November, 2004
On Monday, November 1st, we left the Emerald Cove Resort in Earp, CA and drove into Parker, AZ and then south to Yuma.  As we passed through Quartzsite we noticed some rigs all set up in the desert - most likely for the long winter with their solar panels all up and working.  Not for us!!!  In Yuma, we got on I-8 and drove a few miles west into California again and checked in at the Pilot Knob RV Resort.  We stayed here for two nights.  It is a nice enough park, but all sand and gravel with a very small pool and no local internet access...and in the middle of nowhere!  Right behind the RV park is some BLM land where there were also people set up for the winter.  There were quite a few people arriving at Pilot Knob for their winter stay.  I think we'll enjoy Palm Creek more, but life is always what you make it. During our two day stay at Pilot Knob we made two trips across the nearby border into Algodones, Mexico.  On the first trip we made arrangements for Mary to get new eyeglasses and on the second trip, we were able to pick them up....a quite satisfactory job and only $125 for a new pair of bifocal transition lenses and lightweight frames.  We enjoyed walking around the town, which wasn't all that crowded due to it being early in the season, and seeing all the stuff for sale and dealing with the hawkers....quite a place.  We looked, but didn't buy much of anything.  We spent our money in neaby Yuma at Super Wal-Mart and Sam's.
We headed east on I-8 from Yuma to Casa Grande, AZ on Wednesday, November 3rd.  We took a side-trip down I-10 to Eloy where we filled up with fuel and propane at the Flying J and then drove back up I-10 to Palm Creek at Exit 194.  By mid-afternoon we were all settled in a site and ready for "happy hour" with some of our old neighbors.  Our disappointment was that management had called us several days before we arrived and had told us that the site we had occupied the two previous years had been chosen by someone wanting to place a park model on it.  So, we had to take another site several streets away from our previous one.  Within several days we had gotten all organized and were beginning to get into the routine of tennis, golf and happy hours.  While talking to our old neighbors and to the management, we discovered that a site closer to our old one was available for most of the winter.  After a little negotiating, we were able to move again and now be back in our "old neighborhood," but across the street and around the corner from our old site....and finding it a little unusual having neighbors behind us rather than being against the park's perimeter wall.     The weather during November in Casa Grande was "abnormal."  The temperatures were cool, the skies were often cloudy, and we had good doses of wind and rain.  But, we still found moments to enjoy the outdoors and the Palm Creek facilities and our tans are returning.
The weather wasn't the greatest, but that makes for beautiful sunsets from our site at Palm Creek.
The Palm Creek Management threw a "Welcome Home Party" in early November. Luckily it was on one of our warmer evenings as they brought in loads of sand and made a beach in the parking lot.  The live band played surfing music as well as other 50's and 60's tunes and we had food galore.  It was a fun evening.
Site 517 on Honeysuckle Street at Palm Creek Golf and RV Resort.
We joined Tom's bridge group for Thanksgiving dinner.  The park management provided a turkey for each table of twelve.  We had two tables among the crowd in the ballroom and plenty of good side dishes and desserts provided by each couple.  We even had leftovers to bring home and enjoy over the weekend.  After dinner some of the group stayed to play games and visit....not quite the same as being with family, but a very enjoyable day.
The beer and margarita wagon at the beach party.
Thanksgiving Dinner in the Palm Creek Ballroom
More and more people and rigs are arriving in Palm Creek every day and activities are really picking up.  We're looking forward to a busy and hopefully warmer December. (Those of you "up north" probably don't feel sorry for us and our 27* temperature on Nov.30th!)