Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument to The Fountain of Youth

Real Time Update - We arrived home on Wednesday, February 19.  It's good to be home to my house and back yard.  My deer friends have visited and left me treats 😍  I'll tell you about our trip home in a later post.  For now, let me pick-up where I left off last time.

Wednesday, February 5 - Today we left Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and drove to Yuma to visit our friend Dee Dee.  She has a really nice place with 2 RV connections.  She stays at one and has invited us to stay in the other one.  Before we can get to Yuma, we must pass through the US Border Patrol check point.

No, we haven't left the USA.  This check point is not on the Border, it's 25 miles north of the Border.  There are a LOT of these in the Southwest.  Forty miles north of this one, on the same highway, there was another one!

Mom and Dad crossed the real Border one time on this trip, but they have been through checkpoints like this SEVEN times.  For us, it's been pretty easy, but if they decide to, they can search your vehicle.  There are US citizens who live near these checkpoints who have to go through them just to go to the grocery store or gas station.

Border Patrol checkpoint ahead.

We were glad when we got to Dee Dee's.

Thursday, February 6 - Today was a work day.  Mom did laundry and Dad and Dee Dee worked on the RV's.  We both have some issues that need to be fixed.  Charlie and I hung out and watched.  Charlie is Dee Dee's dog.  He's 13 years old, just like me.

Friday, February 7 - Today the human's went to Los Algodones, Mexico.  Dad is going to buy Insulin.  If you read my blog regularly, you've read about this before.  Dad is a Type 1 diabetic.  In the US, Insulin is currently $385/bottle and Dad needs about 2 per month, just to live.  Even after he meets his $5,000 deductible, he has to pay 1/2 of the cost (about $190).  He bought Insulin in Mexico today for $30/bottle.  He has to pay all of that.  Insurance won't reimburse him; however, $30 is still MUCH better than $192.  I also need to mention that it's the same Insulin.  Same type, manufactured by Eli Lily.

For a couple year's now, he's been getting his Insulin in Mexico in the winter and in Canada in the summer.  In Canada, the Canadian price has equaled $25 US dollars per bottle.  Mom says our Insulin savings in Mexico this year is enough to offset our travel expenses for the entire month of January.  That's a lot of kibble!!

Saturday, February 8 - Our friends JD and Kathy are in Yuma, too.  The humans decided to go out for breakfast together.  I had to stay home and eat kibble, but at least I got to eat before they left and didn't have to wait for them to come back.

From left - Kathy, JD, Dad, Mom, and Dee Dee.

After breakfast, Dee Dee took Mom and Dad to the Yuma Territorial Prison.  I'm glad they found the key to let Dad back out.

12 prisoners lived in this space.

The Cellblock

Sunday, February 9 -

Charlie and I hanging out and watching Mom and Dad pack up our stuff.

Saying goodbye to Dee Dee, Charlie and Marshall Dylan (the cat).

After saying goodbye to Dee Dee, we drove to The Fountain of Youth.  It's an RV resort near Niland, California.  Yeah, we'd never heard of it either, but our friends John and Joan are there for a few days.  They said that the RV resort is built around hot springs and it sounds nice, so we are going to check it out.

Once we arrived and got set-up, Mom and Dad walked over to John and Joan's site and had a nice visit.  Later they came back to me and we all had dinner.  Yup, you guessed it.  I had kibble.

I'll tell you more about our stay at the Fountain of Youth next time.

Love,

Doolin

Salome, Arizona and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Thursday, January 30 - Today we left the Phoenix area and drove to Salome, Arizona.   Our friends Mike and Roxanne bought a place here and they have invited us to stay with them.  They have a house and room for 3 RV's on their property.  When we arrived, I saw Phoenix, Mike and Roxanne's cat, so I did what I usually do - I went in search of the litter box.  Litter boxes typically contain tasty treats 😍  I have to say that this was a first for me.  It was a box with a cover.  Kind of reminded me of a Dogloo.  I stuck my head in the opening and OMG!!! she was in there!!!  I don't know if you've met Phoenix, but she is a HUGE black panther and she wasn't at all happy for the interruption.  Well, I know when to cut and run and this was THE time.  She came after me.  Yikes!  I ducked into the office.  Big mistake!  She blocked the door and I couldn't get out.  Thank goodness, Mom helped me out.

I was so shook up by the whole thing that I had to go out to the motor home and take a nap.  While I was doing that, the humans had a nice visit and Roxanne made them a tasty dinner.  I had my usual kibble in the RV after the humans ate.

Friday, January 31 - Roxanne asked Dad to help her with a house project.  As a reward, Dad got to drive Mike and Roxanne's Model A.  Mom and I got to ride along.  It was SOOO fun!  That evening the humans went out for fish and chips.  I had kibble.

Mom and I in Mike and Roxanne's Model A.  That's me in Mom's lap.

Saturday, February 1 - Today we left Salome, but this time I reminded Mom and Dad to get a picture of all of us before we left.

I have to keep an eye on Phoenix the big black panther!

From Mike and Roxanne's house, we drove to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.  Yikes it's HOT here!!  We are staying in the National Park Campground that doesn't have hook-ups.  No A/C for me 😓

Sunday, February 2 - Today Mom and Dad did a 2 mile hike to the visitor center and back.  The ranger recommended that they drive the Ajo Mountain Drive.  It's a 21 mile loop where they can see some of the scenery in the park.  The ranger also said that there is a nice hike in Arch Canyon.  

Pretty flowers on this shrub.

Part way around the drive, they took a hike in
Arch Canyon.  It's named for this arch.

They enjoyed their drive and then came back to me in the campground.

Monday, February 3 - It's cloudy today and looks like rain.  Mom and Dad decided that it's a good day for another drive.  They decided to take the Puerto Blanco Scenic Drive, which is a 51 mile loop through the western part of the park.  There was nice scenery.

The southern edge of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is the US/Mexico Border.   

Mom and Dad saw several towers like this one.  It doesn't show in the
photo, but Dad said that it had a bright blue flashing light at the top.

There is a sign on the big box at the bottom.  It says "If you need help, push the
red button.  Rescue personnel will arrive shortly to help you.  Do not leave the area." 
The sign is written in three languages, as well as having pictures illustrating what it says. 
It looks like there is a camera on the pole, too.

They also saw this in several places.  There is a blue flag on a very tall pole. 
Near the flag is a blue 50 gallon drum filled with fresh water.

This is the US/Mexico Border.  The vehicle barrier has been there since 2003.  It's steel reinforced concrete.  In the last few months, the area next to it, on the US side, has been cleared of all vegetation.  If you look close, you can see that it's been cleared as far as the eye can see.   It's sad to see all the cactus that are being destroyed.  The cleared road is now 100 feet wide.  At least in Arizona, the boarder is straight vs the Rio Grande in Texas.

The vehicle barrier is being ripped out and replaced with a wall that looks like this.

This is Quitobaquito (pronounced Key toe bah key toe).  It's a pond that is only a few 100 yards
from that bulldozed stretch of land in the photo above.   Mom said that it was really beautiful.

Tuesday, February 4 - Today Mom and Dad did a 6.2 mile hike to the Victoria Mine.  

There was a lot of old mining equipment lying around.

... and part of the miner's house.

This is the view looking IN the front door!

After their hike, they drove into the town of Ajo.  It's about 30 miles north of us.  There was a lot of Copper Mining around Ajo, starting in the early 1900's, until 1985.

The Phelps-Dodge Corporation built a beautiful square in the center of town.

This church was just off the square.

This is the mine at Ajo.

Tomorrow we move on to Yuma, Arizona.  I'll tell you about that next time.

Love,

Doolin

Phoenix - Part 2

It's been over 2 weeks since I've posted.   We've been having lots of fun and staying busy.  Since my last post, we spent a few more days in the Phoenix area, went to visit friends in Salome, AZ, made a visit to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, then visited friends in Yuma.  From there, we crossed into California and spent a couple days near the Salton Sea, two nights at Joshua Tree National Park and are now in Indio, California (near Palm Springs).  I'll tell you about all that, but first, here is where I left off....

Sunday, January 26 - Today Mom and Dad are going for a ride in the Jeep with their friends Tammie and Ed.  Tammie and Ed used to live near our house, but now they live here in the Phoenix area.  They all went to a place called Boulder Canyon.

Top is off to improve the views.

Yup, good idea to take the top off.

After the Jeep ride, Mom, Dad, Ed and Tammie went to their friend Ken's house.  Ken grilled steaks for them and they enjoyed a good visit.  As usual, they were having such a good time talking that they forgot to take a photo.  😖 

Monday, January 27 - Today Mom and Dad took a hike in the park where we are staying.  Mom took this picture of me.  I'm down there below the blue arrow.

Mom and Dad are up there somewhere, just below the jagged rocks.
This hike was 3.5 miles and had about 600 feet of elevation gain.
Mom said that the elevation gain was all in about a 1/2 mile steep stretch.

Later in the afternoon, our friend Gary M came over to see us.  He spends the winter in Mesa.  It was nice to see him.  After awhile, Mom and Dad went to a nearby place called Wahoo's for Pizza with Gary.   Wahoo's has live music at 5:30.  They had a good time, but didn't get a photo.  😞

Tuesday, January 28 -  A few days ago, Dad posted his status on RVillage.  Marc, an old friend of ours from home, saw the post and contacted Dad.  Mom, Dad, Marc and his wife Sara used to hang out a lot.  They all were interested in gardening.  Mom and Dad got more interested in RVing and eventually dropped out of garden club and lost touch with Marc and Sara.

What we didn't know was that Marc and Sara sold their house a few years ago and started RVing full time.  Mom and Dad made plans to meet Marc at his RV park and then go to dinner.

We were all really sad to learn that Sara was diagnosed with cancer and, despite a valiant fight, passed away last spring.   Marc has also had a battle with cancer that brought him to Phoenix for treatment.  We were happy to hear that it is going well and his prognosis is good.   It was good to reconnect again and hope to see him down the road.  Sorry, no photos.  😢

Wednesday, January 29 - Today we left Lost Dutchman State Park on the east side of Phoenix and drove across town to White Tank Mountain Park.  Mom and Dad took a 4 mile hike on various trails in the park.

Meanwhile, I stayed home in the RV.  This was my view.  I can see Phoenix out the front window in the RV.  It was really pretty when it got dark and I could see all the city lights.

It was nice to watch the city lights while Mom and Dad went to dinner with their friends John, Vicki, Bill, and Helen.  They all spend the winter at a nearby RV park.  No photos of that either.  😡

Well, that's the end of our visit to Phoenix.  I'll tell you about our next stop in my next post.

Love,

Doolin