Wednesday, February 15, 2017, Yuma Hamfest and Foothills

Adobe Sunset RV Park in Yuma, AZ (formerly Adobe Village) was not loaded with amenities, but it had a vacancy and that was what mattered most. Unfortunately, the park was not really "pet-friendly". They expected I would take Sam directly to the gate and walk him outside of the park. Usually, I get to meet the other campers on our jaunts around the park. There was also no pool or spa, but we were close to the clubhouse, so I just had to find other ways to meet people.

I checked in at RVillage (sometimes referred to as "Facebook" for RV'ers) and found our neighbors, Joe and Nancy, were also members. That prompted a conversation where I learned they were avid Geocachers and Ham radio enthusiasts. They both held General class licenses and told me with a little study I could get my license.

Since high school, I always had an interest in radio, but never scratched that itch. I decided, why not?  I looked over the Technician class exam questions and hoped I was ready. I passed my test at the Yuma Hamfest a few weeks later. I have to say I was pretty much overwhelmed by all of the stuff, new and used, that was available at the fest. I may have an operating license, but I have a lot to learn.

I bought a small handheld 2 band (2 meter and 70 centimeter) radio on Amazon as soon as I had my license in hand. Joe helped me program it and what do you know - I have a new hobby. Maybe I should have learned more about geocaching and I might have picked up one more. There certainly are a lot of ways to spend your time when life no longer revolves around a job.

Yuma has quite a large number of RV parks and we were surrounded on three sides by campers. To the east was a neighborhood with actual grass and trees. It made a good destination for Sam's walks. Eventually, I ventured out further and in different directions until we were taking a 2-mile walk a couple of times a day. I had on new shoes, so I kept Sam moving. He never wants me in the lead so he will run if I get ahead of him while he sniffs something "interesting". Our morning walks often started out a little cool, but usually warmed up before we got home.

We explored the foothills area to the east of Yuma. It was ideal for people with RVs. Most lots were just under a quarter acre (maybe 7000-8000 sqft) and surrounded by a short brick wall. People had built everything from a bare-bones RV pad to extravagant RV port homes. The Zillow map showed properties ranging from $40k to $400k+. When we decide to establish another home base this might be an option.

See the stairs leading up to a rooftop deck?  We hope to have that someday, but it requires a view of something interesting to make it worth it.

On many lots, you would find a small casita and one or two hook-ups for RVs (some had as many as 4 RV setups.)

Stucco artists have made a splash in Yuma.  So many interesting, one-of-a-kind creations.