Feb 25 Apache Trail - Apache Junction Arizona

Weather: 82 Sunny and about 60 at night perfect for sleeping.

Took a Sunday afternoon ride to Apache Trail which is east of Phoenix into the Superstition Mountains.  Winding, twisting mountain roads that end up in Canyon Lake (man made from a dam) so bizarre when you come across it.  Beautiful.   I think every biker was out there that day!   Then there were more roads down and around to a valley called Tortilla Flats.   In the turn of the century, 1904 it was a Stage Coach stop.  I can imagine they would want a stiff drink when they stopped!!!! 

One lane bridge

Tortilla Flats Saloon

Superstition Mountains

There is a landmark area called Apache Leap where instead of being taken by the US Cavalry the Apache Indians leapt to their death.

Road Hockey in the Desert

Weather: nicest day ever 84
We had a block party here in the RV park and a road hockey game broke out!   The neighbours are from Alberta and British Colombia and they bring a collapsible net and a pile of hockey sticks for this!
Your so right Barbie, "You can take the Canadians out of Canada, but you can't take the Canada out of the Canadians"!!!!  ha ha
No worries you girls, I was the lone woman playing..... hey the guys aren't the only ones that know how to have fun:)

Feb 22 -23 Tucson Area ~ a vacation while on vacation

Weather:  Super nice 82, no wind.

Perfect for riding. We are mesmerized by the mountain ranges, everywhere you look in the vista. 

It is about 80 miles to Tucson and we had some riding we wanted to get in so it made sense to head down one day and stay overnight and see the rest the next day and head to back to our home on wheels in the park.

Stopped at the Biosphere2; the world's largest living laboratory that is focused on the future of the planet.  In 1991 eight scientists were locked into the Biosphere for Mission 1 Experiment - staying in there for two years - growing their own food, completely closed ecological system with 100% of the air, water and recycled.  

 

About 25 miles south we stopped at Sabino Canyon located in the Coronado National Forest. One of the unique rock formations is called "the mask".... they say you can see it winking at you???

Have you ever watched the National Parks series by Ken Burns  ?  If you have you will get the next picture....  John Muir an early naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the US  seems to have left his mark in the Saguaro National Park. 

I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.  John Muir 1914

 A Saguaro like this grows arms when he is 70 years old, and can live to be 150 to 200 years and be up to 50 feet tall.  (I have no clue why I call them "he")  :)

There is an 8 mile ride through the desert park and a million cacti.  Nature really is a beautiful thing.....   John Muir really knew what he was talking about.  :)

Beep, Beep Beep, Beep The Roadrunner

We have been seeing these guys running all over the park, they are hilarious.   Remember when we were kids and watched the cartoon? Every time we see one Billy keeps saying "Beep Beep".  They are a big bird and boy can they run!!!

Feb 6 to 19 Casa Grande, Arizona

Weather:  It actually rained one day, everyone was so happy!  I guess they don't have to water their cactus then, ha ha.  Temps 67, 68, 71, 73, 70, 75....  Sunny.  Feels 10 degrees warmer since there is no humidity.
No lawns to cut out here.... Billy keeps saying "where is the grass!"

We drove through a nice area today and took a few pictures, they had a man made lake and canal system just like at the Cove.

All the houses are tan or cream or terra cotta and then the landscaping is the same colours of stone; it blends together in soft earthy colors.  No Grass.   It's so strange.  They even will make a rock river in the landscaping.  Once in block you will see a grass lawn and it looks so out of place!!!

Feb 6 Casa Grande, Arizona

Weather current and forecast runs consistently at 70 to 77 degrees and about 48 to 55 at night.  Elevation is around 1300 feet.  That is the weather we are looking for.

We happened to talk to a fellow visiting the RV park in Benson who was happy with his RV park up in Casa Grande.  Val Vista RV Resort; not too big, older place, lots of activities, heated pool and spa, and friendly snowbirds.  You gotta love a place that flies the Canadian flag!
So we drove on up and booked in for the month.  It is about half way between Phoenix and Tucson so we can go both ways for some riding.  Only has 'back-ins' and we figured we were finally up to the challenge.  Billy did awesome, we unhooked the trailer, unloaded the bike, then backed in the motor home and pushed the trailer to the front of the site where we could position it to use as a garage for the motorcycle. 

We went riding up to Phoenix and down to Tucson, lots of dirt and mountains and cactus.  So weird and unique from what we are used to at home.  Pretty in a different sort of way.  We went up to Dobson's Lookout in South Mountain Municipal Park.  This is the largest city park in the US.

 It was stunning.  6.5 miles of winding, twisting cliff side roads to the top and it wasn't that high about 3000 feet.  From the lookout you could see all of Phoenix below.  There were some "adventure seeking" cliff jumpers with kites and para sails.   They literally run and jump off!!!!   So cool, we have never seen that anywhere before.

Feb 4 & 5 Benson, Arizona

Weather  68 and sunny, at night 30(freezing maybe) and clear  Elevation:3583 feet

We are in the lower east corner of Arizona which is fairly hilly and desert with enough elevation that it makes it nice during the day but  "cold" at night.  Billy keeps worrying about the water hookup and if it will freeze before the next morning.  Seems like we haven't had the manual out for at least two days so it must be time, ha ha.  We have a bay heater for the water area but have no clue how to use that, let's see page 345 says........

There is lots to see here and the landscape is beautiful.  This is ancient Apache Indian area where Geronimo and Cochise would evade their enemies or the cavalry and when we road up to the National Monument site we understood why.   This is also the area where they filmed the "Lone Ranger".   The rock formations are incredible.  At the peak it was 9,798 feet.  We took the motorcycle to the top so you can see why I have all my leathers on - freezing cold up there!!!  The crazy part was we followed a guy in a motorhome up to the top - very narrow, winding, twisting road!!!! 

The next day we went for a ride down to Tombstone which is where the famous gunfight with Wyatt Earp was held in the O.K. Corral.  Lots of cowboys here!  Giddy up.

Our RV park was a nice spot and is the only park in the United States to have its very own Observatory.  Butterfield RV resort.
There are two Astronomers who reside at the park and offer viewings for free at night!!!   So one night we went and saw the Moon, Orion Nebula, Betelgeuse, Rigel and Jupiter with its moons.  This has to make the most unusual amenities at a RV park, and we definitely think the coolest we have seen!

As much as we would like to stay here longer and do some more exploring we are moving up and central where the elevation will fall considerably, so it will be warmer at night.

Feb 2, 3 On the Road West ~ Fort Stockton, TX then Arizona

Weather:  Gusty Side Wind, warm 75, sunny/ next day no wind little cooler about 65

We left San Antonio and thought we would drive about 300 miles to the middle of 'nowhere texas'.   There is nothing out here but mesa's (flat top hills), desert-like scrub and dry, dry, dry land.  Traffic is light only Rv'ers and Truckers.
After a while we wondered what the campgrounds would be like......  is this it?  No, thank goodness!!

In Fort Stockton we pulled off at Hilltop RV Park, which was basically a dirt parking lot on a hill with hookups and 50 other RV''s headed either west or east.  The lady was real sweet, had nice laundry/showers/bath and fire pit but the funniest thing was that she escorted us to our site in a brand new black Mercedes Benz!!!  Usually its a golf cart, ha ha.  Amazing.
Next morning we headed out early, well ok early for a retired couple, about 8:30 am.  The driving today was so easy, no winds at all and sunny.  We drove right through New Mexico. Every little town (which was about 3 towns) Billy kept saying "let's just keep going".  When you get through El Paso, TX and into New Mexico out of the blue there is an Inspection Station and all traffic has to exit.  Guess what they are looking for???  Illegal aliens, si senor.  :)

They actually have an infrared camera system setup to see if there are the number of bodies you say you have on board.

And finally about 5pm  ............ it's only been since October; we crossed the Arizona state line.  Oh yes and we fall back another hour for mountain time, so we are 2 hours behind home in Ontario.