Sunday, March 01, 2009

THE FIRST STRIDE OF OUR NEXT NEW ADVENTURE!

What a beautiful morning! Although usually not as spectacular as the sunsets, sunrise is something wonderful in the desert. It is fast and in the minutes after that brilliant orb breaks the horizon, the temperature rises quickly; this morning it went up 24 degrees in 30 minutes—from 40f to 64f! In our Penny the Pace, we call it “free heat” because our little home on wheels warms up quickly once the sun is up. Mmmmmmm, the sun feels so good!

After gassing up in Casa Grande in the late morning we headed east last Wednesday, 25 February arriving in Willcox, AZ in the early afternoon. I wish I could report the trip was uneventful (always the preferable ride) but, I can’t. Our Penny the Pace’s engine died coming down that long 5% grade into Benson, AZ for no apparent reason. As usual, Phil stayed calm, immediately put her in neutral, turned off the key then turned it back on and she started right up again. We had been listening to a book on tape but turned that off and the rest of the trip we were tuned into the steady hum of Penny’s engine, which didn’t even hiccup the rest of the trip.

We have no idea what happened but Phil supposes she may have loaded up her carburetor going down that long hill in cruise control. But of course, that is just a guess. We have recorded the incident and even if it does not happen again, will report it to the mechanics when she gets her yearly checkup in a couple months. We want to know what might cause it in order to avoid it happening again. Do my mechanically inclined readers have any ideas? Please feel free to comment.

The Willcox Elk’s Lodge #2131 on Stewart Street—with a very nice RV park will be our home base for a week and such a deal! There are 28 spaces with water and electric, clean wide pull-thrus and a dump for just a $10 per night donation. At an elevation of 4,167 feet it is also “big sky country” to borrow the phrase from Montana and we are enjoying the quiet here except for the usual Union Pacific tracks just a couple blocks away. There are at least 10 to 15 freight trains a day going east and west and it is interesting how quickly we got used to that sound.

A panorama of the Dos Cabezas Mountains enhances the view through our front window with only a few fellow RVers pulling in overnight disturbing the peace. We do have some wind every day but that seems to be the norm for the desert. Sad to say, due to the shaky economy here, Willcox does suffer from a lack of variety where restaurants are concerned. So far, our meals out have been unremarkable and many businesses have been closed. Overall, it is a friendly, small town struggling to stay solvent since Interstate 10 bypassed town a few years ago. We like it here and wish them luck.

Until next time ...

7 comments:

  1. Roger said Penny's problem could be 100 different things - sorry, no help here.

    Glad to hear about that Elk's RV Park - Roger is an Elk so we will probably use them too some time.

    Looks like you visited some interesting places this week. Enjoy that warm weather!

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  2. Anonymous4:35 PM

    It won't let me comment under my blog name - When mother lived in Phoenix we went down every year once or twice and we did alot of sightseeing. Have been to/thru Wilcox several times.

    Lea

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  3. Hey Joy. Check it out. I now have a counter! I picked a really plain one but I like it. Thanks for the idea!!!! I had a new person (wood splitter) leave a comment on yesterday's blog so thought I would find that counter today! Thanks again! Carol :)+

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  4. Probably nothing wrong witht he Pace. Just wanted to excite you a little. Sure envy you being in Wilcox, or just AZ. We liked the little museum for Rex Allen there.

    WE returned to North Carolina toooo soon. Down to 15 degrees tonight and three inches ofd snow on the ground. Terrible timing. LOL
    Hope you continue to have a wonderful time.
    Jack

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  5. Hope you don't have any more trouble like that. It is always a big scare for me when we have trouble on the road.

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  6. Hi! I'm a first time visitor to your site ... it's wonderful! Your descriptions of the places you visit are so good that I feel like I'm there!

    BTW ... thank you for following Reduce Footprints. I'm following you, as well, and will put you on my blog roll.

    Happy Wandering!!

    Small Footprints
    http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com

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  7. Can anyone take advantage of camping at Elks Clubs or do you need to be a member?

    Kenny Scott
    http://www.rvthereyet.cc

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