| On the 14th we left our friends and moved just down
the road to Apache Palms RV site in Tempe. This was to fill up with water
and settle everything down for the long trip. We also made the decision to
replace the 4 underrated D tyres for the correct E ratings. This was
expensive but the roads we will be travelling are not of the best and it
does mean we can carry some spares. |  |
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The drive down the I10 to Tucson was not wonderful since we had a 30mph
crosswind most of the way. It doesn't sound much but our RV is like a giant
sail and is really tricky to handle in wind. Also the wind stirs up the dust
in the desert and visibility really deteriorates. Otherwise the views
would be of wide open vistas.... |
| Beyond Tucson you really start to leave civilisation
behind. Bisbee is about 50 miles south of Tucson and about 20 miles north of
the border. We have visited before in 2005 to see the huge copper mine
there. This is desolate country. |  |
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We stayed at Shady Palms RV site just through Bisbee. This is famous for
Dot's diner - which was closed, but we are travelling out of season as most
of the snowbirds have gone back home for the summer. |
| It is also famous for its collection of static
caravans in which you can stay. These are mostly Airstreams which are still
made today but have a sort of 1950s feel to them. |  |
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Note the air conditioning units on top. I don't think these are original
equipment but probably quite necessary in the summer. |
| Having said that, it can get quite cold here since the
altitude is almost 5000ft. Note the exaggerated curves at the far end of
this model. |  |
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This isn't an Airstream but is a popular early conversion of a Bluebird bus.
These were common in the 50s and many were part of the Greyhound fleet. We
have seen a number of conversions to produce an early class A. |
| The Americans don't just do up old cars. This was in
one of the camping slots. It is an old Dodge truck, probably from the 50s
but I have no idea if it still works. |  |
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