A day in Ely and then plans change.

Saturday April 21, 2012

Another nice warm day in Ely and I think the trees have started to think about waking up over night. 

The first part of our day started with a road trip to the town of Ruth.  This whole area is based on copper mining and we decided to go and have a look. 

One part of the tailings for the mine.

Up on the ridge you can see two little specks which are actually huge trucks dumping tailings. 

 

Big trucks….big piles.  In the old days they used dumping railroad cars.  Not sure how that worked but it did.

Main street in Ruth surrounded by tailings and over burden.

Ruth. 

Tailings in the distance.

Where ever you look there are tailings….over 100 years worth.

We were stopped while this big boy crossed in front of us.  It is a Cat Wagon. 

Heading up the county road which goes right through the middle of the mine site.  Still used for day to day traffic. 

Looking down towards one of the pits.  The mine overlook was closed and so we just stopped at the edge of the road.

Huge, huge pits.

After our look at the mining we headed back down to highway #6 and into old downtown Ely for a look. 

A shot down main street.  You could shoot a cannon down it and not hit much.  Pretty quiet today.  Highway 50 goes right through the middle of town….designated the lonliest road in America.  We’ll have to travel it. 

Beautiful old buildings….some restored….some not….some with businesses in them… but lots empty. 

A main highway with big ore trucks hauling right through the middle of town.

Another beautiful old building.

The Nevada Hotel ….the tallest at six stories and first fire proof building in it’s day. 

 

Looking down main street in the old days.

Looks busier then, than now!

The middle school.

Hotel Nevada…..a land mark.

 

A good day with lots to see.

We are in Ely, Nevada

Friday April 20, 2012

Yesterday was a day to do the laundry, pack up and get organized for today’s travel.  The temperature had been rising over the last couple of days in Laughlin and by last night it was getting uncomfortable, over 90F and climbing to 100F by today….too hot.    The air conditioner was running steady and we even left it on over night….a first for us!  Even so we didn’t get much sleep last night and we were up at 5:30 to hit the road before it got too hot.  It is a steep climb out of Laughlin and then another climb to Searchlight before you head down into Las Vegas.  We left the park at 6:50 a.m.(a first for us) and were up the big hill before it got too hot.  We had a north wind right on the nose between Searchlight and Las Vegas which makes the fuel mileage horrible and not the most comfortable travel.  Busy though Las Vegas as usual and some concern when traffic stopped suddenly for a bunch of building material? or metal? on the road.  That can make a mess of your tires.  We stopped for fuel at the nice big new station at the junction of I 15 and 93N and then onward.  Another headwind so more poor mileage and more fuel at Ash Springs.  Rats!  We stopped for lunch at a rest stop between Hiko and Lund and even here it is quite hot.  Last year when we were heading home at about the same time it was cool with overnight freezing.  Onward up the last of the big climb to Ely at over 7000 feet.  We pulled into the Valley View RV park at the north end of town and were all hooked up and settled by about 2:30pm.  An early stop but we did drive for 7 hours and that is enough for us.  It is pleasant and sunny here (23C) and will continue to warm up so we will stay two nights.  We like Ely but it is usually to cold to stay here and last year when we left in the morning it was snowing.  Not this year!  We might go down and have another look at the Steam Locomotive Railroad Museum that we saw a few years ago.  The plan is to leave on Sunday and  spend two or three nights in the Boise/Meridian RV park.  I like to pick up any groceries (like Tilamook cheese etc.) at my favorite WinCo store and Eric likes to go to the Harley shop.  Then  one night in a Wal-Mart in Othello, Washington and on into Kelowna by Thursdayish.  We’ll park in Ian/Linda’s driveway there and visit family before heading home. 

Stuff to do in Bullhead City.

Wednesday April 18, 2012

The weather has warmed up and is supposed to be about 96F today and that is warm.  Still cooling off over night but we did have to run the air conditioner yesterday.

So…what’s been going on?   Well to start with we haven’t been able to find a free internet in the park even with the Yagi up.  Found a couple but the connections weren’t strong enough to stay connected which is why the blog has been quiet. 

Sunday was a quiet day and although Eric took a ride I just hung around the rig. 

Monday was a good day.  Off to see if we could get the flat fixed and do a bunch of chores.  The first shop Eric stopped at said they couldn’t fix the tire as it was separating and that is not good.  They would sell us a tire and put it on our spare rim so we could hopefully make it Wells, Nevada where we could get the tires we were looking for. They did have TowMax tires but they didn’t have 16inch.   Off down the road to the next tire shop and there we had success.  They had the TowMax tires we were looking for and a good price as well.  So back to the park, pack up the rig and back for tires.  Two hours to put them on and they are balanced as well. This may have been part of the wear problems on the original tires as they were not balanced.  After lunch we set off to finish some of our other chores and it was a good day.  A huge amount of stress is gone now that we have new tires.

Yesterday (Tuesday) we took a ride out old Route 66 through Oatman to Kingman and back to Bullhead City on highway 68.    Oatman is a big tourist attraction and when we got there people were all over the street milling around looking at the old buildings. 

Burros or donkeys at the edge of the road coming into Oatman. 

Welcome to Oatman….that’s all there is for pictures as we didn’t stop.

Eric said it all just looked like a bunch of junk and there were too many people so we carried on.  Past Oatman the road was very twisty and turny as we headed up over the mountains towards Kingman.  Beautiful rock formations everywhere and lots of old mines.  

Steep heading up to 3500 feet.

Twisty….turny!

Heading down there somewhere!

We stopped at Cool Springs  for a bum break and a few other bikes pulled in coming from the Kingman end.  Always an odd assortment of people and bikes when there is a posse travelling together.  Harleys tend to attract an odd element but….each to their own!  Perhaps people think we are odd….who knows. 

A few old vehicles…a little store and that’s it.

Cool Springs.

We pulled into Kingman and hit the Harley shop to see if they possibly had a horn for Big Red who is still hornless.  Nope another dealer with no horns.  It all seems quite odd that no one carries a horn.  I had a look at all the Harley gear but didn’t see anything I liked.  I really don’t want to have everything I wear plastered with the Harley logo either so that is part of it as well.  We had lunch at an In & Out Burger and it was quite good.  Not too much meat so that is a good thing. 

We got on highway 68 back to Laughlin which starts out by going through Golden Valley which is really just a junky suburban area in the middle of no where.  Lots of that here in Arizona.  From there it is one long downhill run from Kingman at 3400 feet to the Bullhead City/Laughlin area and the Colorado River at 500 feet.  We pulled off onto Katherine Road part way down to see if it would take us anywhere but only the first part of it was paved…no good….no gravel for us!  The houses made me think of the Stepford Wives movie where everything is exactly the same.  All the houses were exactly the same with the same tree in front and the same everything.  If you ever came home drunk or in the dark you’d never be able to find your own house!  Creepy!

We were going to go into one of the state or county parks along the river and have a look but here in the US of A none of that is free.  You have to pay even to go in and have a look…ridiculous….so we didn’t.  We drove down to the Davis Dam and had a look there but the dam road is closed and you can’t go through.  Seems that after 911 they don’t want terrorists blowing up their dams so you can’t drive over them.  Kind of odd because you can walk out there and do the same thing.  At this point it was getting quite hot and we’d had enough fun so back to the park. 

When we got back I set off to have a look in the little outlet mall down the street as I have always had good luck shopping there.  Not many people in the mall and I didn’t see much of anything that I wanted to buy.  A pair of black crop pants to replace ones that are worn out and back to the park for happy hour.  Hot but nice sitting in the shade and since all of this will soon be over when we head home we are enjoying it all.  We have had the whole area to ourselves as there are hardly any rigs left here which doesn’t bother us a bit. 

Today we’ll wash the truck and I’ll post these blogs when we stop at MacDonald’s where they have free WiFi.  I have bought a week here in the park before but the service was so bad I didn’t do it this time.  We can pick up emails on our AT&T  phone that our daughter Krista and son in law Jeff have given us so were are not completely out of the loop.  However, I do miss the internet. 

We will leave Thursday or Friday depending on how we feel and start making our way back home.  First stop Ely, Nevada.  

Heading to Laughlin

Saturday April 14, 2012

Had a pretty good blow here in Yuma last night but it blows so much here anyway it’s hard to know the difference.  Cool this morning about 10C but the wind is light at the moment.  It will be cool in Laughlin (high 60’sF) but then start to warm up.  90F by Wednesday ….hot!  We are watching the weather in Ely, Nevada over 7000 feet and it looks good by mid week.  We don’t want to hit freezing or snow on our way home if we can help it.  This cold front that is moving through should be done by then.  Onward. 

As we were leaving Yuma I managed to snap a few of the pictures I missed the other day.

Fields of barley.

Those are huge bags of cotton. 

Field of artichoke plants.  I’ve never seen that before.

Next to artichokes….fields of flowers….beautiful!

Looking pretty stormy coming down the old Needles highway towards Laughlin. 

An easy drive to Laughlin up the 95 from Yuma to Parker and then on the 62 west to Vidal Junction and then north on the 95 again to the I40.  In the past we have come south on the 95 East which goes through Lake Havasu and it is a nightmare of stop lights.  The 95 on the west side of Lake Havasu is a quiet road with new pavement even though it is a bit like a roller coaster!  Two miles west on the I40 and then off onto the old Needles highway at Needles to Laughlin.   The California part of the highway is not in good repair but once you hit Nevada the highway is great.  Must be all those gambling dollars that fill the government coffers!  We came out on this highway in the fall instead of going through Bullhead city and again because there is a huge amount of stoplights.  If the lights were as sophisticated as they are in Mexico it would be a different thing.  In Mexico the green light starts to blink before it turns yellow which gives you time to slow down and not have to slam on the brakes.  Very safe!  The drive was cloudy as the last of the cold front storm was making it’s way through and we even saw a little rain….the first since we were down in Los de Marcos in February. 

We pulled into the Riverside park and booked a week even though we may not stay that long.  $99 with two breakfast passes which is a good deal.  We started by parking over in the middle alley of the lower gravel parking lot where we have parked before.  I did see a little dog looking out the window of a very old motor home but since he wasn’t barking I thought it would be okay.  Wrong.  Yap, yap, yap and this with the two people inside with him.  So….we move.  Two options…up on the second level in a back in….or on the gravel by the road.  We wanted to unload the bike so we chose the gravel.  There were pull thrus up on the ridge but they won’t give them to you for a week….saving them ….for who knows who as people are pouring out of here in droves.  Supposed to get up to 100F by the weekend so the place will likely be almost empty.  We started to unhook to move and then noticed we had a tire going flat on the 5th wheel….swell!  Moved quickly, set up and Eric took the wheel off and put on the spare.  Although the spare is almost new we had a screw in the sidewall three years ago and it needs to be replaced when we get new tires.  The plan now is hopefully to get the flat fixed and make it to Wells, Nevada where we will get four new tires, three on the passenger side and a spare.  Wish us luck!

A quiet evening and still cool so we hooked up the electric heater and were toasty warm.  A few beers, dinner and bed. 

Storm coming in …won’t move today.

Friday April 13, 2012

We had planned to move up to Laughlin today but yesterdays weather report had a wind warning for this afternoon and tonight.  At the present time it is breezy and sunny.  We pay attention to these warnings but I’m starting to think that like their news reports they like to make their weather reports a huge overblown deal as well.   We will leave tomorrow.

Yesterday started icy cold (about 12C in the rig) and we actually dug out the electric heater.  Hard to adapt when two days ago we were running the air conditioner and it was too hot to sit outside.  That’s spring in the desert.

Eric replaced the vent over the loft bed and also the one in the garage.  They looked fine but when I pressed on them they just started to crumble and we could easily have had an undetected leak on the way home.  Good to have that done. 

 

We did a little shopping for food and tried to find a new horn for Big Red as the after market air horn that is on it has quit. A screw in it has come loose and is rattling around inside and keeps shorting it out.  Too bad the previous owner didn’t just leave the original horn on it.   We drove to Bobby’s Territorial Harley here in Yuma but they didn’t have a stock one and the after market ones are being redesigned because they have had problems.  Maybe he’ll just have to have a bicycle bell!  Eric took a short ride in the afternoon and then we went over to Bill/Arlie’s for a visit.  It was warm enough to sit outside and we were joined by Arlie’s sister Karen and her husband Bobby who have a place just down the street.  Karen and Bobby are heading home to Ontario today and Bill and Arlie fly out on Monday on their way home to Terrace.  We all had a nice visit, good Pizza and we even got a beer care package to take home.  You can’t leave beer for six months in this heat.  Even some canned goods (like fruit with a pop top) will explode inside the cupboards in the house.  Just like at home in the winter in reverse. 

So today will be a quiet day and tomorrow we will move. 

Took a ride up to Senator’s Wash…Long term boon docking camping at the Imperial Dam where we have stayed a few times.  Not too many there now.  On to have a date shake and pick up a few more pounds of dates to munch on as we travel home.  We ate all the ones we bought on the way down in short order.   Yummy!  Not much stock left now as the new season isn’t until Sept/Oct.

Date palms.

Most of the fields here are planted to Barley right now so maybe that is the crop they rotate the winter vegetables with.  We also saw a small field of artichokes growing which I’ve never seen before.  My camera was in the saddlebag so I didn’t get a picture….sorry!  It was windy and cool when we headed out but now although there is a bit a cloud it is quite warm.  Go figure. 

P.S.  - I snapped this picture of one of the guys in the park walking his dog….isn’t he something else.  His wife looks quite normal.  I guess they don’t have mirrors here in Yuma. 

Yikes!

PM….well the wind actually did kick up.  Huge wind and lots of dust hopefully it settles down by the morning. 

MorRyde-Vent Covers etc.

Wednesday April 11, 2012

Yesterday was a good day except for the wind. 

We popped over to Bill/Arlie’s just across the highway from us to pick up the new MorRyde 5th wheel pin box.  Bill helped Eric lift the much heavier (almost 200lbs) pin box into the truck and attach it to the hitch in the bed of the truck.  The directions said that you could back the truck with the pin box attached to the hitch under the trailer and bolt it on without having to lift it.  Surprise, surprise it actually worked.  A couple of bolts to hold it and then Eric just pulled the truck out.  It’s always nice when a plan comes together.  Eric left the huge tightening of all the bolts till this morning when it was much cooler.  I helped as much as I could and it all looks good and should help with our ride going home. 

There is a rubber block behind those white discs and three inches of travel possible between the pin and the rig.  Hopefully this should minimize the chucking.

We set off to do a little more parts shopping after lunch.  Eric had some soup for lunch and is feeling a little bit better so that is a good thing.  Off to Wal-Mart for a new Ohm meter for Eric and some hose fittings for the trailer and then on to Al’s RV for some new vent covers.  We bought two polycarbonate ones that are supposed to last forever….right!  I’ll keep the receipts!  A few other bits and pieces and then home for happy hour.  It was blowing so hard you had to hang onto your chair when you got up so it wouldn’t blow away.  Add in the traffic noise, the military jets and the trains and you get the idea how relaxing it is here in this park.  Nice and quiet across the street at Bill and Arlie’s but they are in a house and have a concrete wall and a field between them and the busy road.  All the RV parks seem to be right next to a busy road or freeway or railroad or airport etc. and once again….not our cup of tea. 

Eric replaced the bathroom vent and got rid of the plywood cover….yahoo!  Next it was the one over the bed which is severely deteriorated as well and now we have decided to buy two more and replace the one over the loft bed and also the one in the garage.  Better safe than sorry and we sure don’t want any leaks on the way home. 

Polycarbonate….strong but much less light. 

New lid going on.

Now we move on to tire shopping for the rig. 

Eric has now been to every tire shop in town and has found more trailer tires with different names than you can imagine.  In the end we are planning to leave the tires until we get to Idaho and hope that we don’t have a failure.  We’d like to go back to Les Schwab there and get three more of the same tires we bought last fall on the way down.  There is a dealer in Wells, Nevada so that could be an option as well.  The whole problem started with the poor suspension which started funny wear patterns on the tires.  Eric replaced all the suspension with better parts a couple of years ago but once a tire starts to wear funny it just keeps going.  The three new tires on the driver’s side seem to be okay so far.  

We hope to move up to Laughlin on Friday if the wind isn’t too heavy but we’ll check that tomorrow. 

 

A pretty evening.

This is Eric watching TV!!  Tired from all his hard work and the pillow is to keep the wind from whistling in his ear through the window vent. 

Nighty night!

Heading to Yuma today

Monday April 9, 2012

We took a ride into Casa Grande on Saturday not to go to Casa Grande but just for the ride.  Out highway 86 towards Tucson and then north on highway 15 toward Casa Grande.  Highway 15 goes through the Tohono O’odham Indian reserve and it is a great highway with not much traffic.  Border patrol parked here and there looking for Mexican illegal's to stop by and turn themselves in I guess!  The ride was pretty when we climbed up in elevation and there were stands of Saguaros but other than that….not so much. 

It does make us appreciate the riding in Mexico where there is so much more to see both in the scenery and the people as well. 

We rode through the old historic district of Casa Grande which is quite nice compared to the glut of malls along the highways.

City Hall

Town Square

Downtown street.

Picture taken behind my head!  Usually I turn them right side up for you.

Farming, malls and RV parks all in one big mix.  Not for us thanks.  We’ve always said if we HAD to stay in Arizona for the winter we’d stay out in the Apache Junction end of Mesa.  Lots of nice areas to ride except that most of them like Globe are too cold during the winter season.  Much better in Mexico! 

We had lunch at a JB’s and the waitress was so chirpy she was nauseating and there was three guys having coffee and arguing in the corner.  Reminds us of our friends Don and Fraser at home and their daily arguments over coffee.  I should have taken a picture!  The lunch was good and Eric had a green Chile cheeseburger while I had a fish sandwich.

Big Red takes us home.

Lonely Indian Highway #15…and by the way they call themselves Indians here ….not First Nations so I’m politically correct.  Many years ago when I had a First Nations lady at my counter at work I struggled to find the correct term of the day to talk to her about her Government Insurance.  The names were constantly changing and there was always new terminology and she finally just looked confused and said “ I’m an Indian!”  I said “ I know that!” and we both had a good laugh. 

Stopped for a bum break at the junction of Highways 15 and 86. 

Crested Saguaro on Highway 86.  Not too often you see one of these right by the highway.  I Googled them and they are here and there but still a rare thing. 

Not a great picture but we were a long ways away and there was no shoulder to pull off the road. 

Eric had poached eggs on toast for dinner and then about 1am in the morning he woke up with huge acid reflux, burping, gut pain and the ever favorite diarrhea.  He was up and down all night and then sick all of yesterday with the same symptoms.  Lots of baking soda and water, some Zantac and Pepto Bismol for the day while he laid down.  Too weak to do anything and no food.  I spent the day sitting outside doing crosswords in the shade (90F) and then a quick trip into Ajo for a bit of food, fuel and water. 

Today Eric is vertical again although the big D is still with him.  Not sure what happened but the hamburger would be the suspect in this.  Pretty bad when he doesn’t get la tourista in Mexico all winter and now he gets it in Arizona.  The smell of food is still nauseating him so no food this morning…maybe later. 

So today a short drive to Yuma where we’ll park in the Arizona Sands RV park close to Bill/Arlie where we are having the MorRyde pin box shipped.  We’ll have a nice visit with them and hopefully get our hatch repairs done as well.  

We’ll leave the quiet of the desert in Why behind (except for the burros) for the hustle and bustle of Yuma.

PM

Set up by 1:30 pm after a relaxing drive.  Not too many left in this park (Arizona Sands) as it is getting hot.  Over 90F in the shade today so we may have to use the air conditioner.  Eric is feeling a bit better today and had some chicken noodle soup for lunch so hopefully the worst is over.  Our MorRyde pin box has just arrived at Bill/Arlie’s so we’ll pick that up tomorrow and do some parts shopping for the RV….hatch covers etc.  Eric set up the Yagi and found an unsecured site for Wi-Fi so I don’t have to subscribe and pay for it. Well the internet is coming and going so we’ll see if I have to buck up!  $18 for a week or $4 a day.  We had free internet at the Hickiwan RV park and it only cost $19 per night.  Here over $30 and no free internet.  Bummer!