Love Trader Joe’s and the Apple Store

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Jim Melvin

Off to the Apple Store…

I entered the Apple Store on my Garmin and it said it was about 16 miles from the Enchanted Trails RV Park. I had scheduled my appointment online for 2:00pm. I got to the store at 1:00pm so I went to the Genius Bar hoping they could take me sooner. No such luck. They are very busy and told me to come back closer to the time I had scheduled.

The Apple Store is located in a very high class shopping area know as Uptown. Lots of very expensive stores. I did find a Starbuck’s and stopped in there for a coffee and “Very Berry” coffee cake. Then I just walked around until my appointment.

The Apple Store is really a very friendly environment. I walked to the back where they checked me in and then they found a seat where I could sit until they could wait on me. They had all my information regarding my speaker problem with the phone. Within a few minutes I was showing another guy my phone and he was writing all the information into an IPad. Stuff like what I had done to see if the speaker would work, etc.

He took my phone and said they would check it out in the back and replace the speaker if needed. He mentioned it could take about 25 minutes. Within 10 minutes he was back with my phone and demonstrated that the speaker now worked. GREAT!! I can now hear when someone is calling me. That is what a phone is for, isn’t it?

They were very professional and when I asked if there was any charge he said absolutely nothing.

Trader Joe’s in the same shopping center….

I walked out to my car and happened to notice a Trader Joe’s on the other side of the parking lot. I haven’t shopped at a Trader Joe’s for a long time and had to go.

I usually buy my groceries from a list that I create on my IPhone. Whenever I think of something I immediately write it down. I usually don’t buy anything else unless it is on the list. It usually keeps me from overspending.

However I only had a couple items on my list when I entered Trader Joe’s, but went ahead and shopped the entire store and bought my items that weren’t on my list. I love eating seafood and if you check out the seafood in Walmart it is rather bleak. Most times I usually buy any seafood from a good grocery store instead.

However, I did see some great seafood items at Trader Joe’s that I just had to have. That and a packet of sushi that I used to enjoy many years ago. I had the sushi for dinner that night. YUM! YUM!

I also bought my favorite Italian Roast coffee. I used to drink this coffee for many years before fulltiming.

Very windy…

The rest of the day was very uneventful. I was glad to get home after shopping as the wind was blowing very hard. New Mexico winds can get rather gusty at times.

Billy as in Billy Goat…

When Jim and I went 4 wheeling in Rockhound State Park he suggested a name for my Suzuki Samurai. He said it was just like a Billy goat since it could go just about anywhere. So Billy it is!

My Lazy Daze “The Breeze” as in the song by Lynyrd Skynyrd and Billy. That sounds cool. They make a great pair.

Will leave here on Saturday…

Saturday we will be heading north. I didn’t want to travel on Friday because Amazon will be calling for my interview. I missed the last time they called because my IPhone speaker wasn’t working and didn’t even here the call. So they rescheduled it and I really need to get it right today.

I am leaving in the morning and found a Harvest Host winery that I can stay at for the night just north of Albuquerque. Harvest Host offers many great places to stay like wineries, farms, and orchards and it doesn’t cost anything. These places are located in every state even Canada and Mexico. They don’t have hookups but with solar panels who cares anyway. Besides I need to try a different wine for a change.

Chica’s New Friends

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Jim Melvin

Chica loves to meet new friends…

When we arrived at Rockhound SP Chica was very anxious to meet her new friends. I had been telling her all about them so she was really happy when she actually got to meet them.

There was Sophie and Elvis the kittens we had heard so much about from Jim and Gayle’s blog Life’s Little Adventures. Chica only got a chance to meet Sophie when Jim brought her out one day. She only got to see Elvis through the screen door. Here is a pic of Jim and Sophie.

Chica was very excited about meeting her new “cat friend”.

Lots of new friends…

Besides Sophie and Elvis she also go to meet Debbie’s very fun loving dogs Elliot and Rupert. She had lots of fun going on walks with them. In this pic she and Elliot are discussing their favorite dog food.

Plus don’t forget Katie owned by Barbara of Me and My Dog and My RV fame Katie is also a Chihuahua just like Chica, but she is larger and Chica has to look up to her (just like everyone else). Here are a couple of pics of all the gang including Elliot, Rupert, Katie, Sophie and Chica.

We have now moved to Elephant Butte where we will spend the next couple of days. Chica misses her friends as you can see from the next couple of pics.

She is going to miss all her friends, but soon she will be meeting up with Sadie when Jimbo meets up with John and Linda to head north to Canada. This is a pic of Sadie at Quartzsite.

Chica and I would like to thank all our friends we camped with at Rockhound State Park. We both had a wonderful time. We are both looking forward to seeing you again.

One last hike before heading north

The day prior to leaving Jim, Gayle and myself all want on a hike out in the desert. It was a couple miles past where we hiked the first time. It was a neat spot. We even found some flowers. It is amazing how beautiful plants grow where there is absolutely NO water.

Jim and Gayle led the way as we climbed next to a wash. They are very experienced hikers and it took a lot to keep up with them.

We didn’t make it to the top but had some terrific views nevertheless.

This next rock formation looked like an elephant.

Off to Elephant Butte State Park

We took off Monday and stopped at Elephant Butte State Park at the South Monticello campground. I have been here many times in the past and never tire of the beautiful here. I took a couple of pics to show you.

I was only going to stay there one night but changed my mind and stayed two instead. I am glad I did as the wind was blowing pretty good and wouldn’t really have wanted to drive in it.

Next stop Albuquerque

I will be heading to Albuquerque tomorrow and staying at the Enchanted Trails RV Park just west of the city. I have an appointment at the Apple Store on Thursday and I hope they can fix my phone at that time. On Friday I will have my interview with Amazon for next winters job.

My first 4 wheel drive adventure

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Jim Melvin

Hiking to a very cool canyon…

We all decided to go hiking in the desert. Jim and Gayle had picked out a great spot past Spring Canyon. So Jim, Gayle, Debbie and I all took off and headed out there. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so don’t have any pics of our hike. However, it was up and into a neat little canyon and very pretty back there with all kinds of neat rock formations.

After the hike Jim wanted to drive up a road to the cell towers on top of the mountain overlooking the Rockhound State Park. We got up quite a ways and met several ATV’s and a jeep coming down. At that point we decided to turn around and head back down. It was getting steeper and lots of loose gravel.

We then returned to our campsites. Then I got the bug to test out my Suzuki Samurai to see what it could really do. I invited Jim to go along and we headed back to that same road. I got just a bit further then we had previously and my tires started to spin out in the loose gravel. At that point I stopped and put it into 4WD. I had it in 4WD low and it went right up that steep gravel road like it was nothing.

The rocks in the road kept getting larger and the road in some spots became very steep. But my Sami went right up like there was nothing to it. We then arrived at the top with the towers.

What a view from the top…

The view up here was fantastic. However the wind was blowing like crazy and we had to take off our hats or we would have lost them. Here is a pic of the campgrounds below us.

Deming is way off in the distance.

Here is a great pic of the towers. They were huge!

We spotted another tower further up the mountain so naturally I just had to check that one out as well. On the way driving over to it I spotted what looked like a coyote skeleton.

Road was very rocky and steep as well

The road was very rocky and in some spots it was loose gravel and steep as well. But the Sami went up it like it was nothing. I had read many reviews on the Suzuki Samurai before purchasing it and they all said it can go anywhere. I am now very convinced of that. Plus it doesn’t take much effort to get to these spots. I am glad I had high ground clearance since many of the rocks in the road where very large. This is a pic at the second tower.

It was extremely windy up there. There was a work truck up there but the workmen had left.

Two towers was enough for today

Once we got up on top of the mountain we could see many different towers. We counted 5 different towers, but there could have been more. The views from up there were fabulous.

I am so glad I purchased the Samurai. It performed just like I thought it would and will be able to take me to places I never even imagined going.

The towers from my campsite…

I wanted to take a couple pics of the towers from my campsite just so you could see how high we got. This a pic of the first tower we climbed to.

And the second tower.

My life on the road now has really changed.

I knew once I got a vehicle that things would drastically change for me. For one thing I don’t have to unhook everything in a campsite just to go into a town or a store. Plus now I can go to those really out of the way spots I had always dreamed of seeing.

Rockhound State Park

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Jim Melvin

Met up with friends at Rockhound State Park

It was a bit windy from Silver City to Rockhound SP, but not too bad. When I arrived and after I settled in I was met by my good friends Jim and Gayle and Debbie. They had been here since Sunday. I was lucky to get a site directly across from them. We did a little catching up on what we had done and where we had been since last seeing each other. It sure is great meeting up with old friends.

I settled in to an electric/water site for $14 per night. I could have got this same site for $4 per night if I paid for the New Mexico Annual Pass for $225, but I decided that I probably would not be in New Mexico that much this year.

Hiking at Rockhound

Yesterday we all went for a short hike. I had slightly twisted my ankle while hiking at the Gila Cave Dwellings, but it did not give me any trouble.

Here is a pic of Gayle, Debbie and Jim on the trail to the Visitors Center.

Very windy…

The wind started blowing in the afternoon and it started getting stronger and stronger. You could see the dust clouds off in the distance in Deming. In the evening the dust clouds had reached us and this was a view out my window.

It was rock and roll the entire night, however we have a pleasant little breeze now and no more dust. This is a view of the sunset in the middle of all that dust. You would normally be able to see the lights of Deming, but not tonight.

Perfect weather now…

The wind stopped and it is now a perfect day although a bit chilly. Chica now feels more comfortable as she does not like it when the rig is rocking and rolling. We are planning on going into a brewery in Deming this evening for dinner. It should be fun. We had planned on going there last night but the weather man just did not want to cooperate.

I took this pic of our campsite with Deming in the background.The sky is perfectly blue with no clouds whatsoever.

Paid through Saturday…

I will probably leave here and head north to Elephant Butte State Park on Sunday. I wish I had longer to stay here but I do have to get my phone fixed as the speaker does not work at all. I can only tell if a person calls if it vibrates. BUMMER!!! Especially since I purchased it only a few months ago.

Trying to get caught up with the blogs I read…

I follow certain blogs which I love to read, but when you are in an area without Internet or cell phone service it makes it difficult. I am almost caught up with many of them. Oh well, the life of a fulltime RV’er can really be tough. HA!

Visiting the Gila Cliff Dwellings

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Jim Melvin

Guard the rig Chica!

I left Chica in charge of guarding the rig while I made a visit to the Gila Cliff Dwellings. It is only 26 miles from our campsite, but it was all mountain driving. I stopped along the way at an overlook and took the following pics. The area is really beautiful.

I stopped at the Visitor’s Center before heading up to the cave dwellings. I always like to get the history of the area first and see the many displays they have. They had a show film on the history which is a must see. The Visitor Center is rather small but very nice. I took a couple of pics of their displays.

Then off to see the cave dwellings.

The Gila Cave Dwellings were free to those like me that have the Geezer card (America The Beautiful Senior Pass). That card sure has saved me a lot of money!

You cross a bridge over the Gila River and head up a canyon that leads to the caves. You will cross many of these small bridges as you continue to go up in elevation. Then you reach a rather steep spot, but it is still easy going and then you reach the caves.

There is an easy path to follow from cave to cave. Some of the smaller caves were probably used by a family. There are also rangers at the caves that can answer any questions you might have.

There are also steps you must climb and ladders to descend to move from cave to cave.

It is really interesting to see the many rooms the Mongollon Indians who inhabited these caves built. The rangers pointed out many of the rooms used for storage and living.

This is the view looking out to the other side of the canyon from a couple of caves.

The entire tour of the cave is about a mile. It wasn’t difficult at all except for carrying the camera. There were only a few people on the tour so I pretty much had the place to myself.

Beautiful Mountains…

I stopped at this place on my return and took a couple more pics of the mountains. I bet it would really be neat to travel through these mountains on a horse. I did see several corrals while traveling through here.

Chica did a good job.

Chica was really glad to see me. I think she mostly sleeps while I am gone, but who knows. She was a very happy girl. We went for a walk and I told her all about the cave dwellings, but all she wanted to know was where was her dinner.

Camped at Walmart in Silver City

I am camped for the night in the Walmart parking lot in Silver City, NM. I was thinking of traveling the 130+ miles to Rockhound State Park, but we had already traveled down the mountain which took over an hour of very winding roads. That plus the wind was really blowing so we decided to hunker down in Silver City instead.

Early start tomorrow…

I hope to get an early for me (HA!) start tomorrow and head south. I just hope there isn’t too much wind.

Gila National Forest

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Jim Melvin

Boondocking in the Gila NF

I left Deming and headed north to Silver City. I have never been there so wanted to see what it was all about. My trusty co-pilot Chica decided she wanted to do the driving for a change.

I decided that this time I was not going to let Chica lie in her bed unprotected while I drove, but put her in her carrier instead. You would think I was killing her the way she screamed. She yelled at me most of the way to Silver city although there were some times that she must have realized that I wasn’t going to give in and decided to sleep instead.

I stopped at the Gila National Forest Ranger Station and inquired as to where we could camp. They suggested a few campsites about an hour from Silver City in the mountains. That sounded good to me so I headed up there past Mimbres, NM and pulled into the Sapillo Campground. It was all primitive sites but there were outhouses and water available.

I found a nice site and we stayed there for the night. It is a beautiful area among the Ponderosa pines.

A trip to Roosevelt Lake

The next morning I decided to check out some of the other campgrounds close to here. I unhooked the Sami and headed off. I didn’t take Chica because I new I wasn’t going to be gone too long. It was only about 3 miles to the Mesa Campground where they had electric/water sites. The place was packed and it was not the place I wanted to spend the next couple of days. Plus it is not on the lake so that was out. The second campground was called Land End. It was nice but the remaining few campsites were not very level. So I guess we will stay where we originally stopped. Besides the price was right and the campsites were very far apart with lots of Ponderosas everywhere.

Before heading back I turned into the boat launch area at Lake Roosevelt. There were quite a few fishing boats on the lake and several people fishing from the shore.

On the return trip I stopped and took a couple pics of the beautiful rock formations. They were really magnificent.

Moved rig to a more level spot…

Upon return I decided to move the rig to a more level campsite. Chica and I went for a good walk in trying to locate a better site. We finally found a nice spot and moved everything over to it. It is a nice spot and close to a trailhead where we plan on hiking.

No Internet or cell phone service

The park ranger in Silver City had told us that there was no Internet or cell phone usage where we were going. I even turned on my wifi booster but still couldn’t get any connection. Thursday night I got out my Kindle Fire and did some reading. It is really quiet out hear at night. During the day there is a group with some ATV’s but they do not really bother us.

Friday night I decided to hookup my Satellite TV and see if I could get any reception. I am in a small clearing and it is surrounded by tall Ponderosa pines so I didn’t think there was too much chance I could get any reception. But it was amazing that I was able to get a lot of channels. I couldn’t get all the channels and some of them were not HD but I could watch a movie at night. By the way I do not have the dish on the ladder as I normally would. I do not want to travel with it up there and even though it is rather lightweight it is very awkward going up the ladder holding that as well. So I laid it on the ground.

Since I don’t have Internet I am writing this post and will upload it when I move.

Staying for a few days…

I will be staying here until Monday and then maybe head over to see Old Town Silver City. Then I am going south to Rockhound State Park where I will meet up with Jim and Gayle of Life’s Little Adventures. I plan on spending a few days down there before making my way to Elephant Butte State Park outside of Truth or Consequences, NM.

Below is a view taken on a short hike from our campsite.

Chica loves to go on hikes and is very curious about all her surroundings. I would love to let her go off leash, but am concerned about any other dogs or other animals, even hawks overhead, that might look at her as if she was their lunch.

Life is good!

I am camped in a beautiful location with my “best bud” Chica. The weather is perfect and we have enjoyed many short hikes around the campground. Then when I am kicking back I can enjoy reading a good bock with Rascal Flatts or even Mark Koepler playing in the background. I was also able to watch the Masters Golf Tournament. It just doesn’t get much better then that.

Visit to Dentist and Optometrist

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Jim Melvin

Still at the Low-Hi RV Ranch…

I signed up for a couple more days here at the Low-Hi RV Ranch. Unfortunately I was in a site that had been reserved so I had to move. My neighbors both came out and asked if they had done anything wrong as I was moving across the street from them. I assured them that they were both good neighbors. I had hardly talked to either of them but it is nice that people consider you neighbors and look out for you.

I am not sure how long I will be here, but there are two reasons for staying. The first is that I am going to to dentist for teeth cleaning today and also to the eye doctor for new glasses. I will probably have to return to pick up my glasses on another day.

The second reason is two fold. One, it is impossible to get a reservation at Rockhound or City of Rocks State Parks until later in the month. They are both very full. The second reason is because the wind has been blowing very hard the last couple days. When the wind blows hard in Deming, you can just about double the velocity up at Rockhound. The wind yesterday was listed at 30 mph but it was gusting even harder. At Rockhound the gust could be up to 60-75 mph. The old rig just rocks and rolls all the time.

To Palomas, MX and back…

Yesterday I traveled 33 miles to Palomas, MX which is directly across the border from Columbus, NM. I started going there in 2010 for both dental work and eyeglasses. I had made an appointment for dental cleaning at 2:00pm. I got down there at 1:00pm so headed directly to the optometrist office. I was able to have an eye exam and they would have my glasses ready in a couple of hours. I decided to use the frames from my sunglasses as they fit me very comfortably.
Then it was off to the dentist office only 2 doors down from the optometrist. There I got my teeth cleaned. It was great that I could fit both into my schedule especially since I had not made an appointment with the optometrist.

Lunch at the Pink Store

After finishing up at the dentist, I checked back in with the optometrist to see if by chance my glasses were ready. They hadn’t arrived yet so it was off to the Pink Store which is both a souvenir shop and restaurant combined. I had a super lunch of chile rellanos, beans, rice and tortillas. Naturally I had to have a couple of margaritas as well. For dessert I had flan which was great.

I then browsed around the Pink Store for a while looking at all the great things they have there. I did buy a nice soup/serving bowl which will really come in handy.

Mexican people

You hear lots of horror stories about traveling in Mexico especially at the border towns. All the gruesome stories are enough to scare anyone away. Like I said I have been going to Palomas since 2010 and have never seen anything even remotely close to the stories I have heard. In fact, it has been the complete opposite for me.

I go to Dr Karla of American Dental Care since 2010. She usually just cleans my teeth, but I have also gotten a crown from her as well. Her prices are very reasonable and her office is very professional. Their equipment is just the same as you would see in any American dental office. She is so gracious. This past visit when I finished my cleaning and was paying for it she brought out her baby Kariel (I hope I have the name right) for me to see. She was such a proud mother and wanted to show off her cute baby. She was a pudgy little doll. Going to Dr. Karla’s dental office and Dr. Garcia’s optometrist offices is like seeing old friends. They are really wonderful people.

When I returned to pick up my eyeglasses I pulled out my Visa card and was surprised that they only take cash or checks. On the other hand Dr. Karla’s office only accepted Visa cards and do not take checks. I only had a few dollars in my wallet since I do not generally carry much cash. But since I am a repeat customer they were willing to give me the glasses with the understanding that I would send them a check. How many American companies do you know that would go out on a limb like that? I agreed and she told me where to send the check and I was able to leave with the glasses. It saved me having to drive 66 miles down and back to make the payment. I put the check in the mail this morning.

Silver City then Rockhound State Park

Today I am headed over to Silver City for a few days. I have never been there and always wanted to see it. After that I will be headed back to the Deming area and stay at Rockhound State Park to meet up with some friends. I will take lots of pics while in Silver City.

Hitting the road with my new co pilot

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Jim Melvin

Update on Chica’s surgery

I picked Chica up at the spay clinic at 5pm on Monday. The poor baby looked like she had been thru the ringer. Not only had they spayed her, but I had them clean her teeth and she had several baby teeth pulled. I was told that she was about 2 years old, but sometimes they still retain their baby teeth. The vet showed me her teeth and they looked horrible. They were all yellow and her breath was really stinky. YUK!!!

Anyway the vet pulled 6 baby teeth and they sent me home with all her teeth and 2 antibiotics to give her with complete instructions. But she was really feeling bad.

She did not want to be picked up as I am sure she was really hurting. Not only did she have major surgery but she had major dental work as well. I have never had 6 teeth pulled out at one time so I am sure she was a very hurting girl.

She didn’t want to have anything to do with me…

I took her home and placed her on her bed. But she was so tender it must have hurt and she really let me know with a horrible scream. I felt so bad for her. She wouldn’t even look at me. I got the feeling that she thought her pain was all my fault. I made her as comfortable as I could and let her just sleep.

I was planning on leaving for New Mexico on Wednesday and had paid up through that day. However when Wednesday came I could tell she was still not feeling like her old self. She barely wanted anything to do with me and did not have any energy whatsoever. I went down to the office and paid for another 2 days, which I thought should be adequate for her to be feeling like her old rambunctious self.

That gave me time to do a few things around the rig like defrosting the refrigerator and buying groceries for the road. I am really glad I waited those 2 extra days. It made a big difference for both of us. She is on the mend and getting back to her old playful self and I am a bit more organized.

My new copilot

The next problem I faced was how she was going to travel. I had bought a carrier for her, but she does not like being confined in a small space. Every time I put her into it she would get really fussy and agitated. The drive to Deming, NM was approximately 350 miles and I knew that would not work.

So instead I put her bed in the passenger seat with one of her toys and her chew bone. She likes to chew on the bone and it keeps her occupied for a long time. I wasn’t sure how she would react to a moving vehicle, but she was not at all frightened. Here is a pic of my new co-pilot manning her position.

She was very good and did not move around, but slept most of the time in her bed as I was driving. On occasion she would look out the window at the scenery passing by. I am sure this was a new experience for her and she accepted it graciously. Then there were times she would want to get on my lap where she slept. She was very good and did not want to go anywhere else in the rig.

Lots of rest stops…

I am not one to stop at rest stops often. I usually don’t travel too far in one day so I like to breeze past them to get to my destination. Now that has all changed. I now stop at all the rest stops I can so that Chica can get some exercise and go potty. She is a real trooper. Sometimes we stopped with big rigs on each side of her with their motors running. I was worried that she would be frightened of them, NO WAY!! Not my Chica. She just bolts ahead pulling on her leash and glad to go for a walk.

Made it to Deming…

After traveling 367 miles we landed at the Low-Hi RV Park, that we will call home for the next couple of days. I drove up to Rockhound State Park but it was full, so will check it out after the weekend and hopefully we can find a nice spot there for 14 days. Below is a pic I had previously posted of her at the vet with her carrier in the background. She did not like being confined in that carrier for one minute.

Yesterday Chica took the big plunge in to the fulltime RV lifestyle. Prior to that she had never been out of Mesa, AZ but now has been in 2 states. WOW!! She really enjoyed the ride and being able to get out at different rest stops along the way. Now she is comfortably sleeping at my feet and looking forward to all the adventures I have told her about. She is especially looking forward to going to Canada and seeing big moose and bears this spring.

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.

Getting Ready for Winter in Northern Nevada

Posted on October 23, 2011 by Jim Melvin

Extend-A-Stay

I moved from Deming, NM up to the Enchanted Trails RV Park just west of Albuquerque, NM on I 40. The main reason I stopped there was to get an Extend-A-Stay propane connection installed. I wanted to be able to hook-up my propane barbeque and also be able to attach an extra propane bottle (5 or 10 gallon) to give me more propane in the winter months. I will especially need it this winter when I am workamping at Amazon which is in Fernley, NV. It has been known to snow there but I am sure it will be rather cold.

I always go to R&L Enterprises that is located within the park at Enchanted Trails RV Park. Ask for Randy and you will get someone who not only knows all about propane but doesn’t charge much for his labor. He only charged me $20 to install all the parts and I had the gas lines made to my specs. He is located in the trailer on the right as you enter the Enchanted Trails RV Park. This is a couple of pics of the installed parts. It is the gold tee.

Barbeque Hook-up

I can now hook up a external propane tank and I can also run my barbeque directly off of it, thus elemenating the need to purchase the small propane tanks I was presently using. This shows the barbeque already hooked up to the propane tank. Those propane tanks cost about $5.12 for two tanks and they did not last very long.

Pelonis Heater – Model HF-0003

On the way to Albuquerque I stopped at the Ace Hardware Store in Socorro, NM where I purchased 2 Pelonis Electric Heaters Model HF-0003. They are on sale for $12.99 thru Oct 30. They are very portable and extremely easy to operate. I heard about these thru the lifewithalazydazerv yahoo group. At $12.99 each I decided to purchase 2 of them as I will be in cold weather this winter as I previously mentioned. I will place one in the front of the rig and one in the rear. It has 3 power settings of 600, 900, 1500 watts. There is also a fan setting that runs with the heat off. This heater has a thermostat control knob which can be adjusted anywhere from minimum to maximum. I tested mine on the 900 watts setting with about medium heat. It takes about 8 amps for that setting. I was amazed at the amount of heat it produces. It almost got too hot. The nice thing is that it is extremely quiet. Here is a pic of one.

Although I am not looking forward to cold weather I feel I am prepared for it and hopefully will be very comfortable inside my home on wheels no matter what the temperature is outside.