Cell Tower Deceit

Arrived at Colorado River Islands SP just east of Palisade and noticed a cell tower on the ridge about a mile east of the park entrance. Considering I like to be connected, that tower's proximity would make for a pleasant camping experience.

Atop the levee just outside my front door, the Colorado River is the scenery and it is solitude. Mostly solitude.

The Colorado River already carved a path through the mountains making it prime route for railroad and freeway. Not too many trains -- mostly coal going east. Of course the freeway is busy at all times. Parked on the far side of the park, there is little noticeable freeway noise.

Great sunsets and sunrises with the sun reflection off the red canyon walls. The blue sky and frequent clouds present a natural beauty of which I do not tire. Somebody has to watch those clouds.

Great park location with great scenery. Unfortunately, that cell tower is probably not there courtesy of Verizon. Probably there for that other carrier that I will never do business with -- again.

The campgrounds location in the canyon interferes with a good Verizon signal. The cell phone reception is poor to non-existent. No point in trying to make a phone call. The call will be dropped in seconds. If I can make the call.

What I don't understand is that my Verizon 4G Mi-Fi card shows two bars all the time. Occasionally it drops to the slower 1X speeds, but most of the time the speeds are at EVDO (Broadband). No doubt data error recover makes it look like it is always connected.

It is just another of the trials and tribulations of getting internet, but being away from the city crowds. I suppose there is some kind of amplifier gadget that can be used for cell phones that don't have capability for an external antenna. Perhaps I can hold off on another gadget.

For now to make a phone call, I head to near by Palisade. (Note to self. It's not that bad. Get used to it.)

Palisade grows peaches. Lots of them. With the peach and produce stands every half mile throughout the Palisade area, it is difficult to decide where to stop for ripe peaches. My final choice was excellent. A small grower with only 12 acres of trees, they pick the crop themselves. The peaches are ripe and I've been having a peach with at least one meal a day. Tomorrow, it is time to get more peaches.