5 - Tucson and Cactus

We discovered that southeastern Arizona is packed with more interesting things to see and do than we had time for. We set ourselves up at Cochise Terrace, a beautiful up-scale RV resort (paid half-price) 40 miles east of Tucson and convenient to places we wanted to visit. We had to stay an extra day to add time for essential tasks, a tour of Kartchner Caverns, a visit to Boot Hill and a very refreshing dip in the pool.

The Hoover administration had good foresight in 1933 in establishing Saguaro National Park well in advance of Tucson’s explosive growth. Suburban development has spread across the Sonoran Desert all the way to the park boundaries and probably would have eaten up the rest of the park as well as suburbanites strive for view homes amid cactus gardens. Fortunately, the park is well protected and offers visitors an opportunity to get a close-up look at a variety of cacti and other plants, especially the large saguaros (Ned of Taco Bell is one). We took the 8 mile Cactus Forest Drive and stopped along the way for short hikes and photos. Very nice!

Tucson is nearly as large as Seattle in population but, without many surrounding communities, it seems a lot smaller. It also appeared very clean, modern and much too quiet for a Saturday. We found our way around easily and parking was free everywhere we went.

We spent an afternoon in the Old Tucson district following a well-marked self-guided walking tour, looking at old buildings and historic sites, and learning about the area’s colorful history. St. Augustine Cathedral (1896) was a very impressive structure (photo). Old Town Artisans was an interesting cluster of artsy shops surrounding an outdoor eating patio under large shade trees, complete with a singing guitar player. It was across the street from the Presidio San Agustin del Tucson, which was established as a Spanish fort in 1775. Ron was especially excited about finding a small railroad museum near the beautifully restored Southern Pacific RR depot.

It’s easy to see why many snowbirds flock to this part of Arizona. The winter climate is just about perfect, the scenery is terrific and there are lots of things to do. We didn’t see everything, but hope to return in the future and spend a little more time here.

4. Left Turn to Arizona

I-5 to Bakersfield was long and flat, but the varied scenery of crops, cattle, and green rolling hills was better than expected and not at all boring. To conserve fuel, we cruised along with the truckers at a steady 55-60 mph. Even at that speed, the RV was pummeled with bugs and flying critters of all sizes, their colorful juices splattering the windshield like a game of paint ball. Ron’s first task at the end of a travel day is to scrub the windshield and front of the RV before the bug remains get baked on. That task took him half an hour when we finally settled into our space under the palms at the Bakersfield Palms RV Park (picture).

It was a long slow grind over 4,000 ft. Tehachapi Pass as we climbed out of the central valley and into the high desert. Again, the scenery was better than expected and some species of blooming cactus added color. We cruised through Barstow (no good reason to stop) and on toward the Colorado River. As we approached Needles, Bonnie was watching the gas gauge like a hawk as the needle pushed the empty mark. Fortunately, it was all downhill into the Colorado River Valley. We took the first gas station exit (big mistake) and found the price of regular gas to be $4.20/gal. We passed those stations and finally bought a few gallons at $4.10/gal. to get us up the road to Bullhead City. To our delight, gas was selling for only $3.22/gal. in Bullhead, just 35 miles north.

We spent the next three days visiting Bonnie’s sister Bev and her hubby Tom in Bullhead City. Their nice winter home overlooks the Colorado River valley and Eldorado Mountains to the west. We relaxed, did some laundry and clean-up, and spent an afternoon at a Laughlin casino losing a few bucks to the gambling machines but also enjoying a great $5.00 lunch buffet. Ron and Tom got to watch the final game of the NCAA college basketball tournament while Bonnie and Bev did a little shopping. Bonnie’s cousin Darrol came down from Kingman and they spent the afternoon recalling old times growing up in Bellingham many years ago. Ron and Darrol were on Navy ships in Vietnam about the same time, so they had some stories to share as well. Bev and Tom were very good hosts and fed us too well. Bullhead was a nice stop on our trip.

We departed Bullhead on Wednesday (April 9), drove down the river, passed by Lake Havasu and Parker and turned east at Quartzite. The highway was a bit narrow and slow but, as you can see, there wasn't much traffic. The jagged mountains near Needles and rocky terrain along the river were very scenic. There weren't any good viewpoints, so Bonnie clicked off a few pictures out the windows as we rolled along. It was sunny and warm but not warm enough to turn on the A/C.

Tonight (4/9), we’re camped on a patch of desert called Augie’s RV Park, just outside Gila Bend, Arizona. It’s more sand box than park, but it has its own unique character, as do most campgrounds. Our rooftop antenna couldn’t pick up any TV stations and there are more radio stations in Spanish than English, so this was a good time to relax, go for a walk and update the blog.

Gila Bend is a pit stop and we’ll leave first thing tomorrow for Tucson. We have a long list of things to see and do in that area. Adios amigos . . .

3 -- Wine Country

We arrived in the Alexander Valley in California’s wine country on March 31. We settled into a beautiful space at the Russian River campground, which is nestled in a narrow canyon full of oak and manzanita along the river a few miles north of Cloverdale.

Cloverdale is a nice little Mayberry kind of town, but with evidence of good planning and strict sign controls, with the exception of Pick's Drive-in, which was obviously "grandfathered in". After being dragged behind the RV for 800+ miles, the Honda was very dirty. Thanks to a do-it-yourself car wash, Ron managed to get it reasonably clean for only eight quarters. That left us with enough pocket change for a couple deluxe burgers at Pick’s, an authentic 50’s style burger joint. Delicious!

Budding vineyards and scattered wineries cover the rolling hills and valley floor of the Alexander Valley and the neighboring Sonoma and Napa Valleys. We took the Honda on a self-guided driving tour of the valley for a close-up view (and taste) of the grape-based economy. We started at the River Rock Casino, a huge complex sitting high on a hillside and visible for miles. Three five-story parking structures and a fleet of tour buses from the Bay Area filled the casino with people, cigarette smoke and noise. We joined the Players Club (free) and cashed in some visitor vouchers that got us an excellent two-for-one lunch buffet and $30 worth of free gambling, which we managed to lose in about five minutes before escaping.

The grassy hills are bright green this time of year, the grapes are just getting started and the country drive was very pleasant. We bought some oranges and avocados at a little roadside stand before entering the town of Healdsburg (pop. 11,700). It’s also a very attractive community with a people-friendly town square surrounded by attractive shops, restaurants, antique stores, lots of wine tasting rooms and people talking on cell phones.

We could have stayed at Russian River another week or two, but it was time to move on. Figuring out how to get from Highway 101 to our next campground near Manteca proved to be a challenge. To avoid the dreaded Bay Area traffic and congestion, we plotted a 15-step course that followed mostly winding narrow country roads around the north side of San Pablo Bay, and eventually to I-80, I-680, I-580, I-5 and eventually to Turtle Beach RV Park. It was a strenuous exercise in highway navigation but Bonnie juggled the maps gracefully and gave good accurate directions while Ron dodged the truckers. We didn't miss a turn.

Turtle Beach is on the San Joaquin River, a few miles south of Manteca. We arrived early enough to go into town, do a little shopping at Wal-Mart and relax with an excellent Mexican dinner. [Note: Thanks to a misspelling long ago, Manteca means “lard” in Spanish.] This is a quick rest stop. Tomorrow morning we’ll head for Buck Owens territory (Bakersfield) and on to Arizona.

2. First Week on the Road

On Wednesday, March 26, we finished loading the RV and pointed it south on I-405. We took just about everything we owned, except the piano, but still wondered “what did we forget?” Sure enough, Ron forgot his pants, which were left hanging together in the closet where he wouldn’t forget them. He did remember such important things as the Frisbee, bag of mixed nuts and a combination lock that he lost the combination to.

It was an easy drive down I-5 to Portland before the weather turned on us. Short bursts of rain, hail and snow were interspersed with bright sunshine for the next three days. We turned right at Eugene, gassed up the RV ($3.50/gal.), crossed the Coast Range and checked into the South Jetty Campground in Florence in the early evening. It’s a very nice forested campground and just a mile or so from the Oregon Dunes Nat’l. Recreation Area and beaches.

On Friday, we were visited by Eric and Lynne Dittmer, long-time friends from Medford. We spent the afternoon watching dune buggies and motorcycles challenge the dunes, exploring Old Town Florence and looking at boats along the Siuslaw River. A great seafood dinner at Mo’s capped off the day. Willing to try anything once, Eric and Lynne agreed to spend the night on the fold-out couch in our RV. It was a freezing cold rainy miserable night. We awoke to “corn snow” on the ground. It was an experience they'll probably not soon forget. After a hearty breakfast at South Jetty Betty’s campground café, we were warmed up and feeling good again.

Saturday, the big night at South Jetty, started off with an excellent prime rib dinner, cooked and served up by South Jetty Betty herself. After dinner, Betty called BINGO. Bonnie won the final game and a $10 prize for the blackout. BINGO was followed by an ice cream social, also served by Betty who seems to do it all. What more could anyone ask?

We hit the road again on Sunday (Mar. 30). The southern Oregon coast was warm and sunny and the scenery outstanding. We stopped in Brookings to buy Ron a pair of tax-free pants before continuing on to Crescent City.

We spent the night at a small campground near the mouth of the Klamath River. At the suggestion of our host, we drove up a short steep road to Requa Viewpoint to watch the sunset and look for migrating whales. Didn’t see any whales, but the sunset was very nice!

We stopped at Eureka to fill the gas tank again ($3.80/gal.) before continuing south through the redwoods. Much of this highway was crooked, hilly, narrow and slow-going – a white-knuckle ride for Bonnie who frequently cautioned Ron about “speeding” through the curves at 30 mph. Since we weren’t in a hurry, we had plenty of time to enjoy the beauty of the forest, including a lunch stop at Richardson’s Grove to view the Grandfather Tree and too many chainsaw sculptures. And on we went down Highway 101 and into California wine country.

1. Introduction

As we approach April, it's apparent that spring has sprung in the Northwest. Buds are popping, trees are blossoming, and the grass and weeds are growing with renewed vigor. It's time to get out of town!

The motor home has been in storage since last September, following our trip to South Dakota. We got it started earlier this month, brought it home and spent a day de-winterizing, removing moss, sanitizing the fresh water tank, cleaning, lubricating, sorting and making sure everything still works. The batteries were low, but a little driving and overnight charging powered them up.

We spent the winter months daydreaming and plotting alternative vacation routes until we arrived at an agreeable route. We arrived at the conclusion that the only way to see what we wanted to see was to circumnavigate America in a counterclockwise direction. After spending most of our lives in the Northwest, we felt a need to see how people live, work and play in other parts of the country. The Gulf Coast, Florida, East Coast, New England and the maritime provinces of Canada were all on our list of places to visit. With gas selling for $3.50/gal. and rising rapidly, this may not be the ideal time for a couple of retired folks on fixed incomes to begin a 10,000 mile journey in a rig that gets 8 miles to the gallon pulling a dinghy. But, we aren't getting any younger and we feel it's time to do some of the things that we've been setting aside for our retirement years.

We plan to embark on this adventure on March 26. We'll head south through Oregon and California, then turn left toward Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, followed by the Gulf Coast, Florida and the East Coast, or until we run out of gas money. We'll take pictures along the way and document our adventures in this blogspot. Time and internet access may limit our production somewhat, but we'll add to the blog every few days . . . provided something interesting is happening. We invite you to follow along by reading our reports and, if you've already been where we're going, feel free to comment or offer suggestions on where to go and what to see, or places to avoid.