Tue - Jan 3/12

Waking at 7 a.m. may be the norm - this is like 9 a.m. back home (Arizona doesn't use Daylight Savings Time).  We leave the heat off at night. We like to sleep cool. I turn it on at 70F to get up in the morning.  It only runs a few times before the sun warms everything up. The perfectly clear skies at night drop the temperature fairly quickly after sunset. It also rises equally as quick after sunrise. Lows have been mid-50's with highs near 80F with clear skies and a light breeze since we arrived. This a above normal thanks to a Pacific High.

We are still recovering from the drive. There is not much going on today at the park. This will give us a chance to organize the RV a little at a time.

Charlotte went to check out the sewing circle on Tuesdays. There were eight folks sewing today.Three of the ladies were from Canada. Two were from Ontario and the other from Quebec.

Charlotte is hoping they make the locking cupboards available for storage. Hauling her heavy sewing machine back and forth will be a pain.

I put our name sign on the front of the RV. I will have to wait until tomorrow to see if it will light up. This is the first year we have been facing north which means it will not get direct sunlight for charging the photocell.

I helped a neighbour jack up his trailer. He just purchased a huge 3 axle, 2 level car hauler that is 14 feet high and about 35 feet or more feet long. He will tow 2 vehicles, a boat and a golf cart in this behind his motorhome. It has two heavy duty electric jacks to raise and lower the trailer onto the hitch. It blew the circuit so I helped him manually jack it up. We each took a jack and eventually cranked it high enough to hitch it to his jeep. He was moving it to storage. Any additional trailers longer than 18 feet (end to end) are not allowed to be parked on the lot. This is why I am flat towing this year. For the last three years I was able to get permission from the manager to park the my flatbed car hauler on our site. Management changed last year and I was told to take the flatbed to storage. I told them to forget it! I had permission when I booked in and it would stay until I left - which it did. Of course, knowing I would not get permission this year I flat-towed the car.

I am worried about the computer. The hard drive may be close to the end. It did not recognize the file system on startup the last two mornings. Fortunately, it self corrected! I will do a backup to my portable 500 mb drive for safety.

I spent a good part of the day adding more features to the database computer program I am designing for our travels. I added features to keep track of fuel costs and info like MPG and Cost Per Mile. This may not be a good idea? It can get pretty scary being aware of the cost of going down the road in a motorhome w/toad (towed vehicle).

Charlotte went for a second walk to check out the weekly veggie market. Apparently, they are taking holidays this week and were not there. We will have to wait until next Tuesday to check out their variety and prices.

I adjusted the antenna direction and re-scanned the TV channels. This picked up several more stations with nearly a dozen being in Spanish. We could get cable and internet from MediaCom but this would average out to about $100 a month (installation and monthly). Not really worth it for the short stay. We get all the major channels on the antenna as well as PBS and specialty stations on the antenna. Nothing else special we want to watch.

As the park fills they increased the monthly rates. Having to pay electricity (metered) is normal for monthly stays. They charge $15 service fee + metered electriciy used + sewer ($28.58) + garbage $15.00. Many other parks include the garbage, sewer and cable and charge less per month. Alamo Palms, a favourite park in Alamo, TX even supplies a modem for cable internet included in the rate. Several folks, including kampworkers, have not returned this year. A few others I have talked to are not planning on coming next year. We may look around while we are here for another park?

I feel we are subsidizing the new Superstition Views at Canyon Vistas addition they are building to attract the "Prevost" (Million dollar 45' bus/motorhome) crowd. More on this later this week. They will officially open this section with ribbon cutting this Friday at noon.

We watched the our two favourite NCIS programs and Jay Leno on TV during the evening. Thankfully Jay is on an hour and a half earlier here. Bed by 11 p.m.

Mon - Jan 2/12

Got up at 7 a.m. This might be the norm for being down here. (I doubt it?)

Cheerios for breakfast – this will be the norm!

We watched the Rose Bowl Parade and some of the Bowl games. The Outback Bowl – Michigan vs Georgia got exciting at the end. Michigan tied it in the last few seconds to force overtime. They went into the 4th overtime. They would stop each other or score equally (field goals) until Michigan State won by blocking the tying field goal try by Georgia!

Cleaned the windshield and side windows and installed the privacy screens.

Round 2 of the pork chop meal from last night for dinner. Still great!
Got the blog up to date.

Charlotte rested today - everything caught up with her. She read outside for a while then had a nap inside.

We were too tired to cook - it was Jack-in-the Box (across the road) for supper.

Then a ride around the park. It was great to have the top off in the car. Still warm even after sunset. Charlotte check the General Sewing room times for tomorrow. She will check it out and see what is involved.
May not be much to report for a few days.

May be ZZZZZzzzzz…..ing!

Sun - Jan 1/12

Good Morning 2012!

Just a take it easy day!

Cheerios for breakfast.

The view out the front window will be different this year. This is the first year we have faced north facing the Superstition Mountains.

I started working on the blog.

It will take a few days to organize all the storage compartments and items to RV Living from the RV Travel mode.

I was going to put on the windshield privacy screens but I didn’t feel like digging for the ladder - tomorrow.

Charlotte made a pork chop/cream of mushroom/rice supper which was great!

Set up the TV (antenna) and settled to rest and watch TV in the evening.

Lights out by 10:30 p.m.

Sat - Dec 31/11

We woke up to record setting or tying high temperatures in the area. Queen Creek, about 15 miles away, hit 84F. Hard to imagine that yesterday, a half day’s drive away (Socorro, NM), had us in freezing weather and snow.

I went to the office early to book into the park. They would not be opening until 10 a.m. so I did a little tour to check out some changes made under the new management. The stained glass now has only one of the three regular staff from last year. They will no longer sell glass or materials and will not be teaching. Equipment will be available and there will only be a charge for grouting which will be done on certain days. I don’t think there will be a daily charge? This will not be a concern for us. We did stained glass for 3 years and did not intend to do it this year.

Wood carving will share the room with quilting. Charlotte brought her sewing machine and a hundred or so “fat quarters”. This was what she intended to do this year. I may try wood carving later this year. Charlotte also signed up for pen & ink and painting. I might go to the woodshop if I want to make some custom items for the RV.

The activity room has a wall of activity postings. It also now has two of pool tables. There are still pool tables in the Billiards Room which will be available for activities or crafts. I think these pool tables may eventually leave the park or be moved to the new section? The computer room is still there and so is the library. The card room may move to the Billiards Room as well?

When the office opened I had Judy book me in until April 1st. Charlotte wanted to try a North facing lot so she could have shade in the afternoon. North facing lots are the most sought after. To accomplish this we will be on Lot # 190 on 4th Street until March 1st then I will move to Lot # 238 on 6th Street until Apri 1st. I also got tickets for the New Year’s Eve Dance.

We made the move to Lot # 190 in stages. Charlotte drove the Del SoI to our new lot and I picked her up in the RV. I then drove to the Shell gas station just up the road to fill-up. If things progress as usual fuel will be about a dollar more a gallon by the time we leave.

We returned to the park which enters off US-60 East. US-60 is a limited access multi-lane highway up to Gold Canyon where it remains a four lane but with traffic lights and cross roads rather than exit ramps. To enter when going west it is easier to turn off US-60 onto Superstition Mountain Drive, do a U-turn a few blocks up and return to the light. This way I have the light without a rush of traffic when turning left rather than having to make a U-turn at the light to change directions on US-60. The RV was then set up and hooked up.

Next, the Del Sol got a well deserved top-of-the-line wash at the Lube & Wash just up the road. We went to Jack-in-the-Box for a burger just across from the park. Unlike McD’s or Burger King, Jack-in-the-Box only makes your burger when ordered – no pre-cooking. This makes it warmer and juicier…mmm.

We did a little organizing until it was time to get ready for the New Year’s Eve Dance at 8 pm. The theme was “Magic”. They always do a good job decorating for events. 3 Speed (the band) played here last year – a good selection of 55+ music. Unlike back home, the meal was not served after midnight. They just kept filling up the jumbo shrimp, finger food and pastries which were available all evening. We sat with a nice couples from Wisconsin and South Dakota.

Soon it was Midnight and a New Year! This is late for the park – most events end at 10 p.m.

Back to the RV shortly after midnight. Time to crash! Still shirt only temperatures. It will take a few days to rest and organize.

Fri - Dec 30/11

Up and on our way by 5 a.m.

I offered Charlotte one of her favourites - Huevos Rancheros at the El Camino for breakfast.
Huevos Rancheros is the classic Mexican breakfast consisting of poached eggs served in the style of the traditional large mid-morning fare on poor farms. The basic dish consists of poached eggs served upon lightly fried corn tortillas topped with a tomato-chili sauce. Refried beans, sliced avocado and guacamole usually accompany this dish. Tex-Mex versions add cheese and sour cream as well as garnishes of fresh tomatoes and lettuce.

I was totally surprised when she declined. She was really anxious to get to Canyon Vistas.
We left Socorro on I-25 a little after 6 a.m. By daylight we arrived at Hatch, NM where we took SR-26 to Deming, NM. This was just a two lane road. It was smooth with little traffic. This shortcut from Hatch to Deming saved nearly an hour and 50 miles when compared to stay on I-25 to I-10 at Las Cruces. It also avoided the big city’s rush hour.

I-10 traffic was a heavier than I-25 which was very light. We stayed on I-10 past Lordsburg, NM. We could have taken US-70 from Lordsburg, NM to Safford, AZ, but we decided to stay on I-10 to connect with US-191. It would be only about 20 miles longer. It would be quicker with a longer time spent on I-10 and a portion of US-191 being a newly constructed four lane section.

We then took US-70 from Safford, AZ to Globe, AZ where we caught US-60 that would bring us right into the resort.

We arrived during the noon hour to find Guest Services were closed. They were given Friday off as they would have to work Saturday and Sunday to accommodate the 30 to 40 RV that were leaving at the end of the 3 month special and to book in a group of 50 (Saturday) and 20 (Sunday) that were arriving.

We were booked in to the short term area by the gate personnel using our Passport America Card. We would go to the office tomorrow (open from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.) to get our long term lot.

We disconnected the car and did a quick setup. We only put out 2 of the 3 slideouts and connect power and water but not the sewer line.

It was nice to see the Arizona Sunset again!

And on the 5th Day – we rested! (At least for the evening)

Thu - Dec 29/11
On the road by 5 a.m. This isn’t as bad as it seems – this is really like 6 a.m. home time. Today we will enter another time zone as we cross into New Mexico (Mountain Time) making the early start like 7 a.m. to our body clock.

Travelling was good with little early morning traffic. We approached Oklahoma City, OK as daylight set in. We opted for I-240 as traffic was heavy during rush hour on I-40 even from 25 miles out. I-240 was a great decision. It was only a few miles longer with much less traffic even after rejoining I-40. Joining on the west side of Oklahoma City had us now going out of town on I-40 as most of the workforce was now fillling the eastbound lanes as they came in to work .

We filled up at the Flying J at Sayre, OK about two hours after leaving OK City. Less than half an hour after filling up we were crossing into Texas.

Amarillo, TX was an easy transit. Although the I-40 has been closed already this year due to blizzards, the road was just wet in places from the last of the snow melt. There were two foot snow banks in places but nothing on the road. We have always had good traffic flow through Amarillo no matter what time we passed through. Dallas, TX is always busy, but orderly. El Paso, TX, my least favourite, is always busy and wildly chaotic. Thankfully, we avoided these two areas on this trip.

It took less than three hours to cross this narrowest part of Texas and enter New Mexico and a new time zone. We fueled up at the Flying J in Tucumcari, NM. Texas is mostly a high, flat plateau where we crossed. In New Mexico we will cross several mountain ranges as we head to Arizona. There was less snow here even at the higher altitudes.

The early start and time zone change got us into the Albuquerque area just as rush hour was starting. Instead of staying at the Wal-Mart here (2550 Coors Blvd NW) and filling at the Flying J we opted to take I-25 south to Socorro, NM. It would probably be a similar time line by avoiding the slow rush hour traffic through most of Albuquerque. We would also avoid the morning rush as well with the bypass.

I-25 was a dream as it was newly paved for most of the distance (75 miles) from Albuquerque. Entering Socorro we fueled at the KW express at about 4:30 p.m. This is one of the gas stations I had previewed on Google Maps Street View. It was an easy in and out.

A few stoplights later on I-25 Bus (Business) we turned onto Wal Street. You guessed it – Wal-Mart! This is a favourite stop for the evening  when we come this way.

We parked following the usual RV (unofficial) protocol. We parked at the far corner of the parking lot. The entry door faces Wal-Mart and their security cameras. We then check with the duty manager to see if overnighting is allowed. Some communities (mostly all of Florida, Arizona and California) pass local ordinances that do not allow overnight parking. Where this is allowed we stay at Wal-Mart Supercenters that are open 24 hours. If there is any possible local security issues there will be a night patrol in the parking area. It is a good idea to also check with the patrol. Get them a coffee and they will take special care to watch your RV as you sleep.

We checked-in and then, as usual, walked across the street to the El Camino Family Restaurant. It is open 24 hours, the food is great, the service is good and the prices are reasonable. We always look forward to this part of our trip.

There was still a foot of snow on the ground in places. They were also part of the last storm that hit Amarillo. We took US-60 west from here last year. After 4 hours of clear blue sky and no snow we were hit with a blizzard and whiteout. It took 2 days to travel what should have been a half day trip. The weather is now clear but we are going further south tomorrow. Although longer in distance, it will be actually be a little quicker.

After supper we picked up essentials for the RV from Wal-Mart. The refrigerator has been running on propane for the past 2 days so it is set for storing meat, milk and veggies. This way we won’t have to go shopping when we arrive at Canyon Vistas tomorrow.

This was a great travel day made even better by the improved road conditions. Again, early to bed and early to rise makes the travelling easier.

Wed - Dec 28/11

Up at 5 am to get a good head start on the day’s travel. The weather is warm(er) and clear.

Going west is easier than going east in terms of the body’s time clock. It is also better for travel as we actually gain about an hour of daylight travelling with the sun. The speed limit also increases as we go south and west. We start at 65 mph and end up with sections of Interstate at 75 mph. (A portion of I-10 in Texas is 80 mph). Some sections have the dreaded “split” speed limit with trucks or vehicles towing at 10 mph less than autos. I have never been able to understand the logic behind this decision as we are often “cut off” by passing cars juggling for position. Passing on the right then cutting back in to the outside lane appears to be the latest “sport of idiots!”

We entered the Central Time Zone halfway across Tennessee. The traffic was light in the dark (grin). Traffic flow was good around Nashville, TN. We filled up at the Flying J in Fairview, TN just after sunrise.

Travelling through Memphis, TN was good, as well. We crossed to West Memphis over the Mississippi River into Arkansas.

The only problem today were the sections of I-40 that were worse than lumber roads we have been on in northern Quebec. The USA should have diverted some of the money that was used to repair bomb craters at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan to fix the craters on I-40. The recession has put the road maintenance about 5 years behind schedule. The huge potholes can be avoided by autos (when you can see them). Trucks, being much wider, cannot. Maybe that is why I was cut-off yesterday? The driver may have been avoiding s deep hole and forgot to check his mirrors. I have never been on roads that rough. Our clothes in the closet were ejected off the hangers and the hangers launched off the clothes rod. I could actually watch the rear wheels of transports lifting off the road as they continuously bounced up and down. An occasional bump can be expected – this was several miles of steady buffeting!

We fueled at the Flying J in Russellville, AR and continued on to the Flying J at Checotah, OK. Starting early, crossing the time zone and the higher speed limit (mostly 70 mph) allowed us to log more than 725 miles today before pulling in to Checotah at 4:30 pm.

Again – Denny’s for supper and asleep by 7 pm. The drive was fine except for two exceddingly rough sections in Tennessee. They are playing “catch-up” with other portions just paved and perfectly smooth. Another bonus – the gas prices were below $3.00 a (US) Gallon.

Tue - Dec 27/11


Up at 6 am and on the road by 7. A number of RVs had already pulled out. There were around 30 parked overnight.

Carlisle is a giant version of Cornwall, ON (our home area – we just live outside the city in a small rural village).Carlisle is a major distribution center and transportation hub where I-81, I-76 and I-83 converge. While Cornwall has a few thousand trucks loading and unloading daily – Carlisle is many times larger.

We decided to do our “in the dark” driving in the morning rather than in the evening. There is less traffic and we are less tired making it a better option.

We started off in good weather which gradually became a light rain for most of the day. We fueled at our usual Flying J (Winchester (Clear Brook), VA a little over an hour later.

We usually eat in the RV as we drive. Charlotte picked the more substantial Tim Horton donuts when we bought a dozen yesterday. These bigger, square donuts are less “sticky” with more carbs and less sugar. They are also more filling – donut holes don’t provide much hunger control. Peanut Butter sandwiches are my lunch treat. The soft drinks are cool due to the overnight temperature. We will probably turn on the refrigerator tomorrow as we get into a warmer climate.

Driving was good with the usual few “merging idiots” that pull out into traffic doing 25 – 30 mph below the speed limit. Of course, this happens when a car or truck are passing and pulling over isn’t an option. Very few in the fast lane will slow down (to the speed limit) to let an RV pull out for the short distance required to let the merging traffic onto the highway – so it’s brake time.

The only major driving problem today occurred while I was passing a slow Power Company Service Truck. When I was half-way up the side the truck moved a foot and a half over the white line into my lane. I laid on the horn and swerved onto the shoulder to avoid being hit. The driver woke up?? and got back into his own lane. Thankfully our RV handles really well and we made it back onto the road safely.

Later, after filling up at the Flying J (Wytheville, VA) we spotted the same truck and took a picture of the license plate and company logo. I may notify the company to advise them a driver refreshment course might be advisable.

The standard Highway numbering has odd numbered roads running North-South and even numbers going East-West. Mile Marker 1 starts at the South end of N-S roads and at the West end of the E-W roads. The Mile Markers start over as the road crosses state lines. Most states have taken to numbering exits by the closest MM (Mile Marker). This helps give an idea of distance. On a previous trip I forgot that this is not so on I-90 in New York State. Road construction was announced between 2 exits that were 1 number apart. I thought I only had to endure the slow single lane construction for a mile. It was closer to 40 miles! I now check how the exits are numbered!

I-81, although N-S, does slant to the west as it goes south. It is actually more west than south as it approaches it’s southern terminus at I-40 in Tennessee. We pulled into the Flying J west of Knoxville, TN at about 4:30 pm. Again, supper at their Denny’s and asleep by 7 pm.

Outside of the truck passing incident it was a good travel day. The rain was light and would clear by tomorrow.