Friday – 12/3/10
Photos: http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/2684
Last night we saw a kit fox. These are smaller than a normal sized fox. Thomas opened the door, turned on the outside light and there it was right outside the door! I grabbed the flashlight to get a better look. It was so cute, like a miniature fox. While skittish, it didn’t run off. We watched it scrounging for any morsel of food it could find and then it scampered off to look elsewhere.
While Thomas gets everything ready outside I get things done inside for the short trip to Holtville. He steps to the door and tells me that I might want to look at the 5’er behind us. They have an inversion rack and it is being used. (See the photos.) You never know what you’ll see out here in the desert! I took a few last minute photos of the campsite and the area. All hitched up, we pull up to the station to dump our black tank and fill a few empty drinking water bottles.
Along the road we began to see the first sand of the Imperial Dunes. Like other places, there are fewer people camped in the sections where you can camp along the Dunes. On top of one of the dunes only once did we see someone riding in a buggy. There are photos of the fence that keeps the dune buggies from getting out onto the interstate and also of landscape here.
Off to the north side we see the Geo-Thermal facility. The hot spring and north camping area is just to the west of it. On the south side of I-8 will be where we camp in the 14 day free area. There is a LTVA (pay area) on both sides of I-8.
From I-8, if you know where to look, you can see the trees that hide the hot spring and adjoining pond. As you look at the photo taken from interstate, you can see the sandy area between the trees and the hill up to I-8. In this sandy area close to the tree line, some people will shower using containers of the hot water along with shampoo and soap they bring with them. (There is no soap allowed in the hot spring.) While this is somewhat common, we have never seen anyone as we drove past on interstate.
Before finding a camping area, we had to take a dip in the hot spring. This is a natural hot spring that has been contained and is piped into a cemented pool that is about 4 ½ feet deep. The water runs from this pool into another pool which is shallow enough to sit in. From there the water runs into the pond. No swimming is allowed in the pond. A few people will take a quick dip in the pond to cool off. From the main pipe which feeds the first pool there is another pipe with holes in it that forms a shower. Before entering the pool people shower off. Every Tuesday the pools are emptied and cleaned. There is also a hose attached to the pipe where you can fill water jugs and bottles to take water with you.
Now to find a place to camp and get set up. Don’t think I have mentioned that we have added a privacy screen which is attached to the front of the trailer so we can give massages! While we did give each other a massage in Pilot Knob, it was far too windy. Hopefully it will be less windy here and that can happen more frequently.
A good night’s sleep and we’ll be back at the hot spring in the morning.
Friday, February 11, 2011
12/2/10 Thursday
Thursday – 12/2/10
Photos: http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/2637
All photos for Mexico, Yuma and Pilot Knob area are in the same link above.
Happy Birthday to Mom (Goldie Wince)!
We called the post office in Winterhaven, CA around 2pm. The mail is there and we can only pick it up between 2:30pm -4:00pm. With the mail drop here, this means we can leave tomorrow heading to Holtville, CA and the hot spring.
With the mail picked up, we go to Wal-Mart for supplies. While in Holtville the closest Wal-Mart would be in El Centro around 25 miles round trip. So we opt to get things that will hold us through for at least a week to 10 days. The turkey is still on sale so that will be good to cook and make several meals out of. Also it will do double duty of acting as ice for a few days. A few more meats, milk, drinks, chips…you know the necessities of life. ;)
Now to put things away and pack up what we can.
PS- I don’t think I have mentioned this but our solar system is working great now. We are able to watch movies at night, run our lights, water pump, etc and have not experienced any sign of being low on juice. Finally, it’s working properly!
Photos: http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/2637
All photos for Mexico, Yuma and Pilot Knob area are in the same link above.
Happy Birthday to Mom (Goldie Wince)!
We called the post office in Winterhaven, CA around 2pm. The mail is there and we can only pick it up between 2:30pm -4:00pm. With the mail drop here, this means we can leave tomorrow heading to Holtville, CA and the hot spring.
With the mail picked up, we go to Wal-Mart for supplies. While in Holtville the closest Wal-Mart would be in El Centro around 25 miles round trip. So we opt to get things that will hold us through for at least a week to 10 days. The turkey is still on sale so that will be good to cook and make several meals out of. Also it will do double duty of acting as ice for a few days. A few more meats, milk, drinks, chips…you know the necessities of life. ;)
Now to put things away and pack up what we can.
PS- I don’t think I have mentioned this but our solar system is working great now. We are able to watch movies at night, run our lights, water pump, etc and have not experienced any sign of being low on juice. Finally, it’s working properly!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Yes, I'm behind but... Happy New Year
Today is 12-29-10. We stayed last night in Lost Hills, CA and today we are heading to the Big Sur Coast. After lunch time today we will have no service, cell or internet for the next couple of weeks. We will be staying at Plaskett Creek Campground for one week and Kirk Creek Campground for the next week. Our plans are to be in Marina, CA on or about Jan 11, 2011. So this fast note is to wish each and everyone of you a very Happy New Year. May 2011 bring smiles, happiness and joy to each of you! Stay safe and we will be back online in two weeks.
Brona and Thomas
Brona and Thomas
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
12/1/10 Wednesday
Wednesday – 12/1/10
Photos: http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/2637
All photos for Mexico, Yuma and Pilot Knob area are in the same link above.
This morning we spent cleaning up and starting to prepare to move to Holtville after the mail drop. Also on the list was getting clothes together to take to wash, refilling propane, etc.
This afternoon on the way to town we stopped and talked to the Camp Host’s wife. Finally we found out that the amount of people here was normal for this time of year. After Christmas the snowbirds will start coming in and things will pick up.
First on our list is a trip to Big O Tires for a rotation, alignment and check tire pressure. There has been one tire that looks slightly low so they will check that out.
Good thing we took the truck in for a check up. The low tire had a nail in it. They patched it and completed the other work.
Next is to fill up the propane. It’s 5pm and can’t get back to the cheaper place so fill up at the closest station at $2.19 per lb. All three tanks are filled and hopefully we will be good for a while. Last year it was really high in CA.
The laundry we chose was new to us. It was right off of 4th Ave & 7th Street. You got what you paid for here. The hot water was hot and the dryers took 2-3 runs at $0.25 per run. The only bad thing is that it is right behind a restaurant and we are hungry. One of the other patrons said the restaurant made us smell it so that we would all come in and eat. Ha,ha,ha it almost worked on us!
Back at the trailer, we unpacked, put things away and ate supper. Good night to all.
Photos: http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/2637
All photos for Mexico, Yuma and Pilot Knob area are in the same link above.
This morning we spent cleaning up and starting to prepare to move to Holtville after the mail drop. Also on the list was getting clothes together to take to wash, refilling propane, etc.
This afternoon on the way to town we stopped and talked to the Camp Host’s wife. Finally we found out that the amount of people here was normal for this time of year. After Christmas the snowbirds will start coming in and things will pick up.
First on our list is a trip to Big O Tires for a rotation, alignment and check tire pressure. There has been one tire that looks slightly low so they will check that out.
Good thing we took the truck in for a check up. The low tire had a nail in it. They patched it and completed the other work.
Next is to fill up the propane. It’s 5pm and can’t get back to the cheaper place so fill up at the closest station at $2.19 per lb. All three tanks are filled and hopefully we will be good for a while. Last year it was really high in CA.
The laundry we chose was new to us. It was right off of 4th Ave & 7th Street. You got what you paid for here. The hot water was hot and the dryers took 2-3 runs at $0.25 per run. The only bad thing is that it is right behind a restaurant and we are hungry. One of the other patrons said the restaurant made us smell it so that we would all come in and eat. Ha,ha,ha it almost worked on us!
Back at the trailer, we unpacked, put things away and ate supper. Good night to all.
11/29-30/10 Monday & Tuesday
Monday – 11/29/10
Photos: http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/2637
All photos for Mexico, Yuma and Pilot Knob area are in the same link above.
Happy Birthday to my son, Curtis. He is 29 today.
Today was mostly spent just hanging around and taking it easy.
_________________________________________________
Tuesday – 11/30/10
Photos: http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/2637
All photos for Mexico, Yuma and Pilot Knob area are in the same link above.
Today is Tuesday and you know what that means…… Two for one breakfast at the Q Casino. Needless to say, they served another great breakfast. They have a Prickly Pear Syrup and Cheese Blitz that are wonderful together. Like before, we got our money’s worth.
Since we were so close to Mexico, we crossed the border and picked up some meds. We also just took our time and absorbed more of the ambiance before heading back to camp.
Now we are just waiting for our mail drop before heading on to Holtville, CA. The mail should arrive between Thursday and Saturday.
Photos: http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/2637
All photos for Mexico, Yuma and Pilot Knob area are in the same link above.
Happy Birthday to my son, Curtis. He is 29 today.
Today was mostly spent just hanging around and taking it easy.
_________________________________________________
Tuesday – 11/30/10
Photos: http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/2637
All photos for Mexico, Yuma and Pilot Knob area are in the same link above.
Today is Tuesday and you know what that means…… Two for one breakfast at the Q Casino. Needless to say, they served another great breakfast. They have a Prickly Pear Syrup and Cheese Blitz that are wonderful together. Like before, we got our money’s worth.
Since we were so close to Mexico, we crossed the border and picked up some meds. We also just took our time and absorbed more of the ambiance before heading back to camp.
Now we are just waiting for our mail drop before heading on to Holtville, CA. The mail should arrive between Thursday and Saturday.
11-28-10 Sunday
Sunday – 11/28/10
Photos: http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/2637
All photos for Mexico, Yuma and Pilot Knob area are in the same link above.
Today we went to the indoor trade lot. It was small and most of the things were new. We decided to go to the other outdoor flea market.
This is better and more what we were looking for. In addition to the booths for new clothes, hardware, etc there were also spaces for individuals to sell their used items. I tried on a few pairs of new jeans but none fit.
After looking we decided to get something to eat. Almost everything was in Spanish and most of the food had a Mexican flare to it. I opted for a taco which cost $1.60 for a small freshly fried corn shell (no charge for the extra grease) and a little bit of beef. The options for toppings were: chopped cabbage, chopped onions, a thin red sauce, guacamole and sliced lemons. Where are the tomatoes and lettuce, cheese and salsa? I didn’t ask but decided to try the onions, cabbage and red sauce. It was wonderful. The grease made it! LOL.
Thomas decided he wanted more for his money. He went with a really thick large hotdog which was wrapped with bacon before being fried. They added cooked strips of onion and green pepper to top it off. Of course he added a gallon of mustard and was very happy with his selection.
After getting back at our camp, we noticed that today there were more RV’s traveling on the interstate than we had seen since we got here.
Maybe the snowbird traffic will be picking up............
Photos: http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/2637
All photos for Mexico, Yuma and Pilot Knob area are in the same link above.
Today we went to the indoor trade lot. It was small and most of the things were new. We decided to go to the other outdoor flea market.
This is better and more what we were looking for. In addition to the booths for new clothes, hardware, etc there were also spaces for individuals to sell their used items. I tried on a few pairs of new jeans but none fit.
After looking we decided to get something to eat. Almost everything was in Spanish and most of the food had a Mexican flare to it. I opted for a taco which cost $1.60 for a small freshly fried corn shell (no charge for the extra grease) and a little bit of beef. The options for toppings were: chopped cabbage, chopped onions, a thin red sauce, guacamole and sliced lemons. Where are the tomatoes and lettuce, cheese and salsa? I didn’t ask but decided to try the onions, cabbage and red sauce. It was wonderful. The grease made it! LOL.
Thomas decided he wanted more for his money. He went with a really thick large hotdog which was wrapped with bacon before being fried. They added cooked strips of onion and green pepper to top it off. Of course he added a gallon of mustard and was very happy with his selection.
After getting back at our camp, we noticed that today there were more RV’s traveling on the interstate than we had seen since we got here.
Maybe the snowbird traffic will be picking up............
11/27/10 Saturday
Saturday – 11/27/10
Photos: http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/2637
All photos for Mexico, Yuma and Pilot Knob area are in the same link above.
Last night a car pulled in front of us. He had no RV and slept in his car. This morning we noticed something was really strange about him. First, we noticed that he hadn’t gotten out of his car at any time. Now he is laughing hysterically and talking to someone. Ok, he must be on the phone to someone that is really funny. But it didn’t stop. This continued for hours. We were beginning to get a strange feeling about this behavior.
We had gotten up, had breakfast, had our showers and were ready to go to town. But all the other RVer’s had left. We didn’t feel good about leaving with no one else around to keep an eye on things so we waited.
About 2pm the couple parked on the other side of us came back. Thomas went to speak with them. They were going to be around the rest of the day and would keep an eye on everything. In this type of lifestyle, generally folks watch out for others around them.
The next couple of hours we spent in town at the flea market. We bought corn on the cob for supper….oh, boy am I gonna love this!
Back at the trailer, our neighbor came up as we pulled in. He told us that they had watched things and that the guy had continued his talking/laughing/obnoxious behavior all afternoon. He said the camp host from the Long Term Visitors Area had came by and talked to the guy and told him, “Seems like the guy has spent too much time alone in the desert.” The host left his personal phone number for all of us incase there were any problems. He also said we had been wise to not leave things unattended.
Supper was wonderful. Thanksgiving again plus corn on the cob. While I am still tender, it was great to be able to bite into something like that again.
Tonight, like before, Thomas took care of me and wouldn’t let me help clean up anything.
Hugs to all of you……….
Photos: http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/2637
All photos for Mexico, Yuma and Pilot Knob area are in the same link above.
Last night a car pulled in front of us. He had no RV and slept in his car. This morning we noticed something was really strange about him. First, we noticed that he hadn’t gotten out of his car at any time. Now he is laughing hysterically and talking to someone. Ok, he must be on the phone to someone that is really funny. But it didn’t stop. This continued for hours. We were beginning to get a strange feeling about this behavior.
We had gotten up, had breakfast, had our showers and were ready to go to town. But all the other RVer’s had left. We didn’t feel good about leaving with no one else around to keep an eye on things so we waited.
About 2pm the couple parked on the other side of us came back. Thomas went to speak with them. They were going to be around the rest of the day and would keep an eye on everything. In this type of lifestyle, generally folks watch out for others around them.
The next couple of hours we spent in town at the flea market. We bought corn on the cob for supper….oh, boy am I gonna love this!
Back at the trailer, our neighbor came up as we pulled in. He told us that they had watched things and that the guy had continued his talking/laughing/obnoxious behavior all afternoon. He said the camp host from the Long Term Visitors Area had came by and talked to the guy and told him, “Seems like the guy has spent too much time alone in the desert.” The host left his personal phone number for all of us incase there were any problems. He also said we had been wise to not leave things unattended.
Supper was wonderful. Thanksgiving again plus corn on the cob. While I am still tender, it was great to be able to bite into something like that again.
Tonight, like before, Thomas took care of me and wouldn’t let me help clean up anything.
Hugs to all of you……….
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