$10 campsite - $1,000,000 view

We always consider ourselves extremely lucky when we can camp out at the Apache Junction Elks. 

The Superstition Mountains are our close neighbors.  The view is spectacular!

 

 

And to catch one of the fantastic colorful sunsets is enough to take your breath away!

 

 

 

Facelift!

We really like the new mountains and the new burgundy color in the graphic.

 

 The mural is stunning - and we took the picture!

 

Within 10 minutes of leaving RV Striping & Graphics work area, Dean was told by a couple of fellows that they thought it was a new RV.  Nice!

 

 

Sprucing Up

It was time to spruce up the Amazon.Bus.

While here in the Mesa/Apache Junction area we got hold of RV Stripes & Graphics (RVSG)  .  They had been recommended to us by a few people. What a nice bunch of folks to work with.

 

The process started with pictures of what is currently on the RV. Then deciding what we wanted for colors or anything different in stripes.

 

Did we want a mural on the back?  And if we did, did we want a sunset or a picture of an endless road?  We were directed to a website that had a million (billion) choices.  We decided we really wanted something that showed off Washington.  An Orca, a raindrop, a storm, the rain forest, moss?  How about Mt Rainier?  Found in our own photos one that really worked for us and RSVG said they could make it work.  Yahoo!

 

Their graphic guy went to work screen fitting the stripes, graphics, and the mural onto pictures of our RV currently adjusting colors per our requests.

 

They printed off a small size of the graphics for us to cuss and discuss among ourselves.  Do we like the shapes and the colors?  Yep!

 

Not quite - how about oval?

 

 

Time for action!

 

First remove all the old graphics & stripes.

 

Next a fit check,

Then using the "stripe" by number guide and material,

 

Their talented installer tackled all the decals and got them up on the walls. 

 

 

 

Finally, the mountain mural on the back!

 

The Lost Dutchman Mine

The Dutchman (Jacob Waltz) died in 1891 before disclosing the location of his gold mine and people have been searching for the mine ever since.

 

Touring through the Superstition Mountains Museum the other day we found full instructions on how to find the Lost Dutchman's Mine!!!!  At last! 19 obtuse clues that don't make a lot of sense to us.  Guess you'll have to go to the Museum to get these instructions.....

Of course, this list of clues might differ from the

30 odd books that have claimed the same thing.

 

 

Or these maps.

Hmm – maybe not so easy?  This winter a woman has been rescued twice while searching for the mine.  Every weekend someone needs rescued from Peralta Trail where the mine is supposed to be.  This week remains of mine seeker were found after he'd been missing for 3 years.  You've been warned!

Eaten out of house and home @ Usery

Lucky us – in spite of all the campsites at Usery being reserved for most of the winter, someone gave up 6 days worth and in we went! 

 

We spent lots of time watching and feeding the birds and squirrels.  We had brought 30 pounds of seed to feed these birds and we were down to a cup or two by the time we left!  We even had a few squirrels coming around to feed on peanuts that we thru them.

 



Lovebird Rush Hour


 

The peach-faced lovebirds were out in force.  Had 20 of them at the feeders one morning. 

Momma teaching babies how to grub for food ... in case the hanging feeders disappear :o)

Think it is time for Mr. Frumpy to do a bit of molting

 

Enjoyed our time at this park – as always.  Had friends in for a day of exploration.  Hiked a few trails.  Attended several ranger led programs on the desert and the wild horse herds.  And saw a Disney desert flick at the visitor center.

 

Warm – it was not.  We were here when there was 3" of snow in Tucson and the spring training baseball fields in Phoenix were covered with snow and ice.  Pass Mountain to the east of Usery got a smattering of snow but none at our campsite. 

The Superstition Mountains got several inches of snow. 

A week later there was still snow on the north facing slopes.  Dang this global warming.

The Valle Del Oro Garden Railroad

 

We blogged a couple of weeks ago about the Valle Del Oro RV park, and noted the model railroad they have there. Dean has spent lots of time during this visit, and other visits, just watching the variety of trains, the spectacular track layout, and the model "village" that continues to grow at the layout.

 

The Valle Del Oro Garden Railroad was started about 2003 by some of the old duffers who live there full or part-time, according to one of the old duffers. The park gave the railroad an outdoor triangle of space between the Bocce ball courts and one of the parking lots, and allots them an annual budget – much augmented by the members of the railroad club themselves.

 

In the intervening years, the railroad has grown to 3000 feet of track with over 100 switches, mountains, bridges, a roundhouse, a village with houses, businesses, cars, road equipment, junk yards, a church and graveyard, and "the other side of the track" housing. Model "people" dig ditches, wait for trains, shop, work on autos, walk dogs, and do things people do in villages. Most of the houses/businesses stay in one place during the season, but the "people" and cars are moved around weekly based on the whims of the duffers who are moving them.

 

The trains are mostly owned by the club members. The structures and scenery have all been built by them.

 

If you are interested in trains, or models, or even old duffers, you can see some pix of the VDO railroad by clicking the link for the album below: 

Valle Del Oro Garden Railroad Album

Enjoy!
 

Camping at Phon Du

Up along the Salt River just a few miles out of Mesa, are 4 picnic areas that turn into dry RV camping in the winter.  We have enjoyed the view and the quiet at Pebble Beach for a number of years but this year due to budget cuts Pebble Beach and another were closed. 

 

So we tried out one of the other parking lot campgrounds for 3 days: Phon D Sutton.  Nobody could tell us who Phon was and the name sounds Asian but we have found out that Phon was a Mesa pioneer.  We have affectionately christened this park: PhonDu. 

 

We were pleasantly surprised by the security that the hosts provided, including locking the gate at sundown.  Though this park is less than 10 miles from downtown Mesa, there was not much traffic traveling through the area even during the day, which was nice. Also surprising, is that there were only about 10 RV's camping in an area that could hold more than 50. 

 

Situated along the Salt River, it was nice being along the river, lots of greenery and reeds, water birds, and a few rafts floating down river. 

We never saw any fish caught; but there were lots of fishing poles in the water.

 

The views were spectacular to the west at Red Mountain in the morning. 

 

 At $3/day – senior rate – winter camping at PhonDu can't be beat.

 

Is this THE place?

For years people have asked where do we stay when we travel.  We've told them that we've never found a place that we wanted to stay longer than 2 weeks and we were still looking.

 

As a splurge using some Christmas gifted cash, we stayed at Valle Del Oro for 2 weeks in Mesa, 26 miles east of downtown Phoenix.  In those two weeks, we attended a carnival, took pickleball lessons, watched the trains; Dean took a 1/2 day class to be authorized to work in the 6000 square foot woodshop; ate lots of oranges and grapefruit that people leave in boxes marked "FREE" in their driveway.  We ate lunch a couple times at the main buildings.  Watched a softball game.  Went to a juried arts show.  Practiced pickleball.  Checked out their library.  Got beads at a Mardi Gras parade.  Shopped at the 100-booth Country Store.  Had coffee and donuts Tuesday morning and learned of the activities in the park for the next week. 

This park has been voted as one of the top 5 RV resorts in the US. We can understand why. Everybody is so friendly and the management is very accommodating. There are over 1700 sites and golf carts are de rigueur. We use our bikes to travel to the main activity building complex which is over a 1/4 mile away.

 

But we didn't find time to go to any of the dances, or listen to the nightly happy hour band, or play bingo or bocce or horseshoes or shuffle.  Nor cards or RC planes or RC cars or pottery or stained glass.  Dean didn't get a chance to help at the RC railroad.  Didn't swim in the pools or take the aerobics classes or try out the gym.  Nor did we get a chance to meet with one of the two bike clubs or the geocaching group or the hiking bunch.  Every weekend they have name entertainment (eg, Air Supply, Kenny G).  And, of course, there is always the VDO Garden Railroad to watch. 

Just exhausting trying to plan the day! :o)

So now what?  We've decided that we have to come back, so we have signed up to stay there the month of March.  We may be tired out by the end of the month.  And daily, we'll need to get up and get going an hour earlier than usual just to keep up.  But there is so much to do.   Fun!

"OLD" people like to have fun, too

Our first 2 weeks at Valle Del Oro were action packed!  There were two major events: Their 30th Anniversary Celebration Carnival and Mardi Gras.

 

Valle Del Oro's 30th Anniversary carnival started out honoring the 19 individuals who had lived in the park for all 30 years.  And then the Star Spangled Banner sung very well by a 10 year old.

 

Two very funny games of skill were the Goofy Triathlon and the blind-folded driver golf cart course.


Run along with a tennis ball under each arm, under your chin,
and between your knees



Then put on a rubber ducky around your waist, swim goggles,
and carry a leaking jug of water back and forth 2 times

 

Then sit on the baby bicycle and push with your legs
and, oh yeah, another tennis ball under your chin

 

The blind golf cart driver course was very popular with the co-pilot giving turning instructions

 

As you can imagine, the co-pilot covering her eyes did not help
After running over the cone, they hit the wall.

There were carnival rides, gold panning and shoot outs,  

*

Where the deer and the antelope play

magicians, a balloon artist, face-painting, a Wild West shoot-out, carney games and classic cars.  There was Indian hoop dancing and a Mariachi band.  Food booths from ribs to cotton candy.  And, of course, the trains were running.

 

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Then a week later there was a Mardi Gras parade.  The theme this year was "Route 66". 

Floats were constructed by the various clubs in the park. 

There were car hops and Burma Shave signs,  

poodle dog skirts and a golf cart camper. 

Lots of beads but we saw no one having to bare anything to get a string :o) .

This is "Bubbles", our favorite character at Valle Del Oro.
She made sure everybody got a string of beads.