We are back in Ontario…

 

Our Location:

Valens Conservation Area, Flamborough, Ontario, Canada

A quick update for the folks out there wondering about us.

Day 1- April 6, 2025

We left Ogilby Road, in southeastern California, at 7:20 AM PDT,  stopping to dump the tanks at the Chevron station, our wheels officially turning toward home at 8:00 AM PDT. We rolled along easily, filling whenever we reached the half way mark, which ended up being 3 times throughout the day. Our day ended at a rest area in Fabens, Texas just east of El Paso. Which means we crossed one time zone, losing an hour of our day. We pulled off the road and 7:20 PM, MDT. Yes, 7:20; I thought it a bit odd too. We had no issues, but a long day, travelling 610 miles.

Day 2 - April 7, 2025

We had our wheels rolling from the Fabens, Tx rest area at 7 AM, MDT. A quick Dogsled repair at Van Horn, Texas and we were off once more. Our plan was the DOT Rest Area near Ranger but we somehow rolled on past. We opted at that time to make a big change of plans and continued along thru Fort Worth, Arlington, ( the only slow down occurred at the edge of this city), and Dallas, continuing to Walmart, Greenville, Texas. The end of rush hour was nothing like we expected, very little traffic and almost totally smooth sailing. We arrived at Greenville at 8:10 PM, CDT, shutting down for the evening.  Another very good day, with only a hiccup, we travelled 651 miles on this day, with another time zone change to Central Daylight Time.

Day 3 - April 8, 2025

(This was our original day of departure, with a long 9 day trek in mind, but we opted for a different plan.)

We left Greenville, Texas at 7:30 AM,CDT and motored along smoothly all day. We left Texas, crossed through Arkansas and stopped Big Dog in Missouri, at the Haiti Welcome Center, 20 miles inside the state line. Another good day, no issues. A much shorter day as we arrived at 4:00 PM, CDT, travelling only 481 miles. Green grass, lots of green leaves and flowers, along with a couple of otters in the pond. Spring has reached Missouri.

Day 4 - April 9, 2025

We left Haiti, Mo at 7:10 AM, CDT after a fabulous night’s rest, but we left in long pants and heavy sweaters. Rolling along with no issues we crossed from Missouri to Illinois to Indiana (another time zone) and finally into Ohio. We stopped at Walmart, Napoleon, Ohio at 6:30 PM EDT. It was a rainy, drizzly kind of day all day and evening too, we are happy we put new wipers on just this morning. We are back in our own time zone now. Travel was 556 miles. 

Day 5 - April 10, 2025

We left Napoleon, Ohio under rainy skies, cold temps and mittens on our hands. The time was once again 7:30 AM EDT.  We crossed the Ambassador Bridge into Ontario, Canada and were waiting in line at 9:43 AM. The scrutiny is longer, only two lines , things were at a stand still. We quickly hopped lines when a third one opened shortly after 10:00 AM. We answered questions for about 5 minutes, given our passports and we rolled off on our way shortly after. The weather is a mix of rain and snow, the air is very cold but we are excited to be back in Ontario.  We continued on to our current location, adding an extra week to our stay here, originally we were to be back on April 17, but as you have read, we changed that plan. We arrived here around 2:00 PM.  Travel today, 283 miles.

We are getting closer..

It is a very ugly travel day.

In 5 days we travelled 2581 miles, it leaves us still 400 miles from home. We will be staying here until April 24, when the wheels will roll again taking us home to our Island.

Thanks for following along. We do hope your days are filled with better things than yesterday, but that tomorrow will be even better. 

Until next time…..

Take care, stay safe,

Deb

We've moved to California....

 

Our Location: 

North of MM 4, Ogilby Road, Winterhaven, California

 

This morning Doug ( Miss Adventure Travels  )  sent me a pic of the very beautiful sunrise over the Igloo. It was a perfect send off for us. Riley and I were ready to go about 8:30 am but we had told Doug between 10 - 10:30 am would be our time to pull out. Riley and I headed off for a walk while Doug finished doing whatever it is he does to get ready to roll. We were back around 9:15- 9:30 am and Doug was ready to start the big diesel engine. It started well, and before long we were all off heading down the road, AZ 95 southbound. 

 

We are ready to pull out, the big diesel engines are both running, Doug's is bigger of course!

Much more desert like here on AZ 95 as we go south. (Sorry the window is tinted and I didn't realize how dark the pic was before I posted it.)

The sand is more noticeable now.

 

Construction had us stopped for between 20-30 minutes just north of the stone cabin but after that it was easy rolling. This is Riley and I's first time coming down this road, we usually come to Quartzsite from California on I-10 East after we visit Janet & Dennis in Indian Wells. However this year we changed things up a bit and so as everyone that travels AZ 95 the first time does, we stopped at the Yuma Proving Grounds for the photos of the big guns at the gate. 

 

 

One of the big guns at the gate to the Yuma Proving Grounds.

Yep, it's a new sign for us to see.

We now have our photo of the proving grounds guns.

 

The WL started right up and we were off once again heading southwest toward the Yuma, Arizona area where we would connect with I-8 West. Doug & Yuma pulled off to put some go go juice in the big rig and Riley & I kept motoring on and found our way to the rest area on I-8 West where we filled up the fresh water tank and left a bag of garbage in the big dumpsters.  

An over pass in Yuma, Arizona. Not sure about the paddle wheel boats but they are there!

I like the edges of the over pass in California.

The Imperial Sand Dunes in  southern California.

We crossed into Pacific Time when we entered California before lunch time. We will however be staying on Arizona time since everything we do here in this area is in Yuma, Arizona. I called my dad after we got set up and chatted with him for a while. He was busy doing something but stopped to chat with me for a while. Always nice to chat with him. 

 

The view out our door.

The arroyo beside us, the Palo Verde trees are in the bottom. 

Looking off toward the Dunes, this view will be out our dining room windows.

 

So that's what's new with us over here at the Igloo. I hope you enjoyed your visit. 

 

A closer shot of the Dunes over there!

A rig or two back there but not too far away.

We've parked close to that black pile and explored that area back there in years previous.

 

Until next time...

 

Our spot for next two weeks.

A bit closer up.

We usually park in the spot where that rig is but he was here first.

 

Take care, be safe, 

 

Our fire pit just outside the door.

 

Deb

 

A bit of work, then some rest, and a bit of a stroll.....

Our Location: BLM, Ogilby Road, Winterhaven, CA

A very quiet night last night but I still kept waking up off and on for some reason. Riley on the other hand slept like a rock. A gray start to the day this morning with the signs of last night steady drizzle still lingering. A slight mist in the air when I opened the door to just peek outside. 

 

The mountains are farther away than they look.

 

The clouds come.

 

The clouds go.

 

Riley headed off for a walk and I went outside to start setting up our yard since we will be here for a while. It never takes long to set up or take down but sometimes it’s just the thought of doing it I guess that makes me procrastinate a bit. I also took about an hour to clean out the basement as I've been neglectful of doing so for the past while. I usually try to tidy it up once a week, just to keep things somewhat neat. Since I was taking things out it seemed like the perfect time to clean it up. Tomorrow I may tackle the truck. We shall see.

 

Some one mentioned not all colour is in the plant life.

I agree, the ground also has some amazing colours also.

 

The sun made a brief appearance, slipped behind some clouds and then finally made a lasting appearance which continued on through the rest of the day. A very nice day here in neighbourhood for sure. This afternoon it was down right balmy!!

The Ocotillo's leaves are trimmed with a reddish orange colour.

 I walked down into this wash from the 'yard' in front of the door. The top pic is to the west, the bottom to the east.

 

I took the camera and headed off for a bit of a stroll, not too far but wanted to get some photos for my blog before I got too lazy. Some nice views here of course. Numerous rigs around, not overly close and we like our space.
 

A few miscellaneous pictures in this one. The bank of the wash just down from the Igloo. The twisted roots of a tree that is in the bank. Sunlight through the branches of a tree in the wash. The outside/inside temperature today.

 

So there you have it, a very quiet, relaxing day for us here at the Igloo. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit.
 

Some clouds mixing in with the top of the mountain.

 

Amazing the way it drifts in and out within seconds.

 

Until next time…take care, be safe,

Deb

We are back in the Ogilby Road area.....

Our Location: BLM off of Ogilby Road, Winterhaven, CA

 

A rather peaceful night at the Red Earth Casino. We both slept well and were ready to go early this morning. We enjoyed seeing the Salton Sea out our window. A quick chat with dad and we were out the door and climbing into the Dogsled. We were on the road by 9 AM and heading south once again.  

 

Looking at the Salton Sea from the Red Earth Casino Parking lot.

The Red Earth Casino in Desert Shores, CA

As I said yesterday I'd give a bit more information on our issue of the last few days. We had to replace two tires due to an alignment issue that appeared withing a few short hours. A bent bolt in the spring which goes to the U-bolt around the axel snapped off, the bushing in the springs were worn as well, so the two combined to make a very serious wear issue on one tire and a slighter but still noticeable issue on the second tire. I discovered this problem on our way to Joshua Tree. We had to have someone come to change the worse tire and put on the spare. We then made it to Joshua Tree National Park, sat there until after the holiday's were over and we could get into a shop. I called a number of places, explaining my issue and they kept giving me other numbers to call. I ended up calling Danny at Pacific Brake and Alignment on Indio Blvd. He agreed to check us out the next day, which would have been Thursday, Jan 3. We arrived around 8:30 AM at his shop, he inspected the tires and issues, parked us up close to his shop and began work. He quickly determined the issues and explained them to me. It was multiple little things that should have been taken care of before I bought the rig. 

 

California 86 South heading toward Westmoreland.

Westmoreland, California.

 

The bolt that goes through the spring and into the U-bolt was put in upside down, it was also bent, which he said looked as it has bent for some time. It snapped off, which allowed the U-bolt to move slightly on the axle. With the worn out bushings the spring wasn't in proper alignment the way it should have been and it caused the wear on the tire. The wearing issue happened due to the bolt breaking. For anyone that has driven the two roads, Salton Sea Parkway and  CA 86 you know it's impossible to judge any thing that may be wrong due to the condition of the road. It is rough and humpy, bumpy, grooved in placed  as well. So I'm not surprised I didn't notice any difference in the handling of the rig. Everything was fine before we headed out of Borrego Springs. I am guessing that the bolt simply snapped off when we went over a bit of rough ground even at a slow speed.

Same town, different prices.

Fuel prices in Westmoreland.

Colourful little plaza in Westmoreland.

 I asked him to do both sides and so he had to order some parts. The first day Danny basically took apart one side to ensure he ordered the proper parts and the rest of the day was a waiting day. We overnighted there and on Friday morning the parts arrived. Danny immediately went to work and worked all day on the Igloo except for an hour's lunch break. He finished the repair work around the 5 pm mark but still had to put on the spare tire, write up the bill, etc. So we left around 6:00 pm Friday night. I would highly recommend this shop and this nice man. He was very courteous and friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. His is a very specialized shop in which he can do many things in house to help in the repair of your vehicle. 

Back to today. We left the Casino under cloudy skies and they remained cloudy all day. Rain drips and drops off and on during our drive but rain has now been light but steady since our arrival here off of Ogilby Road. We stopped in Brawley for two reasons actually. We wanted to stock up on produce and fruits while in California as we are still in California and won't worry about Agriculture inspections now. The other was to just get a bit of a stretch as well. The cold weather has been bothering my arthritis a bit and I find that getting out and walking, stretching helps some. 

Walmart in Brawley, California.

We decided to head back to the Yuma/American Girl Mine Road/Ogilby Road area due to weather. It's warmer here by a few degrees and we aren't in any hurry to get to Quartzsite where it is no warmer there than what we just left. We are thinking we'll stick around for a couple of weeks until things have warmed up a bit further north and then we'll mosey along in the general direction of Quartzsite. Not sure where we will end up but at some point we think we'll be that area. However as we know, plans change and any thing is possible. 

I love this building in Brawley, so Southwestern in its flavour.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit. 

I think this is the ugliest car I've ever seen.

Until next time... take care, be safe, 

Still lots of folks parked in the Imperial Dunes along I-8.

Deb

We moved today.....

Our Location: Off Ogilby Road, Yuma

 The night was quiet and we slept well. We left our spot at the Sonoran Desert National Monument around 8:30 AM. We left due to my discomfort at having no cell service. There is a small stretch of I-8 West in which we have no cell service. It’s about 20 miles in length in the basin between the high points. 

Sunrise this morning at Sonoran Desert National Monument.

The sky turns quickly.

 

Further west along I-8 we stopped at a couple of rest areas on our journey. At one of them I called my dad just tell him that we were back in cell service range. We took our time and enjoyed the views as we travelled.

 

More sunrise this morning.

We crossed into Pacific Time just around 11 AM Mountain Standard Time, which made the time 10 AM PST.  So we are now three hours behind Ontario time. The skies were sunny and the temperatures warming as we drove.   

Our climb up the mountain.

While we’ve been to Yuma before we haven’t been in this particular area before. We took California Exit 159 to Ogilby Road. A right at the end of the ramp took us north along Ogilby. According to Google Sidewinder Road is on the left, with American Girl Mine Road on the right. However in reality the sign for Sidewinder Road is on the right side and we didn’t see a sign for American Girl Mine Road. 

Signs along the way.

So in truth, I’m not really sure just where we are other than off of Ogilby Road. So I’ll just leave it at that for now. We are about a mile off of the road on the right. A very big spot with a couple of fire pits. We’ve chosen the second pit. We have views of the mountains and the sand dunes out the door. Not too shabby!!

Along our journey.

So there you have it, we’ve moved and are back in cell service. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit.

 

The view out of our front door.

Until next time…. take care, be safe,

 

Home sweet home.

Deb