Settled in at Picacho

Since the last post, I spent 13 days in Chandler, a suburb of Phoenix, living at Jill and Erez's home, helping with the grand girls and the day-to-day activities of them.  Jill was in Asia on a business trip through her work (Intel) and as such left a big hole in logistics with getting the girls to school in the morning, picking them up after school, making sure they have something to eat before their next activity of the day, either soccer or dance.  Some days the after school routine started at 3:10 with picking up the youngest right from school and she eating her 'snack' while I drive her on to dance rehearsal.  Picking her back up anywhere from 8:00 to 9:15pm.  Wow.   Doesn't leave much time to be just a kid.

During the day I did some cleaning, laundry, run errands, grocery shop, etc. - just glad I was able to help out.  I also worked on a couple of quilts - projects I took on the road but never did, so I did some quality sewing.  Dave remained in Benson at the RV, he had lots to keep him busy like washing and waxing the RV before it goes into storage for the winter, some repairs and a few modifications.  He drove to Chandler one day to install a new security light system on Jill's house to enable to the walkway to light when taking out the garbage.  But, it was a long drive for him - almost 3 hours - and he did not want to be on the road after dark.

Pache did not care that I was gone for 2 weeks

Buddy stayed in the chair, by the door, waiting
for me to come home - the entire 2 weeks

1st day home - they were all over me, content

Our plans were to continue on our 'summer' trip once I got back from Jill's, which was October 29th, but after a few days we decided to pack up and get to Picacho.  Made a couple of trips there (90 miles one way) to move some clothes and food, etc., and then yesterday did the last clean out of the tanks and headed out.  Since it was a short trip we opted not to hook up the car to the RV, I followed him.  Got the cats into the park model, we still have not seen much of Buddy - he is so scared - and we hope in another day or so he'll start to make more of living.  Right now his world consists of the underneath of the bed, he spends all the daylight hours there but at night, he's right beside me on the bed.

To recap the summer trip - we traveled 5,916 miles with the RV, which is the most we have ever done in one season of camping.  We camped (spent at least 24 hours in one town) in the following states:  Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin again, Missouri, Kansas, Texas, and New Mexico and back into Arizona.  With that said, we also traveled through these states but did not spend the night (our criteria):  Utah (2 times), Colorado (passed through Utah back into Colorado then into Wyoming on one drive), Illinois, Oklahoma, Wisconsin (we passed through from Minnesota into Wisconsin and back into Minnesota then we spent the next 6 weeks in one spot in Minnesota).

Some of our favorite memories of the trip were the time we spent in Dolores, Colorado; the beautiful pristine wilderness area while in Grand Marais, Minnesota and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area; and the time spent in Alamogordo, New Mexico in the mountains above.  And of course, seeing our family and many friends while we were in Ohio which was the longest staying put in one space - 7 weeks.  Now on to planning next summer's adventure!

Visit to Bisbee and Douglas

I do not have to be in Chandler until Monday morning, so Dave and I drove south to Bisbee on Saturday, have not been to Bisbee in many years.  Saturday the temperature was in the mid 90s, still a tidge too warm for us to do anything much.  Drove around the town, saw many historic homes, stopped at the famous Lavender Open Pit Mine (the highest producer of copper in the world up to 2009 when it totally closed down).  We saw the mine in operation when we were here in 2006, saw lots of activity at the bottom of the pit, but it was a pure ghost mine yesterday.  At one time Benson had the highest population of the state and had numerous businesses, many international, that were connected in some way to the copper mines.

Road cut right through a hill, typical of the area

Coming south out of St. David, heading towards Tombstone

Surprised the Border Patrol Checkpoint was closed

Passed through Tombstone, passed the OK Corral gunfight area

Bisbee on the other side of those Mule Mountains

Sierra Vista sits at the base of those Huachuca Mountains (looking west)

Through the Bisbee tunnel

Bisbee, elevation 5300 feet

The last time we visited Bisbee we toured the Queen Bee Mine, which takes you on the actual rail car deep into the earth, a mile down, and your tour guide who was one of the miners 'back then' provides you the day-to-day life underground.  Very chilling experience, not for the faint hearted.  Since we had been on the tour before (it was very crowded) we opted not to do it, just looked around the town.  Very artsy, crafty, lots and lots of stores selling all kinds of goods.  And bars/restaurants.  And restored buildings that are now hotels.  Headed on to Douglas.

Very colorful

Went up above the town, the mountains in the distance - Mexico 

Houses built on the side of the mountain

Lavender Open Pit Mine 

Douglas is another town that we had wanted to visit, since it was even warmer there, we only stopped at the visitor's center and picked up literature to possibly revisit the town in the future.  Saw the Mexican/US border wall (it has always been in place) drove around the town a bit, found the famous Gadsden Hotel which has been featured on television because of it's ghosts/paranormal activity.

In Douglas the Gadsden Hotel, lots of movies filmed in Douglas

Border Wall, we were on International Street (dah) 

Hard to tell but down road is the border crossing to Agua Prieta, Mexico

Today we spent getting the RV cleaned up, doing laundry, me packing my clothes and computer, etc, to head to Jill's tomorrow.  We will stop at our winter abode long enough to drop off some things, and pick up my 'good' sewing machine (have lots of mending to do at Jill's) and then be at their house by 10ish tomorrow morning.  The girls are still off on fall break, they go back to school on Wednesday, so I will have the rest of tomorrow to have one-on-one time and then all day Tuesday before they head back to the grind of school on Wednesday.

Revisited Whitewater Draw

The last couple of days has been spent going through 'stuff' in the RV, sorting it out and then packing up the car with what we can move to our winter abode in Picacho Peak, drove the 90 miles to PPRV and deposited our 'stuff' into the park model, looked around to resort to see the changes, wanted to say to some folks but they were not home (did get to see Jim - was great to catch up with him and Carol), then went to some stores in the Tucson area to do shopping.

A normal function in AZ - Border Patrol Check Points 

Definitely know where there is water - look for a tree line 

On other side of mountain is Bisbee 

So desolate 

Got back to Benson by 4pm, was wiped out from the heat (it's been in the low 90's - pretty darn warm for us but the locals say it's beautiful).  Yesterday, after running to Sierra Vista, a city south of us that is home to Fort Huachuca (wha-choo-ka) Army Base, did some banking, then decided to go to Whitewater Draw.  This is the wildlife refuge on about 1400 acres of wetland, preserved for the migratory birds that come through either going to Mexico and south or coming up from the area and moving towards Canada.

Saw the owl's nest but no owl

We have been here a couple of times, the first time was December 8th, 2011 - our first - and were blown away at the amount of Sandhill Crane birds present.  About 30,000 at that time.  Yesterday we saw over 1,000 and they were coming in by a dozen or so at a time.  They are coming in from the upper US, staying long enough to feed, rest, and then they move south into Mexico.  Pretty awesome sight.

It was warm but there was enough of a breeze to keep us comfortable.  We literally had the place to ourself.  Saw a huge red-tail hawk and at first we thought it was an eagle, it was that big.  Sandhill cranes, another bird called American Avocet which I had not seen before, lots of barn swallows, small birds, ducks, waders, the area is a birder's paradise.  You are supposed to see the most birds at sunrise and near sunset but we saw thousands of birds and ducks and it was mid-day.  We want to come back in a month or so to see more sandhill cranes, and it won't be as warm. Hopefully.

American Avocets

With their butts in the air the their heads feeding on the bottom

We got back to the RV by 4 and the cats were nearly fried, it was a balmy 92 in the RV.  Again, we do not put on the a/c when we are gone, we have come back to the RV while out and found the power was off and had come back on, or it had gone off and was still off.  We just don't trust anywhere we go.  Got the cats cooled down and they came alive about 6pm.  Another couple of more days of very warm temps and we will be home, so a/c will be on.

Sandhill cranes resting

Saturday we will spend up in Chandler to visit with Jill and family, getting my marching orders for the next couple of weeks.

Settled in for Month in Benson, AZ

After really high temps while in Deming, we were glad to pack up and leave yesterday.  Bizarre was that Friday the temp was 93 and it dropped to 45 during the night.  Talk about freezing!  We had the a/c on till about midnight, turned it off when we saw it was 71 out, then by 4am the temp really dipped down.  Brrrr.  Not used to that low.

Wide open nothingness

Some really large gas pump stations in the middle of nowhere

The vista views - amazing

We dragged our feet leaving Deming, knew our 176 mile trip to Benson was going to be quick and uneventful, but I forgot we dropped an hour as we crossed the Arizona state line.  The office here at SKP Saguaro also closes from noon to 1pm, did not want to be sitting around for an hour waiting, as it was, we got in at 11:50 am!  Phew, just made it.

And the ever present threat of dust storms

In the middle of the desert - water, lots

The times we have been here (Escapee Members only campground) we have lot sitted which means we are using someone's lot while they are not here.  Huge, spacious, very nicely landscaped. And, being a member, our monthly dues is very very cheap ($11.50/day), our cheapest spent nightly fee on this trip.  Full hookup, allowed to wash your vehicle, can have guests without paying for them to come in, can have 2 RVs 2 cars, 2 motorcycles and 2 golf carts on your lot.  Amazing!!!!

Past Steins ghost town

21 states later and almost 6,000 miles on RV - back in Arizona

The climb up and over Texas Canyon east of Benson

Going through the Dragoon Mountains

Dave will be here with the 2 cats during the whole month, he has lots of fixer-uppers or modifications he wants to do on the RV, and next Sunday I will start a 2 week stint at Jill's house in Chandler.  She will be out of town that whole time and I will help Erez with taking care of the girls.  He works in Scottsdale which is an hour away, so I will be taking Zoe to school and picking her up while Emi gets a ride to and from to high school.  Then starts the after school stuff - dance for Zoe 4 nights a week plus Saturday and Emi has soccer practice same amount of time.  Erez will do the soccer with Emi while I will tend to Zoe.  Meal preparation, laundry, general housework, errands - what ever needs to be done, I will be there to help.

Benson in the valley ahead

And we are here

Very large sites

This whole space is ours while we are here

Once Jill gets back and I am back here in Benson, Dave and I will still have another week to play before we think about heading to the winter hideaway in Picacho. We are still talking about maybe leaving here and going to Tombstone for a week - we love that area.