Travel the USA

After the country re-opened after Covid-19, we are
"On the Road Again."
Please enjoy the 'armchair travels' and feel free to make comments.

In September of 2019, we made the
'epic' trip to the east coast for the first birthday of our grandson Evan.
Since Evan's birthday is in September, we decided to join a 29 day RV Caravan for the New England fall color. The tour starts in Maine and ends in Niagara Falls. All told, we did about 12,000 miles with the new truck and trailer.

Monday, March 31, 2025

-St George Jeepers -trip to Gooseberry Mesa


 We always enjoy the views of the 'back side' of Zion

and the 'meet and greet' sessions!








Beautiful views along the drive


See those bikers?
We are heading up to that area - 


along with many bike groups.


Loving the views!

gotta have selfies!






Lunch Stop
not easy with 30 jeeps!


This is probably the largest group I've been on.
It's all very well organized.


Love these arches😀

and the back side is good too.


Viewing the Smithsonian Buttes on the way out.
Great Day!



Sunday, March 2, 2025

Desert Hot Springs

 

One of the area favorites is 
The Cafe at Shields Date Garden

We had a nice lunch with pleasant music.
Following lunch we get to see the whole gospel story in statues.

THE WALK


They have created a lovely garden walk that features 14 scenes and 23 sculptures that feature Christ's life.



Jesus selects his disciples
(He calls them out of the world:
note the location of the gas station and shopping center😀)


Jesus loves the children

Jesus is baptized

Healing of the paralytic


Triumphal Entry 

One week later they crucified him.





His death and resurrection gives us our Blessed Hope.

Just follow Him!

So far we have seen so few flowers, but they are just starting to bloom.


Coachella Valley Historical Museum


The Mexican pottery was certainly the most colorful part of the museum.


A Mexican Tree of Life is a hand coiled pottery sculpture depicting the biblical 
Tree of Life

This one looks like a 
Family Circus


Gotta be the ugliest I've seen
and pretty creepy.

A DESERT SUBMARINE
Built in the 1920's as a sleeping room.
The cooling process was having water trickle down over burlap covered metal walls. With evaporation the interior was cooled.
This process led to the evaporative cooler still popular today.

In the late 1950's there were still a hundred or more of these at the 
Southern Pacific Railroad yards as sleeping rooms for railroad crews.

Thats all for now.
See you all soon!


Love your comments ( please add your name - otherwise you are 'anonymous')

Monday, February 24, 2025

Life in the Desert--can be interesting, fun, sometimes 'quirky'.

 

Lou is getting a little frustrated with living in the trailer!


We decided to splurge a bit for a dinner theater show



The pre-dinner entertainment gave everyone a chance to try some tricks.

The Bridge to Nowhere

Yuma, Arizona



This bridge was built in 1929 (when there was actually water underneath it|)
A dam was built in 1968 that diverted the river.
Rumor has it that it was a prototype for the Golden Gate Bridge.
When you view this 800 ft long suspension bridge in the middle of the desert 
that looks like the Golden Gate Bridge--
you wonder if it's true.



Old Town
nice collections of 'quirky' shops






Well- this one really spoke volumes to us!


The Queen Reigns!

These popular desert flowers thrive on lack of moisture.

I am hoping Lou's new stained glass skills will create one of these beauties.







The RV Park hosted a public awareness program by the 
US Border Patrol.
We got to hear many stories and see how the dogs get trained.  






Colorado River History Museum Yuma AZ

It all started as a military post along the Colorado River in the mid 1800's during the Indian Wars.

Once wild and uncontrollable, the Colorado River is now the most dammed 
and endangered river is the US.  No longer reaching the ocean 
it slows to a trickle at the Mexican border, just 20 miles from Yuma.



Same Location

THEN                                                 NOW

                  1916                                      2013

There was so much water back in 1900's that the river could be a raging, dangerous ocean.  Today it is mostly sand and some vegetation.

Our guide on the tour answered the question "What happened?" 

"People came".

After 1900's  dams were build to prevent flooding and provide consistent water for irrigation.
 Now there are 10 dams between Yuma and the Grand Canyon.




Up until the turn of the century, (1900's) the Colorado River was navigable by paddle steam ships up to the bottom end of the Grand Canyon ( approximately Lake Meade) and Yuma was a major port for supplies is the southwest.

This picture shows the route of the steam ships from San Francisco to Port Isabel to Yuma. 

THE COLORADO RIVER SIPHON

A massive underground pipeline that carries water from California to Arizona under the Colorado River to irrigate the Yuma Valley.

 
           


This massive tunnel had to go 50 feet under the river, and when bedrock was struck, they had to send divers to dynamite the bedrock to get shafts deep enough to install the underwater pipe.

The delivery of water has transformed Yuma into a major agricultural area. Providing 90% of the leafy green vegetables (lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower etc.) in the U.S. during the winter months


On our tour of the Colorado River Historical Museum we were glad to see a bit of colorful bougainvillea in this vast sand pile!


Hula and Fire Dance

at the Pioneer RV Park


The guests did a great job of dressing up for the party.
(Many elegant t-shirts)


Our friend Linda had the best one!

The featured entertainers with Polynesian dances 






Always must have the guy that will wear the coconut bra and dance.

A lively evening
The fire dancers are always great fun to watch.

It's been a good stop in Wellton and Yuma,
now we are on to Desert Hot Springs.




We miss all of you at home.  Would love to hear your comments.