2013 Winter Trip - Stop 8

March 27 thru April 18, 2013

Another travel day. It was a really nice day, no problems. We stopped at Camping World near Phoenix, AZ, then on to Pam & Sonny's. They were both outside waiting for us as we drove up, with the gate open.

El Joseph!

The next couple of days were busy. The sewer was leaking on the trailer so I tried to get in before Debbie and Larry got there, but no luck. One place was shut down, and the other was scheduled out three to four weeks. They got us in on April 17, so we are staying a couple of days longer that we thought. No big deal, but we pulled out to dump the morning before Debbie & Larry arrived to make sure that we didn't need to pull out again before the 17th.

Picture from Trailer

We had a busy time helping Pam & Sonny get ready for the family reunion. They really did a lot to the house and back yard. Everything looked great. We helped hang some lights, clean rocks, plant plants, setup the furniture, and a few other items.

Before anyone else got there we did fit in an afternoon at the outdoor flea market. We were looking for a couple of items but almost everything was closed down. Things are shutting down for the summer in Yuma.

Debbie & Larry

I made a fast trip to Phoenix on April 3. Brenda and Bob came in that evening late at night, but right on time. I waited at the cellphone lot and it was a very nice location. Even had a board with all the incoming flights and if they were on time or not. Really nice. I picked them up and called Vonna to let them know that we would be home about12:30 am. We made one restroom stop, and made it to Yuma right on time. Everyone was up waiting for us. Debbie and Larry had pulled their trailer in behind us. Tammy came in with them. We visited for a while and off to bed.

Brenda & Bob

We all made it up early the next morning. We told Pam to give us things to do and we would help get things ready. She had most of everything ready, but gave us a few things, like get the furniture moved around and ready for the week-end.

Davy & Lory

Others started getting in on Friday for the reunion and we had a nice barberque on Friday night. A lot of the family was there and we had a nice evening. On Saturday morning Pam had it all planned. Spend a few minutes at her shop, then to downtown Yuma, then off to the casino for a couple of hours. We headed back to the house, Pam had a friend come in and help her with the food and drinks so most of us just relaxed and enjoyed the company.

All of Vonna's siplings were there. Only Tom, Pam, Robbie, Jamie, and Shelby werent there out of the "cousins". A lot of the grandkids were there too. Oh, and we can't forget about Janice and Bruce (Vonna's cousin that we visited in Bullhead City supprised us with a visit). It was a great night of visiting, music (Pam had a singer come in for a few hours. Great music), food (all of the reunions have to have food), drink, and games.

No Tammy, that is note a
deploma!

I will stop here and thank Pam and Sonny for opening up their home to all of us. We spent over 3 weeks and they made us feel as if they were as glad the last day to have us there as the first day. They made the reunion, spend lots of time and money and creating a perfect time. It is great to have a family reunion, and telling stories about Mom and Dad Mercer and all of the things that get lost as the family grows away from each other.

Pam, Sonny, and Ethan - one of
the grandkids

RL, Angie, Brenda, and Bob

Speaking of games, Pam had lost her voice and guess who (no, not Vonna) but me with my big mouth stepped in and helped with the Mercer bingo game. There was a lot that all knew, but a lot that they had no idea, or though it was something completly different. One of the grandkids (Pam and Sonny's son-in-law) though that Vonna and Pam were married to brothers. A couple of the great grandkids didn't no there were five siplings. There were questions about where some of the family that they heard about came into the family. We laughted and talked and remembered throughout the night.

Brenda, Janice, & Bruce

Even Grandma danced

The next morning we all were up, helped clean up, and visited and laughed. A lot of the family stopped in on Sunday, some to say goodby, others to visit somemore. By monday night it was just the ten of us, plus Angie and RL until Thursday morning. Davy and Lory left on Wednesday, Brenda and Bob left on Monday, and Debbie and Larry left on Wednesday. During our time together we all visited, made trips downtown, ate at a great hamberger restruant, complete with pie, and many other things. All the girls were off to the casino on Debbie's birthday. My wife with her $20.00 won $125.00. It was a nice evening. Us guys spend the night watch a movie and eating ice cream.

I could had danced all night!

Larry and Debbie made breakfast a couple of times. Bisquiks, gravey, bacon, sausage, egges, and potatoes. The food was great. We had leftovers for dinner a couple of times. Other nights we had everything from tacos to whatever we could find.

Enjoying the entertanment

Fun for all!

We also made a trip to the Dog Racing Track that Dad Mercer talked about the big new flea market. It is not the same - I'll leave it at that, although Debbie found some keys there. We then went on to the indoor flea market. Bob and I found a Vietnam Vet that was in the same area that Bob was, only a year later. Then on to the outdoor market - it was just about closed down.

I guess I could go on and on about our time together, but I hope I have hit the high points. It was a great stop, and we had a great view from both sides of the trailer.

We are on the downhill side of this trip. It has been great, mixed with a lot of memories. I have learned that "It is all about the journey, not the destination". This is hard sometimes, but we have enjoyed our time on the road.  Just a few pictures from the reunion, hope you enjoy them!

See you on the Road.

And no, Sonny's head it not on fire.
It was a great time together!

2013 Winter Trip - Stop 7

March 14 thru 27, 2013

Another travel day.  These are not Vonna’s favorite of days.  She loves it while we are there, but not the traveling.

We were up and got ready to go early.  Was a hard to tell our neighbors good-by, but we will see them on a trip soon.  It was nice having people to spend time with.

Near our Trailer at campsite

We were off to the Verde Valley.  It was a nice drive, climbing the hills and getting into a green area.  We are from the central valley, mainly going from home to the bay area, and used to green grass and rolling hills with mountains off in the distance.  As we got to the campsite we were both tired, but had to find a nice site.  We drove around, not easy pulling a 32’ 5^th wheel.  We found a couple, I liked one, Vonna another.  We decided to go to the first one we liked, and found a perfect one.  Neither of us had seen it before.  

Breakfast at the Nelson's

We were setup, and resting before we knew it.  The rest of the trip runs together for me.  It was a fast stop, less than two weeks, but a lot to see in the area.  I will try to hit the high lights of what we did.

The closest town is Cottonwood, and we had to pick up some mail the first part of the week after we got there.  We decided that we would go on to downtown and look around.  There were some little shops there, and Vonna had a great time looking at everything.  There were a couple of antique stores that we looked in, and they had some very interesting items.

We wanted to try and make the railroad trip into the Verde Valley – they say it is the local version of the Grand Canyon.  We started there the first time, and we were running late and didn’t get there on time.  The second time we found out that we needed reservations, and they were booked till the day after we were leaving the area.  The ride looked like a lot of fun, and we will try it again.

Downtown Jerome

From Jerome overlooking
valley

The first time we missed the train we were off to Jerome, a local ghost town up in the mountains.  It was an old silver mining town.  It is a small town with a lot of little shops.  It was an interesting place to go, and the view was wonderful.  We had lunch at a little hamburger place over-looking the valley.  We had a wonderful day, and didn’t get back to the trailer until late.

Elvis?

Over both week-ends we stayed around the campsite.  On Friday night they had an Elvis impersonator.  He was very good and we enjoyed him both times.  Nice hearing old song from our youth.  Then on Saturday night, both weeks, they had a country band that came in.  They were great, singing new songs and old songs.  Vonna said that it reminded her of her dad.  The people danced the night away.  We danced some, but not like some.  The first week there was an older gentleman named Doc and his wife.  They were quite the dancers, and she was an actress I’m sure.  They were all over the dance floor all night, and she acted out every movement.  I would say they were 70 to 75 years old, but hard to tell.  There was another couple the second night and Vonna talked to him.  He said that he & his mate had been dancing together for 15 years.  They were good dancers.

There was a lady both weeks that danced every dance, either with her husband or line dancing with a group of ladies.  She was teaching some of the other younger people how to line dance.  She had a lot of energy, and the singer announce that she had just had her 90^th birthday a few weeks ago.  She was showing everyone up.

NO MORE PICTURES!
At the Blazn'M Ranch

One HOT fire!

One GOOD Looking
Cowgirl

Another day we decided that we were going to a dinner show at the Blazn’M Ranch.  This was a working ranch when the owner started the show some years back.  They have a small town with a bar, a museum, a couple of shops, photo shop, a target range to shoot a western 38 or 45, a hay ride around the ranch, and a roping ring that they will teach you to rope.  The dinner was great, beans, coleslaw, potato, barbeque chicken, and ribs.  Oh, I forgot the homemade biscuits.  The food was worth the price.  It was one of the best we have had on this trip.  And they brought out seconds, and I had more ribs and another biscuit.  I forgot to tell you that it was all served on the old metal plates, and the drinks were in metal cups.  I was full, and they brought out applekrisp with vanilla ice cream.  Makes me hungry just writing about it.

After dinner they had a group singing some of the old cowboy songs.  The singers were really good.  They were not just a group that sang and played, but they had been voted best cowboy singers in a couple of areas.  They was also a comedian that was a part of the program that was funny, and also sang very good.  We both were very glad we found out about the place.  We will also go back for another round of beans, chicken, ribs, and entertainment the next time we are in the area.

Off Road coming into Sedona

Lunch in Sedona

We had heard a lot about Sedona and off we went one day.  Sedona is about 5000 foot elevation, and about 30 miles from our campsite.  It is one of the most beautiful places we have visited.  It is really hard to explain, but Vonna said that if she was going to live in the desert or Arizona, this would be the place.  The town had some nice little shops, split into different areas.  There are 5 or 6 different shopping areas, different items in each area. 

Sedona

We went to what is called the Uptown area first, and spend most of our time there.  

Mountain around Sedona

Vonna found a few items, but decided that she could live without them.  She was looking for a silver cross, and knew exactly what she had in mind.  She found a few close, but not exact.  We looked on both sides of the street.  We found some fudge that was really good, and a pizza that was not as good as the view, but ok.  The view was great!  Red mountains, all different colors.  I wanted to take some pictures with my camera, but wasn’t carrying it that day.

Alan on Left,
I think

Anyway, Vonna did find a caramel apple and got that, and we decided to go to one of the other shopping areas, called Tlaquepaque. This place was built like a traditional mexican village.  It was a little hard to make our way around, but we found all of the important ones.  It was a higher class area, the first place had free wine, coffee, cheese, cookies, etc.  After that we found some places that were really interesting, and finally as we went into the last place, Vonna found a silver cross, almost exactly what she had in mind.  She had to go to another store for the chain, but it was worth the trip, and we had a great time.  We would love to go again, maybe even take a tour of the backlands there.

Finely found it!!

Well, Monday morning before we left was the day we were going on the train ride.  Since we couldn’t ride the train we decided to drive around and see what else was around the area.  We found a couple of towns that we blinked and missed, and some nice country side.

As we got into Camp Verde there was a casino and we stopped there.  We played with about $20.00 for a couple of hours.  It was fun, but we were hungry and decided to look for a Mexican food restaurant.  The address was funny and not where it said.  We drove downtown, but there was nothing there, and back.  We found the restaurant up on a hill near the main road.  It was well worth waiting for.  We finished the day, got back to the trailer and relaxed.

The next day was pack up day.  Laundry, fill up with fuel, and get ready to roll to our next location.  This is not the fun day, but we make it fun.

This is one of the areas that Vonna and I have really enjoyed, and I’m sure we will be coming back.  Hope to see you on the road.

Vonna's New Boyfriend

2013 Winter Trip - Stop 6

March 5 thru 14, 2013

We were off to Bullhead City, AZ, next to Laughlin, NV.  We were hoping to meet up with a few of Vonna's cousins.

This stop started off with us relaxing for a day or so.  We had a lot of fun at Las Vegas, and didn't want to miss anything that was going on.  Bullhead City is a little smaller and laid back.  We stayed in a county park called Davis Dam.  It is right on the river, and a very nice park.  We caught up on cleaning and laundry the first day or so.

Then Vonna wanted to go look for a pair of pants.  She thought we were traveling in the winter and brought all winter clothing.  It is warm here, as it was the last few days in Las Vegas, only maybe warmer.  So we found a WalMart first, got some stuff, got home and guess what.  You are right, it doesn't fit.  So we took that back and found a outlet mall in Laughlin.  We walked and looked, I looked, and read, and we walked and looked, and found a couple of things.  We were very happy.  Everything fit, except for two items, and we had to make a trip to take them back, and look a little more.

Vonna on Route 66

We stopped on the way back to the trailer at one of the casinos.  We walked around, went outside and looked at the river, and left.  The last of the big spenders!!

But we did see three big spenders, on there way into the casino on our way out.  They had on tight leather pants, low cut tops, and spike shoes.  They were ready to take on the casino.  Faces made up, smiles on their faces, helping each other along.  Did I tell you that they were at least 70 years old?  I couldn't believe it, but then again I live in a bubble.  I wish I would have got the camera out, but I was too much in shock.  We left and headed back to the trailer, shaking our heads.

Vonna called Janice, her cousin, and Kaylene, another cousin, and left them messages.  Janice called right back and said they were going to be out of town for the week-end, but would be back on Sunday or Monday.  No problem, we would meet with them on Monday at their home for lunch.

Downtown Oatman

Alan on the Right

We got up early one morning, about 8 am, and decided we would go to a real ghost town called Oatman, AZ, near there.  They said that there were burros running the streets, and lots of things to see.  We were excited and headed up there.  It was a nice drive out Route 66.  This town was one of the stops on Route 66, and an old mining town.  We had a nice time looking in the stores, watching the gun fight, and petting the burros.  We had lunch in a little cafe in town, food was great.  It was a place that all should go if they get to the area.  Not many old towns left around.

Vonna on the Left

Shopping in Oatman, AZ

Our trailer on the right, Peggy & Robert's
on the left

Peggy and Robert, Vonna's cousins that we saw at Pismo Beach, were coming over to spend a couple of days with us.  They called on the way and had broken down on the way and were having AAA tow them into the nearest town.  They came in the next morning as we were sitting down to do nothing, and had left their trailer to be repaired.  A bearing came loose and they stopped before it damaged anything else.

Alan, Janice, and Bruce

Vonna & Janice

At noon they got a call that it was ready, and we were leaving for Janice and Bruce's.  We got to Janice and Bruce's right on time.  They have a beautiful home in Fort Mojave, a little town outside of Bullhead City in Arizona.  We talked about old times, the good old days, and what has been happening in out our lives the last umpteen years.  It has been many years since we were together, and a lot has happened in our lives.

Janice and Daughter Kelly

Their daughter and twin granddaughters came by to see us.  We hadn't seen ??? in 12 or 14 years, and never the granddaughters.  It was a great afternoon and we loved every minute of it.  Lunch was great, and so was the company.  We decided to get together one more time before we left at a Chinese Restaurant for lunch.  We did the day before we left and enjoyed it.  The food was great.

Alan, Peggy, & Robert eating
Dinner

Peggy, Robert, & Vonna

One night we went to the Tropicana for dinner with Peggy and Robert.  The dinner was good, then we walked to the river and walked part of the river walk.  They have a walkway all along the river that you can walk to all the casinos and to the docks on the way.  We walked to one of the casinos and walked in.  They have a car show on the third floor, so we looked at the old cars, and told stories of our past.  Each of us saw cars that brought back memories.

Alan & Robert

We then walked to another casino, spend about $5.00 each, and headed home.  The last of the big spenders.

We hated to leave Bullhead City.  We enjoyed the company of Peggy and Robert.  We were camped right next door, the dogs got along good most of the time.  Chloe'p was her mean self most of the time, and Tippi tried to eat all of the food.  We will meet up with them again on the road.

We will see you all on the road.