Maiden Voyage

After getting the motorhome back to the dealer to get a couple of issues corrected, we jumped at the chance to try out the new motorhome, so we hitched up and drove back to one of our favorite spots - Tombstone Territories RV Park in Tombstone, AZ.  This time we asked for a premier site which is looking out over the valley towards Benson and the Chiracahua Mountains and also since we have this big front window to gaze out of.  And the weather will be worth it for the next couple of days - twenty degrees above normal and that means we will see 90's today and tomorrow.  It also means that the nights are not as cold. Did hear the coyotes during the night, hope we hear them again each night we are here.  Wonderful to hear.

Honda CR-V and the Class A

Honda CR-V and the Class A

Just hitching up the car to the RV was re-educating what was taught us - we were a tidge nervous but did get the Honda hooked up.  Then, an hour and 45 minutes later we were pulled into the park registering.  I think the hour and 45 minutes was one of the longest for Grace and of course Buddy.  He has never experienced camping, Grace was not as vocal as she has been (the truck was much more noisy since it was a diesel) where as Buddy shouted every now and then.  We kept them in their travel boxes but will let them loose on the way home - see how they like riding that way.  We think they will bury themselves in the bed in the back of the motor home.

The next three days will be to put hooks up, install the towel bars, put some more electrical outlets in,  organize the basement compartments, and of course to learn about this Class A and how things work. Nothing has broken (all RVers expect their rigs to have things break, this is the norm) so far, so good.  Just figuring out where things should be stored in what compartment, I find that I am again switching things around.  We have also correlated this rig to our sailboat days - both the sailboat and this Class A are the same size - the difference is that we can go so many more places.  We do have more storage places in this Class A versus the sailboat, but less compared to our old 5th wheel - one of the major drawbacks of going to a Class A.  But absolutely love how it drives and our visibility.  Also, where it used to take Dave over an hour to set up outside once we got to a sight, he was done in 15 minutes.  Amazing.

Further updates: the boot has come off my left foot with the break healing but MRI is scheduled for this coming Monday to see what is going on with pain, numbness, tingly feelings.  Buddy is adjusting although he still runs and hides by 9am every morning, waiting for the dogs to come out and take over (his previous shelter home's activities - the cats hid once the dogs were let out for the day). He surfaces about noon when he realizes the dogs are not here and is out for the rest of the day.  He is a charmer and very very noisy.  But a keeper.  And very intelligent - a trait we were hoping would continue since our experience with the English black and white cat breed are known for their intelligence.  He is still a kitten and is growing leaps and bounds.

Tonto National Monument

We drove to Tonto National Monument this past Sunday, about a two hour drive north and east from Picacho.  It is located near Roosevelt Lake, AZ, a man-made lake that came about from the damming of the Colorado River back in 1902.  There was a Roosevelt, AZ, a small town located there but now it is under water.  The hike up to the ruins was a paved walkway, nice but steep.  We took out time to go the distance and was well worth it.

There are cliff dwellings of the Salado Indian people who were there prior to 1450 when for some unknown reason they abandoned this area.  Amazing that these people built this dwelling in a side of a cliff and the only means to get in and out was up a ladder into a small opening. They think this structure was built by women where as the men did the hunting and gathering.  We were able to walk up to the Lower Cliff Dwelling ruins and see the structure where they think about 70 people lived.  The Upper Cliff Dwellings are in an area that is restricted with limited visiting on specific days.

Pretty awesome to see and wetted out appetite to see the Mesa Verde National Park in Cortez, Colorado which we will visit sometime this early summer.

Lower Cliff Dwelling

Looking out towards Roosevelt Lake

Lower Cliff Dwelling

Roosevelt Dam