MX Trip Entry # 6 Setting up for a week ( Wed )

We have now set up in our site at Benita Mesa in Yuma,AZ. The park policy is that they have to be marshaled ( directed ) into your site because 25 years of backing into a site does qualify me to park without help but the guy who directs me has never own an RV nor a MH so apparently he is more qualified me.  Anyway the "back up director " gets free rent for doing this job so good for him. 

Incidental the rent for a week was 250.00 USD.

Now we have to plan for the next 6 days and we have a lot on our plate. We need to get a Sun Shade made for the windshield which will block out 80 % of the sun's heat when sitting in MX. 
 Then we need to go to San Luis MX, 20 miles away,  to get our Tourist Visa and our transportation sticker for the vehicles. 
Then we need to get the MH washed by Sergio and since he is busy at this time of year I will have to kiss some butt to get it done by Monday. 
While in San Luis on Thursday we hope to get a phone package for our cell phone from TelCel as they have a special on right now.We still have grocery shopping on our list but that can wait until the weekend if nec.

So ;we went to visit the company to make our sun screen and they agree to do it tomorrow but they want  our MH in their yard by 8 AM.  As they said; first come first served and it will be done by 5 PM. This a family business run by a Mexican ( American ) family. All business is done in Spanish except when the talk to customers. 

We then completed setting up but we are having trouble setting up the TV as I can't seem to find the satellite. I probably  spent 2 hours before giving up. I'II try again when I have more time. 

Our friends must feel sorry for us as they invited us for lunch and supper. Super people. 

We then went to Wal-Mart ( where else ) to buy a few items, one being a coffee pot because I thought I blew ours up. I turned it on without water, then I add water when it was hot and this added a lot of steam to the MH. I later found out the the ON button was Red and the OFF button was green. Seems odd to me but it now works so the other one goes back to Wal-Mart.

We then went to another small grocery store that is somewhat between a Giant Tiger and a market and their vegetables are much cheaper that a grocery store. Seniors are the biggest customers.
base but trust a senior to find a bargain.

MX Trip entry #5 Mesquite to Yuma Esler's Follies

We pulled out of Mesquite around 10 AM, AZ time ( NV time was 9 AM ) and since we are heading for AZ the NV time is irrelevant.  
The GPS said it was a 5 hour drive which would mean a causal 6 1/2 hours for us as we do not drive at " Indy " speed. After asking the GPS about speed and hours to reach a destination I also say,  "Good Luck " with that info.
To start with we had a strong cross wind so 60 MPH is our max and since it is all up hill from Mesquite to Las Vegas it is hard to maintain 60 MPH.  We also got stuck behind a few truck on the long steep hills. Also once you hit north Vegas you have to chose  the correct lane to catch 515 and since there are 8 lane to chose from it becomes a gamble. My navigator got me into the lane for Phoenix since the other choice was Los Angelo's and we knew that was wrong. 
Finally we got thru Vegas onto 95 south and with 4 lanes and  very light traffic I laid back and prepared for a 4  hour cruise. However this was short lived as we seen the dreaded sign that said " Road work ahead for 30 miles" speed limit 45 MPH. We had to drive on the left lane with the left wheels on the area between the rumple strip and the edge of the shoulder which had slight drop off. So much for my casual cruise.
Instead of going to Laughlin and into AZ I decided ( not Carroll )to stay on  California 95. What a mistake that was : the speed limit is 55, there are trucks , there was a train and there was 2 Agriculture check points and there dips in the road then you can imagine, plus the curves would break a snakes back which all adds to a slow trip. 

Finally ( We ) decided that we had enough of the CA roads so we took a left turn and got into AZ at Parker. 
Now Parker normally has cheap gas so we intended to fuel up, however the first 3 gas stations were 2.85 so I intend to try Quartsite which is only 44 miles away as I already had 1/2 a tank. 

Then Carroll spotted a gas station for 2.35 ( what a bargain ) but I was in the wrong lane so after several right /left turn I managed to get turned around. Of course the gas station was full with people filling up on the cheap fuel. When I pulled in I barely got off the street with the car and MH. In fact we did encounter a few horn hoking so I move up another foot but that was all the room I had. In fact I blocked the Tanker truck  who had just dump his load of fuel. 
The guy in front of me was fueling up but was B.S.ing with a guy on a Motor Cycle so I ask what the holdup was as I was blocking the fuel truck. Here is what happened. 

Apparently there was very low pressure at the pumps , in fact it took 36 minutes for  the guy in front of me to fill his tank and because there was no pressure coming from the pumps the only way the pump would shut off is from the back pressure once the tank was full. If you pull the nozzle from your vehicle and hung it up it would continue to pump fuel. I was told that two guys tried it and the pump spewed fuel all over the lot so the had re-insert the nozzle back into their tank until it was full.  I would have thought that the station would have just shutoff the power to the pumps but those people at the pump just stay there waiting until their tanks filled up and the back pressure shut off the pump. I never heard of such problem in life. 

 Finally the guy in from of me moved and between me and the tanker we both manage to squeeze by each other. There goes another 1/2 hour out of my life I won't get back. Besides we  where trying to reach Yuma before dark but that idea was shot to hell. 

Just as we were about to depart Parker, Carroll spotted another station with fuel for 2.56 and of course I was thinking; will I or won't I. Since I noticed an empty pump I did a quick turn and pulled in for the cheapest fuel I have seen since we left home.

Next stop was Quartzite where we stopped for Propane at 2.30 a gallon which once again was the cheapest we have seen in the US.

We arrived in Yuma around 5;30 and of course the office was closed. However they have a couple of sites for late arrivals so we took a spot. Luckily our friends had just arrived home from golfing so they help us to park as it was getting dark and some assistance was required. After we parked our friends invited us to go out for supper which was an excellent idea. 
  
Finally we landed and we can now settle in for a week before heading to MX.

I always say "  If you are going thru Hell , keep going"

MX Trip Enrty #4

I have neglect to provide the high price of gas. Montana was 2.74 at most places which I thought was high until we hit Idaho where some Truck stop had it advertised at 2.99. I did get it for 2.74 in Idaho Falls. 


The snow stopped during the night and the temp dropped at our Truck stop haven so by morning the roads where clear so we quickly got on our way. We calculated that if I Kicked Butt we could reach Yuma,AZ by night fall albeit a long day.

As the day worn on we started to re-think why were we in such a hurry so  we changed our mind and decided to stop in Mesquite, NV. We arrived around 3 PM and stayed at the Oasis Camp site which is own by a casino. We have stayed here many times when playing ball in Mesquite and it is basically a pave parking lot with hook ups but is only 20.00 which is cheap.

We stopped here so we could de-winterize the MH and get drinking water in our tank. Also the vehicles had to be washed as it was nearly impossible to get near the car. I did not wash the MH because  the only one that I knew about was too had to get into and out of so it can wait until we reach Yuma. I later learned there was a new one but it was too late.

After getting setup we did some shopping and of Carroll had to hit the Casino and donate her 20.00 bucks. Around 7 PM we decided to visit the Virgin River casino and have their Prime Rib dinner for 7.99. After dinner Carroll decided that  she had not donated enough to the casino profits so tried again. This time she had a profit of 17.50 so I dragged her out before she gave it back. 

Gas in Mesquite was 3.14 but I got it for 3.07 for cash. If you used Debit, or Visa there was a 1.50 surcharge

The weather was good but a little cool. cheers 

MX Trip Entry #3 / Grounded by snow

We left Dillon, MT at daybreak with a temperature of - 20 C however the roads were clear which made for good sailing. Then we hit the Minida Pass and a little snow started to fall but no road problems. As we got closer to SLC ( Salt Lake /City) we hit a light rainy snow which slow our progress as we had hope to reach Idaho Falls by evening.

Just south of SLC it began to snow harder and since it was 2 PM we decided to stop for lunch at the Cracker Barrel in Sprindale where we would ponder our plan just in case it snowed harder. Also I need to fuel up so it was two birds with one stone. 

After we hit the road it was obvious from the weather and road conditions that Idaho Falls was a dream not a destination today.  I decided to tuck in behind an 18 wheeler who was going my speed and we followed him for about a 1/2 hour. As we were going up a hill I felt the wheel spin slight and right there I said we are going in to the next Truck Stop because these condition where not going to get better. The 18 wheeler must have read my mind because he did the same.

As we pulled into the Truck stop we noticed a MH already parked so we pulled in beside him. As it turns our he had already been there the day before because of road condition. Suffice to say we spent the night and watch the snow fall and watch the Truckers as the peel off the Interstate for a safe haven. There were so many trucks that the ran out of stalls so they just parked at random.

About 4 AM our coach batteries died so I had to start the MH so we could have enough power for the furnace. We will solve that problem tomorrow. We hope for clear weather in the morning. cheers 

MX Trip Entry #2

We left home right on schedule; at 7:00 hours even though driving in the dark is not my strong suite. However by 7:30 is was getting daylight and the traffic was light, so not a problem.

We stopped in Taber for a Breakfast sandwich and a coffee for breakfast. This 5 min stopped took over 20 minutes and there was nobody ahead because they only had one sandwich maker while 3 teenage stood around swamping stories ( I assume ) about their boyfriends. Yep; they need a new manager.

I picked up a bottle of Gibson's finest at the duty free ( Carroll didn't want a bottle this time ) and there was about a 20 minute wait at the border. The attendant ask us 3 questions: Where you from ; Where you going; and How long you staying, followed by "have a good day". 

It started to lightly snow as soon a s we crossed the border and stayed until we reached Great Falls. After that it was clear sailing with bare dry roads until we stopped overnight in Dillon , MT. We covered nearly 500 Miles. 

We stopped in Shelby and Boulder for fuel and it was 2.79 a gallon. We hope it gets cheaper, as Idaho is normally less expensive then MT. 

Life is 10 % what happens to you and 90 % how you react to it.

Mexico Trip 2018/19 Entry # 1

We are pack and ready to go.  We will launch at 0700 hours on 1 Dec. Our planned destination is Mexico with several stops throughout the country as we will likely travel locations hopefully avoiding  " Trump's Caravan" where possible. 

We hope to make an overnight stop in Mazatlan to visit  friends, then on to Rincon Guaybitos where we will spend a month. After that we will travel around the country until mid March. 

I hope to provide some pictures this year as I have been "school " on how to get them into my blog. 

Don't expect a daily update as we may not be in range of WiFi every evening. Cheers 

Weekly Happenings # 8

25 Mar to 2 April 2018

Sunday: 
We are leaving on Wed morning and we "must" start packing. We have been saying this for a week now so there is no tomorrow. So to start the day we will go out for breakfast and we will take our friend Terry as she is leaving  Tuesday to fly back to Med Hat. We try to select a different eating establishment every Sunday and someone suggested Denny's. Suffice to say we have been there twice : first and last. Apparently "eggs over easy" means mostly raw.

After breakfast we got busy and started to pack the, hang up clothes, then I had 3 Blue plastic tubs so we filled them anything that was one of kind: ie a frying pan that Carroll but did not need; a coffee pot that Carroll brought but did not need and a Crock pot that Carroll brought but did not need, I think you get the picture. Since we still had more to pack I went to Wal-Mart and bought another blue basket it was soon full. Anything else will go in a plastic bag. About this time I begin to think I should have bought a truck. 

We had 1 steak left so I BBQ it for supper and then Carroll announced "the kitchen is now closed " and all meal will be from a restaurant.

Monday

We had 3 fridges which was great for 4 months but now we had to clean them. How in hell does a fridge get so dirty when all you do is remove and replace the items in it. After the fridges are sparkling clean you have to  inhibit them for the next 6 month by putting a small bowl of coffee in the freezer and the fridge compartment along with a box of soda baking. You have to leave the doors slightly ajar so to ensure that they do not close you must hang a dish towel over the door so they do not accidentally close during the summer months.

As I mention we are "closing up " for the owners so several other task are required. There are 4 cactus plants in pots so they have to be relocated along the drive so they can receive whatever rain they may get during the summer. Yes they will survive. Then they have ceramic lawn ornaments place in the front of the mobile so they have to be carefully stored so as not to get broken. And finally they have  5  or 6 metal  ( cheap looking ) ornaments that are hung on the side of the mobile so they have to carefully removed and stored.

Although I can not pack things in the storage shed yet I did size up how I was going to get everything in the shed. Terry should have taken a picture of how he packed it which would make it easier for me.oh well. I will manage.

 Tuesday

OK; D day is here !!! The car is being pack. Everything is out of the house except our " Toiletries ". The house is being clean and all floors washed. I packed the shed and everything does fit even without a " shoehorn". I re-read the closeup directions and realized I had to turn off 2 gas valves although I had already turned off the main valve.  By early afternoon all the closeup was done. 

Wedesday

We rec a voice mail on the phone in the evening from Terry ( the landlord ) asking us to give the keys to a neighbor, who would take them to Terry since they  live near Terry in MB.  I was wondering what to do with the keys since I would need then to lock the doors on our way out so this solve the key problem.

By 8:30 AM we were ready to start north, so we said goodbye to the neighbors and we headed for Bandera, TX , which is a small "Cowboy " town , pop of 986 located 1 hour west of San Antonia.

After driving thru rain for an hour ( a much needed rain for southern TX ) the weather cleared. We arrived in Bandrea around 2 PM and we checked into the hotel which just met the MMS (Minimum  Military Standard ).  They said they provided a hot breakfast but after checking the breakfast area I assumed they meant  the coffee would be hot so we decided to eat breakfast elsewhere. 

Our friends told us to check out the "11 street pub " because on Wed evening this tiny bar had a huge area for a BBQ , a band that produce great music and a dance floor and there was no cover charge. I should mention that Band era has a population of 986. 

I always like to check out these facilities myself because  you never know what is great for some folks in not great for me. I parked in front of the Pub and as I walked into the Pub,  I notice 2 customers looking at my licences plate but they said hi as I passed them. I went to the bar to ask the Bar Maid about the BBQ/ dance. She advise me that I had to bring my own steak and I could  BBQ it as they had 3 large Pits. For 7.00 a plate I would get a bake potato, a salad and all the trimmings. Just I was about to ask about the seat/table arrangement  the phone rang and it must have been someone with a higher status in life then me as she seemed to ignore me.  
So a local "Bar Fly " offered to show me the BBQ/dance area and the seating arrangement. The seating is by reservation but it cuts off on Tuesday so the rest of the seating general seating on s first come basis, The area was only 3/4 reserved so he said there was lots of room. He explained that the doors opened at 5:30 and he suggested we arrive before 6 to make sure we had a seat. The BBQ Pits would be hot by 6. 

We arrive before 6 and most unreserved seats are bar style with bar stools. Luckily we for two bar stools with a back rest. They only sell beer and pop so you can bring any other drink except beer and pop. Beer was 4.00 and pop was 2.00. The music was great and we chatted with a few people who were seated near us and they were from out of state who had heard about this place, much like us. 

There are 4 RV parks in Bandera so many of the customers where from the RV Parks. 

I mentioned this was a large area and in one corner a local Rancher had a "Huge" 13 year old Long Horn ( and I mean Long Horn ) docile Bull and he will let you sit on the Bull for picture taken for a tip. Many city slickers including "yours Truly" got a picture and that is NO BULL!!!! We are glad we visited the Town of Bandera, known as the Cowboy Capital of the World. I wouldn't put it on your Bucket list but if you are near by you should stop in for a visit. cheers 

Thursday

When we left Bandera , heading for Fredrickburg, a very German city that we had visited before. However, as I exited the Hotel lot I made a wrong turn and it was so foggy you could only  see a few hundred feet. So now I had to turn around which was going to be a risky move. I did find a driveway and got turn but I notice a vehicle gaining on me so I kicked it up to 80 KMH and at that instant a deer jumped in front of me. I locked up the brakes and only the seat belt kept Carroll from kissing the windshield. She was looking at the other 5 deer standing by the road side. We were lucky !!!

We finally drove out of the fog as we headed for Kerriville which is on the way to Fredricksburg as our intended stops was for the Cracker Barrel for breakfast. Once in Fredricksburg we went to the visitors centre to get advise on what to see or  visit in the area. 

After a tour of the town to check for a German restaurant for supper and a reasonable hotel we headed for the Seed Farm which has hundred of acres of Royal Poppy, which they call the Canadian poppy as it is the poppy from Flanders in France and of the one in the poem " In Flanders Field ". It also has hundreds of acres of the Bluebonnet, which can also be found growing along the road side, by the thousands , in the Hill Country of TX. 

Lady Bird Johnson started a Society where they plant "Zillions " of Blue Bonnets and Indian Paint Brush along the roads, highways and Interstate throughout TX and this really does enhance the roadsides. 

And then to close out the day, we went to Luckenbach where Willie Nelson  and Conway Twitty sang a song about Willie and the Boys. Luckenbach was a trading post as late as 1904 with a population of 492 but today the Pop is betwwen Zero and 3.  However,  it does have a Mercatile store with all of the dust  from the 1900's and mostly overprice merchandise including Tee shirts for 30.00 USD. Many people including us visit the town because attached to the Store is a bar and usually there are people who play music for tips or beer. There is an outdoor area for the "band " or Guitar Pikers/Singers to sing and attract a crowd.  This day there were about 20 Bikers enjoying the music so we joined them for a beers. If you are every near Luckenbach you must drop in for a beer. The 2.50 beer is worth it. 

We did have supper  at a German restaurant. Cheers 

Friday

We are now heading for home and there isn't much more boring then driving down the Interstate a 75 MPH ( the speed limit id 80 ). However we did have an incidence that came very close to costing us our life but thankful to an alert driver of an 18 wheeler we where spared. 
Briefly this is what happened.
We were driving about 70 MPH on a 4 lane divided hwy and we were nearing  a city which we intended to take the bypass according to our GPS. There was a construction warning sign that said that the left lane was closed ahead and we were to reduce our speed to 65 MPH. I had just past a 18 Wheeler and the traffic although not heavy, appeared to have be slowing slightly. By this time we are  approaching the city but no signs or indication that we need to slow down. However someone at the front of the line, which numbered about 20 cars and for some unknown reason  decided to stop. I slammed on the  brakes and stopped a couple of feet short of ramming the vehicle  in front of me. I then took a quick look in my rear view mirror and holler to Carroll to brace yourself because the 18 wheeler can't stop. Luckily for us there was a 10 foot paved shoulder and at that instant the 18 wheeler past us on the right with all braked locked up. He got stopped 3 car lengths past us. Thank you driver for being alert because we would have surely met our " Waterloo ". 

Due to the confusion we missed our bypass exit so  we had to go thru the city which wasn't a problem. However, while going thru the city we pulled  up beside the driver of the truck at a stop light and he and Carroll had a  short conversation. 
His first question why did the traffic stop in a 65 MPH zone and then he said he knew he was going to hit us so the shoulder was his only hope to avert a disaster. We are glad he was alert.
I think my finger prints are still in the sheering wheel. 

Saturday and Sunday ( 1 April )

The next two days was spend speeding down the Interstates heading for Med Hat. I will say one thing for the Americans, they do know how to build highways and they allow you to drive at a reasonable "safe " speed. I do think that  80 MPH is a tad over my safe limit. 

We arrived in Billings,MT on Sunday evening. We are now 1 day from home.... I think!!! As i checked into the hotel the clerk advise me that a snow storm was starting at 9 PM and by tomorrow morning we could receive up to 8 inches of snow. We spent the night thinking if we would take the short cut tomorrow or take the I-90 which will take 2 days to get home. cheers

Monday 

The weatherman was right this area of Montana received 4 to 6 inches of wet snow. We first checked the Interstate and although the traffic was moving it was snow covered and slippery so we took the short cut so to speak. 

The short cut is thru ranch land with very few services and two lane highways but fairly good roads. However after 2 hours of very poor conditions and no end to the snowfall we decide to return to Billings as it was very hard to see the road and the conditions were getting worst. 

When we got to Billings and the Interstate was fairly clear and the traffic was going at the speed limit so we headed west to I-15, Helena or Great Falls depending on the weather. We did reach Great Fall but we did hit a few areas where the Bizarre was still raging but the roads were clear. 

Tuesday

We left Great Falls  heading how which is a 4 hour drive with a stop in Shelly ( 35 miles form the border ) to fill up with the last of the cheaper fuel ( 2.50 a gal ). Then on to the Customs hoping they did not mind that I was 2 litres of Crown Royal over my limit, which they did not mind . It is my honest Face.
After 4 months and two days, plus 10,000 KM we arrived home where we will ponder our trip for next winter. cheers