Day Trip to Roosevelt Dam

Tuesday February 28^th

We were up and out pretty early today so we could do a day trip to the Roosevelt Dam about 40 miles NE of here. We stopped for breakfast, a cooler and for gas and finally got out of town about 1030. I thought the road we took (STH-87) would be two lane and possibly gravel but I was wrong on both counts. The highway was four lanes and of recent construction – all the switchbacks in the mountains are gone and replaced with big cuts and sweeping curves. Not the same but a much more enjoyable experience. The scenery was gorgeous; there was a little new snow on the tops of the mountains and everything below is green and budding.

I really enjoy the altimeter function on the Magellan GPS. So we learned that the Saguaro disappear from the landscape at about 3500 ft and the other brush then gets thicker and there are some additional varieties of brush.

We had our picnic lunch at the viewing area near the Roosevelt Dam (inside the Suburban since the temperature was around 50.) The dam is constructed of blocks of stone cut from the canyon walls. It was started in 1904 and completed in 1911 and was the largest masonry stone dam in the world when it was completed – don’t know where it ranks in that category now. I thought it looked like concrete and according to Wikipedia the dam was entirely resurfaced with concrete in the early 1990s. During that renovation the height of the dam was also raised by about 90 feet to a total of 357 feet and other changes were made including the arch bridge and new power house. The dam is on the Salt River, which originates in the White Mountains near the New Mexico border and eventually flows through Phoenix. The purpose of the dam was to reduce flooding and provide irrigation water for farming in the area around Phoenix.

I had planned to return from the dam on a road that comes directly back to Apache Junction, but the road was gravel for many miles and my better half convinced me that returning through the Globe area was the wiser route even though it added a few miles. No end of great scenery on this trip even when we got back to US-60 we got to see several copper mines and the old towns of Miami and Superior.

When we got back we grilled some hamburgers on the charcoal grill. It took hours because of the old charcoal – I think. Anyway it was dark by the time I was done cooking and getting cold fast, once the sun went down.

Windy Day in the Valley of the Sun

Monday February 27^th

Discussion amongst the two Kowalski halves last night and this morning as to when Tony gets to go exploring in the mountains and when Cathey gets to get her hair fixed. So we decided today was for nearby exploring and beauty shop business. Cathey made an appointment at a beauty salon in Gold Canyon, which is a few miles east of here, but that wasn’t until 4pm so we first went to a shopping area in Mesa. I found an istore there where I bought a wireless mouse for my Macbook (fed up with the track pad). Also a brief stop at the Barnes & Noble there and then we discovered an AJ’s Grocery/Deli in the same area. AJ’s was a favorite place for lunch in Tucson on our visits there. This one is very similar but the outside seating area isn’t as nice as the one in Tucson.

I got Cathey to her appointment a little early and then had a little over an hour to do some exploring. I drove E on US-60 to a side road that went to Queen Valley, which looks like a resurrected Ghost town. There is a golf course there and an RV Park as well as a few houses. There is a dam outside the town (on Queen Creek, I assume) but the road up to the dam was locked off so I wasn’t able to see if there was any water behind the dam. Later I looked at the Google map of the area and it looks like there is very little water back there, but it’s hard to tell how old the Google map picture is. Also drove up a dirt road closer to Gold Canyon but didn’t have time to get to anything interesting.

Back to Gold Canyon and picked up Cathey and headed back to the trailer. We were going to cook on the charcoal grill tonight but the wind was blowing pretty briskly and by the time I was ready to give up on getting the charcoal lit, Cathey said we could eat leftovers. It was a very windy day today and you could tell there was a lot of dust in the air. When we got back to the trailer there was a thin coat of grit on every horizontal surface, courtesy of the wind and open windows. Temps still in the mid 70s but tomorrow is supposed to be cooler.

A Day of Rest

Sunday February 26^th

Not much exploring today, mostly a rest day; late in getting up and never stirred out of the trailer until after 3pm. Went out for an early supper to the Dirt Water Springs Restaurant just west of here on “Old West Highway.” This area has a lot of trailer courts and RV Parks full of retirees. So the only people we saw at the restaurant that were under 50 were the waitresses.

The number of manufactured housing units and trailers around here is amazing; I wonder how many of the people around here are year-around residents. Apache Junction is about 30 miles E of Phoenix and about the point where the housing density begins to thin-out. The Superstition Mountains are just a few miles NE of here, very imposing and oddly enough they have a green tint this time of the year, probably spring growth.

After supper we bought a few groceries and headed back to the trailer. The weather today was absolutely spectacular; sunny with a high of 77.

Loooong Trail to Apache Junction

Saturday February 25^th

So, after a discussion of how the trip was going and what we wanted to do, we decided to head for Phoenix area instead of Tucson since we will be going there to meet Terye on the 7^th of March. So it was a much longer drive than I had anticipated. Winds laid down today, which was very nice for driving and it was a delightful sunny day to be driving across NM. Stopped for lunch and gas in Lordsburg and bought Cathey a “truckers’ blue tooth headset.” She has a hard time having people understand her when she is talking on the iphone in the Suburban; I don’t think that the Suburban is exceptionally noisy but I hope this thing helps.

Then off through AZ; doesn’t look as though anything is blooming yet but you can see buds on a lot of the cacti getting ready to bloom.

We stopped at Cathey’s favorite rest stop along I-10 E of Tucson. The area is very rocky with gigantic boulders all over and looks like the set of a western movie.

I was sad to by pass Tucson but we will be back and I will be able to go to our favorite deli that has outside seating. I can’t remember the name of it but quite sure I can still find it. It is in the foothills on the N side of town and looks out over the rest of Tucson.

We didn’t pull into the KOA of Apache Junction until after 8pm. They helped us get the trailer backed into our site and then we had a light supper and hit the hay. New places to explore tomorrow!

Last Day in Las Cruces

Friday February 24^th

A little cooler today, high only got to 61 and was down to 38 last night. Also windy again but not as windy as yesterday when the highest gust was estimated at 44 mph, hope it settles down a little for our move tomorrow.

Pretty slow day, did some shopping at the Mesilla Mall, had lunch at Applebee’s after failing to find the Olive Garden and then home for a nap. Lots of stowing and straightening up to do before we are ready to roll out of here tomorrow.

Maintenance Day

Thursday February 23^rd

Typical morning with a little laundry thrown in. I was going to fix the collapsed shelf under the kitchen sink. When I got a good look at it, I realized that the shelf had been designed for a very light load. The plywood of the shelf was stapled to the underside of a wood strip that was fastened to the outside skin of the trailer. I don’t know why they didn’t put the plywood on the top of the strip for more strength, but they didn’t. I pulled the wire staples and used #8 screws with washers to fasten the plywood to the strip, still won’t support a 50 lb. toolbox but will be fine for pots and pans which will probably be what goes there.

While I was in the fixit mood I pulled up the furnace floor vents and cleaned the ductwork as far as I could reach. Two of the floor vents were damaged so I decided that now would be a good time to replace them since we are only half block from two RV dealerships with parts stores. As it turned out neither of them had what I needed but they told me about a mobile home parts store about a mile away; that place had what I needed for a very reasonable price.

Cathey had an upset stomach most of the day so there wasn’t much food talk. By supper time she felt like she could use some soup or other comfort food so we went to the Crackerbarrel across I-10 from where we are located. We both the turkey special and Cathey had some potato soup and she brought most of her dinner home.

The temperature got up to 75 today so it was quite pleasant outside and too warm in the trailer even though we had a lot of windows open. Warmest day of the year according to the El Paso weatherman.

Dr. Kowalski Does his Magic

Wednesday February 22^nd

Got going about noon and headed down Hyw 28 through Mesilla and into the world’s largest pecan grove owned by the Stahmann family. If I remember the story correctly they emigrated here from Wisconsin in the 1920s. The fella at the Farm and Ranch Museum told us that the second largest pecan orchard is in Australia and is also owned by the Stahmann family. We generally stop there when we are in Las Cruces for some pecans, candy and gifts.

Cathey had called the orthopedic clinic this morning to let them know that we either had to get an appointment made for the cast removal or we wanted to pick up the records to take with us to the next stop. The doctor still had not looked at the records or the xrays and they called and said they had them on Monday morning. Later they called and left a message on my phone that the doctor would not be willing to remove the cast – no explanation as to why. So we went and picked up the records this afternoon.

We discussed staying a couple of days longer to do some of the things that we didn’t do, like go have breakfast over in Hatch (Hatch is about 30 miles NW of Las Cruces and is the Chile capitol of NM, and maybe the US). Going there would also fit in with going to Deming to visit Rockhound State Park. I also discovered a fixit project on the trailer. My new tool box is too heavy for the shelf behind the kitchen sink and the shelf has partially collapsed. I thought that was a good place for a heavy item because it is in back of the axles and takes weight off of the hitch, but it looks like the tool box will have to go in one of the side compartments or in the Suburban.

Late in the day I made a quick trip to WalMart for a few groceries and also bought a set of surgical grade tin snips. Once I talked Cathey into me trying to remove the cast, I put the surgical tin snips to work and within 10 minutes had the cast removed without incident. So without consulting the medical records or checking the xrays, Dr. Kowalski did his magic, and for less than the Las Cruces Orthopedic Clinic would have charged! Cathey asked if I had sterilized the tin snips, I said “No, but I am sure the Chinese sterilized them before they shipped them over here.”

Farm and Ranch Museum Visit

Tuesday February 21^st

Got out of the trailer before noon and headed for the Farm and Ranch Museum which is just E of the University. To start with we rode around on a golf cart with a museum docent who told us about the attractions on the site and a lot about the animals on the site. They have various breeds of cattle to give an example of the types of cattle raised in NM. The most common beef cow in NM is the Brangus, which is a cross between Angus and Brahma. They have heat tolerance from the Brahma and the beef qualities of the Angus. We also learned about the Corriente breed of cattle which are tough little range cows originally descended from Spanish cattle brought to Mexico with the Conquistadors. In this country they are chiefly used for rodeo stock.

As we toured the grounds I kept seeing antique farm equipment that I used to work with! Nothing like going to a museum to make you feel old. Once we got done with the golf cart tour we started inside looking at the display that they are featuring on the New Mexico statehood centennial. I spent so much time standing around looking at displays and paintings that my back got tired. I asked Cathey if they had a café area where we could sit for awhile. She said that she had just walked by the theater and there was a movie of some kind starting so we could sit there to rest. Sounded good to me so we went in and sat down. The feature was about distracted driving and I thought it was a preface to whatever the main feature was. But as soon as it was over a person got up and started talking about driving safety and then it dawned on us that we had walked in on a museum staff safety meeting! We waited until the speaker started the next film and quietly left the theater (and then giggled about our mistake.)

There was not a restaurant on site so we left and went to an Italian Restaurant named Lorenzo’s near the University campus. Had a great lunch and then went to the University Barnes and Noble and bought a bird book for the Western Region of North America, since the one we have at home is just for the Eastern Region of North America.

Getting to know the Area

Monday February 20^th

Kind of a slow morning: shower, breakfast, coffee, computer stuff and some reading. We finally got a call back from the orthopedic clinic saying that they received the records from the Sheboygan Clinic and would call us to set up an appointment as soon as a Dr. had looked at them. Sure wish I brought my skil-saw along!

I offered to make grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch but my better half said that she would prefer to have her grilled cheese on rye bread so we made a trip to the grocery store before we had lunch.

After lunch I wanted to go to the Dripping Springs Natural Area in the foothills E of here. By the time we got going we would have only had a few minutes there before they closed, so we took a county road that went north and junctioned with US-70 in the town of Organ. The mountains NE of Las Cruces are called the Organ Mountains because they have a lot of spires that supposedly resemble organ pipes.

It wasn’t exactly the trip that I planned but we did find out where University Avenue was, where the University was and where the Farm and Ranch Museum was located.

So by the time we leave here we probably will know our way around.

Quiet Sunday

Sunday February 19^th

With the mornings being quite chilly, I had planned to do some cooking this morning to warm up the trailer. I started out making a pot of chili, then baked a pie shell and after breakfast cooked the chocolate pudding for a chocolate pie. I used about a half cup of Cathey’s dried cherries to add to the pie – so it was a chocolate-cherry pie, but the cherries were hardly noticeable except for the texture. By that time it was so hot in the trailer that I went outside to cool off for awhile.

The temperature has been getting down into the 30s during the night but must have dropped below 32 since the water hose was frozen until about 9 this morning. But it was another beautiful sunny, clear day; a very nice day to be outdoors until the wind came up around noon.

Our only venture out today was to McDonalds for lunch; we decided the chili would be better appreciated for supper after the heat of the day was gone. When we got back to the trailer I decided to do some trailer maintenance. I replaced the flexible hose connection to the water inlet and installed quick disconnects on the flexible link and the pressure regulator and inline filter. That fixed most of the leaks in the water line but I still have one slow drip whose source I was unable to identify. Also did the reconstructive surgery on the bumper end that got mashed by its meeting with the concrete bollard in Texas. The metal was easier to bend than I expected. I used a vice-grips with a cheater tube and it turned out pretty good although it would take a little grinding and paint to make it unnoticeable.

We did do a little laundry and while I was in the laundry area I browsed through their little library of paperbacks. I came across an old paperback with three Brother Cadfael mysteries. I brought it home and finished it before going to bed. All stories that I had read, listened to or seen on TV, but still one of my favorite fictional characters.

Pumping up the Las Cruces economy

Saturday February 18^th

Pretty chilly again (36) but the sun was out and the world looked a whole lot better than yesterday. I decided to go over to the main building for a long hot shower and it sure felt good. Then had a little breakfast and coffee and headed over to WalMart for some groceries and a few other necessities. When I got back Cathey said that the gas bottle must have gone dry because there was no hot water. I switched the bottles but then when I came in to purge the gas line, I saw that the water heater switch was turned off, so I turned it on and the heater started up right away. So now I don’t know if that gas bottle is empty or not.

Cathey didn’t care to go anywhere yet, so I headed over to Tractor Supply Co. and found a few things that I couldn’t live without. Then drove over to Mesilla Valley Mall and spent some time at the Barnes and Noble. I had to invest in a N.M. map book again since we left the one we bought a couple of years ago, at home.

When I returned Cathey was ready for a late lunch or early dinner (about 4:30) so we spun up the GPS and it took us to Red Lobster. (Only in America can you trust seafood in the middle of the desert). We had a fine dinner and retired to our collapsible Casa.

Margaritaville of New Mexico

Friday February 17th
Well, for a place that is supposed to have 355 days of sunshine, we just happened to hit upon a n overcast day with some intermittent rain. It was pretty chilly when we got up; if we could have seen the Organ Mountains to the north, we would have seen new snow on them. First item of business was to get the rent paid so I went over to the office and got that taken care of and then sat in the lounge with my notebook and took care of some emails. The wi-fi works a little better over there but still not very fast.
I asked the folks at the office where we could find an Orthopedic clinic and they sent me to one about six blocks away although I had to drive by it three times before I found it. Once there I explained to the lady at the appointment desk that we wanted a cast removed, we had a DVD with x-ray pictures and once I had their FAX number I could have additional records faxed to them from Sheboygan. They would not set up an appointment until they had the records. Then I called the Sheboygan Clinic and asked them to fax the records, and that’s all that got done today towards getting Cathey’s cast removed.
Went to a Mexican restaurant in Mesilla for a late lunch. The food was great but we both had gas problems later. About 4pm we went over to the main building to do laundry and once we got the clothes loaded I went out to the lobby area with the laptop again. About 4:30 they set up a cart with margaritas and a few minutes later people started filtering in for the free booze. I had to get up out of my chair for the first one but after that they kept coming around with refills. After the third one, I decided I had better tend to the laundry and escaped. Cathey didn’t follow my lead so she had to walk home by herself. But she did meet some nice people from Puyallup, WA.
Later went out for pizza about a block away at a place called the Luna Rossa Winery and Pizzaria. The wine was over priced but pizza was good.

Miles and Miles and Miles of Texas

Thursday February 16^th

We did a few shortcuts last night in setting up the trailer so once we had a quick breakfast we were able to get on the road by 8:45. First gas stop was Colorado City near Big Spring, TX. I fueled up at a Stripes station where there was limited room to get out of the pump area and I ended up hitting the trailer rear bumper on a concrete bollard. It didn’t seem to hurt the bollard, but I have some reconstructive surgery to do on the bumper. The bumper is a hollow square metal tube where the sewer hose is stored during transit. So I might have a problem getting to the sewer hose but I can still get at it from the other end.

We saw miles and miles and miles of Texas and probably a million oil wells. It looks like the economy is doing quite well in the “oil patch;” we saw a lot of signs posted for help wanted. We stopped in Odessa and I used the bathroom and got a sandwich but there were so many people coming and going, that I didn’t even try to get gas.

We stayed focused on getting miles put behind us and with the help of gaining an hour by getting to Mountain Time Zone, we made it to Las Cruces, N.M by about 6:30pm. We had to setup in the dark and then were going to go out for supper but neither of us had enough pep to go anywhere.

Wednesday February 15^th

I made oatmeal for breakfast for the first time in the trailer; I thought it turned out OK, but I did see my other half putting some salt in it. It took us longer than I thought it would to get packed up and get everything stowed; of course this is the first time. We will get the time whittled down after we do it a few times.

We finally got rolling about 1045 and got all the way to the front gate of the RV park where they have a RV washing facility. I spent over two hours brushing and washing everything on the trailer including the roof. It looked pretty nice when I got done. All the side gutters get clogged up setting under the maple tree all summer, so there was a lot of gunk to wash out. I even unrolled the awning and cleaned it.

It was after 1pm when we pulled out of there, then stopped for gas and a few miles later stopped for lunch. So it was probably after 2pm before we actually put some serious miles on. We got around Fort Worth without event; once we got off of I-35W the traffic wasn’t too bad. We only made it as far as Abilene tonight and stopped about 6:30 at “The Abilene RV Park.” It’s right off of I-20 but the way the traffic sounds it’s not far enough off.

Tuesday February 14^th

The electric heater seems to be a great success; we left it on the low setting overnight and the furnace ran very little if at all. I got up at 5:15 and got on the internet long enough to get the blog posted and some other chores done and then went back to bed. Internet service at this RV park is not the best. The logon page was confusing so we couldn’t get on the first night. On Monday morning I went to the office and they gave me a sheet with instructions but mostly it’s too busy and you can’t get on in the evenings (but at 5am it’s available!).

We had set up with Reeves that we would take our Valentines out for dinner tonight. So Cathey had to get to a place to get her hair set for her big date! We found a walk-in place at the next exit toward Lewisville; I don’t think Cathey got what she wanted but her hair does have some curl in it!

Today was the day the cast was supposed to come off of Cathey’s arm so we called a local orthopedic clinic. The appointment desk was supposed to call us back but never did. By the time we were about to call there again we realized that we would either have to pursue the cast removal or laundry. Laundry won out, so the cast will remain on for a few more days. Nice laundry facility at this park and very clean as well.

When the laundry was done I went and washed the Suburban at the on-site car wash. Then I showered and got ready for my date. We went to a place called Texas Land & Cattle Company. The food was great, although Dan and Tricia said they thought the franchise in Austin was better.

Lewisville, TX

Monday February 13^th

Slept in this morning. Revived my love/hate relationship with the trailer shower; it works ok but you must shut off the water intermittently to preserve the hot water, otherwise you will finish with cold water.

We had planned to go to lunch with Dan and Tricia to a BBQ place so I just had an Orange for breakfast. They picked us up around noon and went toward Dallas about 6 or 8 miles to one of their favorite BBQ restaurants (Spring Creek BBQ). Food was great we all had the beef brisket and sides. Then we went over to Dan and Tricia’s trailer and met Sophie their little miniature Yorkshire Terrier. Their Fifth wheel trailer has slide outs on both sides of the rear part of the trailer so they have a very spacious living/dining area and a nice built in desk.

Made a brief foray out this afternoon to Super Target and bought a new ceramic electric heater to cut down on the LP gas usage. With the outdoor temperature in the 40’s the furnace seldom stops for more than a few minutes.

Texas, Finally

Sunday February 12^th

Skipped breakfast and got on the road by about 9:15. We figured we would get to Oklahoma City and find a breakfast place there. It ended up that we saw a sign for a Cracker Barrel Restaurant and went there. It was in Norman which is S of Oklahoma City. Great breakfast, but the stop took almost two hours because we had to wait to be seated and then waited to be served because they were missing cooks today. Talked to Dan while we were at the Cracker Barrel; he said we had about 150 miles to go to get to the Lewisville, TX area where they live. We stopped at the Texas welcome center at the OK/TX line and told them we wanted to stay near our friends in Lewisville but not any closer to Dallas than we had to get. They recommended the ‘Destiny Dallas’ RV park just off I-35 at exit 459. Sounded good to me so I called Dan and told him where we would be landing. Before we got set up Dan and Tricia showed up and Dan helped me finish setting up and get the water hooked up. We visited for a while and then went out to Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant. Food was great; it’s a new favorite for me.

We paid for three nights here. So we won’t be leaving until Wednesday. We will be visiting with Dan and Tricia and doing some shopping and doing laundry. There is big trailer/motor home washing facility near the entrance to this park so before we leave, I will be flushing the salt and road dirt off of the trailer and truck.

Across Missouri and Into Oklahoma

Saturday February 11^th

Much better start today; breakfast ate and on the road by 9:30. About 20 miles down the road we saw a gas station that looked easy to get into and out of so we stopped. And it was easy to get into and out of but also very busy so we had to wait to get to a pump and then wait to get out once we were gassed up because other people were blocking my exit. From there on it was down one hill and up the next like a Missouri Mule all day. Stopped for lunch and fuel at Lebanon, MO. The winds were gusty all day long so driving was tiring.

We crossed into Oklahoma shortly before dark. We were planning to stop at a motel on the S side of Tulsa but when we got to the S side there were no motels and soon we were back on the OK Toll Road system where there aren’t many exits and no motels. We were resigned to going all the way to Oklahoma City but then came upon the town of Stroud where there was an exit and a motel and several restaurants. We stopped and had a good Mexican meal then checked into the Stroud Best Western. It wasn’t quite the Hilton but it was the best in town.

A Short but Tough Day on the Road

Friday February 10^th

It took us a long time to get going; I guess you could say we slept in. By the time we had breakfast and got the Suburban gassed up, it was 1230. And it was snowing! The snow was light and was not sticking to the ground but the roads were wet and the winds were gusty all day. The temperature did not vary all day; it was 31 degrees when we started and stuck there all day and was 30 when we stopped in the evening. We arrived at the junction of I-55 and I-255 about 5:15pm so we decided to stop and have supper in Collinsville, IL to let the rush hour traffic die down before we got any closer to St Louis. Had a good Mexican dinner at a place called Zapatas. Then got on the road again and missed the I-255 exit because I couldn’t believe how close it was. So we had to go about 2 miles to the next exit to get turned around and on I-255 around the S side of St Louis. It seems to be a good bypass, we have never encountered any delays going that way. Shortly after we go on I-44 westbound we stopped for the night at the junction of STH-141 and I-44. No problem finding a 55 ft. parking place here, but last night was a different story. At the Peru, IL motel parking was tight and it took some time and patience to get the trailer backed into a corner of the parking lot where it didn’t block anyone from leaving in the morning. My new mirrors help a lot in backing; much better visibility to see where the trailer is in relation to objects around it and also better visibility on the highway.

2012 "Revival" Tour

Thursday February 9^th

We had originally planned to leave on Wednesday but like many plans, we had to make a revision once faced with reality. Too many things to be loaded into the trailer, too many last minute details to be attended to and of course some last minute maintenance for trailer and Suburban. And of course I had to spend hours determining which tools and gadgets to take with me. I bought a new tool box just for the trip but initial review is that it will be a failure. I wanted all the tools to be in one place and that should be behind the axle to take weight off of the truck but I bought one with drawers and they will be difficult to access from where the tool box is located.

Finally got everything (I hope) loaded about 5pm then took a quick shower and loaded a few more things in the truck for the first night’s stay and we took off. The wind was hardly noticeable at home but on the highway it took some getting used to. There seemed to be a lot of gusty crosswinds which are pretty spooky when the big trucks blow by. But the further we went the less the wind bothered us and by the time we got to IL it seemed that the wind was at our back and giving us a boost.

Driving was uneventful (the best kind) and we made it as far as Peru, IL before stopping to rest at a friendly Fairfield Inn.