Next Stop: Salome

We had a pleasant drive this morning to Salome, about 113 miles northeast of Yuma. When we arrived at the Rv park we discovered it was lunch time and would have to wait until 1:00 PM to check in. We went for a drive to check out the sites and found Fred and Colleen, in the process of setting up. After a short visit we checked in and are just a stone's throw away from them. We are pleased with the Rv park here. The sites are large and well graveled with a large cement patio. There is a pitch and putt course at the end of the block and an 18 hole course adjacent to the park. There is a pool and spa, laundry facilities etc. We have a nice view of the mountains in the distance and I am sure there will be an awesome sunset this evening.
We are planning on getting together with Fred and Colleen in a short while for happy hour and to catch up on the

On the Road Again

The time has come for us to say farewell to our friends at Fortuna De Oro Rv park and hit the dusty trail. When we arrived at this park we thought we would try it out for a month since we had not yet experienced a long term stay at an Rv park in the U.S. Our four weeks has turned into six and we are reluctant to leave but know that some day we will be back.
Our experiences here have been great. We made new friends and enjoyed the life of a retiree. A swim in the pool always means you're in for a conversation or two about what part of Canada you're from (most often the Americans were outnumbered 2 to 1), a discussion about the weather back home, how the hockey/curling/BlueJays are doing and most recently, when you are leaving.
This evening we went to a farewell supper put on by the owner of the park. He and his crew served a mexican supper with wine to over 600 people. There were lots of goodbyes and "see you agains". It sounds like many people will be leaving in the next few days, many heading back to Canada.
We will be heading to Salome tomorrow to do some golfing. We are meeting Fred and Colleen and Maggie. The weather forecast is looking great! We will eventually start making our way north with stops in Laughlin and Las Vegas. We are hoping for better weather in Utah this spring because we would like to stop at Bryce and Zion national parks.
Since we aren't too sure what kind of internet service we will have for a few days we hope all is well at home and with the family and will be in touch soon.

Happy Easter from Yuma

We have had a couple of very relaxing and restful days. Yesterday, (Good Friday) we said our goodbyes to our neighbors. They helped us get settled in when we arrived (three men could not sit by and watch me direct the back up and parking so I graciously let them take over) and have enjoyed a few happy hours with them. The temperatures have been climbing so by 10:30 I was heading to the pool to cool off. We went grocery shopping later in the afternoon and then back to the pool for another swim before dinner.
Today we spent most of the afternoon at the pool. It was +34 so they finally turned the heater off (water temp was about 90 F). This evening we visited with some Canadians here in the park. Senor Ping and Pat played guitar and the rest of us exercised our vocal chords.
It looks like the weather will be more of the same for the rest of the week so we will probably spend our last week in Yuma at the pool and doing a bit of last minute shopping at Algodones and the Flea Market. We have not quite decided which direction we will be going from here. It may come down to a flip of a coin or we might have to see which way the wind is blowing.
We want to wish all our friends and family a Happy Easter! Hope you are having wonderful weather and enjoying the weekend. Be sure to have a Cadbury Easter egg for me!!!

Jamming with Senor Ping

The RV park has a weekly Jam Session. We went twice to watch before Senor Ping decided to join in. Last week he sat on the sidelines and played along as various performers from the park and outside of the park took a turn on stage. The music choices are not exactly what we would normally listen to, and certainly not something I am accustomed to hearing around the house but the large audience seems to enjoy old (and I mean old) country music.
This week Senor Ping decided to play a couple instrumental numbers. The audience was soon tapping their toes and there were a few shouts when he played "Ghost Riders" and his second number had many of the people singing along. I guess he will have to start thinking about what he will play next week. I thought I could maybe join in and play tambourine but that job is already taken so I guess I will have to just be a member of the audience.

Curling In Yuma

A "cold front" moved into Yuma on Saturday and yesterday was the coolest day we have experienced since we arrived. It was overcast and windy so we spent the day inside doing some long neglected chores and then washed the truck and toured some other RV parks. We decided to watch the final game of the Mens' Brier and invited our neighbors from B.C. to join us. Apparently the other night Senor Ping and I were watching a game between B.C. and Manitoba and they sat on their patio and tried to watch through our window. They were quite unhappy when Senor Ping blocked their view with his arm and nearly cried when I pulled down the blind (unknowingly).
Senor Ping moved the TV outside and we settled in to watch the final. As the sun set the jackets and jeans were put on and the blankets came out (you would have thought the alcohol in the system would have kept everyone warm but I guess not!) We were all rooting for Team Alberta so there were cheers from everyone after the final shot.

Vancouver at Phoenix

Glen Bews and I got tickets to the Phoenix-Vancouver NHL Game for last Thursday. A pleasant 3 hour bus trip and we were at the Jobing.com Arena. I also got to see the Football Arena, site of the SuperBowl (which I missed due to commitments to Drama!!) which is adjacent to the hockey rink. Very nice facilities. Lots of empty seats. Wayne + crew still have a selling job to keep hockey in the desert.


The blow-up doll is in a restaurant district just outside the arena. Lots up upscale eateries including Margaritaville. Game tickets were only $55.


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Soggy Peso Facilities

I'm sure many of you that are reading our blog regularly are also keeping tabs on Fred and Colleen in San Carlos. If you aren't reading about their winter adventures, check out their blog at http://warmerwinters.blogspot.com. Yesterday Colleen commented on a favorite palapa bar of ours called the Soggy Peso. She was excited to inform us that they had clean, new washrooms. Anyone that has not visited the Soggy Peso may not know why this is such wonderful news. Well, here is a picture of the washroom last year. By the way, it also doubled as a referee stand for the beach volleyball court.

Abbey Before and After

Last year before we headed to Mexico we took Abbey for a "Mexico Beach haircut" and she was shaved. People had to ask what kind of dog she was and whenever we met other dogs Abbey would cringe as if to say, "I know I have a bad haircut but it's not my fault."
When we left home this year it was too cold for a haircut so Abbey has been strolling the streets of our RV park looking like a scruffy little mutt. Yesterday we finally got an appointment for a grooming. Three hours later Abbey departed looking like a princess. There is a definite change in the way she holds her head as she prances up and down the streets. Here are some before and after shots of Abbey.

The Before

The After

A Stroll Around Old Town

Old Town has always been a favorite spot for our family. On our first trip to San Diego we found an excellent Mexican restaurant and made a point of going back there on our second trip. We decided it was only fitting that we have dinner at the same place again. We also enjoyed a walk through the Old Town Historical State Park. Before leaving for home yesterday we headed back to Old Town to take a few photos. There are lots of little shops selling souvenirs from Mexico as well as handmade items, imports from Europe and standard touristy trinkets.

Fun At The Zoo

When we booked our Trolley tour tickets we also purchased tickets for the San Diego Zoo. Our ticket included a guided tour on the double-decker bus and the Skyfari aerial tram. One of the guides recommended starting our visit with the bus tour. We did a circle tour and were given an overview of the different areas of the zoo. Then we took the Skyfari to the other end of the zoo to see the polar bears. We took our time walking back to the main gates and retraced some of the bus route to get a better look at the panda bears. The baby panda was born at the zoo last August and we were treated to a rare view of the mother and baby having some play time. Senor Ping had a great time with his new camera and lenses, getting some great photos. We had beautiful weather so our afternoon at the zoo was very enjoyable.

Clang, Clang, Clang Goes The Trolley

When we arrived in San Diego we went to Old Town and booked a Trolley Tour. The trolley has 10 stops and you can get off and walk around and then get back on and head to the next stop. Our first stop was the San Diego Harbor. We walked along the water and then stopped at Seaport Village. We had visited this area when we were in San Diego as a family so we didn't spend much time here. The Trolley tour was narrated so we were given a history lesson as we passed through the Gaslamp Quarter and crossed the bridge to the island of Coronado. We walked along the beach, which is rated #2 beach in America and through the grounds of the Hotel Del Coronado.

The Road To San Diego

This week Senor Ping and I took an overnight trip to San Diego. We left Yuma early in the morning and enjoyed a very scenic 3 hour drive. The I-8 took us through the agricultural area west of Yuma and we saw the field workers already at work picking cauliflower. The Algodones Sand Dunes were spectacular. We saw numerous dune buggies and quads driving through the dunes, as well as the border patrol checking for illegals. The mountainous area was very different from the Canadian Rockies, huge boulders and rock formations with very little vegetation. On the way back we stopped at the Viejas Casino and Outlet Shopping Center. The shopping center has beautiful landscaping including fountains, plants and a large area for entertainment. The RV parks in Yuma offer day trips to Viejas and I could see myself making a return trip another year.