Headed West Again

Time for a change of pace.

Our usual trek west consisted of either spring or fall - "the shoulder seasons".

It's named such as they are on either side of the out-of-school rush of vacationing families

taking advantage of the kids summer break from school.

Each of those seasons hold their own special charms.

In the spring the snowmelt in the mountains charges the streams and waterfalls,

and the wildflowers bloom in the normally arid climate.

The mountains still carry their white mantle of snow...

The Fall Season is usually warmer, the weather is more settled,

and the mountains have lost their winter coats.

The runoff has dwindled and the dry conditions have left what was green in

the spring - is now golden.

This time will be different.

We are headed for Snowbird Nirvana....

Geriatric Spring Break...

Geezers gone wild.

They say that the desert southwest - barren and almost deserted in the oppressive heat of

summer, blooms in the winter.  It is the gathering point of a mass migration of a single species

from the Northern Latitudes, all heading south for the winter in search of something...

It's that something that we hope to learn.

The species is the Great Northern RV Snowbird.

The species scatters about the desert over the winter...

Tens of thousands of them...

But for a 2 week period in January - many of them gather in a 40,000 acre area of

the Arizona Desert around Quartzsite, Arizona.

It is our hope to blend in among them and learn about their habits.  To report

our findings back to you.

We've heard that they can be coaxed into a submissive state in many ways.

For instance - wave an early bird special coupon in the air and it's been said that you will

be able to catch a few.

We will be trying our best.

To get there - we've started on one of the well worn snowbird trails.

The map below shows our initial path to get us near the snowbird grounds.

Today was 11 hrs from Point A to B

Tomorrow we will do B to C

Saturday we'll cross Texas to Point D

Finally Sunday we'll only have 5 hours to point E which is

Rockhound State Park outside of Deming, NM where we will stop for a few

days and start some preliminary searching for any stray snowbirds wandering

around the edge of their winter grounds.

Tonights stop was at a KOA in Anniston, Al

We had a nice Chicken Dinner with Mashed Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes and

some of my super special gravy.

Later when we get into the Snowbird winter grounds its our thought that the smell of

such food wafting from the camper might draw some of them closer for study.

Stay tuned.