The Stinger "B" Starts The Slow Trek East

(Clicking on the pictures should open them larger in a new window.)

Wednesday, March 30, 2022

We are presently parked in the High Chaparral RV Park in Casa Grande, AZ. Tuesday when we arrived and today were about removing the dust accumulated while we boondocked in the desert. Though, if you RV you know removing the dust is a loosing battle that is never won and you do not have to be in the desert to have it accumulate. It is part of the adventure and something you learn to live with but it always feels good to refresh the inside and make room for more dust...lol Tom vacuumed and I dusted while our washer dryer combo is washing away.   Then Tom moved outside to set up our patio area and wash the Stinger B's nose of the bugs it had accumulated. While he had that fun I defrosted the freezer. I bought a thin plastic placemat to put in the back, a hint from Nancy to stop the frost. I am hoping it works because if there is one thing I do miss about a residential refrigerator is the self defrosting freezer! No pictures today but what follows is Tuesday's trip here and I took way to many pictures. 

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

We opened the curtains this morning to a perfect cloud watching day. A little to chilly to sit outside and watch while drinking my morning coffee which was just as well because today is a travel day and things needed to be stowed inside. So I had to be content to watch through the window while I drank my coffee and started doing what needed to be done to pull in the slides and get our wheels rolling. Once we had everything ready to roll I stepped outside and started taking pictures of the views around us. Between the clouds and the wind the views are constantly changing as the shadows dance across the mountains.

The Stinger "B" ready to take us down the road 
and the new adventures that lay ahead.

I know I say this a lot of the times at the beginning of the blog: fair warning there is a picture overload below. Today is another one of those days between the clouds, which I love to sit and watch on a day like today, and all the wonderful views along our path I took way to many pictures. I always do...😎 I will not be adding a lot of words today because I think the pictures speak for themselves. 

These first pictures are the views surrounding where we called home the last 16 days. These views were wonderful every day but the big white fluffy clouds surrounded by blue, blue sky added another layer of beauty today. The temptation today was to say to Tom lets stay one more day but I knew it was time to move on so I never said the words out loud. We have reservations starting tonight in Casa Grande and we have a limited amount of days before we need to be in Indiana and then Michigan. Since we prefer to not to have long travel days and have time to stop every few days it truly was time to go.

 

While Tom finished hooking up the Jeep
I took these last pictures.
We left this spot at 11:15AM.

Two last stops in Quartzsite. Pit Stop to top off our propane.
Then the Arco (One 9) to top off our diesel.
Actually, there was a third stop at a Taco Truck just across
from the Arco where we decided to have lunch.

We merged on to I-10 pointed East at 12:20PM.

We passed one vehicle today. 

As always I-10 was busy.

The flag unfurled in the wind against the clouds was beautiful!

 

It looked like this cloud had sunglasses on.😎

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station near Tonopah.
We stayed at the Saddle Mountain RV Park, near here,
several years ago and some days that steam would
rise up and form clouds that would slowly float by. 
Sadly, we have heard that park is now closed.

Turning on to AZ-85 which bypasses Phoenix.
Not long and we had a short ride through some construction.

Then there was green.

We have driven by Gila Bend and are now on I-8.

We are now driving through the Sonoran Desert National Monument. Driving through here on either side of the Interstate you can see Saguaros as far as the eye can see. I took quite a few pictures the first time we drove through here and every time since I have told myself you do not have to take that many pictures but.......I still do.

The mountain is black on the left and then

by the time we were driving by it the shadows had 
moved on and it was now in sunlight.

We are now close to reconnecting with I-10
and our destination.

The Stinger "B" merged on to I-10
and then took the first exit.
Home for the next 5 nights.

Tonigh.t's sunset through the palm trees and
over the RV's across the way. Quite a difference
from the last several months. 
Beautiful just the same.

It was a great ride for this passenger; the clouds were so beautiful. I know I am not hiding how much I love the clouds from anyone...lol For Tom it was a windy drive especially when we turned on to the bypass. Just the same he got us here safe and sound. 

It is nice to have the full hookups but we are already missing the wide open space of the desert. It always seems strange the first couple of weeks as we head back east to not be able to look out and see the openness that seemingly goes on forever. In a few days there will no longer be Saguaros out the window and at some point as we head east there will no longer be mountains in the distance. Yet at the same time we look forward to every mile of the journey ahead. Soon green forest and the beauty of the Great Lakes will fill our vision. No matter how much traveling we do, no matter were we land and call home, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan will always truly be home. Plus, and most importantly, we will get grandbaby hugs and children hugs when we get there! 

 

We are glad you stopped by!

If you have time to leave a comment we would enjoy hearing from you.

An Errand Day, Two Quiet Days, and Moving Day

 Friday, November 12, 2021

Today was a run around day trying to get a few things done some of which were accomplished and others that were not. The weather was warm and the sky was blue it was a beautiful day. You will have to take my word for it because the one thing I did not do was take a single picture. 

Saturday and Sunday, November 13 & 14, 2021

Another two days of no pictures. I could not tell you exactly what we did. Both days silently slipped by as we drank coffee, did things around the motorhome and just enjoyed our time in the quiet of these moments.

 Monday, November 15, 2021

Today we were up and moving early to get things ready and buttoned down to move further west. We were hooking the Jeep up at the propane station just before 9:30AM when the gentleman who took care of topping our propane tank off started work. By 10:00AM we had our propane tank filled, paid our bill, and were on our way. The three days of no pictures are in the past today there are pictures.

We enjoyed our short stay here but it was time to move on.

A new addition this year is the fountain. 

The dog park, lower left, was new last year. 

 Our spot and the views.

First stop of the day just down the road is the Border Patrol

Check Point where we were waved through.

Truly on our way, the Whetstone Mountains are on our left.

Soon we are turning left on to I-10 and heading West.

Upper right, we were not the only ones moving up the

ramp to merge on to I-10.

I was watching for this guy. I spotted him a few 

years back and he is our first Saguaro siting of

this our 8th Adventure.

There are actually two there and I was surprised when I went

through my pictures I managed to get them both in a

picture. Way on the left and right.

We are now going by Tucson.

Of all the cities we go around and through Tucson is by

far the easiest and smoothest ride.

Beautiful blue skies and barely a breath of a breeze. 

It was a good driving day.

I think you know who this is.

One thing Arizona does really nicely is their over passes.

Soon Pichacho Peak is in our view.

Merging on to I-8 to bypass Phoenix and what looks

like a wave hello and a waving forward.

As we head west on I-8 we will see

more and more Saguaros.

Sadly, this is our view as we ate lunch today. 

As we ride into the Sonoran Desert National Monument

Saguaros are as far as our eyes can see.

There is no way to take a picture of the numbers of Saguaros

that we can see with our eyes as we drive west.

We have reached the turn off for AZ-85 which will bring

us back to I-10. This is the first time we have turned here

since the Shell was sold to Pilot. Nothing is left of what

was not even the campground.

AZ-85

Ahead we can see I-10 and our entrance.

The mountains to the south of us as we drove were in a haze.

When we pass another vehicle it is an event. It is a rare 

occasion and I usually try to snap a picture.

 Not that this was a big accomplishment but a

pass is a pass...lol

This is more like it. We are being passed...lol 

The thing is we are retired we will get there when we get 

there. Tom has found the speed that gets us the best gas 

millage and that is a good thing these days.

Vehicles as far as the eye can see. 

We are a country on the move.

Lots of semis heading east and west along this route.

Took this as we were turning onto Riggles Avenue

again traffic as fas as the eye can see.

We have been on this route at night and looks like a red 

ribbon on the right and a white one on the left.

Looking to the Northwest as we turn on to Riggles Avenue.

We stopped at a rest area about 68 miles east of Quartzsite. Tom had driven around 250 miles by then. When I mentioned we were now 68 miles from our destination he said I can do another 68 miles so we headed out and I made a call to Park Place RV, a Passport America Park we stayed at last year, to see if they had an opening. They did and this is were we ended our day pulling into our site just before the sun slipped away. We are parked here for a couple of days and will be at RV Lifestyles at 8:00AM on Thursday. We are having an issue with our water pump and the grey water pipe from our kitchen sink and washer has a leak. Plus, they will be measuring the rubber seals around our slides and toppers so they can order what is needed to replace them. Fingers crossed and hoping we are soon boondocking in the desert. 

We are glad you stopped by!

If you have time to leave a comment we would enjoy hearing from you.