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Tour vintage trailers in Palm Springs

As part of Modernism Week in Palm Springs a number of vintage Airstream trailers will be on display and open for tour. The events for Modernism Week run from February 11 - 21. The vintage Airstreams other vintage trailers will be on display throughout the Ace Hotel Grounds, from Friday, 2/19 at 4 pm, until Sunday 2/ 21 at noon. There is no cost to view the exteriors; a $10 fee will include a tour of the interiors.

One of the Airstreams will be exhibited by Kristiana Spaulding. Ms. Spaulding has purchased and redecorated several Airstreams and now rents them out. In addition, she makes jewelry. She will have her 1962 Airstream Bambi 16-footer, named “Norma” on display. You can read Norma's story  and see photos at her Web site.

Check the Modernism Week for more events. For more of a description of the vintage trailer display, see this article. 

It sounds like a fun event. If we were RVing in the area, we'd stop by. It's always neat to see how people have decorated these vintage trailers. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

How can I Workamp in my RV when I'm too chicken to tow a car?

This was contributed by J.J. Dippel, solo RVer who travels "toadless" in her Class C with her cat.

RV’s that are Class A, B, or C present a situation that can be an issue for RV travel. Once you are parked and “hooked up,” you have no means to go anywhere involving a considerable distance unless you tow a car. Towing a car, even for convenience, brings on other challenges and headaches.

I have traveled in a Class C since 2004, and I’m still too chicken to tow a car (called a towed vehicle or "toad"). I carry an electric scooter that can go 25 miles on a charge, but even that presents limitations as to which types of roads I can travel on. But nonetheless, in 2009, I decided I was ready to try Workamping anyway. Adrienne Kristine was my inspiration.  If she can do it, I can do it! The only difference between Adrienne and me is that she is a full-timer, and I’m a part-timer (and I travel with a pet).

Workamping encompasses both paid and volunteer positions. For purposes of this article, my Workamping was volunteer. I participated in two wonderful opportunities.

During May of 2009, I served as a camp host at a state park in my home state. The closest laundry facility was three miles away at what was generally a “gas station stop.” Even worse, the closest good grocery store was 30 miles away, although you could get a few “convenience items” at the same “gas station stop” where the laundry facilities were located. The big issues for this opportunity were food and laundry, which required some strategic planning.

During July and August of 2009, I served as an interpretive host at a federal facility in Kentucky. I had a very nice RV site, and it was within walking distance of the work site. Further, free laundry facilities were provided at this location. Best yet, I had a schedule with days off. The challenges to this assignment were food and entertainment.

Following are the ways I addressed the “challenges” to each volunteer assignment...

J.J. managed at both assignments. To read how and the rest of the article, go to RVLifestyleExperts.com. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Telling stories in Tucson

We are in Tucson for a week. Fortunately we have a social director in the person of DeAnna, our friend who now travels only part time with her husband, Al. DeAnna loves the culture in Tucson and let us know about a storytelling event that takes place monthly at the Congress Hotel in downtown Tucson. The series is called Odyssey, and is a program of StoryArtsGroup, Inc. The theme for February? Exposed: Naked in Public.

Lest you be horrified (or disappointed), the storytellers were not naked. Their stories were about times they were exposed - physically or emotionally. Six tellers, plus an impromptu teller, told a variety of stories, each ten minutes long. While not of the same caliber of the tellers who come each year to Pine for the Tellebration (photo), their stories were interesting and revealing, to say the least. This is a popular event - at least this theme was - the place was SRO.

You can reserve a seat if you purchase dinner in the cafe. While DeAnna said it wasn't the best meal, the woman sitting to my right said they had just upgraded the menu and had more choices. She had a ham and cheese grilled sandwich with an egg on top! However, she said the salads looked delicious. Reserved seats were in front and took up more than half the chairs, so it is a good way to be sure you get a seat.

We opted to eat at our favorite Tucson restaurant, Cafe Poca Cosa, just a few blocks away on Pennington. Besides delicious food, the presentation is fabulous. Unfortunately I accidentally deleted the photos I took of our dinners! (At the Web site, click on Passion and you can get a glimpse of a few dishes.) George had Pollo Mole Negra (a chicken mole) and I had Pollo Crema Chili Ahumado. Mine was scrumptious.

The only negative about coming here is that no two day's menus are the same. The chances of finding my dish again are practically nil and I would get it again in a minute. Each meal- lunch and dinner - has a choice of eight items all created that day after the owner/chef, Suzana Davila, shops and decides on the menu. Your server b,rings the menu written on a chalkboard. It changes between lunch and dinner. You can order a single item or a platter with three items. You don't know what the items she'll choose for your platter so if you don't eat beef or pork, it's not a good choice. When you have a group, it's a wonderful way to get a taste of each menu item. The house margaritas were excellent too.

Next month, March 4, the storytelling theme is "New shoes: the fashion show." If you are in the area, you can have a fun evening by attending. Get there at least 20 minutes early to get a seat. Cost is $7 at the door. Don't bring your RV; no parking for large vehicles. We all enjoy a good story and this is a fun way to peek into someone else's life and Tucson culture. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Finding jobs in Quartzsite

A number of RVers we know did work in Quartzsite this season. In fact, we met up with about 20 at Desert Sunrise RV Park at a Workamper gathering. Some were working here, some taking it easy and taking in the Quartzsite experience. Bev and Jim, who hosted us at the park, are here for several months working as managers. Others picked up jobs during the various shows. One couple had a booth at the tent, selling their art quality photographs.

Workampers, by the way, is another name for RVers who work while living the RV lifestyle. Some are retired, some are not. There are hundreds of different opportunities types of for working on the road.

The Quartzsite RV Show is also a place to find jobs for the summer. A number of companies were represented in the big tent and immediately outside. It's an excellent opportunity to talk to a company representative and get your questions answered. You might even get an interview and a job offer.

 We first spotted Adventureland's booth. Adventureland is an amusement park in Iowa. They have had a successful Workamper program for a number of years, started by Steve Anderson, who is now owner of Workamper News. Gary Pardekooper, HR Director, had several Workampers assisting him at the booth. Pictured are Pat Langston (L), Gary, and LaVaughn Petitt (R). Bert Bertrand was just out of sight to the left (camera shy!) and Ed and Marty Castro had the day off. Gary has interviews lined up elsewhere in the area, so you might be able to catch him in the Southwest if you check at the Web site.  They are a featured employer at Workamper.com. 

Another large employer of Workampers is Amazon.com. Several workers from this past season were at our gathering. Amazon hires at three locations - in Kentucky, Kansas and Nevada. The work is short term but intense. The pay is excellent for seasonal work and includes an RV site. You do need to be in good physical condition. Ben Serio, Nikki Warren and Rick Todry, representing their warehouses, were taking names of interested RVers plus held a couple of introductory meetings. We found out that the Phoenix warehouse isn't likely to need RVers since there are plenty of locals to fill the jobs. They would probably have lots of applications!

In addition, we saw a booth for Oregon and Washington State Parks to entice RVers to camphost for their parks. Three forest service concessionaires were also looking for employees for their campgrounds: California Land Management, American Land & Leisure, and Thousand Trails. 

Xanterra, a concessionaire in a number of national parks, was represented at Crater Lake Lodge. Their booth was set up to attract visitors and employees.

  

 

Quartzsite, that little desert town that comes alive in January each year, has both local jobs and is a place that employers have learned is good for recruiting summer workers. Keep that in mind next year. It could work for you. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos by George Bruzenak

Related post:

• Hiking Quartzsite

Article at RVLifestyleExperts.com

• The Glory that is Q

Hiking Quartzsite

Driving through the town of Quartzsite, particularly on a weekend of the big RV show, can be a zoo. However, there are many things outside of town to explore. Hikers can take off across the desert or visit some interesting sites.

Steve and Pam Ritchie, Boomers, led interested hikers from where we are parked east of town on a scenic and informative hike to the Stone Cabin and Spanish Wall- what's left of it. It was a moderate seven mile hike. We could have followed a BLM road right to both, but Steve had found a route taking us past a grave and along the foothills. Steve and Pam shared interesting information about the desert pavement, a bush with deer antler rubs from this year and last, and area information. One of our hikers, Ed, is a geologist by trade, so he filled us in on the geologic history of this area and what miners would be looking for. This part of Arizona is part of the basin and range geologic province and was evident from Ed's description.

The stone cabin is what remains of a miner's cabin that is probably more than 100 years old. The rock walls are gradually crumbling but it is still in recognizable shape. You can see Quartzsite off in the distance through the remains of one of the windows.

The Spanish Wall was built as part of a mining operation in the 1800s. Sometime in the last few years someone took a bulldozer out to it and tore down most of the wall looking for the Spanish treasure that was rumored to be hidden behind it. They left behind a pile of rubble and found no treasure. The treasure was the unique construction that had lasted for more than a century.  

To find the stone cabin and Spanish wall, drive out Frontage Road east of town (continue on Kuehn as it curves around to the left, then the right). The pavement on Frontage Road ends and you must turn right. In about two miles, the road swings left. There is a BLM road that angles off to the left a ways up that road - probably 1/2 mile. Take that until you reach the Spanish Wall on a hill to your right and then the stone cabin.You could take your RV out most of the way. The 14-day BLM camping ends at the curve to the left. Day use only after that.

You can find a booklet for sale at the visitor center and at other locations around town that list many attractions in the area. You can find a few at the online visitor guide on their page 19-20. For a long hike, travel south 23 miles on Highway 95 to KOFA Refuge and hike Palm Canyon. It's the only canyon in Arizona where you can see palm trees.

Even if you don't like to visit flea markets or shows or fight traffic, there is plenty to do in Quartzsite. Take a hike, find an intaglio or explore some of these interesting historical features. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

No cheese - ever.

That's on the menu at the Desert Bar - or should I say, what's not on the menu. You can get an short list of burgers, but no cheese. I was surprised to see a veggie burger- a concession to the non-beef eaters.

Friends Tom and Nancy invited us to visit the Desert Bar- way out in the desert north of Parker, AZ. We were expecting weird. It was different, though not quite what we expected. We knew it was off the grid- solar panels, their own well. It was much more elaborate than I had imagined. 

The "Nellie E. Saloon," named after the mining claim in the area, is an old mining camp. That's what it looks like. In addition, there is a church that is little more than a facade, though a tiny bit of room for a minister and bride and groom for weddings. The church is constructed of steel with its walls and ceiling made of stamped tin, same as in the bar. The owner's house first comes into view with two rectangular columns rising out of the house (below left). The bar has those too. Turns out they are giant cooling towers. Old antique cars, western paraphernalia and "art" made from old metal decorate the place. A covered bridge leads from the parking lot across the gully to the bar.

There are several outdoor sitting areas- in fact most of it is outdoors. A band plays on Saturdays and Sundays 1 to 5 October through March. The bar is only open Saturdays and  Sundays, with a few exceptions and is closed June, July and August.

We left the highway around 2. We met a lot of the "first wave" of customers heading back out. It attracts all sorts of people - RVers, families, locals of all ages. The week before, several carloads of Boomers, the RV group we are parked with, had come and had to wait for parking places and tables. Whether it was because we were a bit later or the storm had driven some folks out of the area, we easily found a place to park and a table.

Nancy said we had to be sure to visit the new ladies restroom. After that bouncy road, it was our first stop! It is made from old metal pieces and tucked under a cutout in the hill. The sinks are shallow metal basins with a  faucet that looks like a miniature handpump. Above the sinks is open air- looking out at the hills behind the bar.

It was quite an experience. The Desert Bar has a Web site but does not advertise. There is no sign at the turnoff, Cienaga Springs Road, which is just after an overpass about 5 miles north of Parker. You take a rough dirt road back, only a wide one-lane in places. Don't take an RV- not a good road and no room to park or to even maneuver. Plenty of people know where it is, so word of mouth works for them.

Put it on your list if your RV travels take you to Quartzsite, Parker or Lake Havasu. It's a one-of-a-kind place, that's for sure! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Photos by George Bruzenak

• Sign on road
• Looking at the Desert Bar
• Church
• Owners house
• Tom and Nancy on the covered walkway

World's largest eight ball

Tipton, Missouri, along U.S. Highway 50, can lay claim to having the world's largest eight ball. It was originally built by the Fischer Manufacturing Company, one of the largest billiards manufacturers in the region. In 1970 a 150,000-gallon, 157+foot water tower was added to the facility. The company painted the top as a giant eight ball.

The company was sold in 1977 and the new company painted its own logo on the tower. However, that company donated the water tower to the City of Tipton in 1989. Finally in 1999, Fischer Pool Tables footed the bill for an Eight Ball re-do.

Watch for this landmark as you travel U.S. Highway 50 in Missouri.

See Erika Nelson's Web site for other World's Largest Things to see in your RV travels.

Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Update on strange Tonopah RV

Reader Judie Ashford recognized the strange RV spotted in Tonopah, AZ and sent me a link. This is a boatorhome! It was manufactured in Ontario, Canada  by Highwave and made its debut at the 1996 Miami International Boat Show. It's a combination motor home cruiser. A hatch in the bow allows passengers to move between tow vehicle section or Hauler, which is a Ford Econoline Super Van with front wheel drive, and the 31-foot "Cruiser." The tires are eight Goodyear Wrangler Aquatreds. You can see some other designs at their Web site. 

While you are at it, you might also want to take a look at a converted Bluebird International school bus done by two fellows in Austin. I saw that article mentioned on RV Daily News. It's unique- it can run on vegetable oil, has a "penthouse," made of a bolted-down shell of a 1979 Volkswagen camper bus that piggybacks on top of the Bluebird.That opens up to a picket-fenced yard on the back half of the roof. Read their story and watch a video here.

Diversity and creativity are alive and well in the RV world!  Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Original post on strange RV

 

Strange RV seen in Tonopah

This strange RV - or is it a boat, perhaps being used as an RV - was spotted in downtown Tonopah, Arizona yesterday. Camilla Van Sickle & Bill Pennington, Tonopah residents, captured this image and forwarded the photo to me. Thanks Camilla and Bill!

Says Bill in his email, "This photo indicates the front end is raised. Other photos indicate it's probably four wheel drive. Obviously the boat in the back separates from the chassis."

We will be going through Tonopah tomorrow on our way to Quartzsite. I wish it were still there! What a fun vehicle to find out more about. It has to have an interesting story. If anyone has anymore information or has also seen it, let us know. 

In case you aren't familiar with Tonopah, it is basically a truck stop. However, there is a hot springs here, a cafe and an RV park besides two gas stations. Casa Blanca Hot Spring has full hookup RV sites, when available. Email CasaBlancaHotSpring@mindspring.com for availability and directions. It's a good place to stop between Phoenix and Quartzsite or the AZ/CA border. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

What's a dendrochronologist?

A dendrochronologist studies tree rings! I only know because my neighbor, who is a student at at the University of Arizona in Tucson, is doing independent study at the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research there and invited us for a tour. Her work here follows a summer of collecting samples in New Mexico at a project her supervisor is doing for research for a master's degree.

The Tree Ring Lab is tucked under the U of A stadium, an unlikely place. It houses about two million tree rings and tree core samples in this and another location. Alicia met us in a nearby parking lot, then escorted us to the main area, where she got keys to unlock the storage area. There were boxes of samples and sections for large rings like the redwoods and sequoias pictured. We noted boxes of tree rings from all over the world.

We saw their equipment, used for gathering samples out in the field. Below see a bundle of cores taken from trees and Alicia holding one of the tools used to collect cores.Part  of Alicia's job was to cut the tree into thin rings and then sand them down with fine sandpaper grit. Her supervisor liked Alicia to do the work because Alicia did such a good job; the tree rings look like they have been varnished after she has finished working on them. 

Dendrochronologists can learn much about the climate and about fires as a result of studying tree rings. Specialists study tree rings to learn about climate, archaeology (dating trees used in the construction of cliff dwellings, for example), geomorphic processes like volcanic  eruptions. See a list of sub-disciplines here.

 

Alicia worked in another building a block away where the lab also has a tiny plot of land in front. With a bequest the lab has received, they have hired its first curator and plan to construct an addition. Maybe then they can offer tours of this fascinating place.

 In the area where Alicia sanded tree rings to a glass-smooth surface, she showed us additional samples. This tree ring shows scarring from where a core was taken.

The most controversial tree ring in the lab had just been acquired. It was so large, it came in three boxes. It was a tree ring cut from Prometheus, a bristle cone pine that was more than 4800 years old, and possibly as much as 5000 years old, and believed to be the oldest tree in the world. It grew in what is now Great Basin National Park. The Forest Service issued a permit to Donald R. Currey to cut it down in 1964. Several stories circulate about the incident, but bottom line, they cut down a living tree. Wikepedia has photos and a more complete story. Scientists at the Tree Lab believe it to be even older. Fortunately, there are trees as old in California, but Currey's name will live on in infamy amongst dendrochronologists. (The part of Prometheus shown is only a tiny portion. Two six foot boxes held the other two pieces. Prometheus was huge!)

Most people have never heard of the study of tree rings and would probably think dendrochronolgy was some sort of dental specialty, much less be aware that the lab with the largest collection of tree rings is hidden in the bowels of a stadium in Tucson. It was an absolutely fascinating place to visit. We were very grateful to get a tour of the lab and for the small tree ring Alicia had cut, polished and given us as a gift. Beautiful!

RVers- don't bring your RV downtown to the University. Parking is about impossible for even students with permit. Park the RV at your RV park or a Wal-Mart and drive your tow or toad vehicle downtown. Even then you may end up walking a few blocks. The lab has no scheduled tours nor personnel to do it, but perhaps with a phone call, you could see part of the facility where the classroom is.

You can learn more about the research and programs that go on at the Tree-Ring Lab at their Web site. Occasionally they have talks open to the public. Check the events tab at their Web site if you are in Tucson. If nothing else, you have a new word in your vocabulary! Jaimie Hall Bruzenak