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Dodging the Bullet

3/30/2017

After a beautiful Monday, we left Palo Duro Canyon the next morning under threatening skies. The forecast wasn't good and we empathized with the young couple from South Africa via Houston across from us in their tent. Even more sympathy to the group of several adults and lots of young people who had arrived the night before and set up about ten tents. Drizzle, fog, and lots of wind attacked us intermittently as we wended our way east toward Oklahoma City--a long day. We did make one detour at Erick, Oklahoma in an attempt to visit the Roger Williams Museum. After all, he was "King of the Road." But, alas, it was not open on Monday or Tuesday, and neither was the rest of Erick. We had spotted a KOA campground in Oklahoma City near the bypass we wanted to take, and they had space. The site they gave us contained one of three storm shelters, making it a challenge to park the camper where the steps would not come out on top of the mound.

There was a little rain but we managed to get a couple of loads of laundry done before supper. After supper, we watched TV but it wasn't long before the programming switched entirely to the weather. One of those blood red "bows" was headed right for us and Mr. Weatherman warned we were in for large hail, winds of 50-60 mph, and a possible tornado.

I got out the campground instructions and searched through the rules about garbage, alcohol, washing your camper, etc. for some information on the storm shelter. Were they unlocked? Would they sound a warning? No idea. That wasn't important enough to include. Anyway, if we had gone to the shelter and been able to get in, and the wind had tipped our camper, we would have been trapped. The rain and a little hail hit and occasional big gusts of wind rocked our trailer--not in a soothing way. When the worst seemed past, we went to bed but were still under warnings. Obviously, we made it through the night and are still kicking.

We departed early in the morning and, after $24 in tolls, made it around Oklahoma City and through Tulsa to arrive in Joplin, MO by early afternoon, where we got groceries. Another half hour brought us to Ballard's Campground south of Carthage. This is a sweet place that we have stopped at several times before and one of my favorites. It is small and old, but the gravel sites are level and well maintained. The campground is tiered on a hill with a number of large oaks and slopes down to a small pond. There is a dogwood in bloom nearby. The sites have fire rings and hookups. When we checked in, Wanda, the owner, told us that, in case of severe weather, we could go to the shower house or the lady next door had a basement that campers were welcome to use. Isn't that nice?

The shower house is old but I give it an A+. Each shower has a heavy curtain separating it from the dressing area, two hooks, a bench and a bath mat. The water temperature is adjustable and pressure is excellent. Everything is clean and fresh smelling. If you get to Carthage, stop in and Wanda will take care of you.

We were under a tornado watch all evening, but I don't think we even got rain. This morning is much cooler and windy--chance of light rain much of our way north. We will meet up with our sister and brother-in-law at Wallace State Park north of Kansas City and spend three nights. Then Ken and Harriet will lead us back to West Liberty for our triumphant return. Maybe the high school band will herald our entrance in to town. Maybe not.

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Another Big Hole in the Ground

3/27/2017

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After an overnight stop in Albuquerque NM and dinner with another classmate, we put in another long day, lost another hour in time, and arrived at Palo Duro Canyon just south of Amarillo TX. This is the second largest canyon in the United States and the campgrounds are on the floor of the canyon. Our site is very large and surrounded along the southeast, south, and southwest by stunning red rock walls.

We have electricity and water but we are certainly off the communications grid. No phone, no internet, no TV. Last night after supper we took a walk around the campground loop and encountered a deer in the middle of the road, plus a flock of turkeys who seemed to be telling us in their weird yodel that if we didn't have food, go away. We saw a Roadtrek with Johnson county Iowa plates but no one outside to catch a bit of Old Home Week with. On our return, we read a bit and watched a couple more episodes of Downton Abbey, Season Two. There is a burn ban so a campfire in the fire ring facing the cliffs was not an option. But the sunset reflecting off our rock walls made them positively glow in lieu of a fire.

We are on the western edge of the Central Time Zone, so sunset was late, and this morning at 7:30, the sun is still a ways from peeking over the ridge. It is chilly, and it is delightful to sit in my little cabin-on-wheels, electric fire going, witha steaming cup of coffee. Most days on this trip, we have had plans--the train to the Grand Canyon, Sedona, the Book Festival, or on to the next sto--that necessitated getting breakfast, showers, etc out of the way early. Today we will do no more than drive back up to the top of the canyon in search of a signal so I can post this blog and we can check email and make a couple of calls, and then try out one or two of the hiking trails. It may be a good day for a big breakfast.

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It's Not the Destination OR the Journey, But the People Along the Way

3/26/2017

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This has been a great trip, and as we wind into our last week, I find myself trying to sort out places, sites and events. At this point, it's kind of a blur but what stands out is that this is a beautiful country and more than that, there are a lot of wonderful and interesting people. Some we met so briefly that we don't know their names and others who we visited with long enough to exchange contact information.

The campground host and hostess at Leasburg Dam in New Mexico were from Michigan but pretty much fulltime RVers. They had spent several months in the summer at Fort Randall Dam in South Dakota and hosted in Oregon when his brother called and said they needed a replacement at Leasburg Dam. Very nice and helpful people.

When we were in Mesa for almost a week, one of our neighbors was Helen and her chocolate lab/Doberman mix, Snickers. (Photo above) She was a retired railroad dispatcher and graciously invited us to stop at her private spot in Idaho if we were ever in the neighborhood.

Also while we were in Mesa, a fellow Sister on the Fly, 'Major Molly,' contacted me and we arranged a visit. She brought wonderful pastries and a SOTF cast iron cookbook! She is Sister #190 and had great stories about past and upcoming events.

Our next stop was Dead Horse Ranch State Park near Cottonwood, AZ. There we met people from British Colombia and Ontario and one night, a young couple who are mostly fulltimers, although they still maintain a home in Michigan. He works online restoring old photos and she is an artist who does age advancement of missing persons and wanted criminals for law enforcement agencies--also online.

There were many others, as well as reconnecting with old classmates, relatives, and an exchange student who lived with us in the 80s, and other friends. It's the frosting on the cake of travel.

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A Grand Day

3/25/2017

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We opted to stay in Williams AZ so we could take the train up to view the Grand Canyon. The railway has had a rocky road, so to speak since its beginnings in the early 1900s but was restored and has been going strong since 1989, carrying almost a quarter of a million passengers a year,

Although it's only about a 65 mile trip, it takes over two hours because of the curves in the track and the speeds the train is allowed. We chose the cheapest trip--traveling in a 1923 Pullman car, and it was delightful. Entertainment is provided by the PSA (Personal Service Assistant) giving advice and history with a few corny jokes, and singing cowboys. On the return trip we survived a train robbery.

The only drawback to the train is that it leaves you with only about 3 hours to view and explore the canyon. We had not signed up for the paid bus tour because the park offers free shuttles, but the PSA warned that the shuttles are so crowded that we may have difficulty catching the train back and the cab fare back to Williams is $150. So we limited ourselves to viewing the canyon from the area around the depot. Another glitch was our restaurant choice for lunch. We got a table immediately right by a large window overlooking the canyon but waited almost a precious hour of our three for our sandwiches. But it was a beautiful day, unlike the snowstorm of the day before, and we enjoyed our time there.

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Camper in the Clouds

3/24/2017

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When we purchased our new camper last year, one of the things that attracted us was the "four seasons package," because of our spring and fall trips. However, we didn't expect to experience all four seasons in the space of a week. Monday, we left Mesa in 93 degree heat. Yes, I know it's a 'dry heat', but still too hot. Tuesday and Wednesday, we experienced fall-like temperatures at Dead Horse Ranch with chilly nights and days in the 70s.

Yesterday, we drove to Williams, south of the Grand Canyon, in a snowstorm. We watched the temperature drop from the mid-forties to 31 as we climbed to 7000 ft and above, and pellets turned to heavy snow. We stopped at a truck stop with two restaurants, planning to get lunch, only to find out the power was out to the whole area and they were closed. It was still snowing lightly when we set up in Williams--a perfect night for the furnace and soup. Today we will take the train to the Grand Canyon, and tomorrow head back east to Albuquerque--looks like spring-like temperatures there.

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A Trip to Jerome

3/23/2017

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When we were in Mesa, in the space of 24 hours, four different people told us that if we were going to be staying in Cottonwood, we MUST drive up to Jerome--once a thriving copper mining town and now a popular destination of wineries and great shops. They warned that the road up was harrying but well worth it. So yesterday, we headed to Jerome. Actually the road to Jerome is not bad, but the road in Jerome is awful. Elevation must change a thousand feet within the small town. Not only that, we drove through the entire town and could not find a place to park. Seriously. We drove on through town and finally could turn around at a scenic view parking area. Back through the hairpins and dropoffs--still no parking--so we left.

So was the trip a waste of time? Not at all. On the way to Jerome, we detoured to the Tuzigoot National Monument, a partially restored ruin of a community built by the Sinagua people in the twelfth century. Excavations began in the 20s and continued in the 30s as a public works project. Many area Indians were forced to work on the project by their poverty, but they objected to disturbing burial remains which eventually brought about a change in policy.

After our aborted attempt to explore Jerome, we came back through the town of Clarkdale and found lunch at a local restaurant. Across the street sits the Arizona Copper Arts Museum. This was started in 2012 and tells the history of copper as well as exhibits of the multitude of uses for copper. One room is nothing but World War 1 shell casings, one displays copper in architecture including ceilings and light fixtures, one is kitchen utensils, and one examples of distillery uses. The museum in in the old high school and they have done a nice job of noting the previous use of the space--the brewery and distillery exhibit, for example, is in the old principal’s office.

We made brief stops at a couple of Cottonwood wineries and then returned to the campground. By this time it appeared rain was imminent although nothing happened until about 8:00 when a downpour materialized, followed byt very high and gusty winds. This continued through the night but finally moved out in the wee hours. This morning all is calm and there are still a few tents on the hilltop above us that seem to have come through unscathed. Hardy souls.

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Sunrise, Sunset at Dead Horse

3/21/2017

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After a full weekend of the Taliesin visit and meals with a classmate, a cousin, and a former exchange student, we packed up Monday and pulled out of Mesa, headed north. We are near Cottonwood, AZ at Dead Horse Ranch State Park. The previous owners

Anyway, it's a great park and nice to be back in the open with some scenery around. We have a fire ring for the first time in almost two weeks and a nice pull though site near the shower house. These showers are a solid "A" with good water pressure, no timer, separate dressing area, bench, and TWO hooks. Our site faces west, which was a little warm the first night, but a great view of the mountains and nice sunsets.

Yesterday we drove up to Sedona and through the Oak Creek Canyon to Slide Rock State Park whose claim to fame is a series of smooth rocks in the creek popular as a natural water slide. Then back to Sedona for lunch after about half an hour looking for a parking place. It's a very busy happy place with lots of galleries, interesting shops, and high prices. Before we headed back, we checked out the Chapel of the Holy Cross, built into the rocks high above the valley. The walk up to the chapel was a little nail-biting for me but the building is pretty amazing.

Today we will explore Cottonwood and nearby Jerome which has been touted to us by four different people as a don't miss place. Tomorrow, we head west to Williams, where we will take the train ride to the Grand Canyon on Friday.

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The Wright Way...or the Highway

3/19/2017

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We have long been fans of the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and never miss a chance to see one of his masterpieces. We know his brilliance was matched by his ego, and he had numerous other qualities that it would be unwise to emulate. Nevertheless, we enjoyed a visit yesterday to Taliesin West, a house that he began when he was 70 years old.

Speaking of brilliance, it was not one of our wiser decisions to schedule a tour on the hottest day of this hot week at 2:00 in the afternoon. And our guide seemed to think the group would not remember anything unless she repeated it several times so we were often out in the hot sun longer than necessary. But they do provide loaner umbrellas, and parts of the tour were inside, giving us a chance to not only cool off, but also sit down.

One of the unique characteristics of this house compared to the others we've seen is the extensive use of translucent white ceiling panels which filter the desert sun. According to the guide (several times), this idea came from his first months on the site when he and wife #3 camped in white canvas tents and he became enamored with the quality of light that came through the canvas.

As I said, he was known for his ego, and many of his projects were somewhat lacking in building quality. But his use of shadow, light, and natural building materials intrigues us and, although the tour is expensive, we felt it was a worthwhile stop.

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Following the Apache Trail

3/18/2017

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Our campground here in Mesa is on Apache Trail, also known as Main Street, depending on your map. Yesterday we followed Apache Trail to the east and north out of town and up toward the Superstition Mountains. Along the way, we stopped to check out the campground at Lost Dutchman Mine State Park, one we had tried to get into but it was full. Arizona State Parks are about twice as expensive to camp in as Iowa, so we were a little put off when the ranger told us we could drive through the campground but we should take no more than ten minutes, we should not stop, and we could not take any pictures. I'm hoping the folks at Dead Horse Ranch State Park are friendlier.

The road up to Tortilla Flats, an old stagecoach stop along the trail, slithers back and forth like an Arizona snake, giving awesome vistas with each turn and Butch a chance to play Steve McQueen. I had a bit of a cramp in my hand from my grip on the door handle but other than that, we arrived physically intact.

Tortilla Flats has a population of 6 (not a typo) and basically consists of four buildings: a one room school tuned museum, an ice cream shop, the Superstition Saloon, and a gift shop. It is the epitome of tourist traps but a fun place to check out. The museum recounts the numerous times the spot has suffered from flash floods and the famous people who have visited there: Teddy Roosevelt, John Wayne, Barbra Streisand, Gary Cooper, etc. We had an early supper at the Superstition Saloon, an establishment with dollar bills covering every wall and bar stools made from saddles and tractor seats. The food was good and the wait staff was very friendly. And we made it back down the trail before dark--a good day.

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Havin' a Heat Wave...

3/17/2017

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According to the forecast, the Phoenix area will be experiencing 90s until after we leave here on Monday. Our next stop, Dead Horse Ranch State Park, promises highs of around 69 next week so I will have that hope to keep me going. Meanwhile, we took an hour drive east yesterday through beautiful scenery to Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, established in the 1920s. It is well worth the trip and the entrance fee.

There is an extensive cactus garden, a eucalyptus forest and a replica of and Australian sheep camp. A magma ridge forms a backdrop for the wide variety of plant life. A recommended stop if you're in the area!

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