The Slow Trek From Bisbee to Ajo

After spending two months at Double Adobe in McNeal, AZ, we were welcoming the thought of traveling to a lower elevation where we could get back to wearing shorts. The day before we departed, I had the pleasure of going for a 4.5-mile in the hills above Bisbee with three hikers from the campground. Hiking high above the town really provides a different perspective of the terrain and natural beauty surrounding the town. Off to the west there are rolling hills and valleys, and quiet homesteads set far off in the distance. We followed one set of coordinates to view a geocache and saw remnants of prospecting holes.

View of the historical district from the Northwest.

A series of check dams built with fieldstone and masonry in the gulch for flood control.

According to a report in the Bisbee Daily Review, Dec 28, 1936, the Civilian Conservations Corps (CCC), under the Roosevelt New Deal, built the check dams. One can only imagine the difficulty of hauling the tools and supplies up steep hillsides to complete these structures.

Along the hike, there was evidence of past attempts of prospecting.

We were off to a late start leaving Double Adobe that just became more and more delayed. We went to start the Vanagon and apparently, the battery had just quit. After multiple attempts by our fellow RVer, Dan, we ended up pushing the van onto the driveway and backing the Motorhome into place to hitch up the van. We drove to Sierra Vista and were fortunate to have help from the Napa Auto Parts employee in installing the battery.

The next day, we drove a short distance up to Tucson and stayed almost a week at Casino Del Sol. We explored the local farmers market and Artisan shops in the historic district, Presidio San Augustin del Tucson. Although luck was not favorable in the casino, I really lucked out while sitting outside one Artisan shop. It turned out to be a jeweler, who was able to repair my favorite ring that I had twisted out of shape almost a year ago for gratis.

Ginger really enjoyed the landscape at the casino as the big smile indicates.

The next day we made our way to Ajo, AZ to spend a month in warmer weather. After the rain passed through earlier in the week, we spent the day exploring New Cornelia open pit mine and Ajo Historical Museum.

The pit is over one and a half mile wide and 1100 feet or deep.

There is a small museum at the overlook point and one of the volunteers we spoke with worked for the Phelps Dodge mining company repairing equipment for more than 30 years. He indicated that they hauled copper ore up out of the pit by use of rail cars and periodically relocated the tracks to accommodate the changing size of the mine.

The copper ore car carried 30 tons and was approximately 12’ high by 30’ long.

One of the various size rock crushers once used to reduce the rocks for smelting.

This equipment is huge compared to the man on the platform.

Jose was our guide in the Ajo Historical Museum housed in the former Saint Catherine’s Indian Mission.

After a fire destroyed the original chapel, this mission was a replacement built in 1942. It provided services for about 100 Indian families at the time. Jose also worked for the mining company for close to thirty years. He shared knowledge of the various parts of the copper smelting process. He also explained that when acid rain became an issue in the mid-seventies, the company was required to build an acid plant to contain byproduct in the copper process.

As part of the appreciation for visiting the museum, guests received walking sticks. Finally – a walking stick just my size.

Stay Tuned for the upcoming Annual Fiddlers Show and Contest, Feb 05 – Feb 08….

Staying Warm On A Cold Winters’ Night

When temperatures are dipping into the teens and the nights are getting longer we often yearn for yummy food. The most recent issue of Sunset Magazine pictured a bright and colorful pasta dish that really fit the ticket to fulfill that craving for a lip-smacking meal.

One of the challenges of preparing delicious meals while traveling in an RV involves the lack of counter and cabinet space. Travelers learn to be very creative in improvising solutions to overcome the lack of space or essential tools.

One of the tools I came to realize I did not want to live without in the kitchen was my food processor. I had a food processor in the ‘stick and brick’ home, but had to leave it in storage because it was too big to store on board the motorhome. I came across a perfect little four-cup replacement. I have used it several times and it fits in the kitchen cabinet. It has really helped in getting back to the real business of preparing decent meals.

I attempted to make the “Fettuccine with Squash & Pistachio Pesto” recipe but something went wrong… or shall I say really right!

Have you ever failed to follow a recipe exactly, because you think you know how to make that portion of the recipe based on your experience thus skipping steps and changing the proportions on certain ingredients? That is exactly what happened when I made this recipe.

As I was adding the ingredients to the food processor, I looked at the quantity of parsley called for in the recipe and did not think it would yield enough pesto so I increased the quantity.

For some reason, I could not get the lemon to zest on my flat grater so I sliced off some thin slices of lemon and the pulp to chop and grind in the processor.

I also missed part of steps three and four regarding the reserve pasta water and the quantity of oil to use in making the pesto. I was using past experience to guide me through this part of the recipe.

The measurements used included:

12 oz fettuccine cooked to desired doneness
2 tbsp oil for browning the squash until tender
1/4 cup olive oil in the food processor
3/4 to 1 cup tap water streamed in the processor until desired consistency
3 cups cubed fresh butternut squash
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from 1/2 large lemon plus pulp and three thin slices of rind
3/4 cup Kraft grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups curly leaf parsley including the stalks roughly chopped
Fresh ground pepper to taste

I am not sure what the original recipe tasted like, however, this version was a crowd pleaser and will definitely be worth repeating in the future. I think the combination of the lemon rind, pulp, and lighter pesto from using more water; less cheese and oil made the squash stand out as well as reduce the calories and nutrition metrics.

Using my phone App (MyNetDiary), the estimated per serving (as made) was 494 Cal.; 14 g protein; 34 g fat; 40 g carbo; 121 mg sodium; 7 mg chol. All values (except for fat being equal) were lower than the original recipe.

What is your favorite go-to recipe when you truly need something yummy?

The Technology Challenge

Many people embrace every new gadget as soon as they are available. I, on the other hand, tend to stretch the life of technology toys until necessary to upgrade. The charging port on my eight-year old Apple 3G had been increasing more difficult to accept a charge and battery life draining before day’s end.

Having solid access to wireless data and cell phone service is important for navigating our way along our travels. As we have had good luck with the StraightTalk mobile hotspot, it was time to change over our phones now that they were out of contract and get a new phone for Jackie.

After reviewing various Android and basic phones I had to decide if I was willing to give the Apple technology interface to save a few bucks on the retail purchase of a phone.

I decided to stick with Apple and upgraded to the new StraightTalk iPhone 6 no-contract plan to save about half in monthly cell phone costs and reduce overall outlay over the life of my new phone. StraightTalk allows access to AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. This should provide better coverage on the road.

Now I had the challenge of getting my older Windows Vista laptop updated enough to work with iTunes and the new iPhone. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts to download the latest version of iTunes I finally get it downloaded.

Now what! It will not install.

The message indicates my 32.-bit pc is incompatible with the new 64-bit download. This is contrary to what the download system requirements indicate.

I was starting to get the feeling that I need to be careful in what I wish for. I just wanted to get iTunes to work and have my music on my phone for my daily walks.

I finally found a third party site that was not riddled with malicious software that had a free download of 32-bit version of iTunes 12. Now I am back in business and my Christmas wishes have been fulfilled.

Merry Christmas to all my friends and family!

Sandhill Cranes

Whitewater Draw in nearby McNeal, AZ is a 1500-acre wildlife viewing area that is home to an estimated 20-30,000 Sandhill Cranes that migrate to the area during the winter months. We first visited the Draw last year with some other RVers who were avid bird enthusiasts.

This is a great place to see multiple species of birds including ducks, geese, herons, and egrets.

The Draw also attracts different species of mammals including bobcats, javelina, and mule deer. During the day, the birds feed and socialize in the surrounding fields and by nightfall take refuge away from predators in the shallow waters. This area has become the most popular area in Arizona for viewing Sandhill Cranes. We took advantage of the autofocus binoculars and benches on the viewing platform to sit and watch the constant regrouping of birds.

I captured a photo of a group flying overhead, but this photo does not give proper   perspective of the large groups that are at rest all around the water.

There is a constant murmur of “crane chat,” and every now and again large numbers would fly over the water from one side to the other. The sound of the wings in this small group made a low roar similar to that of a helicopter propeller.

The Draw also attracts other types of birds, whether it is divers or dabblers. Divers have large feet and short legs aiding in diving into water for food. Dabblers have larger wings and small feed. They skim the water surface for food and when they need to search below the surface will tilt their bodies forward to submerge their heads.

The following day we visited the Draw with fellow Double Adobe RVers as the sun was about to set. On this evening, there are not as many cranes roosting near the viewing platforms, but not all was lost. A couple from New Jersey is on the viewing platform with their bird guide. They have been visiting several bird watching areas in the southeastern corridor over a four-day guided tour. The couple allows us to view the Cranes through their long-range camera equipment and we share our stories of travel and their plans to bird watch in Arizona.

Another beautiful Arizona sunset. What a way to close out the evening at Whitewater Draw!

Western Boots 101

Since arriving in Arizona last year, Dianne has wanted to buy a pair of western boots. Boots are the perfect footwear for the dusty desert here in the Southwest and are ideal when walking on trails where critters, i.e., SNAKES, might be lurking.

There had been countless visits to various western wear stores in Arizona and Texas to try on boots. Unlike shoes with laces, leather boots require a perfect fit as the leather molds to the wearer’s foot. A great fit from heel-to-toe prevents the foot from sliding and toes getting pinched. Unfortunately, many of the shops we visited were staffed by clerks who allowed us to look around on our own, without providing much guidance on how to buy a comfortable fitting boot.

Lady luck was in our corner when we visited Spur Western Wear in Tombstone. The owner, Sonja, was there that day and for the next hour, we learned more about boots than we could have imagined. Sonja owns western wear stores in Tombstone, Benson, and Sierra Vista and has been selling boots for 42 years. She told us that the first step in buying boots for the proper fit is to measure the foot.

The last time a salesperson measured my foot was when I was a child. As we age, the arch often becomes elongated and the width of the foot becomes narrower. Adults, should have their feet measured about every five years as it may be necessary to go into a larger size but narrower width depending on the material of the shoe.

As everyone’s foot is unique, it often seems a good fit from a particular manufacturer is impossible. Different boot designers use different molds (called a last) to shape and build a boot. This explains why a person who has a narrow heel and wide toe span might get a better fit in Tony Lamas boots rather that Justin Boots, according to Sonja.

Sometimes, a good fit might be just a matter of tweaking the boot. Some of the adjustments that can be made include breaking in the shaft (boot part covering your leg) just by bending back and forth in your hands; smoothing out the heel lining to suppress the tacks or stitches by pounding with a long bolt; and, stretching the fit in the mid-foot area to flex the leather in-and-out.. Every part of the boot, except for the toe box, can be stretched to accommodate a particular area of the foot. The toe box contains a stiff piece of material to protect the toes and cannot be manipulated.

“These boots are made for walking”…

Have you ever noticed the toes on boots point upward more than others do? It has to do with toe spring, heel height and the fine balance to allow proper posture. Toe spring prevents people from tripping.

The human foot utilizes four rolling movements to walk: from heel, to ball, to toes, to push-off. Shoes restrict natural foot movement. Heels over two inches reduce movement to just a push-off entirely by the ball of the foot. The higher the heel, the greater the “heel wedge angle” that is needed to help maintain balance between the ball of the foot and heel. If you are interested in the dynamics of foot movement, Dr. William A Rossi wrote a very interesting article that explores this topic in-depth at http://www.unshod.org/pfbc/pfrossi2.htm.

Needless to say, after an hour trying on 4-5 different boots, and with Sonja’s professional assistance, Dianne bought her first pair of western boots. Instead of buying a size 9M as she intended, the perfect measurement and size turned out to be 8½ B (narrow). The style and brand was not what she originally was looking at, but the size and fit is perfect.

According to Sonja, it only takes three days for a boot to mold to the individual’s foot. Once the leather is molded, the boot is the most comfortable footwear ever.

By now, we were famished and found a great place for lunch. Big Nose Kate’s Saloon had a wide selection of food.

We chose The Hotel Burger and a Cuban Style Panini. Both were excellent.

After lunch, we visited Boothill Graveyard.

There were numerous unknown markers and some markers told a story. “Here Lies Lester Moore. Four Slugs from A 44 No Les No More”.

The desert flora is slowly encroaching upon the graves over time.

Double Adobe

When this blog started, I thought we would take you through all our travels during last 17 months, but then that would mean not sharing where we are currently and what we’re doing. We were anxious to return to the Arizona and the West Coast leaving behind all the mosquitoes, no-see-ums, stink bugs and the humidity of the East Coast.

In mid-November, we returned to Arizona for the winter and are staying at a park we visited last February: Double Adobe Campground in McNeal (about 13 miles south of Bisbee and 25 miles north of Naco, Mexico). Double Adobe has many “regulars” who are returning after Thanksgiving to stay for the winter season.

Some of the things we enjoy about this park are the nice, friendly people, the easy-going nature of the park’s management, i.e., no long list of strict rules, and the extra wide space between the sites.

From the recreation area, the view of the Mule Mountains changes daily.

Humor helps keep traffic speed in check at Double Adobe.

We recently drove 30 miles north to the historic town of Tombstone and strolled through shops. The hillsides and sagebrush along the route blends together and makes us wonder —how did the cowboys find their way here without road maps and GPS?

We are learning about the region from talking with guests at the park and reading local literature. One magazine entitled “Edible Baja Arizona,” provides insight into southeastern Arizona restaurants and types of foods grown locally. The method of working the land in the dry desert environment is challenging. The monsoons this summer delayed the planting of some crops that normally started in September, but not for all. In Tombstone, away from the tourist areas, one couple uses an aquaponics system to raise Tilapia and fresh vegetables inside a large dome-shaped building using 10 to 20 percent less water than open ground gardens.

Border Patrol recently gave a presentation here at the Double Adobe clubhouse to share firsthand knowledge of their operations. The agents discussed illegal human and drug trafficking, processing procedures, and statistical information.

What do you do if you see suspicious activity? The precautions were 1) never confront the individual(s), 2) move from the area safely and, 3), contact Border Patrol with as much description of location as possible.

Once individuals are detained, the processing procedures varies depending on whether they are repeat offenders and if they can be returned to Mexico for processing by its government.

Border Patrol utilizes several methods to monitor large tracts of difficult terrain including ATVs, horses, mountain bikes, boats, and drones. In some remote regions, they also have mobile campuses where agents stay and work seven-day shifts.

The agents estimate roughly 50% get through undetected, and the influx changes periodically with individuals coming from Mexico and other Central American countries and even coming from overseas countries. The exact numbers are difficult to track because of the numbers being turned back repeated times.

At the park, we have a different type of patrol. the Javelina!

Our RV neighbors, Bob and Sandi, share cracked corn with the deer that graze here at night, but apparently this “bad hair day” Javelina is also enjoying the corn bounty. Javelinas are not in the same family as the domestic pig. They migrated from South America. They can be especially aggressive toward domestic pets if offspring are present.

Tonight, the local 4H club will serenade Double Adobe campers with Christmas carols as they make the rounds through the park collecting food for less fortunate families.

Back Tracking

In the Fall of 2013, we headed south to Arizona for warmer weather. Traveling east on I-40, we stayed overnight in Kingman, AZ. The next day we stopped in Seligman along historic Route 66.

This is one of many reconstructed buildings depicting the early days.

What interesting rules for stagecoach riders.

The elevation in Seligman is over 5,000 feet. There are miles and miles of ranch land, and, with the cool breezes, one has to be tough or bundle up to tolerate this environment.

The next day we traveled to Williams and stayed at Kaibab National Forest. This has been the nicest NFS park we have visited, so far. The sites were very spacious and the flora was beautiful.

Wild flowers surround the lake and hills.

The one place that has always on my bucket list was to visit Sedona. Well, it was a short visit. We could not have timed it worst. It was the start of the peak season in October.

There is practically no place to park the RV in town, which meant foregoing a visit to a highly recommended restaurant. We started to re-think whether we could continue this trip without a tow vehicle.

We approached Sedona from the south on Highway 179 as suggested by several RVers versus driving south on route 89A. The Ranger’s station was south of Sedona and they did not know the status of vacancy at the campgrounds north of town. The two campgrounds are north of Sedona, so we actually drove a substantial section of route 89A only to find no vacancy. The sites were very tight and more suitable for tent camping.

The views and colors in Sedona are spectacular. Some day we plan to return and enjoy hikes and the vistas.

We toured Prescott, Camp Verde, and a few other northern Arizona towns. Then, while reading a travel magazine, we found a promotion offering a two-week stay in a gated RV resort for the price of one week.

We headed to Palm Creek RV and Golf Resort in Casa Grande. Once registered, we followed the escort to our site. The escort informed us that all recreational vehicles require an escort to their site. If the escorts were off duty, we would have to park in the main parking lot and not return to our site until the next morning. In that moment, we both knew our decision: we needed a tow vehicle. After our two-week stay at Palm Creek, we would drive back to California to get our VW Vanagon out of storage.

We enjoyed spectacular sunsets while in Casa Grande.

As we made our way north, we stopped at a Passport America park in Desert Hot Springs to spend the night. We quickly discovered that soaking in the natural hot mineral pools could become addictive.

The next day we chose to connect with Hwy 395 to avoid another journey on I-5. This scenic route took us through high desert country – a place where dirt and yuccas reign. Most homes were set back on unpaved roads and had large water tanks outside.

TWENTY MULE TEAM MUSEUM

This donation-based museum in Boron, CA was an absolute delight. Do you remember television commercials for Borax? Well, this is one such mine where the precious stuff originated. The museum had several crystal rock formations on display and an extensive history of the Twenty Mule Team. Teamsters trained mules to handle complex maneuvers to keep the wagons from overturning along the long route from the mines across the desert to the nearest rail station. The museum meanders through several rooms, and one could easily spend a whole day here.

From Hwy 395, we connected to Hwy 58, driving over the Tehachapi Mountain range. There was a light haze on the horizon making for a mesmerizing drive.

As we got closer to the San Francisco Bay Area, we made the appointment to get a tow package installed. During the time before our appointment, we traveled towards Napa Valley to enjoy the weather and some fine dining.

WINE COUNTRY

In late October, we picked up our van in Northern California and our GPS took us on some offbeat roads to Calistoga, CA. We stayed two blocks north of downtown at the Napa County Fairgrounds. We have discovered that county fairgrounds often have camping facilities and are a great way to visit an area and be close to downtown.

Highway 128 was a challenging drive through the back hills of Napa County. The switchbacks and steep grades are five miles down the road and continue for what seemed like twenty.

Getting a tow package installed on a 1990 Westfalia was a bit of a challenge. You simply cannot plug the vehicle into a computer diagnostic machine to analyze problems. The tow package installation took longer than anticipated, and after two weeks at Trailer Haven campground in downtown San Leandro, we could not wait to get back on the road again.

Heading back to Arizona we stayed overnight at Rio Bend RV Park in El Centro, CA.

The sunset seemed to linger that evening before total darkness set in.

Next up, more travels in Arizona………….

Our First Year and The Oregon Coast

My very first thought when we ventured out on a two year travel adventure was to include a blog to share our experiences with family and friends. Well, the blog “inspiration” started in October 2013. Then, as we started to travel there were so many things to learn about traveling in an RV. We didn’t realize so much knowledge was needed – RV repairs, maintenance, and, how to safely handle steep grades. Thus, the blog took  a back seat.

We have traveled over 16,000 miles since starting out in June 2013, and have visited some amazing places. As travel took place over the past 17 months, I plan to bring everyone up to date with our recent travels over the next several weeks. Locate the Follow Button in the sidebar or footer to receive notification of updates to the blog.

We sold our home in California, once the real estate market recovered and started traveling. We headed to Oregon to spend the summer, before starting our volunteer positions as interpretive guides at Cape Blanco Lighthouse.

We thoroughly enjoyed the summer in Oregon, both as volunteers and visiting with our good friends in Oregon (Guy and Julie).

Ginger and Bella (Guy and Julie’s Aussie) having a blast with in the water at Netarts, Oregon. We stayed at Big Spruce RV (a Passport America park) directly across the street. Passport America is one of many RV clubs that charge a nominal fee to join in exchange for discounted rates at parks, generally 50% discount.

While at the cheese factory in Tillamook, I did get back in line a second time to sample cheese. It was so good. We left there with several types of cheese and fudge.

As a lover of seafood, I am always open to trying out restaurants where there is seafood chowder or fish and chips on the menu. North of Tillamook, in the small fishing town of Garibaldi, is Pacific Seafood Restaurant and pack house. They shuck and process oysters as well as serve them up several ways. I chose the Cioppino, and enjoyed every bit.

With the hot and humid summers in Oregon, we would have the pleasure of a visit from our friends several more times along the coast.

In Newport, we spent an afternoon tasting the Chocolate Ale at the Rogue Ale Brewery with our friends Guy and Julie. We also sent a growler of this fine dark rich brew home with Guy.

Further down the coast, we stayed in Florence. What a magical time of the day near the water waiting for the fog to lift.

 

If our travels take us back to Cape Blanco, a day trip to the BLM land (Bureau of Land Management) up the Sixes River will be a fun time to pan for gold. These rocky inlets are the reason for the lighthouse.

I spent most of my volunteer time on the lower level of the lighthouse in the oil room while others were upstairs 80 feet above in the lens room explaining the Fresnel lens.

Our volunteer friends, Mike and Michelle, spent their free time scouring the beaches for Agates to decorate our water spigots at the Cape Blanco State Park. The road to the beach is like entering another world. The time went by quickly and the weather was unusually pleasant for the month of August (compared to the Cape’s extreme weather where the wind can exceed 100 miles per hour accompanied by rain and fog.) We only experienced one day (while on duty) when a 58 mile per hour storm was blowing sideways. Yes! we were all soaked by the time we reached the lighthouse.

After our volunteer time at Cape Blanco, we explored more of the Willamette  Valley and one of our stays was at Doreen Lake, A Corps of Engineer park. The sites were very spacious and we enjoyed watching wildlife on the water from our site.

    

West of Medford is the historic town of Jacksonville. There are some vineyards in the area, and was once another favorite place for gold mining. This was a great experience exploring the quaint downtown area and is a popular place amongst tourists.

At some point we will return to Oregon, but have the Northwest on our agenda for early next year. Until then, look for for the next chapter of our first year travels. See you soon – and enjoy Thanksgiving.

 

 

 

Arctic Air

The recent blast of arctic air was anticipated and, as usual, I drained the water line and turned off the outside faucet. I failed to drain the residual amount of water from the water filter and quess what? It cracked in the 20 degree freeze.  Just the fact it was not a brand new filter gave me a little peace of mind.