Saturday, October 4, 2014

Change is Good! Oct 4, 2014

Yuma, AZ......well, almost.  I'm at the Bureau of Land Management area about 20 miles north of Yuma, 60 miles south of Quartzsite, my last stop.  The postal address is Winterhaven, CA, but I think I'm still in Arizona.  Interestingly, you have to go through the Yuma Proving Grounds to get back here (about 6 miles) to this BLM land.  The Yuma Proving Ground is a U.S. Army facility and is one of the largest military installations in the world.  However, once back here there are no indicators that they are testing artillery, aircraft target acquisition equipment/armament, armored vehicles, etc. anywhere near here.  The good thing is, they have a PX area where civilians can pick up small grocery items -- bread, milk, quick-mart stuff -- get gas, go bowling (!), a 24/7 laundromat and watch a free movie every night.

This is a mountainous area...not just distant mountains...up close hills and mountains.  I pretty much came straight to what's known as "Senator Wash Reservoir" so I haven't driven around the area very much yet.  Someone who knows the area very well told me this is the best section of the BLM, although most areas are 'okay'.  There's a mail station about 3 miles away where I can send/receive mail....even UPS packages.  There's also propane there.  For big shopping, tho', it's about 22 miles to a Walmart in Yuma, but I should only be doing that every couple weeks if I buy right.

Coming into this particular area, I didn't have to drive around here more than a couple of minutes to find "my" site.  Remember, this is a long term stay now with winter approaching.  $180 from Sept 15-April 15 -- 7 months.  Here are some views of the RV site where I have made my "home".  I'm facing north, so my door, awning, chairs, etc. are on the sunrise/east side.




 

So, you are probably thinking...."What's the big deal??  Looks pretty isolated and barren.  Why would she pick THAT spot?? She's going to fall over the cliff!  Surely in 11,000 acres there's something better than that!"  Well, for one, the way the site is situated, up on a rise, I won't have any neighbors on three sides when the snowbirds start coming in.  For me, that's a HUGE plus.  The closest sites to me (only three, really) are at least 150 feet away...that's a long way in the RV world!  And, they won't be at eye level...and those three are far apart themselves, and they will be on my back (west) side.  

But, this is the view from my awning side...

This view, above, actually makes it look farther away than it really is...




For my $30/month, I think I have the best spot in the house!  There's only one other site on this ridge and it's not super great.  Because this is a reservoir,  the water level will rise and fall as they adjust nearby Imperial Dam. It's a bit low right now. If you want to join in, they have activities going on...music jam sessions, aerobics, yoga, pot lucks, etc.  I'm far enough away from the activities area that it won't be an infringement if I don't care to participate.  But, I can walk there in just a few minutes if I want to.

Lots of people who come here for the winter have been coming here for YEARS...some 25 - one couple - 35 years!  CRAZY!  Apparently, a couple always has the spot I'm in, year after  year.  But, I'm here first - early bird gets the worm!  I don't know a whole lot about the area yet...arrived on Thursday, so I'll just share some photos I've taken so far.  I took a walk along one side of the reservoir as far as I could go from home base yesterday morning.  The beach in the desert!  That's what I'm talkin' about!







So, there you have it.  A look at "winter" from my point of view.  Not bad!  Of course, if I get tired of this view, I can move anywhere within the 11,000 acres, anytime.  It will seem strange, tho', to stay in one place for so long after traveling around all summer.  But as soon as I see pictures of snow storms, I doubt I'll be second guessing my "staying put" idea!

I will fill you in on more about the area as I'm here longer.  I'm going on a hike first thing in the morning with a couple of other hikers who know the trails.

So long for now!






2 comments:

  1. Looks like a great spot for winter! Love the water views...we were talking about you falling off the cliff and the further we read, you said that! Great minds think alike...!

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  2. Looks like a good site, not totally outside of civilization there, but fairly private. Will look forward to what you find when hiking....might be some wildlife and birds near the water! Good move!

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