Thursday, September 27, 2018, Desert Botanical Gardens

Our daughter, Katie, and her husband, Mike, were able to spend a week with us at Val Vista Villages on their way back to Georgia. We enjoyed our first visit to the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix so much we convinced them to join us for a return trip. Katie used an umbrella to get some relief from the intense sunshine on an otherwise extremely pleasant day (even if it was 100 degrees). I think they enjoyed the gardens. Like most folks, they were impressed with the variety of cacti. 

These pictures probably make it clear, I found the colors and textures in the cactus flowers fascinating, and of course, I always have to snap pictures of sunbathing lizards.

The Saguaro is the official state cactus of Arizona and they seem to be everywhere but you do not often see a crested saguaro. Botanists speculate the strange growth pattern may be due to genetic mutation or maybe it was a lightning strike.

We highly recommend the Desert Botanical Gardens for anyone visiting the Phoenix area. We joined the American Horticultural Society that has a reciprocal program that gives us free admission to over 320 Gardens across the country. We will certainly return.

Friday, September 21, 2018, Visit with Kate and Mike in Sedona

Our daughter, Kate, and son-in-law, Mike, were working their way back to Georgia from Oregon. Their route included a stop in Sedona, AZ. It was a little bit of a drive but when they were that close we were more than happy for the opportunity to visit them. There were no firm plans for the day, but we knew the trails around Sedona were dog-friendly and we knew of several options for dog-friendly dining. Sam was thrilled for the chance to hop in the back seat for a ride and we could visit without feeling guilty about leaving him alone all day - that's a win-win in my book.

We decided to show them Jerome, AZ. We walked around the hillside town, perused the shops including Joani's favorite kaleidoscope store and ate at the Haunted Hamburger. Strangely, I did not seem to capture any pictures of our Jerome trip.

When we returned to Sedona we made a quick trip up the hill to the airport where we could take in the spectacular views. A parking spot opened up at the trailhead for the Vortex. The Vortex was centered on some mystical energy portal and was an easy 10-minute hike. Since the Vortex was right on the aircraft glide path it must have been some pretty low-level energy or the airport would have been located elsewhere.

None of us experienced any strange tingling so I think the hype was all for the gullible tourists, but how about those views? We made it an early afternoon since we had a long drive home. We had made plans to meet them again when they get to Mesa so we had that to look forward to.

Tuesday, September 4, 2018, Move to Val Vista Village, Mesa, AZ

Today we finally completed our trip to Mesa, AZ, where we will stay for as long as four months (Cal Am Fall Special - Sept. 4th through Jan. 1st for $995). That will be our longest stay in any single place since we started full time living nearly six years ago. Our drive was a modest 192.3 miles (90,974.6 total) that started with a fill-up at the King Soopers (aka Fry's or Kroger in other parts of the country). Love those grocery points that gave us a $0.40 discount on our first 35 gallons. Since we drove around the area previously, it went pretty smoothly, especially considering it was in the heart of Flagstaff.

We were nearly home free on I-17 just about to I-10 in Phoenix when a golf ball sized rock flew off the road into the windshield right in front of my face. It was strange seeing it arc up and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. Yeah, that left a mark - about a fist-sized fracture that might have put a damper on my mood, but that's why we have insurance - right?

Since we stayed in Mesa several years ago, a lot of the drive seemed pretty familiar. The streets in Val Vista Villages RV Resort were pretty tight, but we were the only folks checking in so there was no pressure to hurry. I might have chosen a site with a different orientation but Site 275 in the Fiesta section was really conveniently located close to the main dog park and not far from the pool, laundry and exercise facilities. I think this will work out just fine!

Sunday, September 2, 2018, Move to Twin Arrows Casino

We hopped from the Dancing Eagle Casino to the Twin Arrows Casino today - 248.7 miles (90,782.3 total). It was a straight shot west on I-40 that was more downhill than up. I found myself hitting nearly 80 mph a couple of times. The pavement was so smooth and it was just effortless. I really have to pay attention - if nothing else, I cannot be getting very good mileage at that speed. It has been getting easier to drive about four hours non-stop in a day but I still prefer the 150 miles trips.

Twin Arrows had a great parking arrangement - easy in/easy out. Joani planned on two nights here so I could visit the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff again. On our last trip, I missed the opportunity to observe through the 24-inch refractor. I was hoping to get the chance this time.

I believe Twin Arrows had the most liberal free play money offer we have encountered. After signing up for their player's card, we had the chance to spin for up to $500 in free play money. Of course, I landed on $20 (the minimum amount) but Joani hit $25.

The skies were so cloudy near sunset that I thought there was no hope of seeing anything at the observatory so I did not even try. Around 10:30 or so, I looked outside and found the skies to be beautifully clear (the observatory closed at 10:00). I stood outside and identified a few old favorite summer constellations before turning in for the night - that was more astronomy than I have been able to enjoy in a long time.

On Monday we spent a few hours driving around Flagstaff. Sadly, the Lowell Observatory was not pet-friendly so we skipped hiking around their campus.

Our second day saw even more clouds and distant rain. I was able to capture some beautiful cloud scenes that I now use as background on my laptops.

While I was walking Sam around the Casino grounds, we spied a little robot sentry wheeling its way through the parking area. It was rocking out to some Pink Floyd as it slowly made its rounds. It tended to run right down the center of the parking aisles and I wanted to see it confront some traffic but it was too cool and windy to wait. I'm sure real security guards would quickly respond to anyone messing with their little R2D2.

Saturday, September 1, 2018, Move to Dancing Eagle Casino

Today's drive took us about 40 miles west of Albuquerque, NM to the Dancing Eagle Casino, another 239.0 miles (90,533.6 total). At this point, we were just making our way to Mesa as quickly as we could without wearing out the driver. Yes, maybe I have gotten a little soft but then we are retired.

Long stretches of laser straight highway and gently rolling hills made staying awake a challenge - no not really, but that was part of the rationale for limiting our driving to around four hours each traveling day.

Joani snapped a few pictures of the more interesting bluffs and buttes along I-40 through New Mexico. The cloud drama was a bonus. It appeared to be raining in several directions around us but we stayed dry.

Our accommodations at the Dancing Eagle were pretty basic but more than adequate for a quick overnight stop.  Joani and I headed into the casino for some people watching and maybe a chance to gamble with some house money. Unfortunately, their policy would only give us free play after we spent more of our own money than we were willing to lose so - no slots for us at this stop. We headed back to the coach while it was still daylight in anticipation of an early start in the morning.