AZ-95 To Yuma

We thought we might be able to catch the 3:10 train but it appears the rail line no longer exists, so we took the AZ-95 to Yuma for a nice day trip.  There were a few things each of us wanted to pick up and Bill and Pat know the ropes, so we travelled together and got a tour of things along the way.  I guess for people who come here often they possibly get used to the scenery, but we are finding it is ever changing and beautiful.  Particularly this time of year when the sun is lower on the horizon the colours pop.  Like I said in an earlier post the pictures probably dont really do justice, but the mountains take on a different hue every time you look at them.

Not long after we passed the LTVA areas south of town the scenery changed somewhat and we began climbing through a small raised area.  Most of the highways we have seen so far in the US have been designed in such a way it is hard to tell you are actually changing elevation.  There are some spots obviously where the grade is steep enough they warn with signs, but for the most part, the grade is so gradual you dont even really think you are changing elevation until your ears pop.  We are used to highways built on the Canadian Shield where it is very costly to try and bust through a hill to smoothen a grade, so you actually get steeper grades for shorter periods.

After we passed the rise and began a decent Bill pointed out an area to our left that is the launch area for a government run Aerostat program.  I googled the Aerostat Program and the one that is located just north of Yuma is still operational but it does not say specifically who the client is that is running the program.  There are lots of them that conduct various missions for different government agencies but without driving up to the gate to see whose name is on the gate we are not sure.  Typically they will have something to do with the border and either drug interdiction or people coming across illegally.  On our way down to Yuma the Aerostat was on the ground likely for some servicing, and on the way back they had it up back up in the air so suspect it was down for maintenance. 

No that is not a bug on the window

Now the location for this particular Aerostat is adjacent to the Yuma Proving Grounds run by the US Army so it is possible it could be something to do with that.  The Proving Grounds are huge and I am not clear what is specifically being done there, but the garrison is quite large with a major chain hotel, housing, a K-5 elementary and many of the services of a small town.

Go figure.  Who would have thought the little string was a trigger.😳

Around the same area as the Army base is another road that leads off to the General Motors Desert Proving Ground.  From a google view perspective you can clearly see the tracks and circuits used to test the various vehicles in the heat of the Arizona sun and sand.  Car manufacturers utilize these types of facilities to test the components in their vehicles prior to official release to the public.  Kapuskasing, Ontario was the home of the General Motors Cold Weather testing facility from 1973 until its recent closure this past summer.  Their press release on closure stated that advancements in technology, and testing with continuous improvement models made the facility redundant.  Not sure if the Yuma facility will suffer the same fate.

As we approached Yuma it was an almost immediate change in scenery from desert to lush fields full of vegetables and fruits.  Irrigation pipes are evident in every field and irrigation canals fed by the Colorado River surround some of the fields to supply water for the pipes.

Before we left to return home we passed over a bridge with a rail yard full of those container trains we had been seeing throughout our trip through Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.  So, there is no question the importance of the route from San Diego east to Dallas and beyond.  I still have yet to see a train heading west so am not sure how those engines make it back there.

On our way out of town we passed by a fruit and vegetable stand.  As it is carved into one corner of a field it is very reminiscent of the fruit and veggy stands you used to see all along Highway 8 across the Niagara Penninsula.  Those stands still exist to some degree but most have been consolidated into larger, more commercial stands.  In the US we rarely ever see any of these stands at all.  There was one place in Florida we used to visit all the time when we were in Stuart but that was the only one.

This one we stopped at was very well stocked and for the most part everything in there was local.  We bought some Pomelo’s as we had never tried those before.  Like a cross between an orange and grapefruit.  Other vegetables were fresh and well priced.  We will make a point of stopping there when we pass that area next time on our way back from our highly anticipated Mexico day trip.

A Chance Encounter

I have made reference to Bill and Pat a number of times in these posts and I want to give a bit of context to how we came to know them.  With this lifestyle you are constantly meeting new people from all walks of life.  Some come and go fairly quickly without so much more than a passing conversation in a parking lot as you pass through.  You share stories about where you come from and where you are going and you sometimes find people with common interests.  But at the end of the conversation each respective couple moves on to continue their journey.

Then there are some that you meet who become more than a passing conversation as you see them regularly at the same campground, or marina and you know you are likely going to interact for a longer period.  But in these cases you are still moving on at the end of your stay, and unless something draws you to keep in contact that relationship ends or slowly fades away.

We value all these interactions we have had with people throughout our lives, as they somehow give you a feeling of community or familiarity, and it gives us joy to experience.  Then there are interactions with some people you meet that click in a different way and continue a friendship that becomes more than an acquaintance.

Bill and Pat are people like that.  In 2021 we owned a travel trailer and planned to have it stored at the location in London, Ontario where it was purchased (Can-Am RV).  They allow customers to stay overnight when picking up or dropping off and we were there dropping the trailer as we were departing in the car at 0500 the next morning for Florida.  Not long after we arrived a big fifth wheel trailer pulled in and set up for the night.  After they got organized they were out giving their dog Gibbs some exercise and approached to introduce themselves as Bill and Pat.  They were staying overnight and proceeding south at 0400 the next morning on their annual travel to Arizona.  Bill used to work for Can-Am so was able to stay the night on their way south, which turned out to be a fortuitous meeting for all of us.

We met for quite a while and exchanged stories about our respective plans for the winter and such, and toward the end of the conversation they offered that if we were ever up in their part of the country (just East of Durham) we were to give them a call to stop in and stay for a visit.

The next day, as we drove to Florida we discussed how much we enjoyed the RV lifestyle and the opportunity of meeting people like Bill and Pat, and vowed that if the timing of our return visit in the spring worked out we would give them a call.

As we began to make plans for our return in the spring, we reached out to them over the winter to let them know we would love to stop by on our way north.  That was then and we have made a point of stopping to see them two or three times a year since.  Their love of this lifestyle and the enjoyment they get from meeting new people and sharing experiences is evident, and are the reason we have made this trip.  We have become very good friends and both Bill and Pat are welcoming of us at their home without question, and have even been introduced to their family and friends as well.

Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA)

I mentioned in the post about Quartzsite that one of the major draws to this area,in addition to the RV show is the ability to camp in the desert.  We plan to include a stay in one of these areas before we begin our journey north next year, so will write some more about our experience then; but I figured I would write a little bit now to give more context to this area.

Here in Quartzsite the town is virtually surrounded by BLM lands.  Two distinct types of land have been designated in this area: one type is for stays of up to fourteen days, while the other allows stays up to a year.   These lands are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (https://www.blm.gov/d8-home).  The BLM is a federal government agency that manages the use of public lands across the United States, similar in a way to Crown Land in Canada, but from what I have seen and understand it is way more organized and structured.

You can see on the picture below with the BLM lands in this area there are three areas that allow stays for up to fourteen days and two for long term use.

Shaded areas are 14 day and lines indicate trails at LTVA sites

We have only been out to the non-LTVA sites so far to check things out and they are level, and for now, remote.  We have been told it becomes quite a spectacle of vehicles as the winter progresses, but if you can support yourself for fourteen days with enough water, sewage and electricity this is a great way to get out there and enjoy the wilderness.

I would estimate up to a third of the people using these lands are also using side by side vehicles or ATV’s of some sort to get out and explore the many trails in the adjacent mountains.

Starting to fill up

Long Term Visitor Area

In the case of the LTVA sites, it is important to understand you are paying for the privilege to use the land and have certain basic services provided in return.  You are not paying for a given site, rather just for access and use of the land.  You simply arrive at the checkin station, pay your money and continue into the desert to find a place to camp.

Depending on the size of your RV or whatever you are staying in, depends on how long you can stay in that spot.  Because you can stay for longer than fourteen days it is important to have some services available for general health and sanitation, so these areas have been equipped with water and sewage dump areas, as well as portable toilets.  Anyone using these areas will have to drive their vehicle to dump their tanks at a designated dump station.  You can also go in to town and use one of the sites set up to pay for water or dump your tanks.

From what we have been told these BLM lands become filled with campers as the winter progresses.  We have already seen groups of like-minded people circle their RV’s into a group with a central meeting spot between them.  To each his own as there are also a lot of single vehicles parked throughout.