Water Issues, and Thoughts On Our Fourth Day of Boondocking - Thursday, March 21, 2019

Today, we don't have water. It's a fact. We ran out of water in our fresh water tank. Can't do much when you run out of water!

Bob is the only one who went to a seminar today. I admit, I stay up late writing blogs, so I like to sleep in. If I had gone to an early class, I would have chosen "Valley Fever," about coccidioidomycosis (a respiratory disease caused by inhaling microscopic fungus spores endemic to the Southwest). It can cause flu-like symptoms about three weeks after contracting it.

At 10:00 a.m., Bob went to "General First Aid" for a refresher on what to do and not to do if someone needs medical help. There was also a review of what to keep in a First Aid kit.

During the same time frame, I would have enjoyed going to "Road Trip Destinations by Full-Time Families." Their write-up said they "will talk about hidden gems around the country" and some of the "favorites" they have visited including state parks and factory tours. Bob's probably glad I didn't go because my bucket list is already 43 pages long (in outline form), although we are checking things off the list as we go.

After the seminar, Bob he said he walked out the door of Thurber Hall and the Pet Parade was in full swing. Many of the pets were wearing costumes. That was the place to be seen if you have a dog. (Don't know if there were any cats, birds, horses, bunnies, etc., since I wasn't there.)

We had lunch, closed the 5th wheel, hooked up to the truck, and made the one-mile trek over to the dump station and then the fresh water fill spigots. It will be very nice to have water again!

The activities at Escapade for the rest of the day included:

• Pet Parade. (Our cat would not have done well here!)
• The Escapade Hair-Raising Chili Cook-Off. For this, you can cook up a pot of your favorite chili to be judged by the judges, or the public. Or you can attend, taste all the chilis, and do your own voting with a buck or two for your favorites. There are two winners: the one chosen by the judges, and the one that brings in the most money. All proceeds go to support CARE. (We skipped this event to take care of our water issue.)
• Closing Ceremony at 3:00 p.m. We were there and heard who the winners were for the Chili Cook-off and the Photography Contest. There was also a volunteer-only door prize (a portable solar system kit [$385 value]), and, an amazing HOP [Head-out Program] for two to the 130th Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade [a $2,000 value, includes RV parking]; and a Grand Prize Drawing which was to go to the 2019 Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta [$3,845 value]. We attended the closing ceremony and cheered for all the excellent staff and volunteers who made Escapade enjoyable through all their efforts in the background (and some in the midst of all the action!). Two people representing Rock Springs, Wyoming, where our 2020 Escapade will be held, came to welcome us to Rock Springs. When they mentioned their campground had over 1,000 full hook-up sites, a rousing cheer went up from the crowd, especially all of us boondockers who weren't quick enough when we registered to get a full hook-up site here!
• Farewell Fiesta. Food vendors, "No Reply," a local Tucson band for dancing and singing, and things for the kids to do. The Cantina Courtyard was the place to be to hang out with new-found or old-time friends and relax a little. Instead of doing the Farewell Fiesta, we wanted to try out a local restaurant that people had been saying good things about all week.

For dinner, Bob kidnapped me to McGraw's Cantina on a hill overlooking Vail and Tucson, Arizona. It's supposed to be fantastic for sunset views. No pretty sunset, tonight. However, it was still a very good place to eat!

Entering McGraw's Cantina.

McGraw's indoor decor.

View from McGraw's.

BBQ chicken, baked potato,
steamed veggies.

Bob and I at McGraw's Cantina.

We had a lovely evening and it was time for us to get ready to hit the road tomorrow. On the way back to the fairgrounds, we made a stop for provisions at Walmart. That's where we saw the sunset!

I guess we were at McGraw's too early for sunset!

Back at the 5th wheel, I got ready to roll. Usually, that means vacuuming and tidying everything, basically battening down the hatches. Tomorrow, Phoenix and family!

Thank you to everyone who put on an excellent Escapade. We enjoyed the entertainment, the beautifully done Program Book, the speakers and seminar subjects, and all the thought and effort that the staff and volunteers contributed. 

We especially want to thank Dale Kennedy from Fresno, California, for rescuing us and our 5th wheel from the campground we were in when our truck broke down. He took time away from his first Sunday to haul our 5th wheel with his Chevy Silverado. It took an hour round-trip, plus the time it took him to get from the fairgrounds to the Pima Air & Space Museum to pick Bob up. What a wonderful group of people. Again, thank you so much to everyone.

Before closing out today's blog, we wanted to share our feelings about boondocking. We have not gone more than one night without hookups before so we only had a smidgen of an idea how to boondock. Boondocking, for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, means dry camping (no water, no electric, and you can only use propane heat if you don't need electricity for the fan). I did attend one discussion years ago at Howard and Linda's RV-Dreams Rally in Kerrville, Texas, where there were tips about how to save water boondocking. 

Here's what WE learned boondocking for five nights (with no solar back-up, and only one 12-volt battery, and a 3,800 generator):

• We knew how to keep the black tank from filling up. No problem there.
• Without being able to run the generator overnight, we had no heat.
• Our low temperatures in Tucson overnight were in the 30s and low 40s. Four blankets and a 20-pound cat did not keep us warm. We could not start the generator until 7:00 a.m. due to the quiet hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Brr!!
• The generator could run 3-4 hours, depending on usage, with the gas in the tank and then it had to be refilled.
• We were never sure if we should leave the generator going if we left the 5th wheel to go to class, so we turned it off.
• If we did not run the generator so it could charge our battery, the water pump would not work; therefore, no flushing toilet or running water at all.
• Even though our water tank was full to the top when we pulled in, and even though we reduced our water use as much as possible, we ran out of fresh water in 3-1/2 days. That necessitated closing up the rig and driving to the other end of the fairgrounds to fill with water. (We're glad it was so close!)
• Boondocking at the fairgrounds was in a gravel field filled with those tiny little burs that get tracked in on your shoes. Ouch! No fun.

The upshot of all this is we learned we could survive for 3-1/2 days without hookups, but we're thankful that we have reservations in parks with water and electric hookups for the rest of our trip. We decided we would rather not boondock. It's not for us. As Forrest Gump would say, "And that's all I have to say about that."

Best Escapade Seminars So Far! - Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Today's seminars are so interesting, it's hard to choose which ones to go to! The first set of seminars at 8:30 a.m. offered five choices that sounded really interesting: 

• Historicorps - A Workforce for Saving Places: Join a Histori-Corps volunteer crew to save America's historic and cultural places for generations to come. Develop your preservation skills; carpentry, masonry, roofing, to window restoration, and make new friends in the process! It's free, and we provide campsites, meals, tools, and training. Volunteer projects take place on spectacular public lands, including National Parks and National Forests.
• Canada's Eastern Atlantic Provinces: Rugged coastlines, picturesque bays, towering cliffs, and sandy beaches. Join us for the incredible sights of the Maritime Provinces by RV. Let us take you to the Gaspesie Peninsula, Acadian Coast, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.
• Boondocking Basics: How to find places to boondock and get your RV set up for camping without hookups.
• RV Tire Safety: Tires are one of the most valuable components of the RV. A presentation of factual, honest, RV-specific information about the demands on RV tires and associated safety issues.
• Insurance - What Affects Rates and Why: Come hear how insurance companies are different, what affects your rates, and what specialty coverages are available with an RV Insurance Specialist.

Oh, the dilemma of picking class(es) to attend. Bob and I will often divide and conquer; he'll go to one seminar and I'll go to another. However, today we BOTH wanted to learn about Canada's Maritime Provinces. This was a wonderful presentation. Fantasy RV Tours checked all the boxes on making us want to go to Eastern Canada. Our presenter showed beautiful photos of small villages, gorgeous ocean views, and told us about cozy campgrounds. We learned about the history of the region and places to see unique sights. Since we will be in Bar Harbor, Maine for a couple of weeks this summer, we may take a day trip up to Canada. 

The 10:00 a.m. seminar offerings were also hard to choose from:

• Border Talk
• RV Weights and Balances
• Here Are Your Keys to Happier RVing
• RVing to Alaska, Is A Caravan Right for You?
• Off Grid RVing

For us, the Border Talk presented by the Tucson Sector Border Patrol was the hot topic. Even though we would have liked the other presentations, the Border Patrol is so relevant in today's political and social arena that we thought this talk was a must. We were not disappointed. The two Border Patrol agents who spoke were excellent and told lots of stories, had photos that creeped us out, and gave statistics about who comes across the border and what the statistics mean. (They don't always mean what the media or politicos want you to think they mean.) Another topic that is important to them is the procedures and obstacles in enforcing the law.

The other class we wanted to attend was one by Cindy Boyd of Alaska Excursion Caravan. We spoke to her at length in her booth the day before and picked up useful information then. That sounds like a caravan that is right for us. We don't know what year we might do it, but it's on the bucket list.

At 11:30 a.m., Bob went to "RVing to Alaska," by Adventure Caravans. I went to "Mummies, Museums, and More: Visit Shawnee" (Oklahoma). There were three other great talks that would have taught us about "Escapees CARE, Inc. Update," "Equipping Your RV for Electrical Independence" (about installing solar and inverter systems), and "What to Do When Your RV is Working, but Everything Around You Isn't."

The Shawnee, Oklahoma talk was good. There are things to see there that you probably wouldn't see anywhere else. Danielle Rains invited us to check out the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center and to see the only Egyptian mummies in the state at Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art. She also mentioned that we should go to Van's Pig Stand for premium BBQ.

Even though Tuesday afternoon had some good seminars, we decided it was time to do laundry. I also wanted to take my National Park Passport book back to the Visitor Center to get stamps because I forgot to do that the day we Volksmarched there. 

We Googled a laundromat and found a huge one in Tucson and when we arrived we were the only ones there. We had our laundry done in 1-1/2 hours. Efficient, if not the most interesting thing we could have been doing. Seminars we missed that would have been fun or informative were: 

• Having Fun with Your Kitchen Toys
• Safe Travels - Situational Awareness from Your RV
• Boondocking FAQ's and Chat

Too much good stuff with too little time. This evening, we had a beautiful sunset and moonrise at the fairgrounds.

Sunset from the boondocking area
at Pima County Fairgrounds.

Full moon rising. 

No entertainment tonight, only rehearsal for "Escapade's Got Talent!" show for tomorrow night. We had a quiet night in.

Delving into the 59th Escapade - Monday, March 18, 2019

Today was our first full day of the 59th Escapade. It was a day for us to acclimatize ourselves to the rhythm of the event. 

Bob wanted to go to a seminar on "Investing Strategies for RVers" at 8:30 a.m. Not me. I stayed in bed and made it to "Easy, Effective, Economical RV Tips & Tricks" with Bob at 10:00 a.m. Both of us enjoyed the Tips and Tricks class. They taught us about a number of good products they sell at their booth. We bought some of their items on the last day of The Market.

The repair shop where our truck was imprisoned was supposed to call us about 9:00 a.m. to let us know what they found and give us a quote on fixing it. Well, they didn't call. Bob had to call them. They hadn't found anything as of 9:50 a.m. and needed until noon. We were hoping they would have it fixed today so we could turn our rental car in.

In the middle of the day, we took a break and relaxed in the rig. At 1:30, we went to "Driving Your RV Safely." The class had good reminders of how to respond to different situations. For example, do your best to keep your RV in the clear when driving in traffic. Don't get clustered up in heavy traffic, keep space between you and other vehicles, leave plenty of stopping distance. Also, people are going to cut you off, pull in front of you and go slow. Let them. Don't get angry. Keep your cool and drive defensively. 

Bob called the truck repair place again. They found a bad relay switch which they replaced. They weren't sure the problem was fixed, so they wanted to keep the truck another day and test turning it off and on to make sure it would keep starting. They said they'd call us back Tuesday morning.

There weren't any classes we wanted to take later in the afternoon. We did, however, want to go to the RV Country "Margarita" Happy Hour event. We got there about 5:00 p.m. and all the margaritas were gone as well as most of the appetizers. The RV show dealer's Happy Hour started at 4:30 on Monday, but today it started at 4:00 p.m. We didn't know that, so we missed out. 

Since we were there, we walked through a number of 5th wheels. After all these years in our 5th wheel, we're still happy with it. None of the other 5th wheels on the lot tempted us to trade ours in.

After the Happy Hour, Bob and I walked back to the 5th wheel in the boondocking area. It was a gorgeous evening, but a cold wind blew in. 

Boondocking area. 

Escapade boondocking area at
Pima County Fairgrounds.

Our entertainment tonight was "The Redhead Express." They were an enjoyable four-sister singing act who did amazing harmonies, rock, pop, and country. For part of the evening, their two brothers and "a brother from another mother" entertained us with energetic, fun music. The show was a hit!

Redhead Express

Redhead Express

As an aside, we could only run our generators until 10:00 p.m. which made it hard to heat our 5th wheel before bed. The evening entertainment went from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. or so. We left a little early so we could heat our rig for a bit before bed. Nighttime temperatures were in the 30s! Brr! Even with four blankets on, we weren't warm. I did not sleep well. Strike 1 against boondocking.

59th Escapees Escapade Rally and Truck Stuff - Sunday, March 17, 2019

Last night, we were stressed about the pick-up truck situation. This morning, we took action. At 8:30 a.m., we were in the parking lot at Pima Air & Space Museum. (Yes, they open the gate earlier than 9:00 a.m.) 

Bob changed out both batteries on the truck and turned the key. Same problem: lights came on, the seat automatically adjusted, but the engine did not turn over. Major bummer! 

Another call was placed to Good Sam Roadside Assistance. Everything from yesterday was explained again: that a tow truck did not reach us in time to tow us out before they locked the gate and we had to cancel the call yesterday. Now we need someone to tow us this morning. Bob had called a couple of tow companies and was told they could tow us but that they couldn't do the work on Sunday. Bob let Good Sam know of the two companies who could tow us and one of them was signed up to tow for Good Sam Roadside Assistance. We were told they would be there in an hour.

And so we waited. While we waited, we asked people if they could keep the disabled parking free in front of our truck because we didn't know how much room the tow truck was going to need. There was plenty of disabled parking and the people were very nice about moving.

When the to truck arrived, it was a flatbed. We had no idea how he was going to maneuver the pick-up out of the parking spot onto the tow truck. He was very professional and you can see the process in the photos below. This was about 10:00 a.m. The white Kia Soul was our rental car and I was able to move it to give the tow truck driver room to move the pick-up truck through that site. 

Kia Soul is our rental, and Beauty, our truck. 

Tow truck on the left.

Bob had to crank the wheel
really hard to turn the truck.

Winching the truck up onto the
tow truck's flatbed.

Meanwhile, Dale Kennedy from Fresno, California, heard of our plight on the 2019 Escapade Facebook page. He contacted Bob and asked if he could tow our 5th wheel from the campground where we had been for the past three days to the Pima County Fairgrounds where we had a reservation in the boondocking area starting today. He had a big Chevy Silverado. The drive to and from our campground was an hour round-trip. What a Good Samaritan! We were so thankful for his help. His actions exemplify the spirit of the Escapees. What a relief. This allowed us to participate in the Opening Ceremony of the rally and proceed with our truck repair.

The Opening Ceremony at 3:30 p.m. amazed us with the number of people attending. This is our first Escapade. There were many vendors that sponsored specific events and door prizes. They were acknowledged with banners in the meeting hall. The ceremony consisted of introductions of key people and volunteers, a summary of what to expect, rules and regulations, and talks from Escapees President and Vice President, Travis and Melanie Carr, and the Escapees CEO, Shawn Loring. 

Immediately following the Opening Ceremony, there was an Ice Cream Social which consisted of volunteers handing out ice cream bars at the exit. From there, we walked across the road to "Central Park" at the fairgrounds. There all first-timers to an Escapade had an introductory potluck. We met many fun and interesting people and somehow there was enough food for all of us: everything from Chex mix to meatballs to fruit plates, cupcakes, veggies trays, etc. That was our dinner.

First-timers potluck.

Wow! Lots of people here for the first time!

Another side of Central Park. 

We had a little free time to go back to our 5th wheel before the evening festivities. At 7:00 p.m., we were back in Thurber Hall where announcements were made and we had a big door prize drawing. Our entertainment for the evening would be The American Rogues, fitting for St. Patrick's Day.

Things got off to a bit of a rocky start because there were problems with the sound. Eventually, they got the sound to work (mostly), and the ensuing entertainment was a rollicking good time. The American Rogues description in our Program Book is as follows:

"With headlining shows in Asia, Europe, Canada, and from New York to California, The American Rogues are taking on the worlds of Celtic, rock, roots, soundtrack, world, military, Japanese, and classical music. The American Rogues aren't satisfied with classifications like "trad" and "Celtic rock." So they coined their own genre 'CeltRockFolkWorld ClassicalMusicForTheMasses.' Granted, it's a bit of a mouthful, but it allows The American Rogues to acknowledge the many influences and styles incorporated in the music they play. Perhaps the most essential part of that self-titled classification is 'for the masses:' this band makes the dynamic fusions of old and new Irish music accessible for modern North American culture...The Official Band of the National Navy Seal Museum."

What a wonderful kick-off concert for Escapade! We enjoyed the show immensely, especially the bagpiper and accordion player. I've never seen an accordion played that fast. The standing ovation was well deserved. Bob and I thought the bagpiper is as much a virtuoso as Rick Wakeman is on the synthesizer, organ, and piano.

And so ended our first day of Escapade. We have four more days of seminars, Dog Park Socials, crafts, RV show, The Market, The Row (booths with SKP [Escapees] clubs, and BoF [Birds of a Feather] clubs), entertainment, Wi-Fi Cafe, RV Country daily happy hours, and line dancing classes.

We would like to state that we are actually boondocking (camping with no hook-ups using a generator and only on-board water in our fresh-water tank). We've never done it before and we'll let you know how it goes. We are pretty far out in the boondocking area so every time we walk back and forth to classes, etc. it's 3/4 mile to one-mile round-trip. Sometimes we catch a ride on a golf cart if we're running late.

Travelbug out.