Thursday, February 17, 2022

2021 - 2022 Trip To The Southwest, Day 120

 Thursday, February 17, 2022, Imperial Dam BLM LTVA, Winterhaven, CA - 229.3 Miles, 4,222.2 Miles for the Trip

Imperial Dam LTVA

I did a short one mile walk around the campground, and after breakfast packed up the trailer to head to Imperial Dam LTVA. I took the long way which took me down the east side of the Salton Sea because I had always driven the west side and wanted to see what it was like. On the way I took a through-the-window shot of a snow capped mountain. 

There are a number of CA state parks along the east side, one of which had a waving Escape owner as I went by.  I finished listening to Jeffrey Archer's Turn a  Blind Eye.  I think his books go over better reading than as audio books; I found it a bit slow.  I'm reading Chinle Miller's Uranium Daughter, which is much better writing than her Bud Shumway series, although for some reason I'm addicted to them.

I went on line looking for a source for Silk & Spice red wine, one of my favorites. I discovered that a Walmart in Yuma had it, so I added it as a stop on the way & picked up 2 bottles. About the same $ here as in Syracuse, NY.

I thought about staying at Mittry Lake since I've never been and a couple of fiberglass people suggested it, but I went by the entry road in the wrong lane so I skipped it. I still might move there for a couple of nights since the road goes most of the way to the Imperial Dam area. I looks to be about 5 miles of good dirt road to get there from the north.

I'm on a flat section above the Gravel Pit Pavilion, my usual location. Quite a few RVs as well as tents in the area, but I managed to find a reasonably flat (2" side to side & 1 1/2" lift on the tongue) spot - I didn't bother disconnecting from the truck. The last time I was here (in 2019) there was very weak AT&T service at the entrance area, none where I usually parked. This time I have a good usable (15.2Mbps down & 3.3Mbps up) AT&T connection from the Gravel Pit area. Verizon, which had a strong 26Mbps data speed the last time is worse at 2.1Mbps down & .9Mbps up. I do get KAWC from Yuma, a NPR station so I don't need to use the internet radio as much, although I do hope to be able to connect to WXXI for Echoes & the Hearts of Space weekend music programs.

Since it was already 5:00 Mountain time when I arrived, I just took a site photo, then made dinner. I didn't even put down the stabilizers, which means the trailer rocks a bit as I move, but since it is only me, not a problem. Speaking of time, Imperial Dam is interesting. The LTVA area is on the California side of the Colorado river, but because the most used access is through the Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona, it runs on Arizona time. So far my phone & watch still thinks that I'm in Arizona, probably because I arrived through the Proving Grounds. Hopefully, they won't start switching back & forth; I had that problem in Lake Havasu City where the phone kept flipping back & forth between CA & AZ towers. I don't think there are any California cell towers within range of the LTVA.

Dinner was a Marie Callender's Sweet & Sour Chicken & vegetables over rice microwave meal.

Until Tomorrow - 

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