February 25: Still Lake Havasu

 So still in Lake Havasu City waiting for the Barbie Jeep to get fixed.  Seems the carburetor also needs to be redone... its what happens when you buy a 27 year old car I suppose.  Did some fun stuff though...

Started visiting all the lighthouses - they are all replicas of 'famous' ones for example the Fire Ireland lighthouse off Long Island - the first lighthouse the immigrants would see coming from Europe.

Castle rock - short hike north of Havasu

Castle rock view - the upstream end of the lake

A great aloo dal (lentils and potato) - always a challenge to cook in a small space, but it worked out great.

Learning all the plants of the Sonoran desert is going well (ish)

Fun part is having a cactus garden in the State Park next door

Bunny ear vs Beaver tail vs Cow tongue cactus...

The obligatory lighthouse and sunset

It does look somewhat Caribbean

and the bridge

Also clocked 2000 miles in about 2 years...

and then on Friday night went out to Mustang Sally's - the band was called Mr Max but they did an excellent job on Hendrix, Stones and rock and roll covers.

This sums up Havasu City - gun store next to an Arts theater.

Pets at the pool - look closely and there are 2 humming birds in a nest.  I still do not understand the many humming birds in the desert with no apparent flowers.

Sunday went for a ride of about 7miles - all uphill and then a further 2 miles of walking uphill to get to an old abandoned mine (which I found) and a waterfall (which I did not find) and then all the way back again - which was luckily all downhill.  Spot the can...

but the view was beautiful

February 19, 2024: Lake Havasu City

 

So, missed out on last weeks post, but still stationary in Lake Havasu City - crazy town - see the history here... 

The whale went in for its mani-pedi and quite a bit of money later is sounding really well.  Unfortunately we are still waiting on 2 parts so it will have to go in again later in the month (which will cost a lot more $$$$), maar nou ja, so is life.

Good news is that I finally bought a toad - a car to pull behind the RV.  Definitely going to need it going up the west coast.  Its a Suzuki Samurai (a Barbi jeep) - less than 2000 lbs weight, however, it is a 1987 model, so has some miles on it.

It is at the shop still as it needs a head gasket and some TLC, but still a good buy and a great TOAD.

Except for doing a lot of cycling around Lake Havasu, also did some hiking in Sara State park - they have a pyrotechnic festival there (last week) where manufacturers from all over the world come and have firework displays for ??? someone.  I am not a big fan of fireworks as I find it gets boring very quickly, so did not see any of it.  The hike however, was awesome.

Lots of holes - not so much arches, but...

Going through the crack

Beautiful vistas

Will be staying in the Campbell Cove RV park for a month - Whale stuff and Barbi things to get done.  Its not all bad, and the Rockability festival was this past weekend...  

Becoming a water volleyball expert.  Starts at about 1 and goes to 5 with lots of libations...

Valentines day.  Love the owl on the roof...

Stopped off at the local Yacht club.  Flashed my Quartzsite member card and got a drink on the house + got introduced to the Commodore and the whole crew.  Lots of fun.

Note the pistol gear lever - only in Arizona

For the South Africans...

If Dad cannot afford his own hotrod

Small difference in emphasis with my 60th one...

Lots of Elvis and polka dots everywhere, but the music was great.

 

So here until mid-March and hopefully by then everything will be ship-shape..

February 4, 2024: Back with the Whale

 

Landed in Vegas at 10:50 local time (but past 12 in Boston) with a long day ahead

Where it will all be happening on Sunday (for the non-Americans... the Superbowl which will be between Taylor Swift and the heathens from San Francisco)

So flew back to Las Vegas on the 3rd to get the Whale out of storage and back on the road.

After a few sleepless night imagining mice feasting on the RV wiring, people stealing the catalytic converters and the batteries being flat, turns out it was all for nought.  The RV started first time, the converters were still in place and the mice droppings, etc. I had found when I packed the Whale away was old and my theory is that the mice decided to stay at the beach in Ventura rather than spend the winter in Vegas...

Headed for Arizona Charlie's RV park and casino to go shake everything out and stay in one place while the great pineapple express storm system wreaked havoc with California and cause 3 days of (not torrential, but lots) rain in Vegas.

Plans going forward...

Heading out to Lake Havasu on Wednesday as I have the Whale checked in for some TCL - engine checkout, lubes, etc. as it has done over 10,000 miles and except for oil changes has not really been looked at.  I did notice there was some lack of power going up some of those California mountains when I was driving back from the beach, so it is probably time.

Will then spend the next month looking for a toad (a pull-behind-the-RV car) somewhere between Vegas and Phoenix.  On the 16th of March Gene arrives in Los Angeles for 3 weeks to see how remote working is going to work for her in the RV.  We are planning to hook up with Greg and Loretta (locals) in Burbank and then drive up the coast together for a week or so - local knowledge is key.  Biggest problem is going to be how much of the PCH (route 1) has been washed away.  We already know we cannot make it all the way up to San Fransisco as the road is closed about halfway up the PCH.  Fun part is that when we did the 'round America' RV trip in 2008 Route 1 was also closed around Big Sur due to fires... this time it is water.

Any case we will go up as far as we can with Greg before they leave for southern Texas to see the eclipse while we will double back and then go around to Monterey and drive down to the Big Sur areas from there.  Gene flies out of San Francisco on the 6th of April - just in time to see the eclipse in Vermont.

I will then continue up the coast to Crescent City, Northern California and then through Oregon to Seattle.  Hope to get there sometime in the summer.