Thanksgiving in Palm Desert, CA

Our group fixed a nice traditional Thanksgiving dinner today; Sissy cooked the turkey, made the gravy and some collard greens…Phyllis fixed the dressing and baked bread…Anne made a green bean casserole and lemon pears…Joan prepared yams and mashed potatoes while I was in charge of deviled eggs and cranberries.  For desert we bought a Costco chocolate cake.   We set up our “buffet” in Bill & Phyllis’ coach and then set 2 picnic tables in an empty site next to our site (just across the street from Bill & Phyllis) and had our Thanksgiving dinner outside.   What a feast!  It was all so yummy and I am still stuffed even though we ate almost 6 hours ago.  A little cooler weather, only up in the mid 60’s but sunny so eating outside was really pleasant…I know a lot of you had really chilly/cold weather!  We had a fabulous Thanksgiving and hope you all did too!

 Getting ready

Sissy & Joan setting up the tables

Filling up plates

Cheers!!

Palm Desert, CA

Our site

We’ve been having a great time at Thousand Trails Palm Springs (which is actually in Palm Desert, CA).  The park is nice, close to shopping and attractions.  We had been concerned about getting in the sites here, lots of date palm trees, but it wasn’t that bad..  Of course it helped that the park was fairly empty when we arrived so we had a little extra wiggle room.

Our friends have all made it here too,  a total of  11 in our group.  We ladies go walking most mornings and we all get together in the evenings.  It’s been a fun time!   Last Thursday Dave & Anne (from England) and Dave & I went to the Villagefest in Palm Springs. The website explains it this way:  Villagefest on Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs every Thursday. Arts, crafts, farmers' market, music and entertainment, shopping.  Fun!!  After wandering through the booths we had dinner at a local restaurant.  A very nice evening!

A roadrunner in the park

Friday Dave & I decided to take a drive over by Borrego Springs, CA  to check out a boondocking area.  It was about an hour drive that passed by the Salton Sea.  We found a few places that would be fun to camp at and plan to stay in that area sometime this winter.  As we drove into the town of Borrego Springs we saw a unique airplane, a V-22 Osprey.  It’s a military plane that can take off and land like a helicopter but then the engines rotate so the props work like a regular prop plane.  Anyway, it was a fun day just out seeing a little more of the area!

Nearby hills

Thousand Trails Palm Springs

Hummingbird

The Osprey

Cheye...up close!

Quartzsite

After visiting Mike & Joan at their boondock site near Quartzsite we decided to leave Salome a day early and join them.  We really enjoyed our short stay; beautiful weather, desert scenery, relaxing and so quiet.  Also a fabulous sunset and sunrise.  We may do a week or so of boondocking a little more often.

This morning we left Quartzsite and made our way to Thousand Trails Palm Springs.   The park is filled with date palm trees, I understand there used to be a date palm farm here.  The trees make it a challenge when you’re pulling a 35 foot fifth wheel, not to mention parking it in a site, but we made it.  After we got setup we went for lunch and then groceries, now we are all settled in and relaxing.  The “happy-hour” group should be arriving over the next few days.  We’re all meeting up for Thanksgiving which should be a lot of fun!

Too funny!!

Dave & Cheye by a Saguaro

Sunset 11/07/10

Another pic of last nights sunset

Quartzsite in the distance

Sunrise this morning

Our trailer at sunrise

Salome, AZ

Our stay at Desert Vista RV in Salome has been really nice.   The park isn’t much to look at but the people are great.   I’ve joined some ladies for water aerobics a number of times plus I have gone with  Dave & Cheye on walks out in the desert behind the park, so we’ve stayed active.  I’d say we would stay here again but I’m not sure we will be able to.  The park was recently sold and we aren’t sure if it will remain available to us as an R.O.D. membership park or not.

Today we took a little trip to Quartzsite.  Our friends Mike & Joan are boondocking there so we thought we would see them and where they (and lots of  other people) boondock in the area.  FYI, if you aren’t familiar with the term boondocking it is when you stay in your RV out in an area where you have no water, power or sewer hook-ups….you know…staying out in the boondocks!  I see the attraction, wide open desert, peaceful and nice.   Of course Dave & I really like desert landscape.  I don’t think we’d want to be there when the big Quartzsite show is on, too many people, but otherwise it is an option for a place to stay.

Our site at Desert Vista RV

The park

Another view of the park

Tonight's sunset

Tonight's sunset just a little later... so beautiful!!

Catching up

My how time flies! We’ve been fairly busy the last week and a half…the pickup was all ready to go last Wednesday,  all the hail damage was taken care of and it looks really good.  Getting it back Wednesday was cutting things a bit close as we were scheduled to leave Thousand Trails Verde Valley  Thursday (10/28), but it all turned out fine.  Our destination on Thursday was Pleasant Harbor RV in Peoria, AZ with a side trip to Affinity RV in Prescott.  At  Affinity we had an air conditioner added to the bedroom and the roof checked for hail damage, the roof was good, so off to Peoria.

Our visit with friends Ron & Marilyn at Pleasant Harbor was lots of fun.  From yummy food & wine, shopping, chatting to handing out treats for Halloween , it was a good time. 

We arrived at Desert Vista RV Park in Salome, AZ this morning.   We’ve not stayed here before and it is basically a big gravel parking lot, but we knew that before we arrived.  The scenery is pretty desert with hills in the distance.  Not much to do in this area so we should get caught up on reading, sleeping and relaxing!  I'll post a few pictures of the RV park later this week....

All photos taken at Thousand Trails Verde Valley, Cottonwood, AZ