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.

Friday, August 31, 2018, Move to Springer, NM

Today's drive was pretty straightforward, south on I-25 to Springer, NM. It was 255.4 miles (90,294.6 total) from our beautiful site in Cherry Creek State Park.

I had hoped we were going to miss a lot of mountain climbing, but then, Colorado is pretty famous for its mountains. It was pretty level until we neared the NM border. Then we climbed up and over Raton Pass at 7,834 ft from somewhere around 6,200 ft. I shifted to 4th and tried to keep the RPMs around 2,000, but near the top of the pass the temperature jumped up and the alarms started blaring. Fortunately, there was a convenient shoulder so I stopped to let things cool for a while. When I started up the hill again I was much more conservative. This time I stayed in 3rd gear (and quite a bit slower) and the temperature behaved, staying around 195 degrees. I hope that someday I will be able to say I know how to drive a big diesel pusher, but for now, I guess I have to say I'm still learning.

Our site was a pull-thru (only $18 a night) and since we were only here for the night and we had nowhere to explore we did not even unhook our toad. I don't think we even extended our slides for the night. 

Sam and I saw five or six deer grazing while he took me on his late afternoon walk. We had to wait until the rain stopped but the clouds meant we enjoyed a colorful sunset. I loved watching the deer effortlessly jumping over the fences that were presumably there to keep them out of the fields.

Unfortunately, we were so close to the road I could not simply pull out to the left the next morning. Instead, I had to turn to the right and make a huge loop through some muddy roads to exit the park. It was certainly one of our shorter stays, but AZ and the "Fall Special" (four months for $995 at Val Vista Villages in Mesa) was calling to us so we headed out early.

Thursday, August 30, 2018, Denver Museum of Nature and Science

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science was another great science museum open to us through the ASTC program. Even the drive from Cherry Creek park was painless - I was expecting traffic headaches that just never materialized.

One of the first sections of the museum we encountered presented Gems and Minerals. I think we could almost have spent our entire afternoon in this one area. 

Some exhibits recreated the caves where the minerals were found. I think their curators must have spent time at Disney learning how to bring the environments to life in the museum. It looked like they brought entire sections of caves inside for display. Unfortunately, the low lighting to recreate the feel of the caves meant our pictures never adequately captured their fantastic work.

  A horizontal slice of a stalagmite (calcite or aragonite).

Pyrite, nicknamed "fool's gold," is a common mineral and a source of sulfur (S) for use in gunpowder, sulfur dioxide for making paper, and sulfuric acid for lead-acid batteries.

Huanzala Mine, Peru

We really liked the way the displays were grouped and presented. I believe there must be a nearly infinite combination of minerals and gems. The colors and shapes were absolutely fascinating. Below is one of at least two dozen cases. We needed an entire day just to study everything in the displays, but we had so much more museum to explore! We had to breeze by a lot snapping a few pictures here and there.

 Mesolite Crystals - found in cavities in volcanic rocks at Poona, India.  Mesolite is a sodium, calcium, aluminum silicate that belongs to the zeolite group of minerals.

 Quartz - var. Agate

Fairburn, Custer County, South Dakota 1952

The next stop was the Space Odyssey with many exhibits manned by volunteers who seemed able to answer just about any question the hordes of kids could think to ask. It was a bit frantic and I was anxious to see what else was ahead, so we spent very little time in space before moving on. 

The lounge on the third floor was a nice place to catch our breath and study the museum map to make sure we didn't miss anything important. The view looking towards the capitol was nice with the Rockies in the background. 

Spratlen Family Lounge, dedicated 2002, generously donated by Mr. and Mrs. F. P. "Budd" Spratlen III.

From the rooftop deck, the view was even more impressive. City Park in the foreground looked like another place we will have to explore. I've decided we will definitely have to make another stop in Denver sometime soon.

Most of the exhibits on the second floor displayed an array of animals in their natural settings. The dioramas were so well done it was often difficult to see where the foreground ended and the painted background started. Huge rooms were devoted to North American wildlife, the Edge of the Wild, Bears and Sea Mammals, Australia and the South Pacific Islands.

The lighting on the manatees was in motion creating the illusion of waves overhead  - you could believe you were looking into an aquarium!

The diorama below really impressed me. I never could determine how the fleeing prey were suspended. Notice the dust kicked up as the running hooves contact the ground. So, will the cheetah catch them or will he tire first?

Other exhibits on the second floor included North American Indian Culture, Expedition Health (an interactive collection delving into the human body) and the "Discovery Zone" where patrons were dazzled with mind-bending puzzles, riddles and illusions.

We had a lot more to see but hunger got the best of us so we took a few minutes to grab a bite to eat in the T-Rex Deli - nothing too fancy, but good and reasonably priced. It was also a chance to lets our legs take a break.

On the third floor, we took a "Prehistoric Journey" where we saw lots of old bones, a workshop where volunteers were working to expose actual dinosaur bones from a dig in Madagascar and more dioramas depicting scenes as they might have been millions of years ago.

 Stygimoloch spinifer - bony-headed dinosaurs

We had to quickly run through collections of mummies and artifacts from ancient Egypt, displays of Birds of the Americas, Rare Birds, Botswana, Africa and display dedicated to the natural wonders of the state of Colorado.