HI HO HI HO --- IT’S OFF TO SLAB CITY WE GO……

CALIFORNIA’S IMPERIAL SAND DUNES

Travel days generally see us up on the early side but this morning we just kind of piddled & puddled along on the slow side.  No great distance to drive so no great hurry to be anywhere.  Said our ‘see ya’s to Ivan & Wandering Willy & rolled out about 9:45.  Chances are good our paths may cross again this winter so we’ll see.

 

I THINK THESE GUYS ARE LOOKING A LITTLE SAD HERE…..OK, MAYBE NOT SO MUCH……..

Figured we would wait until we reached the RV store located at the west end of Quartzsite before hooking up the Jeep.  Needed gas & new anywhere around Quartzsite would have congested gas islands, and they did.

HEADING FOR THE Q 

Noticed this year at Quartzsite, LED lights seemed to be the popular thing & a lot of RV folks are switching out their old RV lighting systems for the newer less power gobbling LED’s.  So many different bulbs for so many different fixtures.  Decided to go with just 3 bulbs but figured it best to take the whole Motorhome to the RV store rather than just guessing at what bulbs we need.  Maybe the RV store guy would come out & snap them in place for us.  Afterall, we won’t have Wandering Willy & Ivan around now to show us how to change a light bulb.

 

A BIT OF CONSTRUCTION ALONG THE WAY

Crossed the Colorado River on I-10 into California at 10:30 California time.  Quick McD’s stop in Blyth & we were southbound on highway 78 through large fields of green vegetation.  Destination…..Slab City:))

 

NICE TO SEE THE GREEN FIELDS OF CALIFORNIA

The road through Glammis & the Imperial Sand Dunes is familiar to us.  We basically always come & go to & from Borrego Springs this way.  Nice roller coaster road with little traffic.  I like that:))  A water & dump stop just south of Calipatria put us in Niland California about 15 minutes later.  A right turn off the main street headed us east out into the desert on a road less desired.  Again, we were in familiar territory because we had been here before.  It’s only a few miles to SLAB CITY and you don’t want to be in a hurry.

       

ALL PHOTOS OF THE IMPERIAL SAND DUNES TAKEN FROM THE MOTORHOME WHILE DRIVING THROUGH THE DUNES TODAY 

We had our solar system installed by Solar Mike’s SUN WORKS back in December of 07.  If anyone is interested in our time here back then they can look in our archives around Dec. 18th or just type ‘slab city yikes’ into our search bar.

ROAD TO THE SLABS

 

LEONARD KNIGHT’S SALVATION MOUNTAIN AHEAD

Unhooked the Jeep near Solar Mikes & took a cruise around the neighborhood looking for a good boondocking site.  The area we parked last time was empty so we basically parked in the very same spot again.

YEP, LOOKS LIKE SLAB CITY ALRIGHT

While setting up I thought I heard “hey Al.”  Naw, we’re way out here in Slab City California so who’s gonna know me out here.  Afterall, this is where many of the Nations ‘characters’ come when they want to disappear from society.  Hmmmm, maybe I was home. 

 

OUR NEW DIGS & NEIGHBOR’S AT THE SLABS

Thought I heard a second “hey Al” & noticed a girl approaching through the Creosote shrubs.  A familiar looking 5th wheel with a big satellite dish on the roof was behind her.  ‘Aha’….it was fellow Blogger & RV’er, Rene from LIVE-WORK-DREAM.  Now, how’s that for a coincidence. 

KELLY & RENE

Rene & Jim are the couple who took over looking after the property near Elfrida Arizona we were looking after last winter.  Last time we saw them was at the Lazy W Ranch.  The year before that we saw them in Borrego Springs. 

NO, NO, DON’T TAKE MY PICTURE >>>

First met Jim & Rene when they stopped at the McNeal Ranch to say hello back on Feb 13/09.  And here we are, parked just a few hundred yards from them again.  Small world eh:))

Solar Mike is closed Monday’s so we’ll Jeep over & talk to him first thing in the morning.  We don’t figure he’ll be able to check out our system for a few days but no problem, we don’t mind hanging out at the Slabs.  But, a lot of people would………

I will write more about the Slabs over the next few days as we kind of quietly blend into this, shall we say, mysterious & notorious desert community.  A community……. like no other. 

MANY STRANGE SIGHTS HERE AT SLABBER CITY

More scammy garbage on Facebook again today.  Why oh why don’t I just eliminate that site from my computer forever!!  If you get something from my Facebook saying, ‘Dad Walks In’ or something like that, do not open it.  More scammy junk!!

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Ok, how about some corny stuff…..

Q. What did the mayonnaise say when someone opened the refrigerator door.
A. Close the door I am dressing!…
Q. What did the football coach say to the broken vending machine?
A. “Give me my quarterback!”…
Q. What lights up a soccer stadium?

A. A soccer match.…

Q. What did the pony say when it had a sore throat?
A. I apologize, I am a little horse!…

Q: What did the digital clock say to the grandfather clock?
A. Look grandpa, no hands!…
Q: Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon?

A. Great food but no atmosphere.…

Q: Why was the little strawberry crying?

A. Because his parents were in a jam.…

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

If one's thoughts are positive about the landscape, one's eyes will appreciate what they see......AL.

stargeezerguy@gmail.com

OUR LAST DAY ON PLOMOSA ROAD

MAKING FRIENDS

Always helpful to have a retired Forest Ranger around.  And, especially one from Alberta.  Ivan spent some time this morning showing Wandering Willy & I the finer points of operating a ratchet strap.  At least I think that’s what they are called.  Will be using it to help snug down our satellite dish in the future.

Full time Canadians George & Suzie from OUR AWESOME TRAVELS dropped by to see us today.  They have been staying in Quartzsite & had emailed us awhile back.  Nice folks & they are actually from near my hometown of Tavistock, Ontario.  The Plattsville, New Hamburg & Punky Doodles Corner area.  Yes, Punky Doodles Corner is a real place.

 

GEORGE & SUZIE YATES

IVAN has been doing some flying about with his Whirly-Bird lately & captured a few more great aerial shots of our little Docker location here near Bouse.

Someone had a question wondering if the prices were cheaper in Quartzsite.  Well, I’m guessing the pendulum swings both ways on that.  Not being a big purchaser of stuff myself I can only go by hearsay when saying there are definitely deals out there depending on what you are buying.  One thing is for sure though.  No matter what you buy from a vendor, you are going to find the very same thing cheaper the next aisle over it seems.  Bought two belts for $15.  Six vendors down the line same belts were 2 for $12!!  Same thing with a set of heavy duty ratchet straps we bought.  Eight dollars for four.  Next vendor a few rows over had them for six dollars.  And, don’t even think about exchanging & getting your money back.  That’s not the way it generally works at the Q.

    

IVAN SHOWS US HOW TO USE A RATCHET STRAP THIS MORNING

An Anonymous commenter pointed out I had over 50 pictures in yesterdays blog so I went back & counted them.  Yikes, the commenter was right.  57 to be exact.  I agree, too many photos.  It’s just my excitement bubbling through all the time about my love of the great American Southwest.  But yep, I gotta do something about that.  It’s been on my mind for awhile.  

Allie, from COOKING ADVENTURES has joined us here at the Bayfield Bunch as our latest Blog Follower.  I know we have some dedicated ‘Foody Folks’ here in the RV Blogging community so you had better have a look at this Gal’s site for a fabulous food fix:))  Welcome aboard Allie.

Fresh water tank’s a bit on the low side so we’re heading out in the morning.  Maybe a quick stop in the Q for a couple last minute things & then we’ll be headed into California.  It’s time to deal with our solar situation.

 

CHATTING IT UP WITH THE BOYS THIS MORNING

Must say, we have really enjoyed our 6 days here boon docking with Ivan & Wandering Willy.   We first met Ivan when he dropped into the Ranch near McNeal a couple years ago & Wandering Willy we met at Borrego Springs last winter.  We have all been keeping track of each others blogs for about 3 or 4 years now.  Having a love of the outdoors & boon docking in common it was easy for me to feel comfortable with these fellows. 

MORNING FLIGHTS LEAVING PHOENIX 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Rod, over there in Kansas was in the hospital recovering from surgery lately when a nurse asks him how he is feeling.

“I’m OK but I didn’t like the four-letter-word the doctor used in surgery,” he answered.

“What did he say,” asked the nurse.

“OOPS!”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

If one's thoughts are positive about the landscape, one's eyes will appreciate what they see......AL.

stargeezerguy@gmail.com

FOUND THE OLD MINING & GHOST TOWN OF SWANSEA ARIZONA

SWANSEA ARIZONA
How nice to see our morning dawn with clear blue skies.  I’m thinking our neighboring Dockers may even venture out of their hovels today…..and they did:))

PHEEBS ENJOYS THE MORNING SUN
Figured I’d get that whip aerial mounted on the Jeep bumper before heading out but the hole already in the bumper was a tad to small for the aerial bolt.  Wandering Willy & Ivan to the rescue again.  These guys are traveling mechanics with all the tools they carry.  WW’s Jobmate drill was low on juice but Ivan’s Black & Decker with WW’s bit in the chuck did the trick & soon the aerial was mounted & ready to rumble.  Good thing those guys are here or I would probably have mounted the aerial upside down or something.

DUELING DRILLS IN THE DESERT…..WANDERING WILLY & IVAN
Bit of a late start but Kelly & I Jeeped ourselves off to Bouse.  Headed out Yellowbird road to have us a look where the Rootin Tootin Bouse gang was holed up for awhile last winter.  Can’t remember who was all laying low out there but I think some of the desperados were JANNA & MIKE, JIM & ELLIE, JOHN & BRENDA, along with MIKE & PAT.

  
HOPE THESE PICS BRING BACK SOME MEMORIES FOR YOU GUYS
From Bouse we headed off east along a winding dusty desert road through sand dunes cactus & gravel heading for the old mining & ghost town of SWANSEA Arizona. 

 
A LARGE WATER AQUEDUCT CUTS THROUGH THE DESERT
 
SAND DUNES, CACTUS, OCOTILLOS & MESQUITE TREES
First 25 miles or so were fairly flat with the last 3 or 4 miles along a pretty twisty rock infested road with switchbacks and drop offs.  Love roads like that.  Great view of the valley ahead & below us.  Made our way down the steep grades until we finally spotted some buildings on the valley floor below.  We had reached Swansea.

  
 
One of the first things we spotted was a single white grave marker on the edge of town.  A few plastic flowers on it. 

A twin line of identical buildings evenly spaced is what we had seen from afar.  These were living quarters for the miners.   BLM (Bureau of Land Management) has taken over this area & restoration has begun on these buildings and new roofs have been added to prevent the structures from deteriorating any further.  Other stone and adobe foundations with crumbling walls are still there.

  
   
MINER’S QUARTERS
The seemingly bottomless straight down mineshafts scattered around the mining property are covered by huge steel grates to prevent man or beast from tumbling into any abyss.  This must have been quite a mining operation at one time back in the early 1900’s.  Definitely a real bee hive of activity judging from the ruins spread out over a large area.

 
 

LARGE STEEL WALKABLE GRATES COVERED THE MINE SHAFTS
I was aware of our gas gauge showing a little on the low side so figured we had better work our way back up out of the valley the same way we came.  Could have taken a second alternate desert road back to Bouse but figured we had better not chance it.  Noticed on one of the reader boards a map which showed another road heading towards Parker so that was our destination.

   
FOREGROUND WAS THE MINE’S ASSAY OFFICE BUILDING

HELLO TO THE FRIENDLY FOLKS IN THE WHITE SUV
A fast 35 minute hot rod ride through the desert took us from the quiet remote & hidden ruins of Swansea right into the crush of a Saturday afternoon in a Parker Walmart store.  Geeeezzzz, now how the hell did that happen!!
 
Only my second time in Parker but I have taken a liking to the little town.  I, like many others, love Palm trees so anywhere with Palm trees is a good place in my books.  First stop was for gas followed by a short bump & grind 20 minute Walmart stop.  People just seem to get crazy when they have a shopping cart in their hands.

Wandering Willy is a Chalupa hound.  When he & Kelly went to Parker a few days ago they stopped at Taco Bell for lunch & WW introduced Kelly to Chalupas.  They don’t make Chalupa’s in Canada & Kelly liked them.  Brought one home for me to try & I actually survived the Mexican flavored experience.  So much so that we headed right into Taco Bell this afternoon & ordered 4 of the darned things.  Didn’t take me long to ka-chomp down my Chalupas:))

 
We were late getting back this afternoon but I did make it in time for…..Happy Hour:))  Ivan & WW had my chair dusted off & we weren’t long getting into the whimsical topics of the day.  I enjoy my time with these two seasoned Dockers simply because we have a lot in common & our conversations pertain to each other’s interests.

Nearly 6 o’clock before coming in so I was really behind the 8 ball to churn out a blog tonight before becoming unconscious for 5 or 6 hours.  Usually I kind of poke away at the keyboard during the day slowly adding bits & bites to the blog.  But, not today.  Well, better go edit me the 100+ photos from today……….zzzzzzzzzzz.


NARROW ROAD WITH STEEP DROP OFFS….GROOVY:))
Our medical center back home in Goderich Ontario phoned a few days ago.  After receiving my Tucson Hospital medical report my Nurse Practitioner/Doctor has scheduled an appointment for me with a Urologist on April 10th.  Let the good times roll eh:((

THIS WAS THE GENERAL STORE
MARIANNE EDWARDS joins us today as our latest Blog Follower.  Thanks for dropping by Marianne & welcome aboard.




GROANER’S CORNER:((  A foreman of a factory was making his rounds inspecting how all of the workers were doing their jobs. “Well” he said to one blond worker, “I see you are doing a very diligent job stamping all of the boxes ‘THIS SIDE UP’. “Yes” the worker replied, eager to please, “and just to be extra sure I stamped the bottom also!”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.
If one's thoughts are positive about the landscape, one's eyes will appreciate what they see......AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com