Gathering of Nations POW WOW

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Jim Melvin

One more day at Enchanted Trails

I was watching the news Friday night and they were talking about the Gathering of Nations POW WOW being held on the University of New Mexico campus. Before I started fulltiming I had read about this annual event and thought at the time that it would really be neat to attend.

I hadn’t even planned in being in the Albuquerque area at this time, but Albuquerque is the only place in New Mexico that has an Apple Store. So it was fate that brought me to this city on this weekend.

I decided to stay another day to see the POW WOW and I am really glad I did.

POW WOW at “The Pit”

The Pow Wow was being held in and around what is know as “The Pit”. on the U of NM campus. Got out my GPS and found where it was located and then just followed the crowd. This is a pic of “The Pit” which is probably used for indoor sports activities as well as concerts, etc.

The cost for admission was $17 and another $10 for parking. OUCH! There goes the budget! But it was money well spent and where else could I see so many Native Americans in their full dress.

I got in just when the dancing started. They would introduce each tribe as they came onto the floor. Some of them had traveled a long distance to take part in the activities. This is a pic of the participants as they were being introduced.

I got this pic of some of the women in dress waiting to get onto the dance floor.

Finally a pic of all the participants on the floor dancing. I don’t know how they could even move as there were so many people. All the while the drums are beating loudly and many different types of rattles could be heard. Their native dress is so colorful.

Then they started an individual dance competition. It was really something to see.

Pose with a bald eagle…

There were many vendors all along the outside of The Pit who were selling their wares. Lots of jewelry, but also furs, feathers, etc. They also had a big tent with many vendors in it. I really enjoyed walking through it.

There was one vendor that was promoting helping injured raptors and they had many that were perched on their hands. You could get a picture taken with a bald eagle. This lady would hold the eagle unto they were ready to take the picture.

Then she would remove it’s hood and they would snap the picture.

Very cool stuff…

As you can see there were lots of different items for sale. I would have loved to purchase this but there is no room in my rig for it. I guess I could have put it on the front of my toad, Billy. HA!

There were many other unusual items as well such as all the beads you could even imagine.

Also special tennis shoes made for a tribe by Vans. How cool! I almost bought a pair. Sorry, it is a bit out of focus.

Calendar girls…

Then the treat of the day was finding these three beautiful 2013 calendar models who posed for me. They had a booth inside the tent and each one represented a different month for the calendar and they were gorgeous.

Had a great day…

I am really glad I decided to stay another day. I had a wonderful time at the 2013 Gathering of Nations Pow Wow.

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.

100,000 Miles

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Jim Melvin

Back to 00000

On July 31, 2012 the odometer of “The Breeze” read 00000 as you can see in the next pic. 100,000 miles! How did that happen so fast?

I was traveling on US Highway 26 on my way from Ochoco Divide Campground to Prineville to do some shopping. Since I don’t see too much traffic I decided to come to a complete stop and take a picture of that fantastic moment in time. This is where I was. I guess you can’t ask for a better spot when turning 100,000 miles.

I purchased “The Breeze back in April, 2010 . Since then I have:

Put 21,855 miles on it
Started Fulltiming on July 12, 2010
Filled with 2,378 gallons of gasoline at an average cost of $3.53 Yes it is about 9.2 miles per gallon. OUCH!!!

I have had a lot of great times seeing new places and meeting great people. I have established a lot of new friends all across the country and even into Canada and Mexico as well.

Do it now if you can!!!

If anyone is on the fence as to whether they should fulltime or not I would suggest give it a try as soon as possible. It was the best decision I ever made. I just wished I had done it sooner.

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.

More Quartzsite Happenings

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Jim Melvin

WIN’s Ice Cream Social

Saturday Andrea and I drove over to the WIN’s (Wandering Individuals Network) Ice Cream Social off Palomas Rd north of Quartzsite. The WIN’s had invited all the LOW’s (Loners on Wheels), Escapee SOLO’s and the Escapees Boomers groups over as well. They had lots of ice cream and it was really a fun time. I did catch up with a few of my friends in the LOW’s group and it was fun chatting with them.

Final Upgrades to “The Breeze”

I finally purchased a couple more of the LED lights to go into my rig. That will be the last of my purchases for this winter. John installed my RV Motion Sensor light which replaced my existing porch light. Later he adjusted it so that it wasn’t too sensitive.

Roger installed the LED lights that replaced the fluorescent tubes. What a difference. One LED gives off more light than two fluorescents. Thanks go out to both Roger and John for all their help.

Sunset and last campfire

We had our last campfire and burned up the remainder of the wood that John supplied from his property in Colorado. We sure had a lot of campfires from all that wood. I also took a pic of the sunset.

Sunrise and farewell

I got up early to bid farewell to all the people who were leaving this morning. I even got to see this beautiful sunrise.

There were six people and three dogs who departed this morning. They were Ed and Carol (and gopher), John and Linda (and Sadie), Roger, and finally Steve (and Jiggs). We all had a wonderful time together and they will be missed. Annie and Rick (and Dweezle) were going to leave but Rick was feeling much better from whatever was ailing him and the day was so nice they decided to stay another day.

Tonight at our Happy Hour was Ann and Jerry, Chuck and Beverly, Annie and Rick, Andrea and I. We had a nice time but it was a bit quieter.

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