This post will take us through 2011

Rest Stop on I-8 between Yuma and Gila Bend.  Was out there today. 28 Dec.

This picture is for Don (vsp).  He never passes up a Basque Restaurant.    This one is located in Tacna, AZ.  40 miles East of Yuma.

Redd and I rode to Algodones early this morning.  Nothing like a Mexican breakfast.

You can't believe how good this cooking smells!  He rotates between chicken and Carne Asada.

Redd & Jose loading the grill.  This chicken has been marinating all night.

We had good parking spots today.

Inside an old Butterfield Stage station.  This old adobe was built in the 1800's out of Manure, straw, and mud.  It's held up pretty well.

The walls were thick enough to hold off Indian attacks, and also to provide good insulation for the 120 plus degree Summer heat.

The holes were for the wooden beams that supported the roof.

Makes your imagination run wild, thinking about all the people and activities that have been in this room.

Ev & Laurie out getting a little Winter sun.

Mario is the gardener, handiman, plumber and electrician here in the park.  I just put some Mothers Tire  Shine on his cart wheels.  Lookin' good! :-)

Dec 30th 2011.  Marge and Janet at the Bard "Sing"

Debbie and her friend that lives in a box.

New Year's Eve!  We made these for a "finger food" party tonight.  Fresh flour tortillas stuffed with cream cheese, ham, and pickles. 

Rode into Redd's bedroom in the old Apache Hotel.  When the Hotel was open, this was a bedroom in the Managers apartment.

Redd getting ready for an exciting New Year's Eve! He says he'll probably last until around 9 PM.  Getting old isn't exactly fun :-)

78 degrees today, "t" shirt riding weather.

Pretty purple Bougainvillea 

Large Palo Verde and a lonesome cactus.

That's the Old Territorial Prison in the background.  Prison Hill Road used to go up this side of the hill.  After putting in I-8, the entry to the prison was moved to the other side.  Directly under the freeway before it was up in, there were a few houses and businesses along the Prison Road.  Pat's father owned and  operated a music store here.  He specialized in pianos, both regular and player pianos.  The buildings were torn down when the freeway and new bridge was put in. This is the Arizona side, the other end of the bridge is in California.

Very popular night club at the Top of the Kress.  The old 5 and dime store.  The bottom floor is a good Italian Restaurant. 

On Main Street in Old Town

Downtown street decorations

Robert Fowler at "The Landing" on 4th Avenue.

If you're interested, click on the picture and it should enlarge enough to read easier.

The exact spot where the first plane to ever land in Arizona touched down in 1911

Nice place to eat, it's part of the Best Western Coronado.  About 20 vroc'ers had rooms here when we had the Let-us-Ride a couple of years ago.

Gretna Green.  What Lute named his wedding chapel.  It was named after a famous "runaway" Wedding chapel in the South of Scotland.  This one has been in operation for a long time.  They get a lot of business from Southern California as well as Yuma

New Year's Eve at David's Market.  Avenue B in Yuma.

Good friends and Neighbors.  Dale and Ev Hansen from Northern Saskatchewan.  I think that is somewhere in Canada :-)  Was going to get a picture of Jim &Katie, but they had just left to go spend the night in the desert to take pictures of the moon and sunrise.  You know how those "newlyweds" can be! 

The menagerie in our front lawn.  Freshly cut this morning.  Unless I take some pics of the New Year's Eve party, this will wrap up 2011.

The hit of our New Year's Eve party was a helium filled, remote controlled fish.  It gracefully made the rounds of the house.

12 of had enough food and drink for about 50 people!  Of course, we didn't eat it all.

Ex-neighbors from our park, Arthur and Jacqui, hosted the party in their home in Somerton.  It was fun.  Pat and I made it until 11 PM, then went home to beat the traffic.

Arthur toasting his new fish. This is the last picture 2011.  Tomorrow is a new day and a New Year.  2011 was a year full of major changes in our family.  New home, new State residence, and a new life in the desert!

160 mile Christmas Ride

Jim getting ready.  It was 66 degrees when we left, got up to 76 mid afternoon, then back to 66 by the time we got home at 5:30 PM

Pat "geared up" for the day.  We're at a Circle K.  Gassed up and Jim & Katie aired the tires on Helen.

Jim gets the easy front tire, Katie does the more difficult rear :-)

Our first destination was Holtville, CA.  After riding around town and finding all the eating places were closed, we stopped here at Big Johns to make further plans, and take off jackets.

Highway 78 goes through Holtville.  We're now on the way to Brawley.

Chamber of Commerce in Holtville.

Large Barber shop in a small town.

If it wasn't Christmas Day, there would be more action in town.  Very little traffic, and most of the stores are closed.

We took back roads to Brawley, and cruised the town.  Ended up at a "Seafood/Mexican Food" restaurant. It was a good choice

A walled parking lot behind Christine's Cafe.

As soon as we got in the door, I knew we'd hit a home run in this place!

Lots of interesting wall decorations.  And some interesting customers too.

We're only a few miles from the Border, but when here, you wouldn't know which side you were on.

Pat had a Carne Asada Tostada.  Very good!

Tamals (tamales) are the Mexican tradition for Christmas.  Katie and Jim had a couple of them filled with shredded pork.

I went with the Menudo.  Topped with oregano, cilantro, onions with a squeeze on lime and some fresh hot flour tortillas.  Excellent!

Some ladies of the house.

Our waiter had a little trouble sorting out the bill, but he finally got it right :-)

Very enjoyable Christmas Dinner. We'll come here again.

Gas is expensive in California.  82 cents less in Yuma.

Imperial Dunes State Rec Area, near Glamis, CA.  Thousands of  Dessert riders and all kinds of equipment out here.  Lines of Toy haulers and Rv's with trailers full of buggies and sand rails.  We were riding 65mph, and some were cruising along in the sand about the same speed.http://www.californiadesert.gov/resources.php?code=impsan

A nice Christmas ride!  We're about 40 miles from home from here, and rolling to beat the chilly dark evening.  We made it back to Yuma in the sunshine, still with full tummies.  It don't get much better than this!

Inside the Dentist's lobby in Algodones, Mexico.  One of around 350 dentists in town.

We both had Pedicures today.  Pat is just finishing up on the hot wax treatment.  Since I didn't get the toenail polish, I finished sooner :-) We had "The full" treatment, $13 each.