Off To Yuma….Gold….And Mexico!
We’ve made it to our next stop and yet another great boondocking spot. The town of Yuma, AZ sits right on the Mexican border and is a rather “hot” winter RV spot. Thousands of RVers come here, most of them cramming into massive RV parks that line the highway into (and out of) town. It’s the draw of consistently mild winter weather, inexpensive parks and a good-sized town with just about everything you’d need that brings the crowds. Plus, there’s Los Algodones just across the way.We come for ALL those reasons, but we prefer to eschew the sardine-packs and park out in the wilds just west of town on Ogilby Road by the dark & alluring Cargo Muchacho Mountains.
This is where we find our peace. The boondocking site here is not nearly as attractive as our last spot at Borrego Springs. The roads are drearily flat apart from near the mountains, and on that side you’re presented with shockingly dark hills that are covered in unforgiving rocks. It’s like a moonscape gone wild. But there’s a few particular things which make this place rather special. First it’s HUGE and that means it’s super easy to find a spot all to yourselves even if you’re “beast-size”. That’s a boon for those looking to escape…and hide…if only just for a while. We totally enjoyed the rush of community & social activity in Borrego Springs this past month, but right now this is exactly what we need -> a spot where we can hang, play and even dance naked (if we so wish) without the risk of sending our neighbors into a comatose shock. We typically drive pretty far back into this area and tuck into a super-private site by the hills, and when we arrived yesterday our usual spot was empty with not another RV in sight. Perfect!
The other draw is the GOLD. Oh yeah baby….there’s gold in them thar hills. The chocolate-colored hills got their name, so it’s told, from two young Mexican boys who found gold ore in the hills and came back with their shirts loaded = the muchachos cargados (loaded boys) thus giving the name to the range. If you spend enough time knocking around here you’ll meet old-timers who’ve bought-up small parcels of land and spend the winter seeking treasure from their trailers. Plus American Girl Mine, just down the road, is active again after many years dormant. Two years ago I noticed the land was listed for sale for a bargain $3 million. Clearly that was low enough for someone to snap it up and today the spot is a buzz of activity with trucks carting loads of “stuff” out of the pit. And then of course, there’s the fabulous Tumco Ghost Town, a total “must see” for anyone in the area. If you love ghost stories, old mines & the gold & glittery stuff you’ll love this spot!
So, you never know baby….we might get lucky. I have our gold-sniffing cats on the case and expect great things. After all, there’s gotta be a reason I fed them all these years, right??!!
But of course the other reason to come here is Los Algodones. We moved our yearly dental check-ups to Mexico last year, something many RVers do and save (on average) 2/3 on their dental costs. Last year I got a new root canal and crown, finally fixing a botched-up root canal that I’d had many, many years ago. All was fine with the root canal, but my gums had changed around the crown (they’d drawn back over the past year leaving a small gap underneath). I knew this coming in because I’d noticed some food getting stuck under the edge of the crown over the past few months. This is not an unusual thing and is just something you deal with in dental work => not all mouths (and gums) heal the same and changes happen along the way.
My dentist confirmed my diagnosis when I got in yesterday and, even though it wasn’t strictly necessary to fix it, offered to re-do the porcelain crown for the lab costs ($100) for a better fit. So, once again, I have a gap in my mouth and will get a brand new (and even better, I hope) fitting crown next week. I’m not at all worried about this and I’m still perfectly happy with my dentist Dr. Eva Urena. She took her time carefully removing the old crown, took two impressions of my teeth for a more accurate fit and was very detailed in what was going to happen. Her cleaning was once again somewhat faster than I like, but she got the stains off my teeth and they look good. Paul also had a cleaning & will get a small filling for his very first (EVER) cavity when I go back for the new crown next week.
So, after a year I don’t have much to add to my Mexico dental posts. The border parking has increased by $1 to $6, but otherwise my experience & impressions are the same. We’re happy with our Mexico dentist and plan to keep Los Algodones for all our main dental work going forward. My posts from last year are here:
- Getting Dental Work In Mexico Part I – Clarifying Myths & Facts
- Getting Dental Work In Mexico Part II – Our Los Algodones Experience
That’s about it from the boonies of Yuma. We’ll be doing a few select activities over the next week while we wait for my gums to heal, but otherwise we’ll be mostly lounging & gold-digging (just for good measure). Then, once I’m all prettied up again we’ll be headed to Quartzsite and the big show. The rest of winter will be more of the same. We expect to boondock and knock around Arizona right up until the weather changes and then we’ll be heading north. Adios amigos…if you don’t hear from me again it’s because the cats hit the jackpot.
P.S. By the way, a fun little aside. If you google “Ogilby Road” the first two images that pop up are Polly checking out an old mining site and our rig boondocked on the road. And if you try “American Girl Mine” you’ll get a shot of Paul by the mining pit. Try it! I guess we’re popular on Google images, in a very, very small way LOL.
P.P.S. No images coming through on the e-mail feeds (as usual) so click on through to see the shots.
I am glad you got those wine stains cleaned off your teeth! 😉 I will be doing the same on 1/23. Will you guys still be in the area. We will be in Yuma for 3 days starting on 1/22/14. Hope to stop by for a quick visit. Hans and Lisa
We’ll probably be gone by then. Planning to head to Quartzsite next Friday or Sat, so sadly will just miss you. You headed to the big show?
Nina
No Q this year… after Yuma we head to Picacho Peak State Park and then Desert Trails just west of Tucson. Have fun and Happy New Year!
Ah, we may just miss ya then. We’ll be in Tuscon in about a month or so, so if you’re still hanging in that area we should try end hookup there.
Nina
Hi
How long and where are you going to be in Quartzsite?? We are leaving Why on the 20th Jan and heading to Plomosa Rd in Q for an Alpine Coach rally and the shows. Maybe we will see you there!
Another question : Have you ever boondocked at Hot Wells Dunes near Safford AZ? Just wondering if a big rig can get in there.
We’re not really sure how long we’ll be staying at Q. We have tentative plans to roll-in this week-end and maybe stay a week or so. We’ll be with the Monaco Group in La Posa South.
We’ve never boondocked at Hot Wells Dunes so can’t comment unfortunately. If you do go let us know!
Nina
If we do go to Hot Wells we will let you know how it is for boondocking and for big rigs!
Geoff
Thanks Geoff…please do! You’d be pioneering the way for us 🙂
Nina
We are headed to Quartzite around the 22nd perhaps we’ll see ya there… Yeah right among the 4 or 5 thousand RV’s ha ha ha… Yah never know though… South of I-10 on 95 La Posa West area…
I’ll try and spot ya LOL!! We’ll actually be pretty close in La Posa South.
Nina
Love that picture of a certain canine looking so alive watching the sunset. Good luck on the mining. Remember I’m really your first cousin 3 times removed if you strike it rich!
LOL, I think we’ll suddenly have ALOT of new friends if we strike it rich 🙂
Nina
I was very impressed with Dr. Urena when I saw her for some dental work in December– one of the most honest, detail-oriented dentists I’ve ever been to. Thanks for your original posts on Algodones and for recommending her! I’m spending the winter in Mexico (down in Mazatlan right now) and I must say the weather and people here have been absolutely phenomenal! RVers really need to put Mexico back on their list of great places to RV!
Always good to hear positive feedback. I have exactly the same impression of her…detailed, careful and honest. Glad to hear you had a good experience too!
Nina
P.S. Been thinking more and more about RVing to Mexico…it’s on “the list”
We are leaving Whidbey Island on Monday heading for AZ for a few months. Will be at QZ next Saturday for a few days then heading over to Usery SP in Phoenix for 10 days then to Catalina SP for 2 weeks. After that heading up to Lk Havasu…would love to stop by and say hello at some point!
Well we’ll be in La Posa South with the iRV2 crowd. You’re most welcome to drop by! They’re typically camped in a big circle just about 1/2 mile down the road. A bunch of Monaco rigs.
Nina
We will be in the Quartzsite area around that same time–we like to camp over near the little town of Bouse, about 25 miles from Quartzsite and much quieter. There is also the little community park in Bouse which allows you to dump and fill with water, last time we were there it was $10. I am heading to Arkansas January 23 leaving the cowboy and Emmi to fend for themselves.
Will you be leaving the cowboy at Bouse? We’ll be in La Posa for the show, but thinking of heading out of Q right after to see Parker & the surroundings. Might be tempted to join you in Bouse.
Nina
Yep, leaving the cowboy to fend for himself. My Mom is having a knee replacement. We would love to have you guys join us in our special spot at Bouse!
Hmmmm…we may well take you up on that offer. We could even help feed the cowboy while you’re gone. I’ll keep in touch as our plans firm up.
Nina
We will be in Yuma, in a week, or less, for Kim to have dental work. Hope to see you there. We will spend the mnt., of February in Palm Desert, and then back to Marin, for 3 mnts. Else.
If you get here before 17th Jan definitely let me know!! We’ll be heading out Friday or Sat of next week, but will be hanging until then.
Nina
That was a great boondocking area even if we only stayed a few nights. Next year
we’ll have to stay longer and explore more. Last time it was a quicky before we moved on.
Hope you strike it rich!! Have fun with your “dance party!”
It’s a good spot to hang out for a while. For you guys (specifically) there are lots of old roads leading to abandoned mines/interesting spots for your jeep too.
Nina
Really looking forward to a return visit!!
I know what you mean about needing peace after chaos! We’re fast approaching the end of our two months in San Diego and it’s been a fun but overwhelming social time. I am really looking forward to AZ and some down time!
I can tell from your blog you guys have been busy as all get-go out there. Enjoy your downtime!
Nina
Blue Grass festival in Blythe 17th, 18th, 19th. They have RV parking. We are headed there with a few others Wed to get spots on the Grass. Blythe is just north of you BTW.
Oh neat. We probably won’t make it in the RV but *may* try and catch it with a drive from Q. Thanks for the tip!
Nina
Hi Nina and Paul,
My husband John and I and our dog Muki will be in QZ. from Jan 17 to Jan 25. It would be fun to meet up with you. We will be staying in the Scaddan Wash area BLM campground dry camping area. If we could meet up, please let us know.
We’ll be staying about 1/2 mile in La Posa South with a bunch of Monaco/HR coaches. Not sure if we’ll be going out much for meet-ups (we may get too busy), but you’re welcome to drop by.
Nina
I have been enjoying your post/blogs for awhile now. One question:
Is your name pronounced “9-ahh” or “knee-ahh)?
Inquiring minds want to know!!
It’s the second….so nee-na. 🙂
Nina
We had 8 crowns each done last year in Los Algodones, saved so much doogh compared to Canada dentists it almost paid for our snowbird season in savings. 🙂 we are headed back in a few weeks for some more fun. This time I will eat fish tacos first then get the drilling, haha. Have fun, maybe we will see you Quartzsite, we just got in from a dry camping stint at Joshua Tree NP, (fantastic a usual). We are setup north of town at the Plamosa BLM. Cheers Ray
Glad to hear you saved a ton of $$ on your dental. Which dentist did you use, just out of curiosity?
Also happy to hear you enjoyed your time at Joshua Tree. We still haven’t boondocked there, but plan to at some point. Maybe we’ll see ya in Q!
Nina
SaniDental http://sanidentalgroup.com/index.html They were good, I had one tooth could not be saved and needed extraction but was fused to the jaw bone, they had a oral surgeon on staff Alejandro Barragán, nice guy and performed the operation same day. He also had me in for some free follow up appointments to make sure it all healed well. It’s healed nicely and my crowns are all good, my wife Anne does have a problem with one crown not fitting right so we’ll see what they will do this time about that. There is a review on my blog detailing our last years visit at – http://www.loveyourrv.com/our-dental-trip-to-algodones-mexico/ Cheers Ray
Excellent! Thanks for including your link too.
Nina
Hi..
I haven’t commented before but love reading your blog.
I will be in Yuma.. Winterhaven for a couple days and want to
go to Algodones.. you said parking is $6 .. is the parking area
easy to find? Also, do you walk or ride a bus/shuttle over? how
far is the walk & then to town? I have a sort of on/off hurting
knee and would love to do the town and lunch… any suggestions, advice would be helpful. I have my Passport and ID etc.
Thanks, Dy from No. Calif.
The parking is super easy to find. It’s the very last turnoff before the border crossing and is literally right at the border. It takes less than 5 mins to walk from the parking into Mexico. Everyone walks across so just follow the crowds. The dentists are all within a small 4-5 block area of the border. Remember your passport for the crossing back and just enjoy!
Nina
Wow, they raise that parking toll 20% every year.
Whenever I visit Los Algodones for my yearly dental checkup, I always park my truck at the free casino lot and then ride my bike over the border and back. Much cheaper, faster, and healthier (as long as I don’t get hit by some old fogey looking for the $6 parking lot 🙂
We don’t want to deal with the hassle of parking our toad down there, but I can see it would be super-easy in a bike. Either way you do it, Los Algodones is very easy access.
Nina
Perhaps you remember us, we came to see you at McKinney Falls in Austin and you let my husband give Polly treats. We are going to head to Quartzite in 2 or 3 days for the first time ever. Don’t have a boondocking place figured out yet, should be fun.
Of corse I remember you! Maybe we’ll see ya out there. It’s a fun show!
Nina
Nice pics of your boondock spot. The scenery is somewhat stark, yet kind of enticing in its own way. With lack of trees I hope it’s not to hot tho.
Glad the dental all went well and I hope the gold quest does too. Then please send me the GPS coordinates so I can dig my way into full timing a little sooner. Lol!
Tendo hambre por tacos de camaromes, hasta luego! 🙂
Weather of perfect right now. Wouldn’t want to be here in summer, but winter is great.
I think the cats are getting closer to the big score…..
Nina
Have you thought about trying out Ajo? We are here now and just loving it.
YES…we’re planning on heading there after Q. Definitely on our plans in the very near future.
Nina
We are here till then end of the month. If need any suggestions as to where to park, just let me know. We have been here for four years now and scouted out most of the places. We are then onto empire ranch again, perhaps we will see you there.
*sigh*…. all this awesome RV talk is making me homesick for our moho….. it’ll be a couple years before we’re back on the road, dang it! Thank you for sharing the details of your dental visits, all – this is exactly the sort of information we’re going to be needing – appreciate your openness!! Thanks for the good reads while we work it out here on the other side of the planet.
Hi, love following your travels and great RV tips. My DW and I are looking for our 1st Class A to replace the TT. I had a question. We tool travel with paws, 8 in all, a dog and cat. I noticed the cats roam outside uninhibited. Aren’t you afraid they will wander off?
The cats actually stay very close to us and will “walk” with me and the dog. We leash-trained them years ago and if we’re in a spot with cars we’ll put them on the leash. The rest of the time they’ll just walk leash-free right next to me. The cats are older now, so mostly they’ll just walk for a short time and then sun on the chairs by the RV.
We never, ever leave them unattended outside 🙂
Nina
Do the cats roam free inside while the motor home is underway?
The cats hide in a box under the bed covers (in our bedroom in the back) while we drive. They never move around, but we close the door back there just in case (so they don’t get out if we stop for gas, for example). It’s where they prefer to be. We tried cat bags when we first started, but they wouldn’t stop howling. Once we put them under the bed covers they relaxed completely. They’ll typically sleep the whole drive and get out to stretch once we have the rig set-up in our new location.
Nina
A little birdie told me you were thinking of heading to washington state this summer, will have to watch your blog and see where you are, we are heading down there for a holiday as well so might see you there! Have fun in the warm sun !
Yup, the little birdie is right. In fact I’m starting my planning right now. It’ll be our first real time exploring WA so we’re really looking forward to it!
Nina
Hi Nina!
we’ve been following ur website since we left on our own adventures, and we now happen to be in your back yard thanks to your awesome information. We pulled in tonight and would like to stop by and says thanks and hello.
Hi Shawna,
We’ve got some packed days ahead of us these next few days (both with trips & visitors), but you’re welcome to drop by if you see us hanging outside.
Nina
Love that silhouette of Polly checking out the lovely sunset. 🙂 We are anxious to try out your dentist the next time we are out west, which will not be soon enough for us! Our only experience in Yuma while RVing was not too positive so I told Terry we should give it another try and do it differently next time. Perhaps we will change our minds about the town.
Yeah, I think your bad experience was a direct tie to the sardine-park you stayed in. I imagine you’d feel very differently about the whole place out here. Hope to see your butts out west again!
Nina
I came to your site from Rvsue….and have been here for hours(not kidding!). I am retired so I can do this. I have just completed the first year and it like reading a good book that you can’t put down. Only when my mouse(hand) started shaking from low blood sugar did I stop. Of course 1 or 2 trips to the loo(I am a senior citizen)did I stop reading. Sounds almost obsessive but so what! My last trips to east coast campgrounds were noisy (kids, barking dogs and drunks)so I had given up on camping and sold my camper (an Aliner pop-up). But your blog has me rethinking the situation. Unlike most of your readers I really like my “brick and mortar” place, but reading your blog is an adventure novel for me. Keep up the good work.
Welcome to the blog…and love the obsessive reading LOL! Hope the blog didn’t endanger your health too badly. I think RVing in the West is a whole different ballgame than RVing in the East. I really enjoyed our Year 1 travel to FL, but I have to admit we’re partial to the wide open spaces out here. Lots more space (and less noise) if you want it. Thanks for following along!
Nina
Do you have an dentists you recommend for root canals? Or does dr urena do root canals as well?
Dr.Urena will send you out for a root canal. I would call and ask her who she is currently using and see if you can find any recommendations on them. Otherwise I’d call around some of the other groups to see if they do onsite root canals.
Nina
Update: Dr Eva says hello. Got my teeth cleaned (for $35) the other day. When she asked who referred us I mentioned your name and she said “Nina is so famous”….cute. She mentioned they like it when Paul comes as he is fluent in Spanish(where did he pick that up??). Anyway, she sends big holas and abrazos. We are boondocking just off American Girl Mine Road for a couple days before heading West….and the mine surely IS active….a truck of some sort goes by about every 15 minutes!! So not the quiet place it used to be…..sad. Anyway, thought you might enjoy the update and the Hola from Dr Eva. Pam and I enjoyed our Algodones adventure….Best from Am Girl Mine Road. (Sunny and 92 degrees)
How cute! Cheers for relaying the hello. Paul is Cuban so he is a fully fluent in Spanish. Very handy for our Mexico trips 🙂
Sorry to hear about the increase in traffic on American Girl Mine…we may have to move further up the BLM next time we go there.
Nina
Thanks for your wonderful blog. It sure helped in my research for a dentist in Mexico. Going to try Dr. Eva in the next couple of weeks.