February 2022 - Puerta Penasco, Mexico

 A mere three hour drive from Yuma to Ajo, Arizona and down Highway 8 to the Gulf of California, one will find a port city called Puerta Penasco or Rocky Point.  Brett purchased a 5-night stay in a three bedroom condo for $1,000 last year for the week of February 7 - 12. Polls, Davis', Simonsens, and us drove there to have a wonderful experience.  The weather is about the same as Yuma and the ocean breezes make it a little cooler in the evenings.  The ocean water is quite cold this time of year so it was just the pool and the hot tub.

In years past, we would not hesitate to drive through Mexico, but the immigration problems and cartels are taking over the road routes, so we hesitated a little.  No need to worry.  There are hundreds of Americans driving this route and staying in the beautiful little city.  The only prohibition for us were guns and ammo.  Easy - don't take them.

Driving through the small towns I again was thankful for all of our blessings, prosperity and education.  It's a hard life selling trinkets or running a restaurant or washing car windows at stop signs, or . . . .  The town of Puerta Penasco is built along some beautiful sandy beaches and some very rocky reefs.  It's a contrast in geography and the layout of the city is without the use of a good surveyor and city planner.  But, it works and it was a very pleasant city.

This is Rodeo Drive.  Typical street.

The pool from our 10th story window.

Lori had never been in a foreign grocery store and watching her look for things that were familiar or even worth purchasing was a delight.  Everyone spoke very good English so language was not a problem.

There were a couple of activities we wanted to do:  whale watching (The whales are in the gulf this time of year along with the dolphins.) and laying on the beach.  We added two other activities - riding ultralights and eating.

Whale Watching

We sent the guys to the harbor to rent a boat and find out how this is done.  On Wednesday, we loaded up and met our boat.  Wear your mask from the harbor entrance to the boat and then discard.  What a joke, but no mask no boarding the boat.

Brett is not a whale.

We did see the back of a few whales, but nothing really exciting.  The dolphins win!!

Ultra Lights

Every day we would see these ultralight aircraft fly by buzzing the water and chasing the seagulls, swooping along at rooftop height, circling the seashore and whizzing by our 10th floor rooms.  It took all of us Googling to finally find where they were coming from - a five minute ride from our condo.  Theron wanted to ride for sure, the rest of us were, well, a little afraid.  After seeing Theron take off, problem solved, we all had to have a ride.  It was a blast!!!

I recommend this as the best way to see Puerta Penasco.

All the food was terrific - Mexican, steaks, wood fired pizza, pina coladas, fish tacos, and fried ice cream.  Most of the time, we could eat on balconies with great views.

We also walked the town and bought our souvenir shirts and trinkets.

Coming out of Mexico toward Ajo, you travel through the Organ Pipe National Cactus Park.  Wow, these cactus are fantastic to look at.  Tall ones with arms are about 100 years old.

We are standing in front of an organ pipe cactus.  The picture below is an organ pipe cactus.

 

January 2022 - We are in Yuma, Arizona

 The world, literally, thought that by January 2022 we would be back to normal - traveling, no masks, no sickness, and so forth kind of normal.  Well, that's not the case.  Because of Covid restrictions and a new strain called Omnicron, we were still restricted in some things we could do.  We had traveled north enough and seen everyone several times because of family parties, Cameron's mission farewell, and solar projects that we said good-bye on December 18, 2021, and left for Yuma.  New trailer in tow - let me mention, that I love our new trailer.  It is so much more comfortable and easy to clean and more efficient.  Glad we decided to take the debt and buy it.

We celebrated Christmas with Jack and Gina Miltmore, Christy and Glen Davis, Brett and Lori Simonsen, Mike and Kathrine Monfredi, the Cooks, the Adams and a few others with a very simple dinner of appetizers and good conversation.

The celebration of Christmas also began with several service projects.  These service projects are helping our friends and neighbors with various things.  They are what makes this trip so unique and fun; giving our talents to others.  The first was installing solar in Jack Miltmore's motorhome.  Theron and Glenn spent a few days designing and installing a solar system for him.  Then is was moving the electrical and water connections on Brett's side of the lot.  Glenn is installing 9 solar panels on his casita and redoing the solar system in his trailer.  Theron is finishing our trailer's solar system.  Reed and Nel Brown are a much older couple who needed a new porch entry to get into their trailer.  Then they needed a new toilet - so both were accomplished.  The neighbors across the street (non-members) wanted to move a shed and install a clothes line - done.  She is still bringing us cases of Coke and Diet Coke for the work.  Each Friday, the branch members go to the Yuma food bank and stuff paper sacks with non-perishable food items that are then added to each person's food allotment.  Some Fridays we have stuffed 2100 bags in our two hour time.

It is most rewarding.  Theron is often asked to help someone wire something, put in a new something and can find many projects that keep him busy most days.

But it's not all work ------

We have had some fun ATV rides this year.  It's always fun to go to Lagurta through the pass and stop for a delicious hamburger and drink.  Then, discovering a crashed F-14 jet in the desert.  The military has a fake town built from storage containers that they use for tactical training and we visited this town.

These are two mountain sheep sleeping in the road.

F-14 wreckage

That's January.  What's up for next month?