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Tucson to Yuma on Interstate 8 provides time to experience the wide variety
of Sirius Radio channels. Satellite radio is an excellent investment for any
RVer on the road. Looking at cacti (the plural of cactus for others educated in
Mississippi) and listening to the all-Elvis channel, what more could a southern
boy ask for? The Border Patrol is quite active along this route, and on three
occasions, we went through inspection points.
Yuma is literally on the
California state line and just a stone's throw from Mexico. Numerous RV Parks
are filled in the winter months by snowbirds fleeing the cold. Using the
flip-a-coin method of selecting an RV Park, we wound up at the Cocopah RV and
Golf Resort. If you love golf, this is your heaven, but unless you intend to
spend a lot of quality time on the course, you might seek a park more
conveniently located. We were so close to the golf course, they put up a screen
to protect us from errant drives.
If you have never seen celery, lettuce and
cauliflower growing in the field, Yuma is your stop. It is also brimming with
sit-down restaurants, such as Johnny Corinos. Though Yuma is worth a stop if you
are in the area, I can't honestly put it on my list of must-see cities.
During cool months, the drive from Yuma to San Diego along Interstate 8 is a
most interesting one. The terrain not so gradually moves from sea level to over
four thousand feet. During one long stretch, all you see on both sides of the
road are huge rocks, giving the appearance that some giant hammer had broken
down the mountains.
On the down side, traveling this stretch in an RV during
summer is a little risky. Every mile or so, there is a sign advising that
radiator water is available. At one point, they instruct you to turn off the air
conditioner so your vehicle won't overheat. Now imagine it is way yonder
(southern term meaning "a whole lot") over 100 degrees outside. Some experienced
RVers told me they travel this stretch only at night.
The San Diego RV Resort
just off Interstate 8 and Lake Murray Road was our first stop. Paved level
sites, hot clean showers and a good location almost make the price worthwhile
($45 per day). Downsides include: only one modem hookup, no heated pool (they
call themselves a resort after all), not having the discount coupons they
advertised, and the surprise increase in fees for the weekend preceding
President's Day. President's Day is a fine holiday and one worth celebrating,
but as an excuse to raise the rental fee by $13 a day, I don't think so.
San
Diego County has a number of RV parks and campgrounds (http://www.sdparks.org)
that are well worth checking out, both because they are inexpensive and well
maintained. In an effort to be more economical, we moved to Lake Jennings Park
with a view overlooking the lake, and though it was a few miles further out, the
$40 a night savings made it worthwhile.
Recommended stop: The San Diego Zoo
is a must-see for anyone even remotely interested in animals. Unless you are
really into walking, pay the extra few bucks and get a ticket that allows you to
ride the buses. One bus is a guided tour giving you an excellent overview of the
zoo. Another bus will pick you up at designated points throughout the park. For
lunch try Albert's, a surprisingly good restaurant, though not cheap.
"But
we only have an annual average rainfall of 4.5 inches." Were these the words
spoken by Noah's neighbors as he began the Ark or every television weather
forecaster from San Diego to Las Vegas? Well, I can't be sure about Noah's
neighbors, but we heard those words nightly for several weeks as it continued to
rain.
Fleeing San Diego before the next rainfall we took Interstate 15 to
Barstow. There's really no good reason to stop at Barstow since Las Vegas is
only about 100 miles away, but live and learn. The KOA at Barstow is adequate,
unless you want to use the Internet. The modem they advertise is also connected
to their credit card approval so if anyone checks in using a credit card, you
are disconnected.
On a cloudy Monday, we completed the trip to Las Vegas and
checked into the KOA at Circus Circus. Since Las Vegas is a popular stop for
almost everyone, I'll spend some time talking about our experiences, both good
and bad, beginning with the KOA. It is, as advertised, the only RV park on the
strip (Las Vegas Blvd.), though that doesn't necessarily mean it is the closest
to where you might want to go. From the Stratosphere on the northern edge to
Mandalay Bay on the south, it is about six miles, give or take a blister.
Level and paved sites with clean bathrooms are the best features of the
park. If you want to connect to the Internet, all I can say is, good luck. KOA
has instituted a wireless system that you pay to use, but at the Circus Circus
KOA, the signal doesn't get much past the front door of the office. They offer
no other methods of Internet connection. If you are willing to pay KOA for their
wireless service, you could take your laptop to the office and use it between
the pool table and air hockey game. There is also no cable availability.
The
manager assured me they were going to put additional antennas on the restrooms
and that service would be available throughout the park by summer. He also said
they would have computers in the office that would, for a fee, allow you to
check your e-mail. Free Internet connection should be the rule in my opinion.
From the park it is quite a distance through Circus Circus to Las Vegas Blvd
(the strip) where many of the more famous casinos are located. In fact, the
newer ones such as MGM Grand, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island, Luxor, New York
New York, Paris and Mandalay Bay are closer to the southern half of the
strip.
Las Vegas has provided a number of ways to get around, but be sure to
wear comfortable shoes because you will be walking. The Las Vegas Trolley will
eventually get you around for $5 a day or $1.75 per ride. There is also a
monorail, a bus system and plenty of cabs. If you have a tow, there is plenty of
free parking, but the strip gets awfully congested.
Great, cheap food in Las
Vegas is a long-standing myth. You will find plenty of good food, but much of it
is pricey. The cost of shows runs from $20 to a couple of hundred bucks. We
spent $77 a ticket for Bally's "Jubilee" and a little under $50 a ticket for the
next to last row at Mandalay Bay's "Mama Mia".
Recommended shows: "Jubilee". Las Vegas' adult entertainment with fantastic
special effects. "Mama Mia": an energetic musical for the entire family.
Recommended restaurants: Mesa Grill at Caesar's Palace is Bobby Flay's
restaurant for those of you into television chefs. Great food, but you'll have
to watch what you order if on a budget. Caribe in the Mirage provides a good
variety of selections at reasonable prices.
Our next stop is Phoenix, AZ.
See you on the road.
Jack Kean is a columnist and the author of
Being From The South Doesn't Make Me Stupid, Deadly Sacrifice and now his new
book, What If The Winner Dies. You can read an excerpt from his new book and
several of his humorous articles on his website, www.jackkean.com.
Copyright
Jack Kean 2004.
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