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.