RV Home Yet?

Welcome!

We- Alice and Jaimie - invite you to participate in our new blog. Our intention is to have lots of good information and interesting tidbits on the RV lifestyle. We'll be happy to answer your questions too. Both of us have been full-time RVers in the past, though now both travel part-time. Jaimie is an expert at RVing for dollars. She is the author of Support Your RV LIfestyle! An Insider's Guide to Working on the Road. Alice has written Taking the Mystery out of Retiring to an RV. Together we have written RV Traveling Tales: Women's Journeys on the Open Road, The Woman's Guide to Solo RVing, and Taking the Mystery out of RV Writing. We invite you to check out our website RVLifestyleExperts.com  for all sorts of informative articles, recommended books and fun things for the full-time RVer. Whether you have already hit the road or are a wannabee, we have something to offer. We look forward to conversing with you on many aspects of the RV lifestyle! Jaimie and Alice

We are in Tucson a bit late - it's already up to 100 - but it's meant we've seen the saguaro in bloom and baby quail! Quail are fun to watch. They act much like chickens, scratching in the dirt to uncover hidden goodies. The parents, we were told, do not sit on the nest during the day. That could explain why many pairs have no chicks. Snakes and other birds can eat the eggs before they are ready to hatch. One pair laid 22 eggs in a flower box that got direct afternoon sun. A couple of eggs exploded and the rest probably baked; they did not hatch.

Once the babies hatch, the parents proudly lead their chicks to feed. Roadrunners, coyotes and other predators will pick off any laggers. Quail are quite protective of their chicks when feeding. They drive off other quail who get too close, though often let other birds like dove get pretty close. If they do sense danger or chase after another quail, the babies duck under a bush or the edge of a rock, or the other parent if close. The chicks blend in so well about the only way you see even them is if you catch their movement. Even in these photos, you need to look closely.

Quail can fly but rely mainly on staying under bushes for cover and escape. I was amazed to see one of the little puff balls flying short distances. That family has only one chick and was the first family we saw. It's probably a week and one-half old.

So, if you do stay in an RV park in the desert in May and are near areas with low bushes, keep your eyes open. You may see the parents scurrying across a road or through an open spot and then the little ones scrambling to keep up. It's worth taking some heat! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Douglas - checked off the bucket list

I have wanted to visit Douglas, AZ for years. Finally, today, George and I went. It's an interesting town, right on the border. Aqua Prieta is its sister town across the border.

Douglas was founded in 1901 and was first developed as a smelter site for the copper mines in the area. It became an important commercial area. The EP & SW Railroad opened in 1913 and was a busy depot in the 1920s. Passenger service was provided until1961. The depot was restored in 1992 and now serves as the police station.

The Gadsden Hotel is probably the most famous landmark in Douglas. Built in 1907, it was named after the famous Gadsden Purchase. "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean" and other films have been filmed in her lobby.

I was impressed with the Tiffany stained-glass windows that extend 42 feet across the front of the building in the upstairs. (Close up of one panel on the right. Two vaulted stained-glass skylights run the full-length of the lobby.

The four columns in the lobby are decorated at top in 14K gold leaf - worth $20,000 in 1928. On the right, looking down at the front desk from the landing on the second floor.

 

 

Next door to the hotel, in the Douglas Government Center, was an aviation history exhibit on lone from the Douglas Air Museum, which is located out at the airport. This is a replica of the 1909 Douglas Flyer replica. It's a glider. And, there was an exhibit of the Sweetheart Flyers. The Women's National Air Derby in 1929 had a stop in Douglas. Photos of the pilots were displayed. Among the pilots was Amelia Earhart.

Two streets off the main street, the Douglas-Williams House (left) was turned into a museum. It's open a couple of days a week, though not today. It was the home of Dr. James Douglas; the town was named after him. The driving/walking tour map we picked up at the Visitor Center mentioned the museum and also the Sonoran Historic District, with a collection of Sonoran-style row houses built with cast blocks made by the then locally-owned Arizona Gypsum Plaster Company. You'll find a number of architectural styles in Douglas but the Sonoran is pretty unique.

Should we visit the Mexican town of Agua Prieta? George's passport turned out to be expired, though we were told that a driver's license would suffice to re-enter the U.S. from Agua Prieta. This same person said it was a hotbed of drug wars with shootings even during the day. Other information we obtained said it was very safe. We'd been told there was a good restaurant, but with mixed reviews, decided to pass.

We did start out driving to the Slaughter Ranch Museum. After about three miles on Geronimo Trail (15th St extended) , the road turned to dirt/gravel and later became rough washboard. Since the Ranch isn't open on Mondays anyway, we turned back. The road was passable, but jarring. Better to go when it has been recently graded. Slaughter was a famous a gunfighter, known as "Texas" John Slaughter. He was a Texas Ranger and later sheriff of Cochise County for several years and brought law and order to Tombstone after the infamous gunfight at OK Corral.

The San Bernardino Wildlife Refuge adjoins the ranch and was part of the original property. A number of endangered species are protected there. Jaguars and ocelots have been sighted. Birders can spot many species as well. The turnoff is just before the Ranch.

There is an RV and mobile home park just outside Douglas - Two Buttes Mobile Home and RV plus the Douglas RV Park near the golf course. There are other RV parks in Bisbee, Naco, Tombstone and Sierra Vista - close enough to take a day trip from.

This part of Arizona has lots to explore. You could pick an RV park in any of the above cities and have much to explore, whether you want to spot bird life or see places important to Southern Arizona's wild West history. I'm happy I got to check Douglas off my bucket list! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos by George and Jaimie Bruzenak

Things that creep, crawl, fly and bite!

The California Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds issued a reminder to campground owners to alert their campers if there are bugs, snakes, plants or even bears that might cause a problem. Since not all owners think about that, RVers and campers would be wise to ask about these things when they stay at a park - especially if someone in the party has allergies to stings.

Bites from mosquitoes and ticks can cause disease. Poisonous snakes don't always have venom in their bites, but who wants to take a chance? Poison ivy, poison oak, nettles and some other plants cause discomfort; some individuals have very severe reactions to being touched or being around smoke where a plant has been burned. And, of course bears (and even racoons) can be destructive if food is left out.

Yes, a campground owner or government entity should warn you, but best to be proactive. Find out what you need to protect yourself and do it. Sprays, lotions, long pants and long-sleeved shirts are easy precautions. Keep a clean campsite and that too can avoid problems with critters as well as ants.

Camping or parking your RV in the outdoors is great fun. Keep it that way! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Avoiding lemons - Pissed Consumer

The RV Consumer Group is one place I recommend when you are considering purchasing a new or used RV. Their reports give useful information on specific brands. At one time, they had a court of public opinion where owners who had trouble with RVs could post about their situation. It not only let other potential buyers know, but put pressure on the RV manufacturers to correct the  issue. It was shut down. George and I are pretty sure it was the constant lawsuits from the manufacturers that drove this decision. It's too bad; it was a useful resource.

I came across another consumer site that has postings about defective and problem RVs. It's called PissedConsumer.com. My alerts showed postings - complaints and reviews - about Coachmen and Keystone. There may be other manufacturers reviewed.

I would add this to your list of places to check when in the market for an RV. And, I'd take the postings with a grain of salt. It certainly gives you a direction to research, to see if this is indeed a regular problem and also gives you a clue about a company's customer service and followup care.

Let's hope this consumer site is not shut down. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Desert blooms & butterflies

We visited the Tucson Botanical Gardens today. We were too late in the season to see many of the cactus blossoms but did get a photo of one of the first saguaro's in bloom that I've seen this year. Lots of irrigated flowers were blooming too. The ocotillo had lost its leaves, but here are two if the fiery-colored blossoms that hummingbirds love.

Another first was seeing a covey of quail with the little ones. They move so quickly and plants compete for my camera's focus. Not the best shot of a chick but here is one of the chick that almost got left behind. This cactus, a Viznaga, native to Baja, is blooming.

The Hoodia Gordinii (where do they get these names?!) had recently bloomed.It's it's actually a succulent from the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa. Bushmen have been using it for centuries to suppress appetite. If you Google it, you'll likely get the supplement, not the plant. To the right is the Mexican Old Man Cactus. I bought a tiny one in a pot. After 30 years or so, getting more rain than it would in Mexico, it was only about a foot and 1/2 tall, but hairier than these.

Today was the last day that Butterfly Magic was open. I'm not sure what they do with the butterflies after today. Many are non-native species so could not be turned loose in the gardens. This moth, for example, is from Asia. It was huge - about 6 inches across. I didn't look up names of these because a herd of school kids were headed for the butterflies. They were actually well-behaved, though excited to spot butterflies. Still, time to vamoose!

Two more:

Even when still, butterflies can be difficult to photograph and get them in focus. Lots of leaves compete, or they are not at a good angle. This is much easier than out among the flowers, though, where they flit from plant to plant and you are rarely in a position to get a good photo.

The botanical gardens are open daily from 8:30 to 4:30. There is an admission charge. As long as you got there early, you could park an RV in the lot, though it's much easier to drive through Tucson with a tow or toad vehicle. It is located on Alvernon Way between Grant and Speedway. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Hiking Torrey Pines

A unique ecosystem lies just north of San Diego CA between La Jolla and Del Mar. Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve protects the Torrey pine, which grows only here and on Santa Rosa Island. Eight miles of hiking trails provide stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and access to the beach below.

You can pay the parking fee at Torrey Pines State Beach at the machine (credit cards or exact change) and then park below. Many people then walk up the road to the cliffs. Or, you can obtain your permit but drive up to the top and park at the visitor center and walk numerous trails from there. Only  water is allowed, though other food and drink can be carried down to the beach.Dogs are not permitted anywhere.

The visitor center has a short film about the area, the reserve and the plant life. It's well worth seeing. Plus exhibits show plants and wildlife that live or lived in the area.

On our hike, wildflowers like this yucca and the daisy and Indian paint bursh were in bloom.

 

 

If you don't access the beach at the north entrance, you can follow a path down near Flattop Rock (left). At low tide, you can access the rock. You'd also want to pay attention to the tides when you walk down the beach. You could get wet!

Mornings at the beach are often foggy or overcast. In spite of it being overcast, we did see whales feeding right off shore. It looked like a mother and baby. The north parking lot does have room for RVs. Or, get there very early and park free along the beach just north of the entrance. The easiest access is off I-5 at Carmel Valley Road. Check the website for more details and trail closures. I grew up in the San Diego area and have never hiked here before. I'm sorry I took so long, though I'd come back during the middle of the week next time so there wouldn't be quite so many people. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Tour of the historic Hacienda de la Canoa

Just south of Green Valley, AZ is a recently opened historic ranch and conservation area- the Historic Hacienda de la Canoa - Raul M. Grijalva Conservation Park. Run by Pima County, they now offer tours on Tuesday and Saturday mornings.

At one time, Canoa Ranch encompassed a half-million acres. Situated on a reliable source of water in the Santa Cruz Valley, it has a long history of human habitation. Native peoples stopped here and the Hohokom settled n the area. Father Kino, on his way to find a route to San Francisco, stopped overnight at the ranch house site. It was awarded as a Mexican land grant. In the late 1800s, it was purchased by developers with the idea that they would build a canal to deliver water to Tucson, already starved for water. That failed. Levi Manning purchased Canoa in 1912 and his son Howell developed it into a showcase ranch. It was the social hub of the valley. Canoa, by the way, refers to a hollowed out cottonwood log, resembling a dugout canoe that was used as a watering trough.

In 2001 Pima County purchased 4800 acres, which includes the ranch buildings. They have been restoring them ever since. This spring, they opened the hacienda for tours. For now, docents and signs interpret the buildings and a few are open. Eventually the main house (below left), built and lived in by Howell Manning, Sr., will be opened. More furniture and other artifacts representing the ranch's various history through time will be added. Below right is a retaque corral. This fence is made of stacked mesquite trees, and is about 24 inches wide and five to six feet high, built to contain unruly cattle. The retaque corral at the ranch is considered one of the finest remaining examples in Arizona.

At one time there was a pond surrounded by cottonwoods and native vegetation attracting birds and wildlife. Plans are to revive the pond, empty now because of drought and groundwater pumping.

The Hacienda is a work in progress. Van, our docent, was very knowledgeable about ranching history and could probably have told stories for hours. Or, you can do a self-guided walking tour, looking at the signs at each location around the hacienda. For the docent-led tours, you'll need a reservation. Check the website for phone # and email. At least at this time, there is no charge for the tours or parking. There is room to park an RV as well. It is located on Frontage Road just south of Green Valley at Exit 56. Pictured below is Van, our docent guide, dressesd to fit the part! And while I took the tour, George participated in a paint out by the Tucson Plein Air Painters Society (TPAPS). Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Seniors - should they pay more for national parks?

Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat, thinks that seniors should pay more to use our national parks. Currently seniors age 62 and older can buy a lifetime access pass for $10 -- allowing them to bypass entrance fees at national parks. Adults under 62 who purchase an America the Beautiful pass pay $80 and must purchase a new pass each year. This pass only provides free admission; seniors still pay for camping or RV sites if they stay in a park.

According to the article at CNN Money, "In 2012, the National Park Service sold 500,000 senior passes raising $5 million, the agency said. Doubling the seniors' pass to $20 could generate $10 million." NPS faces a $153 million budget gap so an extra $5 million would be a small drop in the bucket.

While most seniors could afford $20 for the pass or even $10 a year, one point I have to raise: Would NPS be able to keep that money? And for how long? In the past, parks and our other public lands have been allowed to generate revenue and that money either gets included in their budget and can't be used for the extras (like repairs to infrastructure that are so desperately needed) or it later becomes absorbed into the general fund.

I just read an article the other day about Congressional appropriations to airports in several states that have little or even no air traffic. If some of these pork barrel gifts were cleaned up and out of the budget, think what money we would have available to protect our parks and public lands - and other worthwhile projects. Don't get me started!

What do you think? Vote at our poll. Feel free to leave a comment below. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Poll: How many meals a day do you eat in your RV(on average)?

Do you actually cook in your RV?! I've met RVers who love that they can cook their own meals and others who see RVing as a vacation and why cook? What about you? Vote at our poll. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Ah- sweetness at Hammond's!

Hammond's Candies Factory is close to the National Western Complex in Denver so another morning I took the free factory tour. They give tours six days a week, Monday through Saturday. Tours run every half hour (typically on the half hour), Monday-Friday 9:00am - 3:00pm and Saturdays 10:00am - 3:00pm and last about 30 minutes. My tour was on Saturday so the production areas weren't as busy as they would have been on a weekday, but it was still quite fascinating.

After a short video introduction, we moved to the first area. Basically candy is made from sugar, corn syrup and water - then throw in flavorings and coloring. When it comes out of the vat, it is a huge hunk. They may stretch it or work it and then they put this big hunk on a table and cut it with giant shears into workable pieces. Jerry, our guide, gave us an explanation of the process and answered questions.

The photo below left shows a smaller hunk with the worker pounding holes in it to let air escape. It was difficult to get shots since machines blocked our view. Cameras set at various locations did focus in on certain stations (above right). The chocolate area and packing areas weren't as busy. However, just before we went in the retail store, we were given the opportunity to get a sample of one of their "oops." Various flavors of candy canes were in boxes to choose from. I passed on that since candy canes are not appealing to me, though they now come in all sorts of flavors.

A lot of candies in the store were tempting- particularly the chocolate ones. This time of year they are making their signature chocolate bunny - with one lop ear. I did get George some seconds of Mitchell Sweets, a candy that takes three days to make. I did help him eat them too when I got home. Very rich and yummy! While I was perusing the counter with individual chocolate pieces, the owner and his son came in. Kathy, behind the counter, told me it was the owner. Andy Schuman said his son Joey was the president - probably in charge of tasting! Andy recommended a chocolate-covered sea foam that was scrumptious. I bought a few of those also and a dark chocolate peanut butter cup. I got their photo with Kathy, who also gives tours.

This is another tour I recommend to add to your RV travels if you are in the Denver area. While it's free to take the tour, you probably won't leave the premises without spending some money. There are so many varieties - there is bound to be something to appeal to your taste buds. Their candies are handmade- very rare anymore and the only factory of its size to do so. This keeps quality high so they can sell to stores like Whole Foods, which allows no artificial ingredients. For their candy they use foods like beets and red cabbage to give the candy its color. Other fine stores also feature their candies.

There is room to park an RV in the lot. The factory and store are just a couple of miles north of I-70 on Washington Street and just east of I-25, so convenient to reach. Weekends are low-key but you'd get a better flavor of the process on a weekday. I think Jerry said they have their own Lucy and Ethyl working one of the chocolate candy lines but I was disappointed they weren't on duty. Next time I come during the week! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak