Life Since Mittry Lake

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Jim Melvin

Paradise Casino

After I left Mittry Lake I headed to the Paradise Casino. From there I drove into Los Algadones, MX to have my teeth cleaned by my dentist Dr Eva Urena. All went well and I didn’t have to have any other work done. I got out of there paying only $35. Not too shabby!

While I was over in MX I decided to have my hearing checked out. I found the place my friends from a couple of years ago got their hearing aids. They had lots of good things to say about them so went in without an appointment and they said to return for a hearing test in about an hour. I love the fact that you can go in any office without an appointment and they will get you in so fast.

My hearing test results were exactly what I have thought for some time. My hearing is going down the drain. She recommended several types of hearing aids including one that only costs $695. However she mentioned that I would probably be in there in a year or two upgrading to new hearing aids. I decided to go with the better hearing aids. I gave her half of the amount and told her I would be back in a week or two to pick them up and be fitted.

My teeth cheaper the Chica’s

The last thing I would have to do in Yuma was getting Chica’s teeth cleaned. A vet in CA told me that she had Periodontal disease and quoted me a price anywhere from $850 to $1100. YUK!!! I took the quote to the Animal Hospital of Yuma and they quoted my a price of $470 for the same procedure. However they wanted to see her first before going ahead with anything. I took her in and they said she had a mild case of Periodontal disease and needed a tooth extracted. But what she had could be cleared up with a deep cleaning which would only run about $185. What a difference.

Anyway I took her in and since I had her teeth cleaned there last year, they gave me a discount and only charged me $165. Now she is good to go for another year.

Let me see – My teeth – $35 Chica’s teeth – $165. DUH!!

Scattering of Ashes

I then returned to CA and stayed at O’Neill Park. My sister Bev had found online someone who would scatter my parents ashes in the Saddleback Mountains. How cool is that. We originally planned it for February 28, but it was raining and overcast and we had to postpone it until March 7. I got up early on the 7th and took a bunch of stuff over to a picnic site where we would be able to see the plane when it flew over scattering their ashes. Once the family showed up we were all ready to view it. She circled several times before scattering the ashes. It was really a beautiful site. I tried to get pics but they didn’t come out too good. We combined both my father’s and mother’s ashes together. It was their wishes to have their ashes scattered over Saddleback Mountain and we were so happy that we finally carried out their wishes. I will never see Saddleback Mountain again without remembering this day and the beauty of seeing their ashes float down to the trees.

We then spent the afternoon roasting hot dogs and eating a great picnic lunch. It was fun seeing everyone again.

Back in CA

I wanted to see if I could qualify for Lasic surgery on my eyes. I HATE wearing glasses and was hoping I could have the surgery so I would only need glasses for reading. I made an appointment and went in to see the eye doctor. I found out that I have cataracts and astigmatism in both eyes so the doctor suggested I have cataract surgery and he would also replace my lens to correct the astigmatism. He would do one eye at a time with a period of time between eyes. I was ready to go.

Then he stated that he would have to get an OK from my primary physician. My previous primary physician was with Kaiser Permanente who I have not see since I started full timing almost 5 years ago. I usually went to Renown Care in Reno each year and they would renew my prescriptions.

I checked on the Internet to find a Primary Care Physician in the area and I found a real gem. I was able to make an appointment on line and was notified by his office almost immediately. I went in and he checked me out but wanted to run a CT Scan of my heart and blood work as well. The CT Scan came back with a 324 result so he suggested I seen a Cardiologist as well as a Pulmonary doctor because he could hear some noise in my lungs. I went to the Cardiologist and after speaking some time with her she wanted me to take a treadmill test.

I finally got the OK from my new Primary Physician and made the appointments with the eye doctor. I had to go in and get further measurements of my eyes and scheduled the right eye to be done on the 2nd and the left eye on the 8th. There is usually a two week wait between eyes but he knew I would be headed up north for a summer job so he made an exception.

Back in Yuma

After much prodding and poking by doctors I returned to Yuma to pick up my hearing aids. That went very well but they didn’t order the charger for me as I requested so I will have to return later. I also stopped in to see Gayle and Jim at the space they are renting in Yuma while their get dental work completed. It was a really nice area and very scenic since they are so close to the mountains. Chica also enjoyed seeing Sophie and Elvis and had fun on a walk with them. I stupidly didn’t get any pics while I was there.

Heading to Phoenix

I was going to spend a few more days in Yuma, but when the temperature hit 94 and we have no hookups at the casino I decided to go where I have full hookups. More on that later.

Getting things done at Mittry Lake

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Jim Melvin

Still at Mittry Lake

Since I arrived here I have replaced my GPS, Dish Receiver and pocket camera. My camera stopped working last year but didn’t want to spend the money to replace it. It was a Nikon CoolPix and I loved the camera but it just stopped working. I had already sent it into Nikon during it’s warranty period and they were able to fix the problem, but since then it started the same problem over again and decided it was time for a new one.

I went to Best Buy where I was able to pick up a new Sony Cyber Shot. I looked at them all but decided this one had many of the features of my Nikon and would be easiest to get used to. So far I am very happy with it although the flash pics aren’t the greatest. I guess I will have to read the manual for a change. Sure Jim!

My next item was a new GPS. My old one was a reconditioned unit I had bought through WOOT several years ago and it gave me many years of instructions on how to get where I was going. Then on the way to Yuma I plugged it in and it never did come on. I picked up a new Garmin at Best Buy also and am really please with it. I looked at several different models including the TOMTOM but decided on sticking with the Garmin in the same size I had. So far I like it much better then the one I had.

Last but not least, I set my Satellite Dish up but couldn’t get the receiver box to even turn on. I contacted Dish support who determined that I might need a new receiver box. They gave me the address of a local retailer in Yuma so I headed over to them to see if they could test my box. They plugged it in and again nothing. They did have a replacement box in stock which they programmed for me and now I also have TV. Hot Dog!

Chica’s Teeth

When I was in So CA I took Chica in to get her nails clipped and saw the vet. He mentioned that she had a loose tooth and possible Periodontal disease. YUK! Poor little girl! He gave me an estimate of $800 – $1100 to get her fixed up. I thought I would go to the vet in Yuma at Foothill Animal Hospital to get a second opinion. Before I took her in I stopped by there with the estimate I received from the first vet. They literally cut that in half and said it would cost less then $500, however they wanted to see her first. Then next day I took her in and the vet examined her and determined she didn’t really have periodontal disease but she did need a good teeth cleaning. It is common among her breed that plack really builds up. I took her in to the same vet last year and they did her teeth then so early Thursday we are off to the vet. They will also bring her up to date on her shots and trim her nails again (they grow so fast).

Please Daddy, not the dentist again!

Life is good at Mittry Lake

Lots of friends, great weather, good food, and its totally FREE. What more could you ask for.

Sad News

Posted on February 4, 2015 by Jim Melvin

I Lost My Mother

Two days after my last blog post my Mother passed away. Since then I haven’t quite felt like blogging and I apologize for not keeping you up to date. I just haven’t felt like it. She was 91 at the time and we were very lucky to have her so long. It was very fortunate I was in Southern California visiting relatives when she passed away. You will really be missed Mom.

She used to always tell us to stop and smell the roses. Her she is doing what she always loved.

A pic of her and my sister Bev at the San Juan Capistrano Mission.

We had a Memorial Service for her overlooking Dana Point Harbor. It was a really nice service.

She will be greatly missed by us all.

Quartzsite

With everything going on with my family I was not able to attend Quartzsite this year. I really missed seeing everyone and will just have to catch up next year.

Back to the Mothership

I called Vince at Lazy Daze and he was able to fit me into their busy schedule to get some much need items repaired/replaced. Vince was really great and did everything I needed done including replace the refrigerator, oven, toilet, kitchen faucet, and two new AGM house batteries, and ladder plus numerous small items that needed attention. It sure was nice to get everything taken care of.

Still in SO CA

I am not sure when I will be leaving SO CA as there are some other things that I have to attend to, but once I do I will probably head to Yuma to get my rig washed and waxed plus see my Mexican dentist to have my teeth cleaned.

Last day in Yuma!!!

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Jim Melvin

Last day in Yuma

Hooray!! This is my last day in the Yuma area. I am still at the Paradise Casino where I am parked with very few other rigs.

I have been here 2 1/2 weeks and no one has hassled me at all. I am getting to know Yuma pretty good now. The weather this last week has really warmed up. It is supposed to be 101 degrees tomorrow. That is way too hot for my blood. Chica’s too! This is a pic of her in the morning when she enjoys the warmth of the morning sun. In the afternoon it is quite different as she finds a cool spot out of the heat.

Last Dental Appointment

I go in to Algadones, MX for my last dental appointment tomorrow at 9:30am. I need to go for a permanent crown and then I am off to the races. I am hoping I can get out of there early and through customs without waiting in a long line. Two weeks ago I had an early appointment and breezed through customs without any line at all. Last week because I didn’t get done with the dentist until 2:00pm I had to wait an hour in line. I think a lot of people go across the border for lunch and when lunch ends they high tale it back across the border, hence the long lines.

Off to CA

Once I get back to my rig I will hook up and be off on my 4+ hour journey to O’Neill Park in Orange County CA. I have stayed at this park many times as it is convenient to my family. It does not have hookups, but that is OK as I have my solar panels and that gives me plenty of solar with the nice blue CA skies. I am also looking forward to getting into cooler temps in CA. Chica is too!!

Heading to I-10

I have decided to take catch the I-10 around Indio and then head into Orange County. It will be later in the day I will be hitting all the traffic, but I will be going against traffic pretty much. Anyway I am not in a big hurray as I have already made reservations.

Back to Yuma

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Jim Melvin

What a pain

I left Tempe, AZ and headed back to Yuma for another dentist appointment. After I had my wisdom tooth pulled on Mar 6 I continued to have pain whenever I drank any cold/hot liquids or ate ice cream. I had call Dr Eva’s office and mentioned that I was still getting pain. They suggested that it was only temporary and that I could take Ibuprofen to ease the pain. The Ibuprofen did help with the pain but about 4 hours later I would have to take another one.

I was hoping that it was only temporary but it was not going to go away. I then called Dr. Eva’s office again and scheduled an appointment. So I decided to stay at the Paradise Casino parking lot since it was close to Algadones. I was in her office at 8:00am and was her first appointment. She looked at the space where my wisdom tooth was extracted to see if there was any problem. She assured me that the area around the wisdom tooth had healed properly, but thought that the pain was coming from another tooth.

She called Dr Hernandez office which was right next door to her office and set up an appointment within an hour for him to see me. He specializes in root canals and he would find out what tooth was bothering me

Cracked tooth

The problem was a cracked tooth very near my missing wisdom tooth. I inquired as to how a tooth gets cracked and he gave me an answer that seems to fit us retired folks. OLD AGE! Any way he performed a root canal on the tooth and I was out the door in no time. After my mouth calmed down from the Novacaine I noticed that I no longer had any pain. Great! Now an ice cold beer tastes delicious!!!

I have to return to him next Tuesday and his office also made an appointment with Dr. Eva’s office for me to see her after. Hopefully I will be out of there on Tuesday and headed out of town.

I spent a whole lot more then I budgeted for dental, but it was still much cheaper then having it done in the US. Plus I wanted to make sure I didn’t have any problems this summer while camp hosting.

Paradise Casino

The temps were running in the mid 80’s. A couple of days it was very windy which was great since it cooled everything down.

Chica an`d I took a walk around the area a bit. You can see the Colorado River with a nice little park.

The RV parking lot is rather barren and not too many people left.

Her is Chica relaxing after a hike around the grounds.

Yuma River Days

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Jim Melvin

All aboard

We all piled into Debbie’s car and headed off to see the Yuma River Days. Jim decided to stay back. It is a small street celebration with arts and crafts, clothes, food and music. Immediately after parking the car up strolls Chris. We keep running into him in different places/countries. How ironic! We all walked thru the exhibits together and then shortly afterward Chris had to leave. It was a cloudy day which helped to keep temps down a bit, but it was still very hot.

The festival takes place in the old downtown section of Yuma. Here is a pic of the historic Yuma Theatre built in the early 1900’s.

This used to be an old Casino, but has been changed into a diner. Very Cool!! I got this pic of Gayle behind bars. HA!!

Chica’s Relative?

While walking thru the exhibits I saw this lady carrying a Chihuahua that looked very similar to Chica. Too bad I didn’t bring Chica to see if they knew each other. DUH!! I am sure.

At the end of the exhibits they had a couple playing music. They were just getting warmed up.

This ice cream cone sure looked tempting. I didn’t get one here but did manage to sneak one in later in the day.

Arizona Marketplace

Chris had mentioned that there was a flea market much like we experienced in Quartzsite. So off we went. We found a spot where it was a mall atmosphere with many small booths set up inside a big building. Not what we were looking for. Debbie found out what we were looking for and at 4th and 32nd streets you will find the Arizona Marketplace. Lots of RV accessories, food, hardware, etc. The same stuff we saw in Quartzsite although all the vendors were entirely under a shaded roof. Much cooler. It is only open from Thursday thru Sunday and the admission is only $.50 so we plan to go back some other time.

Have you ever heard of toilet tattoos? I never had, but they had all kinds.

We finally got tired of wandering through all the stuff and headed home.

Dumped/Added water

This was the first day I absolutely had to dump my tanks and take on water. It had been 14 days and felt I really conserved. I had to drive 8 1/2 miles to the Laguna RV Park where I had to pay $10 to dump and $5 for water. That is really cheap considering I haven’t paid anything for camping.

Another beautiful sunset

We all sat around talking and enjoying our beverage of choice and got to experience another beautiful sunset. The sunsets here have really been fabulous.

A lazy President’s Day

Today I don’t plan on going anywhere except maybe a short walk around the campsite with Chica. No plans means a nice relaxing day.

Mittry Lake

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Jim Melvin

Left Quechan Casino

Monday I left the casino and headed to Mittry Lake via Walmart in Yuma. Mittry Lake is on BLM land just about 5 miles from Imperial Dam. At Walmart I picked up a few groceries and a set of trekking poles. I had borrowed a pole while hiking outside of Quartzsite and found it very helpful so decided to get my own.

Then it was on to meet up with Gayle and Jim (Life’s Little Adventures) and Debbie. They have a great spot on a bluff overlooking the lake and they saved a spot for me.

It is a great spot and very level. I am planning on being here for a few weeks as the price is right ($0).

Tuesday Jim and I drove over to the Christian Service Center just outside Imperial Dam to look for a lift kit for Jim’s solar panels.

Unfortunately they didn’t have what he was looking for but they did have lots of solar panels, batteries and inverters of all sizes. On our way back we decided to drive around and check out other camping areas and found several that had great views such as this one.

Hiking in the area

There are a lot of great hiking trails in the area and yesterday we were looking for some nice trails. We found one that went way up into the hills. Someone had taken the time to decorate it with rocks and even had Christmas bulbs decorating a cactus. I forgot to take my camera so didn’t get any pics. I will try to remember it the next time.

Dental Appointment

I mentioned that I was going to go with Gayle and Debbie to the dentist on Tuesday. I was wrong as their dental appointment was on Thursday. I called the dentist to make an appointment, but the soonest I could get in would have been next week. I then mentioned that my friends had dental appointments on Thursday so they fit me in at the same time. How nice was that? So tomorrow I will be getting up early (for a change) and heading to Mexico and my new dentist.

Weather has been great

This is the best weather I can remember since my first year coming to this area. There have been a few cloudy days, but no rain and most of the days have cloudless blue skies. Great solar! It has been in the 70’s and next week it should be going into the 80’s.

2nd Year on the Road

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Jim Melvin

On July 12, 2012 I just completed my second year of fulltime RVing. I can’t believe I have been on the road so long. So once again, as I did last year, I will summarized this fantastic year with some of the highlights.

Remember you can click on any pic then click again to enlarge.

Working in Texas

To start I was in Texas and decided to work for a month to help defray costs of traveling to Texas to see my family. What a mistake that was. It was 106 degrees and higher the entire month I worked. Oh well I will definitely know better next time to stay away from there during the summer.

Grand Canyon of Texas

After my work duties were over I headed to Palo Dura State Park in northwestern Texas. It is know as the Grand Canyon of Texas and a very beautiful place. While there I hiked the Lighthouse Trail and took this pic of myself standing on the plateau in front of the lighthouse.

Taking advantage of my NM state pass

Then it was off to New Mexico where I wanted to take advantage of the last few months of my New Mexico State Pass. My first stop was Clayton SP.

Then on to Sugarite SP, just south of the NM/CO border. This next pic shows Lake Dorothy just north of Sugarite SP.

My next stop was Cimmaron SP and the town of Cimmaron.

Fulfilling a boy scout dream

I also visited Philmont Scout Ranch, which had always been a dream of mine ever since I was a Boy Scout.

More of beautiful new mexico

After that it was Eagle Nest SP, Coyote Creek SP (where I saw a bear), Storie Lake SP and then on to Villanueva SP where I got my semi-annual haircut. Finally it was off to Hyde Memorial SP.

Then in October I met up with all my good friends at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta where I stayed and partied for 10 days. Even had a balloon land on top of my rig. HA!

After the Balloon Fiesta I drove south to Poncho Villa SP to enjoy a Escapees Chapter 21 Rally. Of course that also included a trip to Palomas, Mexico where I had to have some dental work done and make sure the margaritas still tasted as good as always.

A visit to the Whitehouse

Next stop on my route was Canyon de Chelly (pronunced d’Shay). Located on an Indian Reservation it is a beautiful place and a must see for anyone in that area of Arizona. Of course I had to hike the Whitehouse Trail, which is so beautiful.

Monument Valley

From there it was to Monument Valley, UT. Talk about a fabulous area, don’t miss out on seeing this.

On my way to Amazon

Then I drove north to Interstate 50. It is known as the loneliest highway in America. And believe me it really is. You could drive for miles and miles and never see a car or truck in either direction. You would not want to break down on this road.

My destination was Fernley, NV, where I worked for Amazon for 8 weeks. By the way it was probably the hardest job I have ever had. Thankfully the 8 weeks went by fairly fast, although it took a couple of months to get healed from the aches and pains I suffered at that job. OUCH!!! On top of that it was very cold as well. Four degrees when I left there.

I then drove to Reno, NV and parked my rig and flew to SO CA to spend a week with my family over the holidays. It was really great seeing everyone and getting caught up. I even played some golf. Actually I tried to play some golf. HA! What a joke!

Time to warm up

Then I hit the road to get out of that cold weather up north and drove down to Quartzsite, AZ. There I met up with a whole bunch of Lazy Dazers (about 20 rigs at different times) and relaxed in the wonderful Arizona sunshine. Of course I also saw the crazy RV show and even saw a concert by Paul Winer (the Naked Book Seller) although he was fully clothed. Great show by the way with SRO.

With the help of all my friends I was able to upgrade my rig with new LED lighting, another 12v receptacle and an outdoor motion sensor light.

Next stop – Imperial Dam

In February I left Quartzsite and headed to Imperial Dam just outside of Yuma, AZ I really enjoyed my stay there with more friends. Got to do a lot of hiking in the desert. Plus don’t forget the wild donkeys. HA!

Heading south of the border senor!

Then it was south of the border to Mexico with the Harvest Host Wine and Whale Watching Tour. What a fabulous trip that turned out to be. Visited 5 wineries, with great wine tasting at each. The wineries were located in the Valley of Gaudelope with very beautiful scenery around. Also stopped in Ensenada for a day, where we had a great lunch down at the fish market and an opportunity to stock up on lots of great seafood. Of course we also had to have some cervasa’s (brewskies) at Hussong’s Cantina.

Later visited La Bufadora (the blow hole). Another very scenic spot.

The wineries were great plus the wine was even greater! Even got to see a colt that was born that very day. How exciting!

I am NOT an illegal alien!

After crossing back into the US I drove to Tamarisk LTVA where I stayed for a week and met some really wonderful people. We hiked ever day in the desert and one day we were surrounded by Border Patrol cars who thought we were illegal aliens. No comprende Senor! What a trip that was!

One of my very favorite spots

After spending so much time with so many wonderful people, I needed a break and decided to head for one of my most favorite spots in the Clark Dry Lake bed of the Anza Borrego desert in southern California. It is 7 miles outside of Borrego Springs. This place is so peaceful and always gives me a chance to reflect on my future plans. It was here where I made my resume on workamper.com and emailed it to various people. Within 10 minutes I had a call for the job I would be working at this summer. More on that later.

Back to the coast

Then it was off to the west coast to Oceanside, where I parked my rig at the Elks Club and took the train up to Orange County to see family. It was back and forth visiting different members of my family and it was great seeing my Mom. Love you Mom!

Heading up north

Then it was time to hit the road and head up north. My first stop was the Trona Pinnacles outside of Ridgecrest, CA. It is like a trip to another planet.

From there it was off to the Alabama Hills just outside of Lone Pine, CA. This has been one place I always dreamed of venturing to even before I had an RV. An absolute MUST SEE.

From there it was off to Mona Lake, where I stayed for about 5 days and ventured around the area seeing the tufa’s at the edge of the lake and the weird cloud formations.

I also took a side trip to the old ghost town of Bodie, CA. Much of the town is still intact as it was a hundred years ago. Really neat and another MUST SEE.

Then I finally made it to Oregon where I stayed at Goose Lake SP, La Pine SP and finally Crooked River Ranch.

My workplace for the summer

I met up with my area managers who I would be working for the summer in Prineville, OR. I am the camp host at the Ochoco Divide, a NFS campground. It is on the summit (4,726′ elevation) of Hwy 26. This campground is nestled among giant (200′) Ponderosa Pines among other pine trees as well. I have now been here 2 months and love this job. I get to meet a lot of interesting people and have lots of areas to hike in.

Well that about wraps up another fabulous year of my fulltime RV lifestyle. There were some tough times (truck breaking down) and some great times (caravan trip to Mexico) as well as taking time out to see my family, which is very important to me. I had lots of times spent with great friends and even some time to myself to ponder how lucky I am.

I almost can’t believe it has been two years since I have set out on the road. I would also like to thank all my wonderful followers who have been with me as I experienced each and every day. Every day is a new adventure.

Back to the Posting Boards

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Jim Melvin

Back online

Well I didn’t get my computer fixed (at least not completely). I did pick it up and Charlie at My Internet in Yuma did replace the power plug on the computer’s mother board. But after plugging in the AC adapter realized there is also a pin missing on it as well. I can not leave it any longer for him to fix but will have to work on it later.

Picked up new computer

The big news is that I picked up my new computer from the FedEx store in Yuma. They called this morning and I couldn’t wait to get down there. This new computer is going to be a real learning curve for me. I finally made the big switch from Windows to

My New Mac Book Pro

I opened the box in my rig at the FedEx Store and spent almost an hour playing with it and trying to figure out the difference between it and my old Windows PC. In a nutshell – I LOVE IT!

Things do come a little slow but I am starting to figure it out. Well enough on the subject of computers.

Getting hotter

The weather here is getting much warmer. The highs are in the mid 80’s and not too cold at night. The only bummer is that it has been quite windy. I guess they don’t call my camp area Hurricane Ridge for nothing.

Andrea left this week to catch up with the WINS. Ann and Jerry were staying down in Senator’s Wash but had to move after 14 days. Now they too are up on Hurricane Ridge for 14 days and then will move on down to Senator’s Wash again. They had the family over last week and had a wonderful time being entertained by their grand-kids.

Thursday is hike day

Every Thursday a large group gathers to go on a hike. The first hike I participated in was to an arch. It was about a 5 mile hike round-trip and the hiking wasn’t necessarily easy. The hike was led by a guy that was 80 years old, but you sure couldn’t tell. He walked at a very fast pace and kept everybody moving. Up and down a lot of steep hills and over a lot of rocks. It was a good workout for everyone.

Hiking to the Arch

We all made it to the arch after about a 2-2 1/2 mile hike. The we all took a break and ate lunch.

Made it to the Arch

It was an absolutely beautiful day.

It was sure a great day and everyone enjoyed the hike.

I am glad to be able to get back online and posting again. There is nothing worse then when you have computer problems.

Breaking Camp and on to Imperial Dam

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Jim Melvin

Last one in our camp

I am the last rig in Roger’s Half Acre in Quartzsite. I took these pics showing how bare it is once everyone left. I stood at the very ends of the encampment where the furthest rigs were standing.

Will the last rig out of Rodger’s Half Acre please remove the flag?

I stopped at Old Yuma Road and removed the flag. I will be giving it back to Rodger at the 2012 Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, NM.

On to Imperial Dam

I then drove south to Yuma, AZ did some shopping at Walmart and then headed out to the Imperial Dam LTVA. My annual pass is good there also so it will not cost anything to stay. Andrea had written that she was staying at Hurricane Ridge and there was lots of room there. I entered Hurricane Ridge in my GPS and it took me right there.

When I arrived I parked right next to her rig, but noticed that her car was gone. I went across the road and was checking out the Senator’s Wash when I spotted An and Jerry’s rig with Andrea’s car parked next to it. I then walked down and joined them just in time for Happy Hour. There are thousands of rigs parked out here in the desert and I was able to find them without any trouble. It’s a small world, isn’t it?

Hike to Squaw Lake

I set up camp and the next day we all went on a hike down to Squaw Lake about a mile down the road.

First we passed Senator’s Wash.

Then on to Squaw Lake where I am planning on launching my kayak later in the week.

Longer hike around Senator’s Wash

The following day Ann, Jerry and I had planned a longer hike that went all around Senator’s Wash. It was about 8-10 miles. Not really sure since I forgot to set my Android Runkeeper App to calculate the entire distance. Here are some pics from this hike. I got a pic of a Blue Heron at the water’s edge.

Next are some pics taken around Senator’s Wash.

It was a perfect day for a hike. The wind was blowing a bit but now too much and then temps were in the low 80’s making a perfect day. I drove with Andrea down to Ann and Jerry’s rig and had a fun Happy Hour enjoying all the wonderful scenery. After dinner I went down to the campfire they have every night at Hurricane Ridge and enjoyed sharing tall tales with everyone else.