Pima Air Museum

We went to visit the Pima Air Museum in Tucson and the airplane boneyard  at Davis-Montham AFB.  The museum was very interesting with a lot a great displays. We took a hour tram ride around the grounds where there are over 300 planes on display.  We then boarded a bus for Davis-Montham and toured around the boneyard where there are over 4000 planes from around the world stored there.

We have spent a lot of time at the pool. doing a little hunting for some Geocaches, playing a little horseshoes and just hanging out.  Have really enjoyed our visit with the SoCal Plendls. We will be hitting the road ourselves on Monday, heading for home via Colorado and Iowa. 

Garret

California Company

Jeff, Vicki, Garrett and Justin are visiting from California.  They arrived last Friday.  Yesterday we went to the Mesa Market which is 55 covered acres of vendors.  That is about 2.5 miles of things to look at  and buy.  Today we got up and headed our for Superior and some rock hunting.  We did about a mile or so of backroading, over rock and down into gullies and creeks to arrive at our destination - an old Perlite mine.  Imbeded in the rock face are obsidian rocks or Apache Tears as they are called locally.  So we spent some time with hammer and chisel digging out the rocks.  Garret was in 7th heaven and was very helpful in identifying some other rocks for us.  Jeff really enjoyed the off-roading element. I had a small run-in with a Cholla cactus but Jeff pulled the stickers out with a pliers so not too much harm done. We left there and headed to Globe for some lunch.  Then a short drive up to Tonto National Monument to check out the Cliff Dwellings. We were able to explore the dwelling and take in the fantastic view of Roosevelt Lake and valley.  Finished the day with soak in the hot tub.

Garrett the Rockhound

View from the Cliff Dwelling

Tonto Cliff Dwelling

 

Picacho Peak

We visited Picacho Peak State Park, the only site of a civil war battle fought in Arizona.  Hiked one and a half miles ( round trip -let's not get crazy) to a look out point.  Amazing views of the desert and Tucson in the distance.

Trailhead
 

Sequaro cactus gets its first arm at age 60.

beautiful day

Tucson and Globe AZ

We are enjoying some very pleasant weather in Florence and have been keeping pretty busy. We visited the Besh-Ba-Gowah Indian ruins, San Xavier Del Bac Mission and Old Tucson.  All three were very interesting. The Indian site was at its peak about 1450AD. The Mission was established in the 1600's and Old Tucson is a western town used as a movie site since 1940.  We are really enjoying our stay here and seem to find plenty of things to do that does not involve yard work or house work.  A real plus.

Besh-Ba-Gowah Indian Site Globe AZ

Old Tucson

San Xavier Del Bac Mission
 

Arizona Update

 It has been a busy time in Florence since returning from Washington for Christmas.   We took a day trip to the Besh-Ba-Gowah Archaeological Park in Globe AZ.  This is the remains of a 700 year old pueblo where you can explore some of the rooms, climb ladders into upper stories and view how the original residents lived.  Some areas have been extensively restored and some have been excavated.  It was very interesting.  We had a lunch at a little Mexican restaurant.  Since there is a real lack of good Mexican food  where we live, it has been our goal to find the best Mexican food we can find.  The restaurant in Globe met the criteria.


We have been in the midst of a cold snap with highs in the low 40's and night time temperatures in the 20's.  This is the longest stretch of freezing temps since 1988.  We have managed to keep the pipes from freezing and are anxiously waiting for the warmer weather to return. 

We have been enjoying quite a few of the activities sponsered by the park.  Lots of occasions to visit with neighbors or learn something new.  We learned how to play Bocci ball and I completed a stained glass project.  Gary plays horseshoes several times a week and is working on a gourd project.

Today we went to the Lost Dutchman Mining Camp restaurant with others from the park and enjoyed a nice lunch and entertainment.

First Days in Florence

We have been in Florence for a few days and have settled in and all systems are working perfectly.  We arrived last Thursday after spending a few days in Palmdale CA with Jeff, Vicki, Garret and Justin. We also met up with Bob and Leah Garrettson. who will also be at Desert Gardens.  I cannot say enough about the weather.  It has been warm days and cool nights and we are loving it.  It's hard to believe that it is November and we should be thinking about Christmas. We have checked out Florence, Coolidge and Casa Grande, each town a little bigger than the last.  Clearly, Casa Grande has more to offer in regards to shopping but Safeway and Walmart are close by.  We attended a community Pizza Party the first night we were here and met a few people.  They truly are from all over the country.  There are lots of activities.  Gary wants to check out the card games. pool tables, horse shoe pits and the woodworking shop.  There are walking trails and of course the pool and fitness room.  Also, there is a small library and crafts room.  We should be able to find something to keep us busy. Right now, just spending most of the day outside has been a real treat.

Common Area

Desert Trail

Our Site

Sunset

The dream that we have had for a long time is finally becoming a reality.  After years of thinking about it, months of planning and days of packing, we have set off on our "snowbird adventure".  We are heading to Florence AZ for a few months of sun and new experiences.  We left yesterday and made our first stop in Gold Hill OR.  It was a pretty uneventful day and only hope we have more of the same mechanically speaking. Woke up to rain on the roof  - not a new experience.  Heading over the Siskyous today and towards more sunny climes.