Educational

QUARTSITE 2023 RALLY

Hi folks! Guess where we are, in the middle of the winter?

We are at the 2023 Winnebago View Navion Rally, held in Quartzite, Arizona. The weather has been perfect 58 degree days and 35 degree nights; not too bad since when we left home it was 33 degree days and 15 degree nights and snowing. It truly feels wonderful!

The rally consists of hundreds of people getting together in the middle of the Arizona desert to meet and greet, camp together, and just have a good time sharing stories about their rigs. There is an agenda, so it’s very organized, and lots to do, see and learn. Example: first day starts out at 9AM with a BIKE RIDE, 10 AM is a hike to Q mountain or watercolor Sketch with Amy, and then hospitality get together at 5PM. We visited the big white tent on opening day of the RV show, which proved one time is good enough for us but everyday truly is full of fun get-togethers and seminars. Almost too many things to do!

Yesterday we joined the watercolor class (super fun!), today is solar seminars, and tomorrow a pancake breakfast. So far there are over 145 Views parked every which way, with all being unique colors, styles and designs. It’s quite overwhelming with lots to do, super friendly people, and technical information from the attendees at the Rally. We even got to meet the YouTube famous Grammpa Ron at several of his seminars, great fun indeed!

We met the most amazing people who are very friendly and helpful if you had a problem of any kind. We camped between two especially nice couples and quickly became friends. A big shout out to Marshall and Mel and Everett and Diana, which lots of fireside memories were created.

So see ya all next year and many thanks!

Jeff and Liz

HOVENWEEP NATIONAL MONUMENT

HOVENWEEP: Indian ruins are fascinating and the history is incredible. The harshness of this country makes you wonder how in the world did these people manage. The ruins are mostly destroyed by looters and the test of time, but definitely worth a stop.

Our Next Exploration is Monument Valley, Natural Bridges, Mexican Hat and The famous Goosenecks S.P.

Cheers Jeff and Liz

Chipmunk Invasion

It was 3 am in the morning, we are peacefully sleeping in our cozy trailer at one of our favorite campgrounds (Union Bay Campground] at Phillips Reservoir, Oregon. When we heard not the sound of music but little teeth gnawing and the precious sound of little feet scampering up and down the inside wall of our bedroom, not 2 inches from our heads. It sounded like they were truly going to chew right through the wooden headboard and the scampering never stopped until early morning. We pounded on the walls, yelled niceties at them and even thought about taking a blow torch to the front of our trailer- just joking !!!. Ok, the next morning it was Chipmunk war, how do you keep these precious little invaders from raising havoc on your trailer not to mention the damage they can do in a small amount of time and remain humane. After much thought and exploring Northwoods RV Owner Associations Forum, Jeff found the perfect humane solution to a very real problem.

With $40.00 of supplies from our local Ace Hardware Store and a half day of crawling around under the trailer we are now ready for the next attack of Chipmunks, squirrels, snakes and any varmint that wants to disrupt our peaceful sleep and destroy or nest in our trailer.

Supplies:

1/4 inch mesh galvanised hardware cloth

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Black foam sealent

Approx. 40 galvanised screws

3 LBS of Repels-All Granules

Mesh bags to hold granules

There is a two to three inch gap between the fiber glass Arctic Fox cap and the frame. Northwood Manufacturing say that they are aware of the problem but it would be to costly in the manufacturing process to fix the problem. Well at least they could of suggested their engineering suggestions which they haven’t so on to my engineering ideas.

I cut 3 inch wide strips of the hardware cloth , covered the opening and screwed the cloth onto the bottom of the fiberglass. The bigger openings I cut out 10″x 10″ squares and trimmed to fit openings. I sprayed the black foam sealant in the places I could not apply the hardware cloth. Northwood says the cap area needs ventilation so solid foam would not be the answer. Well time will tell on round one on the chipmunk war. We will put a mesh bag of Repels-All on the battery compartment to add some extra precautions. Varmints like to chew on your wiring which can be costly. We will put Repels-All mesh bags on each front tire of the truck to keep them out of the engine compartment. Another piece of advice we picked up from our snowbird adventures is to leave your hood open so the varmints dont feel safe.

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Hope this helps to all that may have experienced this problem.

Until our next adventure – Cheers from Just Around The Bend ♥♥♥♥

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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Is A Must Visit

Better start early for this sonoran experience, winter is the best time to visit as the temperatures are a perfect 65ish degrees. We packed a lunch, cameras, water bottles and good hiking boots and literally spent all day exploring, joining all of the free seminars. The bird presentation was amazing – Raptor Free Flight (seasonal), where visitors watch from the flight path as native birds of prey whiz by so close visitors can feel the brush of feathers. There are two presentations daily and each demonstrates different birds. One program showcases Harris’ Hawks, the only raptors in the world that hunt as a family group using strategy, like wolves.

The snake and reptile program scared me to death, with rattlesnakes 20 feet away yikes. There are three live animal presentations: Live and (sort of) on the Loose, showcasing often-misunderstood venomous reptiles

A visit will forever alter your definition of the museum as 85% of what you will experience is outdoors.
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The grounds are comprised of 97 acres of which 47 are developed and curated; there are two miles of walking paths, 16 individual gardens, 1,200 native plant species and 56,000 individual plants.
The animal collection currently includes 230 native mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and birds including a multi-species hummingbird aviary.
The Museum includes an Earth Sciences Center which recreates an underground cave, complete with stalactites and stalagmites.
Refillable water bottle stations and fountains are located throughout the grounds.
Dispensers with complimentary sunscreen are located in most restrooms.
The museum is open daily, year-round; hours vary by season. On Summer Saturday evenings the Museum is open until 10:00 p.m. with themed programs especially for families after 6 p.m.
Most demonstrations, live animal presentations and primary exhibits are included in the admission price.
The Museum is located 14 miles west of Tucson in Tucson Mountain Park at 2021 N. Kinney Rd. just 2 miles from Saguaro National Park (West) Visitors Center.

Cheers from Just Around The Bend ♥♥♥♥♥♥

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Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site – Arizona

Squeaky wooden floors greet your entry into the oldest operating trading post on the Navajo Nation. Hubbell’s mercantile has been serving Ganado selling groceries, grain, hardware, horse tack, coffee and Native American Art since 1878.

Discover Hubbell Trading Post NHS, where history is made every day a National historic site on Highway 191, north of Chambers, with an exhibit center in Ganado, Arizona. It is considered a meeting ground of two cultures between the Navajo and the settlers who came to the area to trade. It truly takes you back in time. A lovely visitors center with a interesting tour of the original Hubbell Farm House. Definitely worth a stop, with plenty of RV parking, picnic tables and clean restrooms.

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Until Our Next Adventure Cheers From Just Around The Bend♥♥♥♥♥

Carlsbad Caverns New Mexico

High ancient sea ledges, deep rocky canyons, flowering cactus and desert wildlife—treasures above the ground in the Chihuahuan Desert. Hidden beneath the surface are more than 119 caves—formed when sulfuric acid dissolved limestone leaving behind caverns of all sizes. Carlsbad Caverns is an amazing National Park, at every turn it impresses from the entrance of the cavern all the way to the 750 foot elevator ride back up to the visitor center. Definitely a must see! We were extremely lucky to have been able to finish the day viewing the bats exiting the cave at sunset, a huge check on our bucket list.

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If you have your Senior National park pass the entrance fee is free-what a deal, otherwise $25.00 per person..

Lots of Parking for RVS, you can pull thru or park along the curbs, well thought out for us in big rigs.

Bathrooms = Clean large flush toilets

Visitor center is huge with lots of tempting items to spend money on.

Cheers From Just Around The Bend♥♥♥♥

Please join me on my next adventure in Ft Worth Texas with our family for the holidays

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Catalina State Park Arizona

Sometimes I’m not sure when we are headed to a new destination what’s ahead. I get anxious,wondering will the park be nice, comfortable, amenities that we enjoy, things to do and explore. Not to worry at Catalina State Park out of Tucson Arizona. Actually I should play this park down and really not tell you the truth as this is a true gem nestled at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The park is a haven for desert plants and wildlife with nearly 5,000 saguaros. I would highly advise staying at least 2 weeks as when you are finished hiking, biking, visiting the ruins,attending the free concerts and Saturday wildlife exhibits you still need to explore what Tucson has to offer.
The campground itself has 120 sites, which are strategically arranged to give you much privacy yet an amazing view of the Catalinas. Campground slips are paved including picnic tables, bbq grills water and electric.Campgrounds have modern flush restrooms with free hot showers. RV dump stations are available in the park with no limit on RV length. Campground is open year round. The fee is $30.00 a night with a 14 day limit.
This is one time we both did not want to leave, we were so comfortable in our site with a spectacular view of the Catalinas and so much to do the time just flew. We will return.

CHEERS FROM JUST AROUND THE BEND♥♥♥♥

Sorry most of our pictures of this camping visit are MIA, if they show up I will re post. I did re cover a few enjoy and join me on our next adventure at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

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Biosphere 2

Biosphere 2 is an Earth system science research facility located in Oracle, Arizona. It has been owned by the University of Arizona since 2011. Its mission is to serve as a center for research, outreach, teaching, and lifelong learning about Earth, its living systems, and its place in the universe. It is a 3.14-acre structure originally built to be an artificial, materially closed ecological system, or vivarium. It remains the largest closed system ever created.

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Today Mark was our tour guide, funny and knowledgable. This is our second visit to the Biosphere in the last ten years and still our tour was interesting and enlightening for the future of our planet. Much has changed since our last visit, the Bass foundation has deeded the biosphere to the University Of Arizona with an additional 30 million dollar grant. The grounds are beautiful, with sustainability in mind for farming, air quality and water control and my favorite exploration solar.

If you are ever in the Tucson, Arizona area look it up, loads of large RV parking available, wheelchair accessible and a cute little restaurant.

CHEERS FROM JUST AROUND THE BEND♥♥♥♥

Walnut Canyon National Monument

Walnut Canyon National Monument is a United States National Monument located about 10 mi southeast of downtown Flagstaff, Arizona, near Interstate 40. The canyon rim elevation is 6,690 ft; the canyon’s floor is 350 ft lower.

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Of all of the ruins we have lately been exploring, this was number 2 of our favorites, number 1 being Mesa Verde, so far. The ruins are up close and personable, yes it’s a hike but well worth it, 244 steps down to be exact. The views around every corner are truly spectacular and the ruins are very well preserved. Walnut Canyon lets you experience the ruins along the very trail the ancients used. This was Grampa and Gramma Thompson’s very favorite ruins to visit and we can now see why.

Next Adventure follow us to The Bio Sphere2

Cheers from JUST AROUND THE BEND♥♥♥♥

Arches National Park Utah

The Adventure Begins
We are new snowbirds, very new, as this is our first time to say good-by to our home and not return for 5 months. In the past the longest we have been gone is around 32 days and that was in Canada. Setting off when the fall leaves are at their prime, saying good-by to our friends and neighbors was a very heartwarming for me. We tried to remember everything we thought we needed-ha, I’m sure we way over packed!! We winterized our house and yard, set the alarm, closed our eyes and drove away. We have a full agenda planned with memories and explorations to be made. Follow us as we head out to the daily unknown with the first Thompson Snow Bird Adventure.
Day 1 – Driving, Driving, Driving, left home with a snow storm and 28 degrees – burr, drove until 3pm when we arrived at the elks lodge in Caldwell, Idaho, $15.00 for overnight, included water and electric.
Day 2 – Caldwell Idaho to Mona, Utah, drove most of the day, decided to fill up with fuel and stay overnight at a truck stop-Free.
Note: This was our very first truck stop experience, actually not bad.
Day 3 – Up at 5 am – yikes, where is a Starbucks. We realized (our navigator GPS – Phoebe) took us a little past our turn off, we turned around and headed back to Spanish Fork (20 mile detour) oops. Then it was on to Moab, that’s when the landscape started to get amazing. Around every corner was a new surprise, beautiful this time of year with the landscape slowly changing into its fall colors and massive red rock canyons. This is when it gets difficult to drive, so much beauty to look you need to pull off often. We arrived in Moab at around 10 am heading to Goose Island, hoping and praying there was a site available. We lucked out, as this is a BLM first come first serve facility (no reservations) and luckily, as we arrived, someone pulled out-yay-we got a spot. This is pure dry camping, no water, sewer or electric. They do have very nice vault toilets, garbage, very nice picnic tables and fire pits. Sometimes it pays to be a senior as the fee for us was $7.50 a night, thank You America the Beautiful Pass.
Here we are settled in our camping spot Litterly on the Colorado River, looking up at Arches National Park. There are no words to describe the majestic beauty and serenity of the Moab area.
Day 4 – Off to explore Arches national Park, the entrance fee is $25.00 a vehicle, with an America the Beautiful Pass it is free. Leave super early as its crowded and limited parking. Touring this park, you need good hiking boots, 2 quarts of water each and a sun hat, walking sticks help on some of the dicer trails and Shade is limited. Even though this is the end of the tourist season, you need patience, as it is crowded and snowbirds move slowly.
NOTE: Summer daytime temperatures can reach 110 degrees, heat and dehydration can be fatal – advised 1 gallon of water per person per day.
We stopped at every turn out and vista view area working our way to Landscape Arch a 1.6-mile moderate walk located at the Devils Garden trailhead. A hidden gem just off the roadway was Sand Dune Arch (0.3mi) an easy sandy walk and great for kids as it is a huge natural sandbox with narrow partition rocks to climb through and at the end a hidden arch. Of all of the National parks we have visited in our lifetime, I have to say Arches is the most spectacular. Every corner you hike around is another wow!
Day 5 – Boy are we out of shape! Today we visit Balanced Rock (0.3mi) beautiful paved trail, wheelchair accessible. Double Arch (0.5 mi) Easy trail through some loose sand, spectacular arch. Delicate Arch (3mi) round trip – Difficult trail with elevation gains, no shade, at the end open slickrock with close exposure to heights-not for faint of heart, but worth it.
Day 6 – We are going to stay around camp today, catch up on laundry-walk the beautiful bike trail that leads to Downtown Moab that just happens to be 200 feet from our campsite. Does it sound like we are resting today, ha not us as we have 6 Geocaches calling our name along the new bike trail!!!