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Home Sweet Home

Our travels have come to an end; we're home now.  

This is the end of the blog. 

Until next time.

Minnesota

Finally our repairs were done and we made our way to Minnesota. Almost home! We had supper with the relatives in Albert Lea and will be spending the night in a Walmart. Home tomorrow!!!

Winnebago Industries

Winnebago Industries has a campground for its customers who are waiting for service.  We stayed with about 10 other rigs.  The technicians came and pulled all of us into service bays first thing in the morning.  While we were waiting we went up to the Visitor Center and signed up for the factory tour.  The visitor center has lots of information and history, and we saw a 20 minute movie before the tour.  Then we all got on a Plant Tour bus (a modified Winnebago RV, of course) and they drove us around the grounds.  It covers over 500 acres and currently employs about 2,000 workers.  We got to see the workers on the assembly lines in all stages of manufacture, from floors, cabinets, upholstery, walls, paint. and assembly. it was a very interesting tour, but no cameras were allowed so sad to say, no pictures.

Winnebago Industries Visitor Center

At closing time our rig was not yet finished.  It turns out a small water leak we had in the front left corner requires the windshield to be removed, resealed, and replaced, and they didn't have time to finish that today.  Also, they had done some damage to one of the inside walls while they were working and they will have to replace an internal pannel tomorrow too.  So, that means we will be staying another night in their campground.

While we were waiting for our rig we met and had a nice visit with Patty Steger, the owner of Steger Mukluks & Moccasins in Ely, Minnesota.  She had a new RV all painted up with graphics from her company.  She was traveling with her big sweetheart of a dog, Luke.

Patty Steger

Patty and Luke came over to see our home.  Marble came out of hiding to look, but would not come very close.  Very brave of her.

Luke and Marble looking at each other.

Forest City, Iowa

We have a service appointment in the morning at the Winnebago/Itasca manufacturing plant in Forest City, Iowa.  This is where our rig was made.  It's only a few miles off the road home so we thought we would take advantage of that and get some warranty work done there. Nothing serious, just a few small water leaks.  Maybe we'll be able to get a tour of the plant while we are here.

The plant has camping spots with electricity for it's visitors.  We parked the rig and took the car to visit nearby Pilot Knob State Park.  In the park we found a short hiking trail that took us up to a lookout tower on the second highest point in Iowa, at elevation 1,450 feet.

Tower Built in 1934 by Civilian Conservation Corps

 

View from the tower.  It's flat like this in all directions.  It was kinda overcast, but the sun did come back out later.

Iowa

We're getting close. In Osceola, Iowa. Almost no Internet so far in this state so this will be brief.

Silly Texas

The painted up Cadillac cars I posted about yesterday were on the west side of Amarillo, TX.  In nearby Conway, TX, east of Amarillo we found these five Volkswagen Beetles nose down in the ground, an obvious spoof to the Cadillac Ranch.  A nearby old car got the paint work as well.  An old building there also got the paint.

VW Slug Bug Ranch

Old Car Paint Job

 And then we learned that just south of Amarillo, in Canyon, TX, are several retired combines sunk in the ground at an angle. Another spoof.  We did not drive down there to see them, so I just snatched this picture off the Internet for you to see.  I don't know if they've been spray painted up or not.

Combines

We drove as far as Blackwell, Oklahoma, and will spend the night in the Walmart lot there.

Amarillo, TX

We've crossed back into Central Time!  We'll be home soon.  Today, we drove as far as Amarillo, Texas.

Just before you get to town is a line of ten junker Cadillacs buried nose-down in a field along I-40.  These were placed here by a group of art-hippies in 1974.  People would stop along the highway, walk out to view the cars--then deface them or rip off pieces as souvenirs.  Over the years this behavior has evolved to the point that you are now encouraged to spray paint them.  Unfortunately, I did not have any paint with me, or I would have left my mark too, even though it would be painted over in no time.

Cadillac Ranch

 Some people get a little carried away with the paint.  There is a fence and a gate that are all painted up, as well as this garbage dumpster.

You're Not Supposed to Paint the Dumpster!!!

I met a lady there grumbling about her co-workers who always drag her to these "largest ball of twine" places.  I laughed and told her I live in Minnesota and only 10 miles away from the "largest ball of twine".  It was funny.  It was.  We laughed.

Grants, New Mexico

The great "Return to Minnesota" migration has begun.  We're on our way home, and so are a lot of other Minnesotans, as well as a lot of Canadians.  

We'll be spending the night in a Walmart parking lot in Grants, New Mexico, tonight.  We're just tired of driving.  It's only 5pm here, and there are five other RV's parked in the back of the Walmart lot with us.  I'm sure more will arrive shortly.

We did stop at Winslow, Arizona, and took this picture at the "Standin' on the Corner Park"  they had there on Main Street.

Standin' on the Corner in Winslow, Arizona

Camp Verde, Tuesday

We spent last night at Distant Drums RV Park, refreshed all our tanks, and enjoyed having electricity and TV Cable.  It's a nice park, we were here earlier this winter, and will probably return again the next time we are in this area.  But for now we want to save some money so we left this morning and moved to the other side of the freeway where there is a small casino that will allow one overnight RV parking for free.

We drove to nearby Cornville (funny name for a desert town) and had lunch with a friend of mine from Minnesota who is wintering in Sedona.  It was great to see her again.

Then back to the casino.  We found a hiking trail and hiked the desert for a short time and went into the casino to look around, but did not gamble.

More RVs have moved into the parking lot by us, now there are 6 more here.

I tried to upload more pictures for today's blog but got another notice that my photo storage is full.  I could upgrade but I don't want to pay and don't want to give them my credit card number.  For now I will have to delete old pictures before I can add new ones. :(  I don't want to do that.  I'll be looking for a new blog program for next year's blog.

Return to Camp Verde

They did announce last night that the number of RVs attending the rally was around 3,800. They wanted everyone gone by 11:00 this morning. We managed to squeeze out of our tight spot around 8:00 and joined the steady stream of rigs heading out.

We need to dump our holding tanks and need to fill our water tank. After 5 days of dry camping we need services. We decided to re-visit Distant Drums RV Park at Camp Verde, between Phoenix and Flagstaff and get refreshed. We were here a few months back.

The place is packed, but they found a spot for us. I have no Internet signal of my own and I think everyone here must be using the free wi-fi the park offers. It's a struggle to get this blog online today, so this is it, I won't even try to post pictures.

The Rally, Sunday

More seminars today.  Bernie went to Generator Maintenance, LED lighting,  and Solar Panels, while I attended a very interesting History of RVing, and we both attended "So You Want to Full-Time" and another RVing to Alaska seminar.

I just couldn't get a picture to illustrate the number of RVs that are here.  I heard numbers anywhere from 3,500 to 6,000 are here.  I don't know for sure.  We are packed in pretty tight.  It's been a lot of fun.  The rally part is over now and all that is left is the entertainment for tonight.  The band is Ticket to Ride and they will be doing a Beatles tribute.  Some RVs have left already and some will leave tonight after the entertainment.    They say they want us all out of here by 10am tomorrow.  That may be a challenge, I can't imagine all of us leaving at the same time that early in the morning.

The Rally, Saturday

Last night the entertainment was Bill Cosby. Funny as ever.

Today was more seminars and some free stuff and deep discounts and then free hospitality with free food and pictures. Elvis was there!

Right now we're seated, waiting for Martina McBride to start her show!

Bill Cosby Show

The Rally, Friday

Bowzer's Rock N' Roll Party was the entertainment last night.  Good show.  This was not the real Bowzer from the oldies group Sha Na Na, but was Jon Bauman's portrayal of Bowzer.  He did a great job and the show was quite entertaining.

Bowzer's Rock N' Roll Party

And at the morning coffee today was a Jam Session for any attendees who brought their own instruments and wanted to play.  We watched that for a while.

Morning Coffee Jam Session

Then on to the seminars.  Bernie and I went separate ways again.  I found one on Satellite TV for Your RV, on awesome seminar on RVing in Alaska, and one on Microwave/Convection Cooking.  Bernie found one about Understanding Battery Balance in the RV,  another on on the RV's electrical System, Breaking Systems for your Towed Vehicle, and Roadside Assistance.

Tonight's entertainment will be Bill Cosby.

The Rally, Thursday

There was free coffee and entertainment first thing this morning.  Adam "Crack" Winrich (from Wisconsin) entertained us with harmonica playing, trick roping, and bullwhip cracking and some laughs.

Two flaming bullwhips

Gabby Hayes made an appearance

Then it was the usual events, a big tent filled with vendors, and lots of walking and viewing.  Bernie went his way and I went mine.  I attended seminars on "RVing 101" and one about improving cell phone and data card reception, while Bernie found seminars on how to get bugs off the front of your rig, and a seminar about RV tires and tire safety, and AC electrical system safety, and another seminar on RV exterior care.  Fun huh?

Vintage RV on Display

A slide-out within a slide-out.
This rig was "on sale" for about $249,000.

Lots more people arrived today.  I heard stories from some of them of how they had to wait in the staging area for three hours before they were escorted to their campsite.  I'm glad we opted for the early arrival.

The Good Sam Rally

We left Mesa Regal this morning and went back to the west side of Phoenix to the Phoenix International Raceway where the big Good Sam RV Rally is.  It officially begins tomorrow, but we opted for a one day early arrival.  So did a lot of other people.  We waited in line to enter, waited in the "will call" line to pick up our registration packet, then waited in the staging area for a while until someone came to escort us to our spot where we will spend the next five nights.  It sounds awful, but they really were pretty organized and didn't take much more than an hour to get final parked.  Still, we're glad we came today instead of tomorrow, it's gonna be crazy.

Waiting in line at the entrance

 And I thought there were a lot of rigs at Quartzite in January.  This is going to be bigger.

Just getting started at filling just one of the parking areas.

Our home for the next 5 nights.

Once we got settled we hopped on the tram and went in to the show grounds.  It's all in the in-field of the Phoenix International Raceway.  All we could do there today was register at the registration tent and wait around until 3:00 when the RV sales area opened for viewing.  We walked around and looked inside several of the 2013 model RV's.  There were some pretty awesome ones there, some that were over-the-top luxurious along with over-the-top prices.  We agreed that we are quite pleased with our current rig.

New rigs staged for viewing.

Moving On

I haven't had anything to blog about for the last several days.  We've just been hanging out here in Mesa Regal RV Resort as well as at Towerpoint RV Resort next door where Shirley lives.  It's a nice walk between our places and it's been sunny most of the time.  There's also a very nice grocery store (Fry's) on the other side of Mesa Regal that is within walking distance, so we haven't been out much.

That will change, as tomorrow we are leaving Mesa Regal and going to the Good Sam Rally (the Nation's Largest RV Rally) at the Phoenix International Raceway.  This goes through March 25 and includes many events and seminars as well as live entertainment.  This year it's Bill Cosby, Martina McBride, Bowzer's Rock n' Roll Party and Ticket to Ride (a Live Beatles Tribute).

We may be too busy to get a blog done every day, so don't fret if you don't see one daily.

:)

Nothing to blog about today. Grocery shopping and watching TV.

Rain

No blog, just waiting for the rain to end.

Scottsdale

What to do today?  After reading the 2012 Official Visitors Guide we decided on Mesa Grande Ruins Cultural Park, where you can see 700 year old pueblo ruins.  These ruins have been under preservation and development for the last several years and the guide said visitors should be able to walk the interpretive trail on Fridays and Saturdays Feb 11 - May 15 from 10am to 3pm.

Mesa Grande Pueblo Ruins

 When we arrived there we found the gates locked, nobody around, and no signs identifying the place (other than a plaque saying that it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places).   So we walked around the outside and took a few pictures through the fence.

Gates Closed

Well, where to next?  Hole-in-the-Rock at Papago Park.  People like to climb up and stand in the hole.  There are hiking trails taking you up the back side and into the little hole.  We hiked up to the hole but after that we decided it was too hot to continue hiking so we left.

Hole-in-the Rock

View Through the Hole

People Hanging Out Inside the Hole

Old Town Scottsdale was just a few miles away, so we went there.  It's a very clean, well-kept-up old town.    We were impressed with the amount of FREE parking, not something we are used to finding in these places.  We walked about and enjoyed the souvenir and some rather upscale gift shops.

Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona

We stopped for a $5 scoop of spumoni Gelato.  It was good, a mixture of vanilla, almonds, cherries, berries, pistachio nuts, and chocolate...yum. 

Spumoni Gelato

Street performer, posing as a cowboy statue.

Scottsdale also has a courtesy trolley, free to riders, that takes you around Old Town as well as around the rest of the Scottsdale downtown area.  It's not the usual "tour trolley", so there is no narration.  We hopped on for a free ride around the entire route and back to Old Town.

Courtesy Trolley at Scottsdale

It was getting pretty hot, so we thought we should head back to make sure Marble was ok. She was fine, but we did run the air conditioner for a while when we got there.

 We have moved to Mesa Regal RV Resort in Mesa.  It's right next door to the Towerpoint Resort where Shirley lives.  Mesa Regal offered a discount, while Towerpoint did not offer it for January, February, or March or we would have gone there.

Mesa Regal
Our RV is on the left side,
you can see some of it under the first orange tree.

No Blog Today

No Blog Today

Just visiting with Shirley again. More relatives came to visit (Lyndsay and her boyfriend). We all went to lunch at Wildberries Restaurant in Mesa and then they left to head towards the Grand Canyon.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Boyce Thompson Arboretum is Arizona's oldest and largest arboretum.  We were looking for a nice hiking trail and this sounded like a good place for one.  It's supposed to be a hot one today so we left early to get a cooler start.  Here are some pictures from the day:

Rattlesnakes Only Beyond This Point

Nice Views

Daffodils Blooming

Dodge Power Wagon

Guided Tour Group

Big plant sale in the parking lot.  Mostly cacti.

After the walk we drove three miles down the road to the small mining town of Superior, Arizona.  We found the local visitor center in an old red caboose with an outside display of old mining equipment.  There is  an historic old town area, but I think it needs some work.  There were very few people around, lots of empty storefronts, many run down.   We stopped for a light lunch at the only place that had any cars parked in front of it.  The food was very good, but the service could have been a lot better.

Superior Visitor Center

Quiet Day

Just hanging out with Shirley.

No pictures as I have exceeded my photo storage quota. I need to figure something out.

Superstition Mountain Museum

The forecast was for 80 degrees today, so we did our sight seeing early.  The Superstition Mountain Museum on the Apache Trail just below the Superstition Mountain was our destination.  It's a nice little museum with info about the Lost Dutchman, Roosevelt Damn, and the Apache trail. 

Horse Parking

 We did not have a horse, so we just parked the car in the lot before we went in.

Yikes!

 No snakes were seen today.  There was a brief hiking trail / botanical garden behind the museum that takes you by some old gold mining equipment.  We walked that, but that only took about 15 minutes.  The museum was sponsoring an art sale today.  Lots of vendors selling their arts... way more special than the usual craft shows we have seen.

Art Show

There was also a brief gunfight.

Gunfight

AND THEN....There is the Elvis Presley Memorial Chapel at the Superstition Mountain Museum.  This was moved here from Apacheland Movie Ranch Studio.  Available for weddings.  Also on display is a vial of the sand into which Elvis fell when shot in the movie Charro.  Thought you'd like to know that.

Elvis Presley Memorial Chapel
(available for weddings)

Inside the Elvis Presley Memorial Chapel

The Lost Dutchman Labyrinth is in the center of the Museum grounds. A labyrinth is not a maze, but a walking meditation device with a single winding path from the edge to the center. The same path is used to return to the outside.  The labyrinth represents the journey inward to our true selves and back out into the everyday world.  It is a tool which can clear the mind and calm our anxieties. You're supposed to walk the path and then ring the bell that is in the center, and then walk back out. 

Lost Dutchman Labyrinth Path

No visit to a western museum is complete without a visit to Boot Hill.

Boot Hill

 On the way back to town we stopped at a yard sale we happened to drive by.

Random Yard Sale

After that we did some shopping at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods Market before going home to hang out for the rest of the day.