Winter 2015 Travels to Arizona

It is January and it is time to head south again.   We are looking forward to this winter's travels because our good friends Scott and Monica from Canada will join us and Kent and Patty have just retired and will be meeting us in Yuma to spend a few weeks with us and our RV friends.

Our first stop was at Bakersfield at Orange Grove RV.   Especially nice this time of year because the park is in an orange grove.   They allow you to pick oranges from the trees around us.  We picked a couple of bags and enjoyed the fresh squeezed juice for several days.

Next we headed for Lake Havasu to enjoy the wonderful sunsets from Lake Havasu State park.  They have really made improvements at this park in the last couple of years.   Almost all the sites have great lake views and there is water and electric at all sites. 

We met up with our Canadian RV friends Scott and Monica in El Mirage.  We got a great surprise on arrival.  The gas and diesel prices are really down!! 

Those prices are BEFORE any Safeway discounts we have earned.  WOW!

We then headed to Yuma where we spent one month enjoying the warmest part of the west coast this time of year.  Later in the season, we will head north as the heat spreads up to Mesa, Tucson and other parts of Arizona.   Fortuna de Oro is where our friends from the Blenders stay for 3 months.   This park too has had lots of improvements.  Fantastic bocce, shuffleboard and pickle ball courts have been added.

We had a valentines day party and then super bowl party!  Everyone attending the superbowl party but Walt and I were Seattle fans.  We took a lot of ribbing about deflate gate.  GO Patriots!!

With football over it is time to enjoy Nascar.  Most of the group are avid fans.  Had another party featuring "stuffed potatoes".  Jim S took very large potatoes and used a pineapple coring gadget to take out the middle.  Then each potato is stuffed with what every you want.  Onion, garlic, cheese, bacon, etc.  Wrap in foil and bake.  Take a look at the picture below.  Looks a bit risqué wouldn't you say?


Jim's Stuffed Potato

Patty and Kent arrived so off to Algodones we went.  Needed some good Mexican food and some margaritas.  They were surprised at all the pharmaceuticals you can purchase without a script.

In late February, nine rigs took off for the Good Sam Rally in Phoenix.  The rallies are fun to attend as a group.  You park together and share meals, etc.   The rally offered couples a chance to "redue" their wedding vows.  Several couples in the group participated.  

Over 2000 Rvs attended this rally.

Patty and Kent came with us to Tucson.  We wanted to show them some of what Tucson can offer.  We stayed at a totally funky/fun RV site called Desert Trails (Click on name to see their website). 

Instead of 55+ they are 40+ with no kids allowed.  Lots of fun entertainment, food trucks during the week, classes and wonderful views of the desert.   We will go back!

Our sites

We went to the Desert Museum and it has really grown since the last time we were there.  More exhibits, good restaurants and a new "raptor show" that is just FANTASTIC!  They have trained some raptors (owls, hawks, etc) to fly freely above an audience and then "buzz" right directly over our heads.  REALLY CLOSE!! They caution you not to bring your hands above your head.....the birds fly sooooo close.  It is breathtaking.

Desert Museum Tucson

The Museum also had a hummingbird exhibit.  An enclosed aviary and we could get really close to the little birds.  The one below just let me get up close to her/his nest without leaving.

We stayed real busy.  Pima Air Museum, Hohokam Petroglyphs, Saguaro National Park and golf were on the list.


And Away We GO!

Jackie on the Moon!



After a week we headed to Mesa.  Organ Stop Pizza, golf, the Mesa flea market (big) were our on list of to dos.    John and Kelli have met up with us here.  They are new RV friends we met last year at the Monaco Service center in Coburg Oregon. 

Hughes, Kirbys and Jewells at Organ Stop Pizza



Patty has made a Blog!  It took us a couple of days to get it done but she did it!  She had no experience with photo editing, file folders, etc.  So that had to be covered first.  Then we created her blog. 

She called it kruisinwiththekirbys.BlogSpot.com.   Click on the name and you will be taken to her blog.  On her first page you can sign up to receive an email when she makes a new post.

Patty and Kent have left to head home. We will stay in Mesa another week.  The cactus are starting to bloom.  Wish we were here to see the Saguaro's bloom.....but that is late May and way too hot for us to be here.

Then off to Lake Havasu.

Lake Havasu is hot, hot, hot!  It was mid to high 90s for the first week.  We are staying at Havasu Falls RV Park and have a site directly across from the pool.   Every afternoon we grabbed our noodles and floated in the pool.

Lake Havasu Arizona

Home after 94 days