This is what I’m going to Bosue del Apache for. Every morning just before dawn tens of thousands of birds lift off in unison and it’s an amazing sight I want to see and photograph. This photo isn’t mine, its from the web.
If you’ve been following the blog for long, you know my travel pans are never written in stone, they’re always written in Jello! But at some point you’ve got to stop waffling and make some decisions. Right now I’m starting to firm up my plans for winter travel and I want to let you know about them so if you are interested in joining me you can or at least know when I won’t be present in camp if you want to visit me.
And I do encourage you to drop by my camp! Everyone is welcome! I know many of you are just starting out so being in a place with other, more experienced people is very helpful to you. Everything is so new, different and scary that finding friendly faces who are willing to help in any way they can is a very good thing. Just looking out the window and having others around can be very comforting in the beginning.
And when you get here, feel free to drop by my camp and introduce yourself. I’m afraid I’ve put so much emphasis on my need for privacy that I’ve made some people feel unwelcome or like they shouldn’t drop-in! You are all welcome to visit me in my camp! The more notice you can give me the better, but if you can’t give me notice, still feel free to come by. I can almost always stop and chat for awhile
Right now there are 8 of us camping here and I know many more are coming soon; in fact by thanksgiving I expect there to be 20-30 of us. Don’t let the large numbers scare you! It’s a BIG desert and you can be as close or as far away from others as you want. We are a very diverse group with many women and men who have been doing this for a long time, and many who are just starting out. We tend to be older but there are young people too. It’s nearly certain that you can make life-long friends!
Trip Number 1: Bosque del Apache NWR
I’m posting this on Thursday November 13, 2014 and I’m leaving camp tomorrow or Saturday to take a trip over to New Mexico, so my main purpose is to tell you that I’m not going to be here for a few days. With Thanksgiving coming up more and more people are headed this way and I don’t want you to be surprised when you get here and I’m not here. This trip is to New Mexico for the “Festival of the Loons” at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. You can get more info on it here: http://www.fws.gov/refuge/bosque_del_apache/
The reason I’m going is because it’s very famous among birdwatchers for its very large winter population of Sandhill Cranes, geese, ducks and birds of prey. Every year when the Sandhill Cranes arrive they hold a Festival of the Cranes to celebrate and it attracts amateur and professional photographers from all over the country and even from around the globe. Of particular interest to me is the fact that they hold numerous classes for photographers on many topics. I’ve signed up for four classes:
- Processing Photos with Adobe Lightroom
- Macro Photography
- Bosque del Apache Hot Spots and Elusive Birds.
- StarTrails and Night Photography at the Very Large Array
My travel plans for this trip are:
- Leaving: Saturday November 15th
- Returning: Saturday November 22nd
That pushes it a little close to Thanksgiving which is Thursday the 27th, but I think it will work okay. Please feel free to come in and set up camp while I’m gone. There is plenty of room and lots of other people to meet. If I’m not back yet, just go around and introduce yourself to some of the others and say “Hi!” None of them bite!
This is a map from here to Algodones. You’re all welcome to caravan down there and we’ll walk into Mexico together. Its about 100 miles from my current camp.
Trip Number 2: Algodones, Mexico for new Glasses, Dental Work, and Prescription Medications
I’ve written about Algodones a lot so I’m not going to write it all out again. Instead, go to this post and read up on it: http://www.cheaprvliving.com/blog/quick-trip-algodones-mexico-dental-implants-review-dr-rubio/
This trip is subject to a lot of change but my guess right now is I’ll be going on December 1 and stay for a few days. I’ll leave the trailer at Ehrenberg and just camp in the van. You’re welcome to camp and walk into Algodones, Mexico with me. For that you’ll need a passport. We’ll camp on free BLM land very close to Algodones.
This is what I want to go to San Ignacio for! I took this photo from http://www.bajadiscovery.com/whale-watching/files/image5.jpg
Trip Number 3: San Ignacio Bay for Whale-Watching/Petting
The tthird trip I’m planning is down the Baja, Mexico coast to San Ignacio Bay for whale watching and petting. Gray whales winter there and when they give birth to their calves they bring them right up to the small boats of tourists to be petted and touched. That’s something I very much want to see and do!! There will be a caravan of us and as of now I’m only sure of one other person, but others have expressed interest and I think they’ll end up going. Fortunately, the person who is committed is also fluent in Spanish so that makes it much safer. It’ll be a brief trip, two weeks or less and we’ll camp on the ocean on the way-down and back to San Diego. It should be a fairly cheap trip, mainly just gas. The more of us the better and safer we’ll all be. So if that is something you might be interested in, let me know.
Tentative dates for this trip are:
- Leave Ehrenberg: January 23, 2015
- Return Ehrenberg: February 4, 2015
Trip Number 4: Florida
I try to be sure to go back to see my mom in Florida often and this is a year when I visit her. I haven’t bought my flight tickets yet but I will probably be there for three weeks in Lady Lake, Florida. While I’m there you can contact me and I’ll meet you for a cup of coffee! One of my goals there is bird photography, and you can join me for that if you want.
Very Tentative dates:
- Leave Phoenix: February 10, 2015
- Return Phoenix: March 3, 2015
You’re welcome to join me for some or all of these trips.
New and Much Improved map to camp:
Bob,
Just a note here about your trip to see the birds. When they all take off in the morning and fly over you, wear a hat and, if you look straight up, keep your mouth closed! I spent seven years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service while they were studying migratory seabirds in Alaska and I learned about the closed mouth thing the hard way…
Thanks for such good advice Jamo, I will definitely remember it!
Bob
Bob_
I park most of the time at a park and ride lot and never get bothered ( yet ).
It borders the highway and maybe when the birds/geese fly over the hywy it scares the sh*t out of them…literally because my vans been blasted a few times the last few weeks as they gather and head south.
I’d love to do the Baja whale trip…but 2016 is my year and the last year went by pretty fast…made it through all four seasons comfortably in the Midwest. Looking forward to next year’s Rubber Tramp with my coffers full and zero debt.
*Have fun this winter and thanks for reminding me to work on one of my goals…to get a little conversational Spanish under my belt. Peace.
Next year will be your year Openspaceman! All your hard work will pay off!
Bob
You’ll be not far from me when you visit Lady Lake, Florida, Bob. I’m in DeLand. At the moment trying to figure out a way to get on the road again. I’m an old hippie who misses the freedom of the road and all the music festivals it offers. I enjoy your blog very much.
Thanks SweetMarie! I’ll post when I get there and maybe we can get together.
Bob
I’d really enjoy that Bob. 🙂
Hurricane Odile tore up a swath of Baja in September. The southern end was impacted the worst (Cabo looks like a war zone), but roads were washed out farther north, too. You should check on conditions down to San Ignacio Bay. Also, current gas prices in Mexico are almost $5 a gallon. That said, I’m interested in going with your caravan—if I’m not already there with others.
Oh, and about the Ehrenberg map: if you’re the extremely private type, you can actually camp just about ANYWHERE after the traffic circle that isn’t down the gravel pit road.
Yes, you can camp just about anywhere and everywhere!
I prefer further back though to get away from the dust and traffic. Also to get away from the freeway noise.
Bob
Al, I’m hoping that you come along! But I know people want to get closer to the time to firm up their plans as well.
The more the better!
Bob
The more the better, until it becomes like herding cats. 😉
True Al! But in this case I think the extra safety will more than offset the “herding cats” affect!!
Bob
Hi, Bob. You probably already know this, but there’s a community of vandwellers who winter in Florida. If you get to Lake Worth and find yourself with spare time or need to get away from ordinary folks, I’m sure someone will be close enough to visit and I know that places all over Florida offer free camping, probably with or without company. Some of the people on the Yahoo VandwellersGTG group are planning a “roving get-together” for January, but I have not followed the details.
Thanks Calvin. I’ll be flying in so I won’t have my van. My mom is generous with hers so I can use it, but I can’t be gone overnight.
I would like to meet up with some folks though.
Bob
Mr. Pico and I would like to join you to go to Mexico…It is one of my dreams to go to Baja. Una maravillosa aventura en una hermosa parte de México!
Sameer, I’m counting on you! You’re my fluent spanish speaker!
Bob
Sameer, are you from Argentina ? Your spanish is very good !
My regards. Lucy.
Just out of curiosity….what’s the rules for taking a dog across the border….and back again ?
KinA
Ken, you have to get a specific international vets certificate of health within 10 days of crossing the border either direction. The majority of times they don’t ask for it. But it’s a requirement so I just jump through their hoops.
Not every vet can do it, they have to be USDA certified.
Bob
Hi bob and well done, i was homeless for 14 years and liked it.
Now building a camper van and im planning on getting back out there dry camping style.
Nigel, there’s something addicting about the mobile lifestyle that calls you back to it. I’m afraid your hooked!
Bob
Several things: The advice from Jamo about the birds flying over is probably correct and appropriately first! The Beach Boys had a song they wrote just for you in 1965 “I Get Around”. It occurred to me a few minutes ago that in a one year span you will have travelled to Alaska, Florida and Baja California! (I had a step daughter who was fortunate enough to travel to Europe, DC and Japan from Hawaii in a 14 month period while in high school. Your travels are exemplary!) For all of you folks I hope the current weather isn’t indicative of the rest of the season.
jonthebru, I don’t count my eggs till they hatch, it remains to be seen if it all happens. Florida is pretty well written in stone though. I got go see my mom!
Bob
Hey Bob, question: is there a place to fill the water tank in my trailer in Blythe or do I need to go to Quartzsite to do that ( I’m driving down from California)?
Thanks! Anni
Hi Anni, I’m assuming you mean coming down to Thanksgiving in Ehrenberg. You can fill your tanks in Blythe or stop into the Flying J. They have a dump station and you can fill with water. There is a little laundramat in Ehrenberg also where you can fill your tanks. Any of the will work just fine!
Bob
Excellent! Heading out from Santa Cruz area tomorrow, probably there (Ehrenburg) on Tuesday.
Thanks for the info and prompt reply even though you’re traveling!
Anni, a lot of people moved over besides the washes so it may not look like there is anybody there, but they are. Look around and go introduce yourself. I should be back by Saturday.
Bob
Ok, I think I’m parked just up the road a bit from your trailer, did you leave it here? Pretty spot, so nice and quiet!
Anni, yes, I am just in the van. My trailer is probably the last one on that road on the right, unless someone came in while I’ve been gone. See you in a few days.
Bob.
Technical note: I cannot find the link to follow the responses. I have tried this in Windows with Explorer and Firefox and in LinuxMint with Firefox.
Calvin, I don’t understand the question. Link to follow what responses? If people want to travel with me, they should just email me.
Bob
The link to follow comments on a given post has vanished. Thus, I can comment but not get emails to notifiy me of the other comments about that post.
Calvin, I’ll have to look into that.
Bob
Hi Bob. I received a email today saying there had been a security breach at your site and that I should change my password. I just wanted to make sure it from you and not some spammer. Thanks Bob
Bob, yes, it is from us and we are asking all Forum members to change their passwords. Everyone needs to understand that the forum is separate from everything else. The Forum is based on MyBB software while everything else in the website including the blog is based on WordPress.
MyBB’s servers were attacked and hacked. The extent of the breach isn’t really known yet but it may have opened the door for the hackers to get into the individual forums database. It doesn’t look like my database was breached, although we can see in the logs that it was attacked and an effort made to download the database. The database is HUGE and is a very LONG download and so it looks like they failed.
Even if it were downloaded it is extremely well encrypted and very unlikely people could break in to it.
However, just to be safe rather than sorry, we are asking all members of the forum to change their passwords. It’s unlikely anyone has that information, but even if they do changing your password will fix it.
Again, this has nothing to do with the emails you get about a new post to the blog. That is totally separate. Feedburner does that and it is a Google company. There are no issues with it.
Bob
I have a problem, Bob. I’ve been trying to unsubscribe from the Cheap RV Living website for a while but my password didn’t work so I went thru the steps to change it and now nothing works. Will you unsubscribe me, please? I don’t want to get any more emails or notifications from Cheap RV Living.
Thanks…
Jamo, there are two different subscriptions. If you mean the email notification from the blog about thew blot posts then at the bottom of the email should be an unsubscribe button. Just click on it. You signed up with Feedburner to get it and I have nothing to do with it.
If you mean from the Forum then you need to email me your user name and password before I can do anything.
Bob
Hi Bob, I’m planning to be there again this year. Looking forward to seeing you and Judy again, and meeting Cody!
Jeanne (and Riley)
That’s great Jeanne! I think Cody and Riley will be great buddies.
Bob