Beginners Guide to Los Algodones: Dental Pharmacy Liquor!

 As many fulltime RV'ers know, Los Algodones Mexico is the place to go to for dental. This was the fourth or fifth time we have been down here for dental work. For those of you curious, the process goes something like this: 

For first timers this process can be intimidating. Especially if it is your first time walking across the border. Which is amazingly simple: you simply just walk across the border. There is a check station about 30 yards into Mexico, a Xray machine you must put backpack or purse through as well as a metal detector you have to walk through. 

 After arriving at our appointed time at Sani Dental, we met with an intake counselor who verified our information and detailed our dental needs. From there you are escorted to the Xray room where they  Xray your teeth, and no, they do not have those old Xray machines where you put the film in your mouth. They have those machines that travel around your head while your chin sits on a pedestal. 

You then meet with a dentist who examines your mouth and goes over your Xrays. In my case they talked over the options for the tooth that I had broken several months ago. It is in the top far back on the left side. There was not enough tooth to put a crown on, so the only option was to extract it or install an implant. I opted for the implant route. After signing an agreed upon treatment plan, my next appointment was with the cashier who went over the charges and took payment. They take cash or credit cards. The total for my appointment was just a little over $1,000 which included a cleaning, the extraction, bone grafting and a surgical membrane.

After paying, it was back to the waiting room. My name was soon called and an hour later I was done. The grafting needs to heal and I am to come back at a later date (anywhere from 6 months to 2 years) for the implant itself. This was the first time we both had dentists that spoke English, the other times the Assistant spoke English, but the dentist did not. 

Barb had a similar experience, but her treatment plan included one root canal ($340), one crown ($230) and one implant for a total of $2,000. I did a quick internet search and this $2,000 is about 1/4 of what this treatment would cost in the states. She had to go back three different days for a temporary and finally permanent crown. Her treatment required three visits, they generally try to do them on consecutive days, if you think you will need a crown, try to make you appointment early in the week. That way you will be done before the weekend. 

Where did we stay? We normally stay at the Quechan Casino about 5 miles up the road from the border. They allow free camping in their parking lot, no hookups, just a spot in the parking lot. You then drive yourself down to the border where there is a parking lot on the U.S. side. $10/day for cars and trucks, $16/day for anything larger. We opted to stay at a recently reopened campground less than a 1/2 mile from the border itself, Sleepy Hollow RV Park. A full hookup site was $200 for the week. This was a good solution for us as the temperatures were up into the 80 and we could run the AC for the dogs. There are hotels down in Mexico you can stay, but we have never stayed there.

For those of you who might be coming to Los Algodones for the first time, prepare to be inundated by beggers and vendors. It is a great place to buy purses, belts, hats, t-shirts and the like. Vendors line the sidewalks trying to get you to stop and look at their good. This short video shows you what you can expect when you walk across the border. 

We have learned just to keep walking and ignore them. On the rare occasion we are interested in something, we typically talk them down to 50% of their initial asking price.  We have only been to Sani Dental, and the Purple Pharmacy so cannot speak for the others. Speaking of pharmacies, we loaded up on some of our pharmacy needs for the next year or so. Ibuprophen, Z packs, Amoxicillin, Benadryl and of course a bunch of those little blue pills Dino asked me to pick up for him.

Some liquor is cheaper down there. Mainly tequila, Kahlua and other Mexican made liquors. You are allowed to bring back one liter back with you without paying duty. Oh, and if you are a baker, vanilla is really cheap down there!

There are plenty of places to eat down there as well and their mango margaritas are delicious!

What else did we do this week? The highlights of the week were meeting up with a couple of blogger/RV friends. One was a new meetup, and one was with a couple we first met three years ago. On our way down here, Barb had set up an overnight stay at Vulture Peak Brewing Co in Wickenburg which just happens to be the winter residence for fellow bloggers Mike and Janna. We have been reading each other's blogs for years. We had been close to meeting several times over the years but one thing or another got in the way. This time we made it happen! We met them at the brewery where we had a beer and then we went to a restaurant called Qorri's where we had probably the best pizza we have had in years! 

After spending an hour or do visiting with Mike and Janna, they dropped us back off at our rig and said our goodbyes. What a great couple, we are so glad we took the time to meet them and hope it is not the last time. I did screw up though as Wickenburg is also the home of another blogging couple we have wanted to meet for years. Suzi and Dave from Beluga's Excellent Adventures also live there. Somehow, I had it in my head they lived down Tucson and missed meeting them! Totally bummed. 

Our next meet up was with fellow RV'ers/bloggers Gay and Joe. We first met them three years ago in Tucson. Again, a great couple with like-minded interests and views of life. We met them at El Charro and then followed them back to their campground where we let Lucy and hung out for a couple more hours. 

That is a wrap for this leg of our journey, next week we have a lot of visits planned. I think we are seeing people every day except one! Now it is time to hit the road and head east, next stop Casa Grande!

Off to a Rocky Start

 Literally, after two days of travel we had only made it 451 miles to Rock Springs Wyoming. While we missed much of the snow that was going across the country, we did not miss the wind and that is what did us in. 

Day 1 of our travels found us leaving our house a little after 10am. Destination Rawlins, Wyoming. But not before stopping at our absolute favorite Chinese Restaurant in Casper where we picked up three entrees and a couple of sides. From there it was only two hours to Rawlins. Normally we would just find a place to boondock, but we opted for a campsite with electric. Why you ask? The cold. While we have a furnace in the camper, it really draws on the camper batteries, so we needed to be plugged in. 

The next morning, we loaded up and continued west. All was going well until about 11am and we passed a wayside rest which was full to the brim with semi-trucks. Something seemed off, there is no reason the truck stop should have been full that time of day. I asked Barb to look at the road conditions ahead of us. Sure enough, the roads were closed to high profile vehicles under 45,000lbs due to high wind conditions. We are less than 10,000 and definitely high profile. By the time we figured that out, we were well into the restricted area, so I just tucked in behind a semi and hid from the wind until we got to the next big town, Rock Springs. 

Once in Rock Springs, we found a local watering hole and watched the first half of the Denver/Patriots game hoping the roads would reopen to high profile vehicles. It did not. So Barb made reservations at the KOA in Rock Springs for the night hoping the next morning would bring calmer winds. 

We have learned two things so far on this trip. Both of them involving Dakota. She can no longer jump into the truck without assistance. She tries, but one of us needs to be there for that extra push as she goes up. The other is the flooring in the camper. Since Barb replaced the floor with the LVP, it has become lava to Dakota. We have a couple of rugs in the main part of the camper so that is not a problem, but the stairs are made of the same material and she needs assistance getting in and out.  

The next morning we were up at 5am and hit the road well before the sun rose and the winds picked up. By the time the sun came up we were going through Park City Utah where there was very little snow on the ski slopes. 

That night we spent the night in Hildale Utah at a Harvest Host named Zion Cliff Lodge. We spent an hour talking to the owners, a very nice couple. Boy, do they have some nice views!

The scenery between Hildale and the Grand Canyon was incredible. We stopped several times to take pictures and/or walk the dogs. 

There was one wayside rest along the Colorado River that was very cool. The bridge was almost 500' over the river. Even though we knew we were safe, I still held onto the rail as we looked over the edge. 

From there it was to the Grand Canyon! Get ready for picture overload, but one cannot help but take picture after picture of the scenic vistas there. I cannot believe it took us 12 years to finally get here!

The hiking trails were too ice covered to do any serious hiking, so we just walked the overlooks and rim trails. What an incredible place!

That night we spend in the National Forest outside the town of Tusayan, AZ. We were still "cold camping", meaning we the camper was still winterized and we had no water other than bottled water. The temps were still down in the teens at night so we did not dare fill the camper with water yet. 

Then it was back to the canyon for more walks along the rim just taking in the views. 

That afternoon we drove down to Williams AZ where we stayed at the KOA where we could get the batteries recharged, shower and do some laundry.  That stay marked the end of this sightseeing phase of our adventure. Next up we get to visit with fellow RV'ers and bloggers! 

Time to Hit the Road!

Ha! Barb was not even home three full days and I was in trouble. Apparently, you are not supposed to post pictures of your wife's legs while she is on a beach! (See last post) Who knew? And why would you take a picture of your legs if you cared if I posted it? She said the only reason she took it was to send it to her friend Melanie who had sent her a similar picture, never thinking I would get my hands on it! Well, I did, and the rest is history. 

All is forgiven now and she has been busy putting the final touches on the camper, installing the sink, and trim. For my part, I hooked up the waterlines and the plumbing for the sink. 

We borrowed Kevin's skidsteer for a few days to clear some trees and debris from our recent windstorm. I have about a dozen slash piles ready to burn should we get any more snow this winter.  We will have wood for years once we get this split and stacked into the woodshed. 

We also took down one tree that I have had my eye on for over a year now. It was a split tree originally, we lost half of it sometime ago and should the other half go, there was a possibility that it would hit the house and/or our propane tank. We needed it to fall away from both of those. I was fairly confident that we could do that but hooked up a series of straps to the truck with the other end high in the tree just in case. The plan worked perfectly and it missed both with plenty of room to spare. 

I also began a new project that I wanted to get a start on before we hit the road. I am replacing the carpet in the boat with a marine vinyl. This is turning out to be much more involved than I thought; having to remove trolling motor, lights and all the accessories, then removing the old carpet, clean up the wood and fit the new vinyl. We had bought what we thought was enough vinyl while in Wisconsin last summer, but it ends up with overlap for fitting and waste, I do not have nearly enough. Another 20' has been ordered and should be waiting for us when we return. 

I have a few of larger pieces done, the rest will have to wait until we get back. 

My biggest surprise of the week came one day when I went to the mailbox and had a package from our RV friends Jim and Diana in Michigan! Inside the package was this John Deere t-shirt! Apparently, he was at Costco and saw these shirts and knowing that I was a fellow John Deere owner, he bought me one! Thanks Jim!

I was able to put the 3D printer to use a couple times this week. First when Barb needed a new heater grate for the camper. When she up the trim in, the old vent no longer fit. No problem, Jim to the rescue! A couple hours later I had one printed out. Then again when I was working on the boat flooring. I needed a notched trowel to apply the glue and rather than driving to town to buy one, I just printed one out!

While all of that kept us busy for a couple of days, the majority of the week was filled with getting things ready for our next adventure. We had one week until we were on the road again and it could not come too soon! Our mild winter has left us, now we are experiencing temps in the single digits, even below 0 with winds that eat right through your outerwear.  Filling propane tanks, packing clothes, and finally putting the camper on the truck. Not a fun job, but not horrible either. 

Just in time too as our high Friday was below 0. The problem was, so was much of the country. If all goes well, our plan is to head Southwest into Wyoming for day 1, Salt Lake at the end of day 2, Hildale Utah on day 3 and finally the Grand Canyon (South Rim), day 4,5 &6. We have yet to visit the Gand Canyon, so we are super pumped for that! So, stay tuned, our next post should come to you from Arizona!

I will leave you with this picture of Zoey and I watching the news early one morning this week. Oh, how we will miss out fireplace and couch!

Barbie's Home!

 After 3 months, 13 days, 14 hours and 42 minutes, Barb has returned home to me! Well, two points of clarification, the 3-month part might be an exaggeration, and I think she returned home to the dogs more than me. 

But the point is that she is home! We all survived. Friday night I had neighbor Jim and neighbor Doug over for a bourbon tasting and the Indiana semifinals football game. I spent most of Saturday cleaning the house while watching NFL football. Just a few weeks of games left so I have to get in as many as I can! Then Sunday morning it was time to head to the airport. Barb and Jess ended their Costa Rica adventure with another day at the beach and a spa day including a well-deserved massage!

I started a new project while Barb was gone. I did not want to mention it earlier because it was a surprise for Barb. Now that it is done and I have revealed it to her, I shall reveal it to you! 

Now that her workshop is almost complete, I wanted to make her a workbench! First, I bought her a new Dewalt table saw as our existing one scared her to the point where she thought she was going to cut off a finger if she used it. Then I started designing the workbench that would not only incorporate the table saw, but also her miter saw. 

There are a lot of designs on YouTube but they want you to buy the plans, so I took ideas from several and just winged it. I started out by planing down and trimming the 2x4's to clean them up and give me sharp edges. 

Then I made the base to fit a countertop of 4'x8' when it was complete. Most of the workbenches online were about 42" high, I made this one 36" since Barb is probably a little shorter than the average woodworker. Plus, I put it on casters so it could be easiler rolled around.

Once the base was made, I designed a platform for the table saw that when finished would be flush with the countertop. 

Then I started to design the platform for the miter saw. This was a bit of trial and error as I wanted it to sit on a hinged platform so it folded out of the way and provided more workspace when not in use.  I think it took me two full days get it to where I was happy with it. 

By now I was on day 6 working on it 4 or so hours a day. I added a coat of paint several outlets and a cord to power the entire bench. 

Now I was ready for the top! After looking at a couple of options, I decided on melamine for its looks and durability. Having never worked with it before, I was nervous to cut it for fear of chipping the edges, so I taped my cut lines, bought a new blade for the saw and went for it!

Cutting the melamine left an unfinished edge so I bought several 1x4 poplar boards and ripped them to cover the edges. I then had to buy a router to round out the edges of the poplar.  

Once all the edging was done, it was time to secure the top and finish it all out. 

I still have a couple of touch ups, like a little more paint and a dust collection system, but it is 98% complete. Barb loves it! Which is a good thing as I would have to take a chainsaw to it if she didn't like it and we needed to remove it, it is way too big to fit through any of the doors. She still needs to paint the entire room and trim out the windows, but we are getting there! 

As I said, I picked up Barb at the airport on Sunday morning. Her return flight from Costa Rica went smoothly. Costa Rica to Detroit, Detroit to Baltimore where she spent the night in a hotel then Baltimore to Minneapolis and finally, Minneapolis to Rapid City. 

When we finally got home, she waited outside while I let the dogs out.....

So, how did Barb like Costa Rica? She loved it! She said the snorkeling was awesome, so clear and so many fish. Her favorite activity was the waterfall tour. They spent two days on the beach, two days snorkeling, and one day on the waterfall adventure. They stayed in the town of Potrero at a gated Airbnb and did not feel unsafe at all. For those of you wondering the entire trip for the two of them including airfare to Baltimore and then Costa Rica, food, lodging and their adventures was somewhere between $3,500-$4,000 for both of them. Not too bad at all. If any of you have any questions, reach out and I am sure Barb will be happy to respond.  

Barb was pleasantly surprised at how clean the house was, but she did spend the next day cleaning it to her level. I went to work with Kevin for the day to get out of her hair. Kevin is working on a fireplace addition at a house in Custer. I spent the day drawing bark off some live-edge planks, sanding them and installing them as mantles and shelves. This was my first time using a draw knife (below), not too bad, but nothing I would want to do for a living. 

Overall, the 13 days went well, I did lose a few pounds which Barb is working hard to put back on me, Life is now back to normal, the dogs are happy, I am happy and Barb had a great time!