Day # 2 – January 12, 2022

Motel – Truck – Shop – RV – Lake Pleasant Regional Park

Well, now that my alternate self had a chance to whine, it’s time for the adult self to make an appearance.😅

No time to sleep in today. First, off to the free cold breakfast buffet the hotel offers until 9:00 a.m. everyone is expected to wear masks inside, except while eating, so that was good. They had hot items as well for choices in December, but there wasn’t today. That was a disappointment. Hot coffee, cereal, orange juice and a bagel were good.

Next I stopped at the office so they could click open the gate for me so I could retrieve my truck from the secure parking lot. It had a thin coating of dust, but I thought it would be way worse. No dings or scratches either and it started fine. I drove to my motel room and started loading.

The next step was to program my GPS for the closest gas station and to fill up. That completed, I programmed for a Walmart on the way to my RV storage. Although it would be easier to buy the groceries and put them right into my RV in the parking lot, it is a lot easier to just zip in with the truck alone. There are so many Walmarts in Phoenix, that it was easy to find one near my storage unit. 😃

I had been making a list of items that I needed to purchase in order to restock my refrigerator and freezer. I even called up the picture I took of my refrigerator door when it was still full of all the condiments. That was a lot to purchase. The next items were the frozen meats, frozen vegetables, fresh fruits, bread, eggs, milk and orange juice. I could not buy any fresh meats because of the period of time it would be before I got my RV and the refrigerator /freezer would be cold enough. I took a picture of my cart as I waited forever in line to check out. Guess how much all of that costs! 🤔 And I can’t believe I forgot to get wine!!!

it was over an hour of shopping and a lot of bags to put in the truck. Next stop, the Honey Bee RV storage facility. ( They actually donate part of their profits for bee research and preservation) when I first brought my RV for storage here, they were still finishing up some of the sections, as this was a new location. Although this was a new site, this is a chain that is in multiple states and numerous places in Arizona. I liked what I saw online. What I did not expect was the amount of paperwork involved! It was over an hour and I am not exaggerating! Even the manager stated that it takes about as long as it does when you’re selling a house 😲 For example, proof of own insurance ( sign ) proof of ownership of RV (sign ) statement understanding facility does not cover any damage to your RV ( sign) standard contract information ( sign) standards of payment and initial payment ( sign) process for removing RV and ending contract ( sign) etc. I was actually given a folder to keep everything in! 🙄 However when I came to pick up my RV, it was pretty straightforward and I was out the door in no time.

The exterior of the RV looked just fine. I went inside and the temperature read 58°I was glad it was cool. My biggest concern was the heat, as that would be detrimental for all the woodwork inside. In addition it would make my cereals and boxed foods stale. I’m sure the roof made the difference plus the evenings are much cooler around Phoenix in December. I checked out the tires for any flats and everything looked good. I had to think about it again, as I hooked up. It had been quite a while. All went well and before long I was pulling out and on to the nearby city streets. That gave me a chance to feel comfortable again before I hit the highway.

the GPS and I planned my route to Lake Pleasant Regional Park where I had reservations again. I checked the route first because sometimes it likes to go on the scenic route because it is shorter! 😬 So I followed it for some of its choices and went my own way for other parts. I love that the GPS figures it out and eventually catches up with you. Surprisingly it is only 29 miles from the storage facility but it takes 45 minutes. After a few miles it felt pretty familiar and good to be driving it again.

By mid-afternoon I was checking into the Regional Park and finding the site that I had reserved. The campground is called Roadrunner Campground and has scenic views of the mountains, desert and the reservoir from almost every site. They are also uniquely built on and around a hill, so all the sites are at different heights. This way you have space between you and you are never side by side looking at each other. 👍

I had one of the nicer sites that are located higher up on the hill. However I had to back uphill and turn the RV on the passenger side so it’s all use of mirrors and difficult to see. It didn’t go too badly but I did have to go in and out of the truck a few times to make sure where I was. And there are a few forwards and backwards to get it just right. There are three posts on one side that protect the utilities from getting struck. On the other side there is a nice metal roof that is over the picnic table. The challenge is to get between both of them, still be able to open your RV door and not hit the roof and to get your slides out. That is what takes the most maneuvering. Often I have about 4 inches to spare between my slides and the posts. It sure challenges you. But the sites are really nice. It is very difficult to get in here without scheduling it 6 months ahead of time. But once in awhile you can get lucky and get a few days because of cancellations. But the weekends are booked solid.

Once I was backed in, I went about the business of setting up an unhooking. Then I realized I still had not put my groceries into the refrigerator and freezer! 🙄🤦 So bags and bags of groceries came in to be put away. Did I tell you that when I had just the truck alone I also went through McDonald’s? 🍔 🍟 Boy was that good! That held me over through the evening 😅

I then brought in my backpack and bag and left the suitcase for another day!

Another day completed! Now I hope to relax and sleep in tomorrow!!! 💤