Desert Shadows RV Resort, Casa Grande, AZ.

                                                     February 29 ,2012

We hooked up and did our checks, and darn....

the right turning signal wasn't working again. Joe had to shut down the Nest and came out to try to fix our problems. After about 30 minutes Joe decided we would have to go without it working again. He could not figure why it was not working again.

The left brake on the Nest wasn't working either. After getting all the screws out but one, the light came on. I told Joe, so he put the screws back in. We did a check again, and I realized the left hand turn light was what lite up, not the left brake on the coach. Joe was behind the wheel and wanted to just go on, and fix it later, so we left.

Shortly after we left, an alarm went off. I asked Joe what the alarm was for, and he told me it was for the jacks. He told me that when he put the jacks up this morning, the alarm went off indicating they were up. Because we have had a problem with them going up from the day we bought our new Nest, he checked to make sure they were both up by looking underneath our coach. One of them was down just a bit, and because the alarm went off, he thought it would be fine. He said he thought maybe we hit a bump, and the jack slipped down enough to set off the alarm again. We took the next exit, and were blessed to find a gas station that was big enough for us to pull in, get the jack up all the way with a two by four, and get back out and on the road, with out having to unhook the car. Another lesson learned. If the jack is down even a bit, get the two by four out, and get it up, before we hit the road. The picture above was taken as we approach Tucson, AZ.

 

When we left Benson, we were at 3700 ft elevation. We had to go up to 4200 ft from Benson and then we headed back down. Tucson is at 2511 ft above sea level.

I liked the flower design on the base of the over passes.

The traffic in Tucson was a bit hectic at times...

more city art...

but we were glad to get out in the country again.

Hwy. 10 takes you past a small area of  the Saguaro National Park.

 

As we got closer to Casa Grande, there were some green field of what I am not sure.

Where there are no field, the landscape has small brush.

Our drive was only 115 miles today.

We wanted to stay here for a week, but we could only get in for 3 days. The park is a ROD campground, so we stay free for 3 nights.

The resort is in the city of Casa Grande, AZ. and is basically a large parking lot in the middle of a neighborhood, with a cement wall around the park.

Our site is 201 which is the 2nd to the entrance gate. A bit noisy, because we hear the street traffic and the clinking noise when the tires of of the incoming cars hit  the metal ground gates.

After we set up we looked around the park. The pool and jacuzzi area.

Outdoor shower before you use the facilities.

Outdoor kitchen/grill in the pool area.

Horse shoes anyone? The park has 362 sites, and we are at 1396 ft elevation. Thank you Lord for getting us here safe and sound!

Hanging Out On A Beautiful Arizona Day

                                                    February 27, 2012

Joe paid $15 to wash our car and Nest 2. Nest 2 first Joey bath!

It was a beautiful day with mild winds, partly cloudy in the high 70's.

After the Nest was bathed we walked Mallery around the park. I had to takes some pictures because the lighting was as perfect as the day!

The RV Resort next to our park has paved in roads. Mallery asked why we didn't book at the park next door.

We decided to cross the street and walk down a couple blocks to see another RV parked with a golf course.

This park sat right next to some train tracks. I would hate to hear them at night. I hear them at night from our park 2 blocks away.

The Turquoise Hill  RV Resort also has a bar and restaurant.

We walked up the hill to the 10th tee off hole.

The course is a par 3 golf course,

with spectacular views...

We walked back down the hill past the very small 6-8 RV park and back up the street to our park.

We walked through our park, past this lot who have a feeder for the birds, 

and up the street beyond our park in the other direction.

Panoramic view looking toward our park about a block away.

These are the kind of cactus they have in this area.

When we got back home, we notice that a group of people were forming around the park campfire, that is just across the road from our site. It was a, "bring  your hot dogs, buns and chairs, and the smores are provide for free". We didn't have hot dogs and buns, so we stayed home.

Mallery has become very demanding as she ages. She either wants me to play ball ( 3 times a day), give her some food, give her water, or she stands by the door and barks to go outside. That does not include the two pills, two times a day  wrapped in goodies, brushing her teeth once a day, and treats for her trick time. Joe tries to play ball with her, but she will not have it. She know our schedule, and if I take too long, missing any of these events, she sits and looks at me and barks at me every 3 minutes, letting me know I'm off schedule. No wonder I don't get anything done in a day. The day is short when you don't get out of bed until 10:00 and you have a very demanding Yorkie.

At 6:00PM I started to watch for the sun set so I could get a picture out my window to the west.

Goodnight from Benson, AZ. We leave on Wednesday morning for Casa Grande, AZ.

Valley Vista RV Resort, Benson, AZ.

                                                February  24-26,2012

We are currently at the Valley Vista RV Resort in Benson, AZ.

Our new Ocean Canyon Membership allows us to stay at coast to coast campground for $10 a night. But because it is an Encore Resort we have to pay an extra $3 a night making it a total of  $13 a night. We could probable get in with our Passport Membership for about the same price, but you usually only can stay for two nights at that discounted price.

If you are coming to Valley Vista RV Resort look for the blue and yellow flags as well as the end white and blue encore flags on Hwy 80 in Benson. Benson is 45 miles SE of Tucson. It was established in 1880 as a rail terminal for the area, and still serves as such. The population is 5144 as of  2009.

The building to the right has the office, Clubhouse, laundry and shower rooms.

We drive by what looks like our old Nest 1, but it's just a look a like..

We were given site #53, another corner lot.

There is a dry wash that separated the park into two parts. We are on the other side of the wash closest to the Clubhouse.  ( Joe sees me and comes over to join me in a Mallery 4PM walk.

On our walked I stopped in to take a picture of the small but very clean pool. It has great mountain vista's though. The pool is behind the Clubhouse.

And the jacuzzi is bubbling hot! 

In the corner off from the pool/jacuzzi area is a bench and

the shuffle board and horseshoe games.

This is a view from my coach window.

This is a close up of the previous picture. The mountains are more up in your face like this picture when we look out the window.

I was talking to my mom on the phone, when I told her I had to go to take a picture of the sun reflection going down the mountain. By the time I got off the phone the shadowing was gone.

I will try again tomorrow night.