solo rv woman – O-Solo-Meo.blog

April – December, 2019

January 9, 2020 by Rochelle F

I had to check to see when I last posted to my blog and was surprised it was in March after my trip to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico.

So…Let me bring you up to date.

Upon returning to the U.S. I spent a couple weeks in Tucson at the Voyager RV Resort. I loved my time at Voyager. I was joined by my friend Lynn (former bookclub member). And as luck would have it, the man that was parked next to me in Mexico, pulled into the site right next to me at Voyager. What a surprise! I’ve been on the road long enough that I occasionally run into people I’ve met before.

Voyager is an RV resort in the truest sense of the word “resort”. It has several pools and hot tubs, tennis, pickle ball, bocci ball, etc. and it has numerous rooms that serve as classrooms and work studios for everything from painting, lapidary, silver smithing, stained glass, glass fusion, woodworking and more. I love arts and crafts and was happy to have such a wide selection to pick from. I only had time for one craft during my stay. I chose glass fusion and I made a few pieces of jewelry. Lynn and I visited the Pima Air Museum while in Tucson. Definitely worth the visit. You have to get a security clearance in advance before going on the tour.

Glass Fusion Jewelry — First attempt at Glass Fusion

While in Tucson I woke up to snow! Yes, it happens once every 20 years. What a shock it was. For a minute I couldn’t remember where I was.

From Tucson I headed north to Phoenix to attend an International Woman’s Summit and then fly to Florida for the month of April. I was able to connect with several friends and family during the month. I visited my long-time friends Mike and Sandy in the Florida Keys. I hadn’t been to the Keys in almost ten years. Of course, we had to go into Key West one day for dinner at Pepe’s. We all love that place.

My next stop was to visit family in Port St Lucie and meet the newest family member, my great-great niece Ashtyn. It was wonderful to spend time with family.

Next I attended the Johnson Family Reunion on St George Island. My Johnson inlaws are some of my favorite people on earth. I had a wonderful time connecting with most of my former husband’s brothers and sisters and their families.

When I returned to Phoenix around May 1 I pointed my nose North and headed to Oregon for the Summer. My plan was to spend the Summer in Cave Junction, in the Southwest corner of Oregon. Ralph moved to Cave Junction in June of 2018. I was checking out the area, getting some much needed work done on the rig and doing a little redecorating inside.

My route to Oregon took me through St George, Utah and Ely, Elko, and Winnemucca and into Eastern Oregon.

St. George is a city in southwestern Utah. It is an outdoor person’s paradise. Nearby Snow Canyon State Park offers trails, dunes and red sandstone cliffs. Sand Hollow State Park features a large reservoir. Stately 19th-century buildings such as the Pioneer Courthouse and Brigham Young Winter Home dot downtown. The St. George Art Museum houses historical photos and work by regional artists. Zion National Park, with canyons and streams, lies northeast. I was in St George for a few days and I was able to visit a few of the sites in the area. The population in St. George has grown greatly as retirees discover the small city. I’d like to go back for a longer visit sometime in the future.

I stayed at the Elks Lodge which is nestled among red rocks, for a few days and did a little site seeing. It was the best location of an Elk’s Lodge, nestled in the red rocks above St. George.

Best Elks Setting — St George, Utah Elks Lodge

My next stop was the small town of Ely, Nevada. I parked in Ely so that I could visit Great Basin National Park. It is one of the least visited National Parks. Unfortunately I couldn’t visit the entire park because the main road was closed due to snow.

Ely was founded as a stagecoach station along the Pony Express. In 1906 copper was discovered. Ely’s mining boom came later than the other towns along US 50. The Railroad museum is unique in that when it closed the employees just walked away and everything was left in place. Nothing was packed up and moved.

Another unique thing about Ely is that prostitution is legal. I was a little surprised when I was driving around the town checking out all the painted murals and came across this.

Ely Mural — One of the many murals in Ely

Great Basin Road — The long road to Great Basic National Park

Elko and Winnemucca were just overnight stops with no site seeing. Then I finally crossed the Oregon state line and stayed in the small town of Lakeview at a brand, spanking new campground on a private ranch. It was a beautiful overnight stay.

Twelve hundred miles and a couple weeks and I finally arrived in Cave Junction and parked in Ralph’s driveway for the summer.

I stayed in Cave Junction for four months. It was nice to sit still and be back in a house. This gave me plenty of time to have work done on the rig and do a little redecorating inside.

Ralph and I managed to get a few side trips in during the summer. For our birthdays (July 18 and July 20) we visited Crater Lake, Bend and Klamath Lake. Crater Lake is one of my favorite places. I had been once before on my motorcycle. The Rim Road was closed at that time. This time, the road had just opened five days before we got there. We were able to drive completely around the lake. It’s a beautiful drive with stunning views of the lake nearly the entire drive. Wonderful way to spend our birthdays. I was also able to spend more time to Bend. Bend is a great collage town on the Rouge River. Great food and craft beer too. We visited the High Desert Museum and watched the spectacular bird demonstration.

In August I got a new fur baby. I bought a Scottish Fold kitty and named her Rosie after my long time friend RoseAnn. Years ago I visited her in LA and she had the cutest cat I had ever seem. It was a Scottish Fold and I’ve wanted one ever since. It had been a year since Fred died and I was ready for a new travel buddy. Sometimes she’s a pain, but mostly a blessing.

In September we went to Emigrant Lake in Ashland for a long weekend. Ashland is a beautiful town just north of the California/Oregon boarder. It is home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Ralph and I attended one play, the Mother Road and I attended Alice In Wonderland. I love attending live theatre and liked both plays very much. Alice in Wonderland was in the Elizabethan outdoor theatre. The Shakespeare Festival has plays by Shakespeare other playwrights.

PCT Rochelle — Walking the Pacific Crest Trail ! (for 50 yards)

Mt Shasta — View of Mount Shasta from Mount Ashland

In late September friends from Sacramento drove up with their RVs and we attended the Escapees Boomer’s Crab-a-Rang in Coos Bay, Oregon. For this first timer the event was disappointing. I was not familiar with crabbing and the organizer didn’t provide any information ahead of time or during the event. Crabbing requires a license, special equipment and instructions on how to do it. So I didn’t end up crabbing at all. There was a great fish market nearby and I tried to buy crabs, but was told they did not carry them yet as they weren’t good at this time of year. I did however, buy some really good fish and calamari steaks. Our group played a lot of cards and Mexican Train. It was a fun time in spite of not crabbing.

After returning from Coos Bay I started the first leg of my trip south. My first stop was at a Harvest Hosts golf course in Redding, CA. This was my first Harvest Hosts location and it was a nice spot. I was parked in a parking lot next to a fairway. Harvest Hosts is a membership for RVers that provides free RV camping at over 700 wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, museums, and other unique locations! It costs $79/year and you break even after two stays.

Next stop was Sacramento where I parked at the Carmichael Elks. I needed to have a medical test that I couldn’t squeeze into my June trip to Sacramento. I was only there for a couple days and then headed south with my next stop at the Colinga Elks for a one night stay. From there my next stop was the Elks in Simi Valley. It was as close as I could get to Santa Monica to attend my friend Leslie’s mom’s memorial.

I spent a couple weeks in the LA area with Leslie. I also visited the Ronald Regan Presidential Library and the Getty Museum. Fires broke out all over the LA area and they were a little scary. The good news is that my home is on wheels, so I could easily evacuate if necessary. And I wouldn’t have to decide what to take with me. It’s all on wheels!

We went downtown LA to visit Prawn, Leslie’s brother’s restaurant. Delicious as usual.

Prawn Costal — Leslie’s Brother’s Restaurant Prawn

Neon Central Market — Neon Art at Grand Central Market in LA

Regan Library 2 — Lost City Exhibit at Regan Library

Rte 66 End of road — The end of Route 66 but not the end of my trail.

Next on the schedule was a dance rally at the Fountain of Youth RV Resort (FOY) in Niland, CA. The rally was sponsored by the Wandering Individuals Network (WINS) and they invite all solos to join in on the fun. I found my tribe and had a blast!

FOY is a resort with hot mineral water tubs and pools. It is on the east side of the Salton Sea and is in the middle of nowhere.

The Salton Sea is a shallow, saline lake located directly on the San Andreas Fault. The lake’s salinity, about 7.5 oz/US gal, is greater than that of the Pacific Ocean, 4.7 oz/US gal, but less than that of the Great Salt Lake, which ranges from 6.7 to 36.1 oz/US gal. The concentration has been increasing at a rate of about 3% per year. About 3.6 million tons of salt are deposited in the valley each year.

The Salton Sea had some success as a resort area in the 1950s. However, many of the settlements substantially shrank in size, or have been abandoned, mostly due to the increasing salinity and pollution of the lake over the years from agricultural runoff and other sources. Many of the species of fish that lived in the sea have been killed off by the combination of pollutants, salt levels, and algal blooms. Dead fish have been known to wash up in mass quantities on the beaches. The smell of the lake, combined with the stench of the decaying fish, also contributed to the decline of the tourist industry around the Salton Sea. The US Geological Survey describes the smell as “objectionable”, “noxious”, “unique”, and “pervasive”.

Many people now visit the Salton Sea and the surrounding settlements to explore the abandoned structures and see Slab City. The town of Niland is 1.5 miles southeast of the sea, with a population of 1,006.

I found the entire area very depressing. I felt like I had discovered the armpit of California.

I took a drive through Slab City and didn’t have the nerve to get out of the car. Slab City also called The Slabs, is a largely snowbird community in the Sonoran Desert and used by RV owners and squatters from across North America. It took its name from concrete slabs that remained from the abandoned World War II Marine barracks of Camp Dunlap.

Several thousand campers, many of them retired, use the site during the winter months. The snowbirds stay only for the winter before migrating north in spring to cooler climates. The temperatures during summer are as high as 120 °F; nonetheless, there is a group of around 150 permanent residents who live in “The Slabs” year round. Some of these “Slabbers” derive their living from government programs and have been driven to “The Slabs” by poverty. Others have moved to “The Slabs” to learn how to live off the grid and be left alone. Still others have moved there to stretch their retirement income.

The site is both decommissioned and uncontrolled, and there is no charge for parking. The site has no official electricity, running water, sewers, toilets or trash pickup service. The closest body of civilization with proper law enforcement is approximately four miles southwest of Slab City in Niland where the residents often go to do basic shopping.

I might be tempted to park there if I was with a group, but certainly not on my own. Too many shady characters.

After the Dance Rally I drove to Palm Springs to settle in for a few weeks over the Thanksgiving holiday. Ralph drove down from Oregon to join me for a week. That was a surprise! I stayed at the Catalina Spa RV Resort in Desert Hot Springs. I liked it very much and would return.

Catalina Spa RV Resort – Photo by RVLove

I like Palm Springs…so much to see and do. I took a Mid-Century, Modern tour of the architecture and history of Palm Springs. It was so interesting. I learned too much to share here, but if you are in the area it’s definitely worth the $100. I did find out that Leo DiCaprio’s house is an AirBnB and you can rent it for $3000/night with a two night minimum. I think it used to be Frank Sinatra’s house. It has nine bedrooms! That’s only $167 a night each (two per bedroom). Who’s in with me??? 🙂

It was time to get Rosie “fixed”. This is my first female pet and I didn’t realize for them to be “fixed” they get a complete hysterectomy. Poor little thing. She did bounce back to her normal kitty shenanigans quickly.

Sick Kitty — The collar of shame…and drugged up!

We drove up the mountain to the cute town of Idyllwild. The elevation is 5,413 feet and is a nice respite from the heat in Palm Springs.

Idyllwild Red Restaurant — Cute Idyllwild

I had to get a SMOG check and an oil change while in Palm Springs. They did a full inspection and discovered only a couple minor items that need attention. It was really weird to see the RV up on a lift and be able to walk under it.

RV in the air — You don’t see the RV at this angle very often.

From Palm Springs I drove to Las Vegas and that’s where I am now. I’ll leave on Jan 10 and head to Lake Havasu for an event and meet up with friends. Then the annual desert adventure will begin anew.

At the end of January I’ll be on the road for three years! It sure did go fast! Occasionally I find myself thinking about what I’ll do when I get off the road. I have no idea what that will be. I guess I’m not ready yet.

Road Cat Princess — The Newest Road Queen!

Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks

October 4, 2017October 4, 2017 by Rochelle F

Our first stop on the way to the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, was in Evanston, Wyoming. Evanston is just off Interstate 80, and was about half way to Alpine, Wyoming. Alpine would be our home for the time we explored Jackson and the Tetons. It was a beautiful drive from Provo and we arrived early in the afternoon so we had time to check out the Evanston historic district and river walk. We were pleasantly surprised by the great work the small town had done to preserve their old buildings and provide a recreation area (the river walk) for its citizens.

Evanston War Memorial

Natural Recreation Area

We had a conversation with a couple in their early 90s we met on the street, and learned even more about the town. We stopped at a local brewery, the Suds Brothers and sampled their Bizzy Bee beer and the Red Monkey Butt Amber. I love how creative the local breweries are with the beer names.

While in Evanston, I also crowned the first Road King! I must admit, there was alcohol involved. Gerard was a good sport. He sort of looks like an old Italian lady, don’t you think? 🙂

The next morning we were on the road to Alpine, Wyoming which is about 40 miles south of Jackson and the Grand Tetons. It was a steep climb over the mountains and it really pushed that Ford V-10 engine of mine. We slowed to a crawl at 20 mph and I wondered if it would make it to the top. We did. In hindsight, Reine should have driven the car instead of towing it behind the RV. My bad; I hadn’t checked the elevation on the drive. Oh well…another lesson learned! The route took us from Wyoming back through Utah, back into Wyoming, then into Idaho and finally back to Wyoming! It was hysterical watching Reine try to get photos of the welcome signs as we went flying down the road. When we saw the Welcome of Idaho sign, we both exclaimed, “Welcome to Idaho? WTF?” I was wondering if I had taken a wrong turn somewhere. We had not.

Alpine, Wyoming

We used Alpine as our home base for visiting the Tetons. We stayed at Grey’s River Cove campground near the confluence of the Snake and Grey’s River. It was a 45 minute drive to Jackson and just a bit longer to the Teton’s. Reine had to return home part way through our stay and then there were three!

SAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES — Sunset at our campground

There is a lot to see and do in Jackson and we squeezed in as much as we could. We visited the National Elk Refuge, created in 1912 to protect habitat and provide sanctuary for one of the largest elk herds on earth. It is home to 7,500 elk each winter. The elk herd survives the hard winters of Jackson through a supplementary feeding program. The elk shed their antlers and the Boy Scouts collect the antlers to sell with 75% of the proceeds returned to the refuge to help feed the elk. The largest single herd of bison, (1000+) under federal management, also winter in the refuge.

National Elk Refuge- No elk in the summer. This is their winter home.

Elk Antlers

Moose Antlers

The next day we went rafting on the Snake river one. The scenery was absolutely beautiful!

Heading north from Jackson, it’s only a few miles to the Grand Tetons. We took the Jenny Lake ferry and then hiked to Inspiration Point. It was uphill for a mile and just about kicked our collective asses! The view was worth it and the weather was the perfect. Hiking down we broke out into song; “The hills are alive…with the sound of music.” It looked just like the Swiss/Italian Alps! Such beauty! At times, I could not believe my own eyes!

After dropping Reine at the Jackson airport, Mary and I visited the National Museum of Wildlife Art. The museum preserves and exhibits wildlife art. The 51,000 square foot building was inspired by the ruins of Slains Castle in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The building overlooks the National Elk Refuge and contains truly stunning art of the Jackson and Yellowstone area. Our favorite exhibit was the photographs of endangered species by National Geographic photographer, Joel Satore. Joel is on a 25-year endeavor to document every captive animal species in the world using studio lighting and black and white backgrounds. Thus far, he has photographed 6,500 different species, which leaves approximately 6,000 to go. Joel chronicles his project in his book, The Photo Ark. Here are a few of his photos. Learn more here.

I didn’t realize that it was only going to get more amazing in Yellowstone.

West Yellowstone, Montana

We drove through Grand Teton NP and Yellowstone NP on Hwy 191 to arrive at West Yellowstone and our base camp for visiting Yellowstone National Park. What a beautiful drive! We camped at Yellowstone Holiday RV park on Hebgen Lake. It was a very nice campground with views of the lake. Unfortunately, the smoke in the air got progressively worse during our stay. The last time I visited Yellowstone I was 19 years old and the only thing I remembered was Old Faithful. Was I in for a surprise!

Ever heard of Earthquake Lake? Yeah…me either. On the way to our campground we saw signs for Earthquake Lake on Hwy 287. One afternoon we drove the 17 miles to the visitor center and were astounded that we had never heard of Earthquake Lake and the event from which it was formed. The lake was created after a 7.5 earthquake struck on August 17, 1959, causing an 80-milliom ton landslide, which dammed up the Madison River. The landslide traveled down the south flank of Sheep Mountain, at 100 miles per hour and killed 28 people who were camping along the shores of Hebgen Lake and downstream along the Madison River. The visitor center is built on the top of part of the landslide. There are first hand accounts displayed in the visitor center. Downright chilling as we were camped on the edge of Hebgen Lake. Learn more about this event and its aftermath here.

The rest of our time was spent exploring Yellowstone National Park. Gerard did the research and we were able to cover three of the four sections of the park. We missed the northeast section of the park including the Lamar Valley. We did visit Madison Junction to Old Faithful including the Midway Geyser Basin, the Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basic, the Canyon Area (Grand Canyon of Yellowstone), Firehole Lake Drive and Haden Valley, Fishing Bridge Lake Village on Yellowstone Lake, the West Thumb Geyser Basic and, of course, Old Faithful.

Yellowstone NP is the most unique park I’ve visited. Yellowstone is a giant volcano caldera with hot springs, mudpots, fumaroles (steam vents) and travertine terraces. It’s crazy to realize that we were standing 3 to 5 miles above the hot magna that is our earth and could erupt at any minute! Yellowstone is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is a major area in the basic in of the Pacific Ocean where a large number of earthquakes and volcanos eruptions occur. Learn more here.

Another lesson learned…don’t visit Yellowstone in the summer. It was very crowded which made it difficult to relax and really soak in the natural marvels. We tried going to the park early, late and in between. Between the traffic accidents and the animals in the road, there were many delays. We didn’t let this spoil our visit, but I learned my lesson. I definitely will return to Yellowstone, probably in the spring. Here are just a few of the photos I took at Yellowstone.

Next stop Glacier National Park!

Benson, Bisbee, and Tombstone, AZ

April 1, 2017May 20, 2017 by Rochelle F

After the Escapade 57 RV Rally in Tucson, I travelled a whopping 30 miles south on I10 to Benson, Arizona. Benson was my home base for exploring the small towns of Benson, Bisbee, Tombstone and the Chiricahua National Monument. I also become a member of the Willcox Elks!

Benson

Benson is a city in Cochise County east-southeast of Tucson. It was founded as a rail terminal for the area, and still serves as such. The population of the city is around 5,105. There is an Escapees Park in Benson: Saguaro RV Park. The Escapees have many RV parks around the country. The parks offer co-op ownership for seasonal (or permanent) parking and open sites for temporary stays. The fee for a first time visitor is $50 for a week with full hookups. That is an incredible price! The park is located just a couple miles south of Benson. Most people here are fellow Escapees and are very welcoming and friendly.

I’m an Elk!

The first item on my agenda was to attend the induction ceremony at the Willcox Elk’s Lodge. Many of you are wondering why I would join the Elks. Well…here’s why. Most Elks Lodges offer RV sites with hook ups and a built in network of people that can recommend places in the area and provide help if needed. The lodges are safe, friendly places for solo woman RVers. The lodge was recruiting new members at the Escapade 57 so I jumped on the opportunity. Fifty-six Escapees where inducted on Monday night. As the ceremony began, I couldn’t help thinking back to my time as a Rainbow girl. The induction was very similar. Joining Rainbows was one of the smartest moves I made as a 12 year old! I learned so much about networking, giving to the community, making friends, public speaking and of course memorizing the rituals. I’ll never forget the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, blue, green, indigo and violet. Now that I’m literally a card carrying member of the Elk’s Lodge, in the future I will take advantage of their RV sites. Especially the Lodges located in cities that I want to visit.

Bisbee

Tuesday I headed 45 miles south to Bisbee. Bisbee is a small former mining town turned tourist area. It reminded me of Jerome, Arizona near Sedona.

“In 1877, a reconnaissance detail of U.S. army scouts and cavalrymen was sent to the Mule Mountains to search the area for renegade Apaches. What civilian tracker Jack Dunn found instead were signs of mineralization indicating the presence of lead, copper and possibly silver. The first mining claim was staked in what would later become the City of Bisbee. The filing of this claim, and a multitude of others sent prospectors and speculators scurrying to the Mule Mountains in hopes of striking it rich. Numerous ore bodies were located, and Bisbee soon became known as the Queen of the Copper Camps.” Thanks DiscoverBisbee.com.

I visited the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum. With a history deserving of National Landmark status, the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum joined forces with the Smithsonian’s Affiliation Program. Once known as The Queen of the Copper Camps, Bisbee is located in the Mule Mountains, and known for its diverse minerals and wealth of copper. The first floor of the museum contains exhibits on Bisbee’s colorful history and the second floor provides information on mining and the various minerals found in the mines. Here is just a few of the “rocks” found in the mines.

On the second floor you enter through a changehouse (where the miners changed into their mining clothes) before winding through an underground mine with minerals, a crystal cave, and the history of hard-rock miners who blasted, drilled, and mucked more than 2,000 miles of tunnels through the surrounding mountains. The invention and implementation of electricity in homes and workplaces increased the demand for copper, a great conductor of electricity. You then segue into today’s world of open-pit mining, where new technologies address challenges posed by a high-demand marketplace and low-grade ore.

To learn more about the museum click here. If you find yourself in Bisbee, do not miss the museum. It is time well spent.

After lunch, a visit to the Bisbee Brewing Company was in order. I find myself sampling flights of craft beers and discovering I like a wider variety of beer. I explain to the bartender my taste in beer (smooth taste, not hoppy and slightly sweet). The bartender picks the samples for me and the tasting begins. It is fun, tasty and supports small beer businesses. An all-around win!

Chiricahua National Monument

Thursday I drove to Chiricahua National Monument to explore. It is an isolated mountain range rising above the surrounding grassland sea. The Chiricahua Apache call the pinnacles “standing up rocks”. The rocks are the results of eruptions of the Turkey Creek Volcano 26 million years ago and 1200 square miles of spewed ash. The super-heated ash melted together, forming layers of gray rock called rhyolite. Cooling and uplifting created joints and cracks in the rhyolite. Years of weathering and ice wedging and erosion by water enlarged the cracks. Weaker material washed away leaving an endless variety of spires, balanced rocks and other shapes. The national monument was established in 1924. I took the eight-mile drive to the summit at Massai Point for the bird’s eye view of the area. This, out of the way, national monument is definitely worth a visit. For more info on Chiricahua National Monument click here.

Tombstone

What do I have to say about Tombstone? Everyone probably knows a little about this old west town. Tombstone is a historic city in Cochise County, founded in 1879. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. The town prospered from about 1877 to 1890, during which time the town’s mines produced $40 to $85 million in silver bullion, the largest productive silver district in Arizona. Its population grew from 100 to around 14,000 in less than seven years. It is best known as the site of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and now draws most of its revenue from tourism.

I’ll be leaving Benson tomorrow to head back up to Casa Grande to wait for my dear friend Sandy Sikora to fly in from Michigan. We will be Queens of the Road (tiaras and all, thanks to Jane) for two weeks. Don’t know where we will travel. But, rest assured, it will be an adventure!