Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

RV Camping in Phoenix and the Blog Bash

We decided to rent an RV and camp in Phoenix last week while attending the NRA Convention because we wanted to bring our dog, Bear. She’s eleven years old and we’re quite attached to her. Besides, Damsel and I had such a wonderful time camping out last December for our Winter RV Cruise, that we knew this would be fun.

One problem we had because the dog with us, was a logistical balance between getting her in a doggie day care center near the campground and getting transportation to the Convention. We wanted to go to the exhibits on Friday and did OK with that, but we had traffic, parking and proximity to the Center problems because of the overwhelming attendance. By the time we finished with the exhibit hall, it was time to head back to doggie day care and thence back to the RV.

One thing that needs to be said is that without Bitter and the 2A Bash groundwork, we would have waited in the two-hour lines to even get into the place. We got our stuff in the media room and headed into the exhibits. Thanks again to the organizers and to the NRA staff.

We’re sorry we didn’t have the chance to attend the Bash meetings and mingle in the media room. I actively looked at people in the exhibit hall hoping to spot another blogger and say hello, but that seemed to be a needle in the haystack proposition. Plus the guns and exhibits were there to distract us, naturally.

Eventually, we will be able to hook up with some of the other bloggers. We especially would like to meet Bitter and Sebastian to personally thank them for their help this year. I’m going to be retired next year and I assume we will have more time to get involved.

It was fun – I composed this panorama while we were parked in the campground – we’re the Cruise America rig in the middle. Several of the other rigs in this row were also there with NRA folks. Click the panorama for full size.

desert-edge-pan.jpg

21 May 2009 by Blogosphere Firearms Travel

View of the San Andreas Fault

During our visit to Joshua Tree National Park yesterday, we took the short drive from the main road to a place called Keys View. From that point, you can see the Coachella Valley and the Palm Springs area five thousand feet (1525 meters) below. You can also see the San Andreas Fault (underlined in red) which has been the cause of many Earthquakes in California, including the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Click on the image to enlarge.

san-andreas.jpg

In the distance behind the ridge of hills thrust up by fault motion, you can see desert communities including Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City, Indian Wells, Palm Desert, Indio and La Quinta. All of these places will have a front row seat for the next major San Andreas movement in this area.

Speaking of quakes, the ground here at home is still shaking from aftershocks form the earthquake that happened in this area last Sunday. That was on the Inglewood-Newport fault, not the San Andreas. We missed the main shock since we were in Wickenburg, AZ when it hit. No damage here at home, thank goodness.

20 May 2009 by California Travel

Back to California

Joshua Tree

We’re back in California (for the time being) and planning to spend our last day on vacation visiting Joshua Tree National Park. We drove through the park from the south entrance today, so we have our preview of tomorrow’s tour. We’re camped in Twentynine Palms, CA, tonight, and plan to head back to the park in the morning. After the visit to the park, we’re headed back to the grind at home – for now.

We enjoyed our trip and look forward to our upcoming retirement and eventual return to Arizona when we get our affairs in order. While in Arizona, we both enjoyed our 2nd amendment rights to carry in a place that gets it. We can hardly wait to get the freak out of liberal California.

18 May 2009 by Curmudgeon Rants Second Amendment Travel

The Road From Phoenix

We drove out of the campground today and headed toward Wickenburg, AZ. We had a great time in Phoenix at the NRA convention and afterward just relaxing and camping.

The picture below shows typical scenery along Arizona SR74 en route to US60 on the way to Wickenburg, where we currently are camping. Among the several varieties of vegetation seen here are Saguaro cactus, Cholla, Ocotillo, and mesquite. We think these are very beautiful and many are flowering. Click on the image to enlarge.

road-from.jpg

17 May 2009 by Environment Travel

Gun Review PXT LDA 9

PDA 9Yesterday, while visiting the Para Booth at the NRA Convention, Para’s public relations director, Kerby Smith, showed us this Para PXT LDA 9mm pistol. Since this one is on the restrictive California DOJ ‘acceptable firearms’ list, Kerby asked us to consider acquiring one of these 9mm pistols.

According to the Para Website:

Small, light, fast and carrying 8+1 rounds of low-recoil 9mm Luger ammo, the Para PDA 9mm is a lot of reassurance in an ultra-compact package. PDAs are sized like Snubbies but they have 3-inch match grade barrels because you need accuracy in a defensive pistol.

  • Caliber: 9mm
  • Rounds: 8+1
  • Barrel: 3″
  • Weight: 24 oz.
  • Length: 6.4″
  • Height: 4.75″
  • Hammer: Spurless
  • Sights: Night Sights
  • Receiver: Alloy
  • Finish: Duo-Tone

I did like this pistol a lot when I handled it and it is a pretty gun. But, it didn’t make my eyes glaze over like my stainless steel Warthog did the first time I laid eyes on her. But, that being said, I did like this gun a lot. I would have to put a few rounds downrange with one of these before I ultimately decide if it’s for me or not.

16 May 2009 by Firearms

NRA Convention Report

Sadly, we didn’t get to attend the Second Amendment Blog Bash activities at all this trip. We brought our eleven year old dog with us because a) she likes to travel, and b) she is a large breed and may not be with us that much longer. We missed meeting our blogging comrades, but being convention ‘virgins’ this is a learning experience for us. We plan to tune it up next time.

First, we took the dog to ‘day care’ recommended by our RV park director. Then we headed into town. Traffic, traffic, traffic, then finally got into a parking spot. Gracious thanks to Bitter and the organizers of the Blog Bash, the rest was all downhill. We checked into the media room and picked up our passes and kits and headed into the exhibits.

Toys, as far as the eye could see! So many guns, so little time!

One stop we had to make was at the Para booth. We wanted to personally meet Todd Jarett and Kerby Smith, both of whom helped get Damsel on the right track shooting her Warthog. It was Michael Bane who introduced us to the Para team in the first place and they took it from there. Damsel spoke briefly to Todd, who virtually gave her instruction on short barrel large caliber firearms training for women via a video that Kerby sent her. We wanted to thank them both for the training and for the extraordinary Para customer service.

gunny-lineup.jpgWhen we walked through the Glock exhibit, none other than R. Lee Ermey – the Gunny from Full Metal Jacket – was signing autographs for Team Glock. We didn’t get in line to get his autograph and would have liked to have done so, a lot, but it was starting to get late – we needed to get back to pick up our dog. Besides, look at the lineup this guy gets for autographs! Must have been thirty minutes wait or more. The Gunny was posing for pictures, giving hearty handshakes and personally talking to the folks at length. This guy is the real article – a person who, despite some celebrity status, is a down-to-Earth guy with conservative and second amendment values. Click on the image to enlarge.

It was a lot of fun to see this today. I guarantee the next time we attend one of these, we will be able to show up at all the events and meet our comrades in arms. We’re already looking forward to our next NRA Convention. We can hardly wait.

15 May 2009 by Firearms

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