Bonita Mesa RV Resort, Yuma, AZ

Sunday, February 18, 2007
We were able to pack up and move the RV to our new location east of Yuma at Bonita Mesa R.V. Resort. We are right near the border of California over the Colorado River. The weather is very comfortable with sunny skies and no jacket. We love the RV park and it is such a change after three days at Pilot Knob RV Resort. The roads are all paved and wide and we are located on a corner lot with extra space for the truck and motorcycle. Can't ask for more than that. The security here is top notch.
Colorado River originates in northern Colorado, north of Grand Lake. The Colorado River is one of the United States' major waterways. Totaling 1,470 mi (2,352 km), the river spans a number of states – Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona and California – before emptying into the Gulf of California in Mexico. Until 1921 the river was known as the Grand River and was then renamed at the request of the State of Colorado
Monday, February 19, 2007 Presidents Day.
We had winds last night with gusts that shook the RV. Today the sky is hazy with dust stirred up from the winds. We drove through some neighborhoods around here and there is dust/sand on everything. We went to Fry’s, a great locally-owned grocery store. We feel that every breath you take contains a little dust in it. Dust storms are caused when high winds sweep across unplanned agricultural fields or dry desert terrain, which is all around us.
Ray read a note on the bulletin board to watch out for snakes due to the unusually warm weather. They suggest to watch out whenever we walk near the wall surrounding the park, as snakes like to reside in the cracks between the blocks. It was a “no-brainer” that the walking Mitzy by the wall was not an option. Sometimes in the Southwest, critters that belong outdoors slither, creep or crawl their way into your home, such as spiders, snakes, scorpions and geckos. Some are actually beneficial, so the locals tell me. Regardless, we did not see any in our home. Note: Gila Monsters live here. They are the only venomous lizard in the United States and can grow up to two feet long -- ouch!

Yuma is known as the Winter Lettuce Capital of the World. Everywhere we look around outskirts of Yuma, there is a vision of deep green - a great contrast to the hills of sand dunes everywhere. The fields have everything from corn to strawberries. Although the high yields of lettuce grown in the Yuma area is mind boggling, the winter vegetable crops are just as amazing! Over 90 percent of the country's winter vegetable crops are grown in this area!

Ray's Reflections: Yuma is surrounded by the desert with cactus and tumble weed everywhere. This full-size city was full of surprises. When the wind blows, dust is everywhere. There are huge sand dunes west of town. There is a man-made aqueduct that runs through the north edge of town. This water irrigation is providing rich farm lands stretching for miles and produces every vegetable imaginable and a color of green I’ve never seen. Where the water stops, the desert look begins.
I took the opportunity to ride the bike through most of the farm lands. Also, I rode through the Yuma Proving Grounds and saw what appeared to be tanks and personnel carriers at a distance producing a lot of dust. I accidentally came upon paratroopers training free-falling and then hitting the ground target. As I was snapping photos, this one fellow sailed over the road in my direction and came within feet of my bike when he landed. Immediately I thought I was in trouble, maybe shouldn’t have been there. But after a brief conversation, found out he was an instructor and wanted to get a closer look at the Wing. Said they like cookies… nice guy, younger than our son.
To the east of Yuma is an area called the Foothills. This is a large community of RVs on their own private lot with permanent garages to park their RV in or small homes, or just utility sheds. All of this was very nicely done and not the unruly mess like some mobile home parks.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
We got up super early and were on the nearby road to catch a sunrise but the pictures did not come out good at all. Just not enough contrast from the sand dunes and the sky. We then took a “long” drive out in the desert to see Imperial National Wildlife Refuge. Didn’t see any animals in the wild, and the road up to the “painted desert trail” was entirely too rough and after we had traveled a mile on it, bouncing around a lot, I asked Ray to turn back – wasn’t worth it.

We passed right through the US Army Yuma Proving Ground (USAYPG) which is a general-purpose desert environmental test facility. They trained the soldiers here for Iraq and Desert Storm due to the same terrain.
YPG is located 26 miles north of Yuma, Arizona on U.S. Hwy 95. This installation covers nearly 1,400 square miles and offers climate and terrain similar to major desert areas worldwide. YPG is primarily involved in developmental and operational test of artillery weapons and ammunition, aircraft armament systems, mobility equipment, and air delivery systems. Modern military equipment testing in Yuma can be traced back to 1943.
We also saw about 15 paratroopers coming down after they were dropped from planes for training purposes. It was so quiet, the only sound was their chute as it rustled in the breeze before they gracefully made their landing.

We passed thousands of acres of sand, rock, sage brush, some cactus, with rugged hills and mountains in the background. Of course, any green trees are usually seen on the shores of the Colorado River. We also saw beautiful farms with lush green vegetables being harvested in the valley.
We were 60+ miles to Quartzite, famous for the BMP land mass where RVers can stay if they want to Dry Camp without a fee. We had heard many RVers talk about how great a visit to Quartzite would be. It was a very boring drive and seemed like it took forever to get there. We saw thousands of them (RVs), not all close together, but spread out quite a bit. The major influx was two weeks ago, and the vendors in the town were fewer because the “season” is over now and they have moved on. Thankfully Quartzite had a McDonald’s and Subway. It was way past lunch time and we were hungry. At least we will know when someone asks us if we have been to Quartzite, we can say yes, and know we don’t ever have to go there again. Upon our return, it was a nice change to sit outside, read a book, relax, and get some Arizona sun which is not like Florida (no humidity) it was very comfortable.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Took a walk around the park to take some pictures and saw a beautiful hummingbird trying to get nectar out of the cactus blossoms that are opening up. Nice sunny day again and moderate temps.

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Pilot Knob RV Resort, Winterhaven, CA (Yuma, AZ)

Thursday, February 15, 2007
We had to take the RV over to Camping World to get our new awnings installed on three of our windows to help keep the heat out during the summer. The process gave us a late start to drive to Yuma and the Pilot Knob RV Resort located in Winterhaven, California. They actually use Arizona (Mountain) time. We crossed the Colorado River (actual border between California and Arizona) and we changed to Pacific Time Zone. Arrived around 5:00 pm. The park is located in a desert of sand without any asphalt roads to get in or out.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Yuma, is located in the Sonoran Desert of southwestern Arizona along Interstate 8 and the eastern banks of the Colorado River. The County and City were named for the original inhabitants, the Yumas. The Yumas were a combination of Indian tribes of the lower Colorado Region, which consisted of the Quechans, Cocopahs,and the Mohaves. These tribes were related by being members of the same linguistic group.
Yuma is one of the fastest growing metro areas in the US. Both its climate and location along the river make it a popular tourist haven in both winter and summer, especially for snowbirds and water enthusiasts. Yuma is Arizona's warmest winter city and the sunniest year round place in the US, with an annual average of 4,133 hours of sunshine. Yuma has a classic low desert climate with extremely low relative humidity and very high summer temperatures. Stores, shops, restaurants theaters and homes are air-conditioned year round.

We went for a drive and checked out the RV parks where we would like to stay next in Yuma (just down the road). Took a lot longer than anticipated, although they are all in the same vicinity near the Colorado River line. We found one that we liked, Bonita Mesa RV Resort in Yuma, AZ. We will move over there on Sunday.
Saturday, February 17, 2007
We drove to see the Quechan Indian Nation’s reservation and historical site. The Indians were there in full regalia and dancing. The actual buildings have a lot of restoration work to be done. The museum was not really that informative. You would think that the Casino nearby would be able to allocate certain profits to help fix up the site so they could get tourist dollars to see it.b:if cond='data:blog.pageType !="item"> >

Beaudry RV Resort - Tucson, AZ

Thursday, February 8, 2007
We packed up and drove from Deming, NM to Tucson, AZ and Beaudry RV Resort. Land and lots of it seen along the way and the grassy terrain started to change to mountains and snow at higher elevations.
We loved the park and its location, but a bit pricey. We stayed here to get some work done to the RV by Camping World located adjacent to the park. Made the service work very convenient.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Part of the lush Sonoran desert, Tucson lies in a valley surrounded by six mountains ranges; the Santa Catalinas to the north (reaching 9,100 ft. elevation), the Santa Rita and Sierrita Mountains to the south, the Rincon Mountains to the east, the Tucson Mountains to the west, and the Tortolita Mountains on the northwest. "Stats & Facts" Population: approx. 768,000 Elevation: 2,400 feet
115 miles south of Phoenix - 65 miles from US/Mexico border
Saturday, February 10, 2007
We decided to see Tombstone, called “the Town too Tough to Die.” Tombstone is located about 40 miles southeast of Tucson. I-10 East to SH 80 south. Benson exit. Founded as a silver mining boom town in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin, Tombstone is a Registered National Historic Landmark and home to historic attractions like the Crystal Palace Saloon, the World's Largest Rose Tree, the Bird Cage Theatre, Boothill Graveyard, 1882 Cochise County Courthouse, Big Nose Kate's Saloon and the O.K. Corral

We found Tombstone very interesting and fun to see that they have kept it the same as 100 years ago. You may remember the OK Corral and the last movie made of Masterson, Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp fame. Gunslingers loiter around the streets and gunfights are a daily occurrence down at Helldorado. Three blocks long and two blocks wide, the street is closed to all traffic except the stagecoach visitors can ride through town and hear first-hand the history from the driver.
Restaurants, galleries and shops housed in original buildings line the streets and offer a wide variety of art, food and trinkets.

Notice the baby carriage has two dogs..cute.


The scenery around Tombstone on the back roads back to Tucson was just as awe inspiring because of the vastness. Spent five hours before getting back to Mitzy in the RV.

The real deal.. cowboys herding cattle.

Ray's Reflections: We found Tucson, to be comfortable nestled between several mountain ranges. I rode the bike west to old Tucson on route 86 where the hills were covered with thousands of Saguaro cactus standing as sentinels throughout the area. Very nice ride with the road looking like it followed the path like a snake winding through the hills. Several days later I rode into the Catalina Mountains to the north of Tucson. This mountain was mostly barren with cactus at lower elevations but the stone monolith at the top were very interesting. Many of them looked like someone I’ve seen. And the sheer drop-offs on the roadside did not have guard rails, ouch! No place to be sightseeing, but they do have a number of pull-offs. I usually travel on the bike with my trusty Sony Digital camera hanging around my neck and tucked into my leather jacket, ready to use at any stop and some of my five pair of gloves may be used with the camera without removing them. I have several concerns when I stop for a photo-op; the ground cover, is it paved, dirt, pebbles, marble-sized rocks, or sharp granite stones that will impair my footing. Also, how level is the ground and does it pitch left or right or front or back. Can I put the kick stand down without dropping the bike. If I'm on a curve, can I softly re-enter the road? If I do stop, can I see past the road because of bushes, rock formations, trees, etc? All of these decisions must be made within a few seconds before stopping. And, of course, is someone going to run over me from the rear? I'm not complaining, just stating facts. I find it very difficult to compare riding in the Smoky Mountains to the high desert mountains. Completely different, but both are beautiful.

Monday, February 12, 2007
We drove up to Lemmon Mountain one of the Santa Catalina Mountain ranges, and after two hours of short stops to admire the beauty and take pictures, we arrived at Ski Valley. Almost 9.000 ft.
Catalina State Park, comprising 5,493 acres and including 34 archaeological sites, was established in 1983.
We were able to see the geology of this area by the cuts made for the roads years ago. And there were significant rock formations that left you wondering how they stay where they are, and when will an earth quake tumble them down from their precarious perch.

The central core of the Catalina Mountains is granite of Laramide origin, altered by metamorphism to gneiss along its western side. Catalina State Park is located near the base of the fore range anticline, which drains into Cañon de Oro to the west. The park land is situated on sedimentary Miocene (25 million-year-old) deposits of sandstone, limestone, mudstone and conglomerates.
As we started on our drive to the top, we saw a most peculiar site.

Up on the hills were what I thought were sticks standing tall all over. Then as we got closer, turned out they are the Saguaro Cactus. I love all cacti and succulents, and really enjoyed their diversity in this area. Cacti everywhere and especially as landscape for the homes along the hillside. The magnificent Saguaro Cactus, the state flower of Arizona, is composed of a tall, thick, fluted, columnar stem, 18 to 24 inches in diameter, often with several large branches (arms) curving upward in the most distinctive conformation of all Southwestern cacti. It grows very slowly -- perhaps an inch a year -- but to a great height, 15 to 50 feet.

Tuesday, February 13 We love it here with the weather so beautiful. Fresh air and no bugs – leave our windows open most of the day. Today we did get rain with a cold front, but still saw the sun and it’s around 60 degrees.

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Vineyard RV Park, Deming, NM

Thursday, February 01, 2007
Traveled from El Paso, TX on I-10 to Deming, NM and the Vineyard RV Park. Small park but adequate for our needs.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Beautiful weather with sunshine. We rode together on the Honda Gold Wing from Deming to Columbus, NM. Sitting right on the Mexico border 30 miles south of Deming down NM Highway 11. It is located west of Las Cruces and is the trail used by the legendary Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoaches of the pre-Civil War era.

Ray on top of Coates Hill.

Coates Hill is named after the 13th Calvery, was an important lookout for soldiers based at Camp Furlong during the Mexican Revolution and border unrest. Sometimes called “Villas Hill.” This little town was once invaded by the notorious Pancho Villa, and thus became the base and staging point for General "Blackjack" Pershing’s southerly expeditions to try to capture the raider. Pancho Villa State Park is also one of the premier camping spots during the fall and winter months. An oasis in the desert, especially if you want to shop in Mexico, only 3 miles away.

We took a long drive out to Silver City, in the southwest corner of New Mexico and features high deserts, mountains and rolling terrain. New York Times, January 13, 2006 "People who live in Silver City like to say that their town of 10,000 offers 'the real New Mexico experience.' Perched on the edge of the Gila National Forest in a high-desert wonderland of ponderosas, deep gorges and red-rock mesas, Silver City is a bit rough around the edges... but that's the way the locals like it."

After driving through the streets of the old town and where Billy the Kid grew up and also broke out of their jail we proceeded up the mountain to historic Pinos Altos (Tall Pines) town that is located just six miles north of Silver City on NM 15 at an elevation of 7040 feet. Nestled into the Gila National Forest, the town began in 1860 when three frustrated 49-ers, Thomas Birch, Colonel Snively and another guy named Hicks, stopped to take a drink in Bear Creek and discovered gold. The snow plows had just cleared the main road and the scenery was beautiful.

Pinos Altos Fire House (above) was built to fit in with the charm of this 1860s village and is home to the Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. Although not a historic building, the fire house is one of the most photographed buildings in town.

It was such fun to get out and kick up our heels in the snow.

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American RV Park, El Paso, TX

We drove to LAS CRUSES, NM to see the sights. From the conical mountain named Picacho, standing solidly beneath the western mesa, to the soaring stovepipes of the Organ Mountains to the east, behind the hump of Tortuga peak, Las Cruces and its neighboring villages and towns occupy all of the Mesilla Valley and spill upward onto the heights. It’s an elderly city with many attractions, diversions and destinations.
The city’s name means "the crosses." Legend has it that the crosses were to mark the graves of three unlucky travelers on the Camino Reál, perhaps as long as 400 years ago. The blending of the indigenous peoples with the Spanish colonists and later the cowboy and western settlers makes for the compelling, spicy mixture of language, cuisine and lifestyle of today's Las Cruces. What was once a travelers' rest stop on that ancient road has itself become a destination for travelers — Forbes magazine’s number one small metro area in which to do business, and Money Magazine’s top area in which to live.
We drove through the historic La Mesilla town that has excellent restaurants and small shops. Couldn't stop long enough to really indulge ourselves.



Stahmann Farms, Australia's legendary pecan company, is the world's largest family-owned pecan grower, and harvests millions of pounds annually. The Company runs a fully integrated operation from farming to processing, value-adding, gourmet baking, sales and marketing. Located on US 70 between Alamogordo and Las Cruses, the above picture was of the dormant tree farms that went for miles. We stopped at their country store to explore and I loved the convection's and gourmet sauces and spent far too much. Everything I bought was superior in quality and taste. Their pecan icecream was to "die" for!
Ray's Reflections:
Our last stop in Texas was El Paso. We stayed just north eight miles, next to Camping World. Very nice large park with no foliage at all and a view of snow-covered mountain tops to our East and North. Traffic in town was heavy so I decided to ride to our next stop in Deming, NM 90 miles to the west and check out the parks in the area. The trip over and back was uneventful on straight I-10, loaded with 18-wheelers and most were friendly and waved back. Mountains would appear on the horizon and I started calculating how far I could see. Turns out in this area visibility was 40-50 miles, again no trees, but the desert view constantly changes. With an occasional herd of cows, road runners, and sheep. After looking at all RV parks in Deming, I changed parks to the one north of town. The one we had selected via internet was on a 1.5 mile dirt road. I do not Do DIRT!
I traveled to Deming by bike on a beautiful day, minimal winds and noticed many signs along I-10 warning of dust storms. The day we moved to Deming, we had head winds at 30-50 mph with gusts , now I understood the reason for the signs. Several days later, Marsha and I rode the bike to Columbus, NM, next to the Mexican border. The first mountain we passed on the left was Florida Mountain. Strange but true. Route 11 again was mostly straight with a border check point 6-8 miles from the border. Also, we passed an old movie set along the highway with fake frontages and a WWI original plane mounted 40 ft. off the ground on a swivel. We stopped at Poncho Villa State Park and took a few pictures and headed back. About 15 miles from the border was a tethered blimp, now in the Florida Keys tethered blimp meant radar, is this the same in New Mexico? b:if cond='data:blog.pageType !="item"> >

American RV Park, El Paso, TX

Wed. January 24, 2007 (Leave Alpine, TX)
We woke up to light snow, mostly melting and Ray checked the roads at the front of the park to see if traffic was flowing and it was. We started out at 9:00 am from Alpine to American RV Park, El Paso, TX where there is also Camper’s World facility to work on the motor of the RV and truck. Changed oil, etc. This is a very nice park and huge amount of sites to select from. Completely paved with lighting at each site and the hookups are new. The Franklin Mountain range surrounds us on three sides. We really enjoy seeing the change in the view of the mountains every day.
Thurs. January 25, 2007 Cold and windy. Raining all night and snow up in the mountains. The rest of the week is supposed to be clear and highs in the 50’s.
El Paso Alt. 3,762 is the largest U.S. city on the Mexican border; neighboring Juarez, Mexico’s largest border city. El Paso’s name is derived from an ancient mountain pass surrounded by mile-high peaks. El Pasoans celebrate Thanksgiving in spring and claim the first celebration was 23 years before the pilgrims’ celebration.
This vibrant city sits on the border with both Mexico and New Mexico. Enjoyed discovering its special mix of culture and traditions. Beautiful desert sunshine drenches this corner of the world more than 300 days a year.
Nomadic bands hunted big game in the El Paso region during the Ice Ages.
Here on the borderland there is a special brand of hospitality to visitors. From the top of the surrounding mountains you can see two counties, three states and two counties, all within minutes of each other.

Socorro very nearly lost its present church around the beginning of the 21st century, when problems with basic architecture and moisture entrapped in the adobe walls threatened the structure with collapse. In a remarkable community enterprise, volunteer organizations, at-risk youth groups, and “Welfare to Work” adult trainees – supported by the Catholic Diocese, universities, schools, endowments, associations, and civic and social organizations – joined in a five-year, 1.5 million dollar restoration project to save the Socorro mission.

You reach Socorro and its mission about three miles farther southeast, also off Alameda Street. The Franciscans founded the Nuestra Señora de la Limpia Concepción de los Piros de Socorro del Sur Mission on October 13, 1680, to serve Piro Puebloans who fled south to escape the revolt. The friars built the first structure within the next decade. They lost the original church to Río Grande flooding in 1740 and lost its successor to flooding in 1829. They moved to higher ground and built the current adobe-walled building in the early 1840s, with a formal dedication in 1843. Under the guidance of the Religious, the Piros (who spoke a now-extinct Tanoan language dialect) added the front façade, a belfry, a choir loft and transepts during the following decades. On October 19, 1845, they added a treasured statue of the mission’s patron saint, San Miguel, after it had been transported from Mexico to the mission by ox-cart.

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Lost Alaskan RV Park, Alpine, TX

Wednesday, January 10, 2007 We left Marathon, TX and drove to Alpine and settled in at Lost Alaskan RV Park. Yesterday I drove the truck following Ray on the bike. Ray left the bike at the Lost Alaskan Park so he wouldn’t have to put it up on the truck. Very nice park and spaced out nicely. Beautiful trees and very pet friendly.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Drove over to Ft. Davis and the Davis Mountain range. Ft. Davis at 5,050’ is the highest town in Texas. Went to the McDonald Observatory. As a unit of The University of Texas at Austin, the Observatory is one of the world's leading centers for astronomical research. Its facilities are located atop Mount Locke and Mount Fowlkes in the Davis Mountains of West Texas at 6,792 ft. It is the tallest mountain in Texas. This Observatory has the darkest skies in the continental United States. The tour took 90 minutes and we were able to see both the 107” Harlan J. Smith and Hobby-Eberly research telescopes. Although the information was way over my head, it was very interesting to see how the telescopes are moved around and how they facilitate the opening of the doors for viewing at night.
Ray's Reflections: The route between Alpine and Ft. Davis is very hilly with twisty turns. Good to take a ride on the bike. Just down the road from Marathon is a complete small town with numerous grocery/drug stores, fast foods, etc. I did have one day of great motorcycling in the Ft. Davis area north of Alpine. The road to Ft Davis both south and north became enclosed with rock canyons and lateral rock chimneys. Again, I was attempting to take an interesting road off the beaten path. After crossing several cattle guards about 15 miles off the main highway appeared a sign “Posted Private Property – Do Not Enter”. OK, with no one in sight and not having passed a vehicle coming or going, I get the point. Turn around and get your b____ out of there!
The weather for the day was high of 60 degrees with a cold front approaching in the pm. Now I am not from Texas and my thought was 'how had can a cold front be at 2:30 in the afternoon?' While riding the bike 12 miles north of Ft. Davis, through the rock canyons, I watched my trip meter on the bike start at 61° air temp and within five minutes drop to 44° and the cold-front grey sinister clouds were still in front of me. Again, I turned around and headed back to safety at home, except this time I picked up the pace considerably. It is amazing how well the Wing holds the road when you are running a little over the limit. That night the temp dropped to 19° and snowed for four days. The locals said this was the first time in 35 years that this has happened in Alpine. Thanks for saving it for us Floridians.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Today it is overcast and winds at steady 20 mph and gusts 28 mph. Ray took a bike ride due to home-bound-itis. Park is almost empty and people are heading south to get away from the weather.
Monday, January 22, 2007
We wanted to leave the Alpine area yesterday, but due to a late arrival of our Sony camera from the repair shop, we had to stay. It is now snowing and expect more tonight into tomorrow. Ray checked Weather Underground and looks like it will be another week before we can leave without fear of icy roads. Cannot take the risk with our rolling home.



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