Visitors flood into Tucson and fun ensues

Elin hiking high above Tucson

No, I’m not dead, just a horrible procrastinator. Hard to believe it has been way over a month since I last posted and now I’m going to struggle to remember all the wonderful things that have happened in the month since I last wrote.

As a reporter I was loathe to ever miss a deadline, but as a retired writer on my own, I clearly have issues with deadlines.  So mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa. No excuses, but we have been busy.

But here goes. Joan continues her quest to design and perfect her polymer clay jewelry making (she is doing very good at it) and I continue with my Bible studies and table and chair work her at the resort.

Joan has also started her volunteer service at the resort health clinic.

The Wednesday show entertainment has continued to be top notch and just to shorten this all up a bit here is the lineup of what we have seen in concert since we last met here on the blog: Piano Men, a tribute to Billy Joel and Elton John (fantastic show); Corrie Sachs as Reba McIntyre (another  great show even though neither of us are big country fans); An Evening with the Music of the Carpenters (great show and even greater because daughter Elin was here to see it with us – more on that later); The Spouse Whisperer, a really, really funny comedian who we have seen here before.  If you see me in person ask me about the joke “Why can I prove women enjoy sex better than men?”

Joan, Elin and me on a hike on the Zimmerman trail

We continue to attend Meet Me at Maynards each Monday and enjoy most of the Tuesday potlucks.

Last year, we had only brief visits from friends and no family. This year our visitation cup runneth over. 

In just the past three weeks we had Elin come and stay with us for a week, Mahlon and Colleen friends from church in Flint who have been here the last 10 days and last week my former editor, Roger and his wife, Jessica, have arrived in our park with their RV and will be here through March 17.

A Kitt Peak sunset with a telescope (and Joan's bonnet)

Let me tell you how this last visit came down. Roger knows we winter in Tucson, but he was not aware of where. He wrote me in early January telling me he was coming to Tucson and was staying in the Voyager RV park. Of course, we were elated as that is where we stay.

Later in our email discussions he was asking me about mail service here and I asked him what site number he would be at. Now mind you there are more than 1,500 RV sites here in the park. When he sent me his site number we both learned he was two spaces away from us.

Inside a Kitt Peak telescope

But let’s go back to Elin’s visit starting with her arrival Feb. 6. First night we ate outside at the Voyager Grill and then on Wednesday we headed to Tubac, Arizona for the arts festival there. Joan and Elin enjoy looking through all the vendors and we spent an enjoyable day in the warm sunshine. I just endure a day of looking at sparkly stuff I care nothing about.

That night Elin joined us at the Carpenters’ tribute show, which we all enjoyed. I’m sure that Elin will have a hundred stories about her stay in a park filled with senior citizens. She was polite enough not to laugh at us too much during the week.

Jewelry by Joan

On Thursday, I dropped Joan and Elin off at one of the Gem show sites in Tucson so they could marvel over more shiny objects while I spent a quiet day back at the resort. I’ve done the Gem show several times and no longer have the desire to spend an entire day looking at shiny rocks. Actually I would rather watch stars in the daytime than spend another hour at the gem show.

My favorite part of Elin’s visit came Friday when she and I headed to Sabino Canyon for a hike. Elin has been making some very positive changes in her life and part of that involves exercise and the great outdoors. So armed with snacks, water and proper hiking equipment we headed to the Telephone Line trailhead in Sabino Canyon.

This hike has gotten me in trouble before as I have underestimated its difficulty for people not used to hiking. But Elin was a great sport, even when she twisted and hurt her hand in an awkward position.

Me being the high point in the Tucson Mtns. on Wasson Peak

We had lunch on top of a large rock along the trail and generally had a wonderful time hiking together. She is a great sport. One of my favorite moments during our stay here.

On Saturday morning Joan, Elin and I did a relatively easy hike on the Gabe Zimmerman trail just east of the resort. This is a beautiful desert trail named for the Congressional aid of the Congresswoman Gabby Giffords who was shot by a deranged man at a shopping center in Tucson. Gabe Zimmerman died in the attack along with several other people.

Roger and me at Empire Ranch

Over the weekend we gave Elin some time to relax by the pool but on Monday we headed to the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum to take in the free flight raptor show and tour the museum. That night we all went to Meet Me at Maynards and them celebrated by having a nice dinner at Downtown Kitchen. Elin enjoyed her pork belly donut appetizer. I guess they were better than they sounded.

On Tuesday we went to the night program at Kitt Peak National Observatory. Unfortunately, the bad weather that was to come was making its way into Arizona and we could not use the telescopes that night because of the cloud cover. Instead we got unique tours of some of the telescopes on the mountain and had a great time talking to the astronomers working in them. They had plenty of time to talk to us because they couldn’t work while the clouds were obscuring the sky.

One of the astronomers is part of a project trying to find “PHA”s. That stands for Potentially Hazardous Asteroids. He mentioned one that had just been located, but chuckled and said privately the astronomers often refer to PHAs as “Practically Harmless Asteroids” because most, if not all of those discovered so far are well out of danger range for earth.

The next day after we visited Market Daze in the resort Wednesday morning, we dropped Elin off at the airport and waited around and picked up our friends Mahlon and Colleen who arrived at the same time Elin was leaving.

Joan and Roger wine tasting at Sonoita Winery

Since I last wrote I have climbed to the top of Wasson Peak twice, once with friends from the resort hiking group and once with my friend Mahlon from Flint. Mahlon and I also did a fairly difficult hike in the Catalina Mountains on the Bug Springs Trail. That is a tough 10-mile slog over a couple small mountain peaks with a 2,000-foot climb.

I have probably logged about 100-miles on Arizona trails so far this year, by far the best hiking year ever here in Tucson. I should admit that my left knee is slightly complaining about all the recent uphill (and of course, downhill) hikes in the past few weeks. All of this is leading to a major hike at the end of March when I will be descending into the floor of the Grand Canyon on foot for a three-day adventure with many members of the Voyager Hiking group. More on that later.

Ventana Canyon hike

Also in the past month the weather in Arizona has done a major flip flop. In January we were greeted with the warmest January on record. That means for more than 100 years this was the warmest – and driest – January since man has recorded weather here.

Starting with the day Elin left to return to Michigan we have had temperatures way below average and rainfall way above average. In the past 10 days there has been about 3-inches of rain (that’s an entire winter season here) with snow in the high altitudes.

Earlier this season I hiked to Seven Falls only when I wrote about it I referred to Seven Trickles. No more. The water is running quite high and the falls are in full faucet. Our Voyager hiking group had some difficulty crossing swollen creeks (there are seven crossings in all) to make our way to the falls.

Of course with all these wet weather we have very excited weather people on TV acting as though the apocalypse has arrived in southern Arizona. If rain is on the way they immediately declare a “Weather Action Day” which means only that you need an umbrella.

We’ve had a lot of fun with Roger and Jessica as well. Roger was my first city editor at the Flint Journal staring in 1989. He was a great editor and has been a great friend as well. I can’t tell you how much fun it has been to have them with us here in the resort.

Into every life a little rain must fall

They went to the Spouse Whisperer with us and on Friday, Feb. 23, we went to the dinner show that included the doo-wap group MC6 in the ballroom. They will be going with us next Wednesday to the “One of These Nights” concert, a tribute to the Eagles.

On Saturday, Feb. 24, the four of us went on a trip to visit Empire Ranch, which is the location of nearly a dozen famous western movies, but unfortunately the ranch is undergoing a $1 million renovation and is closed for tours. We did spend some time walking around a couple barns on the ranch and then took an afternoon drive to several wineries in the Sonoita area of Arizona.

Jim & Jim on a hike

We ate dinner on the way home at a really good Mexican restaurant near the resort. My sister-in-law Diane sent us a half a case of Andersen’s Split Pea Soup and we have been enjoying that gift now that the weather has turned chilly here.

Planning for the March 5 Michigan party is in full swing and I’ll report more on that after the fact, if I don’t get caught in a major procrastination episode again.

The Larry Nasser story (the pervert doctor who molested so many young girl athletes) came home to us in Tucson when it was announced that the creepy doctor had been sent to a federal prison that is just about ½ mile from the resort as the crow flies. We can see the lights of the prison from the resort.

Time is slowly inching its way towards our eventual return to Michigan, but I promise to write again soon to keep you up to date. I know I have forgotten something important, but that’s what happens when I let too much time elapse between posts.

Bobcats, coughs and lots of fun

Joan at MMM

Yeah, I know it’s been awhile. Sorry. There’s a lot going on here and it’s not all good. When we last left off Joan was receiving treatment for an eye infection. Just when that was getting better it was time for me to make my annual trip to Urgent Care, this time for a cough that wouldn’t go away.

Tuesday hike

Well two weeks into that treatment and the cough continues to hang on. The nurse practitioner at the Urgent Care said I had some kind of virus (well, duh) and that it would get better in a week. Well that was 10 days ago and I’m still hacking. It hasn’t kept me from all of our activities but it is annoying nonetheless.

A couple of Meet Me at Maynard's have come and gone we continue to work our way to our 50 MMM pins. We have the t-shirt that you get for 8 MMMs and the hat you get for 15 appearances. I think we are about 32 MMMs now.

We have seen two great shows since last I wrote. “Good Rockin Live” was a show about Sun Records and some of our favorite local musicians and singers were involved in that show. They did a great job covering songs by Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis, just to mention a couple of them.

My Bobcat buddy

This past Wednesday was William Florian, a former lead singer for The New Christy Minstrels, brought his great voice and folk music to the Voyager stage. His show is very audience-centered and he encouraged us all to sing along with all those great Peter, Paul and Mary songs as well as many others. We have seen him here before and I’d really like to book him for a Family Literacy Center fund raiser in Lapeer.

Friday night we attended the dinner show in the ballroom. The entertainment was The Sonoran Dogs, a group named after a spicy local hot dog, and again it was very good. The group, not necessarily the hot dog. If you want a sample go to You Tube and search for “Alice in Nogales.” A funny, but catchy tune that I always enjoy. The Sonoran Dogs have been here before. They have a great blue grass sound and the evening was wonderful.

Off on my own hike

I’ve been on a number of hikes in the past two weeks, including an easy hike at Sweetwater Park where we encountered a wild, but very calm Bobcat. I’ll post a photo here so you can see how close he came to us. Our group of five simply stood still and he walked up and by us.

For a point of clarification, when I hike with others I wear my good hiking shirts, you know the plain ones. When I go off into the wilderness on my own I wear a loud Hawaiian shirt so the rescue helicopter will be able to more easily spot me.

As per my son Tim I am working on making my "selfies" have more smiles than frowns. How am I doin?

Hoping that Joan might experience the Bobcat she and I returned to Sweetwater a few days later, but no Bobcat, but we did get a close up look at a Roadrunner. The guy was hiding in the bushes and was well camouflaged. When I started taking photos of him he moved off.

Roadrunner in the brush

I do need to stop and make a couple of observations. One involved one of the entertainment nights. We had taken our seats (we have the same seats for every show) and I looked around and noticed all the grey heads surrounding us.

I looked over to Joan and whispered, “What are we doing here with all these old people.” That observation was tempered by the stark feeling I had when I saw my new age (as of last month) written on the doctor’s sheet during my visit to Urgent Care.  Patient age: 70. And there is was, the first time I had seen my new age listed on any form. It kind of sunk in for a minute that I had made this new mile marker in my life.

Or in other words, “Where did 70 years go?”

Roadrunner escaping

Despite my cough and illness I have had a couple really good hikes recently with, and without the Voyager hiking group. One of them was in the Tucson Mountains. It was supposed to be a hike called “The Golden Gate Loop” trail. Unfortunately our leader made a wrong turn and we ended up on the Dave Yetman Trail, which is a beautiful hike, but not a loop.

So I went back alone on Friday and found the right trail and did the Golden Gate Trail by myself under a clear, warm Tucson sky.

Me on the mountain

This past Tuesday I went on a hike in the Rincon Mountains and we did a trail called La Milagroso Trail. Again we made a wrong turn and ended up on a trail on the opposite side of the canyon we were supposed to be on. Still it was a great hike and I’m going to go back at some point and do the trail we were supposed to do.

Joan has continued to make beautiful jewelry and I’ll post those photos here as well. She has quite a knack for making and then assembling the jewelry. We will no doubt pick up a few beads and trinkets at the coming Gem Show here in Tucson next month.

Our Tuesday hiking group on La Milagroso Trail

The Two’s Company group that was here for New Year’s Eve was back a week ago for another dance. One of the wonderful things about being here is they have a dance just about every week.

We also had our first “Market Daze” here at the resort and we bought a good supply of some homemade greeting cards, because the nice lady who has made them all the years we have been here is at a point in her life where she can’t do it anymore.

In fact that is one of the sad things about coming back here each year. As wonderful as it is to come and see our old friends, it is equally sad to return each year and find out that some of our friends are not coming back either because of health or that they have died since the last season.

Rain in the desert

This week alone we had two memorial services for two of our resort friends and there is another scheduled next Saturday for another.  In addition, the man who taught me wood carving four years ago took a fall off a ladder in Michigan and he and his wife are in assisted living care back in Michigan. They sold their home here.

Another couple we have come to know very well is a Canadian couple who always rent the casita right across from our space. We hadn’t seen them (they are always here when we arrive) and then learned from a mutual friend in the park that they had a serious accident on the way here and returned to Canada. They may or may not return next year.

Another couple (I wrote about them several years ago because they went with us to see the Sand Hill cranes) are not returning because their son tragically died in the spring last year. They are also selling their home in the resort.

Joan's latest creations

We have another couple we really enjoy spending time with but they are not here this year for a happier reason, they are on an around the world cruise on the maiden voyage of a new Viking Cruise liner. We hope to see them next year.

I know that this is all part of the circle of life, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Bonus hike photo

And because I’m in an observing mood these days, let me just say that as much as I am amused by the weather folks and the over the top panic in Michigan, it is worse in Tucson. We’ve had a couple days where there was the threat of rain and cold (when they talk cold here they mean daytime highs in the high 50s and low 60s).

But it’s the rain they go bonkers over. “Valley rain and mountain snow tomorrow.” And we got a little, but they still go crazy over a ¼-inch of rain and a couple inches of snow in the mountains is ridiculous.

Also during this period my wonderful sister-in-law Diane sent us a care package of my favorite soup - Andersen's Split Pea soup from Buellton, California. She apparently remembered me talking about the soup during a discussion about things to to around Santa Barbara and she sent me some. That's a great thing!

I'll really try to be a little more prompt with future postings.

A trip to Urgent Care highlights first full week in Arizona

One week in and we’ve already made our first trip to Urgent Care, but this time it was for Joan and not me. A couple years ago it was my ticker and shortness of breath that ate up a couple days in the hospital – for nothing as it turned out, but this time Joan has caught a nasty eye infection.

Eating out, Arizona style

Not sure where she contracted it, but she looks miserable with her swollen and red eyes. After a trip to the urgent care we made separate trips to two Walgreen’s until we found one that had the prescription salve she needed to clear up her eyes. The issue will keep her out of the pool for a couple days anyway.

Before Joan’s eyes went all crimson on us we enjoyed the Wednesday concert in the ballroom – To Ella With Love – a tribute to the talented Ella Fitzgerald. Crystal Stark – a popular local singer and American Idol finalist was the star of the show. The band wasn’t bad either.

Here’s a little story about Ella Fitzgerald – and me – that y’all probably didn’t know. Back in my days with the Atherton Police Department I used to work special details and one of the more memorable ones (I actually had a few memorable ones, including Shirley Temple Black, Mayor John Lindsay, Senator Ted Kennedy, to name drop a few) was an afterglow for a Boston Pops concert at Stanford University.

Joan's newest creations

Arthur Fiedler, the incomparable leader of the Boston Pops, brought his show to Stanford and Ella Fitzgerald with him. At the close of the show he and Ella were to come to a party at a mansion in Atherton where I worked. The host of the party gave specific instructions to only let the cars bringing Ella and Arthur into the driveway.

“Everyone else parks on the street,” were the instructions. So me, and two other officers providing security waited at the driveway entrance directing cars to on street parking. Finally a large black limousine came down the road and it was the vehicle carrying Ella Fitzgerald and it was directed into the driveway. At some point a small Toyota must have pulled up and without recognizing its very famous passenger it was sent to park down the road with the rest of the party goers.

A few minutes later here came the driver and his famous passenger, Arthur Fiedler, walking up the street. We were very apologetic, but Fiedler was gracious and understanding and told us he enjoyed the walk. That’s my one and only brush with Ella Fitzgerald – and Arthur Fiedler.

On Thursday, I had my first Men’s Bible study, Joan went to her Aquacize class (pre-eye infection) and then she walked the park. We were supposed to get a propane delivery, but when the truck arrived he declined to put gas in our tanks because they “expired” in July 2017. Fortunately we had gas in reserve, but now I had to deal with “expired” tanks. More on that later.

We went shopping at the newly remodeled and expanded Walmart near our park. They have all the sugar free items we need for our diet so we will likely be shopping there in the future. I also got the car washed and the gas tank filled. Plus, we returned a Christmas present I bought for Joan – an accessory for her Kitchen Aide blender – at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I purchased the item (which was too large for her Kitchen Aide) for a small one and they made the exchange even though I purchased the item in Flint, Michigan.

Cannabis Doctor sign spinner

We also passed a truly energetic sign spinner on our way home. The guy – a Frank Zappa lookalike – and obviously a refugee from the Haight Ashbury district of 1968 was wildly spinning and throwing a sign that advertised “Cannabis Doctor.” It appeared he had been testing some of the doctor’s medicine. Unfortunately a van blocked my attempt at a photo of him, but I did capture the sign.

So lots of chores completed on Thursday. Because of the very nice weather we ate outside on our picnic table.

Friday dawned with me heading to O’Reilly Chevrolet to check on why my “check engine” light keeps coming on in the Tahoe. Turns out it is a minor issue with some government mandated emission device and nothing I need to deal with during my time here. I did have them do an oil change so the trip wasn’t entirely worthless.

I stopped to price new propane tanks for the trailer, but before purchasing two $85 tanks I went to the Internet and discovered that a local company will recertify old tanks for an additional 5 years for $12.50 a tank. A $25 recertification sounded so much better than a $170 tank purchase, so while Joan went to her polymer clay jewelry class I made a short trip to Barnett’s Propane and got my tanks recertified and topped off.

Joan’s eye continued to get worse so after dinner we made the trip to Urgent Care so she could get medicine for her eye.

On Saturday morning I was up early to help set up tables and chairs for the donut and coffee gathering in the ballroom and then I worked out for an hour in the fitness center before returning to the ballroom to clean up the tables and chairs.

For dogs that can read

The head of security at the resort pointed out that the biggest area of concern in the park right now is dogs – both the noise and emissions they make. Apparently dog owners have not all been complying with rules about noise and emissions.

At least one owner believes that dogs can read as you can see by the accompanying photo.

“What we have here right now is a dog park that includes humans,” the security man said. Now you are up to date….

Mountain lions and Bingo, all in day's rest

Happy New Year! We welcomed in the new year in the Voyager ballroom to the tunes of “Two’s Company” a local duet that appears here at least once a month during the winter.

Joan at Meet Me at Maynard's

The night was not without its drama though. One of the party goers, who had obviously partied a little too much, somehow went to his knees on purpose during a song just before the midnight countdown. The tipsy man was apparently reacting to lyrics in the song that indicated being on a knee or knees.

Anyway, once he was down on his knees he then had to get up. I watched this whole horror in slow motion as he worked himself up to a crouch and then stumbled two or three steps backwards finally losing his balance and going over backwards striking his bald head very hard on the seat of a folding chair.

Meet at Maynard's scenery

Then he hit the hardwood floor with a thud and blood started draining out of a cut on the back of his head.  A number of people immediately went to his aid, including a retired nurse and he laid on the floor for a few minutes and then a couple men lifted him into a chair where the nurse applied a bandage to his head.

The musical duet never missed a beat and the midnight countdown went on without any further distractions.

It did get me to thinking that we have seen death come in many forms at the resort. According to a number of folks, a man plunged to his death while cleaning the top of his trailer a few years ago. A fact I know because I am reminded of it by every passing resident when I am on the roof of my trailer cleaning it.

Another man died while playing pickleball (a very popular sport that roughly looks like tennis and ping pong) but that was attributed to a heart condition. I nearly got killed by a senior citizen driving a speeding golf cart through a stop sign. So it would not have completely surprised me to have a “death by dancing” incident. Fortunately, the man is probably walking up with a massive hangover 

combined with a concussion this morning. Not a great way to start the New Year’s.

On the patio at Meet Me at Maynard's Super Moon in the back

On Sunday we went to church after I started my exercise regimen at the resort fitness center. I also reconnected with the table and chair committee and have already helped tear down church, set up the New Year’s party and then stayed late to tear down the tables and chairs after the party was over. 

Next up the Ella Fitzgerald tribute concert on Wednesday.

After church Joan and I went shopping to fill the cupboards and then returned to the resort to watch NFL football. The Lions pulled out a meaningless victory over the Packers on Sunday. This team is so frustrating. They win the games that don’t matter and lose the games that mean everything.

Seven Falls selfie

In addition to watching football, Joan did our travel laundry while I made up some burgers and bacon and cut up some fruit for a snack to pass at the New Year’s party. The weather has been outstanding since we’ve been here with much of the same predicted at least a week into the future.

One sad thing about Arizona is that you know you are here because you immediately notice one or more homeless people on nearly every major intersection seeking help. Probably a function of the good weather than keeps them here.

Now here’s an observation I made in Fort Smith (or Port Smith as Joan calls it). We spotted a story called “Sofa City.” Over the years I have see a number of businesses who use the “City” as a formal business name.

That is just stupid. If you can’t come up with a better name than that, you should not be in business. I’m sure somewhere there is a “Car City” or a “Taco City” but just stop it. It’s dumb.

New Year’s Day (today) will be a time of football and then Meet Me at Maynard’s tonight.

So we went to Meet Me at Maynard’s and continued our Monday tradition when we are here. We walked our two miles, returned to the courtyard. We failed to win any prizes and then had dinner at Fired Pie, a custom pizza and salad place we really like. It would have been better if we had won a gift certificate to go there.

After returning home we watch Alabama dismantle Clemson and then went to bed.

A very small amount of water at the base of the falls

The Tuesday hiking group was off because of the holiday (not sure what holiday Jan. 2 is, but they were not hiking today) so I went alone to Sabino Canyon and did the Seven Falls hike. This is a good starter hike for the season as it is an 8.2-mile out and back hike with just a 1,000-foot elevation.

Because of a lack of rain and snow, the falls at Seven Falls was more like Seven Trickles. Last year we couldn't even hike this trail until March because of high water. There is almost no water right now.

On the trail with my new hat

Coming from Michigan I need a week or so to acclimate to the altitude and climbing so this was a perfect chance to do that. Although Joan doesn’t like it, I love hiking alone sometimes because it gives me a chance to have a little solitude and enjoy nature.

A volunteer at the park told me that a mountain lion had recently been spotted in the canyon, so that added an element of adventure to the hike. I figure with tasty Big Horn sheep in plentiful supply the mountain lions would probably not bother with an old man.

While I was off playing in the mountains Joan was at her Aquafit class and she spent some time walking through the park for exercise. We live and eat healthier down here for sure.

At 5 p.m. we attended our first Tuesday potluck dinner and caught up with a number of our friends from previous stays here. Joan then stayed and played Bingo until 9 p.m. and was about as successful at winning there as she is at the casino. She was only out a couple bucks so no big deal.

The Eagle has landed - in Tucson

Bottom line - We made it safely to Tucson and life is good. Temperatures are warm, we are wearing shorts and all is well.

The day started early in Flagstaff and after our preparatory work last night we made quick work of hooking up the trailer and heading down the hill to Tucson.

Our winter home

Weather was a challenge as it was only 11 degrees when we arrived at the storage lot, but with most of the work done all I had to do was back up the Tahoe to the trailer and hook up. My hands were still pretty chilly by the time I was done because some of the work cannot be done with gloves on.

The trip to Tucson was uneventful and traffic through Phoenix was mercifully moderate for a change. Gas prices are a joy. $2.05 a gallon almost everywhere.

We arrived at Voyager Resort about 12:30 p.m. and check-in was quick and easy. Only 15 people were on the schedule for arrival today a number that will substantially increase over the next few days. Right now we have only one close neighbor in the park, but that will soon change.

Our neighbor has some spirit

After hooking up electrical, water and sewer and the most important thing - the cable television, we decided to do our grocery shopping tomorrow so we went to the resort restaurant for dinner. After dinner we took a quick walk around to make sure all our favorite things were still in place - they were - and then returned to our trailer to watch football.

There was also some major cleaning because of our little unwanted visitors to the trailer while it was in storage. They are gone and so is any evidence of them.

As per usual we always anticipate seeing our first Saguaro cactus at Bumble Bee Road on I-17 as we approached Phoenix. Although Joan through a little wrench into that by "thinking" she spotted one about 5 miles north of the road. I tried hard to convince her that it was a barrel cactus, but she is hard to knock off a notion when she thinks she is right.

I'm still going with Bumble Bee Road for the first Saguaro cactus.

Time out:7:53 a.m. (MST)
Mileage out:96041
Time in: 12:30 p.m.
Mileage in: 96322

A "breezy" travel day and a DIY dinner

(I will add photos to this post when we get to Tucson)

We breezed into Flagstaff Friday afternoon where the high was 64 degrees. Usually when we arrive here we are digging out the trailer from snow and I’m freezing my hands off trying to hook up the trailer. Not this year.  Actually this is not good news for Flagstaff as they really rely on the winter skiers to boost their economy.

Arizona here we are!

The trip from Tucumcari, New Mexico was uneventful and the temperature was 41 when we left so a major improvement over the past few days.

As per usual we encountered high winds as we drove through the high desert on the way to Albuquerque (they call it breezy on the news) so the gas mileage was a little down on this portion of the trip.

Outside Albuquerque the temperature rose to about 60 and bounced around there all day as we drove through western New Mexico. We passed a sign that usually has a great warning for us as we drive along I-40 with temps in the 60s – “Caution  watch for ice.”  Not this year!

By the time we arrived at Flagstaff the temperature had risen to 69 degrees. Before anything else we headed to check on the trailer which was sitting in the same spot we left it in April. It was apparent we had a couple small visitors and one was still inside – dead. We pitched the mouse out the door and moved our luggage and supplies to the trailer in anticipation of an early departure tomorrow.

I moved all the hitch gear to the car so all that is left in the morning is to drive over, back up to the trailer and hitch up.

Following that we went to Camping World to take back a hitch lock we purchased last year. Although you are supposed to return items within 90 days they nicely took back the item because they could obviously see that we had not used it.

Our burgers roasting on an open fire.

Our next adventure was to find a restaurant we had read about on the Internet. The Roadhouse Grill was not as easy to find in reality as it was on the Internet. Following the pointed directions of the clerk at Camping World we drove down a paved road that rapidly turned into a potted paved road and then narrowed into a two-path dirt road that was leading us nowhere.

Realizing (too late) that no restaurant would be located on such a remote lumber trail we turned around and checked into our hotel. For some reason they booked us into a Handicapper room which always troubles me because it feels like I am parking in a space meant for someone with disabilities. But that’s where they put us.

Using the directions given to us by the hotel clerk we found the Roadhouse Grill along the same road we had traveled but it was much closer to the good part of the road than where we had previously traveled.

Our handicapper room

It was a really nice restaurant and at the time we were there we were the only ones in it. We quickly found out that the unusual aspect of this place is that you order off the menu whatever meat you want and then they point you to a grill where you cook your own steak, burger, chicken or hot dog.

They had all the fixins’ and a really nice soup and salad bar so we cooked up our burgers had a nice salad and some chili and then called it a night. (I was tempted to tell them that my burger had been cooked incorrectly and see what they would do).

We went back to the Days Inn and fell asleep early watching Ohio State beat USC.

Mileage out: 95518

Time out: 7:52 a.m. (MST)

Mileage in: 96039

Time in: 3 p.m. (MST)

"On the Road Again!" Tucson or bust

   Like a Willie Nelson song we’re “On the Road Again!” Yes, nine months at home flew by and with a pretty strong push by the crappy weather we left even earlier for Tucson this year.

Oklahoma!

   After Christmas Day with son Tim and daughter Elin, we quickly packed up and stored Christmas for another year and hit the road early Tuesday, Dec. 26.

   As if to give us a swift kick in the butt the real outside temperature was 0 degrees as we pulled out. The whole time we negotiated snowy roads through Ann Arbor the temperature in Michigan never got above 7 degrees.

   By the time we got to Dayton, Ohio we were in a veritable heatwave at 16 degrees. Our first stop was Murfreesboro, Tennessee to have a late Christmas with son John, daughter-in-law Nicole and the three grandchildren. We arrived at their house about 2:30 p.m. Central time and the temperature was 44 degrees.

   Like a really incompetent grandfather I took exactly no photos during our Christmas celebration there. I admit it I am an idiot.

Mileage out: 93786

Time out: 4:21 a.m. (EST)

Mileage in: 94421

Time in: 2:30 p.m. (CST)

   Wednesday started later and warmer than the previous day. It was a steamy 25 degrees in Murfreesboro and dropped to 18 degrees at points along our route through Tennessee early.

Parked outside one of our dinner stops

   I wanted Joan to find Fort Smith, Arkansas (our next destination) on a map so I could see about where we were headed as we have never driven this route before. She politely told me that Fort Smith was not on the map or listed in the city directory for Arkansas in the road atlas she was using. Then she gave me a look like “what kind of Podunk village did you book us into that it doesn’t even appear on the map.”

   When I booked our hotel there were a number of options so I was surprised that it was showing up in the atlas. Finally at one of the bathroom stops we made I grabbed the atlas and immediately found “Fort Smith” on the western border of Arkansas right next to I-40 where I asked her to look. When I politely (and sweetly) informed her that I had no trouble finding our destination she looked at the city and said “I thought you said Port Smith.”

   By Little Rock we reached 33 degrees, but never got above 37 degrees on Wednesday. We stayed at a decent hotel in “Port Smith” and once we got in our room, Joan pulled out two clothes clips that my sister Pam had given her to keep the curtains pulled closed nice and tight.

   In the morning as I was emerging from the shower I found myself in the altogether with the curtains slightly parted and me exposed to the outside world.

   “What happened to the “privacy clips” you had on the curtains last night?”, I asked.

Panhandle crystal trees

   “They aren’t privacy clips, they are only to keep out the sunlight so I can sleep,” she said. We really need to communicate better.

    My father told me that my Uncle Bill had done his initial Army training during World War II in Fort Smith so I found that kind of cool.

Mileage out: 94421

Time out: 7:45 a.m. (CST

Mileage in: 94949

Time in: 4:25 p.m.

   Woke up Thursday realizing I had left the trailer battery in the Tahoe overnight. Now hoping the overnight cold didn’t drain too much power out of it because we’re going to need it to hook up the trailer on Saturday morning.

   Had a nice breakfast at the hotel and hit the road. Temperatures are still below freezing and this region (Arkansas/Oklahoma) are bracing for a big influx of cold air coming this weekend. Fortunately, we will be long gone by then.

   During our trip through Oklahoma and Texas today the Tahoe rolled over 95,000 miles and just to remind you the Tahoe is just barely three years old.

More Crystal trees

   When we hit Oklahoma City about 10:20 a.m. we encountered some minor snow squalls, but other than being a little discouraging because we are trying to get out of that kind of weather it posed no traffic issues. Almost all the way through Oklahoma and the first part of the Texas panhandle temperatures fluctuated through the low 30s.

   The trees in the panhandle had a very beautiful coating of snow and ice that made them look like crystal figurines. That all changed as we approached Amarillo and the sun came out and the temperatures steadily rose into the low 60s (yea!). The highest temperature of the day was 64.

$2.07 a gallon

   At the gas station in Amarillo I was going to give the windows a quick wash, but all the buckets were frozen solid with the squeegees frozen in them. One great thing is how much cheaper the gas is once you get south of Michigan. We are paying 40 to 50 cents less per gallon (a pretty significant savings) once we get out of our home state.

   There was a huge gathering at “Cadillac Ranch” a kind of Stonehenge made up of old model Cadillacs standing on end.

   Once into New Mexico we had a just a short trip to our night stop in Tucumcari where I had enough time to take the Tahoe to a local U-wash place and cleaned off a pound or so of road salt and mud.

Mileage out: 94949

Time out: 7:30 a.m. (CST)

Mileage in: 95518

Time in: 2:46 p.m. (MST)