Another Year of RV Adventuring Part 1

We have spend the last part of 2013 in Jojoba, Enjoying the mostly warm sunny weather. We had another great year of traveling. We didn't get to any new states as we stayed in the western states we have traveled to many times. However we still went to some new places. We started the year in the California and Arizona deserts. We returned to do some boondocking in Borrego Springs, a trip to the madness of the Big Tent Show in Quartsite and to a new free boondocking spot at American Girl Mine near Yuma.

 

Anza Borrego

 

Sculpture in Borrego Springs

 

Pumpkin Patch, Anza Borrego

 

Savannah at a Slot Canyon

 

American Girl Mine

February saw us take another trip with the Escapees Mexican Connection, this time to San Felipe. We went on a four wheel drive run and saw a parade in San Felipe among other fun things while there.

 

Right on the Beach at San Felipe

 

Savannah and her boyfriend Reggie

 

 

After that we attended a RV Dreams Rally in Quartsite and made our first trip to the famous Desert Bar near Parker.

 

We spend some more of the winter at Lake Havasu State Park and back to a week at American Girl Mine before heading back to So Cal for some time in Huntington Beach.

Lake Havasu

 

 

American Girl Mine

 

Huntington Pier

Next up was our first time to the Escapee's Co-Op in Jojoba Hills. We stayed there to attend Kori and Nick's wedding at a winery in Temecula which was beautiful and lots of fun. We also fell in love with Jojoba and its great views and friendly people and put money down on a membership.

 

 

 

 

 

Springtime found us in some new places. We spend a few weeks in the area around Phoenix area at three of their wonderful regional parks and some time at Lake Roosevelt. Lots to see including the Superstition Mountains, the Apache Trail, and a number of lakes in the area. We paddled at Lake Roosevelt and Saguaro Lake.

 

 

 

 

Roosevelt Dam

 

 

 

 

 

On Saguaro LAke

 

Joe on Roosevelt Lake

The rest of April led us to a return trip to Lake Powell. However, before that we went to two new places, Canyon de Chelly, with more great Utah scenery and then Boondocked on the edge of Gooseneck State Park.

Canyon de Chelly

 

 

 

 

 

Gooseneck State Park

 

 

 

Lake Powell

 

 

 

Horseshoe Bend

Our last days in April were spent at another new spot in Utah, Kodachrome Basin State Park. What a great little park that has numerous trails right in the park. We also took a few drives in the area as well.

 

 

 

 

 

Oh my, only through the end of April and still so many places to go in 2013. Stay tune for one more blog before we head on to 2014 adventures.

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Two Thanksgiving Feasts and a New Baby

 

Above is our new Grand Niece, Amber born on November 23rd at 4:15 AM. Congrats to Heather and Ryan on their new addition to their family. I have been bad at picture taking but copied this picture from Heather's post on facebook. Isn't she a cutie. We got to see her on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We had Thanksgiving at the Park, which was great. The food was delicious. Then on Saturday we went to Kristi and Brocks for a second Thanksgiving. This works out good as some of the family have other relatives to visit and we get to see both our niece's and their families. Chris and Karol were there. Casey and Michael went to Parker for some hydroplane racing and so we missed them. There were about 23 or 24 people there, including some of Brock's family, Kristi and my Dad, and friends George and Felicia. More great food and talk and football to watch. Got to hold little Amber. She is only a week old and was born a few weeks early and so is still very small. She slept most of the time and I never hear her even cry once. Of course that won't last for long :) As I said I have been really bad about taking pictures. I'll have to get Joe to bug me about it at Christmas so I don't forget.

I did take pictures on a hike I went on. They have hikes for people at the Park every Tuesday. Joe wasn't up for a 4 mile hike and so I went without him. We went to Beauty Mountain which is on the way to Anza. The beginning of the hike is all up hill and I was huffing and puffing a little. The group maybe all 55 plus but these are no wimpy hikers. We stayed at a good fast pace with only a few stops to rest or have a snack.

 

 

 

 

Lots of great scenery and desert plants adding some color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We continue to keep busy here at the Park, with volunteer work, meetings, waffle and pancake breakfasts, etc, etc. Last Monday we had a Craft Fair and Soup was sold with proceeds going to the Craft Room. I was one of seven people who made soup. It was the first time I have ever cooked anything for such a large group, with two large roasters full for each of the seven soups. I made, with Joe's help, a Corn Chowder, which came out very good. Lots of potatoes to peel and cut up, carrots, celery, onions as well. Interesting experience and one I would do again. Other yummy soups included squash and apple soup, turkey, chicken noodle, clam chowder, bean and split pea. There was also several different types of bread to go along with the soups. All the soups were gone by the end of the lunch. Escapees love to eat.

I happen to be looking through some blogs and noticed one about Jojoba Hills. It turned out that a couple we met, Randy and Pam Warner, at an RV Dreams rally back in 2009. It was when we were still working full time and we took a vacation to attend the rally that was in Kerrville, Texas. We figured out where they were staying in the park and when to visit them. Randy still works for a non profit while they full time and they have worked with Habitat for Humanity. A very interesting couple and it was nice to get reacquainted with them. Of course I didn't get a picture of them :( but they took one of us and added to one of their blog posts on the Roadrunner's Chronicles, which I copied for my post.

 

Our warm weather finally turned big time. The last few days or so have been very cold, getting down into the 30's. Even had some rain yesterday. Not quite cold enough for snow but close. Well, that's it for now.

 

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A Road Trip and Days at Jobaba Hills

We have been enjoying our time at Jojoba. As I mentioned in the previous blog, this is a co-op and so we have started some volunteering. I am volunteering at the Mail Room. You just sign up for when you want to work. You can work as much or as little as you want. Joe has gone to some budget and marketing meetings. We went to a pizza party for those who are currently volunteering for the recycling in the park and for newbies such as ourselves. We take care of several of the recycling areas, which are separated into glass, plastic and aluminum. Only CRV labeled items are allow. We will take the items to a recycler center and money received will go towards things for the park. There is a lot to do here. One of the things we joined was the Photo Bug Club and our first assignment was photos of drinks. There was also an outing to Bates Nut Farm where there was a big pumpkin patch for Halloween. It is in Valley Center and the drive there was nice going the back way with great scenery. It is here in the Escondido area. We went on a weekday morning and were surprised on how popular it was.

There are some farm animals, several stores as well as many pumpkins.

Lots of cute seasonal decorations, some of which I ended up photographing and using for my photo bug group assignment.

I also took pics for our drinks assignment when we went to Borrego Springs with Nancy and Terry. We had a lot of fun and had no problems finding drink pictures as we ate out most of the time. We stayed at the American Legion which as free boondocking there for veterans, which Terry is. We attended several dinners there, which were good. As part of Borrego Days, which included a parade. We only watched a little of it before meeting Terry and Nancy at Carmelita's, Mexican restaurant in town.

Below a picture I took for my drinks assigment and what I did to it on the computer.

AT the Christmas Center Park, where they have the Farmers Market, they have booths selling things, games and other things for kids and a beef garden for the adults.

There was a car show where one person had a little ghoul show up. It is the Halloween season and I added a frame to add to the spookyness.
Another day we ate at the Red Ocotillo in the Palms Hotel where we ate at last winter when we were in the area boondocking.

Terry and a friend

We ate out at several other restaurants which were very good, including Carlee's and Casa de Zorro. One day we took a little drive and stopped at one of Terry and Nancy's favorite boondocking spots down the road from Rockhouse Rd, where we stayed the last few times we were here. We met some nice people staying at the spot Terry and Nancy call Dad's. People have added a path of rocks to this site which circle around the camping site. Pretty cool.

The weather has bee wonderful with mostly sunny and warm days. So nice after lot of cool days during our summer in the Pacific NW. Temecula is wine country and we finally got to a winery, or at least a winery restaurant. We went out to lunch for our anniversary to the restaurant at Callaway's.Great views and great food. We had appetizers, ceviche and duck confit tacos along with the recommended wines. You could have a full glass or tastes, which were about 3//4 of a glass.
Well, that is it for now.

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