We Were ridin' Into The Sunset

Little Baby Tarantula

A miracle happened this morning. Something so unbelievably unreal, that all I could say "WOW".

My phone rang and a glance onto the display read "NAPA Auto Parts". Now, was it that they had given all up on the van or did they already close for Thanksgiving???

None of the above. The lady said "Your van is ready".

WOW!

There it was. Our adventures along US Highways could continue.

I told Yves about it, and his eyes lit up. Ready to go? Ready to go!

Last evening in WHY

Arriving at the shop I saw the van parked outside the gate. It was like an apparition. After 8 days in the shop, it was finally ready to serve us again.

I quickly crawled under the van to check on the cables - they were all shiny new. I tried the shifter.... it worked just fine.

After paying up (it wasn't so bad) I drove over to Olsen's groceries, filled up 2 5-gal water containers got a few more groceries and made it over to the gas station. Compared to other places in AZ, Ajo takes the cake when it comes to the highest gas prices. Cheapest was $4.05 (minus my rebate). Even out in Gila Bend, which is notoriously expensive, the price of gas was significantly ($3.59) lower. But we needed a fill-up.

We also needed a fill of a 7gal. Propane tank. There was a station on the other side of the road, and that's where I went. Price tag said 4.89/gal. What?

I know that even in California propane is $3.99. What on earth is wrong here in Ajo? I guess local town council has decided to take advantage of the fact that the town is enroute to Mexico, thus increasing local taxes and that everybody needs to stop for fill-ups. Well, I wouldn't want to stay there for the winter. 

Btw. the BLM in Why is a great place to stay for the allotted 14 days, we loved the views and the walks and lately even some friendly people stopped by to say hello.

But the camp can never be home for us. Simply because "Home" for us is at the Holtville Hot Springs BLM.

After we had dumped our waste water at the Coyote Howls RV Park ($12) we hit the highway 85, first north to Gila Bend then following I-8 via Yuma,AZ all the way to Holtville.

Mural in AJO

I can get a kick out of Bea's comments when we are approaching the BLM Camp. "I can see the water tower" "Now I can see the Power Plant", and needless to say I can't but getting excited myself and now I have to control my gas foot, cause in CA vehicles with trailers cannot exceed 55mph.

We had started from Why around 1:30pm and were now heading west against the setting sun. Minutes after the sun had gone below the mountain range in Mexico, we arrived at the LTVA. (Long Term Visitor Area)

Thanksgiving traffic on I-8 near Yuma

Our Turn-off

We found "our spot" marked off with lights and a funny reminder of a disastrous pie I once made: "The Cherry Chisel Cake". How sweet of friends to remind me that I should not mess around with pie baking anymore. :-))

Even after it got dark, friends came by to welcome us in camp. It was just wonderful.

We are tired now, but I need to say that we are not the only ones being happily back here. Dixie went to inspect her old spots right away and I am so amazed with her ability to remember certain geographical locations.

The Continuing Saga

 Aah...this was to be THE morning where we would receive a call letting us know that our van would be ready for pickup. After breakfast we did our Dixie-morning walk. It was a bit chilly when starting out, but warmed quickly so that I got rid of my sweater. The sky was super blue, not a single cloud to see.

Returning to camp site, Yves and Louise were up and outside with their coffees enjoying the nice morning. Chatting away with them the time flew by quickly. Since I had had a bad sleep last night, I napped a bit on the couch.

Before I knew it, it was lunch time. Hours ago, I had wondered why the shop hadn't called yet. So now I grabbed the phone and dialed their number. The news I got was simply devastating. The part from the GM-dealership had not arrived and after talking to the dealer it became clear that it was never shipped either.

What in the world?????

Yes, we would have to wait yet another day, but tomorrow, Wednesday, the part would definitely be in Ajo.

Honestly, I have given up all hope of getting the van back before Thanksgiving. Wednesday will be the last day before everything closes until Monday or even Tuesday which will then mark 14 days here at Why, when the plan was 3-4 days only.

I am furious about such sloppy business attitude and wonder whether I have landed in a desolate part of Africa or whether this indeed is the United States.

So here we are awaiting another day in the Arizona desert.

We Still Haven't Made It To California

 And you might just imagine why we are still hanging out in WHY,AZ. Of course, it is the ongoing drama with our van.

Today was supposedly the day when our van would be fully repaired, with transmission shifter cables installed. After calling at 8:15am I learned that the parts had arrived. At around 12:30pm I called again and was told the van would be ready in another hour. Half an hour later our friend Yves drove me to town. After getting some drinking water and a few groceries, it was time to pick up the van. 

We quickly found out that the van was still on the hoist. Oh boy!

Then we were told that a tiny safety washer clip was missing. It was a crucial part as it would hold the 2 wires together. It didn't come with the new cables and Napa didn't have it. Needless to say, I was very disappointed.

We went back to the town center where we had a coffee and a pastry. (yummy! ]

We did a walk around the old Spanish plaza, then I called the shop again. They had now ordered it from a GM dealer (in Phoenix?) and it would be in Ajo in the morning.

Naturally, I am wondering why there hadn't been this washer clip when the cable had been taken out? Did the mechanic lose it? (it's really tiny) Or hadn't it been there at all? Questions without answers.

What we did get an answer for is that the lower cable had never been replaced at the Chevrolet Dealership in Freehold, NJ. That makes a lot of sense, as I discovered the cobber wire which I had put on it, was still wrapped around the gear lever at the transmission, when it failed again here at the BLM.

The shifter cables made by DORMAN come with a really crappy bushing. So NAPA has replaced it right away with a better bushing.

Now all we have to do is wait for another day, and another attempt to pick up the van.

Interestingly our van hasn't been the only vehicle which got in trouble out here.

Yesterday late afternoon we saw that another van had pulled up not far from us. What was strange about it was the position with the rear hanging sort of down in a hole.

Shortly after I was approached by the owner of said van, a young German lady who was in dire need of help. It turned out that she had tried to drive through a small wash, but underestimated the climb on the far side. Since her van was an extended Ford Transit with a long rear overhang and on top of that a mounted Bike rack on the receiver hitch, she got hung up in the rear, in the process damaging here waste water pipe as well.

Yves had a shovel and we dug like crazy to free the rear from the hard gravel she got stuck in. At the end, we tried to throw rocks and pieces of wood incl. a chain under the rear tires, but nothing helped.

The Transit just getting pulled out

Bettina, got stuck there for the night.

This morning she called the same company I had used last Monday and a lady driver operator showed up. With the help of a winch the van got out of the ditch and Bettina looked much happier.

Afterwards we had a little chat with her and learned that she was on a one-year adventure trip in North America, starting her trip in Alberta, Canada where relatives gave her the van. Talk about an adventurous lady!

And this, dear readers, were the doings of the adventure team, Bea, Peter and Dixie for today. But I am sure there is more to come.

The Sunsets Of The Deserts

 We have heard it several times: What are you doing in the desert? Why are you staying in the desert?

The questions deserve an answer. First of all, there is the weather. Dry and warm air persists throughout the winter.

Rain is extremely rare. And when it comes in February/March the desert turns into a flower garden.

The Desert is not overcrowded like f.e.x Florida is during winter months. If one seeks solitude, one can find it in the desert. 

The areas S.California, Arizona and partly Nevada offer BLM areas, where folk may set up camp, either in 14-day free-areas or with a permit valid for 7 months for $180. This is by far, the most budget-friendly solution for camping. Just 2 - 3 days in an average private campground could cost you the same amount. 

Most areas are so spacious that you will not have to park anywhere near "the other rig". Eastern states do not offer BLM areas for camping.

Deserts are natural and in most cases undisturbed areas where the view and experiences in nature are abundant. And part of the latter are stunningly beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

What I haven't mentioned yet: We have always met our best friends in the desert. There we find folks with similar interests, most of whom pursue a simple lifestyle close to basic needs.

Another thing why we really like to stay at BLM is the personal freedom. Naturally, common courtesy is required also in a BLM camp, but the limits are generously set. You want a campfire at your site? Go build one and invite your neighbours. Look up in the dark sky and you'll see millions of stars. 

The desert invites to desert walks. With open eyes you may see and follow natural life on the ground. Special insects, coyotes, birds, lizards and so much more lives on the desert floor. And yes, snakes are part of it, but there is no reason to be afraid of them. During cooler winter days they hibernate. Night temps are cool or even cold. The ground doesn't retain the higher day temps, and snakes and lizards become sluggish to immobile and don't appear in the open during winter days.

These are the most prevalent reasons why we and others are seeking the desert, rather than doing camping in a strictly regulated RV Resort, where the yearly fees can be thousands of Dollars.