The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Camp Verde Grades, north of Phoenix on I-17

      We headed out from our site at The Palms RV Resort in Yuma, Arizona the morning of April 6, 2017, only to realize we had neglected to clean the front windshield for the best possible view.  Westbound on I-8, Valerie's phone rang.  "Did we just pass you on the highway?" the voice at the end of the line inquired.  As it turned out, friends Jim and Nancy Strahle were headed for Yuma, and couldn't miss the RV Driving School decal on the front of our motor home.  We've met so many fun and interesting folks during our travels, and we had met Jim and Nancy as they were just beginning their adventure when we stopped for a cup of coffee in Kansas City a couple of years ago.

Palo Verde trees blooming everywhere

So many Saguaro Cacti in the hills

      After a fueling stop where we also got the windshield cleaned off, GPS took us from there to I-10 to I-17 where we headed north, saying good-bye to the Valley of the Sun after several months and we ascended into the mountain scenery, more colorful than past years, when we have left typically mid-March.

Colorful high desert scenery

Run-away truck ramps are a reminder not to burn up the brakes 

Rest area where Valerie lost her footing

      George did all the driving with a late morning nap, and we decided to stop at a rest area to walk the dogs just south of Flagstaff late afternoon.  That's where Valerie, finding herself with two dogs in more rugged terrain than they had grown accustomed to over the winter months, took a nasty fall onto some jagged rocks.  She managed to hang onto the dogs and attempted to call for help, but George had turned his phone off.  With injuries to her right hand, forearm and backside, she managed to get herself up and safely back to the coach.

      We headed east on I-40 in Flagstaff and decided, after 380 miles, to stop at Twin Arrows Casino to get something to eat and a good night's rest.  We drove past the semi-truck parking lot to where a fair number of RVs were parked on the east side of the casino and settled into our spot.  The casino was beautiful inside and they were offering prime rib at the Grand Falls Buffet Monday through Thursday for $13.  It did not disappoint, and everything was delicious!

Beautiful chandelier inside Twin Arrow

Prime rib at the Grand Falls Buffet

      

     
      Tired from a long day, and because we are not much into gambling, we returned to the coach and and attempted to get to bed and to sleep early.  Valerie found enough bandages to cover the worst gouges in her hand, and quickly learned that attempts to roll onto her right side were not the best idea.

Valerie's right arm

Valerie's right hand

      It was all worth the adventure, and tomorrow we were aware that we needed to keep an eye on the possibility of high winds, but it would surely be a better day!