The Great MisAdventures of David & JoEllen Laurita


Our Fulltime RV Adventures Across America With Toby The Cat

 

The Great Fall 2009 MisAdventure

Journey to Arizona

September 16 through October 10, 2009

Emmett, Idaho
Idaho City, Idaho

September 24 through October 2, 2009

      Traveling once again to Emmett, Idaho, and a visit once again with Smokey Stover and Joanne. We need to return to Hoodoo Ski Area to pick up the ATV and solar panels on the little trailer and Emmett is just across the border from Oregon. It is still a 14 hour day of driving once again through eastern Oregon. We get all our big city shopping done here in Boise, then head out to the Idaho mountains landing just outside of Idaho City parking on top of a leveled bucket dredge tailing pile.

      Idaho City was founded upon gold, discovered here in 1862. In the rush that followed, thousands of miners flocked to the area, making Idaho City the largest population center in the Northwest. Many similar towns sprang up throughout the surrounding Boise Basin, a roughly circular area of hills and creeks ringed by 7,000 foot mountain peaks.

      In the two decades following the discovery of gold, and estimated $250 million worth of the yellow stuff was taken from this area. No longer the boomtown, Idaho City still exhibits a rich architecture with a number of brick and wood frame buildings dating from the boom times. Idaho City is also noted for its wooden boardwalks along both sides of the main street.




     We cut our stay short in these beautiful mountains after hearing from our daughter Angela. It seems that she is traveling through Nevada on the way to the Oregon Coast to visit friends and we have a chance to greet her just off I-80 at Wells, Nevada.

     As we cross the Nevada state line, a phone call from a Christmas tree grower suprises us with a job offer in Arizona. The Great Workamping MisAdventure did not really end in Oregon as we thought it would. We need to reach Phoenix by the 10th for the orientation meeting.

     We reach Wells and pull into a casino parking lot, intending to spend one night with Angela. We have a short, pleasent overnight visit with our oldest before she continues onto Oregon in a suprise winter storm.

      The weather brings us snow, cold and lots of wind forcing us to stay put. The internet dish falls from the strong winds, and will need to be replaced before we can get online once again. We turn on the newly repaired furnace and wait out the snow and cold.


Area 51, Nevada

October 5, 2009

     Taking a chance on the cold and snow, we move on a cloudy Sunday morning headed south through Nevada. The weather soon clears as we journey toward Arizona. David knows about a place on this route that dosen't exist, with secrets the government dosen't acknowledge and electric fences with armed guards that shoot first and ask questions later. We find a little roadside campground behind a Shell gasoline station and pull in for the night knowing that just a few miles away is the Groom Lake Facility commonly know as Area 51. We stopped here at Ash Springs to enjoy the hot spring across the street.

     This spring appears to be a hot water well. Located on BLM land, we find a very nice pool with a pea gravel bottom. This pool flows into a small warm pond with tiny fishes that nibble and chew on human skin. A very nice stop for weary travelers, hot springs and a pedicure at the same time!


     We elect to not drive the 40 road miles for a beer at the Little A'Le'Inn bar in Rachel, NV and continue south through Las Vegas and onto Arizona.

Bullhead City, Arizona
Laughlin, Nevada

October 6 through 8, 2009

      We park at Davis Camp, a county owned campground on the Arizona side of the Colorado River. Davis Dam is just upstream, and Laughlin, Nevada is just downstream on the Nevada side. We always enjoy the food and fun here in Laughlin. We feast on burgers and delicious fries at Inn-N-Out, sample the fare at the Prime Rib Room and try our luck at gaming in the casinos along the river. We did not win but we did stay even and even pay for some foodstuff.

      One of David's favorites here is to visit the car mueseum at the Riverside Casino. Lot's of very neat cars including a 54 Hot Rod Lincoln and a 31 Model A Roadster. David grew up with Model A's, his father having a roadster just like this one.

      We continue on to Wickenburg and spend the night at the Rodeo Grounds Campground, a very nice camp in the desert. We then move on to a vacant lot in Chandler with several other employees of the Pumpkin and Tree lots for our meeting. We find out we will be posted in Sierra Vista, Arizona selling holiday decor. A satellite dish is located on Craigs list to return us to the internet.


 

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David & JoEllen

Lord, let us live with joy in our hearts, knowing you will grant us strength and keep us safe in our travels.  Amen


Toby the Cat

Frredom - Be  A Workamper



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