Yes, You Can Take It With You When You Go!

If you live in an RV that is! For me, one of the best aspects of living in our motorhome is we can take almost everything we have with us when we go, on a short or long trip. Our bed, our clothes, our kitchen, my craft materials, and our computers. I don't have to pack or make decisions about what to bring and what to leave behind. 

We were up early, but we took our time getting on the road Monday morning. The 275 mile drive to Lake Havasu City for the Winter Blast Pyrotechnic Festival, was uneventful. We were parked and set up at the rodeo grounds by 4 PM. 

Although this was not an official Alfa rally event, one of the Alfa owners, Dave Volker, worked with the lady who set up the parking, so that the Alfas were parked together. We also had a space for a campfire location. On Monday it was fairly cold and windy and most of us had just arrived so we didn't gather, but as the week progressed, the weather got better and the group grew. We always enjoy sharing technical information and stories with other Alfa owners, and it is fun to have faces to go with Facebook and Yahoo Group names.

Tuesday, Craig and I went over to see London Bridge. We have been through this part of Arizona several times, but have never stopped.

We both remember when in the 60's, Robert Paxton McCulloch who seemed like a crazy man, bought the bridge from the city of London, and had it reassembled in a desert town that had only a few residents.  He also moved his chain saw and outboard motor manufacturing plant to the town.

A dam was built, and he had a channel dredged to divert water from the Colorado River. After a few years, Lake Havasu City became a recreational destination.

What kind of bird is this?
 It was sitting on a post at the bridge.

I am going to have to ask my friend Judy Bell to identify this bird for me. I looked at pictures in my Audubon Field Guide and he looks like a Rusty Blackbird. But the guide shows its range does not include Arizona.  Does anyone know what it is?

On Wednesday we took a hike along some of the many trails in Sara Park. 

From the parking area where we started, there were about five fairly easy trails that seemed to be intertwined. Some had tracks from ATVs.

After about a mile, the trail led into a creek bed wash that was pretty easy to walk.

Craig sat down to rest while he waited for me. I kept stopping to take pictures of all the neat rock formations.

About a mile and a half in,  the trail got a little harder as it went through a slot canyon. Unfortunately by this point my shoulder was beginning to ache and I was reluctant to  go down a steeper place, lest I slip and have to steady myself with the pole in my left hand.

All in all we hiked more than three miles. The weather was beautiful. The rocks were interesting,

but the best sight was the Jeep at the end.  I was really tired when we got back to the rig. But after a little rest, I was ready to enjoy the company around the campfire once again.

RV friends are good.

Last Few Days At Gulf Shores

The skies were overcast and it rained on many of the days of our two weeks at Gulf Shores, Alabama. On those days we read, watched TV, colored, played Solitaire, and did some trip planning. Much the same as we would during rainy weather if we still lived in a house.

But, when it was not raining, we got out and had some fun.

There is a company that offers guided Segway rides thru the park. One day we watched the guide teach a group of people and decided to also give it a try.

The guide worked with each of us individually until he felt we could control our Segway. Then while he worked with each of the other six members of the group, we practiced zipping around a fairly large parking lot.

When everyone was comfortable, we followed him, like a line of ducklings, on an hour or so ride along the parks paved bike path. 

We stopped several times for brief rests.

At one stop the guide took pictures of us with our camera. Although I had my camera along, I found it impossible to take pictures while we were riding.  I felt I had to hold on with boh hands!

At another of our stops we saw this mother alligator. It seems she is usually in this area. She had four babies. We could see three of them, and they looked to be about two feet long.  Our guide said they were three years old.

Sunday was another nice day. It dawned bright and clear. The rain was finally over! 

Since we had already gone to the beach, the pier and the zoo, and Segwayed along the paved bike path, we decided to take a short hike on one of the sand trails through an area that had been burned a few years ago and was regrowing scrub and pine.

There were a few wood bridges over creeks that are wet year round. 

But parts of the trail were flooded, and I was very glad I had taken my hiking poles. They helped me keep my balance when trying to find footing in the squishy places.

We have been taking short walks when we can, and I am confident that with time my foot will get better enough for longer treks. For now I'm good for a mile or so, but don't want to push it too soon.  

Our site at the park was on a nice circle.  During our first week and a half we had seen other campers come and go, but the weather had kept our interaction down to a few waves and hellos.

Three days before we left, a new group of campers settled into our circle. Several of them knew each other and met here each year on their way north from Florida. Since the last two evenings were finally rain-free, we were able to have a communal campfire. 
We enjoyed this fellowship, as brief as it was, and learned some of the history of the park. It seems FEMA took over the park after Hurricane Katrina, and paved the roads and put in the sewer system. When it was no longer needed for disaster relief, the park was returned to the State in a much improved condition. 

For our new neighbors, it was the beginning of a month-long stay, for us it was the end of our two weeks there. We may never see any of them again, but for a couple of days they were our RV family.

And that is one of the special things about camping. Strangers are almost always welcome to pull up their chairs around a fire as the night closes in.

RV life is good.