A wet welcome back to Michigan

It was dry when we entered

We’re home. And thanks Michigan for the wild and wet welcome back. We weren’t in our home state more than 15 minutes when it started to rain. And then it really rained and then it rained so hard that the windshield wipers were pointless.

Mixed in with the rain was lightning and thunder. So to say it was an interesting ride home is an understatement. And frankly, if I wasn’t so anxious to get in my own bed I might have stopped and waited for the storm to pass.

The trip, until we arrived in Michigan, was very uneventful but just a little longer than I usually like to drive.

But not for long (It got much worse later)

Before going home we stopped at the Lapeer Little Caesar’s and picked up a pizza and a salad to eat when we got home.

The cat pleasantly greeted us at the door and we decided to eat dinner before unloading the car.

During the trip home we listed to our satellite radio. In the morning we listen to Phlash Phelps on 60s on 6 and then in the afternoon we listened to Radio Classics and then Joan plugged in her iPod and we listened to her music for a couple hours.

We ended the trip listening to Cousin Brucie back on 60s on 6.

Illinois

Well folks, this wraps up the 2013 winter adventure. I will be back in June to record our trip to my Navy reunion. Until then Grandma’s Recess will be on hiatus.

Mileage out at Flagstaff: 45665

Indiana

Mileage in at Lapeer: 47652

Time out: 7:59 a.m.(CDT)

Time in Lapeer: 8:02 p.m. (EDT)

Starting mileage on January 9: 35625

Ending mileage today: 47652

Total trip mileage: 12,027

We are gone with the wind on our trek home

The trailer in its temporary home

It has been a whirlwind couple of days. Sometimes your plans just work out. When I decided we would leave the resort on Sunday night instead of Monday morning there were a couple reasons for that.

First, I needed to get the trailer drained and winterized before putting it in storage in Flagstaff, Arizona. If we left Monday morning, even early, we would not have gotten to Flagstaff until early afternoon. The service on the trailer and storage of the trailer would have given us no time to travel on Monday effectively putting us a day behind.

Secondly, pulling our large trailer up some pretty major grades (the elevation goes from 1,000-feet in Phoenix to 7,353-feet in Flagstaff in just about 75 miles) is better on the car in cool temperatures or at night than in the heat of the day. The predictions were for temperatures in the 90s in Phoenix for Monday. It was only in the 50s and 60s when we were climbing the grades Sunday night. Even then the transmission temperature rose to 230-degrees twice during the climb. It was 77 degrees when we left Tucson Sunday night.


Flagstaff in the rear view mirror - literally

Also the winds were breezy Sunday, but nothing like the 35-50 mph gusts predicted for Monday. So the five-hour trip from Tucson to Flagstaff Sunday night was relatively uneventful. Traffic was light and it was easy getting in and out of the gas station when we needed gas.

Our plans to stay in the RV parking area of the Pilot/Flying J Service Station next to Camping World in Flagstaff was derailed when we found every space occupied when we drove in about 12:30 a.m. Monday. We had hoped to stay at the service station so we would have access to the bathrooms there.

Welcome to Texas

Instead we went to Plan B, which was dry camping in the parking lot of Camping World. Basically dry camping is using the trailer without any of its usual luxuries (water, TV, heat, etc.) So we climbed out of the Tahoe climbed into the trailer (with the slide out closed) and wrapped ourselves in blankets and slept on our bed. Temperatures dropped into the low 40s and high 30s overnight and it did get a little uncomfortable by morning.

Not to mention that our parking spot was within spitting distance of a railroad track. But how busy could that be on a Sunday night? As it turned out, very. There were long freight trains passing by our spot at least hourly for the entire night. It bothered Joan more than me, but it did wake me up several times. (see photo in the post below for visual evidence of the proximity of the tracks)

For really the first time we have had the trailer we were REALLY camping.

Joan's ready to bite the big cow in the parking lot

I was up and out by 6:30 p.m. and walked down the road to take a look at the storage place we selected for the trailer. The storage place is just about ¼-mile from the Camping World. Camping World employees arrived to work at 8 a.m. and they quickly pulled our trailer to the service bays, drained the water and filled the pipes with anti-freeze.

Joan couldn’t have been more excited when she discovered Camping World had a free coffee pot with frew-frew creamer in the service center’s waiting area even if I had given her a three-carat diamond ring. Without that coffee I’m not sure how the rest of the day would have turned out.

My  steak which I could not finish

We had pre-arranged to meet the storage site owner at 9 a.m., but when we arrived he was not there. I called his number and he apologized for not being able to make it but directed me to a storage spot inside and opened the gate remotely for us. It took us about 45-minutes to park, empty and then store the trailer.

Right at 10 a.m. we pulled out of the storage lot and began our trip home. The wind was starting to pick up and I was very glad I had not waited until Monday morning to leave Tucson.

We’ve been east and west on I-40 a few times, but we are always amazed at the change of scenery  and the beautiful vistas that are available on the way.

Crossing into New Mexico

By the time we arrived in New Mexico the winds were howling, but fortunately were coming from behind us which really improved my fuel mileage for Monday. That would, unfortunately, change on Tuesday when the high winds came right in our face.

We didn’t arrive in Amarillo until about 8:30 p.m. (also thanks to a time change during our travel) and because we had a confirmed hotel reservation (more on that later) we headed to dinner first. We have passed an interesting looking tourist type restaurant  - The Big Texan - each time we have gone through Amarillo and after talking to a couple at the resort who highly recommended it we decided to eat there instead of our usual Mexican place.

One of seven trails that passed our spot

Because we were so late there was no waiting and we were seated immediately. Joan left the table to use the bathroom just before a trio of country singers arrived to serenade our table.

“What can we play for you?,” the singer asked.

As country music is not my big thing, I stumbled for an idea and finally said the only thing I could think of: “Anything by Hank Williams, Jr.,” I said.

“Well, I don’t do his songs, but I know some of Hank Williams, so how about that?,” he said.

“Fine, anything,” I said. So sitting all by myself I was serenaded by three guys, one of whom fiddled while breathing through an oxygen tank, to the tune of “Honky Tonk.”

Welcome to Oklahoma

Joan was not real sorry she had missed the short concert and by the time she came back from the bathroom they had moved on to another table.

The Big Texan’s big claim to fame is that they offer a free 72-ounce sirloin steak to anyone who can devour it within a one hour period. We hadn’t been there five minutes when a guy (who happened to be as big as a cow) successfully completed eating the 72-ounce steak in 28 minutes. If you try this and fail it costs you $72 for the steak.

They put you at a table in the center of the room with a television camera and lights over your head and then count down the clock. Our waitress, who said she had worked at The Big Texan since last August, said last night’s free steak was only the fifth she had seen completed.

Welcome to Missouri

We were hungry, but not THAT hungry, so we ordered off the regular menu, although my 16-ounce sirloin (1/4 the size of the “Free” steak) was so big I could not finish it, so I’m really glad I didn’t try the 72-ouncer.

After dinner we headed to our hotel only to find out that I had booked a different Baymont Inn and Suites in Amarillo. They are about five miles apart so our desire to hit the sack was delayed a few extra minutes.

Once in our room, Joan and I who had not showered since Sunday morning were beat. Joan took a shower and I just went to bed dirty. I slept as well as I have slept in a long time not walking once between midnight and 7 a.m.

Of course we stayed up a little to get caught up on all the news out of Boston, which was very disturbing.  It seems like a lot of major events occur when we are traveling and the impact doesn’t really hit you until you see the pictures and videos.

Dinner at Luigi's in St. Robert, Missouri

I keep hearing news people say “Americans are living in fear.” Of course we can’t talk about you but we are not living in fear. Angry, ticked off, frustrated, yes, but fear not even a little.

We were up and out of Amarillo by 8:44 a.m. and breezed through Oklahoma and halfway across Missouri arriving tonight in St. Robert right at 6 p.m.

After checking into our hotel we headed to “Luigi’s Restaurant,” a place we have eaten at here before. The food is very good there and we both had the “Ultimate Spaghetti” dinner which comes with meatballs and sausage and mushrooms.

Tonight we are back in the room and catching up on blog posting chores, etc. Tomorrow we get home.

By the way we can remember only one day during our three months in Tucson where the sun wasn't out all, or most of the day. Today, our second day traveling home we never saw the sun. We also passed a lot of folks from our neck of the woods heading home.

Remember if you want to see more photos, scroll down.

Mileage leaving Tucson w/trailer: 45381

Mileage arriving in Flgastaff w/trailer: 45665

Time out: 7:09 p.m.

Time in: 12:30 a.m.

Some extra travel home photos

Joan sleeping in the trailer (she's rolled up in the blanket)

Our storage facility

Arizona scenery

Welcome to New Mexico

Our dinner stop

Joan going over the menu

Joan missing the scenery

The view of the trains from our trailer at Camping World

Time to put Tucson in the rear view mirror

Joan's Aquasize class

It seems like we have lived in Tucson for a very long time. In reality it has been just three months but as we pull down the curtain on this year’s adventure it is hard to imagine how much we have done during the winter.

Part of me will always be drawn to the dramatic vistas of mountains. I grew up living in the foothills of Los Angeles and in the shadow of Mt. Lukens. Mountains are what inspire me. Oceans and bodies of water are what soothe me.

If there is a regret to this trip it is that Joan’s health and physical well-being is not as good as she would like. It has limited what she could do and how much she could do. We are hopeful, and praying that we can find a good diagnosis and medical solution to her current problems.

Ah, the Doo Wop Divas

Despite Joan’s health issues she had a good time and we have committed to another winter in Tucson here at Voyager so we can finish touring this very beautiful area.

We have met many, many nice folks and look forward to seeing them again next year. The resort is very nice, the facilities are top drawer and the entertainment and activity options seem endless. Next year I want to get involved in even more of the activities while we are here.

No doubt I will continue the hiking, but there are wood working classes, photography clubs and other activities I would like to participate in.

But to review here in chronological highlights from beginning to end is our winter trip: Depart in snow arrive in St. Robert, Mo.;  an extra day in Amarillo due to high winds; Cadillac Ranch, RV Museum and the Panhandle Museum; We arrive in “alien” territory at Town & Country RV Park in Roswell, NM; Alien museums, a zoo, a small air museum, an art museum, wine, freezing temperatures and a wildlife park; a tall climb through Ruidoso, New Mexico and arrival in a frigid Tucson; Bobby Darin impersonator concert; a walk on the Arizona Trail in Suhaurita; our first dance

Kitt Peak

in the park and an unsuccessful search for an Anglican church; Sandhill Cranes at Whitewater Draw; A hike to Bridal Wreath Falls; Arizona Symphonic Winds concert; casino bus trip; high grass desert hike; monsoon rains; winery tours; Empire Ranch stop; Les Miserables movie; Wasson Peak hike; Alley Cats concert; Casa Grande ruins tour, dinner with Chelsea and Ryan; a wash hike; church at the park and Super Bowl Sunday; Tucson Gem Show; Garwood/Carillo loop hike; a visit to La Crescenta, California and a dinner in Montrose; a visit to my Encino boy’s home, a trip to Grandma Smith’s grave and a day of Jay Leno; dinner at Castaways; a visit to the Hollywood sign; a walk down the Walk of Fame, a trip to Santa Monica pier; Cousin Cynthia welcomes us to Danville, Ca.; a visit with William, Brittany and Tim, including a nice long Santa Cruz hike with Tim, meeting Tim’s new girlfriend Toni, a visit with Jan, Lisa and Gina at the casino in Middletown, dinner with the whole family in Santa Cruz, a night near the Grapevine, church with William, dinner with Barbara and friends in Auburn; Harlon arrives in Tucson in time for a snowstorm, a tour of the air museum and Saguaro National Park, dinner at the trailer; a hike to Seven Falls (the first of two such hikes); a hike on the Gabe Zimmerman Trail, lost camera, found camera, Voyager Talent Show; Joan walked part of the Gabe Zimmerman Trail, Colossal Cave; Zero Dark Thirty movie; snowy Bug Spring Hike; Joan’s Aquasize

The sistas

class, Doo Wop Divas; Kitt Peak National Observatory visit, Poco & Mom’s, Empire Ranch hike; Cactus Fly-In, first 80-degree day; Cracker Barrel dinner; Red Wings hockey, trailer and car washing day; Cochise Stronghold Hike; potluck dinners in the resort, Sunday worship at the resort, Men’s Bible study, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, high winds and a rainbow; Desert Diamond and Casa del Sol casino; Harp player at church, pizza special at the resort restaurant; Pontatoc Trail hike; PanStarrs Comet viewing; a new trailer sign and the arrive of Diane, Denny and Patty to Tucson; Boothill Cemetery, Tombstone OK Corral shoot out, Bisbee Mine town tour; Denny and I got to the fitness center, stop at the Star Touring and Riding Headquarters in Tucson with Denny, dinner in Williams, Arizona, a night at the Grand Canyon Inn, a day at the South Rim at the Grand Canyon, Diane confesses to the 45-year-old crime of feeding gumdrops to a raccoon to a park ranger dinner in Sedona and a scenic drive home; a drive through Saguaro National Park with the three sisters; Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Pima Air Museum and Boneyard Tour, Julian Wash hike; a new RV toilet; a drive to Mt. Lemmon with a rude bicyclist on the way down; reading on the patio, a walk in the desert across from the resort; Ventana Canyon hike; Chiricahua Hike; dinner at Cushing Street Bar and “Wicked,” Market Daze at the resort and a Saguara souvenir to take home; Thing 1,2,3,4 (and 5) arrive and spend four days with us at the trailer, kids in the pool, Sabino Canyon tram tour, Saguaro National Park tour, San Xavier Mission,

Mt. Wrightman summit

Peter Piper Pizza, Arizona Sonora Desert Museum with the children, more pool time, grandma and grandpa babysit in the trailer with Snow White, Peter Pan, and Brave, more pool, a drive in the mountains, the Children’s Museum of Tucson and the Texas Roadhouse for dinner; Mt. Wrightson 12-mile hike; Bible Study breakfast, high winds hit the area, mudstorm, Men’s prayer breakfast, a visit to the casino; dinner with Chelsea and Ryan (again), Seven Falls Hike (again!) and Mary’s Spaghetti Dinner, car and trailer wash, Phoneline hike. (And in case you didn’t keep track that’s 117 miles of hiking trails since we got here.

So now it’s time to head home to Michigan. I know the first morning I wake up and look out the window and not see the majestic back drop of mountains I will feel a little sad. But the beauty of mountains is that they will be here for a long, long time after I’m gone, so there’ll always more chances to see them.

I’ve already thought about how excited I will be when we drive down I-10 next January and I’ll see Picacho Peak looming in the distance as we drive through Casa Grande. The closer we get to Tucson I’ll see the beautiful Catalina, Tucson, Rincon and Santa Rita mountains surrounding Tucson.

But for now we are happy to be going home. To resuming what passes for normal in our lives. We are also eager to return to our volunteer projects and see our friends.

Thank you for joining us on this journey and they’ll likely be a couple more short posts as we make our way home, but essentially our touring is done. Just one favor, please pray that the lousy Michigan weather will evaporate as we arrive back.

I’ll update our mileage, etc. in tomorrow’s post, hopefully in Amarillo.

Phoneline Hike - the season ending trek

The climb was in the shade

It was a little bitter sweet this morning as I headed off for my last Tucson hike of 2013. There are enough hiking trails in and around Tucson that I am sure if you did a different hike every day you could go a year without repeating one – unless you are an old guy like me who simply forgets what he has already done.

But I was up at 6:15 a.m. so that I could get an early start on the Phoneline Trail that starts at the visitor’s center at the Sabino National Recreation Area. This hike started in almost the identical place that the Bear Canyon/Seven Falls hike does, but within a mile you take a spur trail off the Bear Canyon Trail to start your ascent into the Catalina Mountains.

The tram is 300-feet below (this with a 10X zoom)

When Things 1,2,3 and 4 were here a week or so ago we took the tram up Sabino Canyon, but we really didn’t hike the canyon. So today was my day to do that. The trail follows an old access trail used by engineers when they were planning for the building of a dam many years ago. Fortunately, the dam was never built but they left behind a pretty nice trail with great views.

The trail is available in two ways. First you can catch the tram, the same one that we took with the kids, and follow it to the last stop (Tram Stop 9) which is 3.7-miles from the visitor’s center. Or you can do what I did and that is to take the trail up from the visitor’s center and hike 5.5 miles to the Tram 9 stop and then walk back down the tram road.

Same photo without the zoom - see how high I was?

When you do it my way it is a 9.2-mile hike, but except for the first two miles which is about a 600-foot climb, the rest is fairly level and you walk about 300-feet above the canyon floor.

By starting early much of the early climbing was done in the shade and by the time the sun was at its zenith I was starting the easy hike down the paved tram road.

This time I brought plenty of water and food and the hike and I spared myself a fall this Saturday. As you will recall it was last Saturday that I climbed to the top of Mt. Wrightson but left myself short of water and food on that 12-mile trek. Compared to that hike this week’s was a piece of pie.

Narrow passage

There were plenty of hikers – and runners – on the trail this morning but no so many that it was a nuisance. Etiquette is that you give the right-of-way to runners and they were very appreciative of my getting out of their way. What they don’t know is that I think anyone who would run some of these narrow, stony trails are just a little crazy so I might be giving them a little extra room for that reason.

Once down off the trail the tram road was pretty full of families and hikers using the canyon floor as a playground in the fair weather today. By the time I got off the mountain the temperatures were in the 80s and almost 30-degree climb in just three and a half hours.

On the way back I stopped and took a picture of Mt. Wrightson looming over the Tucson landscape so I would remember where I was just a week ago. When I look up at that peak it is hard to believe I was up there.

That high peak in the center is where I was last Saturday

Back at home Joan was waiting for me – her mule – to haul the rest of our laundry for a last wash before we head out of here tomorrow evening. While she did the laundry I went to the office and settled up with management as we have to pay the balance of our electrical use and cable TV accounts.

Back at the trailer we spent the afternoon watching the Master’s Tournament (isn’t that an old person’s activity?) and then we had hamburgers for dinner.

We plan on going to church in the morning, finishing the packing and stowing of the trailer tomorrow afternoon and then after dinner heading north to Flagstaff so we can get the trailer winterized and stored on Monday morning.

The trip down was easier on a paved road

I’m planning on a post tomorrow before we leave and then short ones as we finish the drive home on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

To see more photos simply scroll down to the next post.

More photos from the season's final hike

Phoneline Trail start

The trail goes up

Thimble Rock - a landmark around these parts

The trail gets level

The trail is also narrow in parts

Looking back at where I have come from

Nice view back

Tram Stop 9 - the end of the road

Yes, there is water in the desert

This hike was deja vu, all over again

If anyone needed evidence I am getting old, and I’m sure not many people actually need more evidence of that, Wednesday was your day.

The lower end of the trail

With most of the organized activities over, or nearly over, here at the resort I decided to take advantage of a super weather day to take a nice hike into the Catalina Mountains.

When we were at the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area with the children and grandchildren last week I saw what appeared to be a great hike and one that I could easily do on my own. So Wednesday morning a said good-bye to my bride and drove back to the Sabino Canyon Recreation area to make the hike to Seven Falls.

If that name sounds familiar to you, and it didn’t to me, it was because I took almost the identical hike on Feb. 19^th with the resort hiking group.

One of the stream crossings

Apparently in February we approached the Bear Canyon Trail from a slightly different location, but when I was about 1 ½-miles into the hike everything started looking very familiar. Then it started looking positively identical.

But I was two miles into the hike and just decided to complete the hike even though I had already done it before. I’m putting up a couple new photos here, but if you want more photos simply go to my previous post on the hike here.

One thing I do know was that weather on Wednesday was much nicer than it was when I made the hike in February and with all the blooming cactus in the area it was well worth the calories I burned to make the trip again.

And after Saturday’s hike up Mt. Wrightman it seemed quite easy. The water in the canyon was flowing at a good rate and some of the crossings were not as easy as it was six weeks ago.

Then last night we attended “Mary’s Spaghetti Dinner” which is a bi-annual event here at the resort. Mary, who is a fixture in the park, hosts a huge welcome dinner to the resort in November and then a farewell dinner in April.

Sun beams over a big rock at a river crossing

The dinner is a fund raiser for the resort’s favorite sport – Pickleball – which is a combination of tennis, badminton and wiffle ball. If you want more information on the sport of Pickleball just Google it. I have no desire to learn or play the game, but those who do here are positively addicted to it.

The clicking and clacking of the paddle and ball, especially during peak season, starts promptly at 7 a.m. and doesn’t stop until the 10 p.m. noise curfew here at the resort. It’s not so active now, but hundreds of people play and seem to have a good time at it.

Anyway, back to the dinner, we joined about 300 other folks here in the ballroom for a really good spaghetti dinner followed by “Two’s Company” a husband and wife combo who play and sing popular tunes at various resort dances.

Looking back towards Tucson

Some of the men from my Bible Study were there with their wives and we ended up sitting with them after dinner and during the musical entertainment.

Joan and I tripped the light fantastic a couple times and then we pooped out.

We said our good-byes and left the party early at 9 p.m.  Did I mention Joan and I are getting old? We used to get to the party at 9 p.m. and now that’s the time to leave.

On Thursday I got up early and spent some time on the phone with my buddy Kim back in Michigan. Then I went to the fitness center, which is also now pretty deserted, to complete a good workout.

After the workout Joan and I started making our plans for securing the trailer and packing for home.

Deja vu at the falls

This afternoon after taking an inventory of our food stores, we headed to the local Fry’s Store (which is a Kroger affiliate in Arizona) for our final shop. We try to plan our last week so that we use up all our perishable foods and the non-perishables we will bring home.

When we arrived home from the store Joan put the groceries away and I spent about 90 minutes washing Arizona mud off my Tahoe and trailer.

For dinner Joan took our week old chicken carcass (which I thought said she had mold, but apparently she said cold) and made chicken salad sandwiches for dinner.

We finished off some week old baked beans and potato salad, so if you don’t hear from us anymore you might want to check Tucson Medical Center for a couple food poisoning victims.

My formerly mud covered car

Tomorrow we will spend more times packing and storing away items we won’t need into next year.

I have plans to take one more hike (this time one I haven’t done before) on Saturday morning. Every time I look at the mountains that surround us I start feeling like I am really going to miss Tucson when I get home. But we miss our friends, church and family back home and are looking forward to being back in Michigan.

More on Saturday.

A mudstorm visits us in Tucson

Here’s a little Tucson weather tidbit for you. When it rains following a dust storm, it pretty much turns into a mud storm.

Mountains have disappeared in the dust

During the night we had a pretty hard downpour, which brought much of the dust and dirt that was floating in the atmosphere down on top of my clean trailer and truck.

Hopefully we are done with any more desert spring storms until we leave because now I have to find a few hours to wash both the trailer and truck before we leave Sunday evening.

The dirt was so thick that you could not see any of the mountain ranges that encircle Tucson.

This morning I went to the Men’s Prayer Breakfast which I have previously missed because the hard hiking group met at the same time. We had a wonderful pancake breakfast and a time of study and prayer.

My dirt covered Tahoe

With everyone pretty much starting to depart this was the final breakfast so we spent some time lingering after the meeting saying our good byes. Many of the men were the same guys that were in my Thursday Bible study group. We plan on keeping in touch by e-mail over the summer and then getting ready for a next winter’s study.

Some of the men are dealing with serious health issues in their families or with themselves and so I have a couple folks to pray for when I get home.

Much of the rest of the day was spent starting the process of securing the trailer and deciding what goes home and what stays.

At 4 p.m. we headed out for a trip back to Mimi’s Café in Casa Grande with our friend’s daughter and her boyfriend, Chelsea and Ryan.

Not a great photo but our all white table is dirt covered.

We met them at 5:30 p.m. had a wonderful dinner and enjoyed some wonderful conversation with them. Unfortunately I had my camera in my pocket but completely forgot to take any photos.

All too soon our time was up and we said our farewells until we see Chelsea back in Michigan over the 4^th of July weekend.