Flight of the Blue Emu

[Blue Emu]

The Emu is a flightless bird, so we have to travel in Steel Buses.

Aleda and I started full timing about two years ago. We send a monthly 'newsletter' to family and friends, and some of them insisted that I share it on the WOG. I don't know if this is going to be a good idea, but I've been kicked off by Finn before, what's one more time between friends. (wink).

Here is our April email, and I will post each months here until I am told to stop or we just flat run out of fuel.

APRIL 2018

Thankfully, What Happens In Vegas, Stays In Vegas.

In early April we left the valley of the sun (Mesa/Phoenix) and traveled North to the Burro Creek Campground. Located in the foothills of Arizona about half way between St. George and Phoenix is this very excellent little camp ground. It is well off the highway and down in a canyon right by one of the very few running creeks with actual water in it.

For a couple of years we have been joining with some other owners who have BlueBird Motorhomes for a weekend of food, fun and frivolity. Usually this gathering is at the end of March, but this year it was delayed until the second weekend in April. Surprisingly two weeks makes a big difference in the average temperature and this year our gathering was plenty warm.

Aleda and some of the other women went down to the creek and enjoyed playing in the water while the guys stayed at home talking the mechanics of motorhome ownership. Each evening we shared what we had for a fun pot luck and since the group is only about 5 or 6 couples it is easy to sit around the fire afterwards and sharing thoughts and dreams. We were blessed with some crystal clear nights and without light pollution from Phoenix, gazing into the heavens at all the stars was very cathartic.

One of the group was a very accomplished acoustical guitar player, and while he didn’t sing, he sat there, gently playing some traditional South American classical guitar. I can’t describe how comfortable, soothing and relaxing the experience was for me. The dying embers of a camp fire, a warm summer evening, spectacular star gazing with a quiet classical Spanish guitar playing softly through the night.

The excitement came when we noticed a Western Diamond-back Rattle Snake slowly come out of the bushes slither across the sand on his way to the river. We knew that snakes and scorpions live in the desert but we didn’t expect to see one this early in the year.

After a relaxing weekend with friends, we traveled back down into the valley to the small town of Congress, Arizona. Here at Congress the RV club called “Escapees” has purchased a large tract of land and created a massive winter campground called, “North Ranch”. During the peak snowbird season the ‘Ranch’ is booked solid all winter, but after Easter our snowbird friends from Canada and the cold winter lands of north start heading home. We were able to secure a site for a week while we relaxed with full hookups waiting for better weather in Utah.

One of our motives for coming to Congress was so we could explore and get to know the Arizona town of Prescott. (The locals don’t say the ‘scott’ in Prescott, but rather pronounce it more like PRESS-cut). Surprising to me Prescott is high in the mountains. Not as high and as far north as Flagstaff, but at 6-thousand feet is it one of the higher town in Arizona. The weather there is not as hot in the summer, but still fairly mild in the winter. Almost a perfect climate combination and it shows in the elevated property values from retirees from California bidding up the prices. While exploring around Prescott we enjoyed a fantastic blackened Cajun chicken lunch in a hotel restaurant which has been in continuous operation for over 100 years.

After our week in Congress we headed back to Las Vegas. We had a small warranty repair on our Generator, and also wanted to have some last time with Scott before we headed north for the summer. We were only in Las Vegas for a week, but it was a great time with Scott. Our small warranty issue was a very slow leak of diesel fuel from the generator and it was quickly fixed. We took advantage of being parked at the Diesel service shop and also had the oil changed on the motorhome.

Las Vegas is a confusing town. All around the perimeter it is a normal sprawling south-western town. Modest homes, wide streets, diverse population. Somewhere almost anyone would enjoy living. But in the center of Las Vegas it is anything but a normal town. No office buildings, just hotels and casinos. Glitter, bright lights, flamboyant shows and some very unusual people. Vegas has its share of prostitutes and homeless to be sure, but also there is a sub-population who seem to live in an unreal constant fantasy. These people seem to dress flashy, have lots of cash, and act like they are in a constant state of make believe. They are loud, obnoxious, surreal and shallow. Some have drug habits, some addicted to gambling, and some just “there” with no obvious reason, goal or purpose.

Fortunately these ‘special’ people don’t seem to want to live anywhere else, and frankly that is fine with me. I am so glad that in this case what happens in Las Vegas, only happens in Las Vegas, and of course it stays in Las Vegas.

We miss being able to see Scott anytime, but we weren’t sorry to leave “Sin City” and finally head north to Salt Lake City. We broke the trip into two days so that we could arrive in Salt Lake early. Once again we are staying in the back yard of a man we met online. A kind individual who allows us to park on his property at a very reasonable price. On top of that, we have water, sewer and power just like any high end RV resort.

We are here for our annual doctor visits, a check on our property here, fix some sprinklers, check out the irrigation system, get the early season fertilizer down, and then we will be back on the road by Mother’s Day. As far as we know nobody from Las Vegas followed us confirming that… Thankfully what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

[Harold,Cat&Sam]

Entertaining read , thanks.

[biobug]

You are a master story teller and writer too! We camped next to you at Q 2 years ago and we had a stream with actual water. In Arizona too! I believe it was a natural spring that came from under your coach.. I sniffed it so I know it was fresh.
Glad things are going well for you two. We may not park in the circle next year as we both are on CPaps now. We might be relagated to the back 40. But our generator makes no noise, well when I take out my hearing aids anyway. See you at Q Comadore!

[MarkYuma]

But the best place to be is in Yuma during the winter months.
Are you still up around Rushmore?

[Skidder]

John:

Thanks for sharing. Keep up the publication of your journey. Very much appreciated.