Let's see where were/are we...

Oh yea, when we last updated we were heading for Apache Junction, AZ just east of Phoenix. The drive from Silver City to Apache Junction was pretty much more of the same...flat featureless desert. As we got further into Arizona we saw more and more saguaro cacti (those are the tall ones that look like they are holding their arms up) and the desert floor got greener! It looked like it was grass but when you got up close it is some sort of ground cover, we never did find out what it was called. But the last 75 miles or so from Globe, AZ to Apache Junction had some of the most spectacular scenery we have seen. Just outside of Globe was the Freeport Macmoran gold & copper mine...a massive hole in the ground. You can see pictures in our web album.

We spent three nights in Apache Junction and I'm pretty sure our presence there lowered the average age substantially! (Actually, I think we were the youngest people in the area!) This part of Arizona is a haven for winter RVers and retirees from all over the northern USA and Canada. There were RV parks and mobile home parks, one after the other with hundreds of trailer sites in each one. We were pretty amazed by it all, but I can see why people go there in the winter, the weather was really gorgeous--lows in the 50's with sunny skies and highs in the 70's most days, and no humidity! We had some great hikes and drives back up into the Superstition Mountains and at Lost Dutchman State Park. This was along The Apache Trail, a winding, twisting road with one-lane bridges, and beautiful Canyon Lake near the end of the part we drove. Shortly after the lake was a tiny town called Tortilla Flat; the road after that was one-lane dirt!

We stopped in Indio, CA for one night in the desert near Palm Springs. This was our first experience with a 55+ RV "resort". It is like a gated community with planned activities and social gatherings. Since we were only there for one night we didn't partake but again there were snowbirds there from all over who were enjoying the desert winter weather.

The next morning we headed out for Dana Point, CA where we camped almost on the beach for two nights and met up with our good friends Dick and Julie White from Clarkston, Washington. This was our first try at "dry camping", we had no water or electrical hookups for the trailer. We just had the water in our fresh water tank and battery power for the lights...no TV, microwave, heat, hair-dryer, etc. Even though we weren't at the trailer that much during the day we made out just fine. Just to show you how dependent we are on electricity: One morning there, Ellen got upset 'cause she couldn't get her hair curler to work and for a moment couldn't figure out why! I know, some of you who really and truly camp are rolling your eyes at us RVer's!

We had some great hikes/walks and meals with Dick and Julie and went to see one of our favorite bands "The Missiles of October" at one of our favorite bars, The Marine Room Tavern in Laguna Beach. They are a great rock/blues band made up of guys about our age. If you are interested you can check out The Missiles' music here: http://cdbaby.com/cd/octmissiles. One of our favorite hikes is at a park called Top of the World in the hills above Laguna Beach. It's a spectacular trail that goes up and down (a lot) along a high ridge. We didn't go as far as Dick and Julie did, but we did pretty well, especially compared with the last time we were there a year or so ago.

We've been blessed with great weather for our whole trip so far. Other than the a few windy (!) days while we were in west Texas and New Mexico and sub-32 degree lows at night that froze our water hose, it's been great!

We're in Santee, CA now, a little east of San Diego. We'll be here for a week and are planning to go to the San Diego Zoo and Balboa Park. If you have any suggestions for the area (other than Disneyland!), let us know.

The dogs are doing great overall. Gracie has adjusted better than we'd hoped--barking less in the truck, and enjoying the walks, although she does seem to tire easier than Max. Max is so full of enthusiasm and joy--everything is an adventure! He has especially enjoyed the ground squirrels, jackrabbits, and bunnies in various locations. Both dogs have gotten a little thin from all the hiking; maybe we will, too...LOL!

We've spent the last week in Carlsbad and Silver City, New Mexico. In Carlsbad we visited the Desert Zoo and hiked to Sitting Bull Falls. It's at the head of a really neat little box canyon. The picture above is a view from the trail to the top of the falls that we hiked with the dogs. We're looking back down on the picnic grounds.

The next day we went to Carlsbad Caverns. We had both been there when we were younger with our parents on driving trips to California and were sort of "meh" about returning there. Were we ever wrong! It was incredible! We entered at the natural entrance and walked down and down and down and...you get the idea. The formations and the rooms were incredible and we couldn't remember seeing any of it before. Of course that was the day we didn't have a camera with us...d'oh!

The 300 mile drive from Carlsbad, back through El Paso to Silver City took us through the Guadalupe Mountains. Guadalupe Peak is the highest point in Texas but the most imposing peak is El Capitan which is almost as tall and hides Guadalupe Peak from the highway. If you check out our New Mexico web album at http://picasaweb.google.com/TxMike3/NewMexico# you'll see some pictures of it taken from the highway.

Silver City is in southwestern New Mexico near the Gila National Forest. It's a really pretty little town in the foothills of the mountains. We hiked to "the Big Tree" one day. It's the second largest Alligator Juniper in New Mexico...not a big deal but it was a nice 3 mile walk. Along the way we met up with a pack (or is it herd?) of javalina; fortunately Max and Gracie were on leashes so they didn't go chasing them into the woods. One really big boar stared at us for a long time before it finally moved on. We all did fine until near the end when we had a steep climb...I thought we might have to carry Ellen and/or Gracie the last half mile or so. We're just not used to 6,000+ feet of altitude.

Yesterday we took a drive into the Gila National Forest which took us across the Continental Divide at about 7,000 feet near the town of Pinos Altos. It was a beautiful drive and there was still quite a bit of snow on the north facing slopes. We were surprised and pleased to see such a beautiful forest (mostly Ponderosa Pines) just a few minutes from our desert KOA. We've missed "green!".

Today we drove from Silver City to Apache Junction, AZ, right outside Phoenix. The drive started out with bleak desert, then suddenly we were in mountains. Near the end of the 250 miles, we drove past huge copper and gold mines. Then we were held up on the highway for a while because there were crews blasting rock to widen the road. There were narrow canyons and many steep grades. When we finally got through that area, we pulled off in a rest area so Mike could take a break. And, boy, did our brakes smell! We got a few pictures with our little Canon, and will post those next time.

Looking forward to exploring the area around Phoenix tomorrow and Friday. See you on down the road.

We're in Carlsbad, NM after spending 5 wild days at Davis Mtns State Park outside of Ft Davis, TX. We rode out a west Texas wind/dust storm on Tuesday with winds at 45 mph with gusts to 65 to 85 mph! It was kind of like riding out a hurricane with no rain or flooding.

The Alpine/Ft Davis/Marfa area is really beautiful. Amazing grassy plateaus with mountains in the distance. When you are out here it is really isolated. No cell phone, TV or net. One person told us it was 90 miles to the nearest Wal-mart...kinda nice! We took lots of hikes with the dogs on rocky paths that led up to high bluffs and the views everywhere were magnificent.

We visited the McDonald Observatory and saw the Harlan Smith 107" telescope (the world's largest when it was built in 1969) and the 1999 Hobby-Eberly telscope on the next mountain over, which is the fifth largest telescope in the world. We learned that the size refers to the diameter of the mirror in the telescope. Ellen got to use a remote controller to rotate the Harlan Smith telescope! It's actually done by computer when the astronomers are working. They have 80 people living on top of this mountain year-round studying the universe and maintaining the telescopes, plus visiting astronomers, all from far west Texas...pretty cool.

Today on the drive from Ft Davis to Carlsbad we were back in the west Texas/Chihuahuan desert. We went through Pecos, TX...no wonder Judge Roy Bean was such a grouch. It was a pretty desolate, depressing place.

We've added pictures of the Davis Mtns and the observatory to our web albums here: http://picasaweb.google.com/TxMike3

Friday, Feb.6

A long drive today on the Ross Maxwell Drive to the Santa Elena Canyon. Max and Gracie went with us, and had a break and a walk when we stopped to picnic at Cottonwood Campground. We could see the canyon many miles in the distance, and saw spectacular mountains, vistas, and rock formations as we drove closer. The Rio Grande River flows out of the canyon; in this shot, Mexico is on the left. Those mountains are the Sierra Ponce. We see roadrunners every day, and today saw some kind of fox. Last night we heard coyotes howling!

We've added some more pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/TxMike3

We're on our way....

After a few trials and tribulations getting ready to leave we finally are on the road.

We spent a couple of days in San Marcos with Mike's mother and brother and our daughter, then headed out to Midland where Mike went to see the Chapparal Gallery at the Permian Petroleum Museum. They have all six of the remaining cars from the 60's and 70's on display and in running condition.

We drove from Midland to Big Bend through Monahans and Marathon. In that part of Texas they have miles and miles of nothing but miles and miles.

Big Bend is amazing! Desert landscapes with beautiful mountain vistas! Yesterday we drove up to Chisos Basin, a campground up in the mountains. As you make the short drive off the desert floor and climb into the mountains, suddenly there are pine trees and the temperature drops 10 degrees. At the campground at Chisos Basin there are lots of signs warning campers to beware of black bears and mountain lions! On a long stretch of our drive, we could see in the distance in Mexico, a beautiful range of flat-topped mountains called the Sierra del Carmen. Today we drove to Lajitas and along El Camino del Rio, the road that runs from Lajitas along the Rio Grande toward Presidio. We didn't go all the way to Presidio because the road is washed out from floods. This drive is the most scenic in Texas! We have been fortunate to have gorgeous weather--chilly nights and mild or warm days, with bright blue clear skies.

We have pictures posted in our web album; you can check them out here: http://picasaweb.google.com/TxMike3

From here we are headed to Alpine, Marfa, and Ft Davis and the McDonald Observatory.

We'll keep you posted,
Mike and Ellen