As our goal has been to head to the desert southwest for the winter, we knew we’d be going through Tuscon. So we timed our trip to be able to see college daughter Jessica perform in a dance program.
She also invited us to attend one of her classes while we were there which was oh so fun. Those young, bendable, strong dance bodies were inspiring and we were amazed by how they can pick up a string of moves after just one watch.
It’s much easier to camp in Tuscon in the cooler months because we don’t need plug-ins to run air conditioning. We were able to dry camp (free) at the Desert Springs Casino there. Being near a big town for a change, I was able to get some errands done like pick up a mail delivery, get a jewelry repair, have our couch blanket dry cleaned, and pick up a couple of Amazon products shipped to a drop box. Sometimes civilization is nice. Although we haven’t been in much since Dallas, which is just fine for us.
We weren’t able to go directly from Saguaro SKP to the Casino however. Our little radiator leak turned into a major flow on our way from Benson to Tuscon. Tom had picked up the part and was intending to replace the tank himself once we were boon-docking in the desert because that was too big a repair to be able to do it while parked in Benson (i.e. not allowed). But now it became an immediate problem, so we sucked it up and headed to the Freightliner shop on the edge of town.
It worked out well actually. We took it in at noon, they finished by six, and we were able to overnight with full hookups at their facility. It would have been a free stay – if you didn’t count the three hours of labor fees!
We had stayed at Desert Diamond Casino last winter, so there were no unknowns pulling in. Which is rather refreshing considering practically everywhere we’ve been this year has been new and unknown. So we settled right in.
During our time there, the Xscapers had organized a bunch of mini meet ups, and sure enough there was someone hosting one in Tuscon – so of course we went! We met several new Xscapers – and one familiar face and we had a blast. It’s always nice to meet new people – especially when we know we’ll be seeing them again soon (at the Big Bash in January).
The thing about meeting all of these people while traveling is that it’s amazingly easy to run into them again on the road. One afternoon, when Tom was walking across the parking lot from the casino to the rig, he looked up as saw two familiar faces: Bill and Sue whom we had met last January in Boomerville. They were staying nearby and were scouting out the casino. What perfect timing! We had a lovely visit with them and look forward to seeing them again in January as well.
If you don’t already know, January is traditionally the time for RVers to gather together in Quartzsite, Arizona. But first we have to make it through the holidays. By which I mean, decide what we’ll be doing for the holidays. Last year we were by ourselves in the desert for Thanksgiving and with our families for Christmas. This year, Tom thought it would be fun to meet up with a group for Thanksgiving, so he found out that some Boomers were meeting in Borrego Springs, California. Which is only six hour drive from Tuscon, so that’s where we’ll be heading next. Christmas is still up in the air. Since our marathon cross country drive last summer, we weren’t really planning on getting back to central California to see the families. But now that we’ll be in So Cal, it could all change.
Thanks for following along, and happy travels.
Peace & Love, Joy
PS – sorry for the lack of pics – too busy running around and having fun!
I love the RV community! Seems like anywhere we travel we see someone we’ve met in our journey. I see familiar faces–Tiffany and Paul. Looks like so much fun! Safe travels to you two!