Ah...Starting to see the advantages of RVing

I'm starting to see the advantages of RVing.  No unpacking and repacking.  Now that we've got things set up pretty much how we like them, we can move to a new place with minimal effort.  I can definitely see the advantage of towing a vehicle because we have to walk everywhere, but that's good exercise.

I am enjoying a cup of coffee while I type this, then off to the shower.  Joe is getting in his daily walk while going to the grocery for some milk and cereal.  We had a little trouble with the refrig starting out so didn't stock up on food.  I think some of our problems are the RV and others are user error.  Now that's its working, its a different matter.

I will probably take pictures of some surrounding campers for you all to see.  Some of them are quite elaborate in their set ups including carpets, fancy grills and all.

Until later...

Liz

In which we spend our first full day RVing

I am happy to report that this day went better than yesterday!  We had a lovely breakfast in a quaint place next to a creek and then went on to see the experimental plane Dave is working on at the Prescott Airport.  Pictures to be posted here and on Instagram under "lizclarkncats".

We took the scenic route recommended by Dave using 89A to get to Sedona.  Along the way I took some lovely pictures, we drove through the arts and crafts stronghold, Jerome, while simultaneously loving the sites and holding our breaths while negotiating the skinny little roads.  Would love to have stopped, but no place to park a 30' RV.

We wandered the last few miles down the mountain and into Cottonwood where we stopped at a Dollar "T" store for the last of our camping necessities.  Why pay more for supplies you might have to leave behind?  Do you know where to hang hand towels in an RV?  We do now, we bought over the door hooks.  Note: still no phone charger and cable.

We arrived in Sedona and set camp.  Yes, we can set camp now.  Did you know that your sewer hose has to be elevated in Sedona?  Did you know that there were units for doing such a thing?  Neither did we!  We are waiting until we leave to pump out the "black and gray water" per the RV campground.  My we're learning some interesting things...

We got directions to a nearby brewery for dinner, walked the half mile there and enjoyed not only dinner at Oak Creek Brewery and Grill, but a sampler called "The Seven Dwarfs".  Turns out the seven dwarfs are seven 5 ounce mini mugs of their seven brews from Light Beer to a Dark Porter.  Yuummmmm.  If you are ever in Sedona, check them out!

We walked back to the campground and settled in for the evening.  I'm bummed that I missed some great photos because, yes friends, my phone died again.  I just have to find a charger and cable that work right.

And so here I am blogging and instagramming.  Tomorrow we visit the town of Sedona and see the sites.  Looks like there should be some great arts and crafts!

Till tomorrow!

Liz

ps.  Tomorrow the adventure of showering in a micro shower....

Experimental Aircraft

Some adjustments

Road between Prescott and Jerome, AZ

Scenic View

Is that us coming up the hill?

Sunset in Sedona, AZ 

We Pick up the RV: The Behind the Scene Story.

So yesterday we picked up the RV per the pictures.  Not as easy as it sounds. Someone whose name begins with Joe got the route to the rental center off Apple maps.  You know the one, they're making fun of it with the joke "a man used apple maps to find a bar and he entered... a drugstore, or maybe a grocery, or maybe a pawn shop".  Yes friends, it was a U-haul center.

So I got out my Note II, found the real address and we arrived about 25 minutes late.  There were two other rental groups ahead of us and yet, when we get our turn, the RV was not ready.  Sigh.  We fill out the paperwork and after a few phone calls the RV is brought up and we get the tour of the of everything, the damage inspection, load our stuff and we are on our way.  Or are we?

Joe is driving the RV and I follow to return the rental car.  But...traffic won't let me out and I get behind.  Joe gets on the freeway and looks in his rear view mirror to see papers flying off the roof of the RV.  He pulls off at the next exit to check it out.  In the meanwhile, I am driving down the freeway looking for him... and I pass him.

I have neglected to mention that I discovered that my phone's car charger and cable is not functioning properly. So what happens next?  My phone starts to die. Joe calls when he realizes he has lost me.  I can't answer the phone because I'm trying to drive and error messages about being nearly out of charge keep popping up.  Can you say expletives deleted?  I finally get off the freeway and call him.  We agree to meet at the car rental place.  The call is the final straw and the phone dies.  I am lost in a strange city with a dead phone.  Terrific.  I can't even call Joe to let him know I'll be late.

I start down the street looking for a shop that might sell a car charger and cable.  The neighborhood starts to deteriorate, no electronics stores and no drug stores.  I decide to stop in as safe a place as I can find and charge the phone.  Guess what? The phone is so dead now that I have to sit and charge it for about 15 minutes before it will start.  I get the GPS going and it gets me to the street the car rental is on and dies. I drive the rest of the way by memory.  But I'm mad as a hornet when I finally arrive.

I start getting out of the car and what happens next?  All of my credit cards, etc. fall out of my phone wallet into the space between the drivers seat and the console.  You know the place.  You can't possibly get your hand in there.  So I move the seat forward and crawl in from the back seat to reach as many as I can, then I move the seat back and get as many as I can.  And I do it all again.  I finally begin to think I've retrieved them all and I go inside, dump them on the counter and begin accounting for all of them.  But the agent wants to inspect the car and close out the rental.  Finally it is all done and I get in the RV and we start out.

Joe informs me that he has already discovered that one of the charging ports does not work so we will have to share one.  Did I mention that we learned that we are moving this refurbished RV to Denver for someone who has already bought it sight unseen?  Stay tuned for more updates on the state of the RV itself.

We creep out way out of town, yes folks, it is now rush hour.  We begin to make our way to Prescott, AZ to meet a friend of Joe's for dinner.  RV condition update: the steering continues to be very sloppy.  Now we know 2 things the new owners should know.  We start up a long hill and learn that the engine is NOT HAPPY. She is screaming like a banshee.  Can you say a little under powered?

Finally we make it to Prescott and stop at Kmart to get a car charger and data cord.  Didn't find those, but did find camping chairs on sale to sit out and enjoy the night sometimes.  Joe's friend, Dave, is not home so we go to eat and have a fine meal.  Dave calls while we are eating dinner and offers to let us stay at his house over night instead of driving on to Sedona.  Bless you Dave!  We are exhausted.  Dave treats us to beer (Joe) and wine (me).  We have a little moonshine at Dan's house across the street. Ooo weee, that took my breath away!  We all sleep well.  It is a lovely night in Prescott because although it is raining, it is nice and cool.  Quite the change to 113 degrees in the shade we experienced in Phoenix that afternoon.

To misquote George Takei "I've had a lovely day...but this wasn't it"  The end was quite nice though and the adventure has begun!

It was a long day so more on the adventure of getting our RV tomorrow. For now lets just say that we have it and have arrived in Preston, AZ for the night.

Nite all!

We had dinner at a great place called The Blind Pig that you should definitely check out if you are in Phoenix.  It's located in Scottsdale.  The Avocado Bruschetta was to die for and my Chicken Burrito was perfect, the way I only wish I could find it at home.

Sue was under the weather so we hope to visit tomorrow before hitting the road.

We hit the W big box and the T big box stores to stock up for the trip.  Instead of renting bedding and kitchen ware, we decided to buy inexpensively (comforter set with sheets and all included for $40 plus two packages of two towel sets each total $8.) and leave it with our niece at the end of the trip for her guest bath and bedroom, etc. We only bought one pot and one skillet feeling this would suffice.  Paper and plastic (no dish washing, yay!) dinner ware and 2 ceramic mugs for nuking coffee.  We'll see if I can survive without my Keurig, yikes!  The cost was essentially the same as renting, but someone we care about about benefits.

Joe, not wanting to take a chance that we would camp somewhere without one, decided we must have a folding grill for the trip.  It was less than $10. Tomorrow we hit the D Tree across the street for inexpensive and small quantities of slide lock bags, trash bags and other stuff we'd need anyway.  We're also planning to wash the new sheets and towels at the hotel laundry.

The only things we're having trouble finding is inexpensive lawn chairs and a side table.  Seems either they've been marked down and sold out or are still regular price and more than we want to spend.  Something will turn up.

I'm starting to get really excited about this new adventure and hitting the road.  We pick the RV up at 1:30 in Mesa!

We have arrived in lovely 109 degrees Phoenix/Scottsdale Arizona.  Roasty, toasty.  Rented a nice little Ford Focus to visit my friend, Sue, and pick up supplies for the trip.  Hotel is okay, a "boutique" motel with a whirlpool tub.  My back says yay!  Check it out later!!  It is well decorated in vintage 70s style in avocado, orange, brown and white with marble fixtures.  Pictures to come.  A little noisy but it is in the shade and close to the pool.  Management is quick to assist with problems.

Little nap this afternoon.  When you start out at 3:30 am EDT you tend to be a little tired by 12 noon Arizona time.

We have determined that so far all is well with picking up the RV tomorrow.  Tonight we shop for the necessities we need for the trip.  I hope we will be able to see Sue tonight also.

Note:  Airline travel is just not what it used to be.  We all know about the changes since 9/11.  I'm talking about the crowding, rush and increase in costs.  I felt like a cow being herded.  No time to get breakfast or coffee.  Lines in all the shops.  Plus you get to pay for checked bags and new to me...pay for your drinks in route.  No little bag of peanuts, no glass of pop.  Complimentary cup of water and warm at that. $1.99 for coffee? You must be kidding!  I've had airline coffee before.  Let's just say I'm not impressed with the airline we are using for this trip.  Not much to recommend using them again in my opinion.  They were cheap and show it.

Off to the big box stores for supplies!

RV Newbies on the Road from Mesa, AZ to Denver, CO

Ok, so I'm new at this but several people wanted to hear first hand about our RV trip along with all the faux pauxs that go with being newbies.

First off, I have been working on this for a while.  We were able to score a trip moving an RV from Mesa, AZ to Denver, CO for a much reduced price.  We submitted requests for several different ones before being the first in line for one and getting it.

So...I sign up and they send me info.  They tell me to call Friday or Saturday before we are to pick up the RV in Mesa.  Mind you, I've taken time off work, made airline reservations, hotel reservations, rented a car for the first day to pick up supplies, made appointments to meet friends and relatives and almost finished RV park reservations for our first stop.  I called today and asked to make an appointment to pick up our RV on Tuesday.  He responds "you should call back on Monday to make the appointment so we can be sure it will be ready.."  He stops himself and says, "please call back on Monday between 3 and 5 pm to make your appointment".

Make sure it will be ready?  I was lead to believe that the dates were written in stone!  By 3 pm on Monday we'll already be in Arizona!!  What did I do next?  I called the RV park and said, "What if we just show up instead of making a reservation?"

Stay tuned for the continuing saga...