Saying See Ya Down The Road, Travel Adventure and A Few Questions Answered.

Our Location today is Niland, California, U.S.A. 

Even though we didn’t sleep as late as we had hoped to this morning it might have been a blessing in disguise. We finally got up around 7:30 MST after having slept with the windows wide open. Last Night’s temperature only dropped to 55 F (13 C) which actually felt hot after all the cold nights we had during our stay in Quartzsite. We weren’t really in a hurry to leave and since we still have time on our LTVA Permit the only reason to leave was to see something else. We could not have asked for a better site even though there were neighbours within a Stone’s Throw of us we still had plenty of space to spread out if we wanted like when I was working in the Basement. We will possibly return to this LTVA but since this is our first Winter in the Southwest we are in an Exploring Mode to see what we want and we’ll go back to explore deeper the places we really like. We didn’t get a chance to try the Hot Springs because it was just Too Crowded. 

L-R Harold, Pat, Sue and Lorne Green.
Ely and Charley in the shade.

We also had a slower start this morning because I was just too tired to close up our Computers last night which meant more work for this morning. We were in the final stages of hooking up the trailer this morning when the Camp Hosts stopped by to see if everything was Okay. When we simply explained that it was just “Time to Go” they invited us back for Next Winter which we will probably do. 

BLM El Centro Office

As we slowly drove heading out of the park we spotted Lorne Green by his RV so we parked nearby to spend a few more minutes rehashing some things we had already talked about. We managed to get a picture today, something we didn’t do yesterday because we forgot. Sue and Pat were happy we had given their dogs water yesterday and were even happier to hear about the Free Camping link that we have for readers on the bottom of our Blog. They also advised us that we might have better luck with our Shopping in El Centro then in Holtsville. As the intensity of the Sun started to become intolerable we headed off. 

Driving through Holtsville we still hoped to bolster their economy but looking at the delipidated exteriors of many of the buildings we finally were on our way to El Centro. 

Kathy thought these trees looked Spooky.

We had heard there was a Walmart there but since we needed Groceries and Fuel when we came across a Lucky Grocery Store we stopped there. While Kathy went inside to start her shopping I unhitched the trailer and locked the pin before getting Diesel Fuel at a nearby Marathon station that would have been impossible to fit in if the trailer had still been attached. 

After hooking back up to the trailer I managed to find Kathy just as she was just heading to the Checkout. We were served by the Manager himself and when he found out we were Canadians he couldn’t help but praise our Banking System and Recycling Systems as being far more advanced then that of the U.S.. The advantage of Grocery Shopping when you have your Home with you is that within minutes of leaving the store everything is put away. 

It was already five hours since we’d eaten breakfast and even though we had just bought our groceries neither of us felt like cooking. To remedy that problem, we walked across the street to the Taco Bell where not only were we eating food but drinking liquids. I mentioned in yesterday’s Blog how easy it is to become Dehydrated around here, well both Kathy and I were already suffering the Disorientation from not having drank enough fluids this morning. We refilled our cups before walking back to the truck and getting back on the road. 

The remainder of the trip the GPS guided us almost Flawlessly to our destination except for a few last second instructions but we made it. It was sad to see how communities like Holtsville, Niland and many others we have traveled through lately are still showing the effects of the 2008 Market Crash. 

We arrived shortly after 3:00 MST at Bashford’s Hot Mineral Spa where we plan to only stay for a couple of days. When the owner saw the size of our trailer he had to go see if he had a site that we could fit. He finally brought us to check out a spot by the Laundry Room. Even though it was a short back-in site it was wide enough that by parking slightly diagonal we only slightly stuck out in the road when unhooked. 

The View from the Office at Bashford's Hot Mineral Spa.

As soon as the trailer was leveled and the Utilities hooked up Kathy called me in for supper. We were both starting to be as Disoriented as when we had been before lunch. She served some Chicken and a nice Spinach Salad and Apple Crumble Pie to help boost our energy level. 

Since we have had our New Home we have been making a list of things that will have to be repaired by our RV Dealer when we get back and it’s getting pretty long. Besides those things on the list I have been making constant repairs that just cannot wait. Before supper as Kathy went to raise a window shade another of those cheap Plastic Thread Spools that Jayco used as Window Shade Anchors broke. It took less then five minutes to replace the both of the ones on that window. I’ve gotten that good but with only four windows that I haven’t done we are running out of the Plastic Anchors. We’ll have to find a Camping World soon or we’ll be having a problem. 

Air your Tires free.

I’ve had comments about a couple of things that I’ve mentioned on our Blog that should be talked about. The First Thing was that when I have time I will create a Blog Post about the Solar Panel System, Batteries, Solenoids and Inverters as I installed them on our trailer. It will include drawings for anyone interested and I’ll explain why I chose the Equipment I did. I will then add it to a Page on our Blog that anyone can visit for a reference. 

We had the pool and spa to ourselves.

The Second Thing was about adding a Wind Generator to our Existing Solar Panels. Someone mentioned that the Wind Generators are not as efficient as Solar. I will partly agree with that but also say that Solar Panels themselves are Not One Hundred Percent Efficient either. With constantly improving technology available things will improve by next Winter. My plan is to combine both sources of Technology to create the power we need. 

In the Spa but Kathy liked the Scenery behind the wall.

Adding two more Batteries as a way to store the Electrical Power we collect is first on our list. Adding a couple more Solar Panels to collect the Power from the Rising and Setting Sun is second on our list. We will then add the Wind Generator to the System to create power when the Wind is blowing and the Sun is tucked away somewhere behind the clouds. No one system can do it all by itself but hopefully these two will compliment one another to the point that having to use a Gas-Powered Generator will be a thing of the past. 

We had a chance to try out Spa here at Bashford’s Hot Mineral Spa after supper and it felt great. Tomorrow we are going on another Adventure so stay tuned. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy! 

It’s about time.

Krackers 

Words of Inspiration 

The best way to know God is to love many things. 

Vincent Van Gogh