Slowly Heading North

Saturday, March 14, 2026

When we left Yuma yesterday afternoon we started a trek that will take us North. We are still working on the exact route and stops but the goal is to see some of the beauty that is northern Arizona and possibly a few National Parks/Monuments in Utah. 

Meanwhile the first picture today is one of several I took of the sun coming up on our day.

The start of a beautiful day in the Sonoran Desert near Quartzsite, Arizona!

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Today we made our last trip into Los Algodones for this Adventure. 

Walking in we take our time as people race past us. We are pretty sure
the venders will not run out of merchandise before we get there.

We have gone through their entrance where they now sometimes
check passports and then put any bags through a scanner.

A couple of street pictures,

Lunch at Mi Casa Es Su Casa

We had already started eating when we thought about a picture.

We are in the parking lot looking over where we just came through
US Customs back into California. 

Heading back home the fields are such a pretty green with the
mountains in the background.

We always enjoy our time in Los Algodones just walking around up and down the various streets looking at "stuff". Part of the fun is talking with the venders as the try to sell us that "stuff". We hear the phrase, "almost free" and "I remember you" several times as we walk along. Part of the whole experience is the negotiating when we decide to purchase something. They know we know they are still making a profit but in the end we all walk away feeling like we made a good deal. It is all part of the experience. 

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Today I took two pictures and they are below. We went over to the Arizona Market Place in the morning. Tom saw Bill leaving when we were pulling in which was a surprise. We both had a couple of things we were looking for so once there we were in and out pretty quickly. In the years past I have pretty much checked out every vender but the fact is I really do not need any more stuff and we could feel it getting warmer in the tents.

We were behind this trailer on our way to the Marketplace.
It looked like the wheels were smoking. We were not sure 
what this guy was thinking he was pulling it with a pretty 
good size pickup truck.

The rest of our day was spent doing some relaxing and getting the motorhome ready to pull out for an early appointment in the morning.

Friday, March 13, 2026

Today we started our day fairly early. It was time to leave Pilot Knob RV and head back up to Roadrunner BLM for a couple of days. First we were headed over to Jr's Mobile Service to have an air line put in the motorhome for the air force one braking system in the Jeep for when we are towing it. Tom also asked them to take a look at the brakes in the motorhome. He did not like the way they felt or sounded when he was backing up into our site at Pilot Knob. It was determined we needed new brake pads in the front so they were installed, also. We felt very good about the service and the feeling of this shop, besides being a mobile service there is a diesel shop. The owner and the mechanics working for him all seemed to know there "stuff". We would have no problem going back there again for service or recommending them to someone else.

I did not think to take a picture of the shop and area but I did
take this which was on the wall across from where I was sitting
while waiting for the last of the work to get done.

This was another wall in the waiting area. The water feature, bottom
right, was actually in that spot I just did not get the whole thing
in the picture.

While waiting for the work to get done we, mainly me, did a little shopping. Yes, I did end up at Hobby Lobby...lol

Lunch at Black Bear Diner. What is nice about this stop is
they serve breakfast all day. So Tom gets to have one of
his favorite meals and I can have lunch.

I may have posted this picture before but
I just really like that they call this place
"Rain For Rent'.

Later in the day we were headed back to Quartzsite and one
of our favorite places to boondock. Just not our favorite spot.

We have an appointment in the morning at Discount Solar to have an issue that has come up with our Solar System so we are parked closer to the  road then we would normally pick. Our favorite spot is a little ways farther back and the road is rough. 

A Hedgehog Cactus near where we are parked.

Afterglow pictures over the Dome Rock Mountains.
The sky changes quickly.
Top Picture: taken at 6:50PM, Middle Picture taken at 6:58PM
Bottom Picture taken at 7:00PM

The last picture taken of the Ocotillo outside our
door where we are presently parked.
The color has changed to a golden yellow and is fading quickly.

We enjoyed our time in Yuma and now we will enjoy these last few days, for this Adventure,  parked out in the desert near Quartzsite, Arizona.

If you have enjoyed the pictures I have put out there 

or the words I have added that makes me smile. 

If you have time to leave a comment they are always special to read. 

No matter what I am glad you stopped by!

We Moved Farther South For A Little Bit

Sunday, March 8, 2026

I was going to start by saying we were up early this morning because it was a moving day but we really did not get up that early. It was around 7o'clock, just in time for the sunrise. So I took a walk to take some pictures while Tom made coffee. I shared one in the last blog and there is another just below. I liked each of them for different reasons so I am sharing both. 

We had our coffee and then we started getting the motorhome ready to move down the road. We each have things we take care of and to put it simply or the short version: Tom is outside doing what needs to be done and I am inside taking care of what needs to be done.  Everyone has a system that works for them and ours includes a checklist. We take a few minutes to make sure we have not missed anything. We have seen to many RV's with their steps out or their vents up etc...not to take the few minutes. Today's plan was to have everything done, including the slides pulled in before we left for 11:30 Mass. Then we would come back, eat lunch, hook up the Jeep, and head to Yuma. It is so nice when a plan comes together and today's did just that. 

Sunrise on Sunday, March 8, 2026

Before we left for Mass we said so long to Joan and Dave, left 
picture, as they were ready to pull out. Kim and Ken, on the
right, would be staying in this lovely spot for a little while longer. 

We have been parked by this Saguaro several times and for the
first time I notice the little arm growing, upper right, close
to the ground. It is amazing how different each Saguaro is.

Looking to my right I could see what is left of this
Saguaro. He was still green the first time we 
parked out here.

Driving back after Mass there were two where there had been three.
Tom pulling out which left one.
I stopped to take the picture below, one last picture, and a wave.

It is always bittersweet leaving a place we have enjoyed and saying so long to people we have spent time with. The hope always is we will cross paths down the road again, we will be back to enjoy the quiet of the desert, and the mountain views in the distance.

This little one looked rough the first time we parked out here
and time has not been kind to him. Yet there he is still standing
proud. He has always been our marker for where to turn.
I wonder if he will still be here next time. 
Fingerscrossed he still is.

 

Following Tom out to where we will hook up.
A different view from the last time when I was 
following the Stinger "B".

Hooked up, lights checked, the Jeep wheels rolled,
and we are ready to leave.

I know, I know I post it just about every time we head south on
US-95 but it is my favorite view along the way.

As we come into the Yuma the green fields greet us.

I took a walk down the road to take a picture of tonight's afterglow.

Walking back to our site after taking the above picture I could
see a hint of rosy pink above our home.

It was a good travel day and our first in our new to us RV. (Still no name...lol) It was time to move on and though, like I mentioned above bittersweet, the memories come with us.

Monday, March 9, 2026

One of the main reason we made the move to the Yuma area was so I could go into Los Algodones and have my teeth cleaned. Plus, I had been having some trouble with the new glasses I bought when we were here back in October. Both of these things were taken care of today.

We decided to have lunch at El Rancherito today. 
They were offering free lime Margaritas with your meal.
Not Tom's first choice but free is free...lol

Tom took a walk to the end of our road to take a picture of
the sun going down on our day.

It was a good day.

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

When we lived in a sticks and bricks house things broke and some of them Tom could fix and some times we needed to hire someone to do the work. It is no different living in an motorhome things break and some times Tom can fix it and some times we need to hire someone. Or like the other day when we had an issue with our solar some times there are friends near by that know how to help and come to your rescue. Today was a day of hiring someone to come and see if he could fix the locks on our door. This has been an ongoing problem since we bought this rig. They put in a new door lock but the service person could not get it to work and the deadbolt he tried fixing twice with no luck. So after making some calls Tom got this gentleman's name and number and Bill the locksmith showed up today. It took a little bit of time but before he left we had two working door locks. Fingerscrossed this is the final fix. 

After lunch I drove into Yuma to pick up a few groceries. Plus, I did laundry this morning and when I returned. A little later Tom grilled hamburgers for dinner.  But before that he took a walk to down to the end of our road and took a couple of pictures of tonight's sunset.

So ends an ordinary day living in our RV. A day filled with the business of living.

An Add On

Joan posted some pictures on Facebook including this one of our last Happy Hour together for this stay in the desert.  Since, I did not take one I decided to "borrow" her's. This meant since she took it she was not in it. Then I remembered her smile in the picture I had form when we were at Silly Al's and then there she is.

Left to right: Kim, me, Tom, Joan hovering above her chair, Dave and Ken.   
 March 7, 2026

If you have enjoyed the pictures I have put out there 

or the words I have added that makes me smile. 

If you have time to leave a comment they are always special to read. 

No matter what I am glad you stopped by!

The Wind Found Us on Thursday

Sunrise on Sunday, March 8, 2026

After three days of wind this Sunday morning was calm and 56 degrees when I stepped out the door to take the above picture.

Wednesday, March 4th through Saturday, March 7, 2026

It is hard to believe how fast our time has gone by this winter in the Quartzsite, Arizona area. We always talk about how plans are written in "Jello" and ours certainly were this year. The plan was to go a little farther West but that changed when we traded in the Stinger "B". We planned to stay longer in this area and that is changing because of the temperatures. The good news, for us at least, is with the warmer temperatures we will be heading north and spending some time checking out some of the National Parks/Monuments in Arizona and Utah as we head back towards Michigan. Still working on an exact route but then we have been known to change things up along the way. One thing for sure no matter what the route we will enjoy the ride.

This past Wednesday, the 4th, just as our Happy Hour broke up, I actually caught a few pictures of the sun as it slid behind the Dome Rock Mountains.

Going

Going

Gone

Our neighborhood in the fading sunlight.

The wind decided to join us on Thursday, the 5th, and we spent the morning and early afternoon inside. We spent time looking at the weather predictions for the next couple of weeks and re-scheduling a couple of appointments and our plans. It is about to get hot in Yuma and if the weather predictions are correct by the 17th it will be in the 100's in Yuma. By that same date in the Quartzsite Area it will be in the high 90/s possibly 100's and honestly we do not want to be in Yuma or here for that heat. Our plan had been to be in Yuma then back here during that time and it is now changed. More on that in future blogs.

The wind was not subsiding so we knew we would not be sitting out during Happy Hour today so we decided to take a ride around this area. This is our favorite spot to park out here at Roadrunner, I think I have mentioned that fact before...lol, but sometimes someone else beats us to it. So we were just checking out different areas to find another spot we would enjoy parking in. We did find a couple we recognized from past stays and a couple of new spots. Now all we have to do is remember where they are...😉

Today, if I took pictures towards the East there were beautiful
blue skies. An Ocotillo waiting for rain to turn green and one
of the many Saguaros in this area.

Our neighborhood from a couple of pads over to the West of us.

When I took pictures looking West towards the Dome Rock
Mountains the dust, being kicked up by the wind,
 was very much in evidence.

I mentioned in the last blog that the spot we parked out here the
first time was out our front windshield. This is that spot.

Tom did step out in the wind to capture the sun as it set on our day.

On Friday, the 6th, a little after 8:00AM we were headed to Parker to pick up some groceries at Walmart. When we stepped out the door the wind had seemed to have dropped to a breeze but as we headed north we could see the flags all moving at a pace that said the wind was still pretty much still with us. 

Top picture is looking North towards AZ-95. At the stop light on 
Main Street US-95 becomes AZ-95.  Bottom picture we have just
crossed under that same stop ight and we are looking south at US-95.

Wildflowers are starting to appear along the roadside.

Since right next to the motorhome the wind was not to bad and when the sun would break through the clouds it felt pleasant we decided to sit outside for a while. Joan and Dave had run into Quartzsite to do a few errands and when they got back they joined us for a bit until the cold of the wind chased us all inside.

Before heading in I took these pictures of tonight's afterglow.

Saturday, the 7th, started like most of our days sitting and drinking our coffee some moments in silence others talking about the next couple of weeks. We have a plan, of sorts, in place. Now we need to make a couple of phone calls and send out a couple of messages. 

We had something trip in our solar/battery system but with Dave and Ken's help it was taken care of. 

A little later we were able to sit out close to the motorhome and enjoy a Happy Hour our last together as a group for this time and place. The sky was blue, the sun was warm and conversation flowed. We will miss the friends we have spent this time with and this place but it is time to move on. 

The sunset setting on another good day parked by friends
in the desert near Quartzsite, Arizona

It has certainly been a different year, I think I have mentioned this fact before...lol, for us. Yet, it has been a good one. Not as much time parked in the desert that we have enjoyed in the past and we will miss this place. As we continue enjoying this lifestyle one thing we have learned is things never stay the same they keep evolving and lets face it that is what keeps things/life interesting. 

As we move on Sunday the one certainty that is always with us is: We are grateful to God that we continue to be living our retirement dream and God willing we will be able to do so for many more years. 

If you have enjoyed the pictures I have put out there 

or the words I have added that makes me smile. 

If you have time to leave a comment they are always special to read. 

No matter what I am glad you stopped by!