Yuma for Glasses, Sneeze Passes

Yesterday we arrived in Yuma.  Marcia took a number of photos along the way here, but I doubt any of them will see the light of day because I just don’t feel up to going through them right now.  We did drive through Joshua Tree National Park, that part of the park that connects Twentynine Palms with I-10.  All I have to say about the 60+ miles of I-10 that we drove is this:  “Arizona Drivers coming back from Thanksgiving are TERRIBLE drivers!”

The sole purpose of coming to Yuma was for me to get glasses in Mexico.  Los Algodones is right up against Yuma, and is a very popular spot for RVers and Snowbirds in general to get Dental work, get Glasses, get Pharmaceuticals, and booze. I was there for new glasses.

I decided to go to Algodones Optical, which is directly across the street from the sidewalk leading back into the states.  They have a few locations, and this location is where they make the glasses.  Previously in Arkansas I would go to Lens Crafters up in Little Rock. I liked the idea that you see the eye doctor, pick out your glasses, and within two hours they have them ready for you.  Pretty much this is what happened today…but these only cost $300 while the last ones I got in Little Rock were $550.  Like anywhere, one could get less expensive glasses…some people were paying under $300 and walking out with two sets of glasses.  My problem is that I am picky with the frames…my skin is very allergic to certain metals, including gold and silver.  I am very hard on glasses, and so my decision was between titanium or flexon…I picked flexon this time…also known as “memory metal”.  Also, I decided on the Enhanced View progressive lenses, replacing my older progressive lenses.  I absolutely LOVE the view out of these glasses.  My older ones required me to turn my head with my eyes to keep in the “sweet zone”…but now the sweet zone is much larger, and the view is so much better.  Knowing me, I will still take them off when reading for prolong periods, or when I do some of my editing of pictures. 

There are many places to stay in Yuma this time of the year…a month from now and these places will be nearly filled up for the next three months.  We decided to stay at the Arizona Sands RV Park due to price (Passport America park), location (right off the freeway, but not near the freeway), and because it is seven miles from the California boarder on what I would call the outskirts of Yuma. 

We have to say goodbye to Yuma, and we really need to come and spend more time here and get to know the town…driving along I-8 through Yuma, and a stop at Cracker Barrel yesterday for dinner (we had not been to a Cracker Barrel since April!) does no justice to the history and community of Yuma.  Felt the same as we passed through Dodge last year, and one of these years we will just have to have us a “Wild West Tour” of these old, famous western frontier towns.

Well, Sneezy has passed on…it has been 24+ hours since my last sneezing fit…or even just one sneeze.  HOWEVER, when I say that Sneezy has passed on, what I really mean is that Sneezy has passed from me to Marcia.  While I was spending around five hours away getting glasses, Marcia was in the motorhome sneezing away herself.  She went to bed shortly after I got home.  So we have called off our visit to Phoenix, no need to get others sick, and we will take it slow and easy to Fort Smith where we hope to have this cold behind both of us.  And we will hug the lower part of the nation (I-8 and I-10) where it is warmer before we head up to Sweetwater along I-20 before we catch US 277 to Wichita Falls, I-44 to Oklahoma City, and then I-40 to Fort Smith.  This will help us miss the projected single digit night-time temps along parts of I-40.  Unfortunately it also means we will miss some friends in the Phoenix area, for this, we are sorry…but you don’t want to catch what we have.  And with Marcia getting sick, prayers are definitely needed…pray for me that she doesn’t kill me for passing it on to her.