Outrunning the Heat and Wildfires to Reach the U.S. Coast
This is our first RV trip back to the United States since we
drove our Regency Class C motorhome to Arizona to sell it in early 2020. (You can read about that
trip at OUR LAST RV TRIP IN MÉXICO AND WHY! New Travel Plans) Minnie Winnie is
making her first road trip from La Peñita de Jaltemba, Mexico to Oregon. As
with all adventures, some unexpected events in the U.S. slowed us down.
I was uneasy about crossing the border as Americans with Mexican Permanent Resident Visas driving an RV with Michoacan, MX plates. To make matters worse, we missed the Mariposa crossing exit and drove through the center of Nogales, MX, where RVs are forbidden. Fortunately, a trinket vendor told us to get in a dirt lane along the railroad tracks because RVs and buses won’t fit through the Nogales centro entries. We received a gentle scolding from the U.S. immigration officer for not crossing at the Mariposa truck crossing, but he was kind as he checked our passports and wished us better luck following Google Maps next time.😅
Our border crossing went smoothly, and we entered Arizona! A whole new kind of heat awaited us--blistering hot and bone dry.
We outran the Arizona heat and plowed through a dust storm near Buckeye, AZ—we didn’t stop in Arizona except to change drivers and grab a snack from the fridge.
It was my turn to drive through San Bernadino, California when the heat caused a massive front tire blowout. Jon said I handled the rig well, braking smoothly and pulling safely to the shoulder. We sat there only thirty minutes after calling for help when a roadside assistance guy arrived. Jon enjoyed helping the serviceman remove the wrecked tire and put on our spare, even in that scorching hot weather!
It was time to buy a complete set of new tires. We drove slowly to the closest Les Schwab Tire Center in Fontana, CA, and got five new tires (darn, they didn't have all 6). The guys were great, working until 8:00 to get us back on the road. They warned us that our brakes were in dangerously poor condition and needed to be replaced.
So, we drove slowly and carefully for hours after sunset to reach our reserved Santa Barbara campsite. It was good practice to downshift and use the Tow Haul rather than our brakes to slow our speed. We were glad to have missed rush-hour traffic.
I feel a special connection to Santa Barbara because it is Puerto Vallarta’s sister city. The palm trees, the Pacific Ocean, delicious fresh seafood, sunny weather, and beautiful beaches make us feel at home. The Sunrise RV Park was an excellent central jumping-off place for walks and Uber pickups.
How We Choose Our Camping Sites in July and August:
1. We wanted to be near the California and Oregon Coasts to avoid the heat and wildfire smoke typical in late summer. Our RV air conditioner can't keep the rig cool in temperatures over 82 degrees, so we're hugging the coast. (We'll be solving that later.)
2. Within walking distance of restaurants so we can get exercise and tour the area on the way to lunch or dinner. Or, we want access to bus, Uber, or taxi services to get around since we don't have a car.
3. I search for areas with views of blue water, such as the ocean, bay, lake, or river. This gives us a dose of Blue Mind (or Blue Water Effect, as I like to call it), a calming effect that improves mental health.
4. After our dash north through Mexico, I wanted campgrounds or RV parks that allowed us to stay for three to four days so our travel would be relaxing and unhurried.
Then, it was time to find the next Les Schwab to purchase our sixth tire and new brakes for all four wheels. Minnie Winnie will be ready for many more Mexican miles after replacing all four brakes and six tires at Les Schwab.
We were so glad to be able to have this work done while in the U.S., where they could obtain these parts. It was a big job, but they did it in one ten-hour day! Jon says we're rebuilding her from the ground up. 😀
Time to Get Back to the Coast of California!
I'm Thinking of Changing This Book Cover:
