walk up bar window " for those who can not wait for a beer and they also have a separate " animal style drinking trow " full of beer and ice for those too thirsty to wait for a waitress.
I took a visual count of those seated and it was around 250 but there was at least 100 people standing. I doubt there is a Fire code since it is outdoors. Because it is so crowded, the waitresses are not shy about telling you to get out of their way when coming thru with food and Beer.
Filly's also has real cowboys/cowgirls in attendance and this day there where 17 or 18 of them that rode up on horseback as Filly's has a hitching rail right outside the outdoor bar. The cowboys and cowgirls were dressed with chaps,spurs and worn out stetson's and one guy even had a pistol/gun even thought the sign read " No Weapons " allowed. I assume it was for show only.
We stayed for about 3 hours to swap stories with our friends, had lunch, did a little dancing , and mostly watched the people, especially the cowboys. One of the cowgirls was dressed as Annie Oakly but i did not have the nerve to take a picture. Did I mention that they serve Beer. Filly's was a great experience and we will definitely return for a second helping of fun as it was a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon.
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Friday, 24 February 2012
18 th Feb Saturday
Several of my friends from Med Hat were playing in a ball tournament at Monte Vista RV park at 9 AM so we ventured over to watch them. As it turns out the ladies went shopping for few hours. When i got to the ball field I not only met my friends from Med Hat but there were several American players that I have play with over the years. I played with 2 of the American in Mesquite , NV about 8 years ago so it makes you realize just how fast the time flies. As a point of interest, each team had 6 Canadians so you can imagine just how many Cdns are spending the winter in this area.
After the tournament we visited with Lynn and Margret Ann, for an hour or so as they are returning home on shortly because Lynn is feeling " under the weather " and does not want to get sick or worse, hospitalized here. Also, they have sold their Condo in Med Hat and are moving in May to BC and of course have some things to get ready for the move.
Also, the Scotties ( Ladies Curling ) was started so we wanted to see the action. Additonally, we always carry to two TV's because I switch from Curling to Hockey and that drives Carroll nuts. so you can say: we have a His and Her TV.
After the tournament we visited with Lynn and Margret Ann, for an hour or so as they are returning home on shortly because Lynn is feeling " under the weather " and does not want to get sick or worse, hospitalized here. Also, they have sold their Condo in Med Hat and are moving in May to BC and of course have some things to get ready for the move.
Also, the Scotties ( Ladies Curling ) was started so we wanted to see the action. Additonally, we always carry to two TV's because I switch from Curling to Hockey and that drives Carroll nuts. so you can say: we have a His and Her TV.
17 th Feb Friday
Today was a slow day and we are invited out for supper by some friends ( Lynn and Margrat Ann) from Med Hat who are in a different park. Actually, the trailer did not feel level on one side so rather than connect up and move it to put it on my " Leveling Boards" I decided to jack up the axles and slip the boards under the tires. This project took about an hour and when you don't have much to do , it really does matter how you take to do it.
You may have heard the story about the Wife of a retired guy who ask him what he intended to do today; he said he was going to do Nothing; she said you did that yesterday; he said, I know but I didn't finish it. Well, that'a about how i felt.
Around 4 PM we ventured to our friends for supper and there was 2 other couples of which one was another friend from Med Hat. The other couple where Canadians , retired farmer and teacher who travel exclusive and had recently been to South Africa, so naturally we swapped stories.
Lynn advised me that there was a ball tournament in his park the next day and that a few Med Hat players were in the tournament so i decided attend that tournament. After a great supper and some refreshment we called it a day
You may have heard the story about the Wife of a retired guy who ask him what he intended to do today; he said he was going to do Nothing; she said you did that yesterday; he said, I know but I didn't finish it. Well, that'a about how i felt.
Around 4 PM we ventured to our friends for supper and there was 2 other couples of which one was another friend from Med Hat. The other couple where Canadians , retired farmer and teacher who travel exclusive and had recently been to South Africa, so naturally we swapped stories.
Lynn advised me that there was a ball tournament in his park the next day and that a few Med Hat players were in the tournament so i decided attend that tournament. After a great supper and some refreshment we called it a day
Thursday, 23 February 2012
16 Feb Apache Junction
Today was a "Get Organised Day " since we are new to this area of the country. Our friends gave us the "Lay of the Land", but mostly where to shop and the locations of the several other RV Parks where many of our friends are spending the winter. The first thing was to do some grocery shopping and in AZ, a company called "Fry's " is the competition for Wal-Mart and Safeways for groceries. Since the prices are competitive , we shop there because they have a "rewards " card that give 10 cents off a gallon of gas if you spend 100.00 and their diesel is at least 5 cents cheaper than any other gas station. Incidentally , diesel cost 3.75 / gal and gas is around 3.45/gal. The state Sales Tax is 10%.
We had intended to visit the AZ Tourisum today to get some tips on the " Must See " in the area but we ran out of time. There are quite a few areas to visit, such as the Roosevelt Dam, Superstition Mountain, and Tortilla ( pronounced Tor tea a ) Flats, which is an authentic old stagecoach stop , now better known as a must see, Tourist Trap. Somedays they have a bar room fight which spreads out to the street and ends up being a gun fight. They also have a Swap Meet in Apache Junction; which we call a Flea market, and it is so huge you need 2 or 3 days just to walk the entire area. If they don't sell it, then you don't need it. We have scheduled the Swap Meet for Sunday.
I should mention that we are also watching the Ladies curling if and when we can squeeze it into our schedule. The park also has a Jam Session at the Park Hall once a week at 7 PM but we did not get there until 7 PM and it was full, with a sign on the door saying to come back at half time. I guess the "Jammers" are real good or the people in the park stuck for some entertainment.
We had intended to visit the AZ Tourisum today to get some tips on the " Must See " in the area but we ran out of time. There are quite a few areas to visit, such as the Roosevelt Dam, Superstition Mountain, and Tortilla ( pronounced Tor tea a ) Flats, which is an authentic old stagecoach stop , now better known as a must see, Tourist Trap. Somedays they have a bar room fight which spreads out to the street and ends up being a gun fight. They also have a Swap Meet in Apache Junction; which we call a Flea market, and it is so huge you need 2 or 3 days just to walk the entire area. If they don't sell it, then you don't need it. We have scheduled the Swap Meet for Sunday.
I should mention that we are also watching the Ladies curling if and when we can squeeze it into our schedule. The park also has a Jam Session at the Park Hall once a week at 7 PM but we did not get there until 7 PM and it was full, with a sign on the door saying to come back at half time. I guess the "Jammers" are real good or the people in the park stuck for some entertainment.
Monday, 20 February 2012
15 Feb Yuma to Apache Junction
On 15 Feb we left Yuma and headed for Apache Junction which is about a 4 1/2 hour drive so we expected to arrive in the early afternoon. However, when we reached Casa Grande it was lunch time so we decided to stop for lunch at Cracker Barrel, which is a favorite of ours.
Apache Junction is east of the Phoenix/Mesa area and is a desert community nestled in the shawdow of Superstition Mountain. It has a year round population of 42,000 and a seasonal ( Oct to april )population of 35,000, mainly snowbirds like ourselves. Apache Junction is spread out with several huge shopping Malls but it does not have a downtown area,so to speak.
Our RV park is called " Weavers Needle ". I assumed it was so named because the ladies did a lot of quiltting . But I was advised that there is a landmark that, with a bit of imaginations, looks like a Weavers Needle. I'll take their word for it because I'm not all that interested in finding a " Needle in the Mountains ".
We pulled into the RV park and were allotted a space. Most parks , including this one has a spotter to help with parking as most spaces are back in. " Cliff " the spotter insisted that he show me the space first, so away we go in his golf cart to check the Space. I did not like the space as it was not level so I selected another one. After we got back in Carroll noted that a Palm Tree was so close to our awning that we would not be able to open it. So, Cliff and I got in his golf cart again and went looking for another space which would accommodate our trailer. I stepped off the length of the next space to make sure we would fit before I backed in . Finally we got set up and we will call this home for the next month.
Then we called our friends from Med Hat who are parked nearby and they dropped over to say hello and have a friendly drink.
Apache Junction is east of the Phoenix/Mesa area and is a desert community nestled in the shawdow of Superstition Mountain. It has a year round population of 42,000 and a seasonal ( Oct to april )population of 35,000, mainly snowbirds like ourselves. Apache Junction is spread out with several huge shopping Malls but it does not have a downtown area,so to speak.
Our RV park is called " Weavers Needle ". I assumed it was so named because the ladies did a lot of quiltting . But I was advised that there is a landmark that, with a bit of imaginations, looks like a Weavers Needle. I'll take their word for it because I'm not all that interested in finding a " Needle in the Mountains ".
We pulled into the RV park and were allotted a space. Most parks , including this one has a spotter to help with parking as most spaces are back in. " Cliff " the spotter insisted that he show me the space first, so away we go in his golf cart to check the Space. I did not like the space as it was not level so I selected another one. After we got back in Carroll noted that a Palm Tree was so close to our awning that we would not be able to open it. So, Cliff and I got in his golf cart again and went looking for another space which would accommodate our trailer. I stepped off the length of the next space to make sure we would fit before I backed in . Finally we got set up and we will call this home for the next month.
Then we called our friends from Med Hat who are parked nearby and they dropped over to say hello and have a friendly drink.
1 Feb to 14 Feb Yuma, AZ
This Blog will cover the 2 weeks we spent in Yuma, AZ. A place we have been to many times, usually to visit friends as we would find it boring if it were not for the many friends that are here. We parked at the Bonita, Mesa Resort (the word resort is overused but mainly so they can charge more ) because 3 of our friends are there: Ziglos from Yorkton, SK: Malach, a Lake in SK that I can't spell and Mathisons from BC. Friends in other Yuma parks are Moe and Gail Bakens from Childs lake, MB; Ken and Carol Jangula from Med Hat, who I play ball with and a long lost friend, Jim and Marion Mclelland, from Belmont. I don't think I have seen Jimmy for about 40 years and it was very enjoyable to see him and Marion again. It made be remmeber how long ago I left home to join the RCAF.
Well, what else did we do in Yuma; First we had to visit the Dentist in Mexico as I broke a tooth while South Africa but it was not hurting so i could wait until I got to MX. The tooth was beyond a Filling or Crown so I had to have a Root Canal followed by a Crown which took 3 appointments and cost 490.00. MX is only 8 miles from Yuma.
There are three large Flea markets in Yuma so we spent an afternoon checking out each markets place and purchased a few things that I could probably " live without " but considered a necessity. We also attended a few parties with our friends and even attended the 100 th anniversay party for Arizona in downtown Yuma.
Yuma has very fertile soil so they grow a lot of vegetables in this area but as you would probably guess the vegetables are picked/packed by Mexico farm workers. The farmers actually have a bus that goes to St. Luis , MX, about 20 miles away to pick up the workers each day.
They also had an RCAF reunion scheduled in yuma while I was there but I forgot to get a ticket so I am somewhat disappointed that I let it slip away. It would have been nice to swap lies with some old comrades.
For Valentines Day supper , we went for Chinese Food and had to wait about 15 or 20 mins for a table. I had to snicker because I don't remmeber every waiting for a table at a Chinese restarunt. On the 15 th feb we left yuma and headed for Apache Junction.
Well, what else did we do in Yuma; First we had to visit the Dentist in Mexico as I broke a tooth while South Africa but it was not hurting so i could wait until I got to MX. The tooth was beyond a Filling or Crown so I had to have a Root Canal followed by a Crown which took 3 appointments and cost 490.00. MX is only 8 miles from Yuma.
There are three large Flea markets in Yuma so we spent an afternoon checking out each markets place and purchased a few things that I could probably " live without " but considered a necessity. We also attended a few parties with our friends and even attended the 100 th anniversay party for Arizona in downtown Yuma.
Yuma has very fertile soil so they grow a lot of vegetables in this area but as you would probably guess the vegetables are picked/packed by Mexico farm workers. The farmers actually have a bus that goes to St. Luis , MX, about 20 miles away to pick up the workers each day.
They also had an RCAF reunion scheduled in yuma while I was there but I forgot to get a ticket so I am somewhat disappointed that I let it slip away. It would have been nice to swap lies with some old comrades.
For Valentines Day supper , we went for Chinese Food and had to wait about 15 or 20 mins for a table. I had to snicker because I don't remmeber every waiting for a table at a Chinese restarunt. On the 15 th feb we left yuma and headed for Apache Junction.
Thursday, 16 February 2012
29 th Jan to 31 Jan. Quartzsite, AZ
The next three days were spent in Quartzsite but spending most of our time at the Flea market. However, this is no ordinary Flea Market and you can not see it all in less than 3 days. You can buy anything you need for an RV or to operate your RV . Mostly , you but things you do not nec need but since it is the latest gadget, then you must have it. There is alway a large white Tent the size of a football field that is sells anything and everything. They sell Power Wheel chairs; Food Choppers; Generators; Health Insurance; Satellite Dishes; ( including Shaw Direct ) and anything you could possibly need for your RV. Outside on the grounds, there are at least 6 companies selling RVs with over 500 vehicle on the lot. The rest of the outdoor area has about 100 more booth selling fast food, tools and you probably won't believe this but they sell Rocks ; Oh excuse me; they are now called "Gem stone". There are actually truck loads of rocks for sale. I met one guy who is called "Doctor Fossil" and he told me that all he does for a living is hunt for Gem stones and sells them at the flea markets.
I won't bore you with anymore Quartzsite stories but if you are every in southwest AZ during the first two weeks of Jan then you must visit Quartzsite. I believe there is no place on earth like Quartzsite.
There are literary 1000's of RVers camped in the dessert, with NO services and some of the Motorhome are worth in excess of $300,000.00 I can't imagine why they camp here for months.
After three days boondocking in the dessert, which incidentally is our limit, we headed for Yuma ,AZ on 1 Feb.
I won't bore you with anymore Quartzsite stories but if you are every in southwest AZ during the first two weeks of Jan then you must visit Quartzsite. I believe there is no place on earth like Quartzsite.
There are literary 1000's of RVers camped in the dessert, with NO services and some of the Motorhome are worth in excess of $300,000.00 I can't imagine why they camp here for months.
After three days boondocking in the dessert, which incidentally is our limit, we headed for Yuma ,AZ on 1 Feb.
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