tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380969767796908322024-03-07T23:51:48.607-08:00Jon and Cheryl's excellent adventure!Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-54799105327629641442016-01-13T14:00:00.001-08:002016-01-13T14:01:37.430-08:00RVs and the cookin' ain't easy<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-loMzgW9fhWo/VpbH45AN2MI/AAAAAAAACUE/of5LnX7bquQ/s1600/sweet%2Bpotato%2Bsoup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-loMzgW9fhWo/VpbH45AN2MI/AAAAAAAACUE/of5LnX7bquQ/s320/sweet%2Bpotato%2Bsoup.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Sweet potato/yam soup</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Simple is best.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
That’s a motto that is near and dear to the heart of anyone
who cooks in a recreational vehicle. RV kitchens are miniscule, making food
preparation challenging. It’s pretty hard to be a gourmet cook when you don’t
have room to prepare an elaborate meal. <o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Most EV kitchens don’t have room to bring all the pots and
pans you use in everyday cooking in a house. For example, I only had room for
one of my six frying pans. I also could only bring two sauce pans. And forget
about all those handy-dandy appliances, such as pasta makers and food
processors. I had room only for the blender, toaster and waffle iron, only
bringing them out when I needed to use them.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Plus, only one of the three burners on our trailer’s propane
stove had an adjustable temperature control. They others had one setting: high.
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Undoubtedly there are some cooks who can function under
these challenges. I wasn’t one of them.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
One pot/pan meals quickly became the norm, and the simpler the
recipe, the better. Macaroni and cheese, and soups became my go-to dishes. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Sweet potato soup quickly became one of our favorites. It’s
hearty and filling, and easy to prepare. I found this recipe online, but
tweaked it a lot, adding this, eliminating that, until I found the combination
we liked best</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
In the recipe below, I used ham chunks from a package of
pieces and slices. I saved the slices for lunch sandwiches, and used the pieces
in soups. You can also buy ham cubes in packages, but they’re really too tiny
for this soup. The original recipe called for chicken broth, but I just mixed
powdered chicken bouillon with water. The original recipe also called for just
sweet potatoes, which can be hard to find, especially in small towns. We tried
it with yams; it was OK, but not as good as sweet potatoes. The ideal
combination turned out to be one of each, as show in the accompanying
photograph.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p>I don’t use measurements in this recipe, but it will feed
2-3 people easily, with maybe some left over for lunch the next day. You can
easily double or triple the recipe depending on how hungry or how many people
you have to feed.. Serve it with a green salad and fruit for dessert.<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<strong>Cheryl’s Sweet Potato Soup</strong></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Sauté ham chunks (4-6 ounces) in a couple of tablespoons of oil. Sprinkle
some dried minced onions over the top. Stir the ham frequently to make sure it
doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Peel and cut up sweet potatoes or yams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t make the chunks too tiny. Add them to
the ham chunks in batches, sprinkling a heaping tablespoon of flour over the potatoes
between batches; stir after each addition.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Pour chicken broth or powdered chicken bouillon mixed with
water over the potatoes to cover them. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the
broth is thickened and the potatoes are done. Stir frequently throughout the
cooking. Salt and pepper to taste – I normally don’t add salt because of the
ham, though. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-63111739939254099892015-12-13T17:53:00.000-08:002015-12-13T17:53:34.639-08:00RV we getting mail on the road?
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">What to do about getting mail
on the road is an issue all longtime RVers–to-be face. Should we ask a family
member or friend if we can have our mail forwarded to them and then have them
send it along to us? Should we use a commercial mail service? Or?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">What you decide can have
implications you may not have thought of.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Many national RV
organizations offer mail forwarding services, and they probably work very well.
Before you go this route, especially if your mail will be sent to another
state, check with your insurance companies. Some consider your mailing address
to be your legal residency, which means you could find yourself having to
license your vehicles in that state.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">We knew from the start, we
didn’t want to change our legal residency until we bought a house. We opted to
contract with our local UPS store to handle our mail. We got a mailbox and they
filled it with our mail. All we had to do to get our mail forwarded was call or
email them, and we got it via USPS Priority Mail about three days later. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I found it somewhat ironic that the post
office was cheaper than UPS for delivering the mail.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">To cut down on the amount of
mail, I requested ebills as much as possible. I also paid our bills via my bank’s
bill pay. All of this worked very well, until we bought a house in another
state.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">We filed change of addresses
with the postal service and promptly got a reply they do not forward mail sent
to commercial mail receiving agencies, which services like UPS are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, these agencies are only required to
forward mail for six months, not the year that the postal service does. To make
it even more interesting, while the post office just slaps a yellow sticker on
the envelope with your new address, they require the mailing service to pay for
new postage for any mail forwarded. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-74663990984849604102015-10-31T17:59:00.001-07:002015-10-31T18:42:53.024-07:00Our tips for successful RV travel<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9jliAPpKAYY/VjVjT6RgqHI/AAAAAAAACO4/Wgf519m6czE/s1600/q%2Brv%2Bpark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9jliAPpKAYY/VjVjT6RgqHI/AAAAAAAACO4/Wgf519m6czE/s320/q%2Brv%2Bpark.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">We’ve lived in our 28-foot
travel trailer now for almost two years, traveling back and forth between
Washington and Arizona. This wasn’t exactly what we planned to do when we sold
our house in Washington and headed south in December 2013. We’re buying a house
just outside of Tucson and in the future will limit our RVing to short trips.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Along the way, we learned a
lot about RVing and caring for out trailer:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Pack light. We
brought too much stuff. The more stuff you have in your trailer the harder it
will be to pull, and the lower the gas mileage you’ll get on your tow vehicle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Pack small. You
don’t need a full-size vacuum; a small one will do the job and take up less
room. Pillsbury makes a line of plastic kitchen tools, such as a cutting board
and collapsible colander, that fit nicely in a kitchen drawer. Get a Swiffer
Sweeper or something similar. It comes apart for easy storage and does a pretty
good job of keeping floors clean. The generic wet pads available under the
Kroger label, work just as well as Swiffer pads and are cheaper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14pt;">You’ll need two
garden hoses. If you bought your RV from<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>a dealer, they probably gave you a white hose to connect to the
freshwater tank. You’ll also need a hose to connect to the black water tank to
flush it out after you’ve drained it; just make sure this hose is a different color.
You can get a little device at a hardware store that allows you to connect both
hoses to the RV park’s water line at the same time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Sewer hoses don’t
seem to last very long. We’ve gone through about six in the time we’ve been on
the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A device reminiscent of a
Slinky toy is handy to have as it will facilitate draining the tanks if you put
the hose on top of it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Don’t expect to
drive long distances, especially if you’ve been parked in an RV park for a
month or more. It takes time to readjust to pulling the trailer again. We try
to limit the first day to about 200 miles – you could do more if you have two
drivers – and about 300 to 350 miles the other days. Some days we’ve only gone
a hundred miles. We’ve also found that after three to four days of consecutive
driving, we need to stop and regroup for a few days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Be sure to leave
plenty of room between you and vehicles in front. It takes longer to stop n RV than
it does a passenger car.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14pt;">We have our
refrigerator set to automatic, meaning it will switch back and forth between electricity
and propane as needed so you don’t have to remember to do this. Check with the
RV manufacturer to see if it’s okay to do this with the fridge in your rig. We
haven’t had any problems while traveling, and it’s nice to have cold food when
you stop for the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
refrigerators will keep stuff cold without power or propane for a few hours,
but it takes about a day to cool the refrigerator down again if you do this. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 14pt;">To internet or
not to internet, that is the question. Most RV parks these days offer free
wireless. It connectivity is really important to you and you don’t want to end
up in<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>park that doesn’t have
wireless,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>portable hotspot may work for
you. We got one shortly after we started out; it was handy to have, but
expensive. We later cancelled the contract. If a park we’re staying in doesn’t
offer wireless, we’ll head to the nearest public library. If you take your own
laptop, you’re not bound by their usage limits of 30 ot 60 minutes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">The fine print: The FTC requires me to tell you if I received any compensation for products recommended here. I did not; it's all stuff<em> </em>I bought and used.</span>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-64200874027001424392015-09-19T10:34:00.003-07:002015-09-19T10:37:08.538-07:00Climbing steep hills or where's the Avon Lady?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7yQCN5_hSt8/Vf2bRuiPzYI/AAAAAAAACME/FWby1WzMX6Q/s1600/union%2Bpass%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7yQCN5_hSt8/Vf2bRuiPzYI/AAAAAAAACME/FWby1WzMX6Q/s320/union%2Bpass%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Water jugs and Union Pass</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">RVers traveling around the
United States will soon find out that hills are a fact of life.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Some are short gentle hills,
others are steep monsters climbing over several miles. I think the steepest
hill we encountered was in northern California. We were traveling east from Eureka
to Redding; the climb into Weaverville, a former mining town, was short but
extremely steep. We crept up it at about 10 mph. Going down the other side wasn’t
a piece of cake, either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a long
grade with lots of curves over several miles. We had to have the truck brakes replaced
in Redding.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Other steep routes we’ve
encountered were i-70 across Utah, with elevations that reached more than 7,000
feet; Montana’s <a href="http://cherylsnorthwest.blogspot.com/2014/09/driving-montanas-beartooth-highway.html" target="_blank">Beartooth Highway</a> that connects Billings with the northeast
entrance to Yellowstone National Park; and Highway 395 through eastern Oregon.
This is a very complete list, but when you’re traveling the western United
States you need to be prepared for lots of climbing<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Start with always making sure
your brakes are in good working condition. Always have water and antifreeze
handy in case your RV overheats going up a steepy. You can always get water
from your RV’s freshwater tank, but antifreeze for the radiator may not be as
handy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Our truck, which pulls a
28-foot travel trailer, has only had one bad overheating instance in the last
two years. We were driving east from Bullhead /City to Kingman in northern
Arizona. It was a long, slow climb that was steeper than it appeared. We saw
several overheated vehicles as we climbed. We made it to the summit at Union
Pass without any problems, or so we thought. We pulled off the road at the
summit to eat lunch. My husband had just gone back to the trailer when smoke
and steam started pouring out of the truck’s hood. Yep, the truck had overheated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">While we were waiting for the
radiator to cool down, I noticed three jugs of water sitting by the elevation
sign. Tucked between two jugs was an Avon catalog left there by Amy’s Avon of
Bullhead City. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Unfortunately, I didn’t take
the number off the catalog so I couldn’t call her and find out how long she’s
been leaving water up there for stranded motorists and how often she
replenishes the jugs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">It’s more than 30 miles
between Bullhead City and Kingman; I would guess the elevation sign is more
than halfway, so taking water up there would be time-consuming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope she gets lots of orders from grateful
motorists for her efforts. </span><span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Not all stranded motorists
will have water with them, so leaving water jugs there provides a real benefit,
not to mention good customer relations for Amy’s Avon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-13389566223864382012015-06-17T06:41:00.001-07:002015-06-17T06:41:51.503-07:00BLM campgrounds easy on RVers' budgets<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IlLDzgVRSI0/VWTWNd11kII/AAAAAAAACG0/WKPAcg3YuNY/s1600/mckay%2B2%2B%2Bhav.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IlLDzgVRSI0/VWTWNd11kII/AAAAAAAACG0/WKPAcg3YuNY/s400/mckay%2B2%2B%2Bhav.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>BLM campground in northern Arizona</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many RVers
are on a budget and always looking for ways to cut costs. Campground fees are
one area where they can do this. Private RV parks charge monthly rates as low
as $10 per night, plus electricity, where they may charge overnighters as much
as $40 to $50 a night.</span></span><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Camping
facilities operated by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management make it easy on an
RVer's budget with dirt cheap, even free, fees.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As we drove
through Arizona and Nevada, we’d see RVs parked in the middle of nowhere, with
no other rigs in sight. Camping like this on BLM land is free.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slightly more organized are BLM campgrounds
like those on the outskirts of Lake Havasu City and Quartzsite in Arizona.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At Quartzsite, especially, you’ll see
hundreds of rigs in BLM campgrounds that cost $140 for three months during the
winter season. Rigs must be self-contained; businesses selling propane and
potable water, or collecting waste water in the black and gray tanks, come to
you. I don’t know what these services cost, but they should be factored into
the budget.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We
boondocked a couple of days at a BLM campground a few miles out of Lake Havasu
City. Located just off a major highway, you had to drive over a very bumpy road
to get there. The camping area itself was not level and covered with a fine,
almost sand like, gravel. We stayed there two nights, enjoying the peace and
beauty, and would have stayed longer if we could have had a level spot where
the trailer jacks didn’t sink into the ground.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">BLM
campgrounds generally aren’t very fancy, like those operated by the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, but they’re workable. Not all of them are like the BLM
campground at McKays Bend, about 20 miles east of Lewiston, Idaho, on Highway 12
to Missoula, Montana.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qAQuiJ-Ti38/VWTWNSSZMTI/AAAAAAAACG4/YKkQxMKBdPU/s1600/mckay%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qAQuiJ-Ti38/VWTWNSSZMTI/AAAAAAAACG4/YKkQxMKBdPU/s320/mckay%2B1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>McKays Bend campground in Idaho</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">McKays Bend
is gorgeous, better even than some of the private RV parks we’ve stayed at.
Picnic tables sitting on concrete pads, barbecues, asphalt pads for parking the
RVs on, spacious sites with beautiful green grass and lots of shade trees, and
full hookups, all for $18 a night ($9 if you have federal access or senior
passes). Oh, it even has showers, which I’m told makes it the only BLM
campground to have them. BLM generally isn’t into showers. But they were here
when BLM took over managing the campground from the Idaho Department of Fish
and Game.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And did I
mention McKay Bends is on the Clearwater River? The river is just a short walk away. Strolling along the river bank at sunset is a nice way to end the day.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There's another BLM campground a few miles east of McKays Bend. We took a look at it. Sites seem bigger, but there's less shade and green grass. Still, it's nicer than some private parks we've been in, But, clearly, McKays Bend is going to ruin us for other BLM campgrounds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-90162325543532230672015-06-03T11:58:00.000-07:002015-06-03T11:58:50.991-07:00Not all RV spaces are created equal<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c-Vydj6C8Cg/UtgWK0fbeAI/AAAAAAAABI0/T0H52mElPzM/s1600/harris%2Bbeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-c-Vydj6C8Cg/UtgWK0fbeAI/AAAAAAAABI0/T0H52mElPzM/s320/harris%2Bbeach.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Camping at an Oregon State Park</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It’s no surprise to learn that all RV parks are not
created equal, but it may surprise some, especially those new to RVing, that
not all sites within a park are equal. They’re not.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Some spots are gravel, others gravel with concrete pads and
still others are all asphalt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some
parks, what you pay for a site determines the surface of your spot. Some sites
have lawn, picnic tables and shade trees, yet in the same park, other RVers
will find themselves wilting under a hot sun.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
In some parks, the sites are different widths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It never fails that park management will put
the smallest rigs in the wider spots, while big rigs get sites so narrow they
can barely drive through them. I’ve seen this happen at parks where every site
pays the same rate.<br />
<br />
Some parks leave plenty of room between spaces, which is nice. Others force rigs to park so close together, you sometimes are unable to put out your slides; sometimes rigs are so close together, you can hear the people next door snoring or making other bodily noises.<br />
<br />
Some pull throughs are so short, the back of the trailer or the front of the truck, sometimes both, extend into the street, making it difficult for other vehicles to get through.<br />
<br />
Price doesn't seem to matter. Two of the most expensive parks we've stayed in had the worst facilities. In both cases, we would have not stayed at these places if we'd had other choices.<br />
<br />
Some of the nicest parks we stayed at were the least expensive with clean, nice facilities and friendly managers.<br />
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-47410929738932631252015-05-20T09:29:00.000-07:002015-05-20T09:29:55.032-07:00RV friends with casinos? You bet!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Olf3NJ7N93U/VUpHB2xN-JI/AAAAAAAACDs/6CRxsOx-F3g/s1600/casino%2Bcards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Olf3NJ7N93U/VUpHB2xN-JI/AAAAAAAACDs/6CRxsOx-F3g/s1600/casino%2Bcards.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Players club cards</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I’ve collected many things in
my life: stamps, baseball cards (when I was a kid), souvenir wine glasses (but
only if I liked the wine)…but one thing I never thought I’d have a collection
of was casino players club cards.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">I’ve never been much of a gambler,
so I never bothered with players club cards. Then I became a full-time RVer.
Casinos became a favorite stopping place when we were on the road. And not just
to gamble, either.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Casinos are good places for
RVers to stay overnight. Free. Some casinos have specially designated parking
lots for self-contained RVs; some parking lots are paved, with spaces outlined
in white lines. Others can be just dirt or gravel fields. Some casinos offer
shuttle service between the RV parking lot and the casino.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Some casinos limit RV parking
to players club members; others don’t care, but look upon their freeloading
guests more favorably if they belong to the casino’s players club.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Players club memberships are
free; many come with benefits, like $5 in free play or discounts at a casino
restaurant. If we’re boondocking at a casino, we’ll usually eat at least one
meal there, maybe spend a couple of bucks in slot machines. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">If we have a choice of
boondocking at a casino or a truck stop, we’ll go for the casino every time. We
tried a truck stop one time and only one time, because we were tired and
couldn’t find any RV parks or casinos. The only overnight parking was at the
entrance, and trucks coming and going all night made it impossible to sleep. At
4 a.m., we said the heck with it and got back on the road.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-10646176847955422522015-05-01T10:00:00.000-07:002015-05-01T10:00:42.855-07:00RV breakdowns on the road
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BYMVFrmV0-w/VUOwSwSPBDI/AAAAAAAACCg/jkNc7Adg8-s/s1600/breakdown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BYMVFrmV0-w/VUOwSwSPBDI/AAAAAAAACCg/jkNc7Adg8-s/s1600/breakdown.jpg" height="210" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Before they even hit the
road, RVers worry about what happens if their RV or tow vehicle breaks down,
far away from their familiar repair shops. It’s a legitimate worry.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Basically, repair shops can
be a crap shoot. Some are good, others are rip-offs. In 15 months on the road,
we’ve had experience with both types. A couple of times, we’ve had the luxury
of asking locals for recommendations, while other times we had to settle for
the first repair shop that came along.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">We encountered a great
example of good service in Cedar City, Utah. The truck started having problems
as we neared Cedar City on Interstate 15. We stopped at a Love’s truck stop;
the clerk recommended Rolling Rubber and gave directions to find it. We pulled
in there. A mechanic stopped what he was doing, quickly diagnosed and repaired
the problem, and we were on our way in less than 30 minutes. He refused to
accept payment for the parts or his labor.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">In this day of big box stores
and online shopping, finding a business that provides this high level of
customer service is extraordinary; it is even more extraordinary when a
business goes out of its way for customers who are just passing through.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Contrast this with the repair
service we received at an RV dealership in a small Arizona town. A water pipe
broke and flooded the bedroom. The shop billed us more than $100 to fix the
pipe. A week later, the leak was back. It turned out the repair shop had only
taped the broken piece back together. This time, Jon fixed it himself with an
89-cent part he got at a hardware store.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">It is an unfortunate fact of
life that sooner or later you’re going to have breakdowns on the road. There
are, however, a few things you can do to make the experience less painful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">One, if your RV is new or
less than five years old, buy a maintenance service contract, either from the
dealer or someplace else. These are expensive; ours cost $1,500 for five years,
so we thought seriously about spending that much money when we bought our
trailer. We’re glad we did; the first repair bill was $2,300, but our cost was
only $100. So far, repair costs total more than $6,000, but we’ve only paid out
$400.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Which brings us to No. 2: be
prepared to make simple repairs yourself. Jon’s changed three of the overhead
lights in the trailer; replaced a circuit breaker by upgrading it from 20 amps
to 30 amps so we could use the microwave and the air conditioner at the same
time, and fixed a broken toilet, among other things. When we were in Yuma, one
of the parts guys at the RV Super Center was a whiz at diagnosing problems
based on Jon’s explanation of what he thought was wrong. He knew the parts we
needed as well as any special tools it took to do the repair. (Jon brought
along about half his tools, so he’d have what he needed if our scooters or
truck broke down, but some just wouldn’t work on the trailer.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">Three, get a roadside
assistance plan. You can get these through your vehicle/RV insurance company,
but they may limit you on dollar amount or the distance towed. We have Good
Sam’s roadside assistance, and it’s been a godsend. You get five service calls
a year for $79 plus Good Sam membership. We used it three times the first year,
including for one tow that would have cost us $700. We’ve also used it when we
ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere, had a flat tire and no spare, and got
locked out of the truck, with spare keys in the trailer, which was a hundred
miles away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-38059480825208419352014-11-20T12:33:00.000-08:002014-11-20T12:33:04.369-08:00Great review for Yuma snowbird's guide<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Aa2IVFcbbzk/U9mIL0Aa8II/AAAAAAAABUQ/cjOVkryZaR4/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Aa2IVFcbbzk/U9mIL0Aa8II/AAAAAAAABUQ/cjOVkryZaR4/s1600/cover.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a>My latest ebook, <em><strong>The Snowbird's guide to Yuma, Arizona</strong></em>, just received a very nice review from a website geared to Canadian snowbirds.<br />
<br />
Here's what Suncruiser Media had to say about it:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>Like the snippets of sample appetizers, handed out by folks at groceries store, you get a small taste of what’s available but you’re left hungry for more. It is informative and decently written; and although I would have liked it to be twice the size, <strong>the information it contains will easily save you the cost of the book 100 times over.</strong></em></blockquote>
If you need more reasons to buy it, such as ways to save money in Yuma, check out an <a href="http://jonandcherylsexcellentadventure.blogspot.com/2014/08/six-reasons-why-you-need-snowbirds.html" target="_blank">earlier blog</a>.<br />
<br />
<em><strong>The snowbird's guide to Yuma, Arizona</strong></em> is available only on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M0XBU3G" target="_blank">Amazon</a> where it sells for $2.99.<br />
<em> </em><br />
<br />
<br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-46415550685271264692014-08-11T14:02:00.000-07:002014-08-11T14:02:42.621-07:00Six reasons why you need 'The snowbird's guide to Yuma, Arizona'<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Aa2IVFcbbzk/U9mIL0Aa8II/AAAAAAAABUQ/cjOVkryZaR4/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Aa2IVFcbbzk/U9mIL0Aa8II/AAAAAAAABUQ/cjOVkryZaR4/s1600/cover.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a>
Need a good reason to buy <em><strong>The snowbird's guide to Yuma, Arizona</strong></em>? Here are six of them:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><strong><em>The snowbird’s guide to Yuma, Arizona</em></strong> is full of
tips to make your sojourn in Yuma more pleasant. This guide is geared to
first-time snowbirds to Yuma, but anyone who plans to visit Yuma will find the
contents useful. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><strong><em>The snowbird’s guide to Yuma, Arizona</em></strong> has tips
on how to save money when you’re eating out. It lists Yuma restaurants that
offer discounts to their senior customers.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><strong><em>The snowbird’s guide to Yuma, Arizona</em></strong> offers a
comprehensive list of things to see and do in Yuma and the surrounding area.
This includes attractions, outdoor activities and visiting Mexico, which is
just a few miles away.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><strong><em>The snowbird’s guide to Yuma, Arizona</em></strong> lists all
major flea and farmers markets where you can search for treasures among someone
else’s trash and shop for fresh veggies for the dinner table.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><strong><em>The snowbird’s guide to Yuma, Arizona</em></strong> is more
comprehensive than websites on Yuma, though not as comprehensive as the only
other snowbird’s guide to Yuma I found. It does, however, contain the most
recent information available, while the other publication is five years old.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><strong><em>The snowbird’s guide to Yuma, Arizona</em></strong> is a
bargain at just $2.99 and is available for instant downloading on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M0XBU3G" target="_blank">AmazonKindle</a>. Books don’t get any more convenient than this.</div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-33346187279156627892014-08-04T11:55:00.000-07:002014-08-04T11:57:46.529-07:00The joys of saving money<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AmnyiidANdY/U9_WhU0ziZI/AAAAAAAABWI/spsuewd7nZg/s1600/tucson+passport.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AmnyiidANdY/U9_WhU0ziZI/AAAAAAAABWI/spsuewd7nZg/s1600/tucson+passport.jpg" height="320" width="257" /></a>As RVers on a budget, we are always looking for ways to save money on our excellent adventure.<br />
<br />
We've found numerous easy ways to save money on groceries, eating out, gasoline and RV parks.<br />
<br />
Of course, this means we prefer tourist attractions that are free or low cost, and always ask for senior discounts. And then we hit Tucson where some of the attractions we especially wanted to see cost upwards of $20 per person, fees that our budget can't handle.<br />
<br />
Luckily, the Tucson Visitor Center is making it possible for us to see everything we want to see here. The center offers an <a href="http://www.visittucson.org/deals/passport/" target="_blank">attractions passport</a> that it calls the Book of Fun. The pocket-sized booklet costs $18 and offers one free admission with one paid admission. It paid for itself on the very first attraction we visited after buying it. We've used it other times and plan to use it a few more times so we're money ahead. The visitor center told us it was only good on regular adult admission, but we always ask for the senior rate and get it. <br />
<br />
The passport is good for most major attractions in Tucson, as well as some in Tombstone and Bisbee. When an attraction already has free admission, it usually offers a discount at the gift shop instead.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-63752570225764484932014-07-30T17:07:00.000-07:002015-12-13T21:02:48.512-08:00The snowbird's guide to Yuma, Arizona<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Aa2IVFcbbzk/U9mIL0Aa8II/AAAAAAAABUM/puhI0MFs1cI/s1600/cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Aa2IVFcbbzk/U9mIL0Aa8II/AAAAAAAABUM/puhI0MFs1cI/s1600/cover.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
We began our grand RV adventure just after Christmas 2013. Three weeks later it came to a screeching halt in Yuma because of health problems. We spent the next 7-1/2 months there while I underwent an aggressive treatment program. <br />
<br />
Yuma is filled with so many things to see and do for a city that size, it is almost unbelievable. Winter is the best time to visit Yuma. Temperatures are just right -- not too hot and not too cold. This desert southwest city does have four seasons; hot, hotter, hottest and hotter than hell. My husband used to joke he wished he could go to hell because it just had to be cooler than Yuma. Many tourist attractions close down in the summer because of the scorching temperatures, making winter an even better time to visit.<br />
<br />
Our stay in the desert southwest provided me the time to write a book for other first-time visitors here. <em><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/snowbirds-guide-Yuma-Arizona-ebook/dp/B00M0XBU3G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406764926&sr=8-1&keywords=snowbird%27s+guide+to+yuma%2C+arizona" target="_blank">The snowbird's guide to Yuma, Arizona</a></strong></em> is a great introduction to this city of almost 100,000 year round residents.<br />
<br />
Yuma is a city that has something for everyone, regardless of their interests. Snowbirds need to make some tough decisions on how to spend their time year.<br />
<br />
<strong><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/snowbirds-guide-Yuma-Arizona-ebook/dp/B00M0XBU3G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406764926&sr=8-1&keywords=snowbird%27s+guide+to+yuma%2C+arizona" target="_blank">The snowbird's guide to Yuma, Arizona</a></em></strong> is filled with tips and recommendations designed to help snowbirds make the most of their time here. It is geared to the first-time visitor to Yuma, as we were, though returning snowbirds are sure to find useful information in it, too.<br />
<br />
<strong><em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/snowbirds-guide-Yuma-Arizona-ebook/dp/B00M0XBU3G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406764926&sr=8-1&keywords=snowbird%27s+guide+to+yuma%2C+arizona" target="_blank">The snowbird's guide to Yuma, Arizona</a></em></strong> is available for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/snowbirds-guide-Yuma-Arizona-ebook/dp/B00M0XBU3G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406764926&sr=8-1&keywords=snowbird%27s+guide+to+yuma%2C+arizona" target="_blank">Amazon Kindle</a> for $2,99, If you're planning to head south for the winter, this 11,000-word book will come in handy.Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-67428509445678420682014-07-28T13:46:00.000-07:002014-07-28T13:46:51.299-07:00Another must-have tool for the RVAnything that makes living in an RV easier when you're on the road quickly turns into a must-have tool.<br />
<br />
My latest "joy" that meets this criteria is something that I've thought about getting for the last several years, but never got around to it because I didn't want to spend the money on something that seemed so silly.<br />
<br />
I recently bought it and discovered to my amazement that it's not silly, but does one heckuva cleaning job. That's the Swiffer wet mop. After using it a few times in our trailer. I am kicking myself for being so stupid about buying one earlier.<br />
<br />
I've always used a sponge mop to clean floors. Don't ask my why, because I was never really happy with the way it cleaned. It seemed like I was just rearranging the dirt on the floors. If it hadn't been for my toes, I probably would have kept on using the sponge mop anyway. When it became imperative that the trailer floors be kept clean and disinfected, the sponge mop went; in came the Swiffer.<br />
<br />
It does an amazing job of picking up the dirt, not that that much dirt accumulates since I'm Swiffing twice a day. I feel more comfortable going barefoot in the trailer now.<br />
<br />
It's pretty easy to use: Just put on a fresh mop cloth, glide the Swiffer over the floor and then toss the dirty cloth.<br />
<br />
There are a couple of things that Swiffer doesn't tell you, though. One is that the cloths are pretty saturated with cleaner, You need to hold the head over the sink while you attach the cloth, but you're still going to end up with sticky fingers. The second thing is how expensive the cleaning cloths are. Swiffer brand cloths cost about 75 cents each. We bought a supermarket house brand that was on special; the cost worked out to about 25 cents a cloth.<br />
<br />
The floors in our trailer have never been this clean since the day we got it.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: Federal law requires me to tell you Swiffer did not provide any compensation to me for writing about their product.</span>Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-42355596867933138292014-07-26T17:44:00.001-07:002014-07-26T17:44:08.310-07:00Goodbye Yuma! Hello Mile Post 147<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f_kG1BwhzVo/U9RJDI2I07I/AAAAAAAABTE/ovycpvTKhIg/s1600/feet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f_kG1BwhzVo/U9RJDI2I07I/AAAAAAAABTE/ovycpvTKhIg/s1600/feet.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>The view leaving Yuma</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To say that we were eager to leave Yuma, our home for the
last 7-1/2 months would be an understatement. Fifty-three minutes after we
walked out of the doctor’s office, we were pulling out of the RV park; that
time, by the way, included the half-hour drive from the doctor’s office to the
RV park.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
We had already made up our minds that we would leave Yuma
that day, even if I wasn’t released by the doctor (I wasn’t, which means we’ll
be driving back to Yuma next week for what, hopefully, will be the final appointment).
Everything was all packed, and all we had to do was take in the slides, turn
off the electricity (we hadn’t unhooked that because we needed to have the air
conditioning on for Chester), so some last minute site cleanup and leave. We
were just starting the cleanup when the maintenance manager came by and told us
not to worry about it. So we just hopped in the truck and took off.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1mBf5okgwx0/U9RJMm8TbFI/AAAAAAAABTM/BTfYf0bvIfM/s1600/desert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1mBf5okgwx0/U9RJMm8TbFI/AAAAAAAABTM/BTfYf0bvIfM/s1600/desert.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Sonoran Desert</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had a grand trip until just about half-way to Tucson,
when the truck broke down at Mile Post 147. Now the last thing you want to do
is break down in the middle of the Sonoran Desert when there is an extreme heat
emergency warning in place. We immediately got on the phone with Good Sam
Roadside Assistance for a tow truck to come rescue us. We are sitting in the
truck, sweating away, because the breakdown took out the air conditioning, when
we learned Good Sam would only cover towing of the truck. I immediately got on
the phone to our insurance agent in Kennewick to see if we had tow coverage on
the trailer. We did, but it only paid if that company made the tow arrangements.
I was brusquely told I should have called the insurance company first, and
suggested I cancel the tow truck on the way and have the insurance company make
new arrangements. However, they would only tow the trailer in.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Give me a break! We’d only been sitting in a hot truck (doors
open and windows down) for two hours and weren’t about to sit there another two
hours, especially since it was 120 degrees out. Actually, we wouldn’t have been
allowed to. About that time, an Arizona Highway Patrol officer stopped and
informed us he was taking us to a truck stop about four miles up the road. We said
we were told we had to stay with the truck and trailer. He told us to call the
tow company and have them pick us up there, and if they said they couldn’t do
it, he’d talk to them. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
So that is how Chester got to ride in a cop car and be a K-9
officer for four miles. Not that he knew or even cared what was happening. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was so hot he was gasping for breath, and
then he collapsed; we thought we’d lost him. We waited at the truck stop for
about 15 minutes before the tow truck arrived. It took about 35 minutes in the
air-conditioned cab before Chester stirred again.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
While we were waiting, Jon had called an auto dealer in Casa
Grande about getting the truck repaired. However, the tow truck driver
suggested we use a repair shop next door as it was more reasonably priced and
did good work. After dropping me, Chester and the trailer off at an RV park, he
took Jon and the truck to this shop.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
And now begins the most exciting part of our day. The repair
shop was really great, quickly diagnosed the problem and called for parts. The
only catch was that they didn’t accept credit or debit cards; it was cash only.
They had one of their employees drive Jon to the RV park to get me, and then
took us to the local branch of my bank to use the ATM. Why is this exciting?
Because the guy drove like a maniac – talking on his cell phone, talking to us,
waving both hands around all the while speeding down city streets, changing
lanes with no particular rhyme or reason. Jon, who was in the front seat, was
hanging onto the “oh shit” bar for dear life. When we got back to the repair
shop, he left us in the car while he went to check on the truck. I whispered to
Jon, “are we still alive?” He replied he thought so, and then said the driver
never went under 60 mph, even though the speed limit was 35 mph. We later
determined the driver had graduated summa cum laude from the Beijing Taxi
Drivers Training Academy.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The repair shop was great, and stayed past closing time to
get the truck done that night. We stayed in Casa Grande a couple of nights, and
drove into Tucson this morning.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-54230515387757850402014-07-14T14:26:00.000-07:002014-07-14T14:26:09.457-07:00The joys of RV showering<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AlQynl8d_cg/U8RKhBJ0K8I/AAAAAAAABSw/3b7wqqz3wyM/s1600/shower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AlQynl8d_cg/U8RKhBJ0K8I/AAAAAAAABSw/3b7wqqz3wyM/s1600/shower.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>The shower in our RV</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Keeping yourself clean is a never-ending job as well as a
challenge when you’re living the RV life.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Almost all recreational vehicles today have showers of some
size, from very small to almost as big as what you had at home.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The challenge is to make the most of what you have. If you’re
dry camping, you have to be more conservative with your water usage than if you’re
hooked up to an RV park’s water system.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Showers have a hand-held shower head that can also be hooked
up to the wall. Positioning the shower head can be tricky if you’re using it at
its full height. In our trailer, this isn’t such a good idea as the water
sprays over the top of the shower, down the wall and onto the floor.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Just under the shower head is a horizontal button to control
water flow. This is very important when you’re dry camping and you need to make
the water in your fresh water tank last as long as possible<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You just slide the button back and forth to
turn the water off and on. Turn the water on and rinse down, then turn the
water off and soap up. Turn the water on and rinse the soap off.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
If you need high water pressure to feel really clean, you’re
probably not going to get it in your RV shower. Most RV parks have public
showers for guest use. I’ve used these in the past, but mostly I’m too lazy to
carry everything over to the shower and back.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
No matter how frustrated I get with the shower in our
trailer, I only need remind myself of our first trailer which had no shower or
toilet facilities. We used to go camping at a place that was very dusty, dirty,
dry and hot in the summer. I’d be ready for a shower after a couple of days. Since
I consider sponge baths a waste of time, that left bathing in a glacier-fed
creek as my only option. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-38637126496183807152014-07-02T17:57:00.000-07:002014-07-02T17:57:23.496-07:00Something every RV cook needs<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5fXhvgztxtk/U7Sps0cj_6I/AAAAAAAABRA/EKox8ilS8i8/s1600/colander+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5fXhvgztxtk/U7Sps0cj_6I/AAAAAAAABRA/EKox8ilS8i8/s1600/colander+1.jpg" height="188" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Old colander, new colander</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I found something today that anyone who does any cooking in
an RV or other small kitchen needs to have: a collapsible colander.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The regular size colander I have is great if you’re in a
regular size home kitchen, but it takes up too much room in the limited
cupboard space our travel trailer has. I didn’t want to toss it because I use
it several times a week, but I was getting tired of moving it around in the
cupboard as I looked for other utensils and dishes.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0jyGPZFr3pQ/U7Spo-UCSWI/AAAAAAAABQ4/I2RX9l4awmg/s1600/2+vert+ciks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0jyGPZFr3pQ/U7Spo-UCSWI/AAAAAAAABQ4/I2RX9l4awmg/s1600/2+vert+ciks.jpg" height="200" width="197" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Collapsible colander</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After an unsuccessful few hours of running around Yuma this
morning for a tool Jon needed, we were on our way back to the RV park when we
passed Wally’s World (no relation to Wal-Mart that I am aware of) on 32<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">nd</span></sup>
Street in Yuma. Their street sign boasted tools for sale, and Jon found what he
needed for his project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The store has
much more than tools. It has a wonderfully eclectic mish-mash of a little bit
of everything, including this plastic collapsible colander.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
While this colander isn’t as big as my other one, it will do
the job. It is small enough to fit in a kitchen drawer. It collapses and
expands easily. Though I’ve never seen something like this before, it should be
found easily in other stores, since it bears the Pillsbury logo.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: The federal government requires me to tell you
that neither Wally’s World nor Pillsbury provided any type of compensation for
mentioning them in this article.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-74214932472364792162014-06-30T15:03:00.001-07:002014-06-30T15:03:30.119-07:00Staying connected on the road<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hDzrhhbAiEU/U7HdT61uKEI/AAAAAAAABQo/VUstJxc_HL0/s1600/foothills+library.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hDzrhhbAiEU/U7HdT61uKEI/AAAAAAAABQo/VUstJxc_HL0/s1600/foothills+library.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>View from Foothills library</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We’ve been spending a lot of time at the Foothills library
recently. Partly because it’s a lot cooler than our trailer and partly because
of the free internet. It also has better views out the windows than our trailer
does.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
We have a mobile hotspot (Verizon Jetpack) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that allows us to get internet service
wherever we can get Verizon cell phone service. It’s a handy little device to
have, but expensive to use. The rate is based on the amount of data you use.
Initially we signed up for 4 gigabytes of data usage per month. Go over that
amount, and the cost zooms from $50 to $80 a month. I upped our plan to 6 GB a
month for just $10 more total. Still expensive, but we can usually manage on
that amount.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
We were managing pretty well on 4
GB a month, but that was when I was in treatment five to seven days a week at
the hospital. Jon used to bring his laptop and watch youtube videos for two to
four hours a day on the hospital’s internet connection. Videos eat up so much
data that I won’t let him watch them at home. Since we no longer make daily
trips to the hospital, he needed another internet connection. Hence, the daily
visits to the local branch of the Yuma County Library District, so he can watch
videos to his heart’s content.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
Like most libraries, this one
limits internet time if you use their computers. Bring your own laptop and you
can be online all day. The Foothills branch is a really nice library, and is
bigger than the main branch of the Mid-Columbia Library back home in Kennewick,
Washington. One side of the building is nothing but windows with a wonderful
view of the mountains that surround Yuma. The library also sells snacks, such
as sandwiches, bagels, chips, soft drinks and candy bars, so you can munch away
while you’re online.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
Staying connected on the road is
important. We both do more than just email. I use the internet to research
articles for the clients I write for, as well as for my own writing projects.
Many RV parks offer internet service, but it’s usually not free. Plus, you have
to sign up for each park’s service and that can get to be a hassle. We got our
portable hotspot after one park’s service said my bank refused the credit card charges
– this is after I’d spent an hour on the phone with a tech just trying to get
to the web page where you sign up – while the bank said the ISP<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>never submitted any charges, so how could they
refuse them. Multiply this by a different park every night or every week, and
it’s just not worth the trouble.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
The convenience of not having to
go through this every time we change RV parks is worth the extra money. We hope
to be back on the road in the next few weeks, and I’m looking forward to
researching campgrounds while Jon is driving. That’s something you can’t do
with a standard modem.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Disclaimer: The federal
government requires me to say that I did not receive any compensation from
Verizon for mentioning their service in this article.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListBulletCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: none; tab-stops: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-57866144494225247852014-06-16T20:07:00.000-07:002014-06-16T20:07:35.477-07:00Doing laundry on the road: save those quarters!
Whether you live in a stick-built house or a recreational
vehicle, doing laundry is a necessity unless, of course, you’re one of those people
who wear clothes until they get so dirty they stand up by themselves and then
you throw them away.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
It just isn’t as much fun on the road. Few RVs have room for
even a small washer and dryer, which means you’re going to be spending a lot of
time in the RV park’s laundry room. Before we left home, I scoured the internet
for manual washers. I found one that was hand cranked and used only two gallons
of water. It could hold a couple of pairs of jeans and four t-shirts or a
sheet. Unfortunately, it did not come with a wringer. I looked into getting the
wringer off an old wringer washer, but those things are considered antique now,
somewhat hard to find and not cheap if you do find one. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
During the season, doing laundry is a social activity in
that you get to meet other RVers doing their laundry. There’s also a good
selection of magazines left by other RVers when they’ve finished with them, so
if you’re the only one there, you’ve got lots of reading material to occupy your
time.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Coming up with enough quarters to do our wash can be a
hassle. We put every quarter we get into a special jar; if we’re lucky, we have
enough quarters saved up by the time to do laundry again. If not, we have to
leave the park to get more. However, not all RV laundry rooms take quarters.
One park we stayed at required campers to buy tokens from them in $5 increments.
In our case, $5 wasn’t enough to do one session of laundry, but $10 was too
much. Unfortunately, park management won’t buy the unused tokens back. I’m told
some parks require RVers to use their special pre-paid cards in amounts of
their choosing. Supposedly, they also won’t buy the unused portion back. If you
can’t sell the tokens or cards to other RVers, I guess you’ve just bought
yourself some souvenirs.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Our first encounter with an RV park laundry room was in
Redding, California, on New Year’s Day. The weather was sunny and balmy, and we
enjoyed sitting by the pool while their machines did our work.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
So far, we’ve only encountered immaculately clean laundry
rooms, though I was distressed about finding “out of order” signs taped to half
the washers and dryers at an older RV park. Of course, a lot of people wanted
to do laundry at the same time I did, which meant a long wait for the machines.
Just as I was putting my last load into a washer, a man carried eight laundry
baskets in. I was so furious when I saw him rip off the out-of-order signs, put
his quarters and laundry in and the machines miraculously worked. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
What I’ve learned from doing laundry on the road is never to
take a home washer and dryer for granted again.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-10444763923611309902014-06-10T13:53:00.000-07:002014-06-10T14:21:12.506-07:00Yuma, Arizona: Summertime and the livin' ain't easy!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I43IzrEAKkc/U5dui_CnTOI/AAAAAAAABP0/sORbXGKRGvo/s1600/summertime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I43IzrEAKkc/U5dui_CnTOI/AAAAAAAABP0/sORbXGKRGvo/s1600/summertime.jpg" height="232" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Skies definitely are blue in Yuma</em></strong>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To paraphrase that beautiful ballad from <em>Porgy and Bess</em> is
almost like ruining the song, but the words describe what a summer in Yuma is
like for snowbirds who stay on after the season is over.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Sure, the lines at the Walmart prescription counters are a
lot shorter. Instead of standing in line for an hour, at least, to drop off
prescriptions and then another hour or more to pick them up, you can be in and
out in mere minutes. I, however, would be willing to stand in these long lines
if it meant lower temperatures outside. Temperatures have been in triple digits
here since early April. I swear I’ll scream if I hear a permanent resident tell
me one more time, “If you think it’s hot now, just wait until July.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong>Keeping cool is paramount</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Life in Yuma these days is a mad dash from an
air-conditioned car to an air-conditioned building and back again. (Some
Walmarts and the local mall have covered parking.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m beginning to see why siestas are such an
important part of Latin American culture, though I’m finding it too hot to
sleep in the afternoon. Even running the air conditioning full time in our
trailer, temperatures don’t get cool enough to sleep comfortably until about 4
a.m. By 6 a.m., the temperatures are moving from searing to scorching, and the
day goes downhill from then, even though the temperatures are only going
uphill.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
We’ve taken to doing our laundry in the middle of the night
because the laundry room isn’t air-conditioned. Plus, we used to do laundry
every week, but now try to go at least two weeks between washing. A hose
connects our trailer to the city water system. Cold showers have become the
norm because water comes out of the cold tap warm enough that you don’t have to
turn on the hot water tap.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Our awning would provide some shade if we could use it. High
winds can come up at any time in Yuma and will bounce the awning around, damaging
it. (There have been times I’ve put the awning down at 6 a.m., only to bring it
in at 6:30 a.m.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong>Avoiding dehydration is important</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Dehydration is always a risk in hot weather. Our bottled water bill has quadrupled since the temperatures started soaring. While we may leave our American Express card at home when we go out (well, we would if we had one), we never leave the trailer without cold bottled water, frequently in a small ice chest. A bottle of frozen water can go from ice to too hot to drink when left in my scooter's drink cup holder even for a few minutes. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
There’s less to do in Yuma in the summer months. When we
arrived here back in January, I was too sick to do many touristy things. Now
that I’m better and can get around more, the attractions are closed until fall.
That includes one of our favorite spots, Martha’s Gardens, an organic date farm
that serves the most delicious date milk shakes.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
So when will we be leaving Yuma? Who knows? Our intent was
to be here only a few weeks, but my medical problems have kept us here longer.
We’ve quit guesstimating when we might be able to leave; every time we think we
might be out of here in a few weeks, I have a setback. Note to snowbirds: If
you’re looking for excellent, senior-friendly health care, Yuma is the place to
be. The main facility where I treat is considered one of the best in the
country, and on the cutting edge of medicine.</div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-63452097450564215932014-04-29T10:13:00.000-07:002014-04-29T10:13:03.964-07:00The joys of RV cooking<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7E9s-wTDAsY/U1_dMKidU_I/AAAAAAAABM8/2BV7EU9M-Ss/s1600/pancakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7E9s-wTDAsY/U1_dMKidU_I/AAAAAAAABM8/2BV7EU9M-Ss/s1600/pancakes.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>At least these pancakes didn't get burned!</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Cooking in an RV’s small kitchen is proving to be a challenge.
Not only is there inadequate preparation space, storage space for pots, pans
and ingredients is limited. No siree, cooking is not a lot of fun these days.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The stove has a cover you can put down and sink covers that
are supposed to provide additional counter space, since the counter space is in
inches, not feet, like a house’s kitchen. In theory this sounds good, but in
reality it’s not. If you’re cooking one dish while preparing another, you can’t
have the stove cover down. Not to mention that I hate this stove; it runs on
propane, and only one of the three burners has an adjustable temperature. When
I have to use more than that one burner, I frequently end up burning a lot of
food. (My apartment at China Daily had a gas stove, and I<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>never burned so much food in my life. It probably didn’t help any
that the temperature dial notations were in Chinese!)</div>
<br />
I suppose I could cook one dish at a time, but that means
the first-cooked dishes would be served cold. I suppose I could warm them up in
the microwave, but running the microwave at the same time the air conditioner
is on trips a breaker in the fuse box and we have a trailer-wide power outage.
It’s such a hassle to go back and reset clocks, computers, etc. We have the AC
running most of the time because of Yuma’s triple-digit temperatures.
(109-degrees in April? You better believe it!)<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I also don’t do as much baking as I used to, mainly because
you have to get down on your knees, stick your head in the oven, and wave a
lighter around to ignite the pilot light. I can usually sweet talk Jon into
doing this, but that means I can’t surprise him with treats.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
As I was packing up my kitchen in Kennewick, I organized my
spices, herbs, flavorings and other ingredients into plastic boxes by the
frequency with which I used them. I then placed them in the trailer cupboards
in that same order. This turned out to be another thing that sounded good in
theory, but in reality doesn’t work out. It is such a hassle to get the boxes
out of cupboards I can barely reach unless I stand on a shaky step stool.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Even if the ingredients were more easily reachable, I don’t
have the necessary pots and pans for cooking like I used to. At home in
Kennewick, I had two woks and six frying pans, each used for a different
purpose, and the same amount of sauce pans. Due to limited storage space in the
trailer, I was only able to bring three frying pans (two small and one
medium-sized) and two sauce pans. It just isn’t enough to do the type of
cooking I want to do.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
We eat a lot of sandwiches for dinner.</div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-39196335622257471092014-04-14T20:25:00.001-07:002014-04-14T20:25:53.389-07:00The snowbirds are migrating<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F5AxbnKPfHg/U0yll9tuEqI/AAAAAAAABMY/flXrXn80Aro/s1600/DSCN5612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F5AxbnKPfHg/U0yll9tuEqI/AAAAAAAABMY/flXrXn80Aro/s1600/DSCN5612.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>An emptying RV park</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
With days getting warmer all the time in southern Arizona,
the snowbirds are going home. Yuma, where we’re at, has been in triple digit
temps for several days now, though locals say these temps are unseasonably warm
for this time of year. The temps are so warm that news reports say rattlesnakes
are coming out of hibernation early.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
Many of Yuma’s 90,000 snowbirds started going home in
mid-March, and more are pulling out every day. It’s hard to get a handle on how
many are left in the RV park we’re at, because some people leave their RVs here
year ’round or else have park model homes. We pass about a dozen RV parks on
the way to the hospital every day, and they also are turning into ghost towns.
We recently drove through Quartszite, where we spent a week in January, and saw
many of the city’s 28 RV parks totally empty.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
Another sign the snowbirds are migrating is the lines at the
Walmart pharmacy department. Back in February, lines to drop off prescriptions
wound down the aisle, almost to the door. Lines to pick up prescriptions were
equally long the other way. People easily stood in either line for an hour or
more to be helped. Now there are no lines and prescriptions are ready in 15
minutes or less, instead of a day or two.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-85823419541834698042014-04-13T20:10:00.000-07:002014-04-13T20:10:58.859-07:00Our first house-hunting adventureOne of the things Jon and I hope to accomplish on our
excellent adventure is to find a new place to settle down. One of the places I
was interested in living was Las Vegas, so we made a quick trip up there to
check out the housing market.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Prior to leaving, Jon searched the Internet and compiled a
list of properties he thought we should look at. They were mostly fixer-uppers.
When we got to Vegas, we started calling real estate agents, which turned out
to be a waste of time.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Jon gave the addresses to two different agents, both of whom
said they’d map out a route and call us back with a meeting place. They never did.
A third agent said he didn’t show any properties to buyers who weren’t
pre-qualified. Since this was just a scouting trip, we didn’t see any need to
get pre-qualified. A fourth agent said he considered showing properties valued
at less than $100,000 a complete waste of his time.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
We ended up just driving around neighborhoods to get a feel
for the city, but found very few for-sale signs up. Which was OK, because we
quickly decided we didn’t want to live there because of unsafe driving
conditions. Check out this post on <a href="http://china101-by-cheryl.blogspot.com/2014/04/viva-las-vegas-not-if-youre-driving.html" target="_blank">Cheryl’s China</a> for more details.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
We took a drive north of Vegas to look over a couple of
towns, but they didn’t appeal to us. On the way back, we detoured to Bullhead
City, Arizona, and were impressed with the town. We even found some properties
we might make a return trip to look at. I’m still not convinced I can live in
the desert, because I do like my green forests and blue water. Bullhead City is on
the Colorado River, across from Laughlin, Nevada, so that at least met some of
my requirements.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
We anticipate getting to leave Yuma, Arizona, where we've been since mid-January, in late May or June, so we'll have plenty more opportunity to house-hunt. Jon is also keen on checking out Missouri and northcentral Florida.</div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-10054120046940995712014-02-17T16:43:00.000-08:002014-02-17T16:44:46.409-08:00Yesterday's RV rests in museum<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nCa4cVQbJgk/UwKsIE2AQNI/AAAAAAAABLQ/TxdvONwHtFM/s1600/old+motor+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nCa4cVQbJgk/UwKsIE2AQNI/AAAAAAAABLQ/TxdvONwHtFM/s1600/old+motor+home.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>A vintage RV</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Today’s RVers have never traveled in so much comfort:
microwaves, television, gas or electric-powered refrigerators, small but
adequate bathrooms, in short all the comforts of home.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
That hasn’t always been true. Our first trailer was only 15
feet long, had no bathroom or running water, an icebox instead of a
refrigerator, but we survived. And, I assume, we would have survived even in
the antique motor home we saw at the <a href="http://cloud%20museum/" target="_blank">Cloud Museum</a> in Bard, California recently.
The motor home dates to the 1930s and is in pretty bad shape, but you could
still see how advanced it must have been for its time. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4s9Fw0vPJQk/UwKsMNmGV5I/AAAAAAAABLY/kfsTAIQIOX4/s1600/inside+old+rv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4s9Fw0vPJQk/UwKsMNmGV5I/AAAAAAAABLY/kfsTAIQIOX4/s1600/inside+old+rv.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Inside an old RV</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
It had an ice box, a
four-burner propane stove, a wall storage system I’d love to have in our
current trailer, a nice sized sink and bunk beds. The sleeping area had a small
vanity sink and a toilet (Jon thinks the waste was just dumped out on the
ground), which I wondered why it hadn’t been put in a nice-sized closet. There
were chairs that looked like they would have been very comfortable for the
driver and passenger.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The walkway from the front to the rear was very narrow, and slides hadn't been invented yet.
I couldn’t identify anything that would have served as a dining area. The
inside was quite compact and would have served a couple’s needs quite nicely.
If it were given a cosmetic makeover inside and out, and an engine overhaul, it
would meet the needs of today’s RVers.</div>
<br />Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-83377473610089025562014-02-15T10:52:00.000-08:002014-02-15T10:52:22.171-08:00Health care on the road<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--f6CufdGcno/Uv-2xb-8FXI/AAAAAAAABKs/kwF5Qs9quHI/s1600/nirse+jon+toes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--f6CufdGcno/Uv-2xb-8FXI/AAAAAAAABKs/kwF5Qs9quHI/s1600/nirse+jon+toes.jpg" height="163" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Nurse Jon at work</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our excellent adventure is on hiatus.
Oh, we're still having an adventure, it's just not excellent. We are
in Yuma now and will be for the foreseeable future. Our plans to tour
the United States have been put on hold, pending resolution of
my health problems.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When we left Kennewick in late
December, I was told the infection on the middle toe on my left foot
was cured, and there was no infection in my right big toe, but that
we should check in periodically with a wound care center to they
could look at it and cut away the dead skin. Something happened in
the month it took us to get to Yuma' the infected area on my big toe
grew and the bone in the middle toe got infected.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Coming down, the best I could do was go
to a walk-in clinic where the doctor said she wasn't a wound expert,
but did prescribe antibiotics. I'd tried two wound centers along the
way but they weren't interested in seeing anyone on a one-shot basis.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The bone infection, called
osteomylitis, is being treated by the medical community here. Curing
a bone infection is hard work. We must make two 25-mile round trips a
day to the Yuma hospital for IV antibiotic treatments. Because of
traffic, it takes about 35-40 minutes one-way. The 8 a.m. session is
the longest, about 90 minutes, because they drip two antibiotics into
me; only one is used at the 5 p.m. session. This is seven days a week
for six to eight weeks, because that's how long it takes for new bone
to grow. If the infection responds well to the treatment, they may
reduce it to one treatment a day. The alternative is to have my toe
amputated, something I'm not too keen on having done.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In addition to this, Jon must medicate
and bandage my toes twice a day. He is getting very good at this, so
good it looks almost as professional as what the wound care nurses do
at my weekly appointments.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Moral of this story: Keep that damn cholesterol under control High cholesterol leads to poor circulation in your feet. Poor circulation in your feet means infections in your feet won't heal properly.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338096976779690832.post-64894191663449976482014-02-07T18:41:00.000-08:002014-02-07T18:41:28.688-08:00A new Arizonan<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hFiQaUC8Rj0/UvWVh07AcEI/AAAAAAAABJ4/-2DYzAD_OAs/s1600/chester.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hFiQaUC8Rj0/UvWVh07AcEI/AAAAAAAABJ4/-2DYzAD_OAs/s1600/chester.jpg" height="261" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="left">
<strong><em>Chester doesn't think much of his svelte</em></strong></div>
<div align="left">
<strong><em>new look</em></strong></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Chester is now a legal resident of Arizona but we’re still
snowbirds.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
When we took Chester to the vet last week for his
semi-annual grooming, he also got a new rabies shot, since the old one expires
next month.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Under Arizona law, if a dog is vaccinated for rabies in the
state, he must also be licensed to live in Arizona.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
He didn’t have to be licensed to live in Kennewick, which
makes this sound weird.</div>
Cherylhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10644439662368364569noreply@blogger.com0