How About Some Ribs?

This lovely weather has just been begging for a cook-out.  And when we saw Fry's had spare ribs on sale, we couldn't resist.

We invited Rich and Ronda to join us for some good 'ol BBQ Sunday afternoon.  Bill, the grill-meister, was assisted by Rich.  (And look at the beautiful sunset behind them.)

Dinner is served!  I meant to take a picture of the whole spread, including baked beans and cole slaw, but we had almost finished eating when I remembered.  Trust me...it was all delicious!

 

After dinner, we played cards.  Rich and Ronda are big game players, and they have been teaching Bill and me how to play Hearts.  I was so excited when I was the big winner...that is, until they reminded me that the LOWEST score wins.  Oh well, maybe next time.  What a fun evening!

Moving Right Along

Time just keeps clicking by.  I have a little over a month to work, and Bill has begun prepping the rig for departure.  His current project is washing and waxing the fiver.  He does it in sections over a several day period to make it a little easier.  One of the items still remaining on our "to do" list is getting the truck serviced.  We'll do that next month, a little closer to our leaving date of April 2.

We have been very busy at Kartchner Caverns State Park.  We are a little short handed, so we've all pitched in to cover the hours.  Yesterday I worked in the Bat Cave Cafe, and believe me, this is the extent of my food service career.  Heck, this work experience will not even make it to my resume!  : )  While we were slammed with customers, a lady (who had just bought a sandwich) came back in and asked if she could exchange her sandwich for something else.  Seriously?  Keep in mind, this is the same lady who could not make a decision when she was placing her order.  We accommodated her request...but really!  Other than things like that, I have enjoyed my winter gig, but I'm definitely starting to suffer from "short timer" syndrome.  I'm ready to hook up and head out!

Speaking of heading out, Bill and I received our work agreement from Xanterra in the mail, and I called Human Resources yesterday to make it all official.  Now, all we have to do is complete the paperwork and get it back in the mail to them.  Even though this is our 6th summer working for them, each year we have to complete the same forms:  W4, I9, etc, etc.

Yellowstone here we come!

Cold Front!

 

Tuesday was another play day.  Bill and I, along with our friends Rich and Ronda, visited the Amerind Museum near Dragoon, AZ.  Once again, we used our Tucson Passport and saved 50% on entrance fees.

The museum is in Texas Canyon and sits among beautiful rock formations.  We toured the museum, as well as the Art Gallery next door.  We enjoyed our visit very much.  The museum contained some beautiful artifacts of the American Indians, including baskets, pottery, tools, etc.  They also have a beautiful display of Navajo blankets.

Photos are not permitted in the museum or art gallery; however, they have posted some nice pictures on their web page.  Photos are allowed outside, but it had gotten too cold to take many.

The museum is housed on property purchased by William Shirley Fulton, who was from Connecticut but moved to Texas Canyon after visiting and falling in love with Arizona.

When we left the museum, we noticed the outside temperature had dropped, and the wind had really picked up.  Here comes the cold front that was predicted.

It was lunch time, and we headed to Big Tex BBQ in Willcox, AZ.  The smell was amazing as we walked up to the train car that houses the restaurant.  We all had the brisket sandwich, and it was very good.  If you are ever near Willcox, AZ on I-10 and have a hankering for some good BBQ, you need to visit Big Tex BBQ.

 

When we stepped out after lunch, the cold front was upon us!  The wind was howling, and Bill and I were glad we were not pulling the rig today.  As we headed back towards Benson, it began to snow...not a lot, but it was still snow.

 

By the time we got home, the winds had died down, the clouds were disappearing, and the sun was trying to break through.  But here's proof that it really did snow.

 

The Countdown Has Begun!

Just six weeks until we head north to Yellowstone for our summer jobs.  Time to start marking items off of our to-do list.  On Sunday afternoon, we hooked-up the fiver and pulled over to Lazy Days RV Park in Tucson.  We had an 8:00 am service appointment on Monday at La Mesa RV, which is just across the street from Lazy Days.  We aren't having any problems with the Cameo, just doing the annual brake check and repacking of the wheel bearings.  Bill is a stickler when it comes to maintenance, and I never complain.  In all of our travels, we've never been stranded on the side of the road.  (Knock on wood!)

After the rig has sat for a while, I'm always concerned that something won't work right, whether it be the slide outs or the auto landing gear.  I am happy to say everything worked beautifully.  It felt so good to be pulling her down the road.

Most of you probably know that Lazy Days is a huge RV dealer in Seffner, Florida, near Tampa.  These folks purchased the property in Tucson that was once Beaudry RV, before they became part of the many bankrupt RV dealers.  The Lazy Days RV Park is very nice, and we enjoyed our one night stay.  After getting set up on our site, we walked to the sales lot and took a look at a few rigs.  I am happy to say I still love my Cameo!

After dropping the rig off at La Mesa, Bill and I killed two birds with one stone by going to a couple of doctor appointments and doing a little shopping.  During lunch, we received the phone call that the rig was ready to go.

I read a few RV forums on-line, and it appears many people do not like La Mesa.  I can only speak from our experience, but we have been very pleased with La Mesa in Tucson.  They treated us well during the sale, and more importantly, they have treated us well on the service side. 

We hooked-up and headed back to Benson.  As we were heading down I-10, Bill and I looked at each other and said, "Let's just keep going!"  But, being the responsible people we are, we headed back to our site at Cochise Terrace...some of us have to go to work on Wednesday.  : )

Another Great Weekend!

Bill and I are enjoying our stay in Arizona.  We are taking advantage of the great weather and getting out and seeing Arizona.

On Sunday afternoon, we visited Kartchner Caverns State Park.  Yes, I know, I work there four days a week, and although I was able to take the tours last year as an employee, Bill had never visited the cave.  So, on Sunday afternoon, we took both cave tours.  It was a lot of fun being a tourist and watching Bill enjoy the tours.  Kartchner Caverns State Park is BIG on preserving the cave, and as a result no cameras are permitted.  Therefore, I have no pictures to share with you.  But trust me...if you are ever in Benson, AZ, make sure you visit Kartchner Caverns State Park.  They even have a nice campground with electric hook-ups.

Monday was tax day...ugh!  We loaded Turbo Tax and got much of our information input.  Once we receive a few more documents in the mail, we can finish and get the return filed.

 

Today was a fun day.  We once again used our Arizona Passport and visited the Pima Air and Space Museum.   Our timing was pretty good.  We got to the museum at 1:15, and the free tour of Hanger 1 was beginning at 1:30.  We walked around a few minutes before joining the tour.


Our tour guide was Bill, a retired Naval Aviator and a veteran of the Korean war.  He is the man in the dark shirt and khaki pants.  My Bill is the one in cowboy hat.  : )

 

It was one of the best history lessons I've ever had.  We saw a plethora of aircraft, including a B29, DC3, Huey helicopter, Apache helicopter and lots more.  I'm so glad we took the tour.  I am not an airplane guru, so I would have gotten bored after looking at a few aircraft.  Our tour guide, Bill, kept it so interesting, we stayed with him during his second tour of Hangers 3 and 4.


Here are a few pictures from the tours:

This B29 was among the many aircraft that flew over when Japan was signing their surrender papers.  General Douglas MacAuthur wanted to make sure Japan knew who won the war.  : )
It was also a B29 that dropped the atomic bombs in Japan.

I felt like we were in a toy shop full of remote control airplanes.

This Cobra Gun Ship is only 36 inches wide.

And this is the type of plane Tom Cruise flew in the movie, 
Top Gun.

After our hangar tours, Bill and I went outside to take a look at more airplanes.

What first got my attention was the shear size of these airplanes.  I've seen movies where some of these type planes are shown, but I never appreciated their immense size until I saw them in person today.  I was also impressed with the technology that was being used back in the 1960s.

I have always had a respect for our veterans.  But after seeing these aircraft, hearing the stories, and meeting a Korean war veteran, my respect and appreciation has only grown.

If you ever have the opportunity to visit the Pima Air and Space Museum, please do.

Picacho Peak State Park - Day Two

Bill and I knew today's hike was going to be a tough one so we wanted to hit the trail by 9:00.  Well, after coffee, breakfast, and clean up, we made it to the trailhead at 9:45, not too bad.

There are two trails which lead to the top of Picacho Peak.  We opted for the Sunset Trail, a 3.1 mile trek to the top.  The first two miles are rated moderate, while the last mile or so is rated strenuous.

Bill and I hike a lot, and on some of our hikes I have often wished for the abilities of a mountain goat.  However, this is the first hike where I wished I had the abilities of Spiderman.  Did you know it is possible to scale the face of a rock wall?  Just keep reading....

The trail started out simply enough.  We hiked through a "forest" of saguaro, barrel cactus, and chollo cactus.  It was beautiful!  And, of course, the humming of the Border Patrol helicopter just adds to the southern Arizona hiking experience.  : )

 

 

 

 

  

As we expected, the trail became a little more difficult.  First, we had some switchbacks to climb.  Then, we came to the first cables, and these cables were almost vertical.

 

Bill went first, and then I followed.  We both made it just fine, although we were breathing pretty hard.  From there, the trail got even more interesting.  I'll let these pictures speak for themselves.

 

 

 

 

Our efforts paid off!  We made it to the top!  Here's a picture of the campground.  See that blue speck in the southeast corner?  That's our tent!

 The view was pretty nice!

 

And Bill got all theatrical on me.  When we reached the top, he stood on this rock and sang out, "Somebody left the gate open!"  (You have seen that commercial on TV, right?)

We have hiked using cables before in Arches and Zion National Parks.  But this hike to Picacho Peak is the most extreme hiking experience we have endured.  Man, what a hike!