January 12, 2010 – Travel to Quartzsite

We left our little spot in Casa Grande and headed on down the road to Quartzsite.  Some pictures along the way:

 

Lots of saguaros:

That is Quartzsite in the distant:

 

Quartzsite is this neat little sleepy town of about 2500 people but in January, it swells to over 500,000.  And most of those people park in the desert.  This year we decided to stay with the Escapee Boomers.  We have been a member of that subgroup for over 3 years but never went to a rally so we figured it was time.   We pulled in mid-afternoon, set up, and went to Happy Hour and met a lot of new people.  Jan and Chuck who we met in Pahrump a few months ago are also here so it was nice to see them.

A number of others whom we met on our Alaska trip are or will be here in Quartzsite so we are hoping to get to spend time with them as well as others we have met along the way.  

The Escapee Club will be having a Happy Hour on Wednesday and Thursday from 1-3.  This is where most of the people gather and find out about the activities of the other rallies (and to see where everyone is staying), so we are really looking forward to that – :-))

As we came thru town, many of the vendors are up and running so it will be an exciting week just checking them all – LOL!!

I have updated our location – yes, we are out in the desert.  And the sunset is beautiful and the stars – oh my.  I promise pictures of the area soon.  (For those who only get email, here is our location:

click on this link:
http://map.datastormusers.com/user3.cfm?user=10932

Our number is 10932.)

Dusty did well on his first motorhome trip – he hid the whole time – LOL.  (But he did not cry and when we stopped for a break, he came out and checked everything over – :-)))

 

Stats for today:

Miles Traveled:  197 Miles

Routes Traveled:

Arizona: Montgomery Road; I-8; Butterfield Trail; SR-85, I-10; Dome Rock Road; Mitchell Mine Road

January 4 – 11, 2010 – RVers Roost in Casa Grande, Arizona

We have been enjoying ourselves here: meeting new friends, getting caught up with old friends, going out to dinner, going to Happy Hour, going to bingo, going to the Ice Cream Social, and tonight movie night - “Julia and Julie”. (In other words, having a good time – :-)). What a great park!

Andy even got a chance to fly his helicopter in the desert – :-))))

On Monday, we took Dusty to the vets.. He rode well in the car and sat nice in the vet’s office. But when they gave him the booster shot he SCREAMED.. poor thing.. And a good report: he is 6.5 pounds, negative on all testing (FIV, etc) and the vet thinks he is between 6-8 months old based on his teeth (no more baby teeth). So he is a little older that we thought and that is okay. The interesting thing was the vet was the same one who neutered and checked Dusty out when he first came to the shelter (the vet donates time to the local shelters). What a coincidence… So Dusty is good to go for another year – :-)))

We have been training him to play fetch. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t – HA. We have also been training him to be on a leash and go for a walk. The leash part is going well; however, the walking part…it is like taking a donkey for a walk that does not want to go – :-)). HMMMMM, maybe he is training us!

And, yes, he has taken over the RV:

He is sleeping – check out how long he is:

His eye teeth are too big for his mouth – LOL!:

Tomorrow we are heading to Quartzsite for a few weeks so stay tuned. (It will also be Dusty’s first ride in the motorhome.)

January 1-3, 2010 – The New Year

The start of a new year – WOW!   And 2009 – what an extraordinary year on the road for us..  We have seen so many great places and met so many great people that we hope to see again…..

We really like this park and are very glad we put our names on the list for a lot.  I can imagine us spending all our winters here.

On New Year’s Day, we had a turkey soup supper at the clubhouse – I even made bread that came out pretty good – :-))))

Yesterday, 2nd, we took a ride to the Mesa Marketplace.  Lots of vendors but I prefer the Yuma Marketplace.  And we still had a good time.

In between, I have been doing the end of year, beginning of new year, financials, budget, paperwork, etc.  I think I am caught up now until nearer to tax time!!  I have also caught up on all the emails so if I owe you one, please resend….   And with this blog, I am finally caught up with the blog.  I hope to get caught up with phone calls today.  (Hey, this retirement is tough!!)

We made an appointment with a local vet for a well-kitten checkup for Dusty tomorrow.  I also wanted to establish a vet here because he will need his 3 year rabies shot next November and we hope to be in this area then.

Our plans right now are to stay here until the 12th and then head to Quartzsite for a couple weeks so stay tuned.

January 1, 2010 – Happy New Year

To all our Family and Friends and Blog Followers:

May you be blessed with all the good things that life has to offer.

December 28 – 31, 2009 Casa Grande Ruins

Our sightseeing trip took us to the Casa Grande National Monument Prehistoric Ruins. These “Ancient People of the Sonoran Desert – Hohokam” lived here for over a thousand years (up to around 1400 AD). They were farmers and traders and at one time this area supported almost 5000 people in separate compounds/villages.

Here is a little history from the internet:

It Began Over A 1000 Years Ago.

Imagine a swift and efficient movement of water through the dry, arid desert of southwestern Arizona. Imagine how an innovatively engineered system of canals and channels could aid the production of crops, enable new communities to grow and flourish, and bring much needed relief to a drought-ridden people. Sound like a plan for developing Arizona into an oasis of modern proportions? Think again. The oasis just described is not the Arizona of today, or even tomorrow, but rather over 1,000 years ago. The Hohokam people of southern Arizona were farmers first and foremost, but found the parched earth frustrating, especially considering the close proximity to both the Gila and Santa Cruz rivers. In an amazing display of innovation they developed a series of canals to move water from the rivers over several miles to their small villages. Their farms flourished. They were able to expand their small pithouses into more substantial buildings. Their population grew. For many years up through the 14th century the Hohokam settlement was one of the most sophisticated communities in the American southwest. Today all that remains of the Hohokam are ruins of their once-great architecture and engineering, the most prominent of which is available for all to see at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.

Early Preservation of the Ruins.

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is the first archaeological site to be preserved by the United States government, and is the fifth oldest location in the National Park Service. Located in south-central Arizona in Coolidge Arizona which is midway between Phoenix and Tucson, the Casa Grande Ruins was first established as a national reserve in 1892, and then later a national monument. While other examples of Hohokam culture can be found, most notably at the Pueblo Grande Museum located in and owned by the City of Phoenix, Casa Grande Ruins remains one of the most spectacular federal park sites dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of early southwestern culture.

The Big House.

The most impressive structure at Casa Grande Ruins is the four-story building known as The Big House. A massive 2,400 square feet, the building has walls over three feet thick. Visitors can explore the exterior of the ruin, and can see inside to what remains of stairways and windows. Wooden support beams are also visible, emphasizing the architectural skill of the early Hohokam people. The Big House is much larger than other ruins discovered in the area and because of its topographical orientation toward the four points of the compass, it is believed to be some kind of observatory. This further suggests the Hohokam were advanced engineers and scientists. Placement of certain doors and windows to capture the rising and setting of the sun and moon continues to amaze visitors today.

Here is the wall around the compound:

Some of the dwellings:

And the Great House “Casa Grande”:

So what did they use to build this?

Caliche, of course – :-)). The walls of the building were built in layers. The base is four foot thick and tapers to about 18 inches thick at the top.

This building is HUGE – notice the people in the above photo for a perspective.

These ancient people built many canals to irrigate their land where they grew grains, corn, beans, etc. They also used this food in trade with other settlements for items such as pine to use in their buildings.

Another thing that amazed me what that they built this building to use as prehistoric observatory. Here is more information:

The hole on the top right is the lunar alignment:

The hole on the top left is the solstice sunset alignment:

Other alignment holes on the east side of the building.

Isn’t that fascinating!!

Another one of the buildings on site:

We were able to take the ranger-led tour and then spent some time in the museum – what a great day!

So what else have we been doing…..

On Monday, 28th, I went to beading class and learned how to make another bracelet (still have to finish it!!). We went to Bingo on Wednesday night – had a great time. Andy and I even won a game each (so we came out ahead).

On New Year’s Eve, we went to a party at the clubhouse – here I am doing the chicken dance – LOL!!!

Our new addition, Dusty, has been training us – LOL!! We did get him use to the harness and leash but he wants no part of going outside… which is good for now. We continue to put the harness on him just in case he shows some interest one day.

Until tomorrow..