Parker Dam, AZ

OMG - it's Friday again! If you've wondered where we've been, the answer is not much of anywhere! Dan and I have been both knocked off our feet this week with some kind of bug, so our activities have been seriously curtailed. We're just hoping Mel doesn't join the fray!

Before we got sick, we were having a great time! Last weekend, we met some new friends and joined them for an evening of karaoke at the pool. No - we didn't sing, just enjoyed everyone else! The next day was Super Bowl Sunday, and I stayed home while Mel & Dan went to the party at the club house. I think I got the better end of the deal, except that I didn't get to see all the commercials!

One day we spent at Parker Dam, which is on the Colorado River,  just above where we are staying. Once again, the views were awesome! On the way up, we sighted some wild burros, so had to stop for pictures, of course. They are so cute, but there are signs posted to not feed or otherwise harass them, so just looking had to satisfy us -not that we would harass them, anyway :)!

We spent Monday in Quartzsite, AZ. Wow! It has the biggest flea market I've ever seen! (Yes, to those at home in MI, even bigger than Shipshewana!) It is spread out over acres and acres of land. We got there a little late, but managed to do a little shopping and hope to go back before we are on the road again.

Til later, I'll leave you witih these pics!

Earp, CA

Traveled to Earp after laying low in Casa Grande. We're at a camp resort with about 400 of our closest friends :) just across the Arizona/California border. It is located on the side of the beautiful Colorado River, with a private beach, and a ton of things to do. I've only taken a couple of pics, which I'll post with a promise of more to come as we venture from here to sights close by. These were taken from the dock at the resort.

A couple from Tombstone

All of the windows in Big Nose Kate's Saloon were stained glass with portraits of prominent people of Tombstone "in the day".

Casa Grande

After laundry, grocery shopping, and a 2nd day at Tombstone we moved today to a campground in Casa Grande. We'll be here just 2 days then moving on to Earp, CA for a week.

More Tombstone pics! Greg & Dawn, you'd love it!!

Wyatt Earp

Hood Ornament?

What can I say??? He's got rhythm!!!

Wyatt's daughter smiling at Mel and a group of "shady" and "not so shady" ladies!

Dan & the Preacher!

Chiricahua National Park

We spent most of the day today in beautiful Chiricahua National Park in the Bonita Canyon area. The 8-mile paved scenic drive and 17-miles of day-use hiking trails provide opportunities to discover the beauty, natural sounds, and inhabitants of this 11,985 acre site. The first settlers to live in Bonita Canyon were Ja Hu Stafford and his wife Pauline. They originally built a one-room, log cabin in 1880, which grew with his family. You can still see the cabin today. Faraway Ranch was the home of Swedish immigrants, Neil and Emma Erickson, who settled in Bonita Canyon in the late 1880s.Their home evolved from a simple homestead to a thriving guest ranch that was in operation from 1917 - 1972. Members of the family lived on the ranch until 1975. Shortly thereafter, it was sold to the National Park Service. In addition to walking on some of the trails and taking many pictures (many, many pictures!), we were able to tour the ranch house. When it was sold, the personal belongings of the family were left in it, so it remains intact still today.
The views from the hiking trails were breath taking. I will upload pics tomorrow.

OK, if you checked back, the pics didn't get uploaded - sorry - here they are!!

St. David, AZ

Found our campground without too much trouble - only had to turn around once! It's nice, but the sites are kinda' small and very close together. On the way here, we stopped at an overlook-beautiful rock formations! We just stayed at the campground yesterday and relaxed. Today, we went to Tombstone for the afternoon. It is a neat little town with wooden sidewalks and shops galore. We enjoyed a reenactment of the Gunfight at OK Corral, shopped a little, and ate supper at Big Nose Kate's Saloon. All in all, a fun day. We've already decided we will be going back there again before we leave this area.

Whew!

Well, here we are, after two very long travel days and two overnights, in New Mexico! I must say I was not a very good traveler for this leg of the trip. Texas just didn't have much appeal to me -- it is WAY too big, too dirty, and too boring! After many many miles of the same scenery, pretty as it was, I was glad when we finally reached El Paso where there were at least some billboards to read and something to look at besides piles of gravel, sagebrush and an occasional dead coyote along the roadside! It is amazing to me the absolute squalor these people live in! Rusted mobile homes and abandoned shacks dot the landscape, and then in the blink of an eye, whole city's appear! We are staying at a nice campground in Deming, New Mexico - Hidden Valley Ranch (also my favorite salad dressing!) tucked in a little valley in the middle of nowhere with magnificent views all around us. I'll add pictures tomorrow, but for now . . . Good night!

OK, so maybe I was just a little travel-weary last night! As promised, here are the pics!

Indian Attack!!  Cheyenne Land RV Park

I-10 Texas

More I-10 Texas

Hidden Valley Ranch RV Park - Deming, NM

Day is Done!