The Adventure from NM to California

I haven't meant to neglect you all - just been busy having fun living the retired life. We spent 2 nights in Benson, Arizona - that's in the southeastern part of the state. The family spent several months at Fort Huachuca just north of Benson, so we had to visit again. Sierra Vista has certainly grown and Bisbee is still there - a bit more gentrified than when we lived there, but so beautiful. We also visited the Coronado National Monument - yes, that Coronado visited the area. The funny part is that we'll be visiting Salina, Kansas in a few weeks and that's the northern most place he visited and we'll have pictures for you then. So, here are the pictures I took in Arizona:

Big B for Bisbee

Here's a great example of Bisbee architecture and it's for lease/sale. There were great antique shops and I bought lots of books to deface and rebuild - don't worry Librarian friends, they aren't value.

 And once you finish shopping, visit the Bisbee Breakfast Club for lunch (it's not open for dinner.) I read about it on roadfoodblog.com.




We left Benson, Bisbee, Sierra Vista Arizona and moved on to Blythe, California. We camped on the Colorado River - the shore on the left is Arizona and California is the right shore - Southern California exists because of water from the Colorado River but I think Arizona won a big suit getting "custody" of its water but don't quote me on that:

We traveled through a big wind farm at Palm Springs. Haven't been there since I was a little kid and perhaps we can go back. Next, we landed in Banning, CA. What a great campgound - a KOA. Larry and I both  want to spend a lot more time there. We could see Idyllwild - a mountain community and you can see it still has snow on the mountain. We're looking at it from the high desert - I love the fact that you can be in the snow one minute and the desert an hour later. Enjoy Idyllwild:

And we arrived in Anaheim CA home of Disneyland. We were fight behind Disneyland and could see The Matterhorn Mountain and the fireworks each evening



We visited family and they visited it - great seeing all the Harpers and Aunt Mary. Lora and I antiqued in Orange and Scott, Pam and Greg joined us at Disneyland. We rode some of our favorites - Pirates of the Caribbean, Mark Twain Paddle Steamer among others - and 2 new ones - Star Tours (Star Wars and wasn't it fun) and Raiders of the Lost Ark (another one that I'll do again.). Thought you'd like to join us too:

Entrance to Disneyland

It's a Small World - didn't go on this one because we didn't want the song in our heads for the rest of the trip

R2D2 and C3PO

Well, we found California had changed a lot - like we have. Nothing we remembered still existed as we remembered it. But then we've changed, too. We ate at favorite places of yore but things didn't taste the same as we remembered it. Family haven't changed and it was wonderful seeing them all. Thanks you guys!! We really had fun. We left Anaheim today and are now outside of Barstow California near Daggett. Both Larry and I love the Calico Ghost Town/Mine and will visit tomorrow. Now we KNOW that will have changed since it was purchased by Walter Knott (Knott's Berry Farm) and he added lots to it. I think we'll also go rock hunting and if there's time and we feel so inclined, we'll see the Petroglyphs - or perhaps save that for another trip. It's time for me to stop now - more adventures tomorrow. Bye!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

We spent today in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Of course we had to visit the Farmers and Crafters Market in Las Cruces.Then on to the original settlement called Mesilla where there was a Fiesta - complete with Mariachi music and dancing. Lunch was at La Posta restaurant - I highly recommend it - New Mexico Mexican food is different than the Sonora-style I'm used to but very good. Thought you might enjoy seeing pictures of Mesilla and Las Cruces:

Las Cruces Museum

Mesilla Residence

Mariachi Mesilla Fiesta

Dancers - Mesilla Fiesta

 Here are 2 more murals from Texas Rest Stop restrooms:

I like T. Boone Pickens' ideas about energy and it looks like Texas has embraced it too - take a look at the wind farms around Midland & Odessa - I added a picture of what we used to see - oil wells (Larry ways they're called "Nodding Donkeys") to show the old and new energy ideas:

The Future - Midland & Odessa Texas

Today - West Texas

Another day of rest before we move West and the cats are happy about that. Enjoy yourselves - we'll be looking for interesting things for you to see. I leave you with night view of Las Cruces from the KOA campground:

We  made it to Waco, Texas - home of the Texas Rangers Museum, Baylor University, the Brazos River, Rudy's BBQ and our friends the Weatherbys. The picture at the right is the Texas Rangers Museum (that's law enforcement rangers not the sports team) - lots of rifles, pistols and Western gear. I'd forgotten that the Texas Rangers captured Bonnie and Clyde so there was lots of stuff captured with them and their gang and I really enjoyed that.

The Weatherby's took us to Rudy's BBQ and that was a great place. We thought you might enjoy what it looks like inside we highly recommend it if you're in the area:

We spent 2 great days in Waco and will return to do much more.
 

Rest Stop on I-35W

And what can we say about the Rest Stops in Texas (at least along the routes we took). They are ready for heat and lots of fresh air, they were clean, and well decorated with colorful murals (the same picture in the 2 I visited, but so artistic.) Aren't they cool?

We're in Abilene, Texas tonight and then on to Van Horn, Texas. Man, there's a lot of Texas. Our next real rest is Las Cruces, New Mexico. Larry and I have wanted to explore it for many years and we're going to take 3 days. Nicole, we'll say HI to Las Cruces for you.

Enjoy yourselves and we'll talk to you again soon.