Just a short update. We did get out to visit Calvin and Stan & Sam (they're all doing fine.) We also completed a couple of hikes in Sabino Canyon. Also got a couple of bike rides in. We're just doing the snowbird thing.
Here's a few picks of Sabino Canyon. Have a safe holiday! David
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| Mesquite Trees |
It's December here in Tucson. Thanksgiving leftovers gone and everyone is decorating for Christmas. This weekend we're told we're experiencing a Tucson winter. Yesterday was a high in the mid 50s and rainy. We see pictures where it snowed on Mt Lemmon, but we can't see it from the park. Today it's sunny and low 60s for a high. Out low tonight is supposedly below 40. Back to 70s for highs and 40s for lows beginning Monday.
Donna and I continue to sit in dentist's chairs a lot. I'm almost done. Donna's got a couple of more visits. We've gotten out to Lemmon Mountain & Tombstone plus the west unit of Saguaro NP. We're having work done on our bicycles. New tubes, tires, and tube protectors to help out with "goat heads" (overgrown sand spurs that go through bicycle tires and tubes with ease.) Those "goat heads" go through walking shoes, too!
Local Ford dealer was able to fix two recalls. We now have a new driveshaft and a new backup camera (both on recall for over a year with no parts available). Nice to be able see out of the backup camera, again. The local Ford dealer rented us a F150 hybrid. Nice truck and the hybrid worked pretty much seamlessly. It was also nice to run down an interstate at 75 mph and get 23 miles to the gallon.
We've got plans to get out and visit Stan & Sam and Calvin (all volunteers who we worked with in the past). Donna will sign us up this week for the Christmas luncheon. Suppose to be a brass ensemble here Tuesday, so we'll probably go to that. Otherwise, we're in our winter routine.
That pretty much gets everyone up to date with us. Thanks for dropping by. Pictures follow, David
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| On the Way to Mt Lemmon |
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| On the way to Mt Lemmon |
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| What's left of the Clanton gang, Boothill, Tombstone, AZ |
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| Bicycle path along a wash, Tucson, AZ |
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| Petroglyphs at Saguaro NP - west unit |
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| Petroglyphs at Saguaro NP, west unit |
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| Petroglyphs, Saguaro NP - west unit |
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| Saguaro Cactus flexing it muscles, Saguaro Natl Park (East Unit), Cactus Forest Trail |
Happy Thanksgiving! We're now in Tucson, AZ. Arrived on the afternoon of November 7th after a brief overnight in Congress, AZ. We're in Rincon Country East RV Resort. It's more of a 55+ snowbird community made of park model "villas" with a fair amount of spaces for RVs. They've got activities galor. If you're bored or can't find anything to do, it's your own fault! So far Donna's signed us up for Thanksgiving Dinner, an ice cream social, and Line Dancing. Every once in awhile I get this feeling like I'm back in junior high!
We're fine & plan to be here about two months. Donna got us an early start on dental work, and it feels like we've both spent most of our time sitting in dental office chairs. I've got a root canal to do by the end of November. Then I'm done for the fall visits. Donna's appointments were extended into December. She'll be done when those are complete (we hope!)
Since arriving, we've visited Saguaro National Park's East Unit, found homemade ice cream, visited one church, and the local Ford dealer found a repair part for one of our truck's numerous recalls. We continue to experience the front of the trailer slowly dropping over a couple of days. We located one small leak that may have been the culprit. At least the dropping has stopped for now.
That gets everyone up to date. Here's some pics from our time here. Thanks for dropping by and checking up on us, David
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| Rincon Country East RV Resort with palm trees strategically located to ensure it's as hard as possible to back in or pull out without damaging your unit |
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| Cactus Forest, Saguaro NP East Unit |
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| Saguaro Cactus, Saguaro NP East Unit |
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| Wash along Cactus Forest Trail, Saguaro NP East Unit |
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| Lake Mead RV Park, Lake Mead NRA, Nevada |
We left Thompson Springs on Oct 28th and took three days to travel down to the Las Vegas area to visit Coco & Wayne. It's been a busy week. We went to our first Halloween party in years, visited the Hoover Dam (required tourist site), visited the Valley of Fire State Park (courtesy of Wayne & Coco), and went to a car show. They kept us busy!
We leave tomorrow for Tucson, AZ - at least that's the plan! We'll take about two days to get down there. We expect it to be hot and dry. It's a whole new winter site for us!
Pictures below of things we did/saw. Thanks for dropping by, David
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| Lake Mead Marina |
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| Lake Mead - about 200 feet low |
Colorado River below Hoover Dam
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| Elephant Rock, Valley of Fire State Park |
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| Las Vegas, NV at night |
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| Independence Monument |
Earlier this week we took a day trip over to Fruita/Grand Junction, Co to visit Colorado National Monument (NM) and its Rim Rock Drive. This park came highly recommended. We actually prefer this to Canyonlands National Park.
Colorado NM is a plateau-and-canyon area full of red rock geology. The cliffs are about 2,000 ft above the valley. We recommend coming in on the east entrance (Grand Junction) and travel Rim Rock Drive to the west entrance. The pull offs are more convenient. Be aware there are two tunnels on the west entrance. If you're traveling in a RV, you'll want to enter and exit via the east entrance.
There is hiking and some easier trails with at least one trail - the nature trail - being handicapped accessible. They've got a really nice, small visitor center staffed by volunteers. Didn't check out the campground. For those of you in the east, think of it as a western Blue Ridge/Skyline Drive.
Pictures below. David
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| View from the back of the visitor center |
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| Wedding Canyon |
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| Wedding Canyon |
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| Wedding Canyon |
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| View from the nature trail |
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| Nature trail alcove |
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| Nature trail alcove |
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| Otto Trail |
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| Otto Trail |
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| Bighorn Sheep along Rim Rock Drive |
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| Devil's Garden - Landscape Arch |
A heavily visited NP, Arches is using timed-entry reservations through October 31st (available via recreation.gov). We're told spring & fall are the busiest times of the year. Add in the solar eclipse, and it gets really busy. Timed-entry reservations aren't required before 7 AM or after 4 PM. We tried 4 PM one afternoon and the line-up backs out into the highway. We found that even with time-entry reservations, the wait to get to the entrance fee station could easily extend past 30 minutes.
Parking was OK, but it really depended on when you came in. Mornings & midday found the parking at the popular areas limited. Late afternoons seem to have better parking. People-wise, it's not all that crowded and people seem to be in good moods.
With all that said, we found that two days would give the typical person a good taste of the park with ample time to do some longer hikes. Here's some pictures to give you a feel for what we saw. I apologize that I can't remember all the arches names. There's just so many of them!
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| View from the visitor center |
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| Windows Section - Double Arch |
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| Windows Section - one the Window Arches |
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| Windows Section - Turret Arch |
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| Windows Section - Window Arches |
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| Delicate Arch |
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| Devil's Garden |
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| Devil's Garden - Tunnel Arch |
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| Devil's Garden - Pine Tree Arch |
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| Devil's Garden - La Sal Mountains |
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| Devil's Garden |
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| Devil's Garden - View along the Primitive Trail |
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| View from Canyonlands "Island in the Sky" Visitor Center |
We left Jackson, WY in the rain - as usual. Took two days to travel down to Hill AFB (Ogden/Salt Lake City, UT) where we stayed for a week. Stocked up - more or less - and took in a few sights in the area. Left Hill AFB Oct 10th and traveled down to Thompson Springs, UT. Google maps knows where Thompson Springs is located. Garmin does not. Whatever Ford is using for its navigation service does not know where Thompson Springs is located. Even after the DishTV app located us (to update local TV channels), DishTV knew we were out in the boonies and suggested we call to update local TV channels. (We stayed with the Salt Lake City locals as they give Moab, UT weather.)
In case you're trying to locate us, we're on the north of Arches Natl Park just off I-70. We're 40 minutes from Moab, UT. We're staying in Ballard Motel & RV Park.
Now for the good stuff. Arches National Park (NP) has timed-entry for access through Oct 31st. We have four days reserved via recreation.gov. We decided to go to Canyonlands NP first on Oct 11th, and then go into Arches NP after 4:00 PM just to check out the visitor center and get a taste of the park.
Pictures below are of Canyonlands NP and include pictures from the Needles area as well as Island In the Sky. David
PS No, we did not plan this for the solar eclipse. Yes, we experienced it. No, I did not get any pictures of it.
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| Island in the Sky |
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| Island in the Sky |
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| Island in the Sky |
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| Horseshoe Arch - The Needles area |
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| Slickrock Trail - The Needles |
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| The Needles |
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| The Needles |
