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 - 

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 92

Day 92, Sunday, January 18, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 50 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

50°F overnight, 53°F for my morning walk. 74°F by noon; the high for the day was 75°F.

I spent a little extra time in bed listening to the Sunday morning puzzle on NPR's Weekend Edition before my walk.

A quiet morning, not too many muffler-less "go fast" boats roaring on the river. While a couple of trailers left, the park is still pretty full, including the group sites that I was kicked out of. Still an open site (#5) that has been open for a week or so.

As usual, I spent the morning reading. I finished Alan Bradley's What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust, and started Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz.

One of the hosts for the park is also has a mobile RV repair service. Lorraine's refrigerator stopped working yesterday. She put some bagged ice in it and this morning made an appointment to have it looked at. It appears that the flue was dirty & knocking some of the stuff out of it started the refrigerator back up. He will be coming back to do a thorough cleaning.

Dinner was a Healthy Choice Sweet & Sour Chicken Steamer Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 91

Day 91, Saturday, January 17, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 49 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

47°F overnight, 55°F for my morning walk. 73°F by noon, with the high for the day at 77°F.

I stopped for breakfast during my morning walk at the Black Pearl restaurant (bacon & eggs, hash browns toast & coffee for $14.51). Sitting outside the restaurant was a Belted Kingfisher on one of the posts for the outside portion of the place. iPhone through a glass window, so not the sharpest image in the world, but a larger & different Kingfisher than the ones we have back in NY. I picked up an onion & pepper as well as some Japanese peanuts at the vegetable tent that is now part of the Saturday Swap Meet. The vegetables look great but I don't think I'll ever buy the Japanese peanuts again.

Belted Kingfisher

Back at the trailer I read for a bit. I finished The Time traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, and was glad to switch from the bulky iPad to the Kindle to start Alan Bradley's latest Flavia de Luce book, What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust. The Time Traveler's Wife was recommended as a re-readable book by someone that I trade reading lists with & I have to agree with his suggestion. An interesting and well written book.

A called my brother David to wish him a happy birthday. He is sitting in the house in the Catskills watching the snow fall. While there is plenty of sun here, it is almost too windy to sit outside. I switch between the trailer, the Clam & a chair at the picnic table. The park was almost filled, but someone left in our section so there are 2 empty slots. 

My black tank monitor just changed to full, so I signed up for a pump out Monday. There is a sign up list at the park office and it is completely filled. It is going to be a busy Monday for the pump out truck.

Back outside for some reading. 

Dinner was a steak and pepper & onions sandwich.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 90

Day 90, Friday, January 16, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 48 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

47°F overnight, 49°F for my morning walk. 70°F by noon, with the high for the day at 82°F.

I discovered I didn't update the day for yesterday's post. Hope it didn't confuse anyone. That is what comes of these days doing nothing.

I spent the morning reading, and after lunch headed to Safeway for a bagel. Of course I ended up getting far more, including a Porterhouse steak for dinner. We will see how my stomach holds up. I love steak, but it tends to bother my gut. 

Back at the trailer I read some more, then cooked dinner. The park is almost filled. I found only 2 empty sites during my morning walk around the park. A couple of sites across from my site that have been empty all winter now have trailers in them. Even the group area that they chased me out of is full of trailers & motorhomes. 

After dinner it was off to building 9 for a shower.

Dinner was a steak, baked potato & broccoli.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 89

Day 89, Thursday, January 15, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 47 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

42°F overnight, 56°F for my morning walk. 70°F by noon, with the high for the day at 77°F.

During my morning walk I finally got a chance to photograph a water skier on the river. At 56°F and winter water temperatures I noticed that he is wearing a wet suit.

Water Skiing at 56°F

Back at the trailer I read for a bit inside, then moved outside. I finished Ann Pratchett's State of Wonder, and while it wasn't in my database of read books, I'm sure I've read it before. I started The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, a book I know I've read before. One annoying thing about it is it is not available from the library as a Kindle book so I have to read it using my phone, which is too small or my iPad which is too large.

I stopped by at the dry camping area to meet some friends of Lorraine's who will be in the area for a couple of days.

Dinner was left over shrimp broccoli Alfredo.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 88

Day 88, Tuesday, January 14, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 46 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

46°F overnight, 52°F for my morning walk. The high for the day was 82°F.

After breakfast I read my usual forums & journals. A post on the Escape forum mentioned that a couple of the members got an email from Starlink announcing that their 50GB limit per month was raised to 100GB per month with no additional charge. Since I didn't get a letter, I wondered if it was a regional increase since Starlink often has different offers in different parts of the country. I checked my account, and even though I didn't receive a notice, my allotment is now 100GB, so now, if you disregard the purchase price of the antenna it is cheaper than my Verizon data (for which I had to spend as much as the Starlink antenna for a modem) but still more expensive than my unlimited AT&T. 

While looking at Facebook I saw lots of complaints about Verizon phones only showing SOS service. No problem with the modem.

A little before lunch I headed to Walmart to pick up a new batch of Mandarin oranges & some broccoli to make shrimp & broccoli Alfredo for dinner.

Stopped on the way back for some gas at the Running Man gas station - $2.60 per gallon.

Back at the trailer I read for a bit, then started an early dinner. While I wanted to cook outside to keep from making the trailer any hotter inside than it already is, I had to stand in front of my Coleman 2 burner stove to get the water to boil because of the wind. I made enough for 3 meals; I'll eat one tomorrow and freeze the other. Unlike stew & chili, Alfredo does not get better the next day or frozen, but it is difficult to make one shot meals without throwing too much away.

So, dinner was Shrimp Broccoli Alfredo.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 87

Day 87, Tuesday, January 13, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 45 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

Cooler overnight with temperatures down to 43°F, & 51°F for my morning walk. Another clear morning sky with a few light clouds throughout the day. The high was 76°F.

Another do nothing day. I spent it reading both on the computer & on my Kindle. I finished Nick Russell's Big Lake Parolee, and started Ann Pratchett's State of Wonder. It was nice enough that I spent the day sitting outside hopping back & forth between the sun & shade.

I switched back to Verizon for awhile for my internet connection. For some reason my Mini decided to use 17GB today. I did do an iPhone update, but it sure wasn't anywhere near that size. Since I may need to use this month's allocation for the first couple of days at Quartzsite and I haven't used any Verizon this month it probably makes sense. While I don't expect to get 200 - 300 Mbps out of Verizon like I've been getting with the Mini, when I was using it it was fast enough. I only switched because I ran out of my 50GB allotment towards the end of December. Between the two I should be fine. Worst case, Starlink sells 1GB for $1.00 once you go over your 50GB allotment.

I did decide it was time for some shrimp tacos & headed to the floating Roadrunner Bar & Grill. They have an excellent bartender. I've only been there 3 times, the last over 2 weeks ago & she remembered my name and my last order and that it was to go. I'm impressed.

Dinner was shrimp tacos.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 86

Day 86, Monday, January 12, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 44 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

Down to 49°F overnight & 52°F for my morning walk. Bright sun for the walk, but light clouds moved in for the late afternoon. A high for the day of 70°F.

After breakfast I read for a bit. Finished Alan Bradley's Golden Tresses of the Dead, and started Nick Russell's Big Lake Parolee. Not the greatest writing in the world, but OK stories, the books are free on my Kindle, and the author is a fellow RVer.

Around lunch time I headed to the Kofa Laundromat. More crowded than last time; I even had to wait 5 minutes for a pair of driers. After folding the clothes (no wait for a table) I headed to Food City to see if I could pick up a box of Tapioca Beads. So far I haven't found them in any of the local grocery stores. I use them in my blueberry pies, and while I have enough for one more pie, I'd like to get more. I may have to wait until I hit Lake Havasu City.

After putting the clothes away I did some more reading, fired up the water heater, did a load of dishes & refilled the hummingbird feeder.

Dinner was Cholula's Salsa Verde Chicken Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 85

Day 85, Sunday, January 11, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 43 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

Down to 49°F overnight & 55°F for my morning walk. A high for the day of 78°F.

I spent the morning reading, then around 12:45 headed to Lorraine's truck & trailer. Tom & Anne spent the night next to Lorraine and the 4 of us headed to the Desert Bar in Lorraine's truck. The usual bumpy gravel/dirt washboarded road. Not as crowded as a couple of the times I've been there, but a live band and a short line for the food window. Had a Gyro for lunch that was large enough that it will also be dinner. I replaced my ink stained Desert Bar "T" shirt.  More photos at today's LakeshoreImages page.

We got back to the trailer a little before 5:00. I headed for a shower in building 9. Everything was nice & dry, but when someone started a shower in the women's side of the building the hot water stopped until I readjusted it. 

Back at the trailer I read for a bit - I finished The Grave's a Fine and Private Place last night and started reading Golden Tresses of the Dead, book 10. I also discovered that there is a book 11 written in 2024 called What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust. I have a 4 week wait for a library copy.

Again, Linner was the Gyro I had for a late lunch at the Desert Bar.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 84

Day 84, Saturday, January 10, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 42 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

The coolest night since I've been in La Paz - down to 45°F and 47°F for my morning walk. I wore my quilted coat, but left the gloves in the pocket. Bright sun so it felt warmer. By noon it was up to 60°F, with a high for the day of 68°F around 3:00. Already down to 62°F by 5:00.

I wandered over to Lorraine's Escape 5.0TA to help her with the settings on her Victron solar controller & battery monitor to better match the lithium batteries in the trailer.

Back at my trailer I started making reservations for next winter. A large 4 slide 5th wheel moved in behind me. While my trailer might be one of the smallest, he has one of the smallest cars. Of course it is sitting on the back of his tow vehicle:

Big Truck, Little Car

I spent the rest of the day booking campsites for my 2026-27 Winter trip to the Southeast. The different states & campgrounds all have different booking windows, so I got some, but will have to wait for the rest. 

Dinner was an Amy's Enchilada Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 83

Day 83, Friday, January 9, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 41 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

A cooler night, reaching 47°F in early morning, and windy - the trailer shook with a couple gusts. Up to 51°F for my morning walk - I wore my knit hat!

Sent the morning reading both on line & my Kindle. Last night I finished Bradley's de Luce #8 Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd and started the 9th book in the series The Grave's a Fine and Private Place. I listened to book #10 Golden Tresses of the Dead as an audio book in 2023, but I may download it and read it again to finish the series. There is a short story, The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse that I didn't read.

Around 2:00 I headed to Walmart for a card for my brother's birthday. Had to take it to the post office since it required extra postage. Seems like all the singing/talking cards, the envelope said it needed additional postage, but this one didn't. Stopped at Safeway on the way back to pick up a bagel. Neither had the 20 ounce Grape Gatorade Zero packages. 

Back at the trailer a read until dinner. Still windy, but it has warmed up to 58°F. According to my weather app it is going to be a cold night, going down to 36°F. Still windy enough to shake the trailer, but the Clam is still standing.

Dinner was a Boston Market Sweet & sour Chicken Bowl.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 82

Day 82, Thursday, January 8, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 40 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

Last evening's rain only lasted for a minute, and after that a pleasant sunset developed.

Sunset 1/7/26

51°F overnight & 53°F for my morning walk, 64°F the high for the day.

After breakfast I read until it was time to go to lunch at the Crossroads Cafe with Lorraine, Tom & Anne. I had their grilled chicken salad, $15.71 with iced tea. After lunch we made plans for a weekend trip to the Desert Bar.

Back at Lorraine's trailer I used my lithium battery jump starter to power the trailer and the Victron 12/12 -18 came on. It appears that it shuts off when it doesn't detect 12V on the input whether you have the auto detect on or off. 

Back at my trailer I read for a bit, then snacked for dinner.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 81

Day 81, Wednesday, January 7, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 39 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

51°F for both last night's low and for my morning walk. I almost wished I had worn my knit hat - my ears got cold.

Last night I solved one of my pet peeves. I have a couple of flannel shirts (cheap ones from Walmart) that have a button down collar. The problem is the button hole is only in the back side of a two layer collar. On both shirts one side button falls out of the button hole and when replaced only stays in for a couple of minutes. Now these are cheap shirts (one was $2.00 at the end of the season, and the other was a whopping $5.00) but both are nice and soft & I like the colors. 

So, I decided to fix the problem. Got out my emergency sewing kit and threaded a needle (watching someone with no depth perception thread a needle is a kick - sorry you couldn't be here). I do have some of my father's leather sewing 180° curved needles that have eyes you could drive a camel through, but they make 1/8" holes in the fabric so are a bit large for the job. I also have one of those wire devices designed to poke through the needle eye to make threading easy, but the wire is too large to go through the small needle eyes I have. I eventually got the needle threaded and sewed the buttons in place. (Are you beginning to discover that I'm running out of things to write about now that I'm 39 days sitting in one place here in La Paz County Park?)

I got my electric bill for here in the park - $.19 per kWh, for the month of December; $55.49. That is paying for all the general use plus heating my water & the trailer. A lot cheaper than the house in Oswego where last month was $225.39 for gas & electric.

At noon it is still only 55°F so I'm sitting in the trailer reading. Last night I finished As Chimney Sweepers Come To Dust, #7 in the de Luce series by Alan Bradley and started #8 Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd. I now know his titles come from poems & plays. While I don't read a lot of poetry, having done the play this title comes from a couple of times, at least I recognize the line.

My weather app shows sunshine for the day although if you look at the day by the hour, clear skies don't happen until 3:00. Right now at 1:45 there is still heavy cloud cover with a streak of blue to the west, so I don't think it is going to make it. Predictions are for high 30's - low 40's for nights for the next week with daytime highs starting at the low 60's, but by Tuesday getting into the 70's. Better than home in Oswego where it is 35°F right now. At least it is out of the teens.

While still cloudy, around 3:45 a bit of sun broke through the clouds and briefly warmed the trailer. 60°F was the high for the day. While the sun did sneak under the clouds, right now at 5:00 it is raining, light, but I can hear it on the roof.

Dinner was stew. 

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 80

Day 80, Tuesday, January 6, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 38 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

51°F overnight & 53°F for my morning walk. Heavier clouds than yesterday but still some sun peeking through. After breakfast I did my usual reading, mostly inside. 60°F by noon with a high for the day of 67°F.

I got a call from my son Kyle. The whole house stand by generator wasn't standing by. The generator folks said they need parts and will be back when they come in. Meanwhile, no stand by generator. 

I wandered over to the dry camping area and tried to fix a problem with Lorraine's 12/12-18 Victron DC to DC converter. It appears to be dead with 14.6V on the output (connected to the batteries) and no Bluetooth or power LEDs. While some parts of the manual seem to indicate that it can be programed through the app without being connected to 12V input, other parts indicate that there must be at least 12V on both input & output. We will have to hook up the truck to see if that helps.

Dinner was left over stew. The meat didn't magically get more tender, but it still tasted OK. I froze one batch and will have the other tomorrow.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 79

Day 79, Monday, January 5, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 37 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

52°F overnight & for my morning walk. A few thin clouds, but for the most part clear and sunny. The high for the day was 71°F.

After breakfast I sat outside & read. Last night I finished The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches and started As Chimney Sweepers Come To Dust, #7 in the series.

A little before noon I headed to Loren's Classic Barber Shop for a hair cut. $24.00 before tip. After that I stopped in at Food City to see if they had replenished their stash of Grape Zero Gatorade; no such luck. I did pick up what I needed to make a stew.

Back at the trailer I read for awhile, then started the stew. I'm used to slow cooking stew, but since I have an InstantPot I decided to try its method. I dusted with flour & saluted the meat, then added all the vegetables except the peas. Set the InstantPot on Stew & it pressure cooked the stew for 40 minutes. Waited 10 minutes for the "natural" pressure release, then added a cup of frozen peas. Five minutes later added watered cornstarch to thicken and left it on "keep warm" for 10 minutes. 

The result - Vegetables were fine but the meat really needed long, slow cooking, still a bit tough. I used store labled stew beef, which you never know the cut, but when I make it my usual way store stew beef always ends up tender. We will see how it does on the second day; stew is always better as seconds.

Obviously, stew was dinner.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 78

Day 78, Sunday, January 4, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 36 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

A little cooler at 51°F overnight, but since I slept in an extra hour and there was plenty of sun it was up to 64°F for my walk.

Back at the trailer I did some reading. I finished Alan Bradley's de Luce #5 Speaking From Among the Bones, and started #6, The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches. Since it was nice I did most of my reading sitting outside.

I took a break from reading to make some of my regular Sunday phone calls. While the internet says Oswego got 4' of snow, Kyle said they only got a couple of feet over a couple of days. He does appreciate the heated handles on the snow blower. Unfortunately, the one they have at work doesn't have heat but at least it runs. He is in a building that has lots of steps so much of the outdoor time is spent with a shovel.

After lunch I made a run to Walmart for some supplies & food. Very crowded, with long waits for folks with full carts. Even the self check outs had long lines.

Back at the trailer I put stuff away and headed for the showers. I went to building #6 just for something different. It is about the same distance from the trailer as building 9, but while the shower itself is OK, there are no shelves or benches in either the drying area or the shower. Makes it tough to store a shaving bag, soap dish, etc. The shower floor is dryer (after you shut it off) than the drying room even though there is a shower curtain. I don't remember what I gave it the last time I used it, but it couldn't have been better than a C.

Back from the shower I sat outside & read. It made it up to 79°F by late afternoon. The sun ducked behind heavy clouds around 4:00 so I headed into the trailer.

Dinner was a Chef Ramsay Chicken Pot Pie. First time & pretty good particularly for a microwaved pot pie. A puff pastry crust that is not greasy like most pot pies.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 77

Day 77, Saturday, January 3, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 35 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

56°F for both a nighttime low & for my morning walk. Still fairly heavy clouds with little sun. I'm getting lazy & had breakfast at the Black Pearl. Stuffed French toast; very good, as usual.

Back at the trailer I got a call from the town clerk with the amount for my local taxes. Oswego has separate school & town/county taxes, the school in October & the county in January. With the USPS Informed Delivery email I could see a photo of my tax bill envelope, but of course, not the amount. There is an on line tax record but the 2026 tax bill isn't posted yet so I left a message for the tax collector to let me know how much I owe. Taxes in Oswego are pretty low compared to most of NY, and I get a $30,000 exemption on my property value as a Viet Nam combat veteran so they are even lower. Of course having a little less than an acre & a 1000 sq ft house helps as well.

Since is still a bit cool to sit outside at 59°F and no sun, I read inside. I finished Bradley's I'm Half-Sick of Shadows and started #5 Speaking From Among the Bones. Still listening to Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol audio book during my walks.

When it made it up to 63°F I sat outside and read. Still lots of clouds and no sun. Around 4:00 I went to the water kiosk for a gallon of filtered water (for $.25). Cheaper & easier than going to the store. The high for the day was 64°F. Lorraine, a fellow Escape owner that I run into at many rallies is set up in the dry camping area. She had asked for an electric & water site, but discovered that they gave her a water only one. Noisy with all the generators, and water only doesn't make much sense since most don't drink the water (salty). The dry area is away from the river, but quieter.

Dinner was a Bubba Chicken Burger & more of the Bush Beans. A 22 ounce can of Bourbon & Brown Sugar Beans is too much for two servings as sides, but not quite enough for three.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 76

Day 76, Friday, January 2, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 34 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

56°F overnight & for my morning walk. Still cloudy although a bit of sun peaked through during the morning. At least it isn't raining. Lots of puddles & thin gravel over mud; one needs to be careful where one walks. 

I ran through my books database and found that I read 243 books for 2025, 46 of which ware audio books. If that seems like a lot of books, remember I don't have a TV.

I finished Bradley's deLuce #3, A Red Herring Without Mustard, and started #4, I'm Half-Sick of Shadows. Bradley is a Canadian author who's books are a quick read, and a bit strange in that they are about an eleven year old girl in the 1950's England who is an advanced chemist and solves murders before the police. Not quite a kid's book but about kids. As of 2024 there are 12 books in the series. 

Still cool & cloudy at noon, although at 60°F a bit warmer than yesterday. I spent most of the day in the trailer reading. 

Late afternoon the sun was back and it hit 70°F. I moved outside to enjoy the sun.

Dinner was a Chicken Apple Brat & Bush Beans.

Until Next Time -

2025-26 Trip to the Southwest, Day 75

Day 75, Thursday, January 1, 2026 - La Paz County Park, Parker, AZ, Day 33 - 0 Miles, 3,449.7 Miles for the Trip

Happy New Year!

52°F overnight & for my morning walk. Light to medium rain most of the night.

During my walk I followed tradition by having New Year breakfast at the Black Pearl Restaurant. Well, maybe I can't call it a tradition since I only did it once 2 years ago, but it was the same - they hand you a drinks menu at 9:30AM. Must be for those that are continuing the celebration. In any case a good bacon & eggs, hash browns, sourdough toast, and coffee for $14.51. While it was dry for the walk to the restaurant, it started a light rain as I left. My photo vest & hat were quite damp by the time I reached the trailer. I took an iPhone photo of some of the Coots that populate the river:

Coots on the Colorado River

Since 2025 is over, I started my income taxes. I can get everything I need on line, although I will have to wait until some of the 1099Rs are available. I also changed over to my accounting spreadsheets from 2025 to 2026. So far everything balances!

The rest of the morning I sat inside the trailer, listened to the rain on the roof, and did some reading. I had finished The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley, and started a new binge reading since there are a number of the Flavia de Luce series and most seem to be available at one or another of my on line libraries. Since I already read (well, listened to) #2 The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag, I've started #3, A Red Herring Without Mustard. Bradley should get an award for the strangest (and longest) titles for his books.

Another day that hasn't warmed up all that much; 54°F at 12:30. Still light rain off & on and, of course, heavy clouds. The rain got heavy enough at times to slow my Starlink Mini to a crawl.

I talked with Karin in Takoma Park & my brother in the Catskills (where it is 16°F). The Guidos are visiting in the south & glad to be away from Binghamton's temperatures in the teens.

I was going to say the rain stopped around 4:00 because I no longer heard it on the roof or could see it on the screens, but I went outside to refill the hummingbird feeder & it is still somewhere between a light rain & mist. High for the day was 57°F.

Dinner was a slice of ham & a baked potato. I picked out the smallest Idaho Russet potato at Safeway and it is just a little smaller than my trailer. I'm used to fist sized Russet potatoes; this one is 6" long & 3" around, again, the smallest in the display.

Until Next Time -