On the Road Again

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Finally, we are once again on the road.  Spent our first night (yesterday) at the San Juan County Fairgrounds in Farmington, NM where we have stayed on several other occasions.  Water and electric only but for one night who needs more.  This time there was a dog show going on and also a carnival at the front end of the grounds.  This is a very large fairgrounds with numerous hook up areas.  We were in the back side of the grounds next to the river and away from the noise and congestion of the other events and the busy casino next to the highway.  Quiet evening and happy to be on the road.

Today found us traveling as far as Green River, UT north of Moab.  We traveled through Shiprock, NM and tried to get a good shot of the rock as today was a very clear day compared to other times we have passed this way; however, were unable to do so so showing you one taken on a previous trip when we drove parallel to it.  

Traveling on to Cortez, CO

and then into Utah,

there are a number of interesting formations which I photographed.

Most note worthy is the snow to be found on the mountains.  Gorgeous!

Before checking into our campground, we stop at our favorite place for lunch in Green River which is Ray’s Tavern.

My brother and wife introduced us to this place a number of years ago when it was mainly a tavern and the food a side line.  Unfortunately, it has been beautified a bit in recent years and now must serve food first and liquor secondary.  However, they do have great hamburgers and fries which we partake of whenever we are in the area.  In the bar days there was a pool table in the back and a jute box but now only tables and restrooms.  However, Superman still leaves his suit and cape in the telephone booth for quick retrieval when needed.

Our campground is a disappointment in several ways.  First, they rented out our reserved 50 amp space to someone else and even with our Escapees discount and 5% more off on a 30 amp, the place is not worth it.  Very weedy and unkept campground and one we will not stay at again.  Would have returned to another one we had stayed at before, but all campgrounds in the area are full.  Oh well, we have a place to stay and it is only for one night.  We did see the horses in the field across the fence from our campsite who seem to be enjoying their meal.

Tomorrow we move on to Draper, UT, just south of Salt Lake City to a campground we have stayed at many times and close to my brother’s home (four miles away).  Looking forward to seeing my brother, Gil and wife.  We will remain in Draper for a week before moving on north and across Nevada.

Busy Time in Albuquerque

Friday, May 12, 2017

Our time in Albuquerque has been longer than we originally planned, but we have both made the most of the time by doing things we both like to do.  Finished all our doctor appointments and saw all our friends and family last month.  Now we just have Ron’s unexpected dermatology surgery today.  It turned out to be four hours at the doctor’s office and much more extensive than we had thought.  The cancer was larger than expected on his ear and they have done more extensive work and lots and lots of stitches as well as a skin graft requiring me to be Nurse Kathy for the next week or so.  We still plan to leave next Saturday (May 20) after seeing the doctor but may return in mid summer for a follow up procedure and then leave again for closer and cooler parts until late August when we again return here for our regular semi annual doctor visits.

Ron has been watching many photography classes on his computer since the WIFI here at this KOA is located right next to our RV and he gets good reception.  This has been great since most of the RV Parks we stay at have very limited and slow WIFI.  We do have our air card; however, we are limited to the usage we pay for and classes really take up a lot of the time.

I on the other hand have been reading and have sold back some books to my favorite used bookstore here in town, but have also acquired a number of books on my trips with my friend, Ceil to the many flea market stores in town.  Oh well, they will all get read in time and donated along the way in our travels.

In addition to the reading, I have been sewing up a storm.  I completed the bindings on three quilts intended for grandchildren (one was already sent in December for her birthday) and these new ones have all been mailed off to be ready for presentation on birthdays this year.  All four quilts for the grandchildren have a music theme as all play an instrument. Probably hard to see what the material looks like in each block, but they all are musical.

In addition, I finished three table center pieces for my daughter and daughter in law as well as for us, have cut out and started piecing a bed runner for daughter, Laurie, 

Start  of blocks for Laurie's bed runner

cut and pieced a small wall hanging for us for Christmas and have been making blocks for a quilt (not sure who will receive it) made from scrap material.  So far I’ve made 50 blocks from scrap and need to make an additional 16 for a good sized quilt.  Since the scraps are reminders of projects I have done for family and friends in the past, I may decide to keep it for us.  I really do enjoy quilting.

Whew!  I’ve really been busy, but what else do I have to do while we wait.  By fall I should have most of the projects pieced and ready to start quilting them.  Don’t do much all summer as we are too busy sightseeing to have time to take out the sewing.

Have been reading our RV friends blogs and are enjoying their travels and learning about places we would like to visit down the road in the future.  There are so many interesting and different places to see in this country. 

Signing off until we reach Salt Lake City in another week or so.

Still in Albuquerque

Monday, May 1, 2017

Well, we thought our time in Albuquerque was about over, but the universe had other things in mind for us.  Ron needs to have a dermatology surgical procedure done on May 12 with at least one follow up visit so we will be remaining here in town until May 20.  However, this has not been an easy case of just extending our reservation.    All the campgrounds are full or not taking reservations for a month which has entailed scrounging around for a place to stay.  Not sure what is causing this as there is nothing going on here except construction at this time.  Strange.  Fortunately, after a couple of days wait, the KOA where we currently are staying was able to open up a spot for us because of our circumstances.  Thank goodness.  Now on to making new reservations for our trek to the northwest.  We hear things in that area of the country are already pretty full as well.   

 

Last Monday we were contacted by RV friends (Trish and Bob) when their travel plans changed and a few days in ABQ were in order.  We suggested they see what attraction might be of interest on this visit (they have been here several times before) and we would spend the afternoon sightseeing with them and introduce them to another of our favorite Mexican restaurants. 

Trish and Bob wanted to see the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center which Ron and I had not been to in many, many years.  The Center was founded in 1976 by the Pueblos of New Mexico to create exhibits to present the accomplishments and evolving history of the Pueblo people.   Ron and I noticed there were some changes to the building and were told an addition had been made to the front of the building several years ago as well as changes to the exhibits. 

Our first stop was to the center of the building which is an outdoor courtyard where Indian dances are performed and explained to visitors.  We watched four different dances (three by women and one by a man) all dressed in colorful and interesting costumes.  These dances are accompanied by a drummer and several singers singing in their native language. 

Next we reentered the Museum to view the exhibits and read the many explanations about the Pueblo culture.   The exhibits are laid out with areas designated as Emergence, Gifts of the Creator, Traditional Teachings, The Elders, The Children, Perseverance, and Until We Meet Again.  Each exhibit has many explanations and artifacts.  Below are a few pictures of things seen in some of the exhibits. 

This is a hand carved wood plaque.

This is a blanket made of feathers.

Some interesting facts about Pueblos are that “the Pueblo is a tribal nation, a body of land under a tribal government structure and a community made up of related people with similar beliefs, spirituality and lifestyle.”  There are 19 Pueblos in the state of New Mexico who speak in three different language families.  Pueblo communities celebrate seasonal cycles through prayer, song and dance with traditional agriculture and cuisine rooted in corn, beans and squash.  Art forms include weaving, pottery, drum making, jewelry and beadwork.

A short visit to our Old Town walking around the Plaza and walking through a few of the shops  was our next stop.  It was interesting to note that Old Town was very empty of visitors and even the Indians who normally sell their wares in front of one of the restaurants were mostly absent compared to many of the other times we have visited in the past.     The tree that appears to be behind the restaurant is actually growing up through the middle of the building. 

After a brief stop back at Trish and Bob’s RV to take their dog for a short walk, we drove to Sadie’s Mexican Restaurant which has some of the best Mexican food in Albuquerque.  Sadie’s has been a family owned restaurant for over 50 years serving recipes passed down for generations.  Their house specialty of enchilada’s was all of our choices along with house margaritas.  A delicious dinner and a fun afternoon.  Thanks for letting us share time with you again, Trish and Bob.  Safe travels until we meet again. 

Stay tuned for our further adventures in about three weeks.

.  

Albuquerque

Sunday, April 9, 2017

We have now been in Albuquerque for a week.  Left Tucson on Friday, March 31, but did not get very far.  We knew when we left that the winds were blowing in southern NM but decided we would try to make Deming (Plan A) if we could.  Just as we got to Benson, AZ (40 miles southeast of Tucson), we received a call from the campground in Deming telling us the road was closed from the Arizona border to Lordsburg, NM due to high winds and blowing dirt causing zero visibility. This is a common occurrence on I-10 in the spring in southern New Mexico. So Plan B was to stop at the Escapee Coop Campground in Benson for the night or two until it was safe to drive on. 

Saturday morning the road was clear and we proceeded to Deming for the night or so we thought.  Just as we set up in our space, the low air pressure alarm went off in the RV.  Ron checked around outside the RV to see what might be causing the problem and determined we needed to contact Roadside Assistance stating we had a mechanical problem with the air brake system.  Since it was Saturday afternoon and the next day was Sunday and any part that might be needed to fix the situation would not be available, it was suggested we stay put and the mechanic would come on Monday morning.  So much for a two day trip to Albuquerque that would now be four days.  We sat tight for Saturday night and Sunday (Plan C and D) enjoying just relaxing in the New Mexico sunshine watching other RV’s come and go from the campground.

Monday morning our mechanic arrived, assessed the situation, made a small adjustment in the valve that was stuck, tried to find a new valve in town, showed Ron how to make the adjustment if an adjustment was needed along the way and off we set to Albuquerque, 240 miles east and north.  Everything went well until we again got set up in Albuquerque.  Oh, well.  We are in town and parts and service people are available.  Ron purchased the new value on Tuesday for a small price and will be putting it on himself saving us some big bucks. 

We finally decided yesterday that the reason we have both been so sleepy is that we are not used to the higher altitude (over 5,000 feet) since we have been gone for six months.  I also developed another viral infection and have not been up to par so we have laid low before we start our doctor appointments next week and get together with our local friends and family.     It's  nice to be back at our home base before taking off for the summer to the northwest.     

Museums, Museums

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Today Ron and I met with our RV friends to tour two different kinds of museums here in Tucson.

Our first stop was at the Museum of Miniatures which opened here in Tucson in 2009.  What a fabulous place and what amazing artistry goes into these small works of art.  The Museum contains over 275 miniature houses and roomboxes, both antique and contemporary.  The museum is named "The Mini Time Machine" because visitors are transported to many different times and places, both real and imagined. 

A close up of the sewing machine above

There are three main galleries, the Enchanted Realm, the History Gallery and the Exploring the World gallery.  The museum also hosts temporary exhibits which today is “The Art Science of Portrait Miniatures."

Miniature portraits

The Museum was just fantastic and there was so much to absorb and to study in each of the exhibits.  I was sorry that there was no local artist working on a project while we were there though we did see the space for that person.  I took so many pictures of the many different houses, boxes, displays and it has been hard to give you a sampling that would do this place justice but I hope my reader will find the ones I selected interesting.  All I can say is if you are ever in Tucson, make the time to visit this place.  It is probably more interesting to women than men, but the artist (male or female) would certainly enjoy it.  The miniature scale is 1 to 12.  The detail in these miniatures is incredible.

Detail of the shelf from the top floor on picture above

Close up of room on right on top floor of picture above

Christmas Houses

A craftsman house replica of one in Pasadena, CA

Children's Dress Shop

Close up of  one side of Children's Dress Shop

Close up of store above

Close up of bottom two floors of picture above

After finishing at this Museum we drove a short distance to a more male oriented place.  This was the Museum of the Horse Soldier that can be found in Trail Dust Town.  Trail Dust Town developed around a restaurant called Pinnacle Peak which has been in Tucson since 1962.  There is also one in Phoenix.  More about Trail Dust Town after our visit to the Horse Museum.

The objective of the Horse Soldier Museum is to preserve the history and heritage of our United States Military mounted services and to recognize the horses contributions to U.S. military history.  The Museum contained displays of military uniforms, saddles and other military horse paraphernalia.  A small museum but displays were well laid out with interesting verbiage to read.

Saddle

Flag lost from Battle of Wheatfield, Gettysburg, PA 1863

We walked around Trail Dust Town taking pictures of the various buildings which at the time we were there were all closed.  They do not open the restaurants and shops until 4:30 in the afternoon.  The Town features shops, events and other attractions like Wild West Shows, a train ride, ferris wheel and carousel.  Kids can also pan for gold and all ages can test their aim at the shooting gallery. 

I have very fond memories of Pinnacle Peak Restaurant which in the 1960’s was the only building located here and out in a very open and unpopulated area.  The restaurant at that time featured cowboy steaks (large T bones which filled the plate) and cowgirl steaks which was the T-bone minus the rib eye.  They served a tossed salad, cowboy beans, and a roll for the price of $5 a person, if memory serves.    What a deal it was.  You sat at wood picnic tables covered in red and white check oil cloth tablecloths and if men came in with a tie on, they rang a bell and came with a pair of scissors to cut off half of it and hang it on the ceiling along with your business card or other descriptive information you provided.  What fun it was.  They still cut off ties today and you can see evidence of this in the picture below. 

Ron and I said goodbye to our friends until sometime next year and returned to our RV.  Since we had had breakfast at a late hour this morning, we later went downtown to the old Congress Hotel where Public Enemy #1, John Dillinger, was captured in 1934.  

This is a small hotel with interesting southwest architecture inside and a cute little restaurant we learned about from the days when Rachel Ray was doing her $40 a day meals in different location.  The restaurant is called “The Cup Cafe.”  We had eaten here several years ago and wanted to experience it again.
 

Hotel Lobby

Remember these?

Interesting chandelier in The Cup Cafe

Ron ordered a club sandwich with ham, turkey, bacon and avocado and lettuce and tomato sourdough with fries and I ordered a pastrami with bacon and peppery slaw, Gruyere cheese and grilled on marble rye served with fresh fruit.  Delicious.  The sandwiches were huge so we brought half of them home to be eaten at another time.

This week has been a busy one with lots of sightseeing.  After having lived here and visited on so many occasions, I am surprised at the things we have found to visit that we never had before.  Tomorrow will be our last day for this visit.  Believe it or not, we have found a few more things we want to see but will keep those for a visit next winter when we are in Casa Grande and can come for a day or two visit.