Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Time to Move On, New "Room" with a View


Tuesday, Feb. 28th was our day to move, so without any argument, we moved. We packed up the rest of our stuff, had breakfast, Bill showered and I finished dusting the Suite.

I missed the sunrise this morning but I was awake 3 or 4 times before actually getting up out of bed. Once at 5:15, then 6:15, 6:30 and finally arose at 7. Part of that time, I must have dozed off but the other part was my mind wandering. Some of the best or better ideas come from our semi-slumber, right?

I grabbed the camera and the garbage and went out to snap the sun anyway. I was amazed at how many puddles were around the park, it didn’t seem to have rained that heavily yesterday. I met George out for one of his early walks.


 I took a couple of books back to the library and picked up another of J.A. Jances’, even though I haven’t read any of hers yet. They come on high recommendation. I have 3 to work through now. George and Suzie pulled out ahead of us so we said goodbye to the last of our Pilot Knob friends. So, with our friends gone, a cooler day and cleaner teeth, we have no reason to stick around any longer.
George directing Suzie with hand gestures

Nice and easy, Suzie


We were pulling out at 10:15 (AZ) with an approximate 3 ½ hr. drive ahead of us. 

All ready to go

Bon  Voyage from Pilot Knob RV Resort
We took Hwy 8 towards Yuma turning off to catch I-95 on which we stayed until we reached our destination of Lake Havasu. We were blown away by more desert scenery, now covered with lush green foliage.

Last time through here, the desert was dry and brown
 I believe this to be Castle Dome Rock Mountain?

The cacti disappear for a short time and then we see teddy bear cholla, then saguaro and another of our favourite, ocotillo. 

Teddy bear cholla making footprints on this hillside and ocotillo in front left corner
Driving through Quartzsite for the last time this winter put us in a melancholy frame of mind
Lots of great friends here and good times

Goodbye Quartzsite


Bill was blown away by this empty lot at La Mesa RV
where did all the rv's go?
Now, the area we are in, there aren’t many cacti of any kind in sight. The climate and elevation make all the difference in the world as to what we see out our rv windows.
Clemson settles in with my sweater, can't wait to see where we're going now

Lorne and Sue of A Place Called Away recommended this BLM spot at mile marker 195. Once we got to Parker, the scenery became even more beautiful. Definitely a must see.


We found Lake Havasu to be even more breathtaking than ever and can’t wait to drive back into town to explore in the next few days. 

Buttercups on the rocky cliffside?



Bill Williams River at Lake Havasu
Okay, so we drove past mile marker 194 but also unknowingly drove past the driveway into the free area. Woops! the turn off is between 194 and 195, we should have went by Lorne's coordinates.
saguaro cacti standing proud and tall, we've missed these

We got as far as m.m. 197 before we were able to pull in and turn around and then we easily turned in and found a spot facing the mountains and overlooking the highway, way down there. Some of these mountain ranges are so craggy and sharp, I can’t help but wonder if they have changed over the years or always been this way.


We have a nice spot for sure and happily have our Verizon connection BUT we are not happy that we do not have cell phone service AGAIN! This plays havoc with our plans and instead of staying here for 6 nights, we might stick around for a couple of days to sightsee and move on. Having a connection with home only be email is not a good feeling. I like my texting capabilities at least to keep in touch.

Such a beautiful home in Lake Havasu
Once we got set up, I set a timer to open Facebook so I can call my son on video chat and talk to the birthday boy. Nathan isn’t much of a talker but at least I hope to see him face to face. I just needed to remember to call two hours ahead of the time we set up.


My son, Patrick and grandson, Nathan

 The sun is shining, it is 68F as I type this and 4:25 pm. So, no other complaints other than the phone service. Bill reminded me of the time to call home before the timer went off so I had a nice little face to face chat with Patrick and Nathan. I can't express how wonderful it was to see their faces scrunched in on that screen on Patrick's phone. It made my day. 

Mountains to the southeast of us

Sunset tonight
 If any of you have 7 year old grand sons, you know how short their attention span is for talking on the phone. They have better things to do! So, this was perfect. Nate saw who he was talking to and actually stayed on the phone for a few minutes, sometimes making those award winning funny faces with Grandma. I miss them.

I had planned on having leftover chicken in a salad for supper and making Bill his chicken in a sandwich. Then I got a reminder on Facebook that it is Shrove Tuesday and since I had mini breakfast sausages in the fridge, we had pancakes and sausage instead! Yay!
Let's eat!
Now we’re full, I caught the sun going down out here in the middle of nowhere and Bill and I tried to see the International Space Station but the sky was too blue that we couldn’t see it. I hope to get another email tomorrow telling us where and when.
Our maple syrup from back home, made just down the road from our place on The Ridge
Inside now watching the 2nd night of The Voice. Lots of excitement and laughter in our house tonight. When the hour is up, we’ll turn it off and read our books.


I hope you enjoy some of the travelling pictures today and had a great day.
Our view to the south
Thank you for reading today’s story and feel free to comment anytime.

12 comments:

  1. We really are in sync. Take a look at the house I photographed in Lake Havasu. http://gonerving.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/winterfest-in-hot-arizona-sunshine-and.html

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  2. And you didn't even wave as you went by.
    Glad you had Safe trip and hope you Enjoy Lake Havasu.
    Don't tell Bill there is a Harbor Freight in town.

    It's about time.

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  3. Enjoy your time there it is a very interesting town to explore.
    We are all on our own and enjoy that very much as well. Travel safe.

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    1. There are people around us but not too close. Not sure how long we'll stay, it is a beautiful high spot but we are shaded by the morning sun by a mountain. Not good for solar until about 8:15 am. We'll see. Going exploring today!

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  4. I love FaceTime with our grandchildren, one of who is seven years old 😊

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    1. I loved seeing them, first time since we left home in October.

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  5. We use Facebook/Messenger video chat quite a bit and love being able to see our grandchildren's faces. We will be in Lake Havasu next week for the "Yooper" Picnic. We knew that boon-docking spot was there but were not sure of mile marker, thanks for information.
    Enjoy exploring the area.

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    1. We will probably be gone when you arrive but yes it is after mile marker 194 on right hand side. About half a mile past the marker almost on the top of a hill. I enjoyed talking to Nathan and Patrick and seeing them like that!

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  6. Glad you three made it to Lake Havasu safely. Looks like a nice boondocking place. I'll have to remember where that is for future consideration. Enjoy your visit there.

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    1. It is a beautiful spot, just don't park too close to the embankment. :)

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