Where Next? #12

When we arrived at Cape Lookout National Seashore in early November 2017 we thought that staying in one place for almost 5 months sounded awfully long. It would be our longest stay to date. Yet here we are with only two weeks left. Time has flown and we’ll be on the road soon. Our feet are beginning to itch with the travel bug.

Our plans have changed several times but (We hope) this is our route from the seashore of eastern North Carolina to the shores of Lake Superior and our summer volunteer job at Grand Portage National Monument. We’ll travel for about 5.5 weeks seeing family and friends, adding 2 new states and seeing several National Park sites. Our arrival in Minnesota will be the second week in May.

Here’s the Google Map of our route.

 

Summer 2017 And The River Of No Return

Our four months in central Idaho are coming to a close so it is time to get a post up on our wonderful summer. We’d been in most other areas of Idaho but never the center of the state. When we saw a volunteer position for the Sacajawea Center in Salmon, Idaho we applied and were accepted for Summer 2017. Not only was this a gorgeous area but a stop along the Lewis and Clark Trail, a favorite subject of ours. If you like mountains, small western towns and free running rivers then the Lemhi Valley is for you. The town of Salmon has a population of about 3,000. Community pride and a high percentage of resident involvement is reflected by volunteerism and community participation. The major businesses are cattle ranching and ecotourism. Salmon is located at the confluence of the Lemhi and Salmon Rivers. In the past it was an area of mining and timber harvesting so it is rich in history as well. Today a large percentage of the valley is either land managed by BLM or the Salmon-Challis National Forest. The valley is surrounded to the east by the Beaverhead Mountains, to the south by the Lost River Range, to the north and west by the Bitterroot Mountains. Also to the west is the the largest wilderness area in the lower 48, the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area.

The Sacajawea Center was built through the cooperation of federal, state and local groups for the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Celebration in 2004-2006. Then it was turned over to the City of Salmon and is run by the city today. The Lemhi Valley is the traditional homeland of the Agaidika (Lemhi Shoshone), Sacajawea’s people. Agaidika, in the Shoshone language, means “salmon eaters” and refers to one of their main food sources. The Interpretive Center where we worked tells the story of Sacajawea from living in the valley to her capture by the Hidatsa,  her role with the Corps of Discovery, after the expedition and the removal of the Shoshone to the Fort Hall Reservation. The valley is referred to by the Lemhi Shoshone as Agai Pah. We researched and developed Discovery Center talks: (Steve) Mapping the West and The Language Chain, (Chari) Medicine Along The Lewis and Clark Trail and a Trivia Quiz. We erected a traditional tipi, worked in the native plant and community garden and did light maintenance. One of our projects was a slideshow for the Interpretive Center. It runs about 26 minutes but you can forward through the sections for a shorter time. This captured the feel of the area and many of the sights we enjoyed so we are posting it here for you to view in lieu of still photos. As with most videos it is a good idea to let it load at least 3/4 of the film before viewing so you will have a smooth playback. That may take some time so please be patient (or it may just be our wifi connection).

We were asked by the Sacajawea manager to film our Discovery Center talks as tutorials for future volunteers. We include them here so that if you have interest in the topics you can watch. Chari’s talk runs about 30 minutes. Steve’s talk involved more technical material about using navigational equipment and required more detail. His talk runs about an hour and is split into two parts.

We haven’t had time to do a video for our out of Lemhi County trips so it is back to still photos. The star of our days off trips was the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. We packed up our tent and what seemed a ridiculous amount of other stuff for two wonderful trips there. After all, we are at the age where comfort is primary! The mountains, lakes/rivers and wildflowers were breathtaking! We took the Custer Motorway on the way back home locating both tent and RV camping spots and seeing the Custer and Bonanza ghost towns.

A Favorite Sawtooth Scene

Along The Custer Motorway

Reflection of The Sawtooths

For our wedding anniversary this year (that’s number 8), we took a rafting trip with Rawhide Outfitters. This was a 3 hour trip with a short gold mine stop and BBQ lunch. The day use stretch of the Salmon River has up to Class 3 rapids. We had a wonderful guide and enjoyed ourselves. I don’t know if I can work up courage to do the multi-day trip with level 4 and 5 rapids through the Frank Church Wilderness on the Middle Fork of the river. I’m ready to go. What are you waiting for? That’s why the Salmon River is called The River of No Return. Until the invention of jet boats and powerful gasoline engines the Salmon River current was too strong for men to paddle or row back upstream. Traffic could only go downstream. 

Floating On The Salmon River

Steve “Riding The Bull”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anniversary Rafting Trip

Another favorite area was the Spar Canyon Road south of Challis, Idaho, nearby Herd Lake and oddly named Road Creek Road. On our first trip here we found a new to us plant. It took me a long time to identify it. Now we know it is called Sobol, a member of the agave group and in the asparagus family. This is BLM land and great for rockhounding. We returned here for the Eclipse 2017 and had no crowds. Steve has written an account of this which we’ll post separately. To say it was a National Geographic moment is an understatement! Also in the area and worth a mention is Land of the Yankee Fork State Park. The park is devoted to mining history of the area and a visit to the Bayhorse Ghost Town in the park is a must.

Driving Spar Canyon Road

The Many Colors Found In Spar Canyon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sobol Growing In Spar Canyon

We attended two festivals: Bannack Days at Bannack State Park (old mining ghost town) and Logger Days in Darby, MT. We’d been to Bannack in 2014 but it was fun to see the town “come alive” through living history. They had everything from pack mules to an old mining stamp machine and a “shoot out”.  Steve spent a long time talking to a surveyor about historical instruments and was able to use this information in his talk.

Bannack Scene

Living History Brings Town To Life

The Dentist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Shoot Out

The Darby, Montana Logger Festival was the first of its type that we had attended. Just as a rodeo is a competition based on skills a cowboy uses, the Logger Festival uses a chainsaw and skills loggers need. There were several events but our three favorites were the Cookie Stack, the Obstacle Pole and one we call the Climb and Cut.

In the Cookie Stack a beer mug of water is placed on an upright log. Then the logger cuts several slices aka cookies. The stack is then picked up on the chainsaw blade and moved to an adjacent log. Lastly the chainsaw is removed. All of this without spilling the mug! The gal who won was amazing. She placed in every event.

After Cutting The Cookies

Moving The Stack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Removing The Saw

 

 

Success!

The Obstacle Pole starts when the logger picks up the saw and runs around the obstacle. Then he/she runs up an angled log to the end. They balance on the end, start the saw and then lean over the end and cut off a section. Lastly they turn and run down the log to the ground.

Off And Running

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Start Your Saw

 

 

 

 

 

Starting To Cut

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Fall Now!

 

Turn And Run!

We don’t know the official name of this event but it involves making an axe cut about 4′ off the ground and inserting a board. Then the logger jumps up on the board and repeats the process. Standing on the second board and bouncing a lot the logger chops thru the top log. The man shown here was a former World Champion Logger. While he didn’t win, he did place well… at age 75! No more excuses! You rest… you rust.

 

Strong At 75

 

Up On The First Board

 

Now On The Second Board

 

Chopping Away At The Top

 

Lest we forget to mention our visit to Craters of the Moon National Monument. We’d made a quick visit in 2011 but always wanted to spend more time and see wildflowers growing in the lava. A great photo opportunity. The plants are all low growing so some shots required us to sprawl on our tummies. Bet that was a curious sight to other visitors!

June Wildflowers At Craters of the Moon

Nature As Sculptor

 

Time as usual has gone all too fast. We will miss the wonderful staff at the Sacajawea Center and the local volunteers who devote so much time year after year. We explored only some of the backroads. Of course, it is our stomachs that will miss 80 mile bread from Odd Fellows Bakery, free range eggs bought roadside on the honor system, Sacajawea Stout from Bertram’s Brewery and the huge ice cream cones at the Baker Country Store.

Now on to new adventures!

Evening Blues On The Salmon River

 

 

 

Where To Next? #11

Four months seemed like a long time to be in one place when we arrived at the Sacajawea Center in Salmon, Idaho last May. In the blink of an eye, here we are in mid August and it is time to plan our next journey.  All but one of these stops is new to us. We will be returning to Bandits Roost in NC where we visited often while waiting for our house to sell in 2012. We’ll be heading back east to volunteer at Cape Lookout National Seashore and in February 2018 celebrate Steve’s Mom’s 90th birthday. Although I spent 20 years in North Carolina, I never visited the southern part of the Outer Banks. Now we’ll have 5 months to play and explore. Along the way we’ll spend time in Cody, Wyoming and meet up with RV friends in Yellowstone NP, see the Black Hills of SD for the third time but in the Spearfish area, stop to see Steve’s brother in Wisconsin, visit 8 National Park Service sites, eat in 3 Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, take a steamboat cruise for Ocktoberfest and continue Seeing America Through A Bug Splattered Windshield.

From Salmon, ID To Cape Lookout NS, NC

Where Is Datil And Why Go There?

Panorama Of The Very Large Array

Just a quick entry before we get too far behind and fall off the blog wagon again. Datil, NM isn’t near anything you’d know. It is 60-70 miles west of Albuquerque on US 60. We came here to stay at the Datil Wells BLM CG for the amazing price (senior rate) of $2.50/night. Even full price is only $5. Now it is dry camping but most of the sites are large and private. There is water available and vault toilets. Because of the volume of RV use the stay limit is 7 days in 28 rather than the usual 14 days. There are no reservations. We used our generators early AM and in the evening but kept the residential refrigerator going with the new solar panel during the day.

Our reason for coming was to see The Very Large Array nearby and visit El Morro NM which was more of a drive than we expected. We would come back here again just to relax as there are some great trails to explore. The area was a major cattle drive route with wells placed every 10-15 miles to keep the animals watered, hence the name Datil Wells. The Spaniards were the first to call it Datil as they thought the fruit of the local yucca looked like dates. The second ocean to ocean highway came through here during the early days of auto touring. Interesting history kiosks and a small visitor center describe local history. This is ranch country however when the locals need to quench their thirst the local gas station also sells “white lightening” (apparently legal here) as Steve overheard a customer ask openly. Never know what you’ll find on the road!

Backside Of Telescope Dish

The Very Large Array is a set of 27 huge radio telescopes used for researching the galaxy and far beyond. The dishes are 92′ across (think 2 school buses wide) and dwarf a person standing alongside. Most pictures you see are of the dishes arranged close together in what is called the A position but they can be spread up to 13 miles apart in the D configuration. The closer they are the more general the information gathered and the further they are, the more detailed the information. When we visited the dishes were in a mid point formation. There are films in the visitor center detailing the array and the discoveries made, how the dishes are moved on rails and maintenance required. After our visit we put the movie “Contact” with Jodie Foster on our Netflix list as it was filmed here

Tracks Used To Move VLA Dishes

 

El Morro As A Landmark

Another day we drove a backroads route to El Morro NM. This rock formation seems to arise out of no where and served as a landmark for travelers from native Americans, Spanish conquistadors and priests to pioneers. It also was a known source of safe water in this dry land. Many left their mark and the rock is covered with petroglyphs, drawings and names. We’d hoped to also visit El Malpais NM but time got away from us. On the way back we had a National Geographic moment as we came upon a herd of elk. To our left were about 20 elk and one bull. To our right were about 50 cows and one very handsome bull with a huge rack. He knew he was in his prime. He bugled and pranced. It was too dark for photos so we just parked by the side of the road and enjoyed the scene. Now that’s one busy guy!

Time to move along. Next stop Durango.

Cool Cool Water

Shadow On The Rock Is It The Pause That Refreshes?

El Morro Petroglyph

Military and Religious Carvings

A Pioneer Makes His Mark

Make A Plan But Don’t Plan The Results

We left Flaming Gorge NRA after a fabulous summer in early September 2016. We made a straight shot with only two quick overnight stops at Cortez, CO and Winslow, AZ for our first camp host job at Parker Canyon Lake near Patagonia, AZ. We were supposed to be there for six weeks. To make a long story short, it was nothing like the job that had been described. We decided to leave after three days.

Now what? We had lots of unplanned free time. So we headed for Roper Lake SP in Safford, Arizona (southeast part of the state) to recoup and put together a revised plan. Our only constraint was that we needed to be in Corinth, Mississippi by the first weekend of November to connect with reservations already made. Here is our revised trip plan.

2016 Fall Trip Plan Revised

Safford, Arizona is in the San Luis Valley with the Pinaleno Mountains to the west and the Dos Cabezas Mountains to the south. It is mostly a ranching and farming area. The towns of Safford, Thatcher, Benson and Wilcox form the Arizona Salsa Trail. So the first thing we did was to eat at one of the restaurants on the trail. We chose Casa Mañana as many locals were eating there. The restaurant has been on the same site for sixty years. It began when a family started serving from their own kitchen. The original home was expanded as the restaurant grew and is still the center of the restaurant. The food was so good we went back for dinner another day. When they say a huge chimichanga, believe them! We had enough left over for another meal.

On The Arizona Salsa Trail

Casa Mañana In Salford, Arizona

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After catching up on errands we headed to Chirichacua National Monument. Once again we were saying “What else can they do with rock?” The scenic drive was wonderful. Of course we took many pictures.

Balanced Rocks On Pinnacles

The Sea Captain Monolith

Scenic Drive At Chirichacua NM

Steve At The Overlook

 

Another day we joined the tourist ranks and headed over to Tombstone for the Second Annual Territory Days Celebration. Yes we saw the OK Corral but declined to pay $8 for their daily gunfight. We enjoyed the parade through town and the Folklorico dancers. We did spend time in an oil and vinegar store where we purchased some tangerine balsamic and a tasty BBQ sauce.

Territorial Days Parade

Hickcock We Presume?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buffalo Soldiers

Hanging Out In Tombstone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horsepower

Local No Kill Shelter “Cowboy”

And You Think You Had A Crappy Job?

Folklorico Dancers Performing

Dancer In Motion

Portrait Of A Dancer

The real surprise in the area was a drive into the Pinaleno Mountains along the Swift Trail. In only 35 miles you climb over 5,000 feet. The temperature when we started was ninety-two but at the top only a breezy fifty-one. Great tent camping here but only space for truck campers and popups around a lake. We stopped at a family run orchard and bought some apples which became apple pie and applesauce. They told us to feel free to pick some for eating then. We did! It’s been a long time since I’ve had an apple this juicy. For such a short distance we were surprised when it took us two and a half hours to get to the top. A nice change from the heat of the valley. There’s quite a bit more to do in this area and so we say “when we come back…”

A View From Swift Trail

He’s The Apple Of My Eye

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lake At The Top Of Swift Trail

 

 

 

 

 

 

For When We Come Back

Where Next #9

From LANWR To Flaming Gorge NRA

It’s been a long time since we’ve posted on the blog. Guess we needed a vacation from having so much fun! Before we get too much further behind here are our travel plans when we leave Laguna Atascosa NWR and head for our summer volunteer position at Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area.

When we head out we will go north to the piney woods of northeastern Texas to see Big Thicket National Preserve, Cane River Creole National Historic Park in Louisiana and the area should be in bloom with azaleas and dogwoods. Now add local BBQ joints and fried catfish to the mix. We’ll be staying at Alley Creek Camp, a USACE campground on a lake with water and electric hookups. We bought fishing licenses but haven’t been able to use them. Maybe we will here.

Then we drop back south a bit where we’ll be 75 miles NW of Houston. Lots of small towns, Spring blossoms, the Texas Painted Church tour and hopefully getting to Galveston and sightseeing in Houston too. We’ll stay at Cagle Recreation Area, a USFS campground with full hookups.

On to the Hill Country where there is so much to do I know we won’t scatch the surface. We’ll be staying at Cranes Mill CG on Canyon Lake, a  USACE campground with electric and water hookups. We plan to visit Fredricksburg,  New Braunfels and San Antonio. There will be many drives through the famous blue bonnets and we’ll meet up with friends volunteering at the LBJ NHP.

On to west Texas via Amistead NRA (a reservoir on the Rio Grande), Guadalupe Mountains NP and El Paso. From there we turn north to New Mexico and hope to stay at Elephant Butte Lake SP. Using this as a base we will visit White Sands NP, Gila Cliff Dwellings, Salinas Pueblo Missions and Pecos NHP. If there is time we will stop to see fellow volunteers at Sevilleta NWR.

Hoping to make up for our missed visit last Fall, we will drive north to see friends in Los Alamos, NM. Other points of interest will be Santa Fe and possibly 5 more NPS sites. We haven’t camped that much in Colorado so we look forward to staying at Cheyenne Mountain SP near Colorado Springs. Our last leg will turn west toward Dinosaur NM and Fossil Butte NM. If we see all 17 planned NPS sites we will have seen 42% of all the parks.

We’ll put down roots (or as close as we come to it these days) for 3.5 months in NE Utah. Home is where you park it.

Where Next? #8

From The Top Of Mt. Young On San juan Island

It looks as if Lady Luck has smiled on us again. We were to have left San Juan Island right after Labor Day. Now we will be staying until the end of September. Usually the park closes the English Camp Visitors Center at that time. Over the past few years however visitation to the park has remained high through September and keeping the site open is viable. We are thrilled!

This will mean our trip from Washington to Texas will be over a five week period. That’s quick for us and long for most everyone else. We need to stop for RV maintenance (so what’s new?), wanted to see relatives/friends and a few more national park sites along the way. Top on the RV work list is replacing our stove. The last repair only lasted 6 months so we are buying a better quality unit. Just like buying a home with builder grade appliances and replacing them after a few years.

Our route goes from Washington through central Oregon to the Mt. Shasta area of California and on to Mono Lake. Then comes Great Basin National Park, Los Alamos to say hi to a friend from North Carolina and down to El Paso and Guadalupe National Park. The third and final leg will bring us to the Dallas area for a visit with relatives and friends, Waco Petroglyph National Monument and Austin and lastly the Texas gulf coast for a 41/2 months stay at Laguna Atascosa NWR.

We hope you’ll continue to travel with us.

Our Route From San Juan Island To Laguna Atascosa NWR

How Green Is My Valley: Arizona’s Verde Valley, Sedona and Cottonwood

Sedona Panorama

When we left Petrified Forest NP on 2/3/15 I was promising to keep the blog current during our Spring wanderings as for the past two years I’ve fallen off the blog wagon and still haven’t made up for the lapses! Someday maybe I’ll learn not to make promises I can’t keep. We are now settled in for the Summer on San Juan Island with great Wifi and hopefully time to catch up. We hope you won’t get whiplash as we jump back and forth from the cool, green, watery northwest to the desert southwest.

Stop number one as we left PEFO was to get a new tire for the trailer in Show Low, AZ. Rather than back track up to I 40 we then followed AZ 260 over to Cottonwood, AZ and our campground at Dead Horse Ranch SP. AZ 260 is a scenic route that winds through the Sitgreaves National Forest and along the Mogollon Rim (pronounced Mug- ee-yon). This is where the Colorado Plateau ends and drops 3,000 feet into the Tonto NF and Phoenix valley. Dead Horse Ranch SP is a wonderful place to stay and one loop is set up for larger rigs with drive-thru sites, electric and water hook-ups and a central gray water dump. The name comes from the previous owners who when looking for a ranch to buy had viewed several. They asked their children “which should we buy? The kids answered, the one with the dead horse!” The name stuck. The town of Cottonwood and nearby Jerome were mining boom towns that flourished and failed but are now retirement meccas and tourist destinations. With Sedona about 20 miles away it is a very popular spot.

We could have subtitled this entry “What Happens When Things Don’t Turn Out The Way You Expect”. We had made arrangements with a mobile RV repair to come as our washer dryer combo and oven weren’t working. The dryer needed to be man handled out of its small cabinet by both Steve and the repairman and have the filter flushed. Unfortunately the park water pressure was low so the machine had to be loaded onto the back of the truck and taken to the fairgrounds. The repairman couldn’t wait for this so when Steve returned he was able to slide it off the truck onto the picnic table. Now we had to wait 2 days until the repairman came back. We’ve kidded about “rednecks” living in trailer parks with old cars and washers outside. Now we had one! The stove just needed a new pilot light assembly and that was ordered. Just an hour before the repairman returned our electric system went down. The diagnosis was we needed a new converter. That was ordered and arrived the next day. The repairman made trip number three, installed the part, tested it and the part was defective!! OK, so now we are due to leave the following day. We check with the park and we can have the spot for two more days. We cancel two days at our next park. A rush order, yet another visit by the mobile repairman who by this time felt like family and we are finally back in one piece. All of these unplanned incidents had cut into our sightseeing. We know we will return to explore the area again. We did enjoy what we got to see and people we met.

One night while sitting in camp we met a couple who have very interesting hobbies. He plays in a 1860 baseball league which plays by the original rules, uses authentic equipment and wears period uniforms. She is active in a women’s group called Sisters On The Fly. The group began for women who enjoyed fly fishing. Quickly it expanded to many other activities. Several of the women (our acquaintance included) travel in vintage RVs. She had just finished refurbishing a 1970s era trailer. This Summer the group will caravan from Chicago to Santa Monica along Rt. 66. They will start with 50 trailers and end with over 300. The other couple we first met at a gas station and later visited at our campsite. They now live in Cottonwood after losing both their home and their RV park business near San Diego to wildfires in 2001. Along the way they had lived in Anacortes, WA where we would take the ferry to San Juan Island. After visiting with us they reciprocated by inviting us to their home for dinner. Many times you meet people and know it is one of the “for a reason” friendships and you might not ever see them again. Travel isn’t always about the places you go but the people you meet along the way.

Scenery From Near Jerome, Arizona

Montezuma’s Castle NM… now that’s a real high rise building!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

English Kitchen Restaurant With Original Bar Stools

We did get to Sedona and Red Rock Country on two drives, visited Prescott Valley for a Costco stop but saw beautiful scenery along the way, visited Montezuma’s Castle NM and Tuzigoot NM and had dinner in Jerome. There is so much to explore in the Coconino National Forest and trails around Sedona. We wanted to take one of the Pink Jeep off road trips and a railroad trip but these fell by the way. The dinner in Jerome was at an excellent BBQ spot called The English Kitchen. The history of the building included being established by a Chinese man during the mining boom and at one point the basement was an opium den. So enjoy the few pictures we took. We will be back!

Sunset In Sedona

Tuzigoot National Monument

A Long Weekend In Phoenix

Just two weeks before we finished our time at Petrified Forest NP we took a long weekend to see some sights in the Phoenix area. Once again we opted to use a pet friendly motel rather than move the trailer. For Opal it meant several long days in the truck. I don’t know why they call it sightseeing. When you’re a dog all you get to see is the back door, the front seat and a hotel room. If I heard ‘be good, we’ll be right back’ or ‘you’re on duty, guard the truck’ once I heard it twenty times!

Our GPS Showing The “scenic” Salt River Canyon Byway

Salt river Canyon Overlook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the way down  to Phoenix we drove a scenic route through the Salt River Canyon. A wonderful alternative to Interstate travel. Naturally we had to stop at several overlooks for photo ops and to stretch our legs. The 3000 foot elevation change brought us from the 40s to the 70s. Mmmmm…sun, warmth, ahhhhhh!

After checking into the hotel we chose a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives restaurant for dinner only to find it was closed on Sunday when we arrived. So we headed to another Triple D selection called Chino Bandito. This is a walkup counter  place that combines Asian and Mexican food. Want your stir fry on a flour tortilla or to eat your carne asada with chop sticks, no problem. It is inexpensive and filled with students and young families with a few snowbirds mixed in. The food was tasty but the atmosphere was definitely in the Dives category. Don’t be surprised if you have to bus your own table and if children were there earlier food may decorate the floor. Next time we’d probably do take out.

Mealtime at Chino Banditio

Day 1 we headed for the Museum of Musical Instruments. Had we known how large this place was we’d have gotten there earlier. As it was we spent five hours and had to run through the last few galleries to see it all before closing time. At $20 per person you might think it expensive until you experience all the museum offers. You are given a headset and as you walk into the galleries with TV screens a white box near the floor connects to your headphones. Music begins to play and/or a video starts. Soon you are foot tapping, head bobbing, hip wiggling and maybe even singing along as if you’re the only one there. Funny thing is, no one cares because they are in their own small world. Downstairs galleries are devoted to the history of instruments where some instruments date to the 1500s. In the special exhibits hall was a drums of the world exhibit. As we entered the drum circle was just starting. There was only one seat left so I told Steve to take it while I took pictures. Lights under the drum let you know when and what rhythm to do. Later we went to the gallery with a calliope demo and on to the gallery featuring instruments from stars such as John Denver, Carlos Santana and John Lennon. Upstairs the galleries are set up by geographical location: Africa, Asia, Middle East, South Pacific, South American, European or by instrument type (ex. violin). We later learned that only half of the museum’s collection is on display! You can also watch conservators work on restoring new additions to the collection or items from other museums or collectors. The collection runs from a Stradivarius violin to instruments made from a garbage dump in Paraguay. It’s hard to describe the total experience. One of the best museums we’ve ever visited. But wait…there’s more. Several evenings a week the MIM hosts performances of professional musicians. We missed seeing Carlos Nakai by one day! This is a must see (hear) museum!

Motto Of The MIM

Music In Africa

Chinese Instruments

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Music In Celebrations

Costume From Peruvian Scissor Dance

Music In Switzerland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flamenco In Spain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indonesian Gamelan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Lennon’s Piano

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Apollonia

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tunes In The USA

Steve Joins A Drum Circle

Great Design From Germany

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2 took us to Talesin West, the Arizona home of Frank Lloyd Wright and his school of architecture. Access is by tour only and we chose the 90 minute version. Our tour guide was excellent and gave us a lot of information about FLW, his personal life, his work and the architectural program. For a mere $40,000/year you can send your child here too where for the first six months they will have to live in a primitive shelter they designed. I have been fond of Wright’s designs for many years and have now toured three of his buildings. Steve is less impressed with Wright as he feels the designs are not comfortable. This should be a must see attraction for anyone visiting the area.

Examples Of Student Shelters

Desert Garden At Talesin West

Entry Sculpture And Fountain

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View Of Taliesin West

In the afternoon we stopped at the Fire Fighters Hall of Flame. Our favorite display was the hand and horse drawn fire engines. Some were used to fight fires while others were only seen in parades. Other displays of firefighting equipment, fallen heroes and walls covered with fire company patches. Steve located a patch from the small town of Altus, Oklahoma where I was stationed in the Air Force in 1971-72. The restored trucks are all the work of volunteers especially a retired fire chief who has worked almost full time for the past 25 years.

Ceremonial Parade Wagon

Hand Pulled Truck With “Balloon” Type Water Tank

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fire Truck Inspired By An Elephant?

Truck With Jumper Net Just Like The Old Movies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patch From Altus

Dinner At DeFalco’s

By then we were hungry so off to DeFalco’s Deli, a Triple D spot, for some more of their great sausage and dinner. We’d been there last October. If we were in the Phoenix area for an extended time we’d be regulars. We had lasagna, salad, bread and a glass of wine for under $20 each.

Day 3 we drove about an hour south to visit Casa Grande National Monument. A volunteer gave a wonderfully informative talk and tour about the Hohokam people and how they adapted to the arid land, not only surviving but thriving. They built irrigation canals and were known for their pottery which went beyond utilitarian needs. The 2 story ruin protected by the monument is the best example of their work still standing. We were fortunate to be there on a Wednesday when they had a guest speaker, an archeologist specializing in ancestral puebloan cultures. For once we just visited and didn’t take photos!

It was late but we really wanted to stop by the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. We only had a bit more than an hour which allowed us to see just a fraction of the garden. Fortunately we were given passes good for two years so as we are fond of saying…”when we come back…”

3 Generations Of Cactus

Barrel Cactus In Bloom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get The Point?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Sticky Subject

 

 

 

Dinner was at yet another Triple D restaurant (he really likes Phoenix) called Barrio Cafe. Yes it is Mexican but done with a very different style. Not a nacho, taco or burrito to be found here. A bit on the pricey side but the food was out of this world. We’d definitely recommend you try it. The art work on the building is worth coming by even if you don’t go in.

The Barrio Cafe

 

 

Barrio Cafe Artwork

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our bellies were bursting with all the restaurant meals and our heads were full from sightseeing. On the way home to PEFO we stopped by some campgrounds at Roosevelt Lake in Tonto National Forest to evaluate them for future use. We also stopped at the USFS Visitor Center to see a film about the Salt River dam project and the Apache Trail. While there we spoke with some volunteers about work camp jobs there. The area is beautiful and we have applied for next winter. Just a bit down the road is Tonto National Monument which protects some of the few ruins associated with the Salado people. We took an hour or so to tour one of the ruins then spoke to the head of Interpretation about possible volunteer positions. We’d love to spend some extended time in the Phoenix area.

We’d hoped to be home earlier in the afternoon but by the time we got to Show Low it was dinner time. We decided to stop at a Thai restaurant we’d enjoyed a few weeks earlier. Tired and full we returned to the trailer. Now our attention turns to finishing up at the park and getting ready to hit the road.

Food And Fun From Albuquerque To Phoenix

Following the cancellation of the farewell mass ascension due to high winds we headed to a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives restaurant called Cecilia’s Cafe in the historic district of Albuquerque. We’d recently seen this aired on the show and had planned to eat breakfast there. The burritos are HUGE! Steve had his with red chile while I chose green. The red chile was too hot for him to finish the whole thing. So be forewarned. The green chile was great and just right for me. 

A Great Local Eatery In Albuquerque

Interior View

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Can’t Believe I Ate The Whole Thing!

Just outside of Albuquerque is Petroglyph National Monument so we enjoyed a clear if windy afternoon there walking one of several trails with beautiful petroglyphs from the Ancestral Puebloan era (formerly referred to as Anazasi). Little did we know at that time we’d see many more wonderful petroglyphs at Petrified Forest NP.

An Old Version Of Kilroy Was Here?

Mouse Meets Dachshund?

Folk Art Ancestral Puebloan Style

Then on to a quick visit at Sandia Peak. I’d taken the tram to the top of the mountain and eaten at the restaurant on a previous visit. This was the first time I’d driven up to the Visitor Center. It was a bit windy and hazy but still a lovely view. On our way home we chose, of course, another bumpy dirt road instead of the smooth paved road we took up. Still it was not as bad as Utah!

Fall Color At Sandia Peak

On A Clear (?) Day….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View From Scenic Drive At Tent Rocks NM

All to soon it was our last day in the Albuquerque area and we hadn’t visited Tent Rocks National Monument only five miles away. If like us you thought all national monuments are under the National Park Service, you are wrong. Since 2000 there have been several new national monuments created. Since these lands were already managed by other federal agencies (BLM, National Forest Service or even NOAA) they remained under their control. Tent Rocks NM is on the Cochiti Pueblo lands and managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The name is derived from the rock formations created by erosion of softer sandstone under a cap of harder rock. What else can they do with rock? You’ll see. There was also a short but beautiful slot canyon we hiked through.

The Tent Rocks

Hiking Among The Tent Rocks And Tepees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entering The Slot Canyon

Beautiful Sandstone Formations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks Good In Black And White Too!

Originally we’d planned to drive straight from Albuquerque to Phoenix but we changed plans to meet Steve’s nephew and wife who were on their way back from Sedona. We arranged to meet them in Las Cruces, NM where we stayed at Motel Walmart. This time we were the only RV there.

Our stop in Phoenix was primarily for errands, scheduled trailer maintenance and minor repairs. We stayed at McDowell Mountain County Park which was beautiful. We’d hoped to return after our volunteer job was finished in January. By the time we tried to make reservations everything near Phoenix was booked. Arizona is like Florida in the winter. Without reservations, you get what you get. So returning to Phoenix for a longer stay is on the “when we come back” list. We had gorgeous sunsets and a beautiful drive into the Superstition mountains and along the Apache Trail east of Phoenix. Phoenix is like Salt Lake City where east of the city is beautiful and west of the city is, well flat and not so pretty. However we did get to try two Diner, Drive-ins and Dives eateries. The first was a New York style deli called De Falco’s Italian Deli in Scottsdale. Steve found a sausage he loved and said he hadn’t had anything this good since leaving New York. We bought some to take home plus some gourmet goodies like jalepeno flavored avocado oil. The other place was Joe’s Farm Grill in Gilbert, Arizona. This is a working urban farm owned by the same family since the 1950s. Now it is an organic farm and the old homestead is the restaurant. It is a fast food type restaurant then you sit outside to eat. Both had great food.

With both the DreamChaser and ourselves cleaned up and stocked up we head northeast to Petrified Forest NP where we will stay until the end of January 2015.

Arizona Rainbow

Sunset and Cactus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe’s Farm Grill