A Change in Plans for March

We've had to make some adjustments to our schedule which have necessitated leaving Santee early and going somewhere different than originally planned in March.

We've been here since the first of December.  It's rained twice. We are due to leave on Saturday, 1st.  A major cold front with lots of rain is due to hit on Thursday afternoon/night and last for four days!  We've hooked up in rain before - lots of times - but since we are sitting on a dirt site, several days of rain will make mud and lots of it!  We really don't want to be slogging around in it while we are unhooking and then drive in the storm. So, we will prepare to leave tomorrow (Wed) and then leave Thursday morning before the storm hits too hard. It's two days early, but we are willing to give up those two days so we don't get stuck in the mud.  When we got here we cancelled our reservations for March in the hopes of saving some money and going somewhere cheaper otherwise we would be staying and it wouldn't be an issue. Oh, well!!

From here the plan WAS to go back to the Navy base at El Centro, CA for a little over two weeks as the rent is cheap and the Blue Angels will be flying practice shows to entertain us! When we made our reservations there back in November we were assured that we would get a certain site near the one we were in.  So, when I called yesterday to see if there was any chance we could come in two days early I was told it was no problem.  Then I asked if they would confirm our site number. The site number they gave me was not what was promised - it was on the asphalt in some parking lot away from the RV park in a different part of the base.  When we were there in November the folks that lived in those spots were referred to as "The Tarmac People."  We laughed at the time - now we are not laughing.  We are angry. I mentioned back in November how the people in the park were really just one big clique.  They come back every year and get the site they want - they even make improvements to their site and feel it is their property. It's like they are homesteading - a term used by RVers who do this sort of thing.  So, no one new gets into a decent spot during the winter months.  They get assigned to "the tarmac."   We cancelled our reservations and had to pay to do it - it sucks.

Now, we had to find somewhere to stay for the three weeks before we are due in Houston.  We were kicking ourselves for canceling our stay here but it turns out we have some new opportunity to see and go somewhere new. 

We have boycotted going to Arizona for several years due to political reasons (think about what the AZ legislature just did.) So, where do we go?  Well, we are going to Arizona - but we are convincing ourselves we aren't compromising our principals because we found places to stay that won't be really giving Arizona our business.   For the first two weeks we will be staying on tribal land at a casino RV Park and Golf Resort outside of Yuma, AZ.  The other week we will be staying at an Army base in the south eastern area of Arizona near Tombstone and Bisbee, AZ.  This, minimizes our spending money in Arizona and eases our consciences.  We will spend one night in Casa Grande at a private RV park so we can have dinner with friends staying there in their RV.  After the Army base we will go to Las Cruces, NM for a few days.  (We like Las Cruces and would stay there longer but it is expensive and it is at the same altitude as home - so much cooler weather than we want.) Then on to Texas - another state we don't want to spend a lot of time and money in, but since it is so big it takes us a long time to get across and I did promise our friend we would visit a few days in Houston. 

March is going to be more expensive than planned, but we will see some new sights and have some new adventures - something we are supposed to do on a road trip, right?  We are now looking forward to moving on and exploring new things on our way to Florida to see our family there.