2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 117

Day 117, Thursday, February 12, 2026 - Sara Rodeo Grounds, Lake Havasu City, AZ, Day 4 - 0 Miles, 3,576.4 Miles for the Trip

55°F overnight, 60°F for my morning walk, 69°F by noon and the high for the day was 74°F.

Not much in the way of fireworks last night, but here are a few photos.  More at today's LakeshoreImages page.

I didn't go anywhere during the day except for my morning walk. A loop around the outside of the park is a little under a mile. Partly cloudy. The batteries started out the day at 73% and by dinner time were only up to 82%. Still plenty even though tomorrow is suppose to be cloudy. I can save some amp hours by heating my coffee water on the stove although the coffee pot only uses around 3 amp hours to make a 3 cup pot of coffee. 

A neighbor with a class C RV moved into site B22, one of the sites next to mine.

Around 3:00 I made a trip to the showers. A bit of a walk, but the building has 4 family style bathrooms, each with a shower. Plenty of room, a large tub sized shower with benches, plenty of adjustable hot water and a removable hand held shower head. Very clean. The bad - no hooks and no bench outside of the one in the shower. You need to balance your stuff on the edges of the sink or on the closed toilet lid. Overall, a C+.

Around 5:00 the Sea Scouts came by towing a boat filled with firewood & ice. We still have enough at Paula's for at least tonight.

Dinner was an Apple Chicken Brat & steamed green peas.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 116

Day 116, Wednesday, February 11, 2026 - Sara Rodeo Grounds, Lake Havasu City, AZ, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 3,576.4 Miles for the Trip

62°F overnight, 64°F for my morning walk, 70°F by noon and the high for the day was 71°F.

Heavy clouds overnight & this morning with lots of early morning wind that died by daybreak. At 11:30 the solar panels were only producing 28 watts, not enough to keep up with the basic demand of the trailer let alone charge the batteries which are at 81%. While my weather app says partially cloudy tomorrow, let's hope for enough sun to put something back in the batteries. At least there was no need to run the furnace last night. 71°F overnight in the trailer, too warm for me since I prefer to sleep in the low 60's.

I didn't do much other than sit inside the trailer. During my morning walk I'm currently listening to The President is Missing by Bill Clinton & James Patterson, and on the Kindle reading Though Not Dead by Dana Stabenow. I do enjoy her Alaska novels featuring Kate Shugak. 

Since I don't have hookups, I fired up the gas on the water heater to do some dishes. If there is wind against that side of the trailer it dumps CO into the trailer, setting off the alarm. I have a CO detector that has a readout so I can see if it is creeping up before there is enough to alarm. Just a very light wind this afternoon so we will see how it goes. The count made it to 85. 400 is where it sounds the alarm so I guess I'll live. I do wish I could get a better seal on the water heater rim where it meets the fiberglass shell, but I've done just about everything I can think of and there is still leakage.

I went to Bashes for some baked chicken & discovered that they had 1 8 pack of the large Grape Zero Gatorade bottles. 

Tonight will be the first night of any fireworks. Just demos which are usually spaced far apart.

Dinner was chicken thighs, Bush beans & a salad.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 115

Day 115, Tuesday, February 10, 2026 - Sara Rodeo Grounds, Lake Havasu City, AZ, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 3,576.4 Miles for the Trip

56°F overnight, 56°F for my morning walk, 72°F by noon and the high for the day was 75°F.

Last night I finished The Compound by Aisling Rawle. It was interesting to read a novel about a reality show. OK for a first book. I started Though Not Dead by Dana Stabenow.

During my morning walk I found another Escape, a 5.0TA in the lower section. Not anyone I know. Paula arrived in her new Escape 21 and next door neighbor just as I was getting back from shopping & picking up my prescriptions. No luck on Chicken Bubba Burgers, but the butcher recommended a brand they carry - Red Bird. I'll try one for dinner tonight.

I also bought a replacement Sony radio - a DSX-M55BT, a marine version that may hold up better to the movement & temperatures in the trailer. The removal of the old one & putting the new one in place went OK. I was lucky - the wiring & connector were the same for the new radio as the old one so I didn't need to redo the connections; just plug it in. Even the remote is the same so I have a spare. I was hoping I could leave one in the front of the trailer, but the radio is behind the closet & the remote can't see it. I still need to do some settings adjustments, but that will wait until dark.

Dinner was a Red Bird Chicken burger & Bush beans. The burger was pretty good. I still prefer the Bubba version, but these will do.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 114

Day 114, Monday, February 9, 2026 - Sara Rodeo Grounds, Lake Havasu City, AZ - 11 Miles, 3,576.4 Miles for the Trip

51°F overnight, 54°F for my morning walk, 68°F by noon and the high for the day was 77°F.

I headed out around 11:30. No line at the dump station, and no one behind me. An uneventful 11 mile drive to the rodeo grounds. I'm in B22, a dry 20' X 40' section of a parking lot for a week. A $250 donation to the Sara Rodeo Grounds for 7 nights or $35.71 per night. I had to raise one side 2 1/2" and drop the tongue 3". You best be comfortable with a horsey smell since there are horse droppings all over the parking lot. The ground is very hard - Tough to stake down the mat & I had to use a tent stake to drill holes for the hummingbird feeder & the camping sign.

Site B21

A Present From the Horses

I parked the trailer with the back window pointing at the location of the fireworks so I could sit inside & watch them if I got tired of sitting outside. It also puts the door & sitting area in the shade. I miss the shade I had at Cattail Cove. With one side of the trailer facing the sun even though the temperature only made it to 77°F, inside the trailer it is 83°F at 5:00. I'm sure it will cool down at night.

I sat outside for a bit. The flies are a PIA. So far they don't seem to bite, but they like to land on you. At least one made it into the trailer.

I got a call, text, email and voice mail that all but one of my prescriptions are ready at Walgreens, so I'll head into town tomorrow.

I turned on the radio and it was very loud, then died. I can listen directly to my phone, but it doesn't carry around the trailer.

Lots of empty spaces in the park. I thought most of the fiberglass folks from last year were coming back, but the A sites they were in are filling up with stick built trailers. A Bigfoot arrived, but it isn't Dan & Chris. Dan had a stroke and they won't be coming.

Dinner was a Saffron Road Chicken Tikka Masala bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 113

Day 113, Sunday, February 8, 2026 - Cattail Cove State Park, Lake Havasu City, AZ - 65.4 Miles, 3,565.4 Miles for the Trip

52°F overnight, 77°F for my afternoon walk, 77°F by noon and the high for the day was 79°F.

I finished packing up the trailer, made another run to Loves & filled the truck tires, then hooked up the trailer. Said good by to lots of folks that I won't see for 2 years since next year is Florida for me.

I made a short stop at Safeway for a gallon of water & a couple of things, then continued to Cattail Cove. I'm in site 35, a back in on asphalt across from the restrooms. Needed to raise 1 1/2" side to side & drop the tongue 3 1/2". $33.20 with reservation fee for water & 30 amp electric.

After setting up I did my "morning" walk around 1:00. I included a photo of the construction sign for a new section of the campground. A private campground closed & the state added it to Cattail Cove. It will open in March. There are two other fiberglass trailers, another Escape 21 that some friends own but didn't attend the Quartzsite rally, and a Scamp 19. I also included a photo of one of the largest truck campers I've seen on a truck without dual rear wheels. There is a section along the road that they are starting a cactus garden. I included a photo of the existing garden. There are also some fruit trees, although I didn't find the lemon tree that I picked a lemon from for my blueberry pie the last time I was here. I did find some grapefruit trees as well as an orange tree, both with a couple of pieces of fruit on them.

Lots of wildflowers in bloom along all the places where water has run over the winter. 

More photos at today's LakeshoreImages page.

Just before dinner I headed to the showers. 2 large stalls in the men's section, both roll in disabled with a bench in the drying area and a shower curtain between the shower & the drying area. The left one has a bench it the shower and additional rails. An interesting show head - it is the typical 1" high pressure, fine spray types, but they must have drilled out the spray nozzles so that they produce a coarse spray. A big improvement. Plenty of adjustable hot water. 2 hooks in the drying area. While the shower curtain keeps the direct spray out of the drying area, the floor drain is directly under the shower curtain, so most of the drying area floor gets wet. Overall, a B+.

Dinner was a Tyson Broccoli & Cheese Chicken Roll cooked outside in the toaster oven to save additional heat in the trailer, and a salad. The shade of the tree keeps the sun away, but is is still 78°F in the trailer.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 112

Day 112, Saturday, February 7, 2026 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 7 - 0 Miles, 3,500 Miles for the Trip

51°F overnight, 67°F for my morning walk, 77°F by noon and the high for the day was 80°F.

I took a photo of the campfire last night with the iPhone 17. It did better than the Nikon Z8.

We actually had a few new arrivals yesterday, and a few left today. I started packing up some of the stuff I didn't plan in using such as the grill, outdoor table, etc. Made a trip to Loves to put air in the truck tires, but there was someone parked in front of the air hose. You can't blame them since the parking space isn't marked but it means I'll have to dig out my Viair compressor. 

I took a few photos during the afternoon.

A few more photos at today's LakeshoreImages page.

Dunner was an Amy's Enchilada with Rice & Beans bowl. After dinner I folded down the solar panels. After dark it will be out to the campfire. I'll add a campfire photo later.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 111

Day 111, Friday, February 6, 2026 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 6 - 0 Miles, 3,500 Miles for the Trip

50°F overnight, 58°F for my morning walk, 79°F by noon and the high for the day was 80°F.

I headed to the swap meet this morning and sold my Lagun table mount & smaller Viair compressor.

Back at the trailer I sat outside in what ever shade I could find. The trailer with the loud generator & dog left so it should be a bit quieter. A steady wind from the west keeps it cooler in the shade, but the strong sun heats up anything it hits. I have been sitting in my shaded chair with the trailer blocking the wind and it isn't too bad.

Around 3:00 I took a walk around the place with the camera.

While it didn't look all that different from yesterday's music gathering, I added a photo of today's. 

Dinner was left over pizza from yesterday's linner. While I am not all that fond of microwaved reheated pizza, it was just too hot to fire up the oven.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 110

Day 110, Thursday, February 5, 2026 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 5 - 0 Miles, 3,500 Miles for the Trip

56°F overnight, 64°F for my morning walk, 72°F by noon and the high for the day was 75°F.

It actually cooled down a little during my morning walk as the sun ducked behind clouds. The clouds came & went during the morning. I took the camera with me:

Rock painting started while I started building the day's journal so I managed to get a photo or two.

After that it was off to the laundromat. On the way I stopped at the car wash behind Terrible's & washed the truck. 3 bays + an automatic section with a 7' clearance. The manual bays were all tall & long enough for a RV, and the first bay had a platform high enough so you could wash the roof. While there was a credit card card option, it didn't work. Tokens were $1.00 each & $5.00 worth let me wet down, brush scrub & rinse the truck with a minute left over.

On to the laundromat. Crowded as usual, but I had no problem getting a 3 load front loading machine. $5.50 to wash. Dryers were $.25 per 5 minutes. While my clothes were in the dryer I headed for the showers. $11.00 for 20 minutes. They had a 40 minute option - who can spend 40 minutes in a shower? They do supply soap, shampoo, a wash cloth & towel.

On the way back it was time for a late lunch/early dinner so I stopped at Silly Al's for a vegetarian supreme pizza, the only one I've ever had that included cashews. Very good, as usual. $23.75 before tip for a small 12" pie ($.63 cheaper if you pay cash). I took half back to the trailer.

After putting the clothes away I sat outside & read. Current book is The Water Lies by Amy Meyerson. Around 4:30 I wandered down to the music group for a couple of photos:

More photos at today's LakeshoreImages page.

There wasn't any real dinner since I'm still stuffed on the late lunch pizza & snacking on my bag of Kettle Corn.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 109

Day 109, Wednesday, February 4, 2026 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 4 - 0 Miles, 3,500 Miles for the Trip

52°F overnight, 68°F for my morning walk, 77°F by noon and the high for the day was 82°F.

I took a couple of campfire photos last night, and took the camera along during my morning walk. A warm morning with a light breeze.

As usual, more photos at today's LakeshoreImages page.

I went for another walk in the late afternoon as well as another campfire:

Dinner was my last batch of frozen shrimp Alfredo.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 108

Day 108, Tuesday, February 3, 2026 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 3 - 0 Miles, 3,500 Miles for the Trip

50°F overnight, 65°F for my morning walk, 77°F by noon and the high for the day was 80°F.

I met and chatted with a bunch of folks on my morning walk. After breakfast and a bit of internet reading I called the Lake Havasu City Walgreens to phone in some prescription refills. After convincing their AI phone voice that I neede3d to talk with the pharmacy, I was put on hold for 15 minutes before an announcement that they were having difficulties, told me to call back, & hung up on me. It sure has become difficult to talk with a real person. I called again a half hour later and got through to a very nice person after only waiting 6 minutes. I hope all the scripts will be ready when I hit Lake Havasu City.

I sat outside in my shaded chair. Nice & quiet - the generator across the way isn't running & the dog & owner are gone for the day. One generator running on the hill, but far away enough that it is not all that noticeable.

I got a call back from Stony Creek and am booked so I now have reservations for all the places that take them for the trip back to Oswego. 

I took some hummingbird photos (of course) as well as made a round of some of the trailers.

More photos at today's LakeshoreImages page.

After that it was sitting outside reading..

Dinner was a Marie Callender's Roasted Turkey Breast & Stuffing plate.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 107

Day 107, Monday, February 2, 2026 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ, Day 2 - 0 Miles, 3,500 Miles for the Trip

47°F overnight, 59°F for my morning walk, and at Quartzsite, °83F by noon which was the high for the day since the clouds moved in. At 1:00 it was down to 77°F.

While it cooled off in the early morning, overnight wasn't too bad. The furnace, set at 60°F didn't come on except for a couple of short runs around 6:00AM. I made a loop of the area for my morning walk. Lots of fiberglass trailers here, although there are also many sun blockers of all types scattered amongst us. After breakfast the batteries were at 88%. 

I still have one more reservation to make for my trip home. A new campground, Stony Creek has the strangest reservation system I've run into. When I called a couple of months ago they told me they don't take reservations until February 2nd. When I called today & was told to "Press 1" for reservations it switched me to someone that put me on a reservation call back list. They said they wouldn't get to me until Wednesday because they were still doing callbacks from yesterday. Since they told me that reservations started today I'm confused. Anyhow, I hope to hear from them since the choices in the area are slim.

I finished Brian W. Aldiss's Space, Time & Nathaniel, and started a collection of Joyce Carol Oates - Night, Neon.

I decided to tilt the solar panels. I might have gotten away without tilting them, but around 11:00 I was only seeing 56 watts from the pair of 160 watt panels. It took around 20 minutes to tilt both panels & it went up to 190 watts. When there was a clear section of southern sky they peaked at 250 watts, and eventually switched out of the bulk mode, balanced the battery cells during the absorption stage, then switched to float.

The Tilted Panels

If you look closely, you may notice a 20 pound tank running the grill. I don't know what is up with my 5 pound tank, but it stops producing propane when it is around 1/2 empty. So, it is back in the truck. I'm glad I had room for my extra 20 pound tank; I usually don't carry it unless I bring my propane generator.

While I do like my location, two things I don't like is a generator running all day behind me, and the same trailer & the one next to it have dogs that bark at anything that moves. 

I made a run to town for my bag of kettle corn. It is quite different here in the southwest than at home. I don't know how they get the kernels to be as large as they are, but it makes better kettle corn. I also stopped at the Coyote Market for some deli ribs, green beans & mac & cheese. I've had better, but that was linter (combined lunch & dinner).

Dinner was the afternoon ribs.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 106

Day 106, Sunday, February 1, 2026 - Dome Rock BLM, Quartzsite, AZ - 50.3 Miles, 3,500 Miles for the Trip

52°F overnight, 56°F for my morning walk, and at Quartzsite, 70°F by noon with the high for the day at 77°F. Now that I'm away from the Colorado River I thought the humidity would get even lower, but it is about the same as Parker - 19% humidity indoors & 27% outside.

Last night I finished Joyce Carol Oates Fox. A gutsy book, although a bit too long. Started a collection of SiFi short stories written by Brian W. Aldiss - Space, Time & Nathaniel.

After my walk & breakfast I tried to remember how to pack the trailer for a move & headed to the dump station. While there are two double stations, one was locked up. A long wait, mostly on a camper van that took forever.

Eventually I hit the road and arrived at Dome Rock around12:15. Picked out a spot that was within1/2" side to side & required dropping the tongue 3 1/2", and put the back end of the trailer to the south so if needed, I can tip my solar panels. I set the stabilizers, raked off the larger chunks of rock & nailed down my outdoor rug, set up the folding table & grill. 

Dome Rock, Quartzsite, AZ

I set up the hummingbird feeder wand by using a tent stake to make a path for the wand. The rock/gravel here is so tough that foot pressure doesn't work when setting the feeder post. 

Checked out the internet - AT&T shows 56.86Mbps down & 5.46 up. While I still have some data left until Tuesday on the January 100GB allotment on the Starlink Mini, as long as AT&T is fast enough, I'll stick with it.

I chatted with some of the early arrivals but didn't take the camera. I'll start doing some photos tomorrow. There are lots of fiberglass trailers already here as well as some sun blockers. I did stop to taler an iPhone photo of some of the wild flowers in the area.

Wild Flowers

I talked with my son in Oswego who is worried about the amount of snow on the roof; I hope it melts soon. My grandkids have been home from school all week and they announced it will be closed on Monday. It was fun for awhile, now they are ready to get back in the swing of things.

Dinner was a Bubba Chicken Burger & a salad.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 105

 Day 105, Saturday, January 31, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 63 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

50°F overnight, 56°F for my morning walk, 73°F by noon; the high for the day was 82°F. 

Another shirt only morning for my walk. I had my last breakfast at the Black Pearl bacon, eggs, hash browns & coffee for $14.58 before tip.

Back at the trailer I pulled up and packed the mat, took down my welcome sign & hummingbird lights. I started to put away the empty hummingbird feeder, but the bees felt I should leave it on the picnic table so I didn't argue with them. At least the stand is back in the trailer. 

While I wasn't planning a trip to town, I changed my mind and drove to the Food City for a box of Marias cookies. That is the only place I've seen them. While they are a product of Frito-Lay, they are made in Mexico. An interesting taste. I also checked to see if they have grape Zero Gatorade in the large bottles since they were the only place that had it in town, but unfortunately, none to be had.

Back at the trailer I sat outside in the shade and read. Still very low humidity at 19% in the trailer & 23% outside. 

Dinner was an Amy's Enchilada Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 104

Day 104, Friday, January 30, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 62 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

48°F overnight, 56°F for my morning walk, 74°F by noon; the high for the day was 80°F. 

The wind died down overnight, although the humidity is still low at 26% outside & 19% in the trailer. 

During my walk I finished listening to The Jester by James Patterson & Andrew Gross and started Stephen King's The Long Walk. 

I made a trip to Parker for gas at Running Man ($2.61) & bread at Safeway. 

While not as windy as yesterday during the morning, it has picked up during the day and is just a bit too much to comfortably sit outside. 

I was going to head for building 9 for a shower, but the showers are closed & being rebuilt. It seems a hole developed in the floor of the first shower so a major overall is underway. So, it was off to building 6 & trying to find a place for my stuff.

Dinner was a chicken & Apple Brat & Mac & Cheese.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 103

Day 103, Thursday, January 29, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 61 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

49°F overnight, 53°F for my morning walk, 72°F by noon; the high for the day was 75°F. Just in case you were wondering if it was "dry heat" the humidity is 24%, 19% in the trailer. You need to keep your mouth closed to keep it from drying out.

Warmer than the last couple of days; I was able to wear my vest for the morning walk. 

After breakfast I read for a bit, then headed out to take down the Clam. While they are called "Quick Set", and they do open in less than a minute, if there is going to be any wind you need to stake the inside corners, and if there is going to be lots of wind (which you can expect here in the southwest) you also need to tie down the pull out handles. So, the actual time is a little longer. Same for taking down. A good half hour taking the sides off, folding them and putting them back in the stuff bags, pulling up the 2 sets of stakes, and folding up the door rods. At that point is is under a minute to knock it down. Another couple of minutes getting it back in the storage bag. While it was a bit windy, not enough to fold the Clam before I wanted to, and it helped fold up the sides. 

Still, faster than the tents I camped in in the past. The Guidos had a tent that was faster than the Clam. Take it out of the bag, shake it and it was done. You couldn't stand in it but it was easy up. My tent was big enough that I could stand with lots of floor space, but it took forever to put up & down.

After arranging the truck bed so the Clam would fit, I put everything else back in. The size Clam I have is nice in that it will fit over most picnic tables, but it is a little over 6' long in the storage bag. I've been considering a new truck, and if I want one with 4 normal doors, a six and a half foot bed makes for a very long truck, and at least back east, a special order. I might have to switch to a smaller Clam if I want to keep the same wheelbase as my current truck, which in many parking lots already seems too long. There is at least one version of the Clam that is 63" stored length and is still large enough for a couple of chairs, This would fit in the five & a half foot bed that the Super Crew Cab truck usually has and are they are the same wheelbase as my current F150 Super Cab. Plus, the hybrid F150 can be ordered with "Pro Power Onboard" which provides a 7.2kW inverter. 

The large outdoor mat and two chairs are all I have left to put in the truck bed. I switched to Verizon for the rest of my stay here & put the Starlink Mini away.

It is still windy, with 31MPH gusts so even though it is nice and warm at 75°F, it isn't all that comfortable sitting outside. 

Dinner was a Lean Cuisine Sesame Chicken Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 102

Day 102, Wednesday, January 28, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 60 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

47°F overnight, 52°F for my morning walk, 60°F by noon; the high for the day was 69°F.

I'm getting tired of these cool mornings, although it is far colder back home in upstate NY. Still, it would be nice to get back to shorts. Light clouds & enough wind to make it feel even cooler.

While I'm not leaving until Sunday, I started putting some stuff back in the truck. I folded up the mat that was inside the Clam & will take down the Clam tomorrow. I checked the trailer tires & three of them will need a bit of air so I'll have to dig out the compressor again. 

Made a trip to Walmart for a belt & some lithium AA batteries, but they don't seem to carry them here. I did find the belt I was looking for. The lithium batteries work better in the freezer temperature sensor than standard batteries.

Started reading Elle Gray's The Girl in Town and gave up. Unusual for me since I try to finish any book I start, but the writing was so bad that I couldn't keep going. Joyce Carol Oates Fox. I've read a couple of her books and they are readable. 

Dinner was beef stew.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 101

Day 101, Tuesday, January 27, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 59 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

42°F overnight, 45°F for my morning walk, 61°F by noon; the high for the day was 72°F.

Another morning cool enough that I needed my quilted coat for my morning walk.

I finished The Last King Of California, and not as good as his first novel She Rides Shotgun, but Jordan Harper is someone I'm going to keep reading. I restarted Brian Freeman's Break Every Rule. Freeman is not a new author for me & I enjoy his books.

Today is propane day. I didn't need any, but he filled the tanks of the RVs on both sides of me. Handy to have someone deliver to the park, particularly for those that don't have removable tanks.

I spent the afternoon reading. A fellow fiberglass RVer currently staying at Buckskin State Park stopped by for a chat  on his electric bike. He needed air for the back tire so I dug out the Viair compressor & he topped it off for the 4 mile ride back to the state park.

Dinner was shrimp tacos from the Roadrunner River Bar.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 100

Day 100, Monday, January 26, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 58 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

46°F overnight, 49°F for my morning walk, 62°F by noon; the high for the day was 66°F.

Cool enough that I wore my quilted jacket for my morning walk.

After breakfast I changed the sheets, filled my laundry basket, and headed to the Kofa Laundromat. The busiest I've seen it. I wanted 3 washers, but could only get the last two so they were well loaded. Better luck with the dryers, although someone tried to claim my second one even though I had a dryer sheet and few pieces in it. 

On the way back I stopped at Food City & Safeway for some food. I've been craving a Boston Market Chicken Pot Pie, but no one has had one. Today Safeway had a crustless Boston Market Chicken Pot Pie. Since I tend to skip most of the crust anyway, we will see what that is like tonight.

I finished The Lie Maker by Linwood Barkley, and read a new author (for me) Jordan Harper's She Rides Shotgun. An impressive read so I picked up another of his books The Last King Of California. I had already started Brian Freeman's Break Every Rule (another author I enjoy reading) and was half way through it when I headed to the laundromat, forgetting my Kindle. Unfortunately, my iPhone Kindle App wouldn't sync with the actual Kindle even though I had a good AT&T cell signal at the laundromat. The app did have the downloaded The Last King of California, so I started that, and am now on page 28. I hate reading two books at once so I'll finish Harper's book than go back to Freeman's.

Dinner was a Boston Market Crustless Chicken Pot Pie.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 99

Day 99, Sunday, January 25, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 57 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

49°F overnight, 53°F for my morning walk, 68°F by noon; the high for the day was 74°F.

They restarted qualification runs after the rain stopped & the wind died down, but I didn't go down to take any more photos. I'll do some today.

As part of my morning walk I took some photos of more of the test/tune & qualifying runs. The actual races won't start until around 2:30.

For those that haven't watched boat drag races (which includes me) they start towing the boats to the starting line with a jet ski. There is a rope across the river that the boat drivers hold on to to keep them in position. They are given a signal to start their engine, toss the rope over their heads (and boat) then go with traditional starting lights. They record time, speed & reaction time. Some of the photos towards the end show the start.

There was a jet ski that ran multiple times with different boats, beating them most of the time, although there were boats he wouldn't have had a chance against. 

I went back after my Sunday phone calls (everyone is getting snow) and took a few more photos:

Many more photos of both sessions at today's LakeshoreImages page.

Dinner was a bowl of Chicken Chili.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 98

Day 98, Saturday, January 24, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 56 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

50°F overnight, 51°F for my morning walk, °58F by noon; the high for the day was 67°F.

I stopped at the Black Pearl Restaurant for their stuffed French toast for breakfast during my morning walk. $18.97 with coffee & $.85 Lease Fee? before tip. In any case, very good. Very crowded since the drag boat races are starting today. They were making practice/test & tune runs while I ate breakfast with the starting position just outside the window. These races must be tough on boat engines - at least half died on the starting line.

Around noon I walked back to the Pirates Den park (south of the La Paz park & the location of the Black Pearl Restaurant) to watch some of the qualifying runs of some of the boats. Sort of like watching paint dry - a long time between runs, but I stayed for a few photos. While the boats sometimes get as far up the river as my trailer, they are coasting by then. The start is at the restaurant, and the length of a run is 660', 1000' or 1320' depending on class. It looks like they are doing the shortest run today since I was well into the Pirates Den park to take these photos & for most of them I was at the finish line.

More photos at today's LakeshoreImages page.

The wind has picked up quite a bit and while there are some pieces of blue sky to the east, here in the park we now have heavy clouds - I don't know if the wind will have an effect on the races this afternoon, but if they are still running, I'll go back for some more photos. I will be able to tell if they are running - the engine noise from the bigger boats shakes the trailer! Since I haven't heard a boat since I got back to the trailer, I suspect they are on a weather/wind hold. Around 3:00 a light rain started, getting heavy enough to hear on the trailer roof. It only lasted around 15 minutes but it is still windy. Some of the boats were running by the park around 4:30; I think they were heading home for the night since many of the slots in the no RV area are competitor trailers.

Dinner was a Saffron Road Chicken Tikka Masala Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 97

Day 97, Friday, January 23, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 55 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

55°F overnight, 56°F for my morning walk, 70°F by noon; the high for the day was 77°F.

After breakfast I continued to reserve sites for our trip to Bolerama & Takoma Park. One of the stops we made last time went from $54.00 per night to almost $100.00. I found another place near by that was closer to $50.00. Campgrounds have followed the airlines on nickel & diming you to death. The Woodland campground wanted an extra $19.00 per site to pick a specific site, something we need to do if we want to be next to each other. KOAs were doing this in the past, but now more & more have added the charge. While I can understand a reservation fee for parks that use a service (such as most state parks & Reserve America) to add a reservation fee when you call the campground is a bit much. 

The drag boats are starting to arrive for the races this weekend.

I finished  J. M. Hall's A Spoonful of Murder, the first of an interesting British mystery series, but not available in any of my on line libraries, and started The Lie Maker by Linwood Barkley.

Dinner was a chicken fried steak, baked potato & corn (and a salad) at the Crossroads Restaurant. $21.00 plus tip. I've been told I had to try one there since it was the best that someone has had. Good, but not the best. Strangely, the best chicken fried steak I've had was at the Cisco Ghost town, a tourist trap in California

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 96

Day 96, Thursday, January 22, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 54 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

52°F overnight, 55°F for my morning walk, 58°F by noon; the high for the day was 76°F.

After breakfast I spent some time on Trip Wizard planning our trip (the Guidos & I) to the Bolerama rally in Ontario, Canada then on to visit with my daughter's family & friends in the Washington DC area. 

A cool, cloudy day with little bits of sun peaking through.

I played a bit with my awning but following the instructions from Dometic, it appears to be dead. The 10 seconds off & on didn't do a thing. There is 12V at the switch. I'm glad I don't use it much...

Dinner was a couple of chicken thighs from Safeway. Actually, when I got them back to the trailer I discovered that I had one thigh & one breast. 

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 95

Day 95, Wednesday, January 21, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 53 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

47°F overnight, 49°F for my morning walk, 62°F by noon; the high for the day was 67°F.

The smoke is mostly gone. I put on long pants & wore my quilted jacket for my walk this morning. I noticed that the non RV section towards the north is now chalked with numbered sections facing the river. Probably going to sell spaces for the boat races next week.

After breakfast I made a batch of corn bread muffins. 

My retirement 1099R's were made available on line today so I finished my income taxes. After that I was back & forth between inside & outside sitting & reading. 

I started listening to Jester by James Patterson & Andrew Gross. I just managed to finish Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol 1 day before it was due back at the NYPL. A 21 day loan on most audio books is fine as long as I do some road driving, but if the only time I listen to it is during my 1/2 hour morning walk, it is easy to outlast a loan. My record for the longest audio book was The Count of Monte Cristo - 47 hours. Since I was on the road for most of the 21 days I managed to finish it in time.

I took a break from reading and took my quarter to purchase a gallon of filtered water from the kiosk. 

Dinner was a pork loin sandwich.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 94

Day 94, Tuesday, January 20, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 52 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

55°F overnight, 56°F for my morning walk, 65°F by noon; the high for the day was 74°F.

I don't know if it is smoke or just plain haze, but the more distant mountains are hidden. While Weather Underground says it is smoke, smoke, I can't smell it although I have to admit my eyes are burning more than normal. 

I climbed out of bed early to make my reservation for the January 2027 Florida Egg Rally and S' More. A long hold, so I left a message. Called back around 11:00MST and got through on the first ring. I'll be in site 7 in the loop area. Much closer to the bathrooms & showers than site 230 where I was last year. 

I finished Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz and have to say that it was more than twice as long as it should have been. Started J. M. Hall's A Spoonful of Murder. 

Since I'm planning to tilt the solar panels when I get to Quartzsite, I checked to be sure I had the arms. Guess what? In my attempts to lighten the trailer back to its gross weight limits I dumped lots of stuff. Since I had not dry camped in the winter for awhile, the arms were one of he things that went into the garage storage. So, today's project was to make new ones. They are just 1/8" x 1" aluminum flats 17" long with 1/4" holes 1" in from each end. The 15" length puts the panels at the correct angle for mid winter in Phoenix, the closest city I could find angles for. Both sets were made here in Arizona with the tools I normally carry. Now, at least after I get home, I'll have 2 sets. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent sitting outside reading. The smoke has cleared some, but the mountains are still hazy.

Dinner was a grilled pork loin, mashed potatoes & creamed spinach.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 93

Day 93, Monday, January 19, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 51 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

49°F overnight, 69°F by noon; the high for the day was 75°F.

Rather than my usual morning walk I waited for the pump out truck. It arrived at 8:30 so now my tanks are empty. I'll visit the dump station on my way out of the park on February 1.

I sat outside watching the hummingbirds feed and decided to take a few photos:

I headed to Walmart around lunchtime to pick up something to wash the solar panels. They were pretty dusty and a couple of bird splatters. 

I decided to put the solar panels flat. They had a 2" tilt with the front lower so that rain water would run off, but flat works better if the panels are not tilted towards the south. Here they are aimed west so they were in the opposite of a good direction. When I get to Quartzsite I'll park the trailer with the back to the south and use my tilting arms to get more output.

I picked up a sponge on an extendable stick to wash the panels. It gave me about 28 watts more output once they were flat & clean.

Dinner was a Kevin's Parmesan Basil Chicken Bowl.

Until Next Time -