Friday, December 27, 2019, Move to Val Vista Villages in Mesa, AZ

We had reservations at Val Vista Villages beginning on January 1st. As you might imagine they have quite a few people booked to arrive on the 1st creating a check-in nightmare. They called us and said we could come in as early as the 27th at no extra charge to help alleviate the rush on the 1st. We would be missing a few extra days we had planned with Loren and Sharon which we hated, but I really did not want to deal with a mad rush at the beginning of the year so we accepted their early check-in offer.

I made arrangements to have our coach weighed again and to top off the propane tank before leaving the SKP park. The coach was only 575 pounds below the 32,000-pound GVWR after putting some unused things in storage back in Georgia. I will just have to stay vigilant regarding weight and hope we can unload a few more things to give us some more margin.

The morning was looking a bit glum and rain was expected but we didn't get wet until we were underway. We had made the drive from North Ranch to Mesa before, so today's drive, 102.2 miles (97,669.7 total) was easy except for, once again, the traffic through Phoenix. Joani plotted an alternate route - east on the 202 Freeway instead of east on Highway 60. I thought there was a lot less traffic (although Google Maps said both routes had the same arrival time) and it seemed to me to go much more smoothly. When we arrived we were alone at the check-in desk.

For this visit, we opted for the January through March time period so we could see how the park was in its "high season". We found our stay to be even more enjoyable than the Fall Special (September through December) because of the milder temperatures and the greater number of people. I think we found ourselves more at home since we had stayed here before - we were no longer new to the park.

December 18 - 26, 2019, Stay at North Ranch, Congress, AZ

We headed a bit further up the road to stay with our friends Sharon and Loren at their place in North Ranch Escape park in Congress, AZ, for the Holidays. It was a short and uneventful 51.9 miles (97,567.5 total).

One evening the neighborhood staged a parade. We sat around the fire ring curbside to watch the festively decorated buggies and golf carts and a few bicycles go by. My camera did not do well in the dark but there were some colorful and interesting squiggles.

Later, the neighbors put on a Christmas party with lots of cakes and cookies and coffee (hot chocolate for me). You have to love the big-screen presentation of the logs blazing in the fireplace video.

Sharon took on the task of planning and coordinating a Christmas dinner with several of her close friends. There was a Honey Baked Ham and so many sides to sample! Needless to say, we were stuffed by the time the dessert was served - somehow I found a little room for what might have been the best ever chocolate pie (almost as rich as fudge).

Merry Christmas to all!

Wednesday, December 11, 2019, Stay at Pueblo El Mirage, El Mirage, AZ

Another test of my driving endurance today: 5.2 miles to Pueblo El Mirage (97,515.6 total). Our first impression was the green spaces in the golf course were nice but then a pair of F-35's raced overhead and we realized there was no way this place would ever be acceptable on a long term basis. But hey, a free week in a resort park, we could put up with the noise for a little while.

We picked up an offer for a free week to this Roberts Resort at an FMCA Rally. How cool is that?

Seriously, when jets flew over I had to back my programming up to hear what was said and I was wearing headphones inside the closed up coach!

In the flight path of Luke Air Force Base is not a pleasant place to be.

On the plus side, the 104-degree spa was wonderful and there was an outdoor gas fireplace we could watch while we were soaking. After the spa, I spent some time in the sauna before showering. Of course, we had our customary glass of wine nearly every night as well and those jets didn't seem quite so bad by the end of the week.

Sunday, December 8, 2019, Stay at Sunflower RV in Surprise, AZ

Today's drive to Surprise, AZ, was not too long, 244.8 miles (97510.4 total) but our route was through the heart of Phoenix and I was not looking forward to that. Heading northwest on I-10 we saw the distinctive Picacho Peak just south of Casa Grande shrouded in mist. One day we will have to hike to the top, assuming we are ever in shape for such a rugged trek. It did make a fine picture as we zipped by.

The traffic through Phoenix was amazingly light and then I finally realized it was Sunday - duh! I did not get through without any struggle, however, since I soon realized Sunday meant football and the Cardinals were playing at home. We passed a lot of football fans backed up on the exit ramps off of the 101 Freeway. We settled in overlooking the Agua Fria River in nearly the same site we stayed in on our last visit. The river was still just a dry bed but you have to love those colorful sunsets and sunrises.

We only had three days at Sunflower RV and were lucky enough to spend time with lots of friends, new and old. Our friends, Sue and Terry, full-timers from Nebraska, were spending their winter here again. We were able to spend more time with Myron and Diane, from Alaska, who we met only briefly last year. We also crossed paths with Della and Barry for a few days as they made their way to southern California for the winter.

Sunflower is a CalAm park and has many of the same amenities we found at Val Vista in Mesa where we will spend three months starting in January. Joani really wanted to visit their lapidary lab but realized there was little she could do during such a short stay so it was best to just wait until January.

Saturday, December 7, 2019, Chiricahua National Monument, Willcox, AZ

We decided we would go ahead with our original (shortest) route from our campground in Bowie, AZ, to Chiricahua National Monument in Hilltop, AZ, even though it meant driving on 8 miles of unpaved roadway. I took it slowly and we enjoyed the solitude. There were no issues with the road - it was pretty narrow in places and we crossed a little bit of running water (fortunately it had not recently rained) but we made it back to the security of paved roadway. 

Google maps made it appear we would have options along this dirt road (Apache Pass Rd), but not so. Just follow the road and it will take you to Hwy 186.

I kept expecting to see something in the distance different from everything else around us that would distinguish its National Park Service attention.

When we arrived at the monument entrance it was still not apparent just what made this place special.

Finally, the view opened up and I saw the beginnings of some very different rock formations. Chiricahua National Monument preserves the remains of an immense volcanic eruption that shook the region about 25 million years ago. The thick, white-hot ash spewed forth from the nearby Turkey Creek Caldera, cooled and hardened into rhyolitic tuff, laying down highly siliceous, dark volcanic ash and pumice almost 2,000 ft deep.

The further we drove into the park the more dramatic the landscape became. Below was a bit of the Organ Pipes formation. The Chiricahua Apache called this the Land of Standing Up Rocks and the spires certainly lived up to the name.

The Visitor's Center showed us there were four kinds of skunks in the park. I don't know which kind this was but I had no desire to follow him to find out.

The main road, Bonita Canyon Drive, leads to a "sky island" that you can view from Massai Point at an altitude of 6,870 feet.

Just to the right of center in the view below you can see a very thin spire I believe was named Totem Pole rock. It is enlarged in the next picture below.

The slender spire is the Totem Pole. It is 137 feet tall and is but 3 feet in diameter at one point near its base.

We hiked a very small part of the Echo Canyon Trail finding so many unique and seemingly impossible rock formations along the way.

The Arizona Cypress along the Massai Nature Trail had a wonderful aroma.

About a quarter-mile along the trail we reached the Echo Canyon Grotto. We were able to climb in and around the rocks sometimes finding ourselves under some very large boulders wedged in between the columns.

The rock below was named the Sea Captain. I think it was pretty aptly named.

First, you see his eye and then the captain's hat.

Chiricahua National Monument was certainly a pleasant surprise for us and worth a few nights stay to explore. One last look at the Organ Pipes formation on our way out of the park.

We opted for pavement all the way home via Hwy 186 taking us to Wilcox, AZ, where we had a great meal at Isabel's South of the Border and chanced upon a small street festival. Sam was waiting for us at home so we didn't spend much time there. One day we will return and visit the Rex Allen Museum and spend a little more time exploring the town.

Friday, December 6, 2019, Move to Bowie, AZ

Today was an easy drive of just 114.9 miles (97,265.6 total) west along I-10 to Bowie, AZ. The landscape certainly changed from the flat wide open spaces we found in western Texas.

It seemed like there was nearly a continuous flow of trains headed east with an endless number of cargo containers. Just imagine if every one of those were instead being driven individually down the highway.

When we settled into Mountain View RV Park in Bowie I could easily see the same railroad track only a couple hundred yards away. I thought it was going to be terribly loud every time a train passed (and I already knew they passed by pretty often) but maybe there were fewer trains at night and they were passing through Bowie slowly so we never had any issue with the noise.

I don't think I ever took a picture of Mount Graham, the beautiful snow capped namesake of the park. I could see there was an observatory near the peak. Joani found it was the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope. It's manned by Jesuit astronomers but it was closed to visitors from November through mid-May. I'm sure the roads were closed due to the snow so a visit will just have to be another time.

What we did try to see was Fort Bowie. It was only 14 miles away so it seemed like a good idea. Unfortunately, the paved road suddenly ended about a mile before we reached the Fort Bowie "Trailhead". We continued, slowly, and surely enough we reached the trailhead. Fort Bowie was a 1.5 mile hike from the parking area. Sam was allowed on the trail on a leash but he was not up for a 3 mile round trip hike and I couldn't carry him that far and it was too hot to leave him in the car so we didn't get to see Fort Bowie National Historic Site. Most troubling, however, was this road was our planned route to visit Chiricahua National Monument tomorrow so we headed home to contemplate our options.

Thursday, December 5, 2019, Luna Mimbres Museum, Deming, NM

We decided to revisit the Luna Mimbres Museum to see what we missed. There was plenty but I only included another small sampling of their extensive collection. 

Old dolls tend to creep me out, but the docent told me I must see the doll room and it seemed rude to say "no thanks."

Joani was never a fan of dolls but a clown doll - now that's just plain creepy!

The tiny pots and baskets below were made by the Papago Indians. They were made with horse mane and tail hair and were presumed to be toys. They were only about an inch to an inch and a half in diameter and the craftsmanship was amazing.

The Mimbres pottery was all so intricately decorated. These Indians lived in the area from about 950 AD until 1200 AD. Speculation is that their population outgrew resources in the valley and they migrated north or south to join other tribes.

Mimbres burials remain distinctive from surrounding Southwest cultures through their custom of burying the dead beneath the floors of still occupied houses. Pottery clearly played an important role in burials.

It was during the interval between 1000 AD and 1130 AD that Mimbres pottery reached the peak of its development.

 In early burials, bowls were placed with the other offerings next to the body. Later, however, bowls were purposely broken and scattered around the grave. This practice gave way to yet another, as the Mimbres no longer broke the bowl into pieces, but made a single hole in the bottom of the piece and placed the bowl on the head of the body.

Below is another one of the burial bowls. As part of the burial ceremony, a hole was broken in the bottom of the bowl (to release the spirit of the bowl) which was then often placed on the deceased head.  The body and the bowl were then buried under the floor of the Mimbres homes.

The custom of breaking a single hole in the bowl is known today as “killing” the bowl, and the hole itself is called the “kill” hole. “Killing” the bowl is thought to have released the bowl’s spirit, and subsequently that of the deceased.

Hopi - Sikyatki

Polycrome - Dragon Flys
ca 1750 AD

Of course, we had to spend some more time looking over the rocks and minerals. It would be very exciting to cut into any of the rocks we collected and find something, anything close to what we saw in their collection!