2018 Trip to Mexico 4

Back to Mexico (No, we didn't go back - just forgot some stuff!!).

First off - Wahdingers!!  Seems that most people are unfamiliar with them.

On Sunday we did our annual Wahdinger supper.

Check out the sticks (which we made) and notice that we have formed crescent rolls around the head of the stick.  Then we cook it over the coals.  Once it’s done, we slide it off the stick and can then put hamburger meat, cheese, salsa, onions, guacamole, etc. in it and then eat it.  You can also make it a dessert by putting pudding, pie filling, etc, into it.  Somewhat unusual but delicious. Weather was good but after eating, we all huddled around the coals to keep warm!

Speaking of medical/dental happenings - I had my teeth cleaned on day.  Here is the bill:

In US $ it was $75!!

2018 Trip to Mexico 3

Well, we are back in the US now and at Tower Point RV Park in Mesa, AZ.

Now...I am trying to get the blog updated but look at this picture.  Would I rather work on the blog, OR, sit outside with a cup of coffee???  No brainer!!

Back to Mexico for a little bit...

Another shot of the beach.

We went to Pollo Lucas one day for lunch.

They only serve chicken here.  You can get 1/4th, 1/2, or a whole chicken, along with rice and beans of course, and, fresh, hot tortillas.  Ummm...

A bracket on our steps broke so I stopped at a Welding Shop and asked if they could come to the CG and fix it, which they did.  $45.

We frequent the Walmart Store often (doesn't look like one on the outside or the inside, but they do sell a lot of "Great Value" products), and, SAMS is right next door.

We bought some granola to try and liked it so much that we went back and bought 2 more bags.  

We also found "Reggies" which is bakery/restaurant shop down the street from the CG.  Our friends told us about it.  Apple fritters.  So good.

Had to have one more sunset - our last one here.

Got all closed up and ready to leave for the US when Shelle came down and took our pictures.

We did make a stop at "Reggies" on the way to pick up some coffee AND apple fritters!!

Now, about the border crossing - the Mexicans are checking people on the way out now.  We (and every other RV) had to pull over to the side and they had a dog go thru the RV - marijuana I guess.  We didn't have any so we passed.

However, at the US border (in the past they would just check our passports and let us go) we had to pull over as well and the agent checked for fruits and vegetables, etc.  He took 6 six eggs and 2 potatoes.  Fortunately, he didn't find the apples and avocados (Judy had hidden them in the dirty clothes!!

So, we are now in AZ and enjoying the mild (read: no sweatshirts or winter clothes) weather.  

Have visited with friends as well as my cousin Gary and his wife Shirl from MN.  They own a mobile home here and are here for 2 weeks.

We leave Friday for Holbrook, AZ (1 night) and then on to Cortez, CO for the weekend to visit 4 corners (AZ, NM, CO, and UT).  From there we will go to Albuquerque and then on to Amarillo, and then Wichita Falls before arriving back in Plano on March 16th.

I may do another update later on before we get home, but don't count on it!!

2018 Trip to Mexico 2

Seems like we are always explaining to everyone where we are in Mexico.  Here is the map - the red X marks the spot.  On the beach of the Gulf of California and also called the Sea of Cortez.

We got to the campground and are now parked for the next 3 weeks.  Not a beach site and probably won't get one this year.  There are 6 other couples here that we have camped here with the past two years so it’s a great way to hang

out.

Elysa and Bill (from Apache Junction, AZ)

Maureen and Larry (from Joshua Tree, CA and WA state)

Shelle and Murray (from Huntington Beach, CA)

Judy and Howard (from Sacramento, CA)

Sharon and Randy (from Las Vegas and soon to be Paris, TN)

Susan and Jeff Collingwood (from San Diego, CA)

We have happy hour every night no matter what the temperature!!

On Saturday the campground mgmt. threw a free fish fry and beer party on the beach.  They set up grills and fry the fish right there.  

Check out the amount of fish they serve you!!

Very good.  They did this last year also.  Glad we got here in time to get in on it.

Sunday night we had a salmon dinner hosted by one of the couple who were in Alaska and did a lot of fishing while there.  The rest of us brought side dishes so it was another great meal.

My salmon was covered with a hollandaise sauce.

Jeff and Susan were headed to the fish market on Monday so we went with them.

We got 5 lbs of shrimp for $20.

Brought it home, packed them in containers, and they are now in our freezer!

We have had a lot of wind this year.  Some of these waves remind us of the Florida waves when a front comes thru.

There is a lot of shrimp harvesting? going on in these waters.  Every afternoon you can see ships heading out.

Five of us guys went fishing one day.  Turns out that a cold front came thru the day before and temps dropped.  We were to leave at 7 AM.

Temperature on my phone said 38 degrees so I suited up:

Two sweatshirts (one with a hood), 2 pair of jeans, two pair of socks, my winter coat, cap and gloves.  It felt good on the way out to fish, but, once we got out there, it was quite nice.  The sun helped a lot.  

This is a picture of the shoreline from our boat: 

We did catch a lot of fish - sea bass and trigger fish.  We were using two hooks so occasionally we would catch two fish at one time.  Here is one of Randy's catches:

This is a trigger fish that I caught - around 4-5 lbs.

Our captain would start to clean this fish in the early afternoon so that when we got back to shore, they would all be cleaned.

I did forget to mention that on Valentine's Day (Ash Wednesday) we did go out for a special dinner at Latitude 31 restaurant (where we went last year as well). Judy had lobster, I had steak, and we both had dessert.

Total including two beers and margarita came to $54.  A great evening was had by all!!

More later...

2018 Trip to Mexico 1

Well, we made it to Mexico (Puerto Penasco) on Friday, 2/9.  The RV Park has been crowded so WIFI has not been good.  Now that a lot of people have left, WIFI is finally working somewhat better.

We left Plano (all hitched up and ready to go!) in the cold (24 degrees) on Monday, 2/5, and drove to Post, TX which is about 320 miles away.  The area is famous for: oil wells, windmills, and cotton.  Spent the night there and then drove into New Mexico (stopped and picked up some leftover cotton along the way):

Saw several of these 'cotton pickers' along the way.

and then thru Roswell and Ruidoso to a campground in Tularosa (near Alamogordo).  The scenery is always fun to look at because it it so different from the Dallas area.

The next day, Wednesday, we drove to Benson, AZ to a campground that we stayed at last year.  Nice place and they even give you a FREE MEAL!  We had 2 nice size slices of pork loin, mashed potatoes and gravy, rolls, lemon meriagne pie and a drink.  Can’t beat that!

Thursday, we left Benson, drove on I-10 to Tucson and then took a 2-lane road from there to Why, AZ which is about 150 miles south of Phoenix and 50 miles from the Mexican border.  The scenery changes again.

Why is a good place to stop, nice campground in the desert, and then the next day is an easy drive to Puerto Penasco.  We unhooked and drove about 10 miles north to Ajo for hamburgers.  Great little restaurant.

Judy called this a 'group hug!!"

On Friday we did gas (diesel) up there at $2.99 a gallon.  Got to the border and got some refreshments at the duty-free shop. When we attempted to cross the border, the Mexican guard stopped us and looked thru the trailer, drawers, closets, etc.  Then he said to wait a minute.  Which, of course, we did.  Pretty soon he was accompanied by a female guard who wants to see in the trailer.  She spots a plant and the moose antlers that we have.  Says we have to get rid of them.  I could understand the plant, but the antlers???  I didn’t put up much of a fuss because I knew I wouldn’t win.  So, we had to turn around, go back thru the USA border patrol and tell them what we had to do.  Fortunately, there is a gas station there with dumpsters so that is where our ‘contraband’ went. 

And then back thru the border again but this time they just waved us thru.

Again some different scenery along the way in Mexico.

These guys came out of the desert as we went by and they eventually passed us and then went back into the desert further down the road.  There was a machine gun mounted on the roof of the truck.  We saw two different vehicles on the trip to Puerto Penasco.

We got to the campground and are now parked for the next 3 weeks.  Not a beach site but don't expect to get one since those sites are booked up.

More later...