One of the fun things about being full-time RVers is being able to travel around the country and meet up with our friends. We spent this last Thanksgiving in Riverside, California with our friend, Darla. We talked about our schedule for the coming year to see if she wanted to meet up with us along our route. She was very interested in joining us for Winter Blast -- the annual convention of the Western Pyrotechnic Association in Lake Havasu, Arizona. The annual convention features two parts. First, the students get to set off the fireworks they learned to pack -- always exciting because you never know what you'll see. Second, the professional companies put on a show to highlight their latest and greatest creations so they can market them to their customers. Together, it makes for four days of explosive fun!
We explained to Darla that we would be "boondocking" on the Rodeo Grounds of SARA Park, right next door to the Speedway where they set off the fireworks. The folks that run the Rodeo Grounds bring in a caterer and vendors selling beer, ice cream, t-shirts. They even have live bands play on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There are several couples joining us, Dave and Leslie, from Penticton, BC, and Ginny and Eric, from Schenectady. We also hope to meet up with several other friends from the Escapees Boomers Group, who are also attending Winter Blast. Here we are getting ready for our first Happy Hour with Darla.
There are several ways to see the fireworks. You can walk over to the Speedway and pay five dollars to get an up-close view. You can sit in the grandstands of the Rodeo Grounds and take in the big picture. Some RVers circle up their camp chairs near their rigs, while others watch from inside their RV's. We decided to bring our chairs up to the upper deck of the Rodeo Grounds grandstand. Unfortunately, we left them too close to where the corporate sponsors get to sit and someone moved our chairs. After the unfortunately "Chair-gate" incident, we had to leave someone to guard the chairs. Here Dave and Leslie try to start the wave! We're not sure anyone else followed.
While the rain we had earlier in the week passed, it brought with it very cold temperatures. You know its cold when Darla wears socks! However, the hot chocolate provided by the Sea Scouts went a long way to keep us warm.
No matter how many fireworks shows you've attended, you will never see more fireworks than you do at Winter Blast. They start blowing things up at 6:00 p.m. and don't stop until 11:00 p.m. The best displays are usually between 7:30 to 9:30. This is when the professionals get to showcase their latest. It's like watching back-to-back grand finales! Unfortunately, this photo can't capture the loud BOOM that shook the ground.
It just wouldn't be an RV adventure without a coffee walk around the campground. When Darla asked what she needed to pack for her "boondoggle," travel mug was number one on the list.
Back in November, Darla took us to The Bruery, a local craft beer brewery. They have the most unique beers we have every experienced. We filled our beer closet before we left, but they were so good they didn't last long. Darla, being a true friend, offered to go shopping for us before joining us in Lake Havasu. We took the Zesty Mounds Coconut Imperial Stout and added Coconut Almond Joy Ice Cream to create the best beer float ever!
From our vantage point up in the grandstands, we could take in some amazing sunset views, including the tops of our RV's.
After our coffee walk, we decided to take Darla out to the Nellie E. Saloon, better known as the Desert Bar. Once an old mine, the complex has been transformed into a mecca for four wheelers. There are two ways to get to the mine: a five mile dirt road and a seven mile extremely rough ATV trail. We opted for the easy drive. Here we are up on the hill overlooking the packed parking lot.
After partying with a few thousands of our fellow 4-wheelers, we drove back to the Rodeo Grounds for more partying. To get the idea what the pre-fireworks activities were like, just click on this link: Darla, Kathy, Leslie, Dave, Eric and Ginny at Friday Happy Hour with the Briana Payne Band.
Darla ended her visit with a pancake breakfast hosted by the Lake Havasu Sea Scouts. Apparently, in addition to scuba diving, boating, sailing and snorkling, the Sea Scouts make a pretty tasty pancake. After chowing down, it was time to hit the road. Darla, we hope you had a good time boondoggling!
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