Willcox, Arizona

We got a semi-early start this morning. Well, ten o'clockish. First, we stopped at Gas City for our propane then headed east on I-10. The drive went fine although the weather was gray and cool.


We arrived at the Fort Willcox RV Park about 11:45 and found an older park. It doesn't have the "it" factor for us but it's convenient to some of the sightseeing that we want to do. Doug hurried to get the satellite tv dish set up so we could watch the nascar race. Since Arizona doesn't use daylight savings, all of the tv shows are an hour earlier than our clock. Throws me off every time! So, we had an hour to kill until the start of the race.


The park is nearly empty except for a few park models and some older rvs that are extended stay vehicles. The park appears to be under new ownership so maybe there will be some improvements.


The rec hall is worn and tired just like the town of Willcox itself. It was sad to see that about half of the buildings were shuttered and dead. Out near the freeway are the usual dozen fast food joints, gas stations and a Safeway.


We are parked next to the propane tank and the dumpsters. But, we have 50 amp power and excellent phone and internet service. I guess not every park can be a resort. The owners are nice and it's a Passport America park, meaning the price is 50% off for us so we're not complaining.


Besides, we have some really nice neighbors. Everywhere we look are birds and bunnies.


And maybe we will get some nice sunrises out the front window. We do have a nice view of the Chiricahua mountains. (I think)

Happy Valentines Day

Even though we aren't big supporters of this made-up, commercialized, non-official holiday, we wish all of you love, happiness and a day as sweet as chocolate.

We have pretty much spent the day visiting with neighbors, doing laundry and getting ready to move tomorrow. It will be early when we leave the park (for us) because we need to stop and get propane. That involves a little backtracking to the last exit in order to save $1.80 per gallon! Yup, that's right. I called the Travel America truck stop near Willcox and propane is $3.89 per gallon! So, I checked with the Gas City truck stop back one exit from where we are staying and it's only $2.09 a gallon. We have a 40 gallon tank that is very low and I figure we will save $50 by going back to Gas City.

The other reason we need to get an early start is the Daytona 500 starts around noon and we want to be settled into our new site with the tv satellite hooked up and ready in time for the race. Can't miss Kasey Kahne's first win. (I hope)

Happy V Day!!!

Chuckles and Chiricahua

We will be moving again on Sunday and thought we would take a ride to scope out a boondocking place that I had found on the internet. There's a great website called Free Campgrounds and we have had success with it in the past. We knew that we wanted to spend some time at Chiricahua National Monument and there were some places in the Coronado Forest that sounded perfect.


Driving east on I-10 and then south on 186 led us to the entrance of Chiricahua. Just before entering the park, we took a right, up a gravel and dirt road. For the first couple of miles, it wasn't too bad. There were a couple washboard areas and a few potholes.



Then we noticed that we were climbing. And soon, the road became narrow and there were patches of snow along the edge.


Just before we came to the Coronado National Forest, we found this sign.


When you look closer, you see this sign. Africanized bees were not on our list of boondocking attractions. This brought a smile to our faces.


We finally entered the forest where the places to pull off the road and park were supposed to be. By now, the road had turned to mud and snow and the trees were overhanging the road. The mud was actually slicker than the snow! And, we were chuckling at the thought of bringing the coach up here.


Then Doug turned off the road onto a smaller road back into the parking spots. The ruts were horrible, the snow and mud were worse and the trees were so close together that we would need a shoehorn. At this point, we were doubled over laughing. What if we had just brought the coach without checking it out!!

The car turned itself around and hightailed it out of there. When we got back to Chiricahua it was mid afternoon so we pulled out our National Park Pass and drove into the park for free. (saved us $10!)


It was a fantastic 8 mile drive up the mountains with scenery to die for. When we arrived at the top, where some of the trailheads start, it was so cold that all we could do was take a couple of pictures. But, we decided that we definitely want to see more. So, instead of boondocking in the muck, we will probably find a park with hookups near Willcox and spend a full day at Chiricahua.

What a fun day! First a nice visit with our pals Doug and Diane M. Then, a hysterical trip searching for a boondock spot followed by a fantastic ride through mother nature. So much to look forward to every morning!

Job Offer

We have had a pretty day today. The breeze can be quite brisk at times but the temperature has been hovering around 70 all day. We are still drying out the basement, so the warmth is appreciated.

We had a good chuckle this morning. Our resume has been posted on Workampers.com for a few days and we received a job offer! It was from Oaklake Trails Nature Preserve in Oklahoma. I was really excited until I found out that they were located a short distance from the recent tornadoes. Then, the gentleman mentioned that it is a clothing optional resort. Hahahahahahaha! He was quick to add that we would not be required to remove our clothes but that most people at the resort did. I thanked him for the offer but told him that I would not be very comfortable under those circumstances. He thanked me for the honesty and wished us well in our job hunt.

We are finding that we can afford to be a little picky about which position we take. We only want something part time and for a short duration. There seem to be a lot of campgrounds and parks that need help. So, we'll keep looking.

Our package is due to arrive today, but we haven't seen it yet. Hopefully tomorrow I will have some pictures of our new window shade.

Almost Forgot You!

We've had a busy day here at the coach. We woke up to a water overflow and spent the day trying to dry things out and do laundry. Doug had to make a run to Lowes for a fan to help the drying situation.

The weather has improved a little. But, it sure gets cold at night. It was 28 degrees at 7am! The precipitation has stopped, the snow has melted and we were almost to 70 degrees this afternoon. We needed the warmth to get the basement dry. Hopefully we'll get another good day tomorrow.

Our mail from South Dakota arrived with lots of tax information forms. Yuck. At least we will be able to get the IRS off our minds next week. Tomorrow the rest of the packages should arrive and we are looking forward to heading east. We'd like to find some sun and stay away from tornadoes.

A.R.E.Y.O.U.K.I.D.D.I.N.G.M.E!!!!

Okay......is this someone's idea of a joke?????


This is what we saw when we got up this morning! 30 degrees and snowing!


Puhleeeeze....somebody pinch me......I can't believe this!



Eventually, I had to put my shoes on and go outside for a picture.

Update: The snow has stopped, the sun is shining and it's almost 40 degrees. Woohoo! But, now the wind is blowing like crazy. When that mail shows up, we are going to find some sunshine.

Back to Benson

We tried to dodge the rainstorms for our move, but weren't entirely successful. We left St David around 11am for our short trip back to Benson to the Valley Vista RV Park in the middle of a rain shower.


The rain stopped long enough for Doug to get everything hooked up and the satellite dish set in place. Then it sprinkled again several times throughout the rest of the day.


We almost didn't get back into this park this week. They are very full and everyone is squeezed in pretty tight. But, that's okay with us. We needed to stay in this area for another week in order to receive a package and mail that is crucial. So we are grateful that we were able to stay at Valley Vista again.

Getting Ready for the Storm

We spent another lazy, relaxing day at home except for the big storms that were supposed to roll in. Doug put away everything outside and battened down the hatches. And then, we opened the windows because it was too warm. No sign of a storm......just fluffy, white clouds drifting past us.

The wind picked up early in the evening and about 1 o'clock in the morning the rain started. It poured all night. Guess the weatherman knew what he was talking about!

We plan on moving tomorrow, so it was nice to get things put away ahead of time. We watched the nascar Budweiser Shootout race and talked to family off and on all day.

Checking Out the Park

We stayed home and relaxed today. So, I thought I would show you some pictures we took of the clubhouse here at the St David RV Resort.


Constructed in the southwest style, the main clubhouse is very striking. It has several entrances and patios that make it feel casual and comfortable.


The interior is slightly worn, but welcoming with the conversation settings and bright, airy colors.


In the other corner of the main room is a large fireplace. In addition to this room, there is a kitchen, game room, activity room (with books) and office.


After crossing one of the patios, we found the pool area. It's still warm enough in the mid afternoon to enjoy the outdoor pool.


There are also two small lakes stocked with bass and catfish and several small ponds connected by tiny canals.


We found shuffleboard courts and horseshoe pits as well as a tiny putt-putt golf course. I didn't get pictures of the activity building. But there are tons of classes, card games, exercises and entertainment in the other building too.


We do like this park and are looking forward to returning.

Putting the Brakes On

Sorry there was no post yesterday. I had good intentions.....but.....as they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Anyway, we left the coach early in the morning and didn't get back until after 8pm. We headed south to Sierra Vista where our pals Doug and Diane M. are staying. We found their park easily and while Diane and I relaxed on the patio and visited to our heart's content, Doug and Doug replaced all of the brakes on his jeep.

Once the job was completed and they cleaned up, they treated us to lunch at Cafe O Le in downtown Sierra Vista. It's a terrific restaurant owned by Doug's nephew and wife. The lunch was outstanding and the prices were very reasonable. We wouldn't hesitate to return.

Diane wanted us to see the Coronado National Forest, so, we followed them in our jeep south on hwy 92. A few miles down the road, we started smelling an odd burning smell and within a minute or two, saw smoke coming from the rear wheels. We signaled them to pull over and the rear brakes were smoking hot. After waiting for them to cool and lots of opinions and ideas, it was decided to head back to the rv park.

We followed them closely and signaled them to stop each time the smoke reappeared. Doug's sister Kathy lives nearby so we limped into her driveway and had a lovely visit with her and her two new puppies.

When the brakes cooled again, the park was our next destination. Success. The guys took the wheel off and checked and double checked but couldn't find anything wrong. They finally came to the conclusion that the brakes hadn't been properly broken in. So, they took it for a test drive while applying pressure to the brakes as indicated in the directions. Voila, everything worked fine and no smoke.

Meanwhile, Diane and I enjoyed the news and more visiting.

Doug and I stopped at Lowes on our way home and picked up a new electric heater at 25% off. It's nice looking, works great and most important of all (to Doug).....it has a remote. Just what we need, another remote.

We zipped through the border patrol checkpoint in the dark and finally arrived home a little after eight. I sure didn't feel like doing a blog and we just crashed.

The Town Too Tough To Die

Since we are staying only 24 miles away from Tombstone, AZ, we decided that today would be a good day to head 'em up and move 'em out.


Off we went to see the O.K. Corral where many historical gunfights occurred, as well as the rest of the tourist traps. The streets of Old Tombstone are blocked off and that made it easy to stroll down the wooden boardwalks.


It was fun seeing the old stage coach and rugged cowboys in worn out western wear.



Our first stop was the Tombstone visitor center to get a walking map of the town. Across the street, we found the Rose Tree Museum. The story goes that a small rose tree was sent from Scotland and was planted in a hotel courtyard in 1885. That same, small tree now covers 8000 square feet and 300 people can sit in the shade of it.


The next stop was the Bird Cage Theatre. This building from the 1880's served as a theater, saloon, gambling hall and brothel. While some of the claims are pretty outrageous, it isn't hard to imagine what it was like one hundred years ago.


Inside are some of the original artifacts, including this old bar. And in several places, bullet holes mark the walls, ceilings and paintings.


It is fascinating to see the narrow staircase leading to the tiny rooms where the ladies of the night entertained their guests.



The orginal gas lamps are still in place although they have since been converted to electric.


We wandered the dusty streets some more, in and out of the gift shops. Doug found an old friend!


There are plenty of places to eat, drink and shop. But we just walked and took it all in.



After leaving the old part of town, we stopped at the Boothill Graveyard.


We entered the old cemetary by way of this museum/gift shop. It was laid out in 1878 as the burial place for Tombstone's first pioneers. But because of the many violent deaths, it became known as Boothill Graveyard.


Along with many outlaws and their victims are suicides, hangings and the hardy citizens.


There are over 250 graves and the ones with markers have been researched by all available sources of information, including relatives, old residents and the Arizona Historical Society records.


Some are quite ornate and others are very simple.


And some are pretty clever. Lester was a Wells Fargo agent that died in a dispute over a package.

All in all, an entertaining day with enough history to make it interesting and enough legend to make it fun.

Dougs Diggin' St David

We had visitors this morning!


What treat to find three roadrunners scampering around our site. We never managed to get all three in one picture but it was sure fun trying.


Our pal Doug also came by to go digging with Doug. While Doug and I were taking pictures of the birds, Doug was taking pictures of us! (confused yet?)

The guys took off a few minutes later, while I remained at home to be a domestic diva.


I worked on the computer, read my book, took more pictures of the roadrunners and baked cookies. Not bad for a free afternoon.


Meanwhile, the guys had a great time in the desert.



Not content with just dry panning and digging, they spent some time driving through the washes and taking pictures of each other.


They got some pretty spectacular shots in between climbing and digging.

It was a relaxing day and Doug came home with more rocks. The picnic table is now covered with treasures. They are good looking rocks......but........he's starting to remind me of Lucy in the Long Long Trailer.

Moving South

It was only a short jaunt today. We left the Valley Vista RV Park a few minutes after 10 and drove through the small town of St David. It's not much of a town. And, as Doug found out later, it's a dry town with a Mormon background.

St David was founded in 1877 and named after a LDS apostle. It's claim to fame is the St David school district which is the oldest in the San Pedro Valley. And, it's most recent newsworthy item is that three skunks found in the area have tested positive for rabies. Hmmmmmmm

Just south of town is the Holy Trinity Monastery, which is a Benedictine community. The retreat also includes a meditation garden, conservatory, birdwalk, bookstore, library, gift shop and museum. Maybe we will get a chance to stop in and get a few pictures.


And, just south of the monastery is the St David Western Horizons RV Resort. We checked in and were assigned a spot at the top of the hill. After winding through the park, past a small fishing lake we came out in a large meadow.

The sites are huge and the park is not very crowded. We hauled over a picnic table from an empty lot and made ourselves at home. It's a bit breezy, so we have to put our chairs away when we aren't using them. But the picnic table has become Doug's rock station.


We have a lovely view of the mountains (don't ask me what the name is).


And in the evening the sunsets are spectacular. I like this quiet, peaceful park.