Socorro, NM

October 14, 2010

First time to Socorro! We had a very good Mexican dinner, cruised town a bit, and we will be on our way in the a.m. This is a mail stop, we haven't been any place for very long recently, so we picked a place we thought we might be a week down the road. This decision got us off of I-40 and on to US -60. We have seen much new terrain today, mostly high desert, but some variety made the drive interesting. We cruised through towns like: Quemoda, Pie Town, Datil, and Magdaline. Each had a similar look only varying in size from small to extremely, did-we-miss-it, small. We did stop in Pie Town and had our first ever $5 slice of pie, a la mode will be $2.50 extra! They did have some interesting combinations, Peanut Butter Pecan almost tempted me, but we went for All American Apple and Triple Berry. Both were tasty.

We slowed down, but did not stop, as we passed the Very Large Array. This set of satellite dishes was built for the purpose of catching signals from outer space. In anticipation of arrival, we talked about documentaries we've seen on the topic and even the movie with Jodie Foster playing the lady who got the whole project underway. Titles on that one escaped the memory, but we had the gist. In fact, we knew enough to feel justified to keep on rolling. Point: it's pretty cool to see and I'm sure the info/visitor center has a lot to offer, like the title of the movie!

The last week did not go quite as planned. We spent a wonderful day and evening in Alpine with the Rutherford's and not only enjoyed that, Russell got bitten by the "real estate bug." The scenery is so beautiful in Alpine, though, I think most anyone would be stricken the same way. We went to Show Low to chase down one property and checked into the local state park for 1 night. That was on Tuesday, we actually left today, Thursday. The park is really nice! We were camped right next to the lake and enjoyed entertainment by ducks, geese, and kids. Sunsets were pretty cool too! The town has a lot to offer as well. Nice people and more real estate opportunities. But we are the proverbial "tire kickers" and left empty handed.

Tomorrow we head back to Albequerque, NM. We were there just over night last year. We will stay about a week this time. We even plan to check the weather to see if it is not too late for a trip to Sante Fe. We are definitely FAIR WEATHER FRIENDS! We want nothing to do with bad weather of any kind. We met people today who were caught in a hail storm near Mesa Verde, AZ. Their coach was really a mess with thousands of dollars of repairs to be done.

Camp Verde, Arizona

April 6 and 8, 2010
Indian Cliff Dwellings

We are staying at Zane Grey RV Park, a great kick for 2 old western novel readers. In the office library, you can take any book you like except for the Zane Grey's which may only be borrowed. They have a nice collection. This is the area Grey described in his books; he lived and traveled between Camp Verde and Payson.

One of the office staff told us about a great place to hike, just off the highway.
So off we went to find Indian ruins. We parked at the gate, just a mile or so west of the park. "Just up there? We don't even need to take water!" Right! The path was easily followed, even when it went straight up! it wasn't very far, really, or very strenuous, it was just the UP parts that got to me. Russell was great, reliving the lives of the Ancients who once trod these hills. We could see the caves from the road, but their complexities opened to us only as we entered the openings. We had worked up a pretty good sweat, but sitting in the shade of overhangs was very refreshing. Russell explored doorways and several "rooms." I just sat and was happy to do so. It was very cool to look down on the new housing development in the valley. We had the better view, perfect for defense, and really very cozy. The new houses had much better access to water!

On Thursday, we went to Montezuma's Castle, just north of here. These folks knew how to maximize cliff dwellings! They used adobe/mud to build walls several stories high. The Sinagua (without water) people lived in this village for over 300 years. Tourists used to climb up in the complex, but preservation requires that we stay on the sidewalk now. This made our previous climb all the better; we could relate our first-hand experience to the slightly removed one. The early European pioneers mistakenly named the ruins after Montezuma, but they date back centuries before, from 1100 to 1400.

Our final Sinagua trip in time was to Tuzigoot, an Indian condo of sorts. These folks had it made near the Verde River, on a short hill, with plenty of farm land between to 2. They climbed a ladder to enter from the roof, a doorway that also served as chimney. The artifacts found here are truely amazing! The park service has a new visitor center planned to properly display them, so we only got to see pictures of the really big clay pots. We then took the switch-backed road up to the old mining town of Jerome. We were there last year, but this visit was earlier in the day, not as crowded and way more relaxed! The Haunted Hamburger was a very good recomendation for lunch.

All of the "back-in-time" glimpses make me happy to be moving across the desert in an air-conditioned RV with all the modern conveniences.

Happy Easter in Tucson

April 4, 2010

We have enjoyed our second trip to Tucson from a new perspective. This year we are staying on the northwest side of town and we have driven more of the back roads to get the flavor of neighborhoods. We are also not far off the freeway and have greater access to downtown.

For the tourist bit, we went to Biosphere 2, the University of Arizona and Mission San Xavier del Bac. All tours were set in glorious cool, bright weather; citris fragrance hanging in the air; mountains and blooming cactus in the background.

Biosphere 2 is a one-of-a-kind place for science. The experiments that began in the '90s as a sealed-enviroment habitat continue in a less intense format. This has been on several "Must See" lists with good reason. Eight people lived here for two years in total isolation! They recycled the air and water, grew their own food, and conducted experiments - real human guinea pigs!

Our trip yesterday to Mission San Xavier Del Bac was a total treat. The mission has just been restored to its original baroque style of statuary and murals. Its walls tell the story of Christ and the Saints with depth, realism and vivid color. Visitors and parishioners alike sat and prayed in vigil waiting for the Risen Christ of Easter.

Our trip to the UofA Art Museum continued the Easter mood. We found a wonderful exhibit of 60 by 43 inch panels from the Retablo of Ciudad Rodrigo in Spain. The collection of 26 altar pieces were painted in the late 1400's by artists Fernando Gallego and Master Bartolomé. They depict the life of Christ in vivd color and individualistic faces. The stylized representations really captured me, especially so on the day before Easter. The remainder of the exhibits, which were wonderful, paled in comparison.

Our Tucson experience culminated with a walk taking photos of blooming cacti. FABULOUS!

Hiking in Maricopa County

March 29, 2010
In Arizona the county parks are equivilant to Texas state parks, large, well-maintained, and if not completely staffed, full of helpful, knowledgeagble folks. In this Sonoran desert park we hiked most of the short routes. The Pemberton, a 15m loop, was way beyond my ability or desire, but I was proud to complete the 5m Scenic Rim loop yesterday. It was a beautiful day with many Sunday hikers out to enjoy it. The info from Ranger Jenny on previous walks added to our knowledge of peaks, flora, and understanding of geology of the area. It was a perfect way to culmate our stay here.

On Saturday we took a short section of the Pemberton to an artesian well that has been home to cattle, coyote, fish and frogs for eons. An oasis, literally. This was a ranger-led hike with a fairly large group to admire a full moon in the desert. So we began with a bit of sun settling over the peaks west and a bright, almost-full orb in the east. the air was crisp and refreshing and the path brightly lit. Watching the light and shadows change as we progressed was fascinating. Any hopes of seeing or hearing wildlife were dimmed by the amount of noise we made moving along - quiet conversations, shuffling feet, occassional informative remarks from Jenny. it was in no way strenuous, but a delightful way to spend a Saturday evening.

Wildflowers! They have arrived in Phoenix. When we got here in January, plant life was as grim as everywhere else, but the desert has come awake in the last week. It is neat to see the variety as you move from urban to rural and between elevations because the display changes. Even the creosote is beautiful, the bougonvilla goes way past beautiful! Poppies in golden shades of orange and yellow, lupines are the bluebonnets of Arizona, chia, and fairy dusters. I'm just showing off my new-found knowledge! Name dropping, so to speak.

Today we head for Tucson and hope to see more wildflowers as we head into Easter.

All of this and more has helped to heal the body and soul that was me a few weeks ago. Sleep, walk, good food, good friends, routine, tasks accomplished, beautiful new life and the promise of Easter. God has provided them all and given us the opportunity to be renewed if we will just slow things down a bit. We happen to be at the season of anguish and glory in liturgy, but God shows us that glory does follow anguish, we just have to allow it to happen.

I'm hoping that this message finds each and every reader in glory!

Phoenix, again!

March 22, 2010
I'm back at home after 3 weeks in Houston. It's wonderful to be able to be where we need to be. Equally wonderful to be back home and ready to move.

We are staying at the Maricopa Regional Park in the Sonoran Desert. It has huge campsites with a fire ring, grill, and picnic table. It does not have on-site sewer, internet, or very good phone reception. There are almost daily ranger-led hikes, lots of hiking paths, beautiful sunsets, and I hear the sunrises are spectacular, but have no first-hand experience (thank you Russell!)

Yesterday we sat in the shade at the Fountain Hills park to listen to Latin music. It was a beautiful afternoon. We always enjoy our time with friends and have been able to eat, laugh, watch camp fires and relax with them in the last week.

Next firm destinations: Las Vegas with Kyle first weekend of May, Dallas the following weekend.

Phoenix

February, 2010
My friend Laurie commented, "Ya'll must really like Phoenix!"

Yeah, we do! In the NE corner of the city, you are looking up at mountains all the time. We are sitting between Four Peaks and Red Mountain. The cloud cover has produced spectacular sunrises and sunsets! The distant mountains are shrouded in a haze of blues and greys. On the many cloudless days, these same landscapes are painted in golden reds. One evening we were treated to the sun, in all its blazing glory, settling between a pair of peaks, washing the valley in golds and reds. it really did defy description, my meger attempt is pale in comparison to the all-too-brief event.

We made a very brave attempt to bicycle a popular 8-mile stretch of highway that was reported to be "all down hill". Not True! I slowed everyone down in my out-of-shape ability to handle the uphill sections. The ride was glorious, however, and I hope to do it again with more success, but not today!

An event I was totally in shape for was a day at the Phoenix Art Museum. We spent the morning at the huge Ansel Adams exhibit, even more exciting because we have seen the locales. We enjoyed 2 different tours with docents and a relaxing lunch in the garden. It was the kind of day that inspires and awes.

There has also been time to shop, repair, relax, eat, and on occassion, work. Russell has really whittled down the to-do list associated with the new Monaco. I think he knows a few folks at the Monaco factory by name. He has mentioned a tour of the factory in Eugene, Oregon. Good Idea.

Moral of the story: Phoenix is a GREAT place to winter!

Back in Phoenix

January 28, 2010
I think the entire country is in the grip of some weird weather this winter. Russell felt that Phoenix, a place we like for lots of reasons, was the best choice for sunny skies and relaxing. So it has rained for a good deal of our two days here... maybe it's us!

We camped in Junction, TX for 2 nights. We stayed an extra day due to strong winds blowing in from the west. It seemed that I-10 was the corridor for a nasty system that included gusts of 60mph. We also spent 2 nights in Las Cruces. Our 3 travel days from Houston to Phoenix covered more than 400 miles each. I guess we needed to rest in between each leg.

Our new-to-us home has performed admirably on the long road trip. We have learned a lot about the systems, driving capabilities, and kinks still to be addressed. Each day we perform some task that makes our Diplomat a little more like home.

My Mom continues to struggle with her lung condition. The tests she underwent proved negative, so she can't recieve the proposed treatment. We will be back in the near future to spend more time with my family.

Phoenix, Arizona

October 4, 2009

We left San Diego hugging the Mexican border along I-8 the drive was as interesting and unique as all the others have been. Signs of the border and border agents were everywhere in this sparse landscape. We drove through the Cleveland National Forest (no trees here), the Imperial Valley, and Imperial Valley Sand Dunes on our way to Yuma, Arizona. Great amounts of the sand dunes were blowing across the freeway to Mexico making visibility difficult. The winds and sands stopped at the border, though, for a scenic drive through southwestern Arizona to Phoenix. It was nice to be coming back to some place and have a sense of the familiar.

We spent a week enjoying Rick and Pat and getting ready for our trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It is nice to just be here and have no pressure to sightsee. We’ve spent the near-month resting, recuperating, and catching up on business with beautiful weather and gorgeous mountains in the background. It has been time to work, bike, walk, watch football and sit in the hot tub. It is especially nice to have all of this and friends close by to enjoy it with.

April 20, 2009

The small community of Munds Park is convenient to both Flagstaff and Sedona. Here we got to the pines, mountains, and cooler weather of northern Arizona. The Munds Park RV Resort backs up to the Coconino National Forest with easy access for long walks.

We took the northern route to Sedona through Oak Creek Canyon. The road runs southwest from I-17 through the forest climbing to the mountain top where we stopped at the vista point. The view is spectacular as the pines open above Oak Creek. In the distance pines thin to reveal colors and bare rock of Sedona. The view is also a preview of the switch-back road we would descend.

In Sedona we did the usual walk, exploring small shops and snapping pictures. We also took a tour to the west side of town to see the back side of formations. The day ended with a view from above at the mountain top airport.

We also took day trips from Munds to Flagstaff and the small town of Jerome. Jerome is a former copper mining town, now considered a “ghost town” except for tourists and the folks minding the stores. Jerome is built straight up the mountainside. Steep step walkways take the visitor from one street to the one above it. Some walkways wind through floral gardens, others run parallel to creeks of snow melt. Some buildings remain in their original condition from the late 1800’s, except for the pull of gravity. The view from these lofty streets is impressive!

NEXT TIME: Verde Valley, Crater Rim east of Flagstaff

Phoenix, Arizona

March 20-April 19, 2009

We spent a month at the Eagle View RV in the suburb of Fountain Hills– arranged by our friends, Rick and Pat Rutherford who live in the area. I highly recommend the Rutherford’s as trip planners. They had maps, activities, events and free stuff ready and waiting for us. We had a relaxing combination of enjoying friends and seeing Phoenix.

Our touring events included Saguaro Lake, Indian Casinos, Taliesin (the Frank Lloyd Wright home and university) the Phoenix Fine Arts Museum, and Botanical Gardens. We saw a great show of impersonators – up close and personal on the front row- which made Russell part of the Shania Twain act. He was great: dancing, singing and living it up with the pretty lady-impressive. He became a real celebrity in the crowd. We also had a wonderful evening at a nearby dude ranch for a cook out and dance. The evening included Indian stories and a birthday dance for one young visitor. Another day we rode horseback through the desert and Verde River.

Our greatest adventure began at the Botanical Gardens. Besides the beautiful plants they had an exhibit of Chihuly Glass. These museum quality pieces of sculpture were interspersed throughout the gardens, blending and contrasting with the desert cacti, succulents and flowers. It was amazing! The fun came to an abrupt halt with the realization of being robbed. People had broken into Pat’s car and stolen our purses, beginning an education we really could have done without.

We had been warned about leaving anything in a car in this area, but obviously didn’t take the advice seriously enough. The loot included 3 sets of keys (Pat’s, Russell’s and mine) assorted credit cards, and 2 cell phones in addition to 2 very nice purses and all the assorted stuff that women carry. Of course most of our prized possessions wound up littering the roadway somewhere. All four of us spent the better part of a week repairing the damage and did not get all of the replacements until months later.

Other mundane activities during our stay included our usual routine and trips to the chiropractor. The fall in Tucson was still being felt and had to be taken care of. I went three times each week for three weeks of treatment and physical therapy. Obviously, this cut down on the amount of hiking I could do with Russell. Fortunately, Rick likes to hike so the men took on some of the rougher terrain of the area while I recouped. Pat was often at work during these excursions. I was able to rejoin the group on some beautiful walks before leaving. March is a good time for hiking in Phoenix because the temperatures are mild and the cacti are blooming.

Tucson, Arizona

March, 2009

We spent 2 weeks in Tucson soaking up sun. The Far Horizons East RV Park was a new experience for us because most of the snowbirds have been spending winters here for years in their RV or park model home. This resort provides a very active schedule of dinners, classes, clubs and outings. We enjoyed the sense of community.

We really enjoyed our hikes in the Saguaro National Park. These unique cacti grow profusely with no two the same. I went nuts with the camera. I also went nuts with the heat and elevation. Even though we had water, I collapsed from dehydration on a mountain top. Once recovered, we limped down to buy a big hat and backpack water carrier. Chiropractic was in my immediate future.

We visited several great places while there. The Titan Missile Silo and Pima Air Museum were a step back in time in the Cold War and air history. Tombstone was a step way back to Earp, Hitchcock, and the Clanton’s at the OK Corral. Further back still, we visited Tubac to see the ruins of pueblos and fort. Mt. Lemmon was an interesting geologic time warp.

We made great friends, relaxed, and ate more Mexican food.

NEXT TIME: San Xavier Mission, Sabino Canyon