Did not leave CA yet
Tuesday, March 30, 2010 – Patti was looking for a good place in the middle, between Borrego springs and the Grand Canyon area, and found a small RV park with a good rate. She punched in the name in Tom Tom, and we were on the way. We drove north back to Hwy 10, this old familiar hwy that we spent so many hours on it, from Alabama all the way here. Just before we crossed the AZ border, Tom Tom said – turn left into hwy 95. I know this hwy, I though, we stayed here in Blyth when we entered CA. Are you sure we are going to Arizona? I asked Patti, “Pretty sure” she said.We took a tour on Hwy 10 into AZ to fill Gas (There is a gas station on Exit 1, that is still expensive compare to AZ but much cheaper than CA), and came back on route. We approached the campground, but did not cross the Colorado river yet. Don’t think we are in AZ, I told Patti. I guess not, she said and smiled.
We arrived to Calizona RV Park, in Needles CA, just on the border with AZ and NV. Nice RV park with a big community room, where the owner will invite you for a good cup of coffee every morning. Great WiFi – very strong and fast, and nice sites. We got an excellent location, just by the community room secluded and isolated. Needles is 5 miles north, a small little town where you can find a big grocery store (No Wal-Mart) Gas Station and Desert Information Center.
Have you been to CANVAZ?
Wednesday, March 31, 2011 – Being so close to all three states, I had to see that exact point. How cool can it be to stand one foot in CA, the other in NV and your toes are actually in AZ?We located the exact point on the GPS, and drove there. The exact point is approximately 12 miles away from the campground. There is NOTHING there. A gravel road along the river, with some very old RVs on the side of the road, looks like someone trashed them, but when we actually stopped at the border, an old Indian lady stepped out and showed us the marker between the states. I sit in my NV living room and watch the TV in CA, she explained to us. Now that’s neat :)
The border in AZ is in the middle of the Colorado River, where the actual border with NV starts as well. So here is the point:
The CA-NV-AZ pointWe have a new family member
Saturday, April 3rd, 2010 – This is maybe the 10th time that Patti is showing me this picture of that dog on the Internet. It is not so far, she explains, and she is for adoption, and she is so cute and small, perfect for RV life. Patti did not know rest since we gave Moe to her brother, and a dog companion was very important to her. Well, call to see if they are open and if she is still available, I said. and so she did. and – yes – they are open and yes – she is still available.So we are driving to Kingman, AZ to Petco, where the adoption is, and found Dallas– a cute little Pomeranian, running around with her Pomeranian buddy – Cowboy. The previous owners were fans of Dallas Cowboys, hence the names Dallas and Cowboy.
We had to fill adoption papers and were told that the owner of the facility needs to review them, and invite us to an interview in couple days, and if all is OK, we can have Dallas. This didn’t sound right to me. I asked the volunteer to call the owner and tell her that we want the dog today, and drove long ways to get her.
So they talk on the phone, and the girl said – She is willing to meet you now. The sanctuary is about 9 miles from here, follow me, but you must be worn that the owner is German and she is very blunt, and many people get offended by her. That’s OK, I explained, I am Israeli, and I have an elephant skin. I will be fine.
We drove to the sanctuary, a remote facility out of town, with many dogs that are waiting for a family to adopt them, and we met Lotti, a very passionate lady who really cares about the dogs and the families they go to. Lotti and Patti bonded in no time, and went for a facility tour looking at each and every dog, leaving me to babysit Dallas, and chat with the young volunteer who drove us here (she is very nice).I think it was dark when we left the place, with our new family member, but one thing we agreed – we have to find a new name. Dallas is not a nice name for a female dog. After a short discussion the new name was found for this pricey lady – Diva! perfect fit.
We stopped by Wal-Mart and got food, a dog bed, some treats, a leash, collar and some toys – just a startup kit. Got to the RV and gave Diva a good bath (in the sink, no shower mess this time) and dinner, and Patti went to bed with a great smile on her face. We have a new dog.
Easter Barbie
Sunday, April 4th, 2010 – It is Easter today, and Patti is sad. It is the holiday time that gets to her, when she misses the family gathering and the tradition meals with all the kids. Not that she wants to stop travelling, but sometimes after being alone for so long, you miss certain aspects of the ‘Normal’ life – around the kids and the family.I tried to cheer her up, but she didn’t feel like doing anything. "But I do", I said. "I am not Christian, but I feel like a nice meal tonight. We did not use the grill for some time, why won’t I cook some nice steak for us on the grill?" - "We don’t have steaks, all the meat is frozen, and all the stores are closed on Easter day. So here. you can’t do anything anyways".
"The stores are open", I said. "How do you know it’s closed?"
"Because everything is closed on Easter day, especially in small town". came the reply.
"I am driving there, want to join? It is 5 minutes away, and I got to get out of the RV anyways".
So we go to the grocery store, and it is open. Bought couple rib-eye steaks, good California bottle of wine and drove back. The rest of the story is easy to guess – We had a great dinner, and at the end of the night Patti came to me said: Thanks for insisting, it was a great evening. Just realized - I can't take pictures, I forgot the camera at the dog sanctuary. Patti thinks I want to see that girl again, hmmm..
Still with the Kids
Monday, April 5th, 2010 – I get a phone call from my ex-wife who lives in CA, telling me she is on the way to Needles. We spoke yesterday and agreed that I will have the kids for one last week before I leave the area until next fall. Their Spring Break just started so it would be a perfect opportunity for them to be with me for a little longer and enjoy the Grand Canyon. Their mother agreed to drive half way, which was vey nice of her, but I did not expect her to drive all the way… It’s OK, she said, you will drive them back.Nice try, but I will not be able to do that, driving all the way from the Grand Canyon to CA and back. I am jumping on the car and driving right now, will meet you half way in Brawly.
Little over 100 miles, and I meet them just East of Brawly at a gas station in one of the exits. In the last minute, Maya, my daughter, decided she will skip, and not come. Too much homework, she said. I respect her decision, as I can’t force her to stay with me. It hurts, but I hope she will find some other opportunities to stay with me and get closer.
My son was extremely happy to get one-on-one 100% attention from dad, and we had a fun ride back.
Looking forward for some very interesting weeks to come, so stay tuned!
Keep on keeping on, friends! You are young and resilient, so you'll make it OK. Enjoy what you have. Seems like you are doing that. How did you get the picture of that border point if the juncture is under the Colorado River?
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