Happy St Patrick's Day (yesterday), to everyone!!

Our last day on the river. Tomorrow we pack up camp and move east, not far, to Alamo Lake St Park. We have a few more weeks to spend around Arizona before beginning to head east in earnest to make our way back home.
On Friday we took a day trip south to the Arizona town of Quartzite. This is a huge snowbird destination in the winter and they get several hundred thousand campers spread out for miles in the desert on BLM land. We saw lots of campers still scattered around in the distance off the highway, but it is nothing compared to December and January when they are having their rock and gem shows and huge flea markets.
There really isn't much of a town here, just businesses along the intersection of I-10 and Highway 95. We found a big laundromat to wash clothes and a station to fill a propane tank and then continued south toward Yuma into California. We saw some of this area from the south earlier in the winter, but now drove to it from the north. There is a tremendous amount of wilderness here and a huge wildlife refuge. Also the US Army Yuma Proving Grounds that we visited earlier in February. North of the Army proving grounds we saw GM's desert proving grounds where they do their hot weather vehicle testing.
The last dam on the Colorado is here as well on the Arizona California border. It diverts water to the agricultural canals to irrigate the fields south into Yuma, California and eventually to Mexico.
Back at camp on Friday evening the motorcycles started coming in. We had about thirty bikes and their support team move into the group campo site in the park. These were the Sober Putters and they were doing a poker run on Saturday and a ride north to Lake Havasu. They were no trouble and the roar of the Harleys added a little excitement to the day on Saturday morning.
Saturday before lunch we took a five mile hike into the hills across the highway from camp. When we got a couple of miles in we came to a road that the dune buggies were using. It took them back into the boonies for miles and later looking at the map I saw it went to the desert bar that we visited last time we were in this area three years ago!

Off roaders in the hills. This was a popular trail going back to the Desert Bar.

We watched about a dozen dune buggies and a Jeep go by.

Cactus flowering in the park.

The blooms were gorgeous!

Still Enjoying River Island S.P.

We are at this campground on the Colorado River for eight nights. We are getting some R&R at this nice spot on the coast of Arizona. On Wednesday we took a ride across the parker Dam into California and drove first north to Havasu Landing on the west bank. It was about six miles up river from where we are and the road wound through the hills and mountains getting there. Lots of off roading trails for the OHV vehicles and we saw burros along the roadside. The camping there was way too tight for our likes with the campers crammed in side by side. They were on BLM land but the park was run by a concession outfit. They had two diners a boat launch and marina, even a gas pump! It was a beautiful spot, but just too crammed in.
From there we drove south along the river and checked out a couple of other BLM sites, but there were only two that were still managed by the BLM and the one nice campground was being renovated and was not open. Eventually we made it to the bridge that gets you back to Parker town on the Arizona side of the river. We picked up a few things at the grocery then drove north back to camp.
We have been kayaking in the river and have taken a few hikes in the surrounding hills. Yesterday was pizza at the Sundance Saloon. It was a western theme restaurant with seating right on the dock on the river. Good spot and good pizza!
This is a very scenic area and a nice place to hang out. Sitting for eight days we have seen a lot of turnover in the campground as people came and go. We are among the few campers that have been here for the duration.

Hiking into the mountains was awesome.

A whiptail lizard with part of it's tail missing.

Looking down on the river and campground from the mountain across the highway.

Parker dam creates the backwater that forms Lake Havasu to the north.

Wild burros along the highway. We saw quite a few but only on the California side of the river.

Kayaking on Thursday, The river was low below the dam with little current. We kayaked upstream for over a mile.

Sundance Saloon was a great spot for a happy hour and pizza along the river.

River Island State Park

On Sunday we packed up and moved south along the Colorado River to a place just south of Parker Dam. Parker Dam is what creates the backwater that extends north to eventually form Lake Havasu. Here below the dam the water is crystal clear and flowing at a moderate pace. We launched the kayaks from the campground and found it difficult to move very far upstream due to the current and the boat traffic.
The park is nestled in a box canyon right on the river and we are surrounded by cliffs. There is no TV reception here because of the surroundings. yesterday we loaded the kayaks and headed a few miles north to the Bill Williams River National Wildlife Refuge and kayaked from the Parker Dam backwater up the Bill Williams River for a couple of miles until we couldn't go any further. It was a beautiful paddle into the back country and we saw grebes and an osprey plus numerous ducks and turtles along the way. The mountains towered above the river in places and provided a spectacular background. The marsh grass along the banks made it seem like the everglades only we didn't see any alligators!
The weather has taken a turn for the better and we have been enjoying days in the high seventies and nights in the sixties with lots of sunshine. Also the stars have been awesome at night since there is not much light pollution in the area.

Kayaking on the Colorado below Parker Dam near River Island Campground.

The river runs past some rocky cliffs and small coves.

River Island S.P. from the river.

Looking downstream from the park.

California is on the west bank of the Colorado and Arizona on the east, although here the river turned so that California was actually east of us!

A view from the mountain looking down on our campground.

A grebe on the Bill Williams River.

No gators here.

But ospreys just like in Florida.

Getting near the head of the river in the Bill Williams Wilderness. 

Davis Camp and now Lake Havasu

Camping at Davis Camp was good and we enjoyed the four nights we spent there. We enjoyed the Lake Mojave area but the winds kept us off the lake so our kayaks never got wet. We did go into Laughlin and walked the river walk and played slots at a couple of the nine casinos, but we walked away a couple of dollars poorer than when we started. Oh well, not much damage done on the penny slots!
On Monday we packed up camp and went further south on the Colorado River to Lake Havasu, Arizona. We are now in Lake Havasu State Park on the Colorado River. The park is next to the London Bridge that connects Lake Havasu City to the Island District which is being developed as resorts and residential communities. The bridge is the original London Bridge that used to span the river Thames in London, England. It was bought at auction by Robert McCulloch in 1968 for $2.5 million and the bricks and blocks were numbered and disassembled to be shipped overseas to California. The 130,000 tons of material were unloaded and then trucked to Arizona. It was all re-assembled and reinforced to be better than the original. The bridge was dedicated in 1971 and spans a canal that separates the mainland from the island. This is a huge tourist area in Arizona and is popular with boaters and campers. We sit at the campground and are constantly bombarded by the noise from the huge powerboats launching from the state park ramps. These boats have two to three V-8 engines roaring away and they zoom all over the lake. I don't think I've ever seen so many big speed boats even on Lake St Clair.

We biked to the bridge one day and crossed to circle the Island. We kayaked another day and went through the canal and along the beaches on the south side of town. Lots of kids at the beach and lots of boats touring around including an amphicar that reminded me of Uncle Dennis!

This is a cool place with lots to do and we plan on coming back in the future to enjoy the lake and surroundings.

The London Bridge from the sidewalk below. Shops and restaurants line the banks here.

Kayaking from the State Park we went through teh canal and under the span.

I can't imagine the effort to dis-assemble, ship and re-construct this old bridge.

Powerboats like this were popular here and we could hear the roar constantly from camp.

Hey, is that Uncle Dennis?

A great desert resort.

We were blessedd with a gorgeous sunset on Thursday.

This was a view from our campsite!

Posting from Lowe's

We've been away from Wi-Fi signals for some time now, but today I made the trip to Lowe's to update everyone.

March 02

Joshua Tree National Park was beautiful with it's mountains and high desert terrain. The Joshua trees of course were the most unique thing here. Black Rock Campground is on the north west corner of the park and there were entire forests of the trees scattered about. We took several hikes from camp and were treated to spectacular views of the park and surrounding area. On Wednesday we drove to the visitor center near the town of Joshua Tree and boarded a shuttle for a tour of the park. They started a shuttle service that allows you to get on and off at different stops in the park and to do some exploring and see different areas. I was glad to have someone else driving so that I could enjoy the scenery. We got off at one stop and walked through Jumbo Rocks campground then hiked over to Skull Rock. The park is a must see for anyone who enjoys national parks and to see what has been set aside to be preserved for the generations.

After four nights we were low on fresh water in the camper. We wanted to refill but the park was having issues with the fresh water hook-up and we decided to move on. The cold nights were becoming a problem and we wanted to get to a lower altitude and some warmth. We decided to head down to the Colorado river and called for camping. We found that Davis Camp County Park near Bullhead City had campsites available on the river and we decided to go there for the four nights before our next reservation started at Lake Havasu. Much to our surprise we found the park after driving through Casino Road in Laughlin Nevada. It turns out the camp is right across the river from the casinos of Laughlin! We found the camp to be very accommodating with water and electric hook-ups. The sites were nice and they had four sections to camp in with different styles of sites from RV resort to dry camping on the river. We found a nice camping loop that we fit in nicely and we were right next to the river. The park was huge with about a mile of shoreline from Davis Dam all the way to the beginning of Laughlin on the Nevada side. The weather here was around seventy compared to fifty at Joshua Tree. More important the nights were in the fifties instead of 31 degrees!

Davis Dam is just above us on the river and it forms Lake Mojave and Lake Mead Recreation area starts above the dam. We are looking forward to exploring the rec area and Laughlin in the next few days.

Joshua tree at the national park Dr. Zuess anyone?

A coyote in the campground.

An old pine in the mountains.

We were thinking of making a bid on this new camper.

Skull Rock at Joshua Tree N. P.

Another view.

Driving through the Mohave Desert we saw Amboy Crater, an old volcano that was visible from 30 miles away.

A view across the desert.

Looking downstream on the Colorado River at Laughlin Nevada. Our camp was in Bullhead City, Arizona.

A day trip to the Lake Mead Recreation area just upstream from Davis Camp were we were staying.

They were generating power here for Laughlin and the surrounding area.

On the Road Again

Sunday. It's our move to Joshua Tree for our reserved campsite. The forecast is for temperatures in the fifties for highs and thirties for lows. I sure hope it's sunny!
The last few days...

Hiking the Hell Hole Canyon near Borrego Springs

A different kind of cactus on this hike.

The ochotillo were leafing and blooming. They only do this when they get rain.

Beaver tail cactus were here too.

The mountains to the east of Salton Sea.

A view to the north west. 

This place was a playground for tourists in the 1950's and 60's but now is not used as much since the water has gotten so salty. Runoff from the mountains brings minerals and when the water evaporates the minerals remain. The sea has no outlet.

Camped at Salton Sea Rec Area. The trains go by every hour and aren't far behind the campground.

Today we go back up to Joshua Tree N. P.

Camping by the sea (Salton Sea that is).

We enjoyed the area around Barrego Springs and did quite a bit of hiking in the hills. The views from the trails were awesome with palm groves in the higher canyons and desert views to the horizon. We were constantly on the lookout for Bighorn sheep but the encounter with the ten on Wednesday was the only one we had. The small town was neat too and we did a little exploring there too. We both agreed we could come back here to camp again if we are ever out this way.

Yesterday we packed up camp from Barrego Springs and drove up the mountain to Joshua Tree N.P. We didn't have reservations for two nights, then we have an eight night stay at Black Rock Campground at Joshua Tree starting on Sunday night (already reserved). When we were planning our trip Cottonwood campground was on a first come, first served basis and we thought it wouldn't be a problem getting in early on a Friday. It turns out that starting in 2018 Cottonwood is on a reservation system and it is now all booked up! We asked about alternate campsites and were told the entire park was full and that camping was available on private camps out of the park or on BLM land outside the park. We're now camping at Salton Sea State Recreation area for two nights as an alternative to staying up in the mountain near Joshua Tree National Park. Since the high temperature up in the mountains was only in the forties at four thousand feet and highs near the sea were in the sixties we decided to go back to the lower elevations and camp here at Salton Sea, after all it was only thirty miles back off the mountain! After feeling the forty eight degree temperatures yesterday afternoon we are hoping for a warm up next week when we go back up!

We're enjoying just hanging out here and are doing some cleaning and re-stocking before going back off the grid for eight days.