Train To The Canyon

As mentioned in the blog about our trip planning for home, we decided last January to book a week in Williams.  This was to see a new town and use it as a base for exploring a bit, but primarily to take the train to the Grand Canyon.  Williams is truly the gateway to the Canyon and there are two ways to get there: road or rail.

In both cases, Williams has ready access.   For people coming from the West, the road from Williams heads north and roughly parallels the rail line for sixty miles to the South Rim.  I suspect anybody driving from points East and South in Arizona will take the road from Flagstaff which joins the Williams highway about half way to the Canyon.  The rail line was completed in 1901 and for about fifty years was the preferred method of travel to get to the Canyon.  As car traffic became more popular the rail line fell out of favour and by 1968 passenger service ended.

Boarding in Williams

At the Canyon ready to depart

Today, the Grand Canyon Railway operates one train each day, with two on peak demand days.  The train we rode had ten cars with one car being a cafe car.  The conductor reported there were about 300 people aboard and that is typical for a winter run.  The cars are configured as coach, first class, observation and a premium private car at the end of the train.  We chose to take coach on the northbound trip and rode in the observation car back to Williams.

On the way up to the Observation Deck

Train was ‘robbed’ on the way back to Williams

We had a great time and found it an enjoyable way to get to the Canyon and back.

The Grand Canyon

In the case of The Grand Canyon, the journey to get there is enjoyable, but in this case it is the destination you are looking for.  As you get off the train you are behind a small hill on top of which sits the El Tovar hotel.  It is an original hotel in the village and was built in 1905.  It is a stunning example of the architecture of the day and is one of the most sought after properties in the National Park System.  It sits literally twenty feet or so from the rim of the Canyon so when you get up to the top of the hill where the entrance to the hotel is, all you can see is sky and the Canyon.  Incredible sight.

We had three and a half hours there and had packed a picnic so walked the various trials around the rim, stopping to see the historic buildings and sign posts pointing out various geological things about the Canyon.  The only thing better than doing what we did would be to stay at the park in the RV and spend a few days there.  Watching the sunrise and sunset there would be spectacular but viewing from the south rim would not likely be as good as watching from one of the observation areas on the north rim.

Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay

All in all we had a fantastic day at the Canyon and will definitely do it again at some point.

Thank you for stopping by to read.

Shepherd’s Pie

One of my favourite meals growing up was Shepherd’s Pie.  My Mum made an excellent version that was part of her arsenal of great meals, and this was a definite family favourite.  I still have not been able to duplicate exactly what I liked the most, so I think the memory is the stimulus for repeating the recipe and looking for that taste.  We have a convection oven so have abandoned trying to duplicate the recipe exactly.  Some convection oven meals are okay and perhaps I have not given it enough opportunity to prove itself, but I make my Shepherd’s Pie on the bbq.  It essentially turns out the same as an oven baked version, except there is the bbq flavour.

Shepherd’s Pie is an easy meal to prepare and I believe there are lots of variations from countries around the world with ingredients more or less similar.  The original English version typically used left over beef, sliced or chopped with mashed potatoes and vegetables.  My Mum made hers with fresh ground lamb or ground beef with vegetables in the next layer and topped with mashed potatoes and a pad or two of butter.  I do the same but Pat has brought a variation into the mix that we use all the time now.

Potatoes are the preferred method of topping from all recipes we have seen, but Pat likes to use either sweet potatoes or carrots mashed into all her mashed potato recipes, so that has become a staple for us.  It gives the potato mix a nice colour and the health benefits are good as well.  Pat comes from a French Canadian background and her mother always used creamed corn in her recipe for Shepherd's Pie, so that is an optional item.

When we travelled down to Arizona in the fall we stayed at a Harvest Host location in Indiana that sold grass fed farm raised beef, lamb and chicken.  We purchased frozen packs of each and the last pack we saved for one of our last meals in the desert before heading out.

Smoked Shepherd’s Pie

• 2 medium sized russet potatoes
• 1 medium sweet potato or three medium carrots
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Corn niblets, green peas or creamed corn
• 1 pound ground lamb, beef or sausage 
• 1 teaspoon Thyme
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 tablespoon HP Sauce
• Butter
• Shredded cheese (optional)
• Smoking chips (optional)

Dice your choice of hard vegetables into equal sized cubes and cook in salted water.  Drain and mash until coarse.  Brown your choice of ground meat until most of the water and fat has rendered out.  Drain and return to the stove.  Add the Thyme, Garlic Powder and HP Sauce and cook for a few more minutes.

In a 4 by 9 oven proof pan lay out the ground meat, top with your choice of vegetable into a complete layer and top with the potato mixture.  Fluff up to have little raised ridges and drop about two or three pads of butter on top.

We have found through trial and error that metal pans do not work on the bbq.  If you are going to do this on a bbq you should use either an unglazed stoneware pan like the Pampered Chef version or a silicone pan.  I use either interchangeably and find they both do an excellent job with non stick and thorough heating.

Place the pan uncovered on a heat deflector in a 200-250 degree bbq.  Add your smoking chips if desired - I use hickory.  The rack on our bbq is about six inches from the coals so I need a deflector under the pan to stop it from burning.  Close the lid and wait, keeping the temperature in that range.  After one hour, if you want the optional cheese throw some shredded cheese on top of the potatoes for about ten more minutes.  Remove from the bbq and let stand for about ten before serving.  Enjoy as you inhale that wonderful smoky flavour and bite into that delicately crunchy topping.

Thank you for stopping by to read.

Climbing up to Williams

We completed our first leg to Williams without any real concerns, and other than the stop and go through Havasu City we had one planned stop at a rest area in Yucca.  You would think when a city has a main highway running through town they would synchronize lights so when you hit the first one green the rest stay green if you do the speed limit.  Other than approaching lights that were already red, we ended up with a number of “don’t turn yellow, don’t turn yellow, don’t turn yellow” events.

The Haviland Rest Area in Yucca is right next to another proving ground; this one operated by Chrysler.  So that is the second proving ground that operates, or used to operate in Arizona that we have come across.  I say used to as the google entry for it says ‘May be closed’.  I could not get any pictures as we drove by, but there are a number of old hotels and business fronts that are all run down and half torn down so not sure what that is about.

The Long Climb To Williams

Quartzsite is at an elevation of 879 feet above sea level and when you travel north from there you can see the road steadily descending as it works its way north.  By the time you get to Parker you are down to 325 above sea level and right next to the Colorado River.  From Parker it is a steady rise in elevation until Williams.  Williams is only a few miles West of the first peak we will need to cross on the way back.  Williams is at 6,800 feet and the peak just to our East is 7,162.  There are ups and downs throughout the leg to Williams but overall the elevation change is 6,000 feet from Quartzsite.  When we leave here later in the week we will go up and down a few more times as we pass over three peaks between here and Amarillo.  The first is the one just east of here, the second and highest is near Gallup, New Mexico at 7,192 feet and the last is just East of Albuquerque at 7,024.  After that it is all downhill baby. 

One of the things we noticed as we travelled along was the subtle change in scenery from desert to small coniferous trees to large Ponderosa pine.  It is desert scrub until Kingman and then a few miles East of there the landscape changes to more small pines and even some grassland.  By the time we approached Williams it was almost like being back in Ontario with large expanses of pine forests climbing up the peaks.  At the higher elevations they slowly recede to smaller trees near the peak.  The highest peaks are snow covered with what looks like a few inches of snow and we have been told this year is unseasonably warm as last year in February there was standing snow in town.

Williams is on the route of the original Route 66, and was one of the last big towns to be bypassed when they put in I-40.  If it were not for their marketing efforts as the Gateway to the Grand Canyon a number of local people we met said the town would be dead.  In fact there are two large RV parks right in town, and eight large chain hotels.  From what we can see the parking lots look about half full for each so I think the town is certainly on the map as a destination for the Grand Canyon.

As I mentioned in my earlier post we wanted to stop here to see the Canyon and take the train up and back.  I will make a separate post about that trip, but we found it very worthwhile doing it that way as we could relax and enjoy the scenery.  We met a number of people from various parts of the US, but it seems by far the majority of people on the train were from Phoenix, Tucson and various places in California.

Downtown Williams is essentially one street which is the original highway through town, and is very vibrant with all kinds of Route 66 diners and bars and museums.  We will be spending time there in the next few days.

On the short drive from I-40 into town we passed by a large cemetery, so made a point of going to see what it was all about.  It is quite surreal as the cemetery is literally in the middle of a large pine forest.  These are big trees and it is obvious they carved the cemetery out of the forest, rather than planting trees.  It reminded us of a cemetery in Brunswick, Georgia that was under the canopy of those large trees with Spanish moss hanging down.  There were a lot of people visiting and tending to their loved ones sites so it is obviously well cared for.  Very peaceful and quiet.  We did not see any names that were familiar to us at all.

Thanks for reading.

Take The Long Way Home

We have had our breakfast in America and so are beginning our trip back home.  Not directly, but making a few stops first.

My Mum and Dad had the Grand Canyon on their bucket list, but with all the travelling they did do on checking off their list, the Grand Canyon never made it to the top.  So, we are going to Williams, Arizona for a week to take the opportunity to see it for them while we are down in this part of the country.

Then we are off to Amarillo, Texas to see the city lights and what the northern part of Texas is all about.  From there we will be stopping at a number of Harvest Host locations as we make our way to Nappanee, Indiana.  We have an appointment at the Newmar service facility there at the beginning of April.  Newmar manufactures their motorhomes there, and we have an appointment to take care of the first year items we have identified.  This is too good an opportunity to pass up as they have the manpower, tools and experience to deal with things right away, and as these are warranty items it is important they know what the issues are and make them right.  We are very happy with this coach and do not have a big list but a few of the items on the list are better handled by them instead of the dealer, so this makes sense.  I will post something on that when the time comes.

After that we are headed to Vineland in Ontario for three weeks or so to see my parents, brother and sister.  Springtime in that part of Ontario is really nice and after the winter they have been having I am sure everyone will be out enjoying the weather - if it has improved by then.

From there we are planning a trip over to Ottawa to see our son, his wife and their daughter before heading up highway 17 to North Bay for the middle of May and the opening of things at home for the summer.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for highlights of this journey.  

Four Wheeling Ford Escape Style

Off to the West of where we are staying at the moment you can see some form of structure part way up the side of the mountain.  I googled it and found the location was a gold mine called Gold Eye mine.  There appear to be two roads you can take: one that branches off the road at the entrance to Roadrunner BLM, and the other from a road that comes in from the north by a subdivision.  I chose the wrong one.

So, a few days ago we set off up the road to the end where the trail turned into a four wheeler type trail that was not too bad at first.  However, it rapidly deteriorated and as we got probably half way to the mine we (Pat) decided it was not something a Ford Escape should be attempting, so turned around.  At the start of that road we noticed a number of grave markings, so on the way back stopped off to see what that was all about.

Turns out to be a pet cemetery, with what look like a few human graves mixed in for some reason.  The site appears to be regularly visited by people and animals alike as there were lots of signs both had been around.  I suspect it is a makeshift site for people that live in the area as there are a number of homes and trailers nearby.

Camp Runa Muka Grave Site

The next day I decided to try the alternative route to the mine.  Taking off from our parking spot it was simply a matter of driving up the pipeline road to the subdivision and then picking up a fairly wide gravel road that led to the mine.

While the mine appears to be abandoned there was some activity.  Turns out the thing you can see up the side of the mountain are a work trailer and an RV.  There was a guy up there doing some kind of work as we could see him working away while we were there.  We did not go up to speak with him as there were a number of signs warning people to not pass beyond.

The area of the mine that was accessible was part of the original mine and contained an old shaft head frame, and a couple of stone frames of old buildings.  Inside the first were all kinds of period pieces of stuff apparently left over from when it was active.  An old wringer washer, typewriter, coffee pots and other generic stuff.  There was also a large locked donation box as well as a guest book.  We signed the book and noted there appear to be four or five entries per day, so the mine gets enough visitors.

There is a phone number apparently selling claims in the area so not sure if that is legitimate or not but from what I can see on line the mine is still somewhat active.  Perhaps the most notable thing there was a headstone of a gentleman who worked at the mine for 63 years.  I googled him as well and there is an interesting video on YouTube at this link to describe his involvement in the Gold Eye Mine.  It is an hour long video but worth watching.

All in all it was a fun afternoon, although I turned Pat a few shades of green on the trails.  I also won’t be suggesting to Ford they create an ad for the off-road prowess of their Escape, but it managed the hills and gullies fine.

Before I finish, I want to include a picture of a wash that we had to drive through.  I have mentioned a few times about these washes and still find it hard to believe there can be enough rain to actually fill them.  However, we had to cross French Creek, which is the main wash I mentioned in the recent post that runs through town.  We stopped in the middle so I could get out and take a few pictures of the trees and bushes bent over from what I would think would be from rushing water.  If so, you can see there has been some significant water flow through here at some point.

Our time here in the Quartzsite area is coming to a close and we are preparing to start our trip home.  A little earlier than most perhaps but we have some plans for things on the way.

Thank you for reading.  

Desert Fishing

It seems kind of odd there can be fishing of any sort in a desert environment.  Yet, the local hardware store has fishing rods and reels for sale.  The RV tent that sells just about everything you can think of even has rod and reel sets for fishing.  Mind you they are covered in fine dust so may have only been there for a week.

Other than the Colorado River and anything behind a dam on the river I have not seen any water down here at all.  Apparently the river has large and small mouth bass, crappie, catfish and similar species.  I may be wrong but I suspect whatever you catch is probably best to release rather than eat.  Fish is an important component to our diet so imagine my surprise when I came across a fish vendor in Quartzsite.

During the month of December and January there is a family from Craig, Alaska set up at the Tyson Wells Market Centre selling Salmon and Halibut.  I spoke with the owner and he brings the fish in to Phoenix once a week to restock his freezer.  I presume this would be a lucrative business opportunity for him as it is off season for both species in Alaska and a good way for him to liquidate fish not sold otherwise.  He said he sold 5,000 pounds last year and expects to do at least the same this year.

Well priced, vacuum sealed and frozen fish from Alaska in Quartzsite is too good to pass up.  This isn’t fish that was caught three days ago, flash frozen and flown to Phoenix for a short trip to Quartzsite.  From what I could see on the various packages it was caught and frozen late last summer, which is still good as long as it was frozen quickly.  Halibut was $20 a pound and salmon $15.  We bought a few Salmon steaks for smoking and a pair of Halibut steaks for the bbq. 

I will share the salmon smoking recipe soon, but want to share the halibut recipe as we just had it the other day.  The ingredients below are an AllRecipes version we enjoy.  It is shown for four pieces, and if you are only cooking two then halving the recipe still works.  We used two halibut pieces totalling about 1.5 pounds.  This amount of fish typically results in some left over for lunch the next day in a salad.

Grilled Halibut Steak

• 3/4 Cup butter, softened

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

• 3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed (optional)

• 1/4 teaspoon white sugar (optional)

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 4 halibut steaks 1” thick

• Alder or cherry smoking chips (optional)

I followed the ingredient list exactly except for the parsley, dill and sugar.   I discovered we had no parsley in the cupboard and am not a fan anyway, so may not have looked as thoroughly as I could.  Dill and sugar thankfully were optional and I would have skipped those anyway, so am glad that all worked out.  I added the line item for the smoking chips and marked it optional.

Mix all ingredients, slather on all sides of the steaks and let stand on Saran Wrap.

Preheat the bbq to about 375 with a copper or silicone grill mat on the grates as the bbq preheats.  These work great for allowing the heat transfer without all the accompanying mess of fats and oils dripping down onto the hot coals.  On a small surface like my bbq has you have to be mindful of the fats and oils running off the side so I keep a couple sheets of paper towel handy to soak that up before it runs off.

Add a few pieces of soaked flavour chips to the coals and place the fish on the mat, close the lid, wait five to six minutes and flip over for five or six more.  Turn once more at ninety degrees if you want crossed marks on the fish.  I don’t with fish as it is hard enough to pick up after it is ready without having to flip it over again.

Let the fish rest for a few minutes and serve.  For this meal Pat prepared a rice salad with fresh peppers, cucumber, cherry tomatoes with an olive oil dressing.

This method produces a product that is flavourful and juicy.  Try it out.

Thank you for reading.

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Lighting The Q

No, not lighting the large Q on the side of Q mountain here in Quartzsite, lighting my BBQ.  A lot of towns in this part of Arizona have the first letter of the town name formed by white rocks on the side of a nearby hill.  Quartzsite is no different.  Q mountain is close to town and the large Q sits prominently.   It is only visible during the day and is not lit.  This post is another in the cooking series and is about one of my favourite methods - barbecue.

The Early Years

When my parents immigrated to Canada in 1966 they immediately set out to try all things Canadian.  We went up to Algonquin Park to try roughing it in a cabin, trying out a canoe and hoping to see a moose on the shoreline.  We went on day trips to the beaches of Niagara on The Lake and darn near froze in the water, went on a lot of Sunday drives to see the countryside and generally tried to enjoy the various things Canada has to offer.  My Mum and Dad were big into picnics and so also wanted to try out a new-to-them picnic idea - barbeque.  The first few attempts were on those rusted cast iron grills on a pole that seem to still be hanging on in various parks, but never seem to be used.  Goodness knows who cooked what on them but they are not very appealing.

After realizing those would not work my Dad bought a hibachi.  The kind that folds into itself and is portable to put in the car.  During those early days I cannot remember if anyone used real charcoal all that much, but I remember my Dad used those pressed briquettes that were self lighting.  I suppose they did the job but always had a certain smell to them that I am not sure was good for the meat it was cooking or for us to inhale.  I would recognize that smell today.  They seemed to take forever to light off and get an even heat, and when they reached their peak they seemed to be only a few minutes away from being spent.  In any event they seemed to do well for hot dogs and hamburgers, which were also new to us.

By the time the early seventies came along my Dad had gone through a number of hibachi’s and found the kettle style barbeques were better, for home use anyway.  He bought his one and only Weber Kettle in 1975 and used that every summer until they moved into a condo in the late 90’s.  When they moved they wanted to know if any of the three kids wanted anything they were otherwise going to get rid of.  I snatched up the bbq and have been using it every summer since.  Believe it or not, it is the original bowl, lid and legs.  The only things that have been replaced are the metal racks inside and the air vent controller at the bottom of the bowl.  Pretty good for an appliance that is stored outside all summer with no cover and will celebrate 50 years of service this year.

Sausage and dogs

I have come to really enjoy charcoal grilling.  I love the flavour and nuance of cooking meats, fish, vegetables and even pizza over various types of hardwood charcoal and smoking chips.  I will start to write some posts about the various go-to meals I love to do and hopefully you will find them interesting.  As I said in my Sharp Tastes entry from a few weeks ago we are not foodies, but really enjoy what cooking brings to the table in terms of family, fun and good food.  Trying to find new ways of cooking something on the grill can be a challenge sometimes, but the flavour is almost always second to none, so worth the effort.

All summer when we are at our property we use our bbq just about every day.  In the winter we travel so pack it away in the shed until the next summer.  For travelling I purchased a Kamado style barbeque and use it regularly.  We used to have a full blown kamado style bbq from Canadian Tire but the darn thing weighed 150 pounds so there was no way it was going to be carried in a trailer.  So, I bought a Kamado Joe Jr.  It is 75 pounds so still heavy, but Pat agreed to get rid of some of her books to offset the weight and now we can take it with us wherever we go.

Smokin Joe

Charcoal, Chips and Chunks

The base for a good barbeque is in the charcoal.  I mentioned earlier, you can use charcoal briquettes but whatever chemical they put in there to form the briquette leaves a taste in my opinion so Hardwood Lump Charcoal is the only type I will use.  There are some good varieties out there, but you have to be careful because there are also some that put charcoal ‘sticks’ in their mix and even rocks from the charcoal preparation process.  I steer away from the commercial brands that also sell barbeques as they tend to be overpriced and really are designed for their large units so the chunks are huge.  The Kamado Joe Jr has a 13.5” cooking surface so the charcoal bowl is not that large for big chunk charcoal.

Home Hardware sells a really good charcoal from Quebec with Maple and Oak if you are lucky to find some, and specialty bbq places usually have good quality charcoal as well.  When we got to the US last November I wanted to see what their charcoal was like so purchased a 20 pound bag of charcoal with oak and a ten pound bag of mesquite.  I am not sure what the charcoal consists of to have them say ‘with oak’ but it is not that bad.  The mesquite was expensive but I have found using one or two pieces mixed in with the oak is the way to go.

The use of flavoured chips or chunks is purely optional if you have quality charcoal, and with a really good oak or maple charcoal I don’t typically use either.  However, there are some recipes I have where their use really lends a nice flavour.  I use two different types of chips and chunks depending on what I am cooking: one is a light flavoured wood like pecan, alder, cherry, or apple, while the other tends to be heavier in flavour like mesquite or hickory.

There is an ongoing debate about whether to soak or not.  I have found there are pros and cons to each, but prefer to soak before putting them on the coals.  The kamado style bbq’s retain heat extremely well in the ceramic lining so for the few seconds you open the lid the temperature does not drop that quickly.  Putting dry chips or chunks onto 350 degree coals will almost instantly light them off.  If they have been soaked first they tend to release the smoke slower.

If I am doing a long slow cook at less than 200 degrees I will typically use chunks; otherwise, for a steak or something that is on and off in ten minutes or so I will use chips.

Thanks for reading.  Next up Fishing in the Desert.

Out In The Boondocks

When we made the decision to try out a winter in Arizona we committed to at least two months at the RV Park in Quartzsite.  Without knowing what to expect we figured it would be a good way to get to know the area and the atmosphere in town.  We also wanted to spend some time in the desert to see what that was about.

Our time at the park ended on the fifth and we moved out to the desert the same day.  The area we selected is about 9 miles south of town.  We met Kim and Ken two summers ago and they had been at a particular BLM spot called RoadRunner for a few weeks, and were getting ready to depart so we joined them for their last few days.  You may recall a post I made earlier in December about the LTVA areas that describes in a bit more detail what these areas are all about.

All of these areas are fairly flat so it is not difficult to get level and set up.  Most of the ones around Quartzsite are the same - there are spots with fairly large rocks interspersed with areas of finer rocks with sand and dust.  There are some areas heavily travelled by four wheelers that have sand so fine that it ‘splashes’ when you walk through it so you can imagine why the people on four wheelers are kitted out with helmets, goggles, and face masks.  This is a four-wheelers paradise and all kinds of campers bring their side by sides along on a trailer for use while they are here.  Most times you can look off to the distance and see streams of dust clouds rising up from the ten or fifteen ATV’s barreling down a trail.  Driving these rigs on the roadways in town is legal just like snowmobiles and four wheelers in some communities in Canada.

The most noticeable geographic constraints are the areas that become flooded when there are heavy rains.  These areas are called washes.  These washes can be as small as a little dip in the road to some as deep as a car, and even the major roads keep the roadway following down into a wash rather than building culverts and raising the roadway.  We have not seen any rain this winter so have a hard time appreciating what happens when it does, but the signs are all over the place in town to not drive through a wash when it is flooded; otherwise you may end up like those drivers that drive through underpasses in Toronto during those freakishly heavy downpours they seem to get from time to time.

Road Runner BLM roughly outlined by the roads on the three sides.  We are the blue dot.

The washes are all well defined as they are the only areas where vegetation grows.  You can trace washes quite easily.  In the picture above you can clearly see the lines of vegetation running from the bottom right up to the top left.  You can also see the ‘trails’ that have been created on the ground between the washes that lead to the areas used for camping.  There is no shortage of good areas to pull off and set up.  A lot of people come back year after year to the same spot (if it is vacant when they get there) and some have gone so far as to encircle ‘their’ area with stones and are quite decorative.

The washes that are adjacent to where we are camped run southeast to northwest.  If you follow the lines from here you will note they group into a larger wash that runs right through the middle of Quartzsite and continues generally north west until it finds its way through a pass and ends at the Colorado River just north of Blythe, California.  This wash is called French Creek.  There is another wash called Italian Wash to the North East, and I suspect there may be a joke in there somewhere but cannot find any history on either.

The vegetation ranges from small creosote bushes, blue palo verde tree to mesquite trees, and saguaro.  There are some other types of cacti around but not too many out in these areas from what we can see.  Wildlife ranges from pack-rats, rabbits, coyotes, mourning doves, hummingbirds and other types of small wrens and sparrows.  Oh and snakes.  We have been told repeatedly they only come out when the temperature is consistently over 80, so no worries in the winter.  However, just like some humans I am sure there are snakes that just don't get it, so Pat is doing her best to keep an eye out when walking.

We have been out here a week now and have found it very relaxing.  It is super quiet although there have been two nights we have heard coyotes close by.  There are not nearly as many campers around as there are during the height of the January events in town so you get a better sense of being ‘out in the desert’.  This particular BLM is a popular one for rendezvous of certain specialty groups.

When we arrived last week there was a huge rally for owners of Fifth Wheel trailers by Grand Design.  They are one of the largest manufacturers of such trailers in the US and there had to be four hundred plus attendees.  They were about a quarter mile from where we are and all packed in together like a wagon train around the fire.  There were seminars, food tents, and brand new trailers to tease potential buyers.  This week is a similar sized event put on by owners of truck campers.  Some of the designs of truck campers now are especially impressive and require huge dual axle trucks to carry everything.  Most of them are towing a trailer with a side by side as well.

The type of camping we are doing is called dry camping or boondocking.  The dry camping part refers to no water, sewer or electricity so you need to be prepared to move on once your tanks are either full or empty depending on which ones limit your camping first.  Boondocking is synonymous with dry camping but I find it interesting the word comes from a word US soldiers brought back from The Philippines in the early 1900’s.  The remote rural mountainous regions of those islands are referred to as bundóks in their language.

To carry out a test of how long we can stay in one spot before needing to empty our tanks or replenish the fresh water we came up with the idea of staying 15 days.  If we can do that comfortably without sacrificing anything we would normally have if we were in a campground then I will say it will be a success.

For us we arrived with a full tank (105 USG) of fresh water for dishes, bathing and general use.  We have a grey water tank that can hold 75 USG from showers and sinks, and a black tank of 55 USG that takes waste from the toilet.  It is my expectation we will have enough capacity in all tanks to make it through for the planned fifteen days we are here. 

As for power generation, we have an onboard diesel powered generator that is capable of providing the same amount of electricity we would get from a campground.  We do not have any solar power generating capability so am evaluating what our daily consumption is to see if solar makes economic sense versus running the generator.

Once we have completed this two week test I will make another post to detail the experience.

Thank you for reading.

Alternate Breakfast

We need variety in life in one form or another to keep things interesting.  That includes a lot of things, but it is especially important in what we eat; although steak and eggs with toast, juice and coffee every morning would not be a bad way to start.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have found a healthy and filling breakfast that carries me through to lunch without any feelings of hunger.  But sometimes it is nice to change it up a bit.  Making sure I have all the individual ingredients for my usual breakfast does not always line up and I am out of one piece of the menu or another, or I want to change it up, or when we are on a travel day and I want something a bit easier to prepare so I can focus on getting things sorted.

I have always liked yoghurt and have come to find a few variants that I quite enjoy that I can blend with a cereal and fruit combination to provide a healthy, filling start that is just about as good as I get with the rice and beans meal.

A high fat or high protein yoghurt is my yoghurt of choice and I prefer plain Greek.  Down in the US it is hard to find yoghurt I like and the Greek is almost always flavoured.  If I have to get flavoured I will get Raspberry as my first choice; otherwise blueberry or strawberry in that order.  If I get plain yoghurt I will add a heaping tablespoon of peanut butter and stir thoroughly.  Back home I always get Oikos plain with protein.

I make my own granola and found a recipe on line that I have modified slightly, but provides the horsepower to get me through the morning.

Granola

• 1 Cup rolled oatmeal
• 2 Cups coconut flakes
• ¼ Cup coconut oil, melted
• 1 Cup chopped hazelnuts or walnuts
• 2 Tablespoons cacao nibs
• 3 Tablespoons liquid honey
• 2 Teaspoons dark cocoa powder
• ½ Teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Small box Bran Buds

Mix all dry ingredients (except the Bran Buds) in a large bowl and turn out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Mix the coconut oil, honey and vanilla together and drizzle over the mixture.  Bake in the oven at 275 for 30 minutes.  When you remove it from the oven leave it on the sheet to thoroughly cool before the next step.

Once it has cooled you can put it back into a large bowl to break up into smaller pieces.  When that is done mix in the Bran Buds and store in an airtight container.  The Bran Buds were not part of the recipe initially but I have found them to be an excellent addition.  I tried Bob’s Mill Bran but found it too fine and ends up shaking to the bottom of the container.  The Bran Buds do contain some sugar and salt but the amount is not that great in my opinion for what benefit you are getting otherwise.

When it is time for breakfast I get three large spoonfuls of yoghurt in a bowl, add one heaping tablespoon of peanut butter and mix thoroughly.  To that I add the granola mixture to cover the yoghurt and turn that over to blend.  Finally add a few tablespoons of fresh or dried fruit of some sort.  I typically use cranberries, dates, or figs.  Fresh bananas work well also.  Enjoy.

This meal is not as calorie dense as the rice and beans, but does a fairly good job of carrying me through to lunch.

Try it out if you like granola.  Thank you for reading.

What’s The Buzz, Tell Me What’s A-Happening

Well it is that time of year again.  It has become a regular tradition for Pat, and today was the day this year.  For those of you who know Pat, she is a no nonsense woman who tells it like it is and stands by her word.  I am proud of her commitment to friendship and the memories we have of one special person in her life.

In the mid 1990’s our son Bradley began a friendship with another boy who had just started in the same school and played on his soccer team.  Grayson’s parents attended the games and that was where we met his parents.  One thing led to another and we found out Shelley and Alan had a boat and were interested in some weekend adventures ‘down the French’ River attached to our local lake.  We have many fond memories of each family travelling in our respective boats to our spot as often as we could each summer, and we cherish the relationship we built.  For almost twelve years we would get our boats in the water the same weekend in the spring, boat as often as we could throughout the summer, and put them away each autumn at the same time.  There are many stories we could share about the adventures we had with their two sons, daughter and our son and daughter in our spot in Satchels Bay.

Shelley was fair skinned, and always careful about the sun.  She wore 50 sunblock so thick we used to tease her about her whiteness.  She wore big floppy sun hats, was usually covered up, didn't smoke and didn't really drink much.  She had a love for salads and generally ate very healthy.  Unfortunately, cancer does not care about any of that, and as many readers will know either first hand or through someone else, once it starts, it is insidious and relentless.

Shelley began to feel ill in late 2006 and by the summer of 2007 she was struggling with the treatment associated with ovarian cancer and began to lose her hair.  She had beautiful thick, red hair and we know it was hard for her to be losing it throughout the treatment.  Pat tried to encourage her and offered to shave her head along with Shelley so they could wear bandanas together.  Shelley was not keen on the idea, but started to wear bandanas anyway.  To perhaps encourage her further, Pat then told Shelley if she was not going to shave her head now, to honour her memory when she was gone, she would shave her head the day she retired.  Shelley battled through the summer and by the time the boats were put away that fall it was fairly evident she would not be boating in 2008.  She died the following June.

Pat worked for seven more years before she retired from full time work to go part time.  I remember Pat telling me the day she wanted to change from full time to part time she was relieved to be starting the road to retirement.  That was almost immediately followed by dread at the thought she now had to shave her head.  Word got around the hospital and the hospital fundraising group suggested Pat hold a fundraising effort in Shelley’s memory.  She said yes and the 2015 Sharp’s Fund Razor was created.

In all, nine individuals stepped forward to have their heads shaved and the effort brought in just over $6,000.  For Pat it was an invigorating experience and she fulfilled her commitment to her friend.  To keep that memory active she now has her head shaved at least once per year.  The hotter it gets the more likely she will shave it off some time throughout the year, but she always does it around the holiday season because we are pretty well guaranteed warmth.  Since we began travelling she has had her head shaved in some pretty interesting locations.  

Front Lawn of The Green Turtle Club, Abacos, Bahamas, winter 2020/21

Black Sound, New Plymouth, Abacos, winter 2022/23

This year marks the tenth anniversary of that first shave and she still looks fantastic with or without hair.

I am very proud of her to have done that in the first place, and as we have become used to doing it each winter, it just seems right to continue.

Next to a Saguaro, La Paz Valley, Quartzsite, AZ, winter 2024/25

If you got this far and you have read some of my other blogs you know I try to find words that are cryptic, yet descriptive about the content.  The buzz part is pretty obvious but the rest is a line out of Jesus Christ Superstar - The Musical.  We saw that with our kids when they were young and that line has stuck with us so whenever we say “what’s going on”, or “what’s up” we always say What’s The Buzz, Tell Me What’s A-Happening.

Thank you for reading.

Beale’s Wagon Road

 A week or so ago in the post I made about the camel parade in Quartzsite, I made a short reference to Hi Jolly and his involvement as lead camel driver on an experimental use of camels to replace burros as pack animals.  This program did not work out in the end as the camels and horses did not get along with each other.  The horses were constantly nagging because the camels were spitting at everything.

When we passed through Cool Springs Station on our trip up to Oatman I noticed a plaque that mentioned Ned Beale and his use of the station to water his horses and camels as he passed through on the development of what became known as the Beale Wagon Road.  Although this plaque does not specifically talk about the road and his efforts it led me to some research.

Among other things, Edward “Ned” Beale was an experienced military man, explorer and frontiersman who was tasked with finding a viable route from Eastern Arizona to the California border.  The route he surveyed eventually took him to a known watering hole used by local native tribes.  This stop became a popular one for anyone travelling West on what eventually became part of Route 66 and Interstate 40.

I find it fascinating when you read stories about individuals like this who had storied lives in a period when things were far more difficult than today.  This particular task he had was to find an effective and efficient way to go from Fort Defiance, Arizona to the California border.  Fort Defiance is right on the border separating Arizona from New Mexico.  Based on what we saw when we went up to Oatman and knowing he passed through there on his way West, I presume he ended around Needles, California.  If that is true, then his travels were roughly 400-450 miles based on google maps and today’s highways.  As a lot of Interstate 40 is along the old Route 66 and his route became Route 66 I would expect his survey was about that long.

He took three years to compete this task and you can only imagine what hardships they had to endure to make this trek.  When you are standing at the top of the mountain pass between Oatman and Kingman you can clearly see some of the challenges they faced.

Looking West From Sitgreaves Pass

There is also a monument in Kingman that I wasn’t aware of when we were there that commemorates his actions.

Thank you for reading.

Trip On The Oatman Highway

The other day, the four of us took a trip up to Oatman, Arizona.  It is a two plus hour drive to get there from here but was well worth it.  Oatman has had a lot of ups and downs and it is only the tourist trade that continues to support the town.  Like a lot of small towns this one was affected by a major fire and most of the town was destroyed, so the buildings that are standing are replicas to made to look like the way it was.  Wooden sidewalks, buildings that are made to look like they are about to fall down, and a gunslinging shootout a few times a day round out the experience.

They even had the obligatory jail cell, which again, just like in Phoenix, Patty found herself inside for a short spell.

I don’t know why she is smiling

Other than the tourist shops the biggest draw are the burros.  From what we could see there are a number of different families of four or five wandering around.  One was pregnant and looked like she was about to delivery any moment, and all but one brown one were grey with a dark line down the spine and across the shoulders.  Every store sold feed for them and they would gladly eat from your hand.  From what we understand if the desert wildflowers and other fauna are out they will not typically be in town, but this day we saw perhaps upwards of twenty or so. 

The lone Brown Burro

Burro with Baby

To get to Oatman you take the Oatman Highway, which runs from Topock to Kingman.  This is a segment of the original Route 66 and is probably one of the most hazardous sections, with steep grades and numerous switchback up and over the mountain pass that sits roughly half way along the route.

Shortly after passing the peak you come across a single gas station at Cool Spring Station.  The building is a rebuilt version of the original and is a souvenir and trinket shop.  When it was built it had gas and water as well as cabins for tourists to stay presumably if the mountain pass was weathered in or something because otherwise there is not much there to stop for.  From the pictures on the wall it appears to be a ‘go-to’ destination for anyone with a motorcycle or hot rod type vehicle and a lot of car rallies make a point of stopping there on their way through.  I can imagine the highway would be a thrilling ride for anyone on a motorcycle.

View from the station

There are springs in the area, hence the name, and you can tell there is a water source with the trees in the gulleys.  Along the way out of Oatman to Kingman there was ample evidence on the side of the roadway about the burros, so they don’t just hang out in town, they are out in the desert as well.

Kingman was our destination for lunch.  As with most towns on Route 66 they promote the whole 50’s and 60’s era with the diners and old cars and such.  We went to one that was highly recommended called Mr. D’z.  It is an old gas station converted to a diner and was decorated as you would expect.  Food was also as you would expect and was pretty good.  Everyone else tried the recommended Root Beer and said it was good, but for some reason I have never been a fan of root beer and don’t drink pop so had water.

Bullhead City is right on the Colorado River and across from Laughlin, Nevada.  Laughlin is set up like a mini Las Vegas with eight casinos all along the riverfront.  Some have names similar to those in Vegas and I am sure it is a fairly good tourist draw.  If you are a classic car lover then the Don Laughlin’s Classic Car Museum would be a great stop as well.

The drive back to Quartzsite was uneventful and we drove back through Bullhead City and down the Mohave Valley to Needles, California and then roughly paralleled the Colorado River on Highway 95 to cut back across at Parker.

A great day out, and thank you for stopping by to read.