Our next stop was Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction, Arizona (just east of Phoenix). Our full-time RVing friends Dan and Amy had told us that they were going to be there and their site number. Lost Dutchman is a VERY popular state park. When we checked the online reservation system, there was one site available in the entire park…and it was NEXT to their site. It was as if it was preordained, we had to join them. We didn’t tell Dan and Amy we were coming, but they sort of suspected that was the case. Sure enough, when they pulled in, we were there to greet them.
Dan and Amy had other friends in the park also (such is the RVing world!). They decided to hike to the top of Flat Iron, the rock formation in the center of the picture above. Jim went with them part way. My bum knee and I stayed behind.
They were certainly up there! You can read about the full hiking adventure on Dan and Amy’s blog.
The town of Apache Junction is right next to Mesa, a mecca for snowbirds. As luck would have it, Jim’s brother Tom and his wife Cheryl, along with Jim’s cousin Dennis and his wife Jeanne, were all in Mesa. Viola! A family reunion took place at a local brewery. So here we have five native Wisconsinites (and one Michigander…me) meeting up in the desert.
It was a great four days with family and friends in a great location. Lost Dutchman State Park is a special place. We’ll be back for sure.
We had not seen Jim’s brother and wife in over a year. So we took advantage of being in the same area as them and met up with them again in Salome, Arizona (about 1.5 hours west of Phoenix).
What happens when you get two Wisconsin boys together when you have an air leak behind your RV dashboard (when the brakes were applied, we were hearing a hissing)? Being Goekes, they dig in to find the source of the leak. I have a feeling their dad Wilbur was watching (and enjoying) from above.
1) knew it was an air pressure switch for the brakes
2) had a video showing how to remove it
3) had an electrical schematic from a gentleman with an identical truck.
A replacement air pressure switch has already been ordered, delivered, and installed. Unfortunately, the dash is still in pieces. But that’s OK. Jim is going to take some time to install some USB charging ports in the dash as long as it’s apart.
The weather was predicted to turn cold and windy, so Tom and Cheryl decided to head southwest and we headed northwest. Our intent was to hunker down while a cold front came through and then proceed to Death Valley. That is how we came to be in Needles, California.
There honestly isn’t much to see in Needles. Yes, it was once a stop on the Mother Road (Route 66). But it doesn’t have the retro vibe that some of the towns on Route 66 do. The town just just feels tired.
But, our friend WingDing (those of you who know him know exactly who I am referring to) reminded me that Snoopy’s brother Spike was from Needles. That was an unexpected bit of trivia.
Do a little googling and it’s amazing what one can find. Meet Spike!
Now where should we go? The weather keeps working against us. Jim checked the forecast and it is suppose to snow in the areas we wanted to visit next. No way. So, we are going to head southward again toward warmer temperatures. Granted, it was 15 degrees back home today, so we shouldn’t be so wimpy. But darn it, we didn’t come all this way just endure snow!
UPDATE: Jim found an interesting article about the tired state of Needles. You can read it here.
There is always something new and exciting in the life of Jim and Corinne on the road 🙂 Glad that Jim’s knees were willing to go part way up the mountain.
Sometimes I can do with a little less excitement! 😉