Day 26, Tuesday February 2

Today was a moving day.  Sunny and cold morning.  The night temperature dipped down to freezing, so we’d disconnected our water hose earlier in the evening to avoid any issues with a frozen hose as we got ready to leave.  Left Rincon West RV Park at 10:15am.  Our RV hadn’t been washed since we left home and was covered in road grime, so we searched for an RV/Truck wash somewhere between Tucson and Phoenix.  Online, we discovered a nationwide company called Blue Beacon.  They had two locations in Casa Grande, just off the freeway.  No automated wash here, just 6-8 guys with pressure sprayers and long handled sponges and hand drying (if you want to pay for it).  Just the wash only cost us $35.00.  What a bargain!!  Gypsy was clean and we continued on into Phoenix to Pueblo El Mirage RV Resort.  Got escorted to our site and backed in.  Because the rate we selected didn’t have power included, we had to make a run to Arizona Power to show ID to have the power turned on at our site.  By the time we got checked in at the registration desk and back to our site, we had power.  In hooking up the water, Dave discovered we didn’t have a long enough hose (of course we have one, but it’s at home J).  Now a run to Walmart for a short extension hose.  Whew!  Finally set up and ready to stay for 5 weeks. 

We even have small fruit trees behind our rig.  Our neighbors are from Wenatchee.

Day 27, Wednesday February 3

This is a huge 55+ RV resort, but surprisingly, we have no WiFi at our site.  We do have WiFi at the clubhouse, so spent the AM catching up on email and finishing our registration process by getting our mailbox assignment and key.  Our friends from our golf group at home, Tom and Cheryl Rodewald, came over for a visit in the afternoon.  They too, are staying at Pueblo El Mirage…just a few rows away from us.  We caught up on news and heard about their RV travels these past 8 months.  They went to Canada and then down through the central US to New England and then to Arizona.  They drove their car home for the holidays and then came back to Arizona in January.  Maybe we’ll do that one day.  Our friends from home, Lynn and Phyllis Andrew, drove in from California in the evening.  They’re staying at a nearby hotel, so we met for dinner and talked about options for the next few days.  We’d already decided to attend the Phoenix Open (golf), but hadn’t decided which day(s) we’d go.  Thought maybe we’d go Saturday, but agreed the crowds might be too crazy, so decided to go Thursday and if we didn’t see enough, we’d still have the option to go back Saturday.  One day planned.

Day 28, Thursday February 4

The day started out clear and sunny, but chilly.  We found out the tournament had a 1 hour frost delay that morning.  Left about 9:30.  Traffic to the Open parking lot was awful!  Once parked in the dirt lot, we realized this place was accustomed to crowds like this.  The busses were all lined up to shuttle us to the course.  There were multiple lines for tickets and those with cash could just purchase their tickets from assigned people outside the lines. Once inside, we stopped on the 18^th green to see Rickie Fowler (Phyllis’ heartthrob) and and Phil Mickelson. We really wanted to get into the stands at the 16th, but the line we saw was waaay long and wasn't moving.  We continued toward the 15th.  As we approached, we saw another line that was way shorter and was moving, so we got in and we were immediately sitting in the gallery at the infamous 16th fairway (I know you non-golfers probably won't appreciate this tidbit).  

The day warmed up quickly to the low 70s.  Did a lot of walking and once away from the entrance holes, the crowds thinned out and we had good views of the greens and fairways from just about every angle.  

Bubba Watson

Most holes you could stand close to the ropes and see the golfers close up.  We saw a lot of players we didn’t know and most of the big names.  It was a really fun day until we got ready to leave about 5pm.  The traffic was horrendous trying to get out of the parking lot.  Not only were all the Open attendees trying to leave, but it was also rush hour traffic (not good planning on our part).  By the time we got back toward our part of town for dinner, it was after 7.  Long day, but it was really fun.

Day 29, Friday February 5

Spent the morning getting acquainted with the RV Park.  Got on our bikes and rode over to the golf course/restaurant.  Looks nice.  Lynn and Phyllis came over in the afternoon and took them on a tour of the clubhouse, then came back and watched some of the golf tournament.  Later that afternoon, some of our other friends from home, Scott and Donna Clausen, came by for a visit.  The Clausen’s weren’t planning to be in Phoenix during our visit, but Scott’s mother had a stroke in Sedona and they sent her to Phoenix for more medical attention.  Had dinner at the golf course restaurant.  It was packed!  Not a bad place.

Day 30, Saturday February 6

Met Lynn and Phyllis at Paradise Bakery for breakfast, and then off for our first golf outing in Phoenix.  Lynn, Dave and I (Phyllis rode along) played Palmbrook (one of Sun City’s courses).  It was situated in an old housing development of 60s vintage.  A few of the homes had been remodeled, but for the most part, they were still the original 60s style.  We were able to see all the back patios from the course and they looked pretty dated.  Many had huge orange, grapefruit or lemon trees that were loaded.  We guessed that most of the fruit rots on the trees or falls to the ground because there would be no way all that fruit could be picked, much less consumed.  The course was nice and open with wide fairways and rarely did a house come into play.  It’s winter here, so the grass on the side of the fairways looks like it is dead, but it is just dormant and will green up in a few months.  We had a nice long day, and celebrated with dinner at Rock Bottom Brewery.