You Ladies are How Old??????

Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Palm Springs

Tonight we went to the Palm Springs Follies.  It started 20 years ago and is a Las Vegas style show with showgirls with huge headdresses and the whole bit.  Sorry I couldn't get pictures of them.  I could only get pictures before the show started.  Anyway, nobody in the show was under 55 years old!  The gals ages started at 62 and went up to 79.  These gals were mostly retired Las Vegas showgirls or Radio City Music Hall in New York.  They were gorgeous and could dance.  The guys were aged from 58 on up to about 82.  It was amazing.  It was humbling.

We went to Maracas Mexican Restaurant across the street for dinner before the show.  Mark got a "small" coke!  We followed it up with shots of tequila but those were not quite as large.

Before the show they had old commercials and shows.  They were so funny.  This guy was selling Kodak cameras.

On to cartoons with bugs bunny.  Great show, highly recommended.  This show runs from November til April, Wednesday through Sunday, matinee show and night time show.  That is 10 shows a week.  Another reason I am so impressed with these older folks.  That is a tough schedule for youngsters.  I slept 9 hours last night.  Watching all that singing and dancing made me tired........

I Can Fly This Plane

February 25, 2012
Palm Springs, CA


We toured an oasis called 1000 Palms.  The most interesting thing about this place is that it has the San Andreas Fault running underneath it.  Makes you want to step a few yards to the east, just in case.....

The next day we went to McCormacks Antique Care Auction in Palm Springs.  It was quite cool to see all these antique cars.  Mark and I picked the hummer for Kyle.

The Porche for ourselves.

I had such a strong inclination to bid.  There was an older Rolls Royce that I could have hooked up behind the motorhome.  We would be the talk of the RV parks.

Monday found us at the air museum in Palm Springs.  This ejector seat could easily be converted and installed in the motorhome.

Mark has flown this SBD bomber over the Pacific Theatre.

Mark has landed this F6 on the USS Essex many times.  Crashed a few times also.

My favorite part of the museum was the nose art.  This little bunny was painted on a P51 that the Tuskegee Red Tail Airman flew.  They were a squad of black pilots in WWII.  Flew in Europe mostly.  That is where Grandpa Russell Johnson was stationed in WWII.  Italy, specifically.

This "Rosie the Riveter" is a little different than you usually see.  I love the muscles!

English Spitfire and a Ukrainian Smartass.....

We toured the wind farms today.  Over 3000 wind turbines in this area.  So, this place is as windy as the Columbia Gorge.  Just doesn't have as much water......

Fun With Bob and Judy!

February 22, 2012
Desert Hot Springs, CA


We moved down to Desert Hot Springs to be closer to Mark's cousins, Bob and Judy Islee

Went to one of the local golf courses.  It is gorgeous here.

Notice the snow on the surrounding hills.  It is about 83 degrees here today so it is very weird to see snow on the hills.

This is one of Bob and Judy's regular courses.  Lucky guys.

My drives were looking pretty good today.  Chipping went to pot.

Every Thursday evening during the winter season Palm Springs has a street fair in the beautiful downtown area.  Bought some soap, bread and CD's from a local guitarist.  Tons of fun.  Those were Gyros that we were eating.

This is Mark, Angie and Sonny Bono.  He was their mayor or something for a while.  Town hero I suppose since they have a bronze statue of him.

Bob and Judy with Sonny!

Seven Down, Forty Three to Go!

February 19, 2012
Indio, CA

Golfing Today!  We went to the Indio Community Golf Course.  An 18 hole, par 3 that was perfect!  Very well kept and the most grass we have seen in a month!  Perfect weather, nice people, and I got the California sticker!

I am finally getting a decent amount of color on my map.  Now just have to zig over to Nevada before we head too far north.  Golfing done for the day, heading back to the casino.

For the next couple of days we explored the surrounding towns.  Went to the local Costco, took walk around surrounding businesses.  Had lunch at Five Guys Burgers.  Had to try it after I saw Barack Obama stop at one with the secret service guys.

The burger was huge with two patties.  I believe that this was the first burger I could not finish.  Huge bag of fries and we got the small fry.  It was good.  Zips is better.  You can take the girl out of Southeastern Washington, you can't take Southeastern Washington out of the girl.

Another place we visited was the Shields Date Farm.  The oldest date farm in the US.  Very interesting and worth going to so that you can watch their film.  The rest of it was mostly food products made from dates, including date milkshakes.  Every third person we saw was drinking a date milkshake  We didn't want to stand in line so no date milkshake for us.  I had already bought a bag of dates while in Yuma from a local farmers market.  Great dates.

Red Ribbon Drive

Indio, CA
February 18


Well we are now staying in Indio, Ca.  There are a string of small cities around Palm Springs that are all part of the Coachella Valley.  Indio is on the southern end.  We will explore Indio as we move up the valley towards Desert Hot Springs, our ultimate destination.  Bob and Judy Islee, Mark's cousins, live there and we will visit them for a while.  We are staying at the Fantasy Springs Casino/Resort.  These are great places to stay, casino parking lots.  It is a huge lot with about 30 rigs in it.  Our clubhouse is set up to dry camp so we are fine.  We can tour and do tourist things during the day and then at night Angie gets to walk across the parking lot to the casino!  Perfect.

 Our first day we did a 120 mile "Red Ribbon" scenic loop around the Joshua tree National Park.  Our first stop was the General Patton Memorial Museum.  Mark loved it and we both learned a lot.

We were at the museum at the same time as the History Channel filming crew.  They are starting a series called "Ten Things You Didn't Know".  The first in the series will be about General Patton.  We studied at the museum so we'll see if we already know the 10 things they will tell us.

These are shell casings that were carved by soldiers while they were in the trenches waiting for orders or more shooting.  This is called "trench art".  Most were carved during WWI.   This is one of Mark's favorite parts of the museum.  They are amazing.

I am really surprised how prominent Javelinas are in the south and southwest and we had never heard of one until we got here.

This is a window shot as we were doing our "Red Ribbon" drive around the Joshua Tree National Park.  We didn't go into the interior because we were getting a little tired of desert but were told that we really missed something special by not going in.  We haven't left yet so maybe before we leave this area we will go in.

We are entering the Visitors Center at 29 Palms, which is on our "Red Ribbon" drive.  I had heard of 29 Palms before but didn't know where it was.  This is the home of the largest Marine base in the US.  Lots of testosterone floating around in the air.  You could smell it.

It wasn't until we arrived at the second visitors center that we found out what a Joshua Tree was.  This is it.

Towards the end of our "Red Ribbon" drive we went past Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs.  Between the two we come upon this HUGE wind farm.  There are about 4,000. wind machines here.  It was stunning.  We will visit this farm later in our stay.

Six Down, 44 to Go!

Yuma, Arizona
Monday, February 13, 2012

Today we went golfing at the golf course here at the resort (I am using that word loosely).  It is a little 9-hole executive course.  Par 36.  On the first hole Mark hit the park-model trailers off to the left on a hill three times in a row before he finally gave up and moved on.  The next hole he sent it straight down the center.  Golf is a puzzling game.  Or maybe I should say that Mark is a puzzling man?????  Anyway, I got the Arizona sticker at Fortuna de Oro Golf Course!

This is a slow process of getting all these stickers.  I need to drive faster.  California is next!

We were heading for Cracker Barrel restaurant because I haven't eaten at one since being in Florida with Sue when she was pregnant with Emily.  That would be 18 years ago.  Anyway, Penny's Diner was across the street so we tried it instead.  Pretty good.  Nothing to write home about.  Ooops, I just did.

The next day we headed to the Yuma Proving Ground to check out the military toys.  This is the place where the military tests equipment before putting it in the field.  I sent Mark out first with the camera so he could take pictures as I am usually the one holding the camera.  He came back with one picture. (above).  So, I had to take over.

Mark is pointing out the bullet holes in the Old War Horse.

Did Mark choose this one because he made a connection between me and this tank?  We both have a few bullet holes in us.

Look out!  Incoming!

I would love to drive this thing!  I would like to take this to Mexico and do some ATVing with Stan and Pat.

Boys and their toys.

Hello Yuma!

February 10, 2012
Yuma, AZ

Well the first night in Yuma was the local casino.  Mark likes to take me to casinos whenever possible cuz he knows I enjoy them.  Well, I certainly did.  Unfortunately, I lost the second day in Yuma.  Hello couch, please bring me my oatmeal in bed, I have a hangover.  Hit a couple of good bonus rounds and started ordering Coronas.....end of story.

The third day was better.  Out we go to check out the local action.  We were lucky enough to be here on the Centennial celebration of Arizona becoming a state.  They had a celebration down town.  Small but nice.

Yuma is a large rural town.  A ton of agriculture here.  I believe they call themselves the "Winter Vegetable Capital of America".  They also grow a lot of dates around here.  They advertise date milkshakes.  Hmmm.  Haven't tried one but we did buy a bag of fresh dates.  Excellent.

They have water kiosks all over town.  Filtered water, no salt.  We started asking people what is wrong with the water.  You can see Mark in this picture, asking people why they are buying water.  These people didn't know.  Someone told them to buy water because water in Yuma wasn't good, so they did.  Another kid said his dad drank the water but he didn't cuz he didn't like the taste.  We have filters on the clubhouse so I drink tap water.

These places are set up like gas stations in some places.  Five or 10 cars at a time driving up to buy water.  50 cents for 5 gallons.

This is the view of the road to Fortuna de Oro where we are staying.  About 10 miles outside of Yuma.