Truth or Consequences

From Truth or Consequences

Truth or Consequences! For those of you old enough to remember the 50's, that was the name of a TV show hosted by Ralph Edwards. And it became the name of a NM town that had been called Hot Springs.

Last night I "previewed" the ride with Google Earth. I was amazed at how much irrigated cropland is in the Rio Grande River floodplain.

Today we rode north to ToC. The highway paralled the Rio Grande, and crossed it at several points. We passed two lakes / reservoirs formed by dams that store water for irrigation and other needs. We also saw a huge dairy operation - there were at least 2000 dairy cows visible in the yards. Along our route were more pecan orchards, lettuce, onion and alfalfa fields, and many yet to be planted. Of course, any time we are near water, Char is happy!

From Truth or Consequences

Tomorrow we head for Dallas to visit a friend we knew from Englewood - Judy Smith. If the weather cooperates it will be a two day trip.

White Sands

From White Sands

(NOTE: Click on a picture to view the rest of the pics in the album)

Yesterday (Saturday) we rode to White Sands Missile Range. This is where America's first atomic weapons were tested, and where, to this day, much of the missile testing occurs. Char saw the sign for "White Sands Museum" and suggested that we stop. And I'm sure glad she did.

From White Sands

Here we viewed weapons components and missiles that dated from the late 1940's to some current systems such as the Patriot Missile. Of course, I enjoyed the "antique" Huey (that I used to fly)!

From White Sands

From there we rode to White Sands National Monument. The gypsum erodes from the surrounding mountains and flows down into depressional areas called plyas. Since there is no river that drains out of the basin to carry the sand away, it stays in the pools. After the water evaporates, the sand blows away - and much ends up in the dunes - about 278 square miles of dunes. Check it out on Google Earth - it's awesome!

From White Sands

Rio Grande River valley agriculture

Today started out windy and was forecast to increase, with wind gusts as high as 40 mph by 4 PM. I'm not sure it reached 40, but it was definitely windy. So in the interest of safety we rode "the cage."

From Rio Grande valley ag 3/26/09

(Note: Click on a picture to see all pics in today's album.)

Our first stop was Stahmanns pecan farm. Even though I'm retired, I still have a strong desire to learn about the agriculture in the areas we visit. Somehow, seeing thousands upon thousands of corn and soybeans in the Midwest seems "normal." But seeing thousands of acres of pecan trees seems "abnormal." We learned a lot about their operation at the retail outlet - and picked up some pecan goodies. Yum!

From Rio Grande valley ag 3/26/09

From Stahmanns we just drove around the countryside for a bit, amazed that they can grow crops in the desert. When I think of desert, I think of sand. So I stopped to examine the soil in a recently irrigated field and found it to be - SILT! Well, duh! This is the floodplain for the Rio Grande. So much of it was naturally quite fertile.

Tomorrow is forecast to be a high of 51 degrees - and windy again. Maybe we'll just stay home and snuggle. :-)

Visiting New Mexico

From New Mexico 3/24/09

Yesterday, Char and I (somewhat sadly) departed from Tucson and drove to Las Cruces, NM. The appearance of the desert changed several times as we drove thru several elevattion changes. We even saw several shallow bodies of water. (At first, I thought one was a mirage!)

From New Mexico 3/24/09

The Las Cruces KoA Campground sits on a bluff overlooking the city. The view is beautiful, and it's even better at night.

From New Mexico 3/24/09

Today we visited the historic village of Old Mesilla, just south of Las Cruces. Since we arrived about 1 PM we decided to visit the Double Eagle restaurant. Wow! What beautiful decorating. We could have spent the whole afternoon there, pretending we were aristocrats.

Tomorrow's weather forecast is for high winds (up to 40 MPH), so we'll probably drive "the cage" down to Stahmanns pecan farm.

Montezuma Castle & Well

Shortly before we left Phoenix, our new friends John and Linda suggested that we visit Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well. Even though we rode I-17 northward, we were going up into the mountains. The scenery was beautiful!

From Montezuma Castle & Well 02/04/09

Montezuma Castle was named by Spanish explorers who thought it was Aztec King Montezuma's "summer retreat." NOT! But the name stuck. Whoever built this residence was certainly persistent. We couldn't imagine how they carried those adobe bricks up the cliff face to build the pueblo.

From Montezuma Castle & Well 02/04/09

From there we rode a couple of miles north to see Montezuma Well. It is actually a sinkhole that has a phenomenal amount of water that flows through it and out into the river valley. The early peoples who settled here dug extensive irrigation canals. Primitive people? I think not. It certainly was interesting to see how accomplished the early native Americans really were. Yet, it's puzzling that we don't know why they abondoned the site.

Tombstone and Bisbee

A few weeks ago, our good friends Ken and Jackie Hurst took us on a tour of Tombstone and Bisbee. Most folks (at least of our generation) relate Tombstone to the "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral." And you might think that today it's just a tourist trap. Surprisingly, the "downtown" of Tombstone has been maintained much as it was at the turn of the century. Many of the buildings are original, as are some of the furnishings.

From Tombstone 3/21/09

Bisbee is an old copper mining town. The mine is now closed, but the town still continues - sort of an artsy town.

From Tombstone 3/21/09

From Bisbee it's a short ride down to the US - Mexico border. I've heard many times about the fence our government has constructed to try to keep out the illegal immigrants. (Border Patrol agents say it is very effective.) We were able to view it that day.

From Tombstone 3/21/09

Today we again went with Ken and Jackie to Tombstone. First we stopped at the old Tombstone cemetery (a.k.a. boot Hill). It had to be a tough job trying to dig a grave in that rocky soil.

From Tombstone 3/21/09

Then we went to "downtown Tombstone" and did a little shopping, followed by lunch. There, we say reenactments of several "shootouts" that ocurred in that vicinity. Many were related to excessive alcohol consumption. Imagine that!

From Tombstone 3/21/09

We still haven't explored all the "establishments" in Tombstone. So I guess we'll just have to make another trip back to Arizona. Yeah!

Desert Botanical Garden - Phoenix

Today was another "normal" ho-hum day - sunshine and 90 degrees. Line dancing at 9:00, then do laundry and write a newsletter article. Swimming and sunning at 1:00, post office at 2:00, then shopping for pottery and a few groceries. So let's go back in time.

From Desert Botanical Gardens, Phoenix 1/22/09

Remember, click on a picture to see the entire album.

One day in Phoenix we visited the Desert Botanical Garden. "Chihuly: The Nature of Glass features new and unique works of glass of Dale Chihuly, artfully located throughout the garden.
Dale Chihuly is known for his inovative glass sculptures, and his work is imediately recognizable for its grand scale and vibrant colors. Chihuly's spectacular creations are found in more than 200 museums worldwide. This is Chihuly's first exhibition in a desert environment." (From the BDG brochure) Another link for more pictures is:
http://www.cactuslovers.com/phoenix-dbg.htm

From Desert Botanical Gardens, Phoenix 1/22/09

This was our first opportunity to explore the diverse vegetation in a desert environment. It was thrilling to see the stately saguaros and elephant cacti up close. And who knew that there were so many varieties of cacti? Actually, the garden contains cacti gathered from deserts around the world. We accompanied a docent on a 45 minute tour. The rest of the time we strolled around and looked in awe at all the plants. For an agronomist, it was extremely interesting. I'll bet that botanists think they are in heaven!

Then add in the exquisite glass artwork by Chihuly and you have a wondrously dazzling garden. Again I underestimated the time to tour the garden. We arrived about noon and left at 5:00. We should have arrived when they opened!

If you ever visit Phoenix, AZ this is a must-see!

Biosphere 2 3/18/09

Last sunday we went to currch with our friends from Ohio, Ken and Jackie Hurst. The live near Benson, just east of Tucson. Then we had a wonderful lunch at "My Big, Fat Greek Restaurant! What great food! (Or so they said. I [Cliff] still can't taste or smell.)

On the way home we stopped at Freedom RV, "Just to look." Three hours later, we left thinking we had just purchased a 40 ft. fifth-wheel toy hauler. Wrong - they couldn't find a one ton dually truck that ws rated to pull it. And I wouldn't go for a bigger truck. The good news is we have no debt!

From Biosphere2 3/18/09

Today we rode north of Tucson to Biosphere2. Some of you may remember when the "Biospherians" emerged after being locked in for two years. There was also a second group that lived there a year later, but they only made it 5 months before the experiment was closed off. The amazing thing is that the $300 million construction cost was paid totally by a private donor - a Mr. Bass who was an oil millionaire (maybe billionaire) who wanted to support ecological science.

From Biosphere2 3/18/09

We had a one hour tour thru most of the facility. How fascinating! After lunch we went back in to look at all the displays and view a movie about global climate change. Much of it focused on the role of water.

We happened to be the last guests to leave. And SURPRISE! the gate was closed and locked - and it wouldn't open. So we wen't back and found two employees closing up the gift shop. Turns out we needed to pull right up to the gate to trigger the sensors to open the gate. Whew! Sure didn't want to spend the night there. On second thought, that might have been interesting!

Thursday is our day for line dancing. Hmmm, I see it's already Thursday, so I'd better get some sleep! Bye!

Goldfield Ghost Town 3/14/09

Last Saturday (3/14/09) We joined up with riders from GWRRA Chapter AZ-K. When the alarm went off at 6 AM I asked Char if she really wanted to get up this early, just to go ride the Wing. Of course, the answer was a resounding "Yes!" So we hustled around and rode 45 minutes north to meet the others. At 8:30 we were on the road heading up toward Phoenix.

Goldfield is a re-creation of an actual town on this site when gold was being mined. Unfortunately, the high quality ore didn't last and the town went downhill, has a short-lived recovery, then died.

From Goldfield Ghost Town 3/14/09

(Click on a picture to see others in the album)

We arrived at Goldfield Ghost Town about 10:30. The "saloon opened at 11:00 and we were their first customers of the day. This establishment had some unique decorations: a stagecoach above the stage, buffalo heads, and pairs of old boots suspended from the ceiling. Hmm, is that a form of recycling? We ate some really great burgers on the outside deck where we had a great mountain view.

From Goldfield Ghost Town 3/14/09

After lunch we watched a gunfight (simulated), toured the gold mine (another re-creation), rode the narrow guage railroad, toured the buildings and some even ate ice cream!

From Goldfield Ghost Town 3/14/09

The trip back to Tucson was via eastbound US 60 to Superior, then south thru the mountains and copper mining area. Really fascinating. It was a long but enjoyable day with our new AZ-A friends.

Time to catch up

Oops, either we've been very busy or I've been to lazy to write each day. Actually it was a little of both. But now I'm ready to write a few posts and bring y'all up to date.

Last Friday (3/13) we took a ride up to Madera Canyon. It was an easy ride through Tucson to Old Nogales Hwy, then south thru rural areas. There we saw acres and acres of pecan groves. We even saw flood irrigation ocurring in one field of trees. (Click on picture to see enlargement and access rest of pics in album.)

From Madera Canyon 3/13/09

At Green Valley we made a wrong turn and found ourselves in what appeared to be a very exclusive retirement community. I first thought it was an upscale shopping area. Wrong!

So we turned around and headed across the desert. Some may think it's boring, but we're fascinated by the vegetation. Not what we expected a desert to look like.

We we finally started riding up into the mountains we couldn't get any good pictures. Kind of like "not being able to see the forest for the trees" - except it was the mountains. Had a nice picnic lunch and a very short hike. Wow, was that trail steep!

Life at Rincon Country West

Today is Thursday - line dancing day! Yes, we are taking line dancing lessons. And on Saturday morning there is a practice time. (When we were in Phoenix it was usually four times a week. That really cut into our riding.) Needless to say, we are hooked. Now we'll need someplace to continue our dancing around Dayton.

From R&R at RCW

After dancing and lunch we spent the afternoon around the pool. (It's really nice to have a pool and hot tub that someone else maintains!) If you double click on the picture it should take you to the album with other pictures andtwo videos. Or you can go to < www.RinconCountry.com >.

Some of you have asked what it's like at our RV park. Rincon Country West has all the amenities we want (and more). If you click on the name it will take you to the resort's website. There you can view photos and layout maps of both resorts (East and West) and take a virtual tour of each.

Each day we watch the weather reports for the rest of the country - and we're glad we are in Arizona, the land of sunshine!

Beautiful! Wonderful! Awesome! Amazing!

Every time we go traveling around Arizona we find ourselves using those superlatives over and over. Yes, every place in this great country has it's own beauty. However, I am overwhelmed by the grandeur of the mountains and the Sonora Desert. Since the weather yesterday was forecast for sunny skies and 75 degrees we opted to travel twelve short miles to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. (Click on the link for more info.) But it's unlike any museum I've ever seen previously. The ASDM is a zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden. Almost everyone that we've talked with that knows anything about Tucson has said tht the ASDM is a "must see." And they were so right.

Initially, I thought we'd see it in a couple of hours and then go riding. After all, we had spent a day at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix and half a day here at the Saguaro National Park - West. So what other desert "stuff" could there be to see? I learned that the park is so large, and there are so many exhibits, that you can't really "see it all" in one day! After four hours I was on sensory overload. So, some day we will certainly return.

From Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 3/11/09

Here are a few pictures of our visit. You should be able to double click on a picture to go to our album. Or you can go to www.picasaweb.google.com/SimpsonCES.



At the end of our day it was so nice to walk across the street to "our" hot tub, relax in the swirling waters, shower, and climb into bed.

Just another sunny day!

About 99.9% of the time since we arrived in Arizona we wake up, look outside and say, "Oh darn! Another sunny, cloudless Arizona day!" And today was certainly one of those! The temp was only about 74, but it felt hot in the sun so we spent the afternoon at the pool - again.

From Collages

Now don't think that being a snow bird is all play and no work. Last week the fuel pump failed on our Excursion, so we had to have it towed to a Ford dealer. Later in the week I spent two days washing and waxing it. Then I decided to wash & wax the Gold Wing. And when our mail comes in each week there are the inevitable bills to be paid. So it's not all wine and roses. (I suspect that still won't get us any sympathy.) However, tomorrow we ride again. Where? We'll decide that when we see the weather forecast tomorrow morning.

Now, for another recap of our Arizona activities. When we arrived at the Desert Shadows RV Resort in Phoenix we were soon immersed in the activities offered. We swam (indoor, heated pool) at least 3 days a week, took line dancing lessons 4 times a week, attended weekly dances and pancake breakfasts, and various weekly shows from Branson or Vegas. There was so much to do that it was hard to find time to ride the Wing. But ride we did.

From Old Scottsdale - Jan. 2008

One of our favorite places was Old Scottsdale. The shops were a bit pricey. But the park was beautiful. And twice a week the Native Americans put on a free performance demonstrating various dances. You can see the rest of the pictures at www.picasaweb.google.com/SimpsonCES . Then select the "Albums" tab at the top to see all the photo albums I have posted. You should also be able to double click on a picture and that will take you to the album that contains all of the related pictures. However, remember to use the back arrow to return here.

Oops, I think I'm being too wordy again. I'll try to do better.

How did I get here?

When Char and I retired in May, 2006, our goal was to travel across the great US of A. As we did, we tried to send e-mail messages with a few selected pictures. But that required deciding which three to five pictures we wanted to send, and then resizing each of the pictures. Besides, it soon became a lot of work.

This year we are "snow birds" in Arizona. Several weeks ago, a friend suggested I start a blog to share our travel info and pictures. But how to start? Well, a week ago I read a piece titled, "Every RVer should have a blog." Voila! In a short time (yes,a week is short) I have learned enough to feel comfortable (well, a little bit) doing this. And here is my plan.

Each day that I make a posting I will relate recent events and include a few pictures. I will also include a link to a location where you can view the entire album if you want to view more pictures.

Since this years adventure started with our visit to Colorado Springs in December to visit our son, Doug, I will occasionally relate some of our earlier activities (I hope that makes sense). So here goes.

In early December, Char and I packed the RV (toy hauler), loaded our Gold Wing and headed west to Colorado Springs. Unfortunately, the weather was cold and sometimes snowy, so we didn't even unload the Wing. It and the RV went into storage for almost a month!

On December 28, we celebrated our 40th wedding aniversary. (Yikes, can it possibly have been that long ago?) The following day, Doug took us to Keystone Ski Resort to enjoy some winter activities. Normally, that would amount to sitting in front of the fire place and sipping hot toddies! But he had other plans!

Since Char and I didn't want to damage any bones, we begged off on the skiing. Instead we toured the village and enjoyed a light brunch while Doug enjoyed the slopes. Ah, to be young again! After he returned and finished lunch, we boarded a van and drove about 45 minutes into the mountains to go snowmobiling.

What a time we had! The outfitters run trails over a 3000 acre ranch in the mountains. There were some relatively flat, open fields, lots of fresh, deep snow, and some fairly steep slopes. And yes, I tipped the sled over - twice (no injuries, thank you). And we had a ball!

The sleds are able to run about 50 MPH top speed. However, our leader insured that we drove a reasonable speed on the trails -usually 5 to 25 MPH. However, when we reached one particular open area we were able to run as fast as we felt comfortable going. With Char on board I never exceeded 40 MPH. But when I went for a spin alone - and at 50 I decided I was exceeding my comfort level!

The scenery in the mountains was absolutely breathtaking. When we asked about a particular peak, our guide said it was at least 25 miles distant. (We were thinking maybe 10!)

You can imagine that with over 3000 acres to "play" in, there was a great variety of topography and vegetation. One of my favorite places was a grove of aspen trees. It covered several hundred acres, and the trail snaked around, up and down. We stopped in one area where we were surrounded by the trees,and it was absolutely georgeous.

I'm certainly glad that Doug thought of this way to celebrate our anniversary. I would have been perfectly happy to sit in his house and look at the snow on the mountains through his windows. Instead, we were able to enjoy God's creation up close and personal. (Twice it was TOO close and personal when I was lying on my side in the snow! On the other hand, I DID learn how one gets a sled upright again. :-)

After we returned to Keystone, we found that we need to take the ski lift to our next appointment - snow tubing! Now I would have thought that this activity would be somewhere near the bottom of the ski slopes and close to the village. But NO! We had to ride the gondola all the way to the TOP of the mountain. At least it was enclosed.

Neither Char nor I had ever been tubing, so we had no idea what to expect. Well, it was a bit different from what we read on line. However, it was F-U-N! Our hour ended way too soon.

THANK YOU, DOUG! We will always remember our 40th wedding anniversary celebration.

It's getting late, so I'll close for now.

Next stop - Phoenix, AZ!

NOTE: Char said this is too wordy, so future posts will be brief. ;-)