She was eating the paper bag..., originally uploaded by xxcaro.
Cute new video clip of the 'baby pirahna...cute outfit too!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
dates, driving mountain passes and dirty clothes
Feb 18
After a leisurely breakfast, a quick soak, we set off to find this famous date farm and oasis that we had been told about called China Ranch. We could see a small patch of green looking like a grove of palm trees in the distance. But that’s not anywhere near where the date farm is. The directions take us in the opposite direction across gravel/sandy soil not seeing anything green. Then the road took a decidedly steep decline through the crust of the earth down this twisty, winding, steep mountain trail. The walls of this canyon are dotted with small caves. Each cave is fenced off with warning signs not to go anywhere near the openings. These are old mine shafts where borax, gypsum, and other minerals were taken. And the road continues to decline.
When we finally reached the bottom there were huge date palm trees, some trailers, one very old and majestic home with the ‘driveway’ lined with palm trees, some palapa roofed shelters supported by palm tree trunks, and a gift shop.
It was a Chinese man, Ah Foo, from San Francisco who discovered the oasis, set up camp, brought in supplies and had a business supplying the miners as they trekked through the area on their way to the gold fields.
Ah Foo disappeared mysteriously and of course the business ended, and the oasis was almost forgotten, but in the 1960’s new owners started planting date palms and the rest as they say is history.
With about 2000 trees each producing over 200 pounds of dates a year, this is a thriving business..........and the gift shops sells dates, date shakes (not really a shake but more like a Dairy Queen Blizzard), fresh cookies still warm from the oven (we had chocolate chip date cookies – not on the diet, but neither were the date shakes that we had!!). We also found another sun for our collection! They have cactus and palm tree propagation and the signage was excellent as we drove around the date farm – identifying the varieties of dates, where they came from, how much fruit they produce, etc.
Back to the RV park, another soak and we have to start pulling things together for tomorrow’s journey – Death Valley!
Feb 19
Off like a herd of turtles (about 10AM) and on the road to Death Valley. We have both been interested to see this area of the US – Ed was through here when he was about 4 years old so remembers........not too much. The entrance to the valley is wonderful and the scenery is incredible. We are slowly descending to the valley floor (about 300 feet below sea level) and the landscape is of vast expanses of flat ground surrounded by steep jagged mountains. Then we pass a sign that says the road coming out of the valley is steep and long. The map states the mountain pass is about 5000 feet so we start climbing, and climbing, and climbing. The sadistic engineer who put this road in must have used an existing goat trail, paved it over (without putting in shoulders or guardrails), and offered the naive traveller to the gods.
The road is relatively straight, just barely wide enough for two vehicles to pass, no shoulders, no guardrails for most of the road, and a never ending climb from below sea level to over 5000 feet.
We climbed steadily and the old motor home was chugging away. We knew that we were going slower than expected but when Ross looked out the passenger window a crow flew by and he swears the bird looked right at him and grinned. How are you supposed to feel when you are travelling so slowly birds can pass you easily?
The speedometer showed we were travelling a whopping 12 miles an hour!!! And then we passed a sign..........”Slow to 30”...........How the hell can you slow to 30 when you’re only doing 12MPH to begin with!!!!?????
Of course, all good mountain passes finally reach their summit and we started the descent. If we came up over 5000 feet, then we have to also come down – right? Right!! But what the maps and signage do not state anywhere is there is another mountain pass ahead. So again we climb to just under 5000 feet, but this time the road is even narrower, the drop-offs are even steeper and the road is not straight but riddled with switchbacks.
At one time Ross looked out the passenger window only to discover we were travelling on air (or so it seemed) - we were right on the edge of the road with a sheer drop off below. He tried to get Ed to get further toward the centre of the road only to have Ed say there was no way in Hell’s Half Acre we were going to be able to do that........there was a transport truck coming down the hill straight toward us. This was one of those situations when you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t – move over to the centre and get squashed or move more toward the edge of the road and see if this vehicle can fly!! We squeaked by the truck and both of us needed a change of underwear!!
When we were just about out of mountain to climb wouldn’t you know that the same sadistic engineer from the last mountain pass had found another couple of mountains to continue our torture..........What a climb!!!! And again what goes up has to come down..........this time almost straight down. If we weren’t going to burn out the engine with the climb, how about burning out the brakes on a long straight hill that looked suspiciously like a ride at Disneyland.
Suffice it to say, we made it to Lone Pine eventually and pulled into a wonderful RV park. Staff, grounds, layout, price all were great......and we made camp........with a couple of drinks right away!!!
Lone Pine is a small town resting up against the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Large boulders piled one on top of the other and long stretches of sandy soil gave this area exactly what TV and movie directors were looking for when they filmed most of the western movies and TV shows of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Remember the Lone Ranger and Tonto racing across the desert after the bad guys? That was filmed in Lone Pine. Same for Matt Dillon, Cisco Kid, and Gene Autrey – all Lone Pine.
Just north of Lone Pine are the towns of Independence, Big Pine, and Bishop. All smallish towns with Bishop being the largest in the area, and on the way from LA to the ski hills of Lake Tahoe.
There is a German bakery in Bishop that makes dozens of different breads, rolls, buns, and sweet stuff. Even though we arrived at about 4PM on a weekday, the place was packed with skiers and travellers. The smells of fresh baking were incredible and the loaves of sourdough and 12 grain we got were wonderful. Then back to the M/H, supper, another drink, and to bed. Tomorrow we will have much better roads – how could they get any worse??
Feb 20
We can’t believe that in 10 days we will be back home in Canada! How the time has flown.
We break camp and hit the road heading to one of our favourite campgrounds – Orange Grove RV park. The highway is nicely paved, very wide, and 2 lanes each way. And we had a comfortable journey to Bakersfield. Laundry – what can you say..........you feed the machine quarters, wait with everyone else for the end of wash cycles, fish out your wash and feed another machine quarters so your wet clothes can get somewhat dry – it’s a boring job but had to get done once in awhile.
There were still a few oranges on the trees but we decided to forego that pleasure and bought a box of fresh picked oranges for $12 – a box of 112 oranges and all of them sweet and juicy. Yeah......more fresh OJ. When we were in Bakersfield last year we found a cute Mexican restaurant – family owned and operated, good food, inexpensive, and homey atmosphere. For the life of us, we couldn’t find it this time but did find another Mexican place (again family owned) and had a great dinner. Tomorrow is a quick trip to Fresno for a couple of days.
After a leisurely breakfast, a quick soak, we set off to find this famous date farm and oasis that we had been told about called China Ranch. We could see a small patch of green looking like a grove of palm trees in the distance. But that’s not anywhere near where the date farm is. The directions take us in the opposite direction across gravel/sandy soil not seeing anything green. Then the road took a decidedly steep decline through the crust of the earth down this twisty, winding, steep mountain trail. The walls of this canyon are dotted with small caves. Each cave is fenced off with warning signs not to go anywhere near the openings. These are old mine shafts where borax, gypsum, and other minerals were taken. And the road continues to decline.
When we finally reached the bottom there were huge date palm trees, some trailers, one very old and majestic home with the ‘driveway’ lined with palm trees, some palapa roofed shelters supported by palm tree trunks, and a gift shop.
It was a Chinese man, Ah Foo, from San Francisco who discovered the oasis, set up camp, brought in supplies and had a business supplying the miners as they trekked through the area on their way to the gold fields.
Ah Foo disappeared mysteriously and of course the business ended, and the oasis was almost forgotten, but in the 1960’s new owners started planting date palms and the rest as they say is history.
With about 2000 trees each producing over 200 pounds of dates a year, this is a thriving business..........and the gift shops sells dates, date shakes (not really a shake but more like a Dairy Queen Blizzard), fresh cookies still warm from the oven (we had chocolate chip date cookies – not on the diet, but neither were the date shakes that we had!!). We also found another sun for our collection! They have cactus and palm tree propagation and the signage was excellent as we drove around the date farm – identifying the varieties of dates, where they came from, how much fruit they produce, etc.
Back to the RV park, another soak and we have to start pulling things together for tomorrow’s journey – Death Valley!
Feb 19
Off like a herd of turtles (about 10AM) and on the road to Death Valley. We have both been interested to see this area of the US – Ed was through here when he was about 4 years old so remembers........not too much. The entrance to the valley is wonderful and the scenery is incredible. We are slowly descending to the valley floor (about 300 feet below sea level) and the landscape is of vast expanses of flat ground surrounded by steep jagged mountains. Then we pass a sign that says the road coming out of the valley is steep and long. The map states the mountain pass is about 5000 feet so we start climbing, and climbing, and climbing. The sadistic engineer who put this road in must have used an existing goat trail, paved it over (without putting in shoulders or guardrails), and offered the naive traveller to the gods.
The road is relatively straight, just barely wide enough for two vehicles to pass, no shoulders, no guardrails for most of the road, and a never ending climb from below sea level to over 5000 feet.
We climbed steadily and the old motor home was chugging away. We knew that we were going slower than expected but when Ross looked out the passenger window a crow flew by and he swears the bird looked right at him and grinned. How are you supposed to feel when you are travelling so slowly birds can pass you easily?
The speedometer showed we were travelling a whopping 12 miles an hour!!! And then we passed a sign..........”Slow to 30”...........How the hell can you slow to 30 when you’re only doing 12MPH to begin with!!!!?????
Of course, all good mountain passes finally reach their summit and we started the descent. If we came up over 5000 feet, then we have to also come down – right? Right!! But what the maps and signage do not state anywhere is there is another mountain pass ahead. So again we climb to just under 5000 feet, but this time the road is even narrower, the drop-offs are even steeper and the road is not straight but riddled with switchbacks.
At one time Ross looked out the passenger window only to discover we were travelling on air (or so it seemed) - we were right on the edge of the road with a sheer drop off below. He tried to get Ed to get further toward the centre of the road only to have Ed say there was no way in Hell’s Half Acre we were going to be able to do that........there was a transport truck coming down the hill straight toward us. This was one of those situations when you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t – move over to the centre and get squashed or move more toward the edge of the road and see if this vehicle can fly!! We squeaked by the truck and both of us needed a change of underwear!!
When we were just about out of mountain to climb wouldn’t you know that the same sadistic engineer from the last mountain pass had found another couple of mountains to continue our torture..........What a climb!!!! And again what goes up has to come down..........this time almost straight down. If we weren’t going to burn out the engine with the climb, how about burning out the brakes on a long straight hill that looked suspiciously like a ride at Disneyland.
Suffice it to say, we made it to Lone Pine eventually and pulled into a wonderful RV park. Staff, grounds, layout, price all were great......and we made camp........with a couple of drinks right away!!!
Lone Pine is a small town resting up against the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Large boulders piled one on top of the other and long stretches of sandy soil gave this area exactly what TV and movie directors were looking for when they filmed most of the western movies and TV shows of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Remember the Lone Ranger and Tonto racing across the desert after the bad guys? That was filmed in Lone Pine. Same for Matt Dillon, Cisco Kid, and Gene Autrey – all Lone Pine.
Just north of Lone Pine are the towns of Independence, Big Pine, and Bishop. All smallish towns with Bishop being the largest in the area, and on the way from LA to the ski hills of Lake Tahoe.
There is a German bakery in Bishop that makes dozens of different breads, rolls, buns, and sweet stuff. Even though we arrived at about 4PM on a weekday, the place was packed with skiers and travellers. The smells of fresh baking were incredible and the loaves of sourdough and 12 grain we got were wonderful. Then back to the M/H, supper, another drink, and to bed. Tomorrow we will have much better roads – how could they get any worse??
Feb 20
We can’t believe that in 10 days we will be back home in Canada! How the time has flown.
We break camp and hit the road heading to one of our favourite campgrounds – Orange Grove RV park. The highway is nicely paved, very wide, and 2 lanes each way. And we had a comfortable journey to Bakersfield. Laundry – what can you say..........you feed the machine quarters, wait with everyone else for the end of wash cycles, fish out your wash and feed another machine quarters so your wet clothes can get somewhat dry – it’s a boring job but had to get done once in awhile.
There were still a few oranges on the trees but we decided to forego that pleasure and bought a box of fresh picked oranges for $12 – a box of 112 oranges and all of them sweet and juicy. Yeah......more fresh OJ. When we were in Bakersfield last year we found a cute Mexican restaurant – family owned and operated, good food, inexpensive, and homey atmosphere. For the life of us, we couldn’t find it this time but did find another Mexican place (again family owned) and had a great dinner. Tomorrow is a quick trip to Fresno for a couple of days.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Cramped campsites, Casinos, and Cool hot springs
Our campsite in Joshua Tree was smaller than we expected (I think they intended it for tents, not large motor homes) and slanted. Only the front levelers deployed and we still weren’t level. Ross did not feel safe sitting in the front seat. But the view was stupendous!!
After two days enjoying the amazing scenery in Joshua Tree NP and the area we pressed on to a place we had heard about from Bruce and Sue. Tecopa Hot Springs is on the border between CA and Nevada. Natural hot springs come leaping out of the ground and are about 104F when they get to the private pools.
We are staying at Delights that has four cubicles each with a good sized private pool, locking door, shower and two of them are open to the skies. Needless to say, we took a soak as soon as we were settled. And by the way, the RV sites are level.
We have been warned that because of all the minerals on the ground, which in fact look like snow, it is not too healthful for the dogs to walk on. Therefore we should wash their feet after every excursion. We have a plastic tub of water at the door to the motor home. Teddy is not too bad, but the Other One is like bathing a cat – four legs spread out in all directions to avoid being put in water!!!
Good night catching up on email (they have WiFi here!!) and to bed.
Feb 17
We are going into Nevada for RV supplies. The sewer hose has broken off one of the cogs that attaches to the outflow pipe. Makes draining the tanks somewhat messy!
Anyway, we head out in the little car to explore the surrounding area and then cross over to the next state. Tecopa is a small town that has hot springs as their one and only industry. It takes about five minutes to drive the entire town.
There are four hot springs RV resorts, about a dozen other houses, a post office, one ranch, one general store and that’s about it!! So onto the next town, Shoshone. This town is the emerald city compared to Tecopa! There is an antique store, a couple of liquor stores, one saloon, a couple of gas stations, a whole bunch of houses, a museum, and a tourist information booth….but still not a town we want to move to!!
Onto the great state of Nevada and the city of Pahrump (I might have accidently said Harumph in the last missive). They had bars, saloons, ‘bath and massage parlors’ (!! Wink,wink), RV resorts, RV suppliers, casinos, and both a Home Depot and Wal-Mart, and a couple of other supermarkets all with slot machines– they must be big!!
Got the RV parts, drove around a bit and stopped into the Wal-Mart for groceries. And treated ourselves to a Sonic Burger…not anywhere near as good as an In and Out burger!
After that hectic day we drove back to Tecopa and had a drink followed by a soak!!!
Tomorrow's excitement will be looing for the big date farm around here somewhere.
After two days enjoying the amazing scenery in Joshua Tree NP and the area we pressed on to a place we had heard about from Bruce and Sue. Tecopa Hot Springs is on the border between CA and Nevada. Natural hot springs come leaping out of the ground and are about 104F when they get to the private pools.
We are staying at Delights that has four cubicles each with a good sized private pool, locking door, shower and two of them are open to the skies. Needless to say, we took a soak as soon as we were settled. And by the way, the RV sites are level.
We have been warned that because of all the minerals on the ground, which in fact look like snow, it is not too healthful for the dogs to walk on. Therefore we should wash their feet after every excursion. We have a plastic tub of water at the door to the motor home. Teddy is not too bad, but the Other One is like bathing a cat – four legs spread out in all directions to avoid being put in water!!!
Good night catching up on email (they have WiFi here!!) and to bed.
Feb 17
We are going into Nevada for RV supplies. The sewer hose has broken off one of the cogs that attaches to the outflow pipe. Makes draining the tanks somewhat messy!
Anyway, we head out in the little car to explore the surrounding area and then cross over to the next state. Tecopa is a small town that has hot springs as their one and only industry. It takes about five minutes to drive the entire town.
There are four hot springs RV resorts, about a dozen other houses, a post office, one ranch, one general store and that’s about it!! So onto the next town, Shoshone. This town is the emerald city compared to Tecopa! There is an antique store, a couple of liquor stores, one saloon, a couple of gas stations, a whole bunch of houses, a museum, and a tourist information booth….but still not a town we want to move to!!
Onto the great state of Nevada and the city of Pahrump (I might have accidently said Harumph in the last missive). They had bars, saloons, ‘bath and massage parlors’ (!! Wink,wink), RV resorts, RV suppliers, casinos, and both a Home Depot and Wal-Mart, and a couple of other supermarkets all with slot machines– they must be big!!
Got the RV parts, drove around a bit and stopped into the Wal-Mart for groceries. And treated ourselves to a Sonic Burger…not anywhere near as good as an In and Out burger!
After that hectic day we drove back to Tecopa and had a drink followed by a soak!!!
Tomorrow's excitement will be looing for the big date farm around here somewhere.
Fiestas, Flea Markets and films
Holtville is a quaint farming town (after all it IS the carrot capital of the world) but they also grow cabbage, lettuce, radishes, cauliflower, etc. Imagine fields as far as the eye can see – green, lush, and productive. We saw busloads of Hispanic workers working in the fields weeding, thinning, and harvesting. The growers actually send buses to Mexico to bring back men and women who want to work in the fields. Each bus carries about 40 people and comes with its own little trailer with portapottys and hand sanitizers on the back.
Just south of Holtville is the larger town of Calexico – home of some amazing flea markets. Each vendor has his/her own way of selling merchandise. We saw vendors with rack upon rack of clothes, others selling huge bins of stuffed animals, some were hawking electronics – even saw a couple of sound boards going for $400, all kinds of appliances lined up neatly in row upon row, and right next to it a young couple trying to sell their paltry possessions that lay scattered on the ground.
There were about 11 or 12 rows of stalls with 10 vendors on each side of the row. And if you can’t get enough, go across the street for even better deals, or just down the road for another open air market. There is even an indoor market, again selling clothes, electronics, perfume (although interestingly enough there was a shelf of industrial grease guns next to high end fragrances!), toys, and shoes.
Of course there was the ever present food carts and the smells were wonderful. We took in some of the bartering and crept home with our VERY expensive purchase – a pair of baby sandals selling for $1!!
Did not go through the border to Mexico but took a look at the high fence between the two countries. Every block or two there was a border patrol vehicle just sitting there waiting for some poor fellow to try and ‘escape’ into the USA. As in most of the towns in this neck of the woods there is a large population of poor with only a few wealthy to be seen.
A visit to Salton Sea was going to be a couple days camping but we noticed it was very close to Holtville so we took a day and drove around it. This marvel of nature used to be part of the Gulf of California/Sea of Cortez but was landlocked ages ago. It remained salty but slowly turned to a fresh water lake (about 20 miles long and 35 miles wide) as rivers found their way to the area. Now it is becoming increasingly salty again as it again dries up.
Bruce has the ‘Kringle’ (a motor home he built on a Freightliner chassis so it’s HUGE). He can haul his little car around in the back of the Kringle. He also can hoist up a projection screen. So a couple of times he entertained quite a few people at the park with movie night. We brought the popcorn, everyone brought their own chair and liquid libation. We watched “Ratatouille” and “G-Force” under the stars…it was great!.
One week after the carrot festival Bruce, Sue, and the two of us again went down to El Centro. This time for their Mardi Gras and the night time parade. What a hoot – there were bands, floats, service groups (and the 4-H club), folkloric dance groups, and the royalty of Mardi Gras. The streets were crowded with about 20000 people in total (according to one bike policeman) and vendors of food, souvenirs, trinkets (yes, we got some beads but did not have to expose ourselves thankfully), food, and some booze. Had dinner at the Legion – real gumbo (Sue and I passed our bowls to Ed and Bruce settling for more natural food like hot dogs and hamburgers)! Met a few people helping in the kitchen and everyone had a great time. After the parade the music started. From several stages along the parade route there was hip hop, oldies, C & W, and a blend of western and Mexican. Great time!!
On Sunday we sadly said goodbye to Bruce and Sue as they headed back to Quartzsite to meet up with Buck and Heather, and we took off to Joshua Tree National Park. Located at the edge of Yucca valley and at 4000’ this park is immense. Joshua trees are a type of yucca plants and can grow to 15 – 20 feet. At only ½ inch of growth per year some of these plants were even older than us!!! Took a trip around the park looking at the acres of Joshua trees interspersed with huge boulders thrown up from a volcano eons ago and piled one on top of another, sometimes looking very precariously balanced. Lots of rock climbers! Then dropped down to the desert floor through a cholla (Choy-yah also called teddy bear cactus) forest, and onto scrub and desert sand. Fascinating and breath taking!
The saga will continue…..
Just south of Holtville is the larger town of Calexico – home of some amazing flea markets. Each vendor has his/her own way of selling merchandise. We saw vendors with rack upon rack of clothes, others selling huge bins of stuffed animals, some were hawking electronics – even saw a couple of sound boards going for $400, all kinds of appliances lined up neatly in row upon row, and right next to it a young couple trying to sell their paltry possessions that lay scattered on the ground.
There were about 11 or 12 rows of stalls with 10 vendors on each side of the row. And if you can’t get enough, go across the street for even better deals, or just down the road for another open air market. There is even an indoor market, again selling clothes, electronics, perfume (although interestingly enough there was a shelf of industrial grease guns next to high end fragrances!), toys, and shoes.
Of course there was the ever present food carts and the smells were wonderful. We took in some of the bartering and crept home with our VERY expensive purchase – a pair of baby sandals selling for $1!!
Did not go through the border to Mexico but took a look at the high fence between the two countries. Every block or two there was a border patrol vehicle just sitting there waiting for some poor fellow to try and ‘escape’ into the USA. As in most of the towns in this neck of the woods there is a large population of poor with only a few wealthy to be seen.
A visit to Salton Sea was going to be a couple days camping but we noticed it was very close to Holtville so we took a day and drove around it. This marvel of nature used to be part of the Gulf of California/Sea of Cortez but was landlocked ages ago. It remained salty but slowly turned to a fresh water lake (about 20 miles long and 35 miles wide) as rivers found their way to the area. Now it is becoming increasingly salty again as it again dries up.
Bruce has the ‘Kringle’ (a motor home he built on a Freightliner chassis so it’s HUGE). He can haul his little car around in the back of the Kringle. He also can hoist up a projection screen. So a couple of times he entertained quite a few people at the park with movie night. We brought the popcorn, everyone brought their own chair and liquid libation. We watched “Ratatouille” and “G-Force” under the stars…it was great!.
One week after the carrot festival Bruce, Sue, and the two of us again went down to El Centro. This time for their Mardi Gras and the night time parade. What a hoot – there were bands, floats, service groups (and the 4-H club), folkloric dance groups, and the royalty of Mardi Gras. The streets were crowded with about 20000 people in total (according to one bike policeman) and vendors of food, souvenirs, trinkets (yes, we got some beads but did not have to expose ourselves thankfully), food, and some booze. Had dinner at the Legion – real gumbo (Sue and I passed our bowls to Ed and Bruce settling for more natural food like hot dogs and hamburgers)! Met a few people helping in the kitchen and everyone had a great time. After the parade the music started. From several stages along the parade route there was hip hop, oldies, C & W, and a blend of western and Mexican. Great time!!
On Sunday we sadly said goodbye to Bruce and Sue as they headed back to Quartzsite to meet up with Buck and Heather, and we took off to Joshua Tree National Park. Located at the edge of Yucca valley and at 4000’ this park is immense. Joshua trees are a type of yucca plants and can grow to 15 – 20 feet. At only ½ inch of growth per year some of these plants were even older than us!!! Took a trip around the park looking at the acres of Joshua trees interspersed with huge boulders thrown up from a volcano eons ago and piled one on top of another, sometimes looking very precariously balanced. Lots of rock climbers! Then dropped down to the desert floor through a cholla (Choy-yah also called teddy bear cactus) forest, and onto scrub and desert sand. Fascinating and breath taking!
The saga will continue…..
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Emily trying out a bagel
It's been a while since we posted a new photo of Emily but for those of you who have been asking.....
We promise news of our own travels soon....
Our connnectivity issues have improved a bit....
Monday, February 8, 2010
Carrots, and Celery, and Carnitas!!
After we’d shopped till we dropped in Mexico and stuffed ourselves at the Q buffet we headed out on February 4 for the Hot Springs LTVA near Holtville.
This is not as attactive at the LTVA near Quartzsite but it has the advantage of a natural hotspring that has been channeled into a small concrete pond. There is also a large ‘fountain’ of hot water and a hose coming off the spring that you can use to fill buckets and bottles to take away with you. From the main hot pool the water flows into a smaller pool and then out into a natural pond.
There is obviously lots of geothermal activity here as there is a huge geothermal power plant just up the road that glows brilliantly at night.
After we settled in Bruce took us for the two dollar tour of the area and then into El Centro which is about twenty minutes away. El Centro is just that, the commercial center of the Imperial Valley which at one time was part of the Sea of Cortez and now comprises acres and acres of fertile agricultural land growing every type of vegetable that one can think of year around. The miracle of irrigation using water diverted from the Colorado River makes what would otherwise be desert into a green and bountiful oasis.
Among our discoveries was a full size Hispanic market called Cardenas. It is the size of an ordinary supermarket but is totally geared to Hispanic foods and what a treat!! It was so great that we have already made a second visit.
Besides the hot springs our principal reason for stopping in Holtsville was to take in the Holtville Carrot Festival parade. This event which is part of the Holtville Carrot Festival is a highlight of the Festival and is held on Saturday Morning this year February 6.
Sadly, after weeks of sun Saturday morning dawned rainy, windy and cold. But stouthearted types that we are we still trouped down and stood to watch the spectacle.
The rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of the Holtvillians and they turned out in droves. The rain more or less held off for the parade with teasing bits of blue sky on the horizon…but right as the parade ended the heavens opened!!
The parade included five marching bands, floats from every organization in Holtville including the pre-schools, kindergartens, and social clubs. Every vehicle that belonged to the City of Holtville was there too (including the meter reader, dog catcher, and street sweeper) Garbage trucks to fire engines all were shined and bedecked in crepe and carrots and were ridden by friends and family alike!!
There were numbers of folkloric dance groups in their colorful outfits, mariachis, horses, politicians, firemen (!) Sherrifs, and every other level of law enforcement. It was truly a day for Holtvillians to shine!
Bruce took us to his favorite Mexican restaurant where we stuffed ourselves (again) Camarones Ranchero and Huachinango Frita!! After which we went our separate ways to shop, shop, shop. Found lots of cute things for Emily!!
By early evening the rain had stopped but the wind picked up and pretty much howled all night. Ross was up and out at 1AM to try and nail things down. The wind continued right through Sunday but didn’t stop us from a dip in the hot springs….very relaxing!
Gentle readers: We have heard some requests for photos but here in the desert our connectivity is very limited 153kbps which is glacial!! Sorry, but photos will just have to wait until we are better connected! We will let you know when to visit Flickr!!
This is not as attactive at the LTVA near Quartzsite but it has the advantage of a natural hotspring that has been channeled into a small concrete pond. There is also a large ‘fountain’ of hot water and a hose coming off the spring that you can use to fill buckets and bottles to take away with you. From the main hot pool the water flows into a smaller pool and then out into a natural pond.
There is obviously lots of geothermal activity here as there is a huge geothermal power plant just up the road that glows brilliantly at night.
After we settled in Bruce took us for the two dollar tour of the area and then into El Centro which is about twenty minutes away. El Centro is just that, the commercial center of the Imperial Valley which at one time was part of the Sea of Cortez and now comprises acres and acres of fertile agricultural land growing every type of vegetable that one can think of year around. The miracle of irrigation using water diverted from the Colorado River makes what would otherwise be desert into a green and bountiful oasis.
Among our discoveries was a full size Hispanic market called Cardenas. It is the size of an ordinary supermarket but is totally geared to Hispanic foods and what a treat!! It was so great that we have already made a second visit.
Besides the hot springs our principal reason for stopping in Holtsville was to take in the Holtville Carrot Festival parade. This event which is part of the Holtville Carrot Festival is a highlight of the Festival and is held on Saturday Morning this year February 6.
Sadly, after weeks of sun Saturday morning dawned rainy, windy and cold. But stouthearted types that we are we still trouped down and stood to watch the spectacle.
The rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of the Holtvillians and they turned out in droves. The rain more or less held off for the parade with teasing bits of blue sky on the horizon…but right as the parade ended the heavens opened!!
The parade included five marching bands, floats from every organization in Holtville including the pre-schools, kindergartens, and social clubs. Every vehicle that belonged to the City of Holtville was there too (including the meter reader, dog catcher, and street sweeper) Garbage trucks to fire engines all were shined and bedecked in crepe and carrots and were ridden by friends and family alike!!
There were numbers of folkloric dance groups in their colorful outfits, mariachis, horses, politicians, firemen (!) Sherrifs, and every other level of law enforcement. It was truly a day for Holtvillians to shine!
Bruce took us to his favorite Mexican restaurant where we stuffed ourselves (again) Camarones Ranchero and Huachinango Frita!! After which we went our separate ways to shop, shop, shop. Found lots of cute things for Emily!!
By early evening the rain had stopped but the wind picked up and pretty much howled all night. Ross was up and out at 1AM to try and nail things down. The wind continued right through Sunday but didn’t stop us from a dip in the hot springs….very relaxing!
Gentle readers: We have heard some requests for photos but here in the desert our connectivity is very limited 153kbps which is glacial!! Sorry, but photos will just have to wait until we are better connected! We will let you know when to visit Flickr!!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Glasses, Casinos and Buffets! OH MY!!
Good grief, we haven’t written here in such a long time!
When last we blogged we were just drying out in the desert at Quartzsite and getting ready to trek into Mesa for a couple of days to visit with my old high school buddy Sam and celebrate his wife Deborah’s 60th birthday.
We had a great time, visited and ate lunch with the birthday girl and spent a lot of time catching up. Since we visited last, exactly one year to the date by coincidence, we have all become grandparents. Even though I have been accused many times of having waaaay too many pictures of Emily, I have nothing on Sam and Deb who have pictures of their grandson Judah everywhere!
We got up to Lost Dutchman State Park which is where we were going to stay until we took a wrong turn and ended up in a regular RV park…hot showers! Two in one day!!! And TV! We also took a lovely sunset drive out to Canyon Lake where we parked on a hill and watched the setting sun turn the mountains crimson.
An uneventful drive back to Quartzsite which now seems like home!!
On Saturday January 30 Ross, Bruce and Buck left several hours before the crack of dawn, to drive to Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, for the annual Santa Luncheon. Sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Real-Bearded Santas the lunch is just one event in a week full of meetings and seminars capped off (this year) by a cruise to the Mexican Riviera.
The lunch was great fun made more special by the appearance of the tall, dark, handsome, Red Knight from the Medieval Inn Restaurant which features a jousting tournament among other things as part of the dinner show. The Santas had all gone to the show the night before and, of course, rooted mightily for the Red Knight who returned the courtesy by appearing at their luncheon the next day. For some reason Ross has about two dozen pictures of this guy who by the way appeared in his full costume including sword!
As we slipped into February we sadly said goodbye to our home in Quartzsite and headed south to Yuma and then east on Interstate 8 to the Quechan Tribal Casino. A beautiful new casino right on the road to Algodones, Mexico.
We all trouped up to the Casino to get parking passes (free) and Club Cards and decided to have a beer and check out the Keno machines, well, one thing led to another and the next thing we know we’re in the line for the two-for-one buffet that is served every Monday and Tuesday. All you can eat for less than $5 per person!
We have heard for years about all the various medical supplies and such available in Algodones and, as we both needed new glasses we decided to check it out.
Bruce and Sue were also looking for new glasses and steered us to Algodones Optical which is the largest of the opticians there. After picking our frames and telling them what exactly we wanted (progressive lenses, transitions, etc.) we were amazed and pleasantly surprised when the bill came to just under $300! For four pairs of glasses!! That’s half of what I paid for one pair in Canada!
While we waited, they guarantee two hour delivery, we toured the city centro. For a border town it was very clean and neat and almost everyone spoke English. Bruce took us to his favorite place to have fish tacos and while those were good, the shrimp tacos were stupendous!!
We also found out that they were selling our favorite Mexican liqueur, Dobel, which is leche quemada (caramel) and tequila…yummmm!
When we returned at the appointed hour there had been a glitch with my glasses (it IS Mexico after all!) Which only meant that we had to go back the next day to pick them up, have more shrimp tacos and buy more Dobel!!
The border was very interesting, going into Mexico they hardly even looked at you and didn’t speak if you were on foot. Not so going into the Excited States. The lineup of cars was inspected, x-rayed, and interrogated.
The foot traffic is huge because everything is right at the border including a huge parking lot (run by the Indians, natch) and the line up is lengthy. The US Border guards were very curt, wanted to inspect everything and were pretty generally unpleasant. Ah life in the land of the free and the home of the very, very, nervous.
When last we blogged we were just drying out in the desert at Quartzsite and getting ready to trek into Mesa for a couple of days to visit with my old high school buddy Sam and celebrate his wife Deborah’s 60th birthday.
We had a great time, visited and ate lunch with the birthday girl and spent a lot of time catching up. Since we visited last, exactly one year to the date by coincidence, we have all become grandparents. Even though I have been accused many times of having waaaay too many pictures of Emily, I have nothing on Sam and Deb who have pictures of their grandson Judah everywhere!
We got up to Lost Dutchman State Park which is where we were going to stay until we took a wrong turn and ended up in a regular RV park…hot showers! Two in one day!!! And TV! We also took a lovely sunset drive out to Canyon Lake where we parked on a hill and watched the setting sun turn the mountains crimson.
An uneventful drive back to Quartzsite which now seems like home!!
On Saturday January 30 Ross, Bruce and Buck left several hours before the crack of dawn, to drive to Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, for the annual Santa Luncheon. Sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Real-Bearded Santas the lunch is just one event in a week full of meetings and seminars capped off (this year) by a cruise to the Mexican Riviera.
The lunch was great fun made more special by the appearance of the tall, dark, handsome, Red Knight from the Medieval Inn Restaurant which features a jousting tournament among other things as part of the dinner show. The Santas had all gone to the show the night before and, of course, rooted mightily for the Red Knight who returned the courtesy by appearing at their luncheon the next day. For some reason Ross has about two dozen pictures of this guy who by the way appeared in his full costume including sword!
As we slipped into February we sadly said goodbye to our home in Quartzsite and headed south to Yuma and then east on Interstate 8 to the Quechan Tribal Casino. A beautiful new casino right on the road to Algodones, Mexico.
We all trouped up to the Casino to get parking passes (free) and Club Cards and decided to have a beer and check out the Keno machines, well, one thing led to another and the next thing we know we’re in the line for the two-for-one buffet that is served every Monday and Tuesday. All you can eat for less than $5 per person!
We have heard for years about all the various medical supplies and such available in Algodones and, as we both needed new glasses we decided to check it out.
Bruce and Sue were also looking for new glasses and steered us to Algodones Optical which is the largest of the opticians there. After picking our frames and telling them what exactly we wanted (progressive lenses, transitions, etc.) we were amazed and pleasantly surprised when the bill came to just under $300! For four pairs of glasses!! That’s half of what I paid for one pair in Canada!
While we waited, they guarantee two hour delivery, we toured the city centro. For a border town it was very clean and neat and almost everyone spoke English. Bruce took us to his favorite place to have fish tacos and while those were good, the shrimp tacos were stupendous!!
We also found out that they were selling our favorite Mexican liqueur, Dobel, which is leche quemada (caramel) and tequila…yummmm!
When we returned at the appointed hour there had been a glitch with my glasses (it IS Mexico after all!) Which only meant that we had to go back the next day to pick them up, have more shrimp tacos and buy more Dobel!!
The border was very interesting, going into Mexico they hardly even looked at you and didn’t speak if you were on foot. Not so going into the Excited States. The lineup of cars was inspected, x-rayed, and interrogated.
The foot traffic is huge because everything is right at the border including a huge parking lot (run by the Indians, natch) and the line up is lengthy. The US Border guards were very curt, wanted to inspect everything and were pretty generally unpleasant. Ah life in the land of the free and the home of the very, very, nervous.
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