San Diego - Provisioning for The Baja

San Diego Bound!

Before we left Yuma on Monday morning, we stopped at Ed Whitehead's Tire Pros for new trailer tires.  Gonzo Muñoz (store manager shown in the picture below) provided much technical and safety related  information earlier in the week so I could research and decide.  A little homework and I came to realize that the tires on the RV were not as specified on the invoice for the trailer. After some digging, I found the correct tires required for the trailer (a higher load rating).  My research confirmed Gonzo's excellent advice!




After a stop 50 miles down the road to re-torque the wheels, we were on our way!    Along the way, we passed through the Imperial Sand Dunes.  We found out that the first roads over the sand dunes in Arizona and California were actually wooden roads.  As the sand dunes shifted, they could disassemble the roads and move the sections to a more easily passable area. Who knew?

When you look at the dunes, you get an idea of why they did this.

After some hectic driving along San Diego's major thoroughfares, we arrived at our resort - the Chula Vista RV Resort on the Chula Vista Marina.  As you can probably appreciate, the real estate value of such a place is very high, so the spaces are a tad compact for a 38' trailer with two slides.

As you can see our canopy touches the hedge border to our property line, so we are cozy to say the least.

But, as you can see from above photos, the view from our camp site is worth it!!

While on one of our walks around the marina, we were fortunate enough to see a tall ship in harbour.

She is called the Bill of Rights, and she is owned by the South Bayfront Sailing Association (more about her here - SBFSA).  We were lucky enough to have an impromptu tour of the ship with Don Johnson, one of the volunteers.

He told us of a tour that they do at Christmas time called the Parade of Lights through San Diego Bay.  Sonya had read about this (in one of her many tour books) and wanted to wander through the area to see the lights.  Of course, we had to sign up right away to be able to sail aboard the Bill of Rights through the bay area, rather than walk or drive.

Provisioning begins!

As with any trailer trip, there are always repairs or alterations.  One of the things that the caravan leaders suggested was a two prong plug with a ground cable attached so that you can manually ground the electrical.  They also said that you need to be able to reverse the plug, as polarity can be reversed while in Mexico.  Good thing I brought my dremel and soldering iron!

I also ordered an Autoformer (what the heck is that?) when we got here.  The Hughes Autoformer is a surge protector and voltage booster that protects the RV from power spikes as well as low voltage or high voltage situations. The darn thing weighs 35 lbs, but can protect from having to purchase a new refrigerator, air conditioner or water heater!  Just another form of insurance.

 In addition to new tires, I installed a tire pressure monitoring system on the truck and trailer.  The guides also suggested that we bring along belts and hoses as these are not that easy to get along the Baja peninsula.

Here is all the stuff that needs to be stored!

One of the things that Sonya brought along was an AED -yes,  an Automated Electronic Defibrillator.  As our friends Dianna and Gord are not traveling with us, I am pretty sure that we will be the only ones with an AED on board!

Not to be outdone in the provisioning department, Sonya provisioned up with beans, spices, nuts, 3 (yes 3!) bottles of Sriracha sauce,  a 38 day supply of tofu and of course a new cookbook on Mexican cuisine.

In order to give you a taste of our trip, Sonya has provided the following recipe for "Not Your Mama's Party Mix", (an update on Christmas Nuts and Bolts recipe) from The Veggie-Lovers Sriracha Cookbook.

3 cups wheat squares cereal (such as Wheat Chex)
3 cups rice squares cereal (such as Rice Chex)
3 cups corn squares cereal (such as Corn Chex)
3 cups toasted oat cereal (such as Cheerios)
2 cups pretzel sticks
1 - 10 oz can cocktail peanuts
1 - 10 oz can fancy mixed nuts
1 cup melted coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, or a mixture of the two
1/2 cup Sriracha (YUP 1/2 cup!)
3 tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos or low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F
Assemble all the cereals and other dry ingredients in a big roasting pan.
In a measuring cup mix the coconut oil, Sriracha, liquid aminos (soy sauce), and garlic powder.
Drizzle over the cereal mixture while stirring gently until everything is coated.
Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Let cool slightly before serving.
Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, it keeps for 1 month.
This recipe will really light up those old Christmas Nuts and Bolts!

REMEMBER - it is a bit warm and spicy - so what goes in also comes out a bit warm and spicy!

Our Itinerary for  38 day adventure  (22 STOPS IN 38 DAYS!):

Location	Arrive	Days	Depart
Potrero, CA	2016-11-07	1	2016-11-08
Tecata / Ensenada	2016-11-08	2	2016-11-10
El Pabellon-Lazaro Cardenas	2016-11-10	2	2016-11-12
Catavina	2016-11-12	1	2016-11-13
Guerrero Negro	2016-11-13	1	2016-11-14
San Ignacio	2016-11-14	1	2016-11-15
Bahia Concepcion	2016-11-15	3	2016-11-18
Loreto	2016-11-18	3	2016-11-21
El Centenario	2016-11-21	1	2016-11-22
Tecolote	2016-11-22	3	2016-11-25
Rancho Verde	2016-11-25	1	2016-11-26
Los Cabos / Cabo San Lucas	2016-11-26	4	2016-11-30
Pescadero	2016-11-30	2	2016-12-02
La Paz	2016-12-02	2	2016-12-04
Puerto Escondido	2016-12-04	1	2016-12-05
Bahia Concepcion	2016-12-05	3	2016-12-08
Mulege	2016-12-08	2	2016-12-10
Guerrero Negro	2016-12-10	1	2016-12-11
Bahia de Los Angeles	2016-12-11	2	2016-12-13
Catavina	2016-12-13	1	2016-12-14
Vicente Guerrero	2016-12-14	1	2016-12-15
Valley of Guadalupe	2016-12-15	1	2016-12-16
Tecate	2016-12-16

Sonya's sister Diane thought that we may be a bit bored on this part of the trip and should look for a little more variety!

At Potrero, we have the advantage of doing a Hudson Bay Start. Our friend Ken always suggests a Hudson Bay Start!  What is a Hudson Bay Start you ask?

 Well, fur trapping and exploration in Rupert’s Land (Canada of Old) in the 1600s must have been a high risk job to say the least. The trappers would have to survive on their own in the wilderness so having the right supplies in the correct amounts was literally a matter of life and death. To minimise this risk the trappers developed a technique known as the ‘Hudson Bay Start’.

The Hudson Bay Start was a test. A test to make sure the trappers had the right equipment before they headed off into the wilderness. They would pack up as if they were going to leave for the season but only canoe a short distance and camp overnight to make sure they had neither forgotten anything, nor taken too much. They would then return home, correct any mistakes, before heading out for real.

While Potrero is our "Hudson Bay Start" I don't expect to be able to convince Sonya to leave any of her cookbooks behind!!!

Until next time hasta luego,

Paul & Sonya

In and Around Yuma

The city first called Colorado City, then renamed Arizona City, and now YUMA!

After our first day of touring it was time to set up the gear we bought in Wellton.  As many snowbirds know, the sun is quite potent down here.  As it descends away from North America it gets lower on the horizon, so trying to read in the afternoon (if the patio side of your RV faces west) is nigh impossible without some form of shade. So these awning extensions are Sonya's first reno project of the year!




This provides excellent shade and keeps the area cool enough to sit outside even though the mercury rises to the mid 90s during the day!

After we got that set up, we were off to the Yuma State Prison.  Yuma ended up as the State Prison because of a rigged vote (where have we heard this before?)!  After voting on the State Capitol, everyone went to lunch.  The Yuma representative changed the proposed location for the prison by scratching out Phoenix  and replacing it with Yuma on the voting ballot.  When the legislators came back from a late lunch, they were in a hurry to complete the business of the legislature and hurried the passage of the bill - no one noticed it said "Yuma"!

Sonya thought that I would look good in gray and white.  You can decide for yourself.

The prison itself was originally considered by the inmates almost unbearable.  It was called the hellhole because of the suffocating heat in the summer.

After the second warden, Thomas Gates, came around, he installed electricity, sanitation, and forced ventilation to cool the areas during the summer heat.  It even had a library with 2,000 books.  Now the prison enjoyed more amenities than folks in town.  The locals called the place the "Country Club on the Colorado".

This will give you a sense of what it was like.




The prisoners were transferred to the new state prison in Florence in 1909 and the Yuma prison was closed.  It was used as the Yuma High School from 1910 to 1914.  After traveling to Phoenix to play football,  the Yuma team won the game in the last few seconds of the game.  A Phoenix reporter overheard a lady say, "It was criminal the way they stole that game."  The next day the headline read "Yuma Criminals Steal Game".  The Yumans decided to turn the tables by wearing the unusual name and took on the Criminals as their team name - a name that stands to this day.

Afterwards it was happy hour, so we headed back to Lutes Casino.  Our waiter talked us into the Lutes Especiale.  I call it a heart attack on a plate!  It is a hamburger and hot dog combination with their own mix of condiments.  It was tasty, but definitely not vegan or healthy!

We met one of the owners, Billy Lutes.  He played a tune for us, accompanied by his trusty Hallowe'en companion:

Our waiter claims that the Especiale is what gives him his strength.  You judge from the picture below:

On our way back to our trailer, we had to make a stop (one of several) at Wally's World.  For those in Edmonton, if you look at the picture, it will likely remind you of a very special hardware store in downtown Edmonton many years ago - WW ARCADE.

Sonya spotted these items below just outside the door.  They beg the question, "Who is the target audience for these anyway?"

Needless to say, we were a bit perplexed  as to who exactly would need these.  I suppose that in December and January, it can get down to the mid 30s (F) in temperature for a few minutes in the morning, which these folks would find unacceptably cold.

Speaking of being perplexed, they have an interesting road numbering system here:

While we were at lunch at Lutes, Billie asked us to come back on Saturday evening to help celebrate their 75th Anniversary.  The establishment has been there since 1901. The Lutes family have been proprietors continuously since 1941.  Billie is one of the 3rd generation owners, with his brother.

At the anniversary celebration, they had an array of talent playing piano, strings and other instruments throughout the day.  At Billie's suggestion, we went around 5 pm and were entertained by a group of students playing violin, viola and cello.  They were impressive for a group of junior high and high school students.

Sonya asked Billie what, in his opinion, was the most important thing he came to appreciate in all his years operating Lutes Casino.  He said, "All the people & staff here are individual, they are unique.  In all our years in business, we (Nancy, Bobby and me) still don't know what we are doing right, but it is working!"

Clearly he loves people, the secret ingredient in a meaningful life - it radiates from Billie!

After we came back to our trailer, it was time to sit outside in what Sonya calls the Sultan's tent.  It's about time she recognized me as Royalty!

On Sunday morning, we came into town to pick up some supplies before our trip to San Diego on Monday.  Sonya caught a snap of the many green fields in the Yuma area.  The Yuma area supplies 90% of the America's leafy greens from November to March.

It is number one in the state and number three nationally for overall vegetable production.

A vegan's delight!!!!

There is only one way to accomplish this in what is essentially desert.  It is mass use of the water provided by the Colorado river diverted through water canals and irrigation systems, some of which look like this one.

As we prepare to depart on Monday for San Diego, we leave you with a shot from our trailer at 7 pm in the evening, when it was 84 F.

Until next time, be well.

Paul & Sonya

Heading to Yuma (or 3:10 to Yuma for Movie Fans)

Driving, Driving Driving!

OK, anyone that says, “it’s the journey, not the destination”, has never had to pull a large trailer from Edmonton to Yuma in 4 days!

Day 1 – 9 hours of hard driving at 120KMs per hour whenever possible. 3 fuel stops to get to Great Falls, MT. It was quite cool, so we wimped out and took a hotel room instead of setting up the trailer and waiting for it to warm up. The hotel was right beside the Flying J, so parking the rig was easy.

Day 2 – 9 hours of driving at a slightly more leisurely pace, only 110! We got to Ogden (north of Salt Lake City) and de-winterized the trailer. I am a little rusty at de-winterizing, so it took me a couple of days to figure out why no hot water (more later).

Day 3 – The best time to go through the Salt Lake City corridor is Sunday morning when most people are at church. We made it to the Las Vegas Sam’s Town KOA just in time to avoid getting wet setting up the trailer. It rained a good part of the night and the next morning when we were leaving. Who would have thought rain storm in Vegas!

Oh yeah, I figured out how to get the hot water working so we could shower in our trailer. Sonya was thankful so that she didn’t have to walk in the rain to the camp showers. I said, “you’re going for a shower, what difference does it make if you get wet from the rain.” Anyway, we got away in the rain.

Day 4 – Hooray, the last day of travel! On to Yuma via US 95. After watching the rain pour down while we were leaving Las Vegas, the trip was for the most part uneventful. We went directly to Wellton (20 miles east of Yuma) to get some gear for the trailer.

On our way back to Yuma, we had a blow out and shredded the right rear tire of the trailer. As soon as I saw smoke out the mirror, I pulled over as quickly as was safe to do so. As luck (or not) would have it, we stopped on an overpass! Our Good Sam Roadside assistance came in very handy. The tow truck driver called Highway Patrol so that they would park behind to slow down and shift over traffic for us. 90 minutes after our flat, we were on our way to our Yuma home for 7 days – only to set up camp in pouring rain!!!



Here’s our tire:

Day 5 – Yuma

A little history lesson about Yuma. The first American to live within the bounds of what is now Yuma was a prostitute, and the first building was a combination restaurant, bar and the home of several ladies of the evening. The woman who built and operated the establishment was Sara Bowman. Standing six feet tall with blazing red hair and a body “filled out with ample endowments in the right spots”, Sarah was dubbed “The Great Western”. She was married three times but there is no record of any divorces. Lieutenant Edward Tuttle who attended her funeral recalled that when he first met her, she was serving as a laundress for the officers. He also remembered that when she died, the soldiers showed their affection for her by providing a funeral escort and firing a salute in her memory. History provided by Frank Love – professor of history at Arizona Western College.


Today we had lunch at Lutes Casino – a must see place when you visit Yuma. Arizona’s oldest pool hall and still going strong. Bobby Lutes says – “In the old days, there were some vicious fights with pool cues …, but not anymore.’ The “old days” date back to 1901.

Of course, no self-respecting Arizona bar / diner would be complete without a picture of Duke. Randy, this one is for you!

Then off to Martha’s Gardens Medjool Date Farm to learn about cultivating and harvesting dates in Arizona. This is an incredibly manual process with hand pollination, – 80 percent of the crop is manually thinned out in order to produce the perfect date – and then harvested by hand. No wonder dates are priced like gold in Canada!

Here is my special recipe for Medjool Caramel Dip:
1 cup cashews – cover with water and soak at room temp 2 – 3 hours

1 cup medjool dates – pitted – cover with water and soak 2 – 3 hours (save soaking water)

¼ pure maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

-drain and rinse the cashews – drain the dates and save the soaking water.

-place cashews in a blender – add dates and maple syrup, vanilla and salt – add 6 – 8 tbsp of date soaking water and blend until ultra-smooth

-serve with sliced fresh apples - hmmmm….

After Martha’s it was back to our RV Park. It is appropriate that we are staying at The Palms RV Park. As you can see, we were lucky to get a spot!

But what we really like about coming down here is this –

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for prison tour details as they become available!

All the best,

Paul & Sonya 

On The Road Again! (35 Stops in 164 Days)

We begin our trek south on October 20, 2016.

As Willie Nelson says in his song:

On the road again ...
Goin' places that I've never been.
Seein' things that I may never see again ...
And I can't wait to get on the road again.

This year our travels will take us to Southwest Arizona, Southern California (USA), and Baja California, Mexico.  We have 35 stops planned in our 5 months  away.

22 of these stops will occur during our Caravan tour (think newage Wagon Train!) of Baja California.  This tour will start in Tecate, just southeast of San Diego and go all the way down to Cabo San Lucas and back.  The total trip is about 3,800 kilometers (2,350 miles) round trip, plus any side trips.  The caravan trip begins November 7 - the day before the US elections!  Here is a link to the site of the tour operator:  Baja Amigos.   We are on their 38 day tour see here: 38 Day Tour.

There will be some boondocking days, as seen in the above picture (from our time in Quartzsite last year), but hopefully as scenic (or more so) than Quartzsite!

We will post when we can, so check back periodically, or enter your email below to be notified when a new page appears.

See you (virtually) soon!
Paul & Sonya