It's been almost six months since we were in California, and a lot of miles under us ...again, but we are already planning for some of our future travels.
We left the snow and cold (24F) behind in Van Horn and West Texas, and it has been sunny, partly cloudy and a mite warmer - thank goodness!
We made our overnight stop in Tucson and we continue to be amazed at the expanding growth that the Tucson area is experiencing, especially the northwest area of Tucson around Marana, where malls, subdivisions and new I-10 over-pass bridges are, and have been, constructed. And speaking of I-10 construction, we gave a big "whoop-e-e-e!" coming through Tucson where the I-10 freeway has been under major reconstruction for the last six years, has now been completed and it is so nice to have it finished and a very nice job they did do on it. It makes coming through Tucson so much easier and more pleasing now.
And of course the Casa Grande area is expanding by leaps and bounds with many, many new malls, strip malls, housing tracts and large subdivisions make it an area that hardly resembles the 'old' Casa Grande.
Economics will have a big say in things, but with the growth of the greater Phoenix area, and particular that of Tempe, Chandler, Mesa, and Sacaton I can envision the continued growth south and the Casa Grande growth east and north to a point were they will likely join into a large megalopolis area with virtually no real open space between the two areas, in the next twenty/twenty-five years. But, it remains a very scenic area in the south/south central Arizona desert area.
The Apache Junction Elks Lodge is one of our favorites in this area to visit. There are many good Elks, good food, good hydration, and of course some good stories. And with the awesome view out the front window of our home here that has the beautiful Superstition Mountains is hard to beat in this area.
Tomorrow we continue to head west into what is generally billed as the "largest RV gathering in the world", at Quartzsite, Arizona located about 18 miles east of the Colorado River boundary of California, along I-10. In the winter there generally is about 200,000 RVer's there at this time of year. There is also sports, vacation, gem and mineral shows all wrapped around the RVer with many large RV dealers there with hundreds of units of every description and size to be sold. There are the large (blocks and blocks equivalent) flea market/swap meet, and of course the "big tent" which is like a very large circus tent (I would guess about 100,000 square feet) with all kinds of RV, camping, and recreation items, gadgets and electronics for every conceivable need and use. Needless to say, a very unique and interesting place. I love to turn on the CB (Ch-19) and listen to the truckers when they are coming through there on the Interstate with all kind of wonderment and amazement expressed by them. There is nothing else like it that we have ever seen or heard about. The 'largest' RVing event in the world? It would be very difficult to argue against that statement.
After Quartzsite, we will spend a day in the Palm Springs area, seeing some friends and doing a little visiting, and we will continue our journey North to Central California.
Looking forward to seeing our dear family and friends again, and of course our grandkids who have probably grown another inch or two by now. It will be good to see the old homestead once again, although I don't necessarily look forward to the doctor appointments, and other chores that will surely come up once we drop anchor.
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