2003 – 04 . . . The Long Way Home

Well, we were finally on our way to New Mexico. The RV Park at Picacho Peak (between Casa Grande and Tucson) was a great relief with electricity, a pool and the like. We booked in for a week . . . time to recharge ourselves and everything else . . . vacuum out some of the desert sand . . . cleanup . . . get online . . . get the laundry done . . . etc . . . etc.

The cacti were starting to bloom!! And I must say they did great desert gardens.

Our first stop in New Mexico was at the Visitors' Center just across the state line. What a different attitude. Yes, they want to attract visitors but they really believe New Mexico is a great culture and has interesting places they want to share with others (and I agree with them) as opposed to many places in Arizona that seem to resent the Snowbirds.

I saw a bumper sticker in Yuma that said, "If this is Snowbird Season, Why can't we shoot them?" To me this explains the way they feel about winter visitors.

I got a certain sense of excitement at being back in New Mexico again . . . there were so many more places I wanted to explore . . . and the attitude and spirit is just so inviting. Even the Visitors' Center extends a sense of warmth and pride.

We got the chance to use our Passport America again and stayed at a park just outside of Deming. Our plans were to go up to the Gila Cliff Dwellings and then wander down to Pancho Villa State Park, just north of the Mexico border (at Columbus), then move on further up north.

The Cliff Dwellings are absolutely fascinating and everything I expected them to be . . . mind you, I just finished reading Jeanne Auel's The Shelters of Stone so was particularly prepared to see them (interesting book, well researched but to-o-o-o long!).

Gila Cliff Dwellings

The more I read about the Ancient Peoples, petroglyphs and pictographs, the more I realize how little is actually known and how much is speculation.

The Gila Cliff Dwellings were (supposedly) built and lived in by the Mogollon peoples . . . a people known for their pottery, pit houses and agriculture . . . and occupied for only a short period of time (1270's to 1300's), maybe only one generation. The dwellings were built in natural caves and the location (Gila Wilderness) is rich in wild life, natural resources (like wood, clay for masonry and pottery, fertile soil and water) and conducive to survival. Archaeologists have no idea why these dwellings were abandoned but speculate that the intrusion of the Spanish or other peoples may have been a strong contributor.

We visited two of the sites . . . a smaller cave . . . probably was a single-family dwelling and the larger site with the larger multi-family cave-dwellings.

Smaller Cave

Multi-family Cliff Dwellings

Lynne's speculation . . . My thought are that the caves might have been used for winter shelter (yes, Auel's book influenced me) and that they found the caves did not give them the level of protection they wanted . . . or . . . the population out grew the space and resources . . . or . . . (like us) they were attracted to a warmer climate, further south!!

National Parks Link: http://www.nps.gov/gicl/

We got back to Deming and the RV park and whoosh!!! Suddenly there was an huge puddle of pinkish fluid flowing out from underneath the motor of the truck!!

Well, the time for the problem solvers to get to work. Each problem-solver had a different idea as to what was causing the leak. The most help came from the owner who told us about trustworthy mechanics in town (there went our trip down to Pancho Villa).

As usual, these things always seem to happen on a Friday (if not a Saturday, Sunday or another non-working holiday) so it was back to El Ranch Lobo (the RV park) to wait it out (again). Fortunately, the RV park was small and very comfortable, the host's wife and I had many interests in common and some fantastic conversations . . . AND . . . the folks beside us (from Wainwright, Alberta) took us along with them on some of their sight-seeing expeditions. We were able to experience a hail storm at the White Sands,  

 

 

 

 

 

 

go to the Missile museum again, have Mexican food at our favourite restaurant in Las Cruces and go to the Rockhound State Park with them.

As well as tugging at our purse strings, with this last episode we decided we were just not having fun anymore. So . . . with a new water pump, fan clutch, rebuilt alternator & repaired leaking oil line gasket . . . we were homeward bound.

Looking back at it now, the frustration and bad feelings about the truck were far more about not being able to find out what was wrong with it and finding someone we could trust to fix it than needing to get it fixed.

Not happy campers, we started retracing our steps back across Arizona. We stopped at Gila Bend our first night and then up to Laughlin. We went through a Quartzsite that now resembled an empty old mining town.

In our brief absence from the desert, spring was starting to show her colours. Yes, Virginia, the desert does have seasons! What we had seen all winter was the desert at rest . . . now there was a certain green tinge spreading out over the sand. The blossoms of the larger cacti, like the Saguaro, only come out at night, but we were able to capture the colourful blossoms of the Ocotillo and sense the coming of spring.

The rest of the trip home was rather uneventful. We spent our last night out in Great Falls trying to deal with the beef we still had. We were not sure what we could bring across the border so whatever beef/chicken we had left, we gave to some folks who were on their way down. As it turned out, all Canadian Customs wanted to know was the total amount of purchases we made and whether we had any alcohol . . . but . . . there is a certain warmth and security I feel when we get back into Canada.

We have a lot of thinking and planning to do for next year.

Are we going to continue to travel the way we have? Do we want stay in one place for a lot longer? Is the truck going to give us what we need?

I don't know whether I heard this or read it but someone said: We spend the winter following the 78 degree weather.

I do like getting away from the cold, I like seeing new and different things and meeting new and different people and always learning . . . but there are a lot of different ways to do that!!

2003 – 04 . . . Beyond Quartzsite

In my humble opinion, there were only two good reasons for us to go to Yuma. The most important one was to get the truck fixed . . . once we found out what was wrong with it . . . and the second reason was to get my teeth fixed . . . once they found out what was wrong with them. The side-lights would be a visit to WalMart (to replenish supplies) and, hopefully, reconnect with friends we had spent time with before.

Getting the Truck Fixed

From the time we left Mesquite, we felt a vibration. So in Las Vegas, Fred took it to a garage that had done some vehicle repairs for friends. They couldn't find anything wrong and suggested that maybe the wheels needed balancing and so it was done. NO, still we were joggling along. Well, there was no one in Quartzsite to look at it, so we went off to Blythe California . . . maybe wheel bearings . . . no . . . maybe the differential . . . no . . . maybe the drive shaft was not balanced . . . well, we can't do it here . . . you need to go to Yuma or Phoenix . . . no, we don't know anyone there, etc, etc. Hence . . . off to Yuma.

On one of our trips to Laughlin from Quartzsite, we met some folks from Yuma who said they knew of a couple of good mechanical shops and offered to line us up with them. AND we will be forever grateful! Five weeks and quite a few hundred dollars later we had new U-joints, a disengaged 4 wheel-drive transfer case, new oil cooling lines, an oil change, axles on the trailer aligned, a new tire for the trailer.

The bright side was that we encountered some wonderful people who helped us not only find a place to get the truck fixed, but also get around when we were without transportation.

Again, we camped on BLM land without hook-ups. And again, we were impressed with the diversity of RV's that were there. From the ridiculous to the sublime - a half million $ Blue Bird bus sitting next to a tent! But the sunsets were spectacular.

Getting my Teeth Fixed

Algodones is where many Winter Visitors go for glasses, dental work and to have prescriptions filled almost free! For many Americans the cost of their health care, drugs, dental work is so high, a few trips down across the border is well worth it. For example, I had my teeth cleaned for $25 (USD) and had two teeth extracted for $40 (USD) each. Chelation treatment are also accessible and reasonable.

Getting my teeth fixed meant doing the Algodones thing. Now, Algodones is a small Mexican border town

south of California and just a few miles west of Yuma. I'm not sure how many streets there are, but each street has walkways that lead into plazas that house pharmacies, dentists, optical places, doctors and vendors. Vendors line both sides of every street selling jewellery, leathers, trinkets, and whatever for almost free.

In the main plaza, there are young Mexicans who use canned spray paints and various

pieces of plastic and paper to create the most incredible scenes on RV wheel covers, Satellite dishes, vases, plates, or even canvas (if you supply it). These kids are so talented and skilled - I've never seen anything like it anywhere else.

Depending on your timing, it could take up to an hour to travel the three miles from Highway 8 to the parking lot just on the American side of the Mexican border. From there you walk probably a block across the border. The return trip can be even more horrendous. We've seen line-ups almost a mile to get back across the border. BUT the savings are worth it and I have not talked to anyone who was any more displeased with their treatment than they were at home.

Holtville and the Hot Springs

What with our returned confidence that the truck would (likely) transport us where we wanted to go and two less teeth, we ventured on to the Imperial Valley and the Holtville Hot Springs in California.

There is another Long-term BLM Campground just out of Holtville (the Carrot Capital of the world) called the Oasis Desert Hot Springs. By this time, people were starting to leave but some of the core residents were still there and had been there all winter - they had quite the compound.

The main attraction here is the mineral hot springs (that is about 120 degrees F).

Fred just loved them and would go down (about a block) at least once a day. The water was so hot people would go down, fill up containers and bring them back to do dishes and laundry.

Imperial Valley

I just never expected the Imperial Valley to be as vast as we discovered that it is. According to the brochures, there are over 462,200 acres under cultivation (vegetables and field crops) with an extensive below sea level irrigation system. There are three main canals that feed the fields from the 82 mile-long All-American Canal. Surprisingly, most of the valley lies below sea level.

Each vegetable field we saw extends over about 40 acres, and in the case of this cabbage field, it seemed to take about a week to harvest it. Apparently, each field is inspected and must be certified ready to harvest. Each vegetable MUST be a certain size (to fit into the containers). Any that are too big or too small are left on the field or dumped.

As opposed to the Yuma area, people are allowed to glean the fields. Some of the all winter folks actually can and freeze some of the vegetables they collect.

AND THEN IT GOT HOT!!

I couldn't believe it! After almost 4 month of below normal temperature, we suddenly encountered our first heat wave. And it was hot - it actually set records.

We headed back to Yuma to spend a little time with friends there. The weather was so uncomfortable we decided that we may as well start heading east and find a place that we can try out our new air conditioner (to this point, it had less than a hour on it). And here we are at Picacho Peak between Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona feeling oh, so much cooler.

Next Stop - Deming, New Mexico.

2003 – 04 . . . Second Leg - into 2004

Here it is well into the New Year and our travel journal entries have been minimal. This year's travels are very different from past years. We've visited many of the same places but our attitudes seem to be different and we perceive things somewhat differently. We seem to be seeking a "comfort zone" rather than adventures.

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Las Vegas spelled our last stay in an RV Park. Yes, RV Parks are nice and usually have all the amenities . . . BUT . . . and I'm not entirely sure what the . . . BUT . . . might be, except that being in an RV Park was not the "comfort zone" we were looking for. We stopped at Laughlin for a couple of nights but that wasn't it either so we moved down to AVI (south of Laughlin) where we had been last year and the year before.

Actually, this was starting to feel a little more congenial - there is a spirit we had missed in the other places we stayed. The daily morning coffee parade (I call it) where folks take their coffee, walk around, meet up with whoever else have joined the parade. They stand (or sit) around talking, comparing RV's, various systems, talk about places they have been, what they had done, what there was to do and on and on. Often the players change, but the daily ritual is repeated and repeated.

Sometimes you get to know people you may never see again, other times the relationships may last a few days or even into weeks and still other relationships extend over years. Because of the encouragement to use the free RV parking area and the location, AVI tends to be a stop off and meeting place for RV travellers going south, north, east or west. We managed to re-connect with people we have met over the past few years, find out where and how others are as well as meet new travelling friends.

We travelled down to Quartzsite with a couple who were on their way to Mexico, spent a wonderful evening with them at the Hi Jolly short term BLM (free for the allowable two weeks), just north of Quartzsite, AZ.

The next day they were off but we have stayed in contact with them. It wouldn't surprise me if we meet up with them again - this year - or maybe next year.

As we bid them farewell and good travelling, who should show up but a fellow who had been at AVI and then another. The first fellow is a Harley guy, a big hulk of a man, travelling on his own in a mid sized motorhome with his Harley in a utility trailer he towed behind. He and Fred worked on his latest acquired toy - a little gas scooter. (Please note Fred's new look)

The other fellow travelled in a small Toyota motorhome and had decided that everything was a conspiracy and everyone was out to get him. Every window in his motorhome was covered over and he actually had a security system for protection - we never did find out protection from what, although judging from his conversation, it was probably everything.

It takes a unique type of person to choose to park and spend time in the desert. The only common variable seems to be a spirit of independence and individuality and an aversion to imposed structure and timelines.

Their living spaces vary from monstrous motorhomes towing all different types of vehicles to 5th wheels, travel trailers and even tent trailers (it's interesting to see just how many different types of RVs travel the roads)

Each unit seems to carve out its own space in the desert and make it a home. Many surround their space with rocks and stones gleaned from a nearby wash (small gully created by water when - and if - it rains), others actually decorate their spaces, some with signs, others with ornaments and small fences

A number of years ago, someone laid the figure of Kokopelli in rocks behind our space at La Posa North. We didn't even know it was there until one of our neighbours pointed it out to us. I had no idea what it was so it became my research project.* I like him! He's kind of a neat fellow!

* Ko-ko-pel-li (ko ko pel' le)  Hopi "kokopilau" (koko = wood, pilau = hump) the humpbacked Flute Player, mythical Hopi symbol of fertility, replenishment, music, dance, and mischief. Found painted and carved on rock walls and boulders throughout this region, Kokopelli is one of the most intriguing and widespread images to have survived from ancient Anasazi Indian mythology. The figure represents a mischievous trickster or the Minstrel, spirit of music. Kokopelli is distinguished by his dancing pose, a hunchback and flute. His whimsical nature, charitable deeds, and vital spirit give him a prominent position in Native American mysticism. Kokopelli is considered a symbol of fertility who brought well-being to the people, assuring success in hunting, planting and growing crops, and human conception. His "hump" was often considered a bag of gifts, a sack carrying the seeds of plants and flowers he would scatter every spring. Warming the earth by playing his flute and singing songs, Kokopelli would melt the winter snow and create rain, ensuring a good harvest. Kokopelli often displayed a long phallus, symbolizing the fertile seeds of human reproduction.

Before we left, I enlarged Kokopelli's hump - after all, that is where he carries all his gifts!

The level of interaction depends on what you want. Some people spend a good part of their time visiting, others get involved taking courses or volunteering in the local community and still others choose total isolation . . . individual preferences are appreciated and respected.

We spend some of our time with a couple we met at Tombstone Territories last year including a food-filled, quiet Christmas with them at their RV park. We thought about moving into the RV park and then remembered why we didn't want to be in an RV park in the first place.

A couple from Alberta we met last year (around Why, AZ, after we left Mexico) found us, suggested we join them at another BLM area (La Posa North). They were very comfortable there and thought we might be as well. We moved from Hi Jolly to La Posa North BLM (just from one side of Quartzsite to the other), just in time to share a wonderful New Year's eve gathering with our new neighbours.

The BML offers no hook-ups and few amenities (but then the cost is minimal - $140 for 7 months or $30 for two weeks) and we are with a small group (mostly Canadian). some of these folks have been coming and parking here for years. The challenge is to make sure that you have enough water and power and used water storage space (holding tanks) to enjoy living a rather uncomplicated life with few rules or demands and yet enough of the amenities to be comfortable.

Our space is on the other side of the wash from State Highway 95. We have folks from Ontario on either side of us, Albertans further down the way and people from the Yukon across the wash. The Ontario crowd generally light a bonfire every evening and often people gather to compare notes, get information or just gabble about the days events or happenings coming up. We are close enough to walk to get groceries, visit the Big Tent or wander through some of the flea-market sites.

While we've had the solar system since we bought the 5th wheel and we got more efficient batteries last year, as well as the generator, we still had no way to empty the holding tanks and get fresh water other than actually moving the trailer to a place to dump and fill. The consequence of that was we moved fairly often and we didn't put up the add a room when we were dry camping (boon-docking). We really wanted to get the room on so, at first the RVs around us helped out by using their hauling systems to help us dump and fill without moving the 5th wheel. While this was great of them, it would be nice not to depend on others.

Now, we know Fred is a problem-solving type of a guy, but I didn't realize that ALL the fellows around here thrive on solving everyone else's' problems, as well as their own. Long story short, we now have a dumping system (a container strapped onto a dolly that is welded to a frame that fits into the hitch they built) and Fred picked up a very inexpensive plastic water barrel and we can fill and dump whenever we want.

There are a couple of travel companies here is Quartzsite that offer great tours, very reasonable (trip up on the bus, overnight accommodations and buffets for $5-$10.00 each) so we have toured up to Laughlin a few times. Doing that affords us a nice break and the opportunity to charge up both ourselves and all our electrical paraphalia that needs charging. It also gives us the chance to up load the web page and surf the internet for a while. We found out a lot about wireless interaction connections that we may be able to access, but that's a next year thing.

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The Phenomenon of Quartzsite

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The phenomenon of Quartzsite is not only the size and expanse of the Swap Meet, it's how fast it happens!!

For example . . . the following pictures were taken from our space on January 5th, January the 15th and January 17th just when the first show opened (the RV show).

Many associations, organizations and just people use Quartzsite at this time to have rallies, get togethers or just meet. It's hard to find your way around the desert and easy to get lost, so at almost every possible intersection on the BLM, you see markers and directional signs. And the traffic is unbelievable for the entire two week from the opening of the first show.

The BLM (Bureau of Land Management - that manages all the dry camping public lands) estimate there will be 1.5 million visitors staying on the 8 public camping areas in and around Quartzsite PLUS there must be over a dozen private RV parks in and around Quartzsite PLUS the regular mobile home parks that also have overnight and short-term accommodations. Word has it that there will be about 2.5 visitors over the two months.

Quartzsite is a small town (maybe 1000 - 2000 people) at the junction of Interstate 10 and Arizona 95 that, somehow, has become known for huge-monstrous Swap Meets (shows and flea markets) that go on throughout January and February every year.

From March to December, it's a quiet, nondescript collection of

buildings and mobile home parks (it resembles a ghost town that never quit made it) sitting semi-deserted in the desert. Come November, the Snow-birds slowly start to arrive and the town begins to take on a whole new life of its own. RV parks start to open up, associations start planning their activities and a few venders' tents pop up here and there. December brings another influx of people and venders' tents but after the New Year, the place literally grows like weeds in an untended garden.

There are about five different market areas covering over 15 acres to accommodate the venders that come into Quartzsite during January and February. The original shows were rock and gems - you see hundreds of 45 gal. drums full of various types of rocks as well as other rocks and gems in various stages - some raw, some just cut, some cut and polished, some made into ornaments and jewellery. Some of the venders stay throughout the entire winter, while others come and go. There are literally hundreds of venders selling almost anything you could possibly think of.

The biggest show is the BIG TENT that covers over an acre and the show, itself, changes throughout the two months. They say it would cover the area of three football fields. I tried to capture the contrast between the empty field (January 5th), when they were setting it up and, finally, when it was all set up!

Yes, you do need to be a unique type of person to spend this much time boon docking in the desert. And Quartzsite phenomenon is something to be experienced ONCE!

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