On the Road Again

We finally left Yuma at 4pm on Saturday March 24. Tooting our horn as we passed by RV World. Bob smiling with his new teeth. We spent the night at the Gila Bend Elks Lodge. Our home lodge. Sunday we went onto Apache Junction to the Elk's Lodge there. We shopped at Camping World for last minute items for the Grand Canyon rafting trip. In the evening we met Jim Kelley and we went dancing at the VFW.

Monday morning Bob finished installing the CB in the car and then we were told the awnings hadn't arrived so we took off thru Globe to Lake Roosevelt for a WINs gathering. There are about 33 here for a week. We will have to stay a few days longer as the awnings will be delivered and installed here. The diesel worked well on the mountain pass especially going downhill. No need to touch the brakes with the retarder brake.

The next two days we had high winds so no kayaking. We took hikes both days and a little 4 wheeling on the second day. In the morning we gather at 9 am for Hugs and Mugs and discuss the days options. In the afternoon at 4 pm we again gather for circle and tell what we did that day, socialize etc. On the first day it was Nancy's birthday and she provided the meat dish and we all added some potluck's to it.

We were finally able to hit the lake on Thursday. Kayaked for 6 miles, then on Friday we went to Apache Lake for an overnight kayaking trip. After setting up our tent site at a boat only camping area 2 miles from the put in we went for about a 5 mile round trip ride. We had a nice dinner back at the tents, a beautiful campfire and a full moon for sleeping. Saturday morning after breakfast and getting the kinks worked out of bodies we did an 8 miler to the dam and back. Picked up our things on the way back and then headed for the marina and home. The drive to and from is on AZ 88 which is a beautiful drive on a dirt road that twists and turns. We won't drive our rigs on it but are amazed at the weekenders who do. Back at the campground we traded stories with those who didn't go and then most of us went out to dinner.

Sunday we visited the Tonto Monument cliff dwellings. It was a 3 mile hike round trip with an elevation increase of 600'. Awesome views looking over Lake Roosevelt and our campground.
When we got back Chuck had cooked a big pot of ham and beans and we also had a WIN candle campfire after dark. Monday found 7 of us going on a kayak trip down the Salt River for 9 miles. It included about 10 small rapids. We had never done rapids before and it was a learning experience. They were probably class 1 but it was still FANTASTIC. All of what we have done this week has inspired us to book onto a September trip for 2 weeks kayaking/canoeing the Green River thru Utah's Canyonlands for 120 miles.

Tuesday we opted to work around the rig cleaning out the car inside and out. Bob waxed the kayaks so we will be going lots faster both in the water and on the roof top. :) Most everybody has moved on. We are waiting for the awning installation.