SUNBURN and SORE BUTTS

     Red Lodge, Montana                                                                                                     July 4, 2010

     The drive from Idaho through Yellowstone National Park last week was beautiful. From the northeast exit of the park, the Beartooth Scenic Byway, to Red Lodge, Mt. is spectacular (11,000ft.). Most of the top is above the tree line with 2-3 feet of snow on the shaded mountain sides. We’ll spend about a week here to relax through the Independence weekend. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday the whole town turns out with a parade and a rodeo for the July 4th celebration. We’re camped at 7000 ft. in a small valley in the Custer National Forrest surrounded by mountains. When we came in on Wednesday afternoon only two other rigs were set up along the west fork of the Rock River, today there are over twenty. Every one is friendly and most are locals from south central Montana who come to enjoy this beautiful area.

                    

     Over the last six weeks we have traveled slower, and have stayed longer, and seen more grandeur than we new was here. The amazing beauty of this country is everywhere. The northern Arizona forests and the north rim of the Grand Canyon still had snow on the ground, but the days were warm. We spent the last week of May at the  western edge of Lake Powell at Lone Rock Beach and in Monument Valley along the Arizona Utah border. Goosenecks State Park (free) and Moab, got hot and we moved north to Capitol Reef National Park and camped in the Dixie National Forest for six days (bear sighting).

                      

     Moving west along US 50 from Utah into central Nevada the Great Basin of the country opens up for miles with small towns a hundred miles apart. Tagged the loneliest road in America, the immense beauty goes on from pass after pass into valley after valley. We slowly make our way north through Utah from Ely to Elko and Jackpot enjoying good weather and great scenery. Southern Idaho is just across the the next range and the landscape changes again. Moving north to Twin Falls we stop to watch “base jumpers” parachute from the bridge over the Snake River. We follow the Snake River past the Lava Beds and American Falls Reservoir up to Idaho Falls. On the first day of summer its 46 degrees in Idaho Falls when we wake up in Wal-mart parking lot.

                 

     Our next stop is Island Park, Idaho and camping along Henry’s Fork. This community of 215 residents boast the longest main street in America (22 miles). US 20 is also one of the few paved streets in Island Park. We meet boondocking friends we dry camped with back in January at Quartzite, and again at Ajo, Arizona in February. We catch up on travels and meet new people, as they come and go. Most of this group fishes, kayaks, and ride ATVs. They are here for the world class fly fishing and unlimited ATV trails, we’re there to sightsee and hike a little. We stayed 10 days in Island Park, before we left they offered us the use of a couple of kayaks. Five of us put in at Big Springs and paddled down stream to Macs Inn, basically a float trip drifting along with the current. The day before we drove through Yellowstone Linda and I rented two ATVs and joined another couple on some forest trails. The old Harriman railroad grade that ran from his ranch into Yellowstone Park is over 50 miles long. The tracks are long gone but Forest Service maintains the grade for four wheelers. Our first ATV ride was six hours long.               

We’re going to miss the the desert southwest we enjoyed all winter.

     On the road again, from Tucson through Phoenix, north to Cottonwood, Arizona. Mid day travel through Phoenix was smooth. 4 hours later, 218 miles north, and over 2500' higher, we gain altitude and cool off. We check into a campground for 2 nights. We had camped on BLM land outside Tucson with our friends Don and Jill for almost 10 days, now time for housekeeping. It’s still snowing at the north rim of the Grand Canyon. We’ll enjoy the Verde Valley and Red Rock country while we wait for the weather to clear.

     Sunny days in the low 70’s are great. We start to explore at the local visitors center, this area is loaded with 1800’s history.  Our first day trip from Cottonwood is to Prescott on 89a through Jerome, the road is narrow with tight turns and steep grades. We take the car, no vehicles over 40' allowed. 158 turns in 41 miles on a 2 lane blacktop road over 7000' mountains. The views are incredible. We spend a few hours climbing the streets of Jerome, fantastic views of the Verde valley from this old mining town. Jerome was named for a New York investor who never visited his namesake. The mine produced over a billion dollars in copper, silver, and gold in it’s 70 year history. A notorious wild west town, once characterized as the “wickedest town in the west”, is now a tourist, art, and liberal political center in conservative Yavapai County, Arizona.

     On to Prescott the home of amazing natural beauty and old west tradition. The court house square, whiskey row, and the Prescott Rodeo are cherished areas of old town. We have a late lunch at the Palace Saloon, where the movie “Junior Bonner” (Steve McQueen) was filmed, great food and still feels like that era. 

                 

     The Verde valley is home to Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments. The spectacular pine-clad cliffs of the Mongolian rim of central Arizona form a huge geological transition between desert, grassland, and forest zones. The Sinaguan people we first learned about last fall in Walnut Canyon,Arizona had villages here too. Montezuma Castle is the best preserved and most dramatic cliff dwelling in the US. The 110 room pueblo at Tuzigoot, on a ridge overlooking the Verde River, is still being studied while we visit. Archeologist continue finding clues to these native people who flourished centuries before  Columbus claimed the New World.

     When we’re ready to move to a new area the US Forestry offers dispersed camping toward Sedona off 89a. We find a spot in the Red Rock Country with scenic drives, lookouts, vistas, rock art and ruins. For the next week the area around Sedona is amazing. The weather is good other than a few windy days. The geology of the red rocks along forest trails is fantastic.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                                            

     Cliff dwellings, petroglyphs, museums, hikes, restaurants, markets and dramatic natural beauty has left us in awe. Red Rock Country Wilderness is literally Sedona’s back yard.. A large portion of the visiting population also has come for some kind of spiritual experience. Sedona is believed by some to be a vortex meditation site, places of power in the red rocks that enhance prayer and reflection for people of all faiths. We learn the trail we’re camped near is just above the site of the tragic sweat lodge deaths during a cleansing ceremony last year.

     After almost 2 weeks in the area we’re getting itchy feet. Time to move on to Flagstaff and then the Grand Canyon. It’s warming to the north and we stop for a few days just outside Flagstaff in a Forestry Campground. Sunset Crater and Wupatki Ruins are the highlights of this area. After a visit to the Northern Arizona Museum were headed to the North Rim…. On the road again, Skip and Linda                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Welcome Race Fans

In about a month the winter weather should be starting to clear to the north. For now we'll leave this lovely spot around Safford, Arizona and move on to New Mexico. The White Sands of New Mexico and Roswell have our curiosity. Our friends from 2008 Albuquerque balloon fiesta have a RV lot in eastern New Mexico, we make plans to see them also. Our first night from Safford is spent in Las Cruces, our host, Wal Mart. Jerry and Mary Ann are traveling with us, we made good time today, tomorrow we'll be stopping to sight see.

For us a good start in the morning is by 9am, the day is clear and cool and travel is easy, scenery through San Agustin Pass is great. We top the pass at 5720ft and the whole White Sands valley is spread out before us. A Highway Patrol officer pulls past and just ahead stops and blocks the road. All traffic both directions are roadblocked. We are stopped at the west edge of the White Sands Missile Range for MISSILE TESTING! They assured us the delay wouldn't be to long, we were unloading with cameras, binoculars, snacks and didn't care anyhow. We couldn't believe our timing, the tractor trailer driver ahead of us said it happens all the time. This would upset his schedule.

We asked the officer if there was anything to see and he showed us an arc with his arm in the downrange area of the landscape. 30 minutes later a group was gathering toward the front of the roadblock with every ones eyes looking downrange, waiting. Our hearts (and feet) leaped with the blast and roar of surface to air missiles right BEHIND us. In shocking rapid succession about eight missiles were fired directly opposite of where we were looking. I had just put down the camera, once I picked it up again they stopped. I think I saw a little grin on the officers face as he started letting traffic through when the all clear came. It was interesting and fun, with a great view of the valley for miles.

At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a valley ringed with mountains. Rising from the heart of this basin are the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Brilliant, white and covering almost 300 square miles, this is the highest concentration of gypsum dune field in the world. The area is so brilliant we've put on our sun glasses just to enjoy it. The geological wonders that formed this valley are still at work. It's own Eco system has produced adaptations in plant and wildlife on the dunes. The entrance station to the White Sands National Monument and visitors center offers insight about the environment, but the wonder of the park is just outside on the loop driving tour. The White sands National Monument and the City of Alamogordo offer field seminars to explore the history and archaeology of the white ands. A snack in the R/Vs at the parking lot and were on the road again. Cloudcroft is ahead and has earned it name.

We'll leave the Alamogordo area and turn east on to US82. At this point we slowly climb 5000 feet in 16 miles to almost 9000 feet total. One of New Mexico's scenic highways to the town of Cloudcroft. Two hours ago we were in shirtsleeves at the White Sands National Monument and now we put on our coats and walk in SNOW to a restaurant for a late lunch. A typical small town, one paved main street, one traffic light. School is just letting out and almost no traffic. We still have a ways to go before we reach the Escapees Co-Op park where Roy and Cathy are. The drive down from the Sacramento Mountains is beautiful, snow in the forest and woods blends into ranches and farms as we approach Artesia, New Mexico. "The Ranch" RV park is just below Artesia and we don't arrive until 6 pm. this is the latest we've driven in a long time but is was a great day. It's good to see old friends again.

After a couple of days rest and we catch up on housekeeping. Then there's time to check out the local attractions. We go back to Artesia to see the fabulous sculptures we caught a glimpse of coming in. There's a car show in town this weekend, its time for a day trip and lunch in town. The sculptures are sensational. Monumental bronze castings with detail and authenticity unequaled anywhere. The bronzes represent Artesia's cattle and petroleum industry and the development of the area.

The quality of the antiques, street rods, and custom cars are great. More than you would expect for a small town show. Entries from Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, fill the field. One of the organisers is local resident and businessman Mike Deans. We meet Mike when I inquire about the price of a Phoenix Nascar race weekend package he has for sale. Linda and I take advantage of the tickets and will go back to Phoenix, Arizona in 10 days. Trips to Roswell and Carlsbad Caverns are planed soon.

The city of Roswell, New Mexico is a great day trip from The Ranch. The locals have embraced the notoriety of a perceived cover up by the government. Main street is littered with souvenir shops, museums and alien encounters. The real economy is petroleum, farming and ranching with a little tourism overflowing on to down town and main street. We enjoyed the UFO museum and research center, and even more the Roswell Museum and Art Center, with fabulous exhibits.

"The Roswell Incident" occurred back in the late 1940's, now in 2010 interest is strong as ever. It was ignored and almost forgotten until the middle 70's when UFO interest and Star Trek popularity was sweeping the country. In the beginning, reports of crash debris were found on a ranch near Roswell. Statements from the Air Force claimed weather balloon pieces were found not a flying disc. For 30 years it was forgotten until an interview, by physicist and ufologist in 1978, of a retired Major involved in the recovery of the debris. His belief that the military had "covered up" the recovery of an alien flying saucer sparked intense media interest. Additional reports and witnesses accounts emerged including the stories of the Roswell Army Air Field seeking information on youth sized caskets and handling of bodies exposed to the elements. These witness accounts have sense produced books and gained international attention.

When our group started making plans to go to Carlsbad Caverns I didn't have my heart set on it. Linda and I took our boys there 35 years ago, I thought I remembered. Only an hour south of our camp, and a pretty day, I went along, to breakfast, and then over to the caverns, and was overwhelmed. The beauty of the caves is like nothing I remembered. With improvements in paths, railings, theater lighting, and opening of new areas of the caverns was wonderful. Every turn to a new chamber or room was beautiful. Jerry, Mary Ann, Linda and I had a fabulous time and stayed underground almost three hours. 35 years ago it seemed damp, dark and trickling noises everywhere, now with better ventilation and changes in moisture seeping into to caverns, it was very enjoyable. We strolled along till well after lunch, then went to the surface for a snack in the restaurant. Soon it's time to leave our friends in New Mexico. We say goodbye to Jerry and Mary Ann, they're returning to Grand Rapids. Roy and Cathy travel in Europe this summer and it's time for Linda and I to head to Phoenix.

Leaving New Mexico, we drop down into west Texas over the Guadalupe Mountains, and head west to El Paso to pick up I-10. We start mid morning and have an easy drive over Guadalupe pass at 5,288 feet. This afternoon is beautiful and it's time for lunch at a roadside rest stop. We notice the wind is picking up a little. By mid afternoon high wind condition warnings have been posted, and it's uncomfortable driving with a crosswind. When we reach El Paso and are on I-10, even the tractor trailers have slowed down to our speed (45-50) and we are trying to stay out of each others lanes. Then it gets worse, the dust picks up. We're in a full blown (no pun intended) DUST STORM on I-10. Visibility drops to a quarter mile and we need a place to stop for the night and get out of the dust. I'm wondering if this little detour to the races in Phoenix was such a good idea? Were low on fuel and finally spot a Flying J truck stop, even at this low speed we barely have time to make the off ramp. Linda goes inside to pay while I fuel up. I'm sheltered by the RV while it takes a forever to pump 90 plus gallons of diesel. Dust is still blowing under the coach and everything I touch has static electricity flying. The wind is gusting to 60mph plus. We dash back inside the coach looking for a place to ride out the dust and wind, just across the street is a gravel vacant lot on a bluff overlooking I-10. There is no dust in this lot and the bluff shapes the gusts over the roof, we settle in for a long night. Sleep finally comes and when we wake in the morning were surrounded by other coaches, 5th wheels, and travel trailers also seeking a port in the storm. Leaving New Mexico a few days early will give us time on the way to Phoenix to stop in Casa Grande and clean house, dust is everywhere. It takes hours to vacuum the cracks and crevasses and clean up the mess. Next were off to Phoenix for the Nascar race.

We've found our RV spot at the Phoenix International Raceway, which is really 25 miles west of Phoenix. An easy drive from the Casa Grande RV park where we've stayed before. Next to us are Mike and Judy Deans from Artesia, New Mexico. Long time fans of Nascar, they come with all their favorite race gear, life size cutouts, pennants, and flags. We're all set up to enjoy the next four days. Thursday, practice, qualifying and a night race of the Nascar West drivers. This was a good show, 35 cars, a lot of action and only about half finished. Friday is Nationwide practice, Sprint Cup practice, qualifying for both, and the Nationwide race on Friday night. A busy day, lots of action on and off track, around the haulers and souvenir trailers.

We spend most of our time in the infield checking out the nonstop action in the garage area. Cars are moving on and off track during practice, drivers are moving between garages with autograph seekers in tow. On Friday, Linda has her 1984 Rick Mears Indy winner jacket autographed by his nephew Casey Mears. Friday and Saturday races are great. The ceremony, flyovers, network TV, the Speed channel, and race day excitement make the experience worthwhile. We take our time Sunday pulling up stakes and working our way back to Tucson.

For the next few weeks things slow down a little bit (finally). Don and Jill Jacques from Jacksonville, Fl. make their way to Tucson for a RV owners rally. We've traveled with them the last two summers, on and off. It's great to see them again. Some things still left to do in the area are the Sonora Desert Museum and Kitt Peak Observatory. On a beautiful Sunday morning the four of us take a trip to the summit of Kitt Peak. One of those fabulous days, the sun is warm, almost no wind, even our tour guide is impressed with the day at 7000 feet. The view is great, we can see for miles. We are spellbound in a 1 1/2 hour talk with a basic introduction about observatory's for public use and a tour to one of the 25 history making telescopes at this site. This has been a premier location for astronomers from all over the world. As May approaches the weather is warming. It's hot in Tucson (low 80s) and cool to the north. Don and Jill need warranty repairs and have doctors visits, Linda and I will go on ahead to explore Prescott and Sedona, more soon....Skip and Linda

Busy, Busy March

Tucson has a casino (free parking)! We find our spot in the large parking lot of the Del Sol Casino. If we can stay away from the slot machines maybe this free parking won't cost to much. The weather is great, nights are cool, days warm. Everything on the coach is doing well. We have learned to dry camp longer, meaning we only need to go to a campground every ten days or so to fill fresh water, dump holding tanks and catch up on housekeeping.

The Tucson area had Titan missiles. 18 of the 52 missile silos in the United States circled Tucson. These relics of the cold war have long sense been dismantled, all but one. There's still a Titan missile in the silo at "Titan Missile Silo Museum" just south of Tucson in Green Valley. Narrated tours of the nine level underground complex are impressive. To comply with disarmament treaties (SALT) this missile has the nuclear warhead removed and the blast door blocked, but an accurate launch sequence reenactment was chilling. We're reminded, not so long ago, of history during our generation.

Our friends in Tucson, Jerry & Jeri Dettmann meet us a few days later at the Pima Air and Space Museum. The history of aviation come alive in these five hangars, a WW2 barracks, the 390th B-17 memorial and the Space Gallery. Along with 300 plus aircraft outside. The open tram tour on the ground is narrated, this saves us miles of walking, but we still tour the buildings walking through different displays of planes hanging from the ceiling and set up on the floor. Civil, commercial, Presidential, and military aircraft are presented restored to authentic detail. Some examples are a replica of the Wright Flyer, a real B-29 SuperFortress, President John F. Kennedy's Air Force One, and a SR-71 Blackbird. This high altitude reconnaissance plane once flew from Los Angles to Washington D.C. in 64 minutes 20 seconds and was denied to even exist until the military was ready to present it to the public. An added part of the Pima Air and
Space Museum is the Davis Monthan Air Force Base boneyard bus tour, it's sold out today, we'll be first in line tomorrow.

The boneyard is just adjacent to the museum, our bus passes through security and we spend over an hour viewing the rows of planes, engines, and parts stored on the base. AMARC is the US Air Force Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center. This is the central depot for all US military planes pulled out of service and put into storage. AMARC puts these planes into long term storage, often covering them with a white plastic coating called Spraylat to protect the aircraft from the elements. In many cases, the stored aircraft are refurbished and sent back into service, sometimes after being sold to foreign nations. In other cases, useful parts are pulled off the aircraft and the remains sold for scrap. As a used parts depot, scrap yard, ready access, or mothballed, over four thousand planes wait in the desert, warm and dry with little deterioration. After a few more days of sightseeing, Jerry, Mary Ann, Linda and I are getting itchy feet. It's time to move on in southern Arizona, check in a campground and catch up on housekeeping. We spend a few days in the Escapees' Co-op park in Casa Grande, Arizona on our way to Yuma. A nice park with friendly RVer's, we top off our tanks and get ready to go west for a few more weeks of dry camping.

Yuma is recognized by the Guinness World Book of Records as the sunniest place on earth with 339 bright days a year and an average of 4 inches rainfall annually. We were dry camping at Cocopah Casino the day they got 4 inches. After warm sunny days sitting in the parking lot talking with other campers (over 100 rigs) it poured. The first rain we've had in 6 weeks and and all the road dirt washed off. Off the car, the lawn chairs, and the RV, on to the parking lot. A perfect mud impression of where everything was before the rain. We didn't realize what accumulated after being on the road a few months. The most visited attraction in Yuma is the "Yuma Territorial Prison" state park. This penitentiary housed the areas most dangerous and notorious criminals. 3069 inmates including 29 women were housed during the 33 years of operation. Film and television (3:10 to Yuma) have given this prison an infamous reputation, but written evidence shows it was a very humane for it's time (1876). Early history can be found at the U.S.Army Quartermaster's Depot, now a visitors center. The Army used the Depot to store and distribute supplies for all the military post (forts) in Arizona, and some in Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and west Texas. The supplies were brought from California by ocean vessels traveling around the Baja Peninsula to Port Isabel near the mouth of the Colorado river. There , cargoes were transferred to river steamers and brought upstream to Yuma. Gateway park on the Colorado River, Yuma West Wetland Park, the Ocean to Ocean Bridge, Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area and Historic Downtown are best seen on the unique narrated Segway Yuma Tours. This two hour history lesson while riding Segways was great. After a few riding tips and supervised practice we were gliding through the streets and sidewalks on Segways like ducklings following our guide, listening to history of the area and buildings. We had a ball.

Yuma is the winter vegetable capitol of the nation. In this area vegetable production accounts for 85% of the total revenue of the county. Our guide tells us 900 plus tractor trailer loads move through Yuma County every day till the end of March, trucking produce to the east. Lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, peanuts, melons, dates and more. In March, a one of a kind annual celebration "Midnight at the Oasis" brings the community together with music, concerts, a car show and dance. The "Show and Shine" pre 1972 car show and rod run featured 1200 American cars, trucks, and foreign classics. Good fortune brings us to the area with so much community activities. Throughout our stay the Marine Corp Air Station (MACS) has had unusual activity practicing for the winter air show. The Casino is about a mile from the end of the runway and they are just over our heads. Still two weeks away, we'll have moved on by then and miss the show.

In a few days we backtrack to Casa Grande and the Escapees' campground for our housekeeping, then back on the road, driving east through the Salt River Canyon area of Arizona around the old west town of Globe. We are close to the San Carlos Indian Reservation and the Apache Mountains. This is Geronimo country, the Tonto National Forrest, Gila County, mining towns and history right out of a dime novel. Globes Old Dominion Mine produced more than 130 million dollars in gold, silver, and copper before closing in 1931. The Old West Highway, stage coach lines, train robberies, Billy the Kid, Pearl Hart and Black Jack made this area rich in history and folklore. During this time archaeologists charted the ruins of the Salado people.

Besh-Be Gowah is an archaeological park, museum, and gardens of the 700 year old ruins of the Salado. This advanced culture built 200 plus rooms for over 1400 people. Some multi-level stone walls of the pueblo have been reconstructed, others excavated and some untouched. The ground level rooms were used for storage, upper levels were later added for living quarters. Jewelry made of shells has been traced to the Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of California showing the Salado traded extensively. The museum houses the worlds single largest collection of Salado pottery and artifacts. Continuing east through Arizona we catch up with the Escapees' boondocker group camped near Safford, Az.

Our camp is set against majestic Mount Graham, well off the highway, east of Safford. A beautiful area with cool nights, warm days and level ground. We left the boondockers in January just north of Quartzite, Az. with 80-90 rigs. Most have started to go their own way as the weather breaks. Now only 15-20 RVs are left enjoying the great Arizona weather.

Sightseeing and day trips are planed. One day Linda and I are "tail gunners" (followers) in our car for a motorcycle run over to Glenwood, New Mexico. We follow Jerry and Mary Ann as they and five other bikes tour to Whitewater Canyon in the Gila National Forrest. We drive 80 miles to a gorge to hike up a catwalk over the Whitewater River. It was worth it. Originally built in 1890 as part of a gold mining operation, it was used by miners to reach the mines and to bring slurry down to the mills. We hike the catwalk that is hanging on the sides of the canyon over looking boulders rapids and waterfalls. A great drive with spring flowers everywhere. A great dinner in camp is the popular "potato bake". The campfire coals are spread out and foil wrapped potatoes are set in the embers for 45 minutes. Everyone brings condiments to go with their potato and some to share, You end up with a loaded potato. Butter, sour cream, bacon, cheese, onions, diced ham, chili and more. No one leaves hungry. More of southern Arizona and New Mexico to come, Skip and Linda.

From the "slabs" to Tucson

Remote locations and busy days have kept us from the Internet. West on I-10 into southern California, and south to the east side of the Salton Sea is the small town of Niland. Two and a half miles east of Niland is "The Slabs"

What's left of a WWII instillation abandon years ago is the concrete floors (slabs). Slab City is the last free place. No electric, no water, no government. One square mile inhabited by squatters to form a community with a few religious organizations, social clubs, musicians, transients, and some normal people. A continuous stream of seasonal snowbirds find their way in and out, some just to look, some to stay a few days, some stay the winter, no reservations needed. From tar paper shacks to the nicest RVs, this one square mile is home. We find our spot just past the "LOWs" (loners on wheels) a singles group and settle in for a few days. We're here to find SolarMike, he operates The Sun Works at the slabs.

Mike Goul has answers about solar equipment and tips on instillation. I get what we need to install later, and we stay a few days enjoying the slabs, checking out the area. Murals on the old water tanks have 60s anti-war, political and religious influence, but the art is deep, the weather is great, the people unique. Soon we're on the road after stopping to check out Leonard Knight and Salvation mountain. A personal tour from Leonard shows us how clay mud and straw held together with paint has formed his "Shrine" on the side of this mountain. His personal message to repent is an ongoing calling since 1985. He lives in an old bus and only asks for donations, mostly paint.

We catch up with our Escapee friends in Yuma, Arizona. Dry camping at the "Q" casino is not as free as it sounds, it's time for a campground and housekeeping. Lee has sent the mail, we get some rest and catch up on laundry. Plans are made to walk across the border for a day trip to Algodonas, Mexico before we leave Yuma.

Jerry and Mary Ann Nugent show us the way. Parking in the border lot and walking less than 1/4 mile we cross to Mexico. It's a circus. A tourist trap. Young and old, beggars and businessmen they come out of the woodwork with anything and everything needed. Some surprises are eyeglasses, dental work, medicine and beauty shops. Pharmacy prices are cheap, no Rx needed. I had the lenses replaced in my work glasses with the latest prescription, 588 pesos ($49). These dual segment bifocals were ready the same day and and the work is great. We have a good lunch at a colorful restaurant and spend a long time in the customs line crossing back. Its been a long day and we're ready to rest back at the campground. Yuma's history is begging us to explore more but it's time to move on to Ajo and rendezvous in the desert.

Roy and Kathy Gilbert, Jerry and Mary Ann and Linda and I convoy from Yuma to Ajo, Arizona. A three hour drive on a beautiful day with lunch at a rest stop, and we arrive at the rendezvous area in time to set up and go to happy hour. We're in the middle of the Sonora desert on BLM land. Most of the Escapee "boondocker" group have been here a few days already. I'm anxious to start installing the solar panels and spend the week on and off installing the system.

Work is interrupted by side trips to the town of Ajo and Puerto Penasco, Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, pot luck suppers, and happy hour. We're close to El Camino del Diablo (the Devils Highway), passing Border Patrol on constant lookout for drug smugglers and illegal immigrants. The Sonora Desert is beautiful, mid 70s day, high 40s night. The sun is warm and the sky is clear. Even though it's "arid" this is called the green desert. Average rain fall is eight inches a year. On the only rainy day here, we went to Mexico where it didn't rain. We drove by car to the sea of Cortez, for Mexican "culture" and fabulous seafood.

Our group gathered for lunch in Pureto Penasco (Rocky Point) at a waterfront restaurant. The seafood is great and the shrimp are in season. Service is good, prices are low and a serenade with our meal. We spend the day exploring Rocky Point, the market area, waterfront RV parks, the beach, and drive "home" through Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. A national monument to cactus, the desert, and an eco system that's so unique. Ten days of dry camping in the confusing, shared boundaries of the Barry Goldwater Air Force Range, the Town of Ajo, BLM camping area, Cabeza Prieta Wildlife refuge, the Sonoran Pronghorn Antelope project, and Mexico will be a highlight of this trip.

On our way out of the area we spend two night at the Organ Pipe Cactus campground. The campground has evening programs with talks from National Park Service Rangers. With 208 spacious campsites in a natural setting it's spectacular. At the amphitheater this evenings program was standing room only with a program on mountain lions and other desert wildlife. The Ranger played the violin to accompany the opening and narrated a great computer presentation. Late winter, early spring in this high desert is the time for flowers and a carpet of green. The winter storms off the Pacific and from California have been more than expected. We see the area coloring already with yellow and red cactus flowers.

We're on our way to Tucson through the Tohono O'Odhan Indian Reservation. We'll catch up with Jerry and Jeri Dettmann who led us to Quartzite. It's time to explore Tucson and see all the things we missed last month.