NOV 27, Friday, Sierra Vista City
Yesterday at the Thanksgiving dinner, Val found out that there were morning exercises so off she went this morning for 9 a.m. I showered, took Tucker for his morning constitution and stopped at the office to register and pay our dues, 77$ for 8 nights, not bad. This is a very nice park even though there are few trees. It looks new and everyone is very friendly and it is a DOG FRIENDLY park.
In the afternoon, we went to Best Buy to look at what they had on special on this “Black Friday”. (For you folks at home, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving and HUGUE, BIG sales are held everywhere in the States; it is as big as X-mas). We looked at a home entertainment system and ended up buying a Sony HD Blue Ray system for less than $400. I also bought a new printer and a pair of hiking runners at Wal-Mart. We stopped at a Wild Buffalo Wings restaurant and had a beer and nachos to forget the big expense then came home. I BBQ’ed steaks for dinner and Val made a salad to go with it.
NOV 28, Saturday, to Patagonia
After a late breakfast, we went to Patagonia State Park to take a look at the lake and the campsites there. Before that, we stopped in the village as they had a Art& Craft display along the main street so we walked the whole thing and looked at most of the stuff without buying anything although I really had to restraint Val!
The lake at the State Park was really nice, surrounded by mountains and lots of trees but we didn’t get to go in the lake as it was just too windy. Actually, it’s been cool and very windy all day everywhere. We came back to Patagonia to a local Saloon we had seen before but it was full so we carried on to Sanoita, about 12 miles away on the way home and found another Saloon/Restaurant where we had a beer and watched Football.
We got home around 4 and I took Tucker for his evening walk while Val got dinner on the go. A good day overall!
NOV 29, Sunday, Huachuca City
We woke up to rain this morning and it continued on and off all day. The wind picked up later in the afternoon cooling the temperature quite a bit. We stayed home and I put the entertainment centre together and Val did some laundry. The cost here is only $1. per machine. Val cooked a pork roast for dinner, Yum-Yum!
NOV 30, Monday, Huachuca City
Another cloudy and cool day and it rained again during the night. Val went for her exercises this morning. In the afternoon, we went shopping for groceries at Fry’s. We also went to Wal-Mart where Val bought some balls of knitting wool. She also bought a pair of hiking runners.
We came home and put everything away. Val’s sister Kathy, called so they chatted for a while. I am just watching the news from BC and it is warmer in Victoria then here (5*C) Unreal!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
November 23 to 26, 2009; St David to Sierra Vista AZ
NOV 23, Monday, wash day
After Val’ exercise, we went to the laundrymat for the weekly laundry duties. In the afternoon, I downloaded our e-mail and updated our blog. We got an e-mail from Val’s sister that they may be coming to Palm Spring for X-Mas and New-Years! Wonderful news and Val is very excited! We will be in Winterhaven, only 2 hours from Palm Springs.
The rest of the day was spent reading, walking Tucker and helping a new neighbour in backing up and setting up. He is handicap and she did all the driving, set-up and looked after him and the dog that is blind and deaf. Now that is one courageous lady to whom I lift my hat!!!
NOV 24, Tuesday, Fort Bowie
Val wanted to go to the library to exchange some books that we’ve read and after doing that, we drove to Fort Bowie National Historic Site, approx one hour from here. We first drove to Wilcox than south on Hwy 192 to the turn-off which turned into a gravel road. We drove into the Chiricahua Mountains and found the fort on the East side of the mountains. As we drove up to the fort, two Javenila (wild pigs) crossed in front of us; that was exciting! Then we came upon a camp site full of University student studying Buddhism. There was even a Buddhist temple! A little further we came upon a house built of “bales of hay”; yes, bales of hay and it had a metal roof, windows and two doors. We took a picture of it.
Although not much was left of the fort, it was still impressive and the Ranger at the Info Centre was most informative and knowledgeable on his history of the place. I found out, for example, that the reason they built in the mountains was because water was found more readily then on the plains. This was also the immigrants trail to California and the “Butterfield Overland Mail route” which began in Fort Smith, Arkansas and ended in San Francisco via Yuma and Los Angeles. We spent about a half hour with him then walked the grounds and took a few pictures which I’ve uploaded to the “Arizona Folder”.
Fort Bowie was instrumental in the Apache war in the 1800’s and Cochise was held here as a prisoner for a while. The fort was closed in the late 1890’s. Now, all that remain are ruins here and there which have withstood years of deterioration and the elements quite admirably.
You know, as we go through all these historic sites, everything I learned and watched on TV comes together and makes me feel quite good about my limited knowledge of history. It is really neat to see sites that one has heard about and finally find what is fact and what was fiction!
We drove home via I-10 and fuelled in Benson @ 1.87/gallon. I BBQ’ed hamburger for dinner and Val made a lentil salad then we watched the tube for a while. The temperature has dropped quite a bit and it is really cool outside.
NOV 25, Wednesday, packing and readying to leave.
We woke up to 34*F (2*C) and sunny skies! This is our last day here and Val went for her final exercise classes. Later in the day, I loaded the kayaks and the bikes and put everything away. Val made muffins and cleaned house. We both need a change from this place.
For dinner, we went out to Benson at a Mexican restaurant with another couple. The restaurant had tacos for 1.50 each so we each had three with either rice or re-fried beans. It was delicious and we had fun. A good way to end our stay here! I also made some changes to our stay in Yuma so that we can spend some time with Marcel and Audrey in Desert Hot Springs. We are now booked in Yuma from Dec 21 to 30th and Catalina Spa RV Resort in Desert Hot Springs from Dec 31 to Jan 3/10.
NOV 26, Thursday, Onward to Sierra Vista, AZ
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Since we had a short distance to go, we slept in. We were on the road by 11 a.m. and after saying good-bye to our neighbours, we left and headed for I-10 then south on hwy 90 to Hwy 82 where we turned west and arrived at our new destination, Quail RV Park, an A.O.R. member in Huachuca City near Sierra Vista.
After setting up, we went over to the club house and had Thanks-Giving dinner (or is it lunch?) and met a bunch of new and very friendly people.
We have WI-FI here but no cable and only one English Channel on the antenna. We are here for 7 nights.
We went a whole 32 miles (52 KM) in one hour @ an average speed of 36 MPH
N 31* 41’ 29”
W 110* 21’ 25”
Alt: 4425 feet
After Val’ exercise, we went to the laundrymat for the weekly laundry duties. In the afternoon, I downloaded our e-mail and updated our blog. We got an e-mail from Val’s sister that they may be coming to Palm Spring for X-Mas and New-Years! Wonderful news and Val is very excited! We will be in Winterhaven, only 2 hours from Palm Springs.
The rest of the day was spent reading, walking Tucker and helping a new neighbour in backing up and setting up. He is handicap and she did all the driving, set-up and looked after him and the dog that is blind and deaf. Now that is one courageous lady to whom I lift my hat!!!
NOV 24, Tuesday, Fort Bowie
Val wanted to go to the library to exchange some books that we’ve read and after doing that, we drove to Fort Bowie National Historic Site, approx one hour from here. We first drove to Wilcox than south on Hwy 192 to the turn-off which turned into a gravel road. We drove into the Chiricahua Mountains and found the fort on the East side of the mountains. As we drove up to the fort, two Javenila (wild pigs) crossed in front of us; that was exciting! Then we came upon a camp site full of University student studying Buddhism. There was even a Buddhist temple! A little further we came upon a house built of “bales of hay”; yes, bales of hay and it had a metal roof, windows and two doors. We took a picture of it.
Although not much was left of the fort, it was still impressive and the Ranger at the Info Centre was most informative and knowledgeable on his history of the place. I found out, for example, that the reason they built in the mountains was because water was found more readily then on the plains. This was also the immigrants trail to California and the “Butterfield Overland Mail route” which began in Fort Smith, Arkansas and ended in San Francisco via Yuma and Los Angeles. We spent about a half hour with him then walked the grounds and took a few pictures which I’ve uploaded to the “Arizona Folder”.
Fort Bowie was instrumental in the Apache war in the 1800’s and Cochise was held here as a prisoner for a while. The fort was closed in the late 1890’s. Now, all that remain are ruins here and there which have withstood years of deterioration and the elements quite admirably.
You know, as we go through all these historic sites, everything I learned and watched on TV comes together and makes me feel quite good about my limited knowledge of history. It is really neat to see sites that one has heard about and finally find what is fact and what was fiction!
We drove home via I-10 and fuelled in Benson @ 1.87/gallon. I BBQ’ed hamburger for dinner and Val made a lentil salad then we watched the tube for a while. The temperature has dropped quite a bit and it is really cool outside.
NOV 25, Wednesday, packing and readying to leave.
We woke up to 34*F (2*C) and sunny skies! This is our last day here and Val went for her final exercise classes. Later in the day, I loaded the kayaks and the bikes and put everything away. Val made muffins and cleaned house. We both need a change from this place.
For dinner, we went out to Benson at a Mexican restaurant with another couple. The restaurant had tacos for 1.50 each so we each had three with either rice or re-fried beans. It was delicious and we had fun. A good way to end our stay here! I also made some changes to our stay in Yuma so that we can spend some time with Marcel and Audrey in Desert Hot Springs. We are now booked in Yuma from Dec 21 to 30th and Catalina Spa RV Resort in Desert Hot Springs from Dec 31 to Jan 3/10.
NOV 26, Thursday, Onward to Sierra Vista, AZ
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Since we had a short distance to go, we slept in. We were on the road by 11 a.m. and after saying good-bye to our neighbours, we left and headed for I-10 then south on hwy 90 to Hwy 82 where we turned west and arrived at our new destination, Quail RV Park, an A.O.R. member in Huachuca City near Sierra Vista.
After setting up, we went over to the club house and had Thanks-Giving dinner (or is it lunch?) and met a bunch of new and very friendly people.
We have WI-FI here but no cable and only one English Channel on the antenna. We are here for 7 nights.
We went a whole 32 miles (52 KM) in one hour @ an average speed of 36 MPH
N 31* 41’ 29”
W 110* 21’ 25”
Alt: 4425 feet
Monday, November 23, 2009
November 20 to 22, 2009; St-David
NOV 20, Friday, rest day!
Sort of! We went to Benson shopping for groceries at Wal-Mart and I also checked “phones on demand” and how they work. We may use this next year rather than our phone. Tucker didn’t want to come with us, as a matter of fact, he has been sleeping pretty well every moment he can.
NOV 21, Saturday, St-David
Quiet day at home! I went to Benson and washed the truck at a wash bay as we cannot wash at our site. Val did her exercises then went to the club house to work on a puzzle. It was a warm day again and lots of people about. I uploaded more pictures and updated the blog. There was a craft display/sale at the club house so we went to that but there wasn’t much there. The lady that did our personal cards had a booth there so we ordered another bunch as we are low on stock.
NOV 22, Sunday, St-David
Another easy day at home! I washed all the windows on BEAR than vacuumed and washed the inside of the truck. I also scrubbed the bugs off the front end. Val didn’t have exercises today but she went to visit a lady in her class that is leaving tomorrow. Read for a while then it wass time for dinner.
We had a very delicious pork meatloaf for dinner then watched a couple movies on the satellite
Sort of! We went to Benson shopping for groceries at Wal-Mart and I also checked “phones on demand” and how they work. We may use this next year rather than our phone. Tucker didn’t want to come with us, as a matter of fact, he has been sleeping pretty well every moment he can.
NOV 21, Saturday, St-David
Quiet day at home! I went to Benson and washed the truck at a wash bay as we cannot wash at our site. Val did her exercises then went to the club house to work on a puzzle. It was a warm day again and lots of people about. I uploaded more pictures and updated the blog. There was a craft display/sale at the club house so we went to that but there wasn’t much there. The lady that did our personal cards had a booth there so we ordered another bunch as we are low on stock.
NOV 22, Sunday, St-David
Another easy day at home! I washed all the windows on BEAR than vacuumed and washed the inside of the truck. I also scrubbed the bugs off the front end. Val didn’t have exercises today but she went to visit a lady in her class that is leaving tomorrow. Read for a while then it wass time for dinner.
We had a very delicious pork meatloaf for dinner then watched a couple movies on the satellite
Friday, November 20, 2009
November 17 to 19, 2009; Geo Caching around St-David
NOV 17, Tuesday, St-David
Val once again, went for her exercise this morning which consists of a walk in the desert with Carla at 8 then aerobics at 9 followed by exercise in the swimming pool at 10. She does this every morning. She does like it a lot but she also likes the socializing. In the afternoon, she went with Carla to a book store in Benson and was gone most of the afternoon.
I washed the front of “BEAR” and the bikes then went into town to get some groceries and filled the propane tank @ $18. I filled the truck @ $2.74/gal then came home and put some hooks up for Val. I uploaded my pictures and the blog and checked on our finances...all is well!
For dinner, I BBQ’ed hamburgers then we watched the tube.
NOV. 18, Wednesday, more Geo-Caching
Our plans were to go see ghost towns today and we did more geo-caching along the way. After the girls went for their exercises, the four of us, Ed & Carla and we, went to Tombstone where we turned east on this gravel road and headed for Gleeson. We first stopped at this funky little ranch in the middle of nowhere called “Snake Pit Ranch”, known to have all kinds of snake skins items such as knifes and wallets and boots. The yard was full of, what I would call junk yet it was placed in such a manner to make it interesting. There were steel helmets form different army such as Russia, Japan, US and British. We spent about ¾ of an hour there and this is where we found our first cache. After signing in we headed for the ghost town of Gleeson where our second cache was to be found.
It was located near the road so we found it without any problems. We then went on to another ghost town in the area and our third cache. We had a hard time finding the third cache and it ended up being on top of a very high and steep hill so after a valiant try on our part, we decided that maybe we were on the wrong side of the hill so we gave up. We had to drive through some pretty rough roads and ditches to get here; good thing ED has a jeep!
We came back on the gravel road and found the fourth and final cache which turned out to be an old cemetery from the early 1900’s. In the cache we found a history paper on the place which stated that people were buried here after an epidemic of flu similar to H1N1. It was quite a story where people panicked and fled to the hills and resorted to gun fire to keep their neighbours awayas it was quite a scare for everyone. (SEE PICTURES)
There were about 20 graves that we could see and the place was overgrown as it had been abandoned. After a couple of pictures, we went to the remains of the town than decided it was time to head home. We headed to highway 191 then north to the cut across to the village of Dragoon, Texas Canyon and eventually 1-10 and home.
It was a marvellous day! Even Tucker was tuckered out.
NOV 19, more sight-seeing
Ed and Carla left this morning for Tucson where they are on a work-camp so we decided to head for the Saguaro National Park near Tucson. We drove through Vail, near Tucson, and then headed up the hill to the park. First, we stopped at the Colossal Cave Park but they wanted $5 to get in then more money for the caves so we headed back down towards the National Park. This is our third National Park this trip so we decided to buy a year’s pass as we will be visiting more along the way. Saguaro Park was a very nice place. The view of the mountains and the city surrounding us was great and we even hiked a couple trails. One of them was the Freeman homestead where the Freeman’s family lived in the early 1900 before the Park bought the land from them. All that was left was the foundations of the house and a bit of history on them but the hike took us to a dry river bed and back over some beautiful scenery of huge Saguaros and over 25 species of cacti. From here we drove the whole circle drive which took us over some awesome terrain then it was time to head out.
We stopped for some groceries then we drove home and arrived back at 5 p.m. Another good day, indeed!
Val once again, went for her exercise this morning which consists of a walk in the desert with Carla at 8 then aerobics at 9 followed by exercise in the swimming pool at 10. She does this every morning. She does like it a lot but she also likes the socializing. In the afternoon, she went with Carla to a book store in Benson and was gone most of the afternoon.
I washed the front of “BEAR” and the bikes then went into town to get some groceries and filled the propane tank @ $18. I filled the truck @ $2.74/gal then came home and put some hooks up for Val. I uploaded my pictures and the blog and checked on our finances...all is well!
For dinner, I BBQ’ed hamburgers then we watched the tube.
NOV. 18, Wednesday, more Geo-Caching
Our plans were to go see ghost towns today and we did more geo-caching along the way. After the girls went for their exercises, the four of us, Ed & Carla and we, went to Tombstone where we turned east on this gravel road and headed for Gleeson. We first stopped at this funky little ranch in the middle of nowhere called “Snake Pit Ranch”, known to have all kinds of snake skins items such as knifes and wallets and boots. The yard was full of, what I would call junk yet it was placed in such a manner to make it interesting. There were steel helmets form different army such as Russia, Japan, US and British. We spent about ¾ of an hour there and this is where we found our first cache. After signing in we headed for the ghost town of Gleeson where our second cache was to be found.
It was located near the road so we found it without any problems. We then went on to another ghost town in the area and our third cache. We had a hard time finding the third cache and it ended up being on top of a very high and steep hill so after a valiant try on our part, we decided that maybe we were on the wrong side of the hill so we gave up. We had to drive through some pretty rough roads and ditches to get here; good thing ED has a jeep!
We came back on the gravel road and found the fourth and final cache which turned out to be an old cemetery from the early 1900’s. In the cache we found a history paper on the place which stated that people were buried here after an epidemic of flu similar to H1N1. It was quite a story where people panicked and fled to the hills and resorted to gun fire to keep their neighbours awayas it was quite a scare for everyone. (SEE PICTURES)
There were about 20 graves that we could see and the place was overgrown as it had been abandoned. After a couple of pictures, we went to the remains of the town than decided it was time to head home. We headed to highway 191 then north to the cut across to the village of Dragoon, Texas Canyon and eventually 1-10 and home.
It was a marvellous day! Even Tucker was tuckered out.
NOV 19, more sight-seeing
Ed and Carla left this morning for Tucson where they are on a work-camp so we decided to head for the Saguaro National Park near Tucson. We drove through Vail, near Tucson, and then headed up the hill to the park. First, we stopped at the Colossal Cave Park but they wanted $5 to get in then more money for the caves so we headed back down towards the National Park. This is our third National Park this trip so we decided to buy a year’s pass as we will be visiting more along the way. Saguaro Park was a very nice place. The view of the mountains and the city surrounding us was great and we even hiked a couple trails. One of them was the Freeman homestead where the Freeman’s family lived in the early 1900 before the Park bought the land from them. All that was left was the foundations of the house and a bit of history on them but the hike took us to a dry river bed and back over some beautiful scenery of huge Saguaros and over 25 species of cacti. From here we drove the whole circle drive which took us over some awesome terrain then it was time to head out.
We stopped for some groceries then we drove home and arrived back at 5 p.m. Another good day, indeed!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
November 11 to 16, 2009; St-David, Arizona
NOV 11, Wednesday, St-David.
Val went for her exercises at the club house and I slept in! How lazy!? Anyway, we took Tucker for his haircut today and I spent the day putting up gadgets that we bought at Camping World. We also got a new US map and I put that up on the wall. It is a bit smaller than the one we had before so I hope that when I put the Canada map up, it doesn’t look out of proportion too much.
We picked up tucker at 2 p.m. looking handsome as usual and smelling much better.
We have more neighbours around.
NOV 12, Thursday, visit Wilcox
After Val’s exercises and breakfast, we went for a drive to Wilcox, approx 34 miles from here. We took I-10 to Texas Canyon, approx 10 miles from here and took the Rangoon road. We first stopped at a Ranch Resort where they advertised music and dancing every Saturday night. The place was an RV and cabins resort and was amongst all the rock.
I should mention that Texas Canyon consist of big boulder rocks all tumbled onto each other and forming some very unique and balancing scenes. We continued on and stopped at the AMERIND Museum a little further down the road. This was a very interesting museum but unfortunately, we weren’t able to take pictures inside. It was a history on American Indian but also Canadian Indians, Eskimos and South America Indians. Very interesting with lots of artefacts, maps and some pictures. There also was an Art room with some beautiful painting and colonial furniture.
From here we drove to Rangoon which turned out to be just a few houses and a coffee shop then went to Wilcox. Wilcox is an old cowboy town near Cochise Hiding Place and Fort Wilcox. We stopped for a couple pictures and went into an old saloon and had a beer then came home
We stopped for some groceries and beer & wine and bought a cooked chicken for dinner. In the evening, we watched Survivors!
NOV 13, Friday, St-David
Clouds and wind greeted us this morning. It’s also a bit cooler. We spent the day around here, walking, visiting then after dinner, we went to the club house to listen to a Country Western Poet. He was interesting to listen to and Val really enjoyed him. His partner had a beautiful voice and sang a couple songs she had written.
NOV 14, Saturday, St-David
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GRAND-DAUGHTER VANESSA!!! 18 yrs young today...WOW!!!
Cloudy but no wind; we had a 5 minutes, well... maybe15 minutes... downpour in the afternoon and that was it! The funny thing is we can see sunshine to the west and north of us; go figure!
First thing this morning, we went to another campsite near Benson which had a big yard sale so we spent a couple hours there. Val bought a shirt and I bought a couple of bags to put my bungee cords in and two books by Clancy and one from Coonts for .25 cents each.
We came home and I cooked bacon & eggs then Val went to the club house to work on a puzzle and I went for a long walk. It began raining just as I got back to our rig. Tucker was the lazy one and refused to come or maybe he knew it was going to rain!?
We called the kids in the evening and spoke with everyone then called Vanessa on Garret’s cell phone and wished her a happy birthday, they were having dinner out.
NOV 15, Sunday, St-David
After breakfast, we drove about a mile down the road to St-David Monastery where they had an Art show advertised. It turned out to be full of selling kiosk (about 140 of them) selling everything from jewellery to homemade jam to hats and clothing. There were also Art painting and the usual metal art stuff. We walked the whole thing and only bought two bottles of sugar free relish and one Jalapeno jam. The Monastery also has an RV park and the Monastery is much bigger than we figured. We met our friends, Carla and Joe, also looking around and they invited us to walk the Monastery trail which we did. It wasn’t long but it was well done with a beautiful little lake and lots of birds.
We came home around 3:30 p.m. and I had a little snooze while Val went to the club house to work on a puzzle.
NOV 16, Monday, Geo-Caching
Carla and Ed invited us to go with them in their jeep Geo-caching so we went. We drove to near Tombstone and turned left on a gravel road and headed east towards the Cochise Stronghold Mountains. We had 4 caches to find and we found all four! Ed had a small portable GPS and it took us to all of them with no problems. The first one was near the road under a sign so was easy to find but the others, we had to hike to them amongst all the rocks and shrubs.
This took all day and we didn’t get back until 5 p.m. Tucker was with us and I think he had a riot with all these walks and rock climbing. He was really good at it too. We had fun and we left our personal card in 3 of the caches; it will be interesting to see if we get a response.
We both had worn shorts and needless to say our legs suffered for it, they were scratched from the prickly shrubs. Tucker seemed to have fair pretty good as he didn’t whined but he did sleep most of the evening. We all went to bed early!
UPLOADED NEW PICTURES IN LATEST FOLDER
Val went for her exercises at the club house and I slept in! How lazy!? Anyway, we took Tucker for his haircut today and I spent the day putting up gadgets that we bought at Camping World. We also got a new US map and I put that up on the wall. It is a bit smaller than the one we had before so I hope that when I put the Canada map up, it doesn’t look out of proportion too much.
We picked up tucker at 2 p.m. looking handsome as usual and smelling much better.
We have more neighbours around.
NOV 12, Thursday, visit Wilcox
After Val’s exercises and breakfast, we went for a drive to Wilcox, approx 34 miles from here. We took I-10 to Texas Canyon, approx 10 miles from here and took the Rangoon road. We first stopped at a Ranch Resort where they advertised music and dancing every Saturday night. The place was an RV and cabins resort and was amongst all the rock.
I should mention that Texas Canyon consist of big boulder rocks all tumbled onto each other and forming some very unique and balancing scenes. We continued on and stopped at the AMERIND Museum a little further down the road. This was a very interesting museum but unfortunately, we weren’t able to take pictures inside. It was a history on American Indian but also Canadian Indians, Eskimos and South America Indians. Very interesting with lots of artefacts, maps and some pictures. There also was an Art room with some beautiful painting and colonial furniture.
From here we drove to Rangoon which turned out to be just a few houses and a coffee shop then went to Wilcox. Wilcox is an old cowboy town near Cochise Hiding Place and Fort Wilcox. We stopped for a couple pictures and went into an old saloon and had a beer then came home
We stopped for some groceries and beer & wine and bought a cooked chicken for dinner. In the evening, we watched Survivors!
NOV 13, Friday, St-David
Clouds and wind greeted us this morning. It’s also a bit cooler. We spent the day around here, walking, visiting then after dinner, we went to the club house to listen to a Country Western Poet. He was interesting to listen to and Val really enjoyed him. His partner had a beautiful voice and sang a couple songs she had written.
NOV 14, Saturday, St-David
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GRAND-DAUGHTER VANESSA!!! 18 yrs young today...WOW!!!
Cloudy but no wind; we had a 5 minutes, well... maybe15 minutes... downpour in the afternoon and that was it! The funny thing is we can see sunshine to the west and north of us; go figure!
First thing this morning, we went to another campsite near Benson which had a big yard sale so we spent a couple hours there. Val bought a shirt and I bought a couple of bags to put my bungee cords in and two books by Clancy and one from Coonts for .25 cents each.
We came home and I cooked bacon & eggs then Val went to the club house to work on a puzzle and I went for a long walk. It began raining just as I got back to our rig. Tucker was the lazy one and refused to come or maybe he knew it was going to rain!?
We called the kids in the evening and spoke with everyone then called Vanessa on Garret’s cell phone and wished her a happy birthday, they were having dinner out.
NOV 15, Sunday, St-David
After breakfast, we drove about a mile down the road to St-David Monastery where they had an Art show advertised. It turned out to be full of selling kiosk (about 140 of them) selling everything from jewellery to homemade jam to hats and clothing. There were also Art painting and the usual metal art stuff. We walked the whole thing and only bought two bottles of sugar free relish and one Jalapeno jam. The Monastery also has an RV park and the Monastery is much bigger than we figured. We met our friends, Carla and Joe, also looking around and they invited us to walk the Monastery trail which we did. It wasn’t long but it was well done with a beautiful little lake and lots of birds.
We came home around 3:30 p.m. and I had a little snooze while Val went to the club house to work on a puzzle.
NOV 16, Monday, Geo-Caching
Carla and Ed invited us to go with them in their jeep Geo-caching so we went. We drove to near Tombstone and turned left on a gravel road and headed east towards the Cochise Stronghold Mountains. We had 4 caches to find and we found all four! Ed had a small portable GPS and it took us to all of them with no problems. The first one was near the road under a sign so was easy to find but the others, we had to hike to them amongst all the rocks and shrubs.
This took all day and we didn’t get back until 5 p.m. Tucker was with us and I think he had a riot with all these walks and rock climbing. He was really good at it too. We had fun and we left our personal card in 3 of the caches; it will be interesting to see if we get a response.
We both had worn shorts and needless to say our legs suffered for it, they were scratched from the prickly shrubs. Tucker seemed to have fair pretty good as he didn’t whined but he did sleep most of the evening. We all went to bed early!
UPLOADED NEW PICTURES IN LATEST FOLDER
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
November 6 to 10, 2009, St-David, Tombstone, Tucson
NOV 6, Friday, Chore day in St-David
We slept in and woke up to a sunny & warm morning. Val did laundry and I fixed the antenna (it was too tight and wouldn’t turn). I installed the under-cabinet coffee pot that we bought in Wal-Mart a while back. I also uploaded the last of our pictures in two new folders, # 49 & 50 covering the Gila cliff dwelling and the towns of Silver City and Pinos Altos; ENJOY!
In the afternoon we went to a presentation on how to book anywhere in the WHR system for $2/night only. Afterwards, I set up the satellite so we can get Canadian news. Val made an appointment to get a haircut for Tucker. We also met a couple of neighbours and one couple is into kayaking and cycling but unfortunately, they are here for only 4 days.
NOV 7, Saturday, Shopping day
We went to town shopping for groceries at Wal-Mart. Afterwards, I went to check for a car wash and found one so will be visiting it in the near future. We are not allowed to wash our vehicles or rigs in the park which is kind of dumb especially for the rig. Anyway, we went for lunch at a local restaurant then headed home and put all the groceries away.
We went to the club house for a steak dinner with our neighbours, Ron and Merlene from California. We had free tickets and the time was wrong, it started at 6 p.m. and we got there at 6:30, Oh well, we got a dinner anyway. There weren’t many people there.
We came home afterwards and called it an evening.
NOV 8, Sunday, Tombstone
We found out yesterday that there was a country music festival this week-end in Tombstone so we went. We invited our friends but they wanted to tour Bisbee and other places so we went on our own.
We spent the afternoon listening to music on the street and walking the town. I bought a belt and Val got her picture taken with a noose around her neck and a cowboy holding her. For $10, we also got a little tomb stone made of wood which has her name and today’s date. Quite neat, indeed! We went for lunch in “Big Nose Kate Saloon” (Doc Holliday’s girlfriend). Val had her picture taken sitting on the piano then we went downstairs in the dungeon to view a gold mine and a little souvenir store; anything for a buck!?
You will recall that Tombstone is famous for the OK Corral gun fight with the Dalton’s and the Earp’s. Actually there were a few gun fights in the street today. There were a lot of people around and many shows happening. Tombstone is a National Monument Park.
We came home around 3:30 p.m. and called it a day.
NOV 9, Monday, St-David
In the morning, I made a few calls with WHR, AOR and ROD to set up reservations for the next two months and got most of them except Indio, it was full already.
When we bought our groceries at Wal-Mart the other day, we found we were short a few items which we had paid for so we went back and we got all the items missing with no problems. Ron and Merlene went kayaking in Patagonia but we stayed home as we are going to Sierra Vista next week and will be able to go then. It is 75 miles from here which would have made it 150 miles return trip (210KM). We did a couple jobs around here then read our books and relax, as if we need it!? It was a sunny and warm day! We had happy hour with Ron and Merlene
NOV 10, Tuesday, shopping in Tucson
Ron and Merlene left this morning. We went to Tucson to Camping World to buy things we needed and others that we couldn’t do without! We met Ron and Merlene there, also shopping for necessities so we said good-by one more time.
Afterwards, we went to a small place nearby call “Beer and Hamburger” where we had a beer and lunch then came home. It was 91*F in Tucson and 84*F in St-David when we drove back. No more complaining!!!! Hihihihiihi
We have two new neighbours whom we met and briefly chatted with.
We slept in and woke up to a sunny & warm morning. Val did laundry and I fixed the antenna (it was too tight and wouldn’t turn). I installed the under-cabinet coffee pot that we bought in Wal-Mart a while back. I also uploaded the last of our pictures in two new folders, # 49 & 50 covering the Gila cliff dwelling and the towns of Silver City and Pinos Altos; ENJOY!
In the afternoon we went to a presentation on how to book anywhere in the WHR system for $2/night only. Afterwards, I set up the satellite so we can get Canadian news. Val made an appointment to get a haircut for Tucker. We also met a couple of neighbours and one couple is into kayaking and cycling but unfortunately, they are here for only 4 days.
NOV 7, Saturday, Shopping day
We went to town shopping for groceries at Wal-Mart. Afterwards, I went to check for a car wash and found one so will be visiting it in the near future. We are not allowed to wash our vehicles or rigs in the park which is kind of dumb especially for the rig. Anyway, we went for lunch at a local restaurant then headed home and put all the groceries away.
We went to the club house for a steak dinner with our neighbours, Ron and Merlene from California. We had free tickets and the time was wrong, it started at 6 p.m. and we got there at 6:30, Oh well, we got a dinner anyway. There weren’t many people there.
We came home afterwards and called it an evening.
NOV 8, Sunday, Tombstone
We found out yesterday that there was a country music festival this week-end in Tombstone so we went. We invited our friends but they wanted to tour Bisbee and other places so we went on our own.
We spent the afternoon listening to music on the street and walking the town. I bought a belt and Val got her picture taken with a noose around her neck and a cowboy holding her. For $10, we also got a little tomb stone made of wood which has her name and today’s date. Quite neat, indeed! We went for lunch in “Big Nose Kate Saloon” (Doc Holliday’s girlfriend). Val had her picture taken sitting on the piano then we went downstairs in the dungeon to view a gold mine and a little souvenir store; anything for a buck!?
You will recall that Tombstone is famous for the OK Corral gun fight with the Dalton’s and the Earp’s. Actually there were a few gun fights in the street today. There were a lot of people around and many shows happening. Tombstone is a National Monument Park.
We came home around 3:30 p.m. and called it a day.
NOV 9, Monday, St-David
In the morning, I made a few calls with WHR, AOR and ROD to set up reservations for the next two months and got most of them except Indio, it was full already.
When we bought our groceries at Wal-Mart the other day, we found we were short a few items which we had paid for so we went back and we got all the items missing with no problems. Ron and Merlene went kayaking in Patagonia but we stayed home as we are going to Sierra Vista next week and will be able to go then. It is 75 miles from here which would have made it 150 miles return trip (210KM). We did a couple jobs around here then read our books and relax, as if we need it!? It was a sunny and warm day! We had happy hour with Ron and Merlene
NOV 10, Tuesday, shopping in Tucson
Ron and Merlene left this morning. We went to Tucson to Camping World to buy things we needed and others that we couldn’t do without! We met Ron and Merlene there, also shopping for necessities so we said good-by one more time.
Afterwards, we went to a small place nearby call “Beer and Hamburger” where we had a beer and lunch then came home. It was 91*F in Tucson and 84*F in St-David when we drove back. No more complaining!!!! Hihihihiihi
We have two new neighbours whom we met and briefly chatted with.
Friday, November 06, 2009
November 1 to 5, Gila cliff dwelling New Mexico to Arizona
NOV 1, Sunday, Carlsbad
We had another lazy morning then went for a drive to “Sitting Bull Falls”, approx. 40 miles from here. The road in was really interesting and scenic. Took a few pictures for Picasa site!
We hiked up to the fall then took a trail up and around the top to take a look at the three pools that feed the fall. We took a different trail to come back down. The Rangers there were really friendly and helpful.
We came back home and fuelled the truck @ 2.55/Gallon. I BBQ’ed steaks for dinner then it was relax time. Tomorrow we move on to Silver City to look at the Gila Cliff Dwellings.
NOV 2, Monday, To Silver City, New Mexico
We were on the road by 9 a.m. and headed south-west on Hwy 62. We re-entered Texas near Guadalupe Mountains and went around the mountain range. The scenery was breath-taking after the boring desert drive. We soon arrived in El Paso, Texas and went around it via Hwy 375 which turned out to be very scenic too as we climbed to 5000 feet over the mountain pass and down the other side to I-10 where we turned North and West.
At Deming, we turned north-west to Silver City. We climbed slowly to 6400 feet then headed south on Hwy 90 to our site, Burro Mountain Homestead, an ACN/AOR member. The office was closed when we arrived so we picked a site, set up and now dinner is on! We are here for 3 nights. This place is 14 miles south of Silver City and 7 miles in on dirt road which we were not aware of but we are here and will stay the 3 nights.
We travelled 330 miles (530KM) in 7.5 hours at an average of 51 MPH
N 32* 36’ 52”
W 108* 26’ 08”
ALT: 6740 feet
NOV 3, Tuesday, to Gila cliffs
We got up to a beautiful sunshine and warmth. Lots of deer about and they don’t seem very nervous. We are in the middle of the Lower Gila National Forest but this place is privately owned. I paid $49 with tax for three nights.
We left around 9:30 a.m. and went to Silver City to McDonald for breakfast and then picked up propane at $19 and $50 worth of fuel @ 2.90/Gal,
We went on Hwy 15 and made our way up to the Continental Divide and the village of Pinos Altos. We didn’t stop but took a few pictures and promised ourselves to return tomorrow to explore it. The road from here was tortuous to say the least, up and down, switch back and sharp curves. I think I only went to a top speed of 30 MPH. It was like this for 18 miles and we climbed to 7900 feet at one place. The view was MAGNIFICIENT and BREATHTAKING. We stopped at numerous places to take pictures. We were driving in the Gila National Forest and traversing the Mogollon (pronounce Mo-go-yon). The highway was called “Trail of the Mountain Spirits”. We finally arrived at the Visitor centre, 48 miles later, and got information on the dwelling. We learned that the people who built the dwellings were of Mogollon descent and lived here between the years of 1276 to 1300. They were peaceful people. Eventually the Chiricahua Apache moved here too. Geronimo (Goyahkla) was born near here and there is a monument in his memory (see pictures).
We drove up to the head of the trail, paid $3 each and went up the trail to the Cliff Dwelling. This was a one mile loop climbing 180 feet to the dwellings. They consisted of 6 dwelling, of which 2 were note accessible but we did go in and around the middle 4.
The pictures don’t do them justice. It was very impressive and spiritual. You can’t help but try to imagine what it was like for them. When one looks at the ingenuity of these people in that Era, to build something like this that lasted over 700 years, makes one wonder why we think of them as savages and primitives. They were more intelligent then we give them credit for.
We spent a good hour listening to the Park rangers telling us the story of the place, walked around, poked into different room then it was time to leave. We climbed down a wooden ladder and then a narrow trail to the bottom and back to our car.
We drove back up the valley and turned on Hwy 35 to return home and miss all the curves and climbs on Hwy 15. We crossed the Continental Divide once more and eventually arrived back in Silver City and stopped at Wal-Mart to pick up milk then came home.
Tomorrow, we will visit Silver City and go back to Pinos Altos.
OCT 4, Wednesday, Silver City and Pinos Altos
Another beautiful day! After breakfast, we drove to the highway and to Silver City where we first stop at the Info Centre.
Silver City is a mining town, surrounded by numerous mines and open pits for silver (no longer), copper, zinc and ore. It is also known as the city where the famous Billy the Kid was born and raised with his brother. The astronaut Harrison Schmitt from Apollo 17 was also from the Region!
We walked the main street of Silver City which was relocated because of a major flood in the late 1890’s which wiped the original main street from the map. We took a tour of the museum and then headed for Pinos Altos where we had lunch in a well-renowned little restaurant with only 6 tables to serve. We had the best Chilli that I’ve ever tasted and we had so much that I had to ask for a ‘doggy bag”. We then drove and walked the scenic tour of the old town. We were to have a beer at the historic Saloon but unfortunately it was closed due to renovations.
We came back home around 3:30 p.m. and found a dozen deer near our “Bear”. Val cajoled one to feed out of her hand then I had my turn...quite neat! Tucker tried to chase him but the deer gave a lesson of his own by running him down, Tucker came back with his tail between his legs!
Anyone interested in visiting the area, we found a nice campground in town called SILVER CITY PARK, for only $19/night with full hook-up. There is also a campground in Pinos Altos but don’t know the price
Tomorrow we leave this place for Arizona
NOV 5, Thursday, to St David, Arizona
So here we are in St-David, Arizona, in a Western Horizon Park named St-David RV Resort.
We left this morning around 9 a.m. and after driving out to Hwy 90, we turned south. An hour later we were on I-10 where I took on $30 of fuel @ 2.99 and headed West. I didn’t fill up as I figured we could find it cheaper later.
We stopped for lunch at a Rest Area in Arizona, near Wilcox then went on to Benson. I looked for a car wash to wash the rig before going to the Resort but couldn’t find any so we headed in.
We arrived around 1 p.m., booked in and paid our dues for 21 nights ($126) then set up at site #45. We have a view of the lake here and are near the club house. It is 85*F!
Val cooked fish for dinner then we went to the club house to take an entertainment show by this guy named Michael Hardis. He sang a variety of music from Western to Rock & Roll and attempted a few jokes. He was pretty good and very entertaining.
We travelled 160 miles (256 KM) @ an average speed of 48 MPH in 4 hours
N 31* 53’ 19”
W 110* 12’ 48”
ALT: 3680 feet
Downloaded new pictures in Folder 49, 50 & 51. Enjoy!
We had another lazy morning then went for a drive to “Sitting Bull Falls”, approx. 40 miles from here. The road in was really interesting and scenic. Took a few pictures for Picasa site!
We hiked up to the fall then took a trail up and around the top to take a look at the three pools that feed the fall. We took a different trail to come back down. The Rangers there were really friendly and helpful.
We came back home and fuelled the truck @ 2.55/Gallon. I BBQ’ed steaks for dinner then it was relax time. Tomorrow we move on to Silver City to look at the Gila Cliff Dwellings.
NOV 2, Monday, To Silver City, New Mexico
We were on the road by 9 a.m. and headed south-west on Hwy 62. We re-entered Texas near Guadalupe Mountains and went around the mountain range. The scenery was breath-taking after the boring desert drive. We soon arrived in El Paso, Texas and went around it via Hwy 375 which turned out to be very scenic too as we climbed to 5000 feet over the mountain pass and down the other side to I-10 where we turned North and West.
At Deming, we turned north-west to Silver City. We climbed slowly to 6400 feet then headed south on Hwy 90 to our site, Burro Mountain Homestead, an ACN/AOR member. The office was closed when we arrived so we picked a site, set up and now dinner is on! We are here for 3 nights. This place is 14 miles south of Silver City and 7 miles in on dirt road which we were not aware of but we are here and will stay the 3 nights.
We travelled 330 miles (530KM) in 7.5 hours at an average of 51 MPH
N 32* 36’ 52”
W 108* 26’ 08”
ALT: 6740 feet
NOV 3, Tuesday, to Gila cliffs
We got up to a beautiful sunshine and warmth. Lots of deer about and they don’t seem very nervous. We are in the middle of the Lower Gila National Forest but this place is privately owned. I paid $49 with tax for three nights.
We left around 9:30 a.m. and went to Silver City to McDonald for breakfast and then picked up propane at $19 and $50 worth of fuel @ 2.90/Gal,
We went on Hwy 15 and made our way up to the Continental Divide and the village of Pinos Altos. We didn’t stop but took a few pictures and promised ourselves to return tomorrow to explore it. The road from here was tortuous to say the least, up and down, switch back and sharp curves. I think I only went to a top speed of 30 MPH. It was like this for 18 miles and we climbed to 7900 feet at one place. The view was MAGNIFICIENT and BREATHTAKING. We stopped at numerous places to take pictures. We were driving in the Gila National Forest and traversing the Mogollon (pronounce Mo-go-yon). The highway was called “Trail of the Mountain Spirits”. We finally arrived at the Visitor centre, 48 miles later, and got information on the dwelling. We learned that the people who built the dwellings were of Mogollon descent and lived here between the years of 1276 to 1300. They were peaceful people. Eventually the Chiricahua Apache moved here too. Geronimo (Goyahkla) was born near here and there is a monument in his memory (see pictures).
We drove up to the head of the trail, paid $3 each and went up the trail to the Cliff Dwelling. This was a one mile loop climbing 180 feet to the dwellings. They consisted of 6 dwelling, of which 2 were note accessible but we did go in and around the middle 4.
The pictures don’t do them justice. It was very impressive and spiritual. You can’t help but try to imagine what it was like for them. When one looks at the ingenuity of these people in that Era, to build something like this that lasted over 700 years, makes one wonder why we think of them as savages and primitives. They were more intelligent then we give them credit for.
We spent a good hour listening to the Park rangers telling us the story of the place, walked around, poked into different room then it was time to leave. We climbed down a wooden ladder and then a narrow trail to the bottom and back to our car.
We drove back up the valley and turned on Hwy 35 to return home and miss all the curves and climbs on Hwy 15. We crossed the Continental Divide once more and eventually arrived back in Silver City and stopped at Wal-Mart to pick up milk then came home.
Tomorrow, we will visit Silver City and go back to Pinos Altos.
OCT 4, Wednesday, Silver City and Pinos Altos
Another beautiful day! After breakfast, we drove to the highway and to Silver City where we first stop at the Info Centre.
Silver City is a mining town, surrounded by numerous mines and open pits for silver (no longer), copper, zinc and ore. It is also known as the city where the famous Billy the Kid was born and raised with his brother. The astronaut Harrison Schmitt from Apollo 17 was also from the Region!
We walked the main street of Silver City which was relocated because of a major flood in the late 1890’s which wiped the original main street from the map. We took a tour of the museum and then headed for Pinos Altos where we had lunch in a well-renowned little restaurant with only 6 tables to serve. We had the best Chilli that I’ve ever tasted and we had so much that I had to ask for a ‘doggy bag”. We then drove and walked the scenic tour of the old town. We were to have a beer at the historic Saloon but unfortunately it was closed due to renovations.
We came back home around 3:30 p.m. and found a dozen deer near our “Bear”. Val cajoled one to feed out of her hand then I had my turn...quite neat! Tucker tried to chase him but the deer gave a lesson of his own by running him down, Tucker came back with his tail between his legs!
Anyone interested in visiting the area, we found a nice campground in town called SILVER CITY PARK, for only $19/night with full hook-up. There is also a campground in Pinos Altos but don’t know the price
Tomorrow we leave this place for Arizona
NOV 5, Thursday, to St David, Arizona
So here we are in St-David, Arizona, in a Western Horizon Park named St-David RV Resort.
We left this morning around 9 a.m. and after driving out to Hwy 90, we turned south. An hour later we were on I-10 where I took on $30 of fuel @ 2.99 and headed West. I didn’t fill up as I figured we could find it cheaper later.
We stopped for lunch at a Rest Area in Arizona, near Wilcox then went on to Benson. I looked for a car wash to wash the rig before going to the Resort but couldn’t find any so we headed in.
We arrived around 1 p.m., booked in and paid our dues for 21 nights ($126) then set up at site #45. We have a view of the lake here and are near the club house. It is 85*F!
Val cooked fish for dinner then we went to the club house to take an entertainment show by this guy named Michael Hardis. He sang a variety of music from Western to Rock & Roll and attempted a few jokes. He was pretty good and very entertaining.
We travelled 160 miles (256 KM) @ an average speed of 48 MPH in 4 hours
N 31* 53’ 19”
W 110* 12’ 48”
ALT: 3680 feet
Downloaded new pictures in Folder 49, 50 & 51. Enjoy!
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