Sunday, January 3, 2016

The Last Week of 2015

Sunday, December 27, is in fact a short drive to La Quinta, CA, even with our "slow" stop in Salton City.

It takes us almost an hour to get out of the Arco at Hwy 86 because the wind took out their system for paying at the pump, and our driver's side input still won't take fuel so we have to jockey to fill. 

We're here to get "stuff done" in a good size city before heading back out to the desert for a couple weeks. Remarkably, Indio, CA, is now considered a resort town and every RV park reflects this in their pricing. I found a special for $39 less the 10% Good Sam discount at Indian Wells RV Carefree Resort and we're happy with the choice.

Not the type of place we usually stay, we are still happy with our spot, and it's proximity to all the stuff-doing places. 

Tessa give the spot two paws up for good dog-tv
Tucked in at the corner of Palm and Seagull
Pretty views from the great dog park
Utility box art throughout La Quinta
Being able to get the rig washed and waxed in the park is especially nice. We are very happy with Watmex who charges a very reasonable $7.50/ft, and does a great job. Hector, the owner, comes out before his crew to confirm what we want done and to apologize that he won't be there himself. He thanks us sincerely for choosing his little company. We'd definitely use them again.

Drop off at Goodwill, pick up at Target and Shields Date Garden and Trader Joes. Tessa gets a much needed wash and wax of her own - as does the Jeep.

50 years of educating us on Dates - Shields Date Garden
Rugged 4x4 with that dreamy vanilla scent.....
Fun finds at Petco
Because we can......
Hooking up Wednesday morning we have no lights or brake on the Jeep. The first place I call can't take us after we drive there at their direction, but they do call another place who can. Of course as we pull in their driveway everything is working fine. 

We take advantage of their propane filling service and get back on I-10 East.

A nice drive with increased traffic due to the holidays, we arrive in Lake Tamarisk before noon. Bill helps Coy get things ready for family and friends arriving over the next couple days.

New Year's Eve Coy's girlfriend Patty (and our dear friend), and his brother and sister-in-law Jimmy and Maggie (also friends of ours for decades), arrive during the day, and by the time the sun sets we are all having a great time!

Coy, Patty, Bill, Jodee, Jimmy and Maggie
With furkids Tessa, Molly, Betsy (w/Maggie) and Bubba
Add fun hats and glasses to good food and drink, and a warm fire to great friends - makes a wonderful way to celebrate the end of 2015. Feeling "New Yorkish", we wrap up the festivities just after midnight their time :-)

Bill and Patty "decorating"
Maggie and Jimmy thanks Patty for the pic
Party-colored fire thanks Patty for the pic
Coy and Patty and Molly
2015 was an amazing year of lasts and firsts for us. All of which we are very grateful for. Every day we appreciate how blessed we are. Our family and friends enrich our lives, and we get to live this incredible life every single day. 

We look forward to a 2016 full of new vistas, new friends and more Wows - while visiting old friends and staying connected to family.

Ready for another great year! 

17 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great time! And how nice to start the new year all spiffy clean!

    I am so glad to read you stayed at Indian Wells. We actually had a reservation there last year, but had to cancel when we found out Joe had cancer. We are hoping to try again next winter...I sure want to do some hiking in Joshua Tree NP.

    Happy trails to you!

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    1. It is a very nice park, super friendly people - very busy. Best of all, it's close to everything you need.

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  2. Great way to bring on the new year all clean and with friends.

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    1. Of course it's rained the last two days.....but it still looks good :-) So love spending time with these crazy peeps.

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  3. We've stayed around Indio several times in the past. It's a nice place to stay to get things done and find places we want to visit. Love it when we can get the rig washed and waxed in a park.

    Glad you're enjoying yourselves. There's so much to see and do in this big, beautiful country.

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    1. Our first "in park" cleaning and we will definitely look for it again!

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  4. I love that last photo of you and Bill:) Sure looks like a fun time with good friends. Nice that everything and everyone is spiffy for the new year!

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    1. Patty could get anyone to wear silly stuff and have a great time doing it :-)

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  5. You too look so cute!!! With you staying around I may come out and visit with you all. Hugs and love to the three of you.

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    1. I would have loved that girl! We're in Arizona now (well, just across the river from it) and heading east.....next time!

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  6. $39 as a special is pretty much why we seldom stay in any size city but glad you were able to get things taken care of and Tessa was entertained. Although, that said, I might pay $39 to be able to wash Winnona. We have such a hard time finding spots that will let us wash her or truck washes that we can fit in to and that aren't "automatic". Glad to hear the no lights and brakes on the jeep disappeared. Hope that's for good. Sure looks like a fun New Years. I agree that's a great picture of you two at the end.

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    1. I was shocked at the prices in that area - snow birds have really jumped up the prices. Here in Parker, AZ too :-( - and it's definitely not a city. We'll get the connections checked in Q next week, just to make sure it keeps working. Thanks, we thought we were pretty cute :-))))))

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  7. Yeah, New York time is more our time for NYE too!

    Happy New Year to you both! I look forward to reading about your adventures in 2016!

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    1. We thought we might make it this year.....but when the party starts at dark, we're ready to call it quits by 9 no matter the celebration :-)

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  8. Great New Year's photo of you two!! Looks like you had a fabulous time celebrating with good friends. Love those sparkly eyeglasses! :-)) (Indio is now a resort town? Really??)

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    1. I suppose the La Quinta section is really the "resort", but it's still Indio! We had such an amazing time with these silly peeps - and looking forward to seeing them all again in Laughlin this April!

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