OVER THE HUMP TO PAHRUMP, NEVADA

WE LEFT GRAND CANYON RAILWAY RV PARK ON SUNDAY APRIL 7, WE NEEDED TO KEEP WORKING OUR WAY TO WASHINGTON. WE HAD PLANNED ON STAYING IN LAS VEGAS,  NEVADA A FEW DAYS,  BUT NONE OF THE PASSPORT AMERICA PARKS WOULD HONOR THE DISCOUNT IN APRIL.  SO, WE FOUND A BEAUTIFUL FIVE STAR  PASSPORT AMERRICA RV RESORT ABOUT SIXTY MILES FROM LAS VEGAS, IN PAHRUMP, NEVADA, SO "WE WENT OVER THE HUMP TO PAHRUMP."

 

NEVADA TREASURE RV RESORT IS DESCRIBED AS "A JEWEL IN THE DESERT" AND IT WAS THAT  FOR US.  IT WAS A VERY QUIET AND THE WAY IT WAS  LANDSCAPED, EVERY SITE WAS PRIVATE. WE USED THE  OUTDOOR  HOT TUB EVERY DAY. THIS IS BY FAR THE NICEST RV PARK WE HAVE EVER STAYED IN AND WE ENJOYED IT VERY MUCH!!  ONE EVENING  WE WENT DOWN TO THE LOCAL CASINO AND HAD  A VERY INEXPENSIVE DELICIOUS  BUFFET.  WE COULD HEAR THE WILD DONKEYS EVERY NIGHT.  WE HAD TO LEAVE ON THURSDAY, APRIL 11 TO FINISH OUR TRIP TO WESTPORT.  WE DROVE TO FERNLEY, NEVADA AND STAYED IN A NICE PASSPORT AMERICA PARK.

WE LEFT FERNLEY THE NEXT DAY AND HEADED TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, WE  WOULD JUST GO THROUGH A SMALL CORNER OF CALIFORNIA AND HAD RESERVATIONS  AT  ANOTHER PASSPORT AMERICA PARK IN YREKA, CALIFORNIA, IT WAS RIGHT OFF OF I-5, AN EASY EXIT. YREKA (PRONOUNCED "Y" -REE-KA) IS 22 MILES SOUTH OF THE CALIFORNIA/OREGON BORDER NESTLED IN THE NORTHERNMOST CORNER OF THE  SHASTA VALLEY. WE COULD SEE MAGESTIC MT. SHASTA FROM YREKA.

 

 

 

 

WE  LEFT BY NINE O'CLOCK THE NEXT MORNING TO DRIVE TO THE NEXT PASSPORT AMERICA PARK IN SILVERTON, OREGON.  THIS WOULD BE OUR LAST NIGHT ON THE ROAD.  WE CROSSED INTO OREGON AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN GRASS SO GREEN!!

 

 

                           

 

WE ARRIVED IN SILVERTON, OREGON  AT 3:00, GOT ALL SET UP AND WENT OUT TO EAT...IT WAS REALLY GOOD! IT WAS KIND OF A RELIEF TO BE THIS CLOSE, BUT IT WAS ALSO KIND OF SAD....WE HAD ENJOYED OUR JOURNEY SO MUCH.  WE ARRIVED IN WESTPORT AT 2:00 THE NEXT DAY, APRIL 14, WE HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD  TWENTY ONE DAYS. 

 

 

AND WE FOUND AMERICAN SUNSET RV PARK.... WHERE WE WILL BE FOR THE NEXT FIVE MONTHS.. WE ARRIVED SAFE AND SOUND, VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT. THE TRIP WAS OVER FOR AWHILE!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOUTH RIM OF THE GRAND CANYON, ARIZONA

 

DRIVING TOWARD ARIZONA WE COULD SEE A LARGE  MOUNTAIN IN THE DISTANCE AND IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS STORMING OVER THERE. WE WERE HOPING WE WEREN'T GOING THAT WAY!! 

 

 

I TOLD DARRELL THIS IS AS CLOSE TO SNOW AS I EVER  WANT TO GET!!

 

 

WE WERE  FINALLY IN ARIZONA!!   BY THE TIME WE REACHED FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA YOU COULD HAVE SWORN YOU WERE IN THE BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

 

 

 

WE REACHED WILLIAMS, ARIZONA AROUND 3:30.

 

 

 

 GRAND CANYON RAILWAY  RV PARK IS A BEAUTIFUL RV PARK.  IT HAD PAVED STREETS,  SIDEWALKS, AND STREET LIGHTS. WE FELT RIGHT UPTOWN!!   WHEN WE CHECKED IN THE LADY TOOK US BACK TO THE PET RESORT, WHICH IS CONNECTED TO THE RV PARK,  AND SHOWED US WHERE MAGGIE AND MARLEE WILL BE STAYING THE DAY WE GO ON THE TRAIN.  IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PET RESORT, FIRST CLASS.   WE FOUND OUT THAT WE WILL  BE ABLE TO BRING THE GIRL'S CRATES FOR THEM, SO THIS WILL BE "THEIR HOME AWAY FROM HOME".

THE NEXT MORNING WE HEADED OUT TO SEE WHAT WILLIAMS HAD  TO OFFER.

 

 

  WE WERE DELIGHTED TO FIND A SAFEWAY STORE, THE ONLY GROCERY STORE IN TOWN. 

 

 

 BEFORE WE LEFT SOUTH DAKOTA, CLINT AND NIKKI GAVE US A GIFT CARD FOR SAFEWAY, WE HAD PLANNED TO USE IT ON THE ROAD, BUT SINCE LEAVING SOUTH DAKOTA, WE HADN'T  BEEN ABLE TO FIND A SAFEWAY STORE. SO, WE WENT IN AND STOCKED UP ON MEAT!

FINALLY THE DAY HAD ARRIVED TO SEE THE GRAND CANYON.... A DAY WE HAD BEEN PLANNING SINCE REALIZING THIS IS ON THE WAY TO WASHINGTON.

 WE WERE TOLD TO HAVE  MAGGIE AND MARLEE   AT THE  PET RESORT BY 8:30.  I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS, AS  THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME WE HAD LEFT THEM SINCE LEAVING HOME IN 2011, BUT ON ARRIVAL THE LADIES THERE WERE VERY COMPETANT AND LOVING.......

 

 

MAGGIE AND  MARLEE SEEMED TO SETTLE RIGHT IN AND I DIDN'T WORRY ABOUT THEM ALL DAY.....WE WERE OFF TO SEE THE SEVENTH NATURAL  WONDER OF THE WORLD!!

BEFORE THE TRAIN LEFT AT 9:30, THERE WAS A WILD WEST SHOOTOUT.......

 

 

WE WENT  FROM THERE TO THE TRAIN DEPOT, WHERE WE WOULD BE ON THE SECOND TRAIN.

 

 

THE FIRST TRAIN PULLED OUT.......

 

 

AND THEN IT WAS ALL ABOARD!!!!!

 

 

IT WOULD TAKE TWO HOURS TO GET TO THE SOUTH RIM.....

 

 

SO, WE SETTLED IN AND ENJOYED SOME LIVE  ENTERTAINMENT....

 

  

 

AND BEFORE LONG WE WERE AT THE SOUTH RIM......AND IT TOOK MY BREATH AWAY!!

 

 

 

IT WAS AMAZING HOW  THE CANYON CHANGED AS THE LIGHT CHANGED....

 

 

.....WE WALKED AND WALKED AND LOOKED AND LOOKED...IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!

 

 

 

TODAY WAS THE WARMEST DAY ALL WEEK, A PERFECT SIXTY SIX DEGREES.

 

 

 

THE TRAIN WAS DEPARTING AT 3:30, WE WERE TIRED, BUT I HAD TO TAKE ONE LAST LOOK........

 

 

AND HERE COMES THE TRAIN.....

 

 

AND WITH SING ALONGS AND MORE ENTERTAINMENT....WE HAD A BALL!!

 

 

 

WE WERE EVEN ROBBED BY  WILD WEST  BANDITS!!

 

 

AND I FOUND OUT TODAY THAT " LIFE IS NOT MEASURED BY THE NUMBER OF BREATHS WE TAKE, BUT BY THE MOMENTS THAT TAKE OUR BREATH AWAY."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HEADED FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST!!!!

WE LEFT FIG TREE MONDAY, MARCH 25 ABOUT 9:00 TO START OUR TRIP TO WESTPORT WASHINGTON TO WORK FOR THE SUMMER. WE DON'T HAVE TO START WORK UNTIL APRIL 15, SO THIS GIVES US PLENTY OF TIME TO BE "TOURISTS".

WE WERE EXCITED TO GET BACK ON THE ROAD. WE DROVE TO BANDERA  TEXAS THE FIRST DAY, WE WERE BACK IN TEXAS  HILL COUNTRY!

 

BEAUTIFUL  HILLY  COUNTRY!!!

 

 

 

THE NEXT DAY WE DROVE TO FORT STOCKTON, TEXAS. THE LAND HAD CHANGED DRAMATICALLY........FLAT AND DESERT-LIKE!!

 

 

WE SAID OUR  GOODBYES  TO TEXAS, AT LEAST FOR A WHILE,  AND

 ARRIVED IN NEW MEXICO THE NEXT DAY, OUR FIRST TIME IN NEW MEXICO!!

 

 

 

AND RIGHT AWAY........I WAS ENCHANTED!!  VERY BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY!!

 

 

KIND OF SCARY TOO. THIS SIGN  WAS AT A REST STOP!!!!

 

 

 

WE STAYED IN TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, NEW MEXICO FOR 3 DAYS. WE WENT TO RIVERBEND MINERAL SPRINGS TO SOAK IN THEIR HOT MINERAL WATER.

 

 

 

IT WAS KIND OF A QUIRKY PLACE BUT THE WATER WAS JUST THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE AT 103 DEGREES.

 

 

 

LOCATED RIGHT ON THE RIO GRANDE RIVER, THE VIEWS WERE MAGNIFICENT IN OUR PRIVATE OASIS!!!

 

 

WE STAYED IN A PASSPORT AMERICA PARK, IT WAS VERY NICE!  MET ANOTHER FULL TIME COUPLE, CAROL AND  BILL, WE PROMISED TO STAY IN TOUCH!!

 

 

THE CACTUS WERE JUST BEGINNING TO BLOOM.

 

I BET THEY WERE BEAUTIFUL!! I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE  THEM  BLOOM,  BUT WE HAD PLACES TO GO!!

 

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO WAS ONLY ABOUT 5 HOURS FROM TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, WE ARRIVED AT ANOTHER PASSPORT AMERICA PARK ABOUT 1:00.

 

 

 

THE RV PARK IS RIGHT ON THE FAMOUS ROUTE 66.

 

 

 

ALBUQUERQUE IS A LARGE CITY SURROUNDED BY HUGE MOUNTAINS!!

 

 

 

 

IT WAS A PRETTY TIGHT SQUEEZE, BUT WE MADE IT!!

 

 

WE WERE EXCITED THERE WAS A STATE PARK RIGHT BEHIND THE RV PARK AND WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO HIKE WITH  MAGGIE AND   MARLEE.

 

 

 

 WE GOT ALL SET UP AND WENT OUT  FOR A HIKE, THE DIRT WAS SO DRY, IT WAS LIKE  POWDER. WE HADN'T WALKED VERY FAR AND MAGGIE WAS NO LONGER A BLACK DOG, SHE WAS A GRAY DOG. WE HAD TO BATHE BOTH DOGS WHEN WE GOT HOME. WE FOUND OUT LATER THAT  NEW MEXICO IS IN IT'S THIRD YEAR OF DROUGHT.

ON EASTER SUNDAY WE COOKED A BIG DINNER AND DYED EASTER EGGS, IT WAS FUN!!

 

 

                                     

 

RESTED THE REST OF THE DAY, BECAUSE WE KNEW WE WANTED TO GO TO  "HISTORIC OLD TOWN"  ON MONDAY.  IT'S CALLED THE  "CULTURAL HEART OF THE CITY", FULL OF HISTORY, AND SHOPS AND FOOD!! 

 

 

THE BUILDINGS WERE  BEAUTIFUL!!

 

 

 

 

 

TREES AND FLOWERS IN  BLOOM!!!

 

 

WE LOVED SEEING THE OLD STREETS AND BUILDINGS!!

 

 

 

WE HAD A DELICIOUS HEALTY LUNCH IN THIS LITTLE PLAZA.

 

 

WE WERE EXCITED TO LEARN THERE WAS A LARGE CAMPING WORLD IN ALBUQUERQUE, SO OF COURSE HAD TO CHECK THAT OUT.

 

WE LEFT THE NEXT DAY TO DRIVE TO WILLIAMS, ARIZONA,  A SHORT  SIX HOUR DRIVE, WHERE WE HAD RESERVATIONS TO STAY AT GRAND CANYON RAILWAY RV PARK, AND RESERVATIONS TO TAKE THE TRAIN TO THE SOUTH RIM OF THE GRAND CANYON.