Quartzite, Arizona

Quartzite, Arizona

I seem to be failing in keeping up this blog.

We have been in Quartzite since December 27.

In the meantime we

• Collected a few gallons of agate and other rockhound goodies in the Wiley Well area. Still learning the off-road capabilities of the Subaru Forester. Elmer did some hikes of several miles. Both of us collected a few things each day on shorter walks in the adjacent wash (dry stream bed except during flash floods).
• Celebrated Christmas at Wiley Well including a potluck Christmas Day dinner with several others camping there

• Put a new set of six tires on the motorhome enroute to Quartzite—feel much poorer but also much more secure
• 
  Settled into our new home at La Posa North in Quartzite, one of a dozen or more Long Term Visitor Areas operated in the SE California and SW Arizona desert. Our site is about a mile from the more congested area near the highway. We can see some neighbors a few hundred yards away. One can find plenty of places even more secluded. Mountains around us. Excellent view of beautiful sunsets and sunrises.
  
• Saw a bobcat trotting past our motorhome

• Have worshipped at the local Christian & Missionary Alliance church the past two Sundays. Makes First Baptist in Coos Bay look like a youth group! We are in a snowbird stronghold with gray-tops
  everywhere.

• Have gone on a rockhound / scenic drive with the church's Roadrunners group. Didn't find much but enjoyed meeting some new friends and further testing our Subaru Forester as an off-road jeep wannabe.

• Made a rockhound field trip on our own to a nearby site and after selecting only the best pieces came up with about half a gallon with some beautiful agate, jasper, chalcedony.

• Have made two trips to Parker (has a Wal-mart) even though Quartzite has added fast-food places and some variety in grocery stores since our visit about 7 years ago.

• Have begun to explore, shop, and even buy with the almost unlimited array of vendors in tents and stalls that make up Quartzite during the snowbird season. Anything and everything seems to be available.

• 

  QT dealing with 40+ morning temps in the motorhome

  Use a little ceramic heater with small propane bottle to warm up a bit first thing in the morning when its freezing outside and 45 degrees inside but usually, like right now, its 65-70 outside and some windows open to keep the motorhome from getting too hot inside. Sorry about the cold weather most of you are facing.

Wow! Far too much this time. I suppose one answer would be to be more faithful in posting regularly.

Wiley Well

 Wiley Well

Our present home is in the SE corner of California at the Wiley Well campground in the Mule Mountain Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA).  Fifteen sites spread over a large area with mountains to view in every direction. Especially beautiful at night, earlier with lots of stars, now with a nearly full moon--don't even have to use the flashlight when taking QT out at night. We will be here until a day or two after Christmas and then move on to another LTVA in Quartzite, AZ where we will stay until the end of January.

It has warmed up considerably with temperatures above freezing at night and in the 60’s during the day—very comfortable. Lots of books getting read, long hikes in the desert, finding some agate during walks in the nearby washes, and even had one serious rock hunting trip to Pebble Terrace. QT is especially enjoying the long walks.

We are having breakfast at a McDonald's in Blythe CA and making use of the WIFI connection to update email, Facebook, and this blog. We'll be attending church this AM at First Baptist in Blythe (Southern Baptist).

Pearl has her Christmas tree up on the dash of the Motorhome, surrounded by a string of lights. We are already noting how much we are going to miss being with family during the Christmas celebrations.

Will be making the appointment for six new tires on the motorhome to be installed when we transition from Wile Well to Quartzite. $$$$$$$$ but I certainly don't want any more blowouts!

The journey has begun!

The journey has begun! After spending Thanksgiving with family in Sublimity OR we headed south toward the desert region of Southern California and Arizona. The itinerary is very flexible. So far it includes a scheduled meeting with Roberta for a week in Quartzite mid-January and a few weeks with brother Dick and wife Shirley in New England in early May.

The adventures have already begun with rush hour traffic in the dark thru Sacramento, two blow-outs on the inside tires of the rear duals requiring emergency road service, and an over
night on a street in a small town as a violent desert windstorm and driver fatigue made continuing in the dark too dangerous.

Of course adventure is one of the reasons for making the trip, so no complaints—at least days and rest after the experiences! It was quite a sight to see the motorhome pulled up on the tow trailer and the driver carefully measuring to see if it was going to go under the overpasses.
In the windstorm I kept listening to see if any of the loud rattling & banging noises were caused by my newly mounted solar panels leaving the roof.

As I write this we have been camped at Joshua Tree National Park in Southern California, enjoying the unique desert environment of this place. Our campground is called Jumbo Rocks and is in the midst of huge granite boulders. The combination of lots of sunshine, low temperatures (20’s at night, 30’s during the day) have us experimenting to make the most efficient use of solar panels, batteries, propane, generators and warm clothing.

We just spotted a First Baptist Church in the nearby town of Joshua Tree and will be attending church their tomorrow and then moving on to one of the desert Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVA) for our next stop.