Port Aransas to Matagorda Bay

Last night, for our last night in Port Aransas, we went to dinner at the Crazy Cajun. Tina had jambalaya and I had the Hungry Cajun - boiled whole gulf shrimp, crab legs, sausage, potatoes, corn on the cob all seasoned with cajun seasonings. They bring it out and dump it all right onto the table in front of you. This is a very messy dinner but very good and fun to eat. By the way, the table cloth is butcher paper - heh, heh!!

After a leisurely departure from camp we pulled up to the Ferry dock in Port Aransas and got in line. They had four small (twenty car) ferries in operation to go across the waterway. The crewman directing traffic put us in the middle of one side with one car behind us. Our nose was right at the front edge of the bow - looking down out of the windshield we could see the prop wash. The crossing took about five minutes from slip to slip. Driving off the ferry we headed for Rockport and points north.

We had a nice drive with the sun out, light winds and very little traffic. We passed through several pretty seaside towns along Hwy 35 - Rockport, Port Lavaca, Point Comfort, Palacios and finally Matagorda before heading down the six mile stretch along the Colorado to Matagorda Bay Wildlife Refuge and RV Park, right on the gulf. But before we could complete the final three miles we had to stop at a swing bridge to let a barge and pusher tug pass. Once the barge, tug and several other smaller boats were through, the bridge swung back and allowed us to cross.

We made it to camp by 3:00 PM and after setting up went for a walk on the beach. Lots of shells, nice sand, warm with a light breeze. After dinner Tina went out to shoot photos of the sunset. A fitting end to an excellent day.


To see all of todays photos, click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

This leg, 143 miles. Total for trip so far, 3,675 miles.

Two Days In Port Aransas

We've been very fortunate for the past several days. Weather predictions have been for fog and some sprinkles, yet we have had sunshine and warm temperatures from morning until evening when the fog would roll in.

Yesterday, day after Christmas, we basically took off. Several beach walks with the dogs, lots of reading and relaxing.

This morning we went to the local laundromat and did all our washing. Then, around noon, we took the bikes and rode down the beach into town and over to the park by the Ferry Landing. We watched as huge flocks of white pelicans wheeled and circled over the waterway. While we were there a fisherman on the pier caught a huge fish. Another fisherman identified it as a "Black Drum" and probably weighed about 35 pounds.

After that excitement we rode to "Fins", a restaurant on the waterway for lunch. We enjoyed huge platters of fried shrimp and fried oysters. Well, I had the oysters, Tina had the shrimp. Everything was delicious and fresh caught that morning. We ate on the deck overlooking the marina and waterway.

After lunch we rode over to the Leona Turnbull Birding Center where we walked out a boardwalk stretching nearly a mile over shallow, brackish water.

We saw a wide range of ducks, grebes, heron and egrets, cormorants, and more pelicans. The marches are also reputed to harbor American alligators, though we didn't see any.

We took lots of photos before heading back to the bikes and riding home.

We took the rest of the afternoon off. We'll be here tomorrow then it's off to Matagorda Bay.

To see all of today's photo's click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Christmas Day

What a wonderful day! It's about 70 degrees and foggy. We have a great time opening our presents from Santa. Then we had a nice breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast. After breakfast I cleaned up the kitchen and let Tina take over so she can bake a couple of pumpkin pies for the community dinner this afternoon.

Eventually the sun starts to peak out from behind the clouds. Over 40 people from our little RV community gathered at the clubhouse for dinner. There was Turkey and ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, candied yams, green bean caseroles, several salads, cranberry sauce and jelly, rolls and butter.

After dinner we were treated to a wide range of deserts - fromTina's pumpkin pies to chocolate cake, ice cream, several types of fudge, cookies and various type of peanut and chocolate confections. Truly delicious!! Everyone enjoyed themselves.

Returning to the rig we cleaned up the dishes, called everyone in the family to see how they were doing with all the snow then headed out for a long after dinner walk on the beach. Finally the fog started to roll back in so we headed back home and cleaned up the dogs before settling in for the evening.

Tomorrow we plan to do a little housekeeping tjen spend the rest of the day relaxing.

To see all of today's photo's click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Christmas Eve

Up at 7:00 AM to catch a nice sunrise over the dunes. It's warm. It's nice! It's wonderful! Today we plan to do a little shopping, relax and have our Christmas Eve dinner - Turkey with all the trimmings.

Around 11:00 AM, I completed a project for Tina (her Christmas present), extending the kitchen counter with a fold down shelf. Once completed Tina gave it a workout cooking a scrumptuous dinner.

So we had a very nice day, taking the dogs for several walks on the beach, giving them a bath, enjoying our turkey dinner and watching a couple of movies in the evening.

Merry Christmas to Everyone!!!

San Antonio To Port Aransas

Post script from yesterday ---

Needing some supplies we drove about a mile to the nearest WalMart. When we returned home I thought it would be nice to park the car in the empty spot next to us so we could empty the car quickly. Well, as we all know, things happen. Ahem, in this case I chose to back into the site but missed the center of the site at a slight angle and the next thing I know there is a small bump and a loud whoooooosssshhhh overlaid with the patter of falling water. I, ahhh, errm, it seems I backed into the sites water faucet, snapping it off about a foot down. Realizing what I had done, I leaped from the car to see a twenty foot geyser reaching skyward and being shredded by the wind. Nervously I ran down the hill to the on-site manager to inform them of the blow-out. Fortunately this appears to be a common occurrence. An hour later the maintenance an had it fixed and the water back on. To say I was embarrassed would be an understatement.

Warmer this morning, must be about 38 degrees. Fortunately there's no wind. After walking the dogs, a shower and breakfast I went up to the office to check in and pick up our mail. While registering I offered to pay for the repair and was told that I was getting a break - they weren't going to charge me anything. A real surprise and greatly appreciated.

About 10:30 we left for Corpus Christi. Traffic was light but it was foggy for the next 100 miles. Finally coming in to Corpus Christi the fog cleared but it remained overcast. Just outside Corpus Christi we caught the Padre Island bypass and flew up and over the Mustang Island Bridge and onto the barrier island towards Port Aransas. Eighteen miles later we pulled into the "On The Beach" RV Park and after registering pulled right up to the dunes behind the beach.

We got settled, signed up or the Christmas dinner, filled up with propane (delivered right to our doorstep) and headed for a walk on the beach. Oh yes, it's still cool with a light breeze but 60 degrees is a sight better than what we had this morning. And, the next several days will see the mid 70's. Yeeeehaww!!

Since Tina is going to bring desert we needed to pick up a few items at the store. A great reason to search out a restaurant for dinner. Grilled gulf prawns!! Yummmmm!!! Simply delicious! Well, that pretty much wrapped up our day. We plan to hang out here for the next week, maybe more before heading up the coast toward Galveston.

To see all our photos, click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

This leg, 185 miles. Trip total so far including yesterday's side trip, 3,532 miles.

p.s. Hi Claire - got your comment from yesterday, send your email address to me at:
mjdolanski@gmail.com
Cousin Mike

Riverwalk and The Alamo

Brrrrrr, it's very cold out. I took the dogs for their morning walk at 8:00 am. With the temperature about 35 and the wind blowing, my ears were frozen by the end of our walk. My hands were fine because I'm wearing ski gloves.

Since we only planned to be at the Tejas Valley RV Park for two days, if we want to do anything in town it has to be today. By 10:30 it warmed up a couple of degrees and we headed for San Antonio. We had mapped out the drive the night before along with where we wanted to park. Forty minutes later we parked within 100 yards of the Riverwalk and Alamo.

The San Antonio Riverwalk is a 2 1/2 mile stretch of beautifully landscaped waterfront that features many of San Antonio's most spectacular hotels, restaurants, night clubs, bars, shopping centers and businesses. It is one of the most dynamic tourist attractions in the entire state of Texas, pouring nearly $800 million a year into the local economy.

It almost didn't come to be. In September 1921 the worst flood in San Antonio's history killed over fifty people and caused millions of dollars in damage to the city. City planners struggled over what to do and eventually decided to cover over the river and turn it into a large culvert. But the vision of one man, architect Robert H. H. Hugman, rallied the citizens of the community to turn the area into a beautiful urban park with apartments, dining, shopping, boat rides and walk ways lit with old-fashioned street lamps. He wanted it to be just as if one were walking in Venice, Italy.

After convincing city officials and business leaders of the financial benefits of his plan, the dream became a reality and the riverwalk was eventually sculpted into the masterpiece you see today http://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/ .

We spent a couple of hours walking along the river with a stop at Budros Restaurant for lunch.

After lunch we returned to the car and got the dogs. It was a short walk to the Alamo and as we walked through the remains of the wall we were surprised by the beautiful landscaping. The interiors of several buildings are filled with displays showing artifacts, weapons and diagrams of the fight. Starting in 1979 there has been a limited amount of restoration to stabilize and preserve the historic shrine. We walked around the grounds and through several of the buildings before returning to the car and heading home.

To see all of today's photos click on the following link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Today's side trip, 37 miles.

Austin to San Antonio

Yesterday afternoon it was 75 degrees. This morning it's 38 degrees out. With the wind chill factor it must be below freezing. I'm beginning to think the whole "Snowbird" story is a myth. Underway about 10:00 am we wind our way down from the hills around Lake Travis and head for our next stop just west of San Antonio. Ninety minutes later we pull into the Tejas Ranch RV Park, happy to get off the road. The last half of the drive we were fighting steady cross winds. At 60 mph with lots of traffic it's not a fun way to travel, the rig is jouncing around from side to side with every blast.

It's about 41 degrees here with a blustery wind. Tomorrow promises to be colder but we still plan to play tourist - heh, heh. Are we crazy or what?

This leg plus previous days side trips, 185 miles. Total for trip so far, 3,327 miles.

Visit to Georgetown

Another very nice morning, though somewhat overcast, it was about 70 degrees at 11:00 am when we headed for an exploration of Georgetown, about 20 miles north of Austin.

Georgetown is a great small town founded 160 years ago at the fork of the North and South San Gabriel River. It is surrounded by farming and large ranches, though residential growth is starting to eat away at vacant land. The city was established in 1848 as a trading center for the surrounding agricultural area. The central plaza is dominated by the County Courthouse.

Surrounding the courthouse are four streets with shops and restaurants. We spent several hour walking around town, visiting various shops and having lunch at one of the small Cafes.

After lunch we drove out to Cedar Breaks Park on Lake Georgetown to take the dogs for a walk. The lake is down about 15 feet due to the long drought in the Southwestern US. After a short walk we had to stop at one of the picnic tables to remove dozens of prickly burrs from Wicket's paws.

Returning to the car we left the park and headed to Bill and Violets house out in Sun City where we spent a very pleasant afternoon and evening.

Tomorrow we pick up our mail in San Antonio and do a little touring.

For all our photos, click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

This sidetrip, 50 miles.

A Day In Austin

Ahhhhh... Warm weather!! It's about 70 degrees out when we hit the road for Austin. Our plan for the day was to visit a Zilker Metropolitan Park, the Umlauf Sculpture Gardens and the Texas State Capitol building in downtown Austin.

Once again we had our directions written down so we wouldn't get lost. We made it to Zilker Park with only a "little" difficulty and drove into a large parking area. There didn't seem to be any signs for park attractions so we continued to drive until we spotted a sign for the Umlauf Sculpture Garden. Success!!

Charles Umlauf was a 20th century sculptor from Chicago who moved to Austin and made it his home. Very prolific, his sculptures are found nationwide. Austin is a city very much in favor of public art so it isn't surprising to find his work all over the city. We visited with the curator for a while then toured the gardens. Very nicely done http://www.umlaufsculpture.org/ .

Before leaving the gardens we got directions to the swimming area at Barton Springs where we could get a map of the park. We drove to the Aquatic Center and walked through "Splash" and environmental exhibit that offers a fun and exciting learning experience deep inside a simulated limestone cave. Multimedia displays and interactive exhibits demonstrate how the Edwards Aquifer was formed and how it maintains its average daily flow of 32 million gallons of water at Barton Springs. Just outside the exhibit is Barton Springs Pool, a huge natural springs right in the middle of town. The water is 70 degrees year round and is a great place to cool your heels in the hot summer months. The Edwards Aquifer and Barton Springs is the primary source of water for Austin.

After leaving Barton springs we went to the Austin Botanical Gardens where we found a large garden divided into eight different ways plants grow and ways to grow plants -from full sun, partial sun, shaded, peekaboo sun spot gardens and even a butterfly garden. The gardens are on 18 acres of land dedicated to the gardeners of Austin. The gardens are beautiful even in winter. Several buildings from the original site have been retained including an old one room school house.

From the Botanical gardens we traveled to the downtown area and grabbed lunch at a very nice Mexican Restaurant.

After lunch we found a parking spot directly across from the Capitol grounds and started our tour. Sited on one of Austin's highest points, the Capitol anchors the northern periphery of the downtown commercial district and commands a sweeping view towards the Colorado River from its southern façade. Completed in 1888 as the winning design from a national competition, the Capitol's style is Renaissance Revival, based on the architecture of 15th-century Italy and characterized by classical orders, round arches and symmetrical composition. The structural exterior is "sunset red" granite, quarried just 50 miles from the site. Additional structural support is provided by masonry walls and cast iron columns and beams. The foundation is limestone. Texas paid for the construction not in dollars, but in land: some three million acres in the Texas Panhandle that would later become the famous XIT Ranch. The Texas Capitol is the largest in gross square footage of all state capitols and is second in total size only to the National Capitol in Washington, D.C. Like several other state capitols, the 1888 Texas Capitol surpasses the National Capitol in height, rising almost 15 feet above its Washington counterpart. Once inside we were given a brief tour of the building and a little history of the founding of Texas.

After the tour we walked around the grounds looking at the numerous monuments and sculptures before returning to our campsite.

To seel all our photos click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

This side trip, 50 miles.

Junction to Austin

An interesting drive through the hill country of Texas, we left Junction under cloudy sky's and warmer temperatures. We finally got to our stopping point about 15 miles NW of Austin on Travis Lake http://www.lahaciendarvpark.com/ .

On the drive we made arrangements to meet Bill and Violet for dinner at a Brazilian Steakhouse. We looked it up on the Internet and got directions. It was about a twenty mile drive down out of the hills to SW Austin. We figured about 40 minutes to get there. HAH!!

And so the saga of the lost travelers begins.

At 5:20 pm it is rush hour into Austin. By the time we get two thirds of the way there we are 10 minutes late. We call Vi to let her know. Unfortunately we have a series of errors working against us. The number I have on my cell is for the house. Tina left her cell in the RV, her phone had Vi;s cell. Bill and Violet's cell phones only had Tina's number. I neglected to write down their cell phone numbers from the email they sent me earlier in the day.

Oh, yes...one other issue, part of the instructions on how to get to the restaurant specified getting off the 290S freeway at the first exit after the "Mo-Pac Expressway". Unfortunately, the Mo-Pac Expressway also is identified as "Hwy 1 Loop". We didn't know that so we were flying down the 290S freeway (of course it's dark now and we're twenty minutes late) looking for the "Mo-Pac Expressway" and never saw it. I finally pulled off to try and get some information on where we were and how to get where we needed to be. Meanwhile Tina does the smart thing and calls the restaurant.

Between what I got and what Tina got we managed to stay lost for another 15 minutes before I pulled off again and got new information, while Tina called the restaurant with our updated location.

Well, we finally got there, about an hour late, found Bill and Vi, got our table and had a wonderful dinner http://www.estanciachurrascaria.com/ .

Going back home took 40 minutes.

Then we went to bed... exhausted.

This leg with side trip, 123 miles. Total for trip so far, 2,902 miles.

Carlsbad to Junction

Another freezing cold morning. We had planned to stay another day so we could do laundry and check out the area. But we did laundry yesterday and we explored the day before, so we decided to escape from the cold and go south. Originally we had planned to go to Fort Stockton in Texas but the traffic was light so when we got back to I-10 we pushed on figuring to stop when we got tired of driving. 105 miles further on we pulled into Ozona for gas. The sun was shining and it was about 65 degrees.

After an overnight in Fort Stockton, we had planned to stop at the Caverns of Sonora, near Sonora Texas. But since we'd already been to Karchner and Carlsbad Cavers, we decided to keep going and see if we could make it to the Junction KOA.

After six hours and 325 miles on the road since leaving Carlsbad we pulled into Junction and got set up. It really wasn't a bad day, very little wind or traffic. Normally we try to keep our trip legs to under 150 miles, but by doing the extra miles and being flexible we get to spend some time in Austin. Bill (Tina's Cousin) and his wife Violet live in Georgetown so we'll visit with them, then we'll go to San Antonio for Christmas and on to Corpus Christi for a week on the beach (and New Years day).

This leg, 325 miles. Total for trip so far, 2,779 miles.

Carlsbad Caverns

I woke up around 7:00 am to another beautiful, but very cold day. The temperature must have been in the teens. The furnace ran most of the night set at 56 degrees. After turning up the heat, I went to wash my face - nothing. Our hose outside the rig froze and our in-line filter expanded and exploded. After turning off the KOA bib valve and disconnecting everything, I turned on the internal water to our onboard water tank so we could have water in the house.

We waited until it warmed up a bit (about 40 degrees in direct sunlight) then headed for Carlsbad Caverns http://www.nps.gov/cave/ about 15 miles away and another 1,000 feet up. This is a huge facility with two self guided tours and four guided tours of varying dificulty. We chose to do one of the self guided tours and one with a ranger.

Down we went 750 feet in a high speed elevator to the main gathering place. Simply amazing. The sheer scale and size of the caverns is unbelievable. They're huge! And everywhere you look there are fantastic formations. The caves are lit with minimal lighting so in some places you can't see the far walls or the ceiling. Taking photos of features more than 15 feet away is impossible, even with flash, there just isn't enough light. But it makes the caverns more intriguing. Rather than put a lot of photos here, click on the following link to go to our photo albums:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

El Paso To Carlsbad

We didn't spend any time in El Paso. A quick breakfast, cleanup and we're on our way. Since it's only a short drive we keep our speed down to 55 mph - well, that and the wind. It's steady with gusts up to 35 coming out of the SW, so we rock and roll down Hwy 180 to the KOA in Carlsbad. One thing we've noticed about cities and towns in the SW, they sprawl all over - a result of cheap, plentiful land. Carlsbad, which lies on the Pecos River and a population of 26,000 probably covers 25 square miles.

After getting set up, we drove into town and did some exploring. With the wind blowing, the temperature is in the high 30's with bright sunshine. We stopped along the river and took the dogs for a walk. Following a path we walked under a bridge and were surprised to see ice crystals forming where water was dripping from the bridge. Brrrr! Tomorrow we go to Carlsbad Caverns.

To see other photos from today, click on the following link;

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

This leg, 145 miles. Total for trip so far, 2,454 miles.

Petroglyphs & White Sands

We left Demming and headed for Las Cruces on the way to Alamogordo. The wind was still blowing hard and the rig was crabbing most of the way. When we got closer to Las Cruces the dust was blowing out on the flats and laying up along the mountains. Rather than take the rig into a sandstorm, we parked in an abandoned K-Mart parking lot and unhitched the car. We figured it was about 200 miles round trip to go up to Three Rivers Petroglyphs Recreation Area and we could stop at White Sands National Monument on the way back.

Hopping on Hwy 70 we headed for Alamogordo. Like most of these desert towns, it is spread out far and wide. Leaving Alamogordo we passed through Tularosa and about 18 miles later reached Three Rivers Trading Post and the Gate to the Three Rivers Petroglyph Recreation Area http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/recreation/las_cruces/three_rivers.html. Five miles along a narrow desert road we pulled up into the parking lot. I talked to the ranger while Tina took the dogs for a walk, then we headed out on the one mile loop up along the ridge. All this time the wind was blowing with gusts up to 50 mph, bringing the temperature down around 35 degrees with the chill factor.

Over 20,000 petroglyphs were etched into rocks all along this particular ridge about 600 years ago. There are more than 35 different images along the trail. We hiked the loop and hurried back to the car to get warmed up. It was very interesting and would have been nicer if it had been warmer.

Once in the car we retraced our path back towards Las Cruces. Fifteen miles southwest of Alamogordo we came to the White Sands National Monument http://www.nps.gov/whsa/. This was really interesting with the stark white sands blowing across the road. We started out on the eight mile loop and made it most of the way before we were turned back - the road was closed - the sand was drifting across the road faster than it could be removed. It really is very pretty but with all the sand and dust in the air, you could feel the grit in your teeth, so we spent little time outside the car.

The drive back to Las Cruces was uneventful. We got back and hooked up the car. The wind had died down considerably but we decided to head to El Paso for the night before heading for Carlsbad. We jumped on I-10 and headed east to Texas, getting in to Mission RV Park and settling in for the night.

This leg, 110 miles plus the 200 in the car. Total so far, 2,309 miles.

To see all of today's photos click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Benson to Demming

This was a short drive, crossing from Benson AZ to Demming, NM. We had a lot of wind along the way - sometimes quartering, sometimes from behind and for a while on our starboard beam. When we had it coming at us from the side our speed dropped to about 50mph in order to maintain control.

Today was also unusual for the number of trucks that passed us. Probably more than any day we've been on the road.

We got to Demming and found a place to stay. After getting set up we are hunkered down for the night. Even with the jacks down as stabilizers, the rig is rocking and bouncing in winds that are gusting to forty mph coming at us out of the SW and hitting the right rear of the coach. Should be a jolly evening!!

Todays distance, 146 miles. Trip milage so far 1,999 miles.

Ramsey Canyon Preserve and Karchner Caverns

As the morning warmed up we headed for the first of our two explorations, Ramsey Canyon Preserve.

According to Nature Conservancy, an early settler named Gardner Ramsey built a toll road in the 1880's leading into the Huachuca Mountains canyon to provide access to the Hamburg mine area. The Hamburg was one of the early area mines, where prospectors mined gold, silver and other precious metals. Over time a small community grew up with its own school and Post Office.

In the early decades of the 20th century, Ramsey Canyon gained a reputation as a cool retreat from summer heat. Guest cabins, a dance hall and other attractions ensured its frequent mention in tourist brochures. But as time passed, the mines played out and people moved on. By the 1940's, few people lived year-round in the canyon. The canyon was designated as the nation’s first National Natural Landmark in 1963 by the National Park Service due to “the significant plant, animal and geological formations found here.”


In 1975, Dr. Nelson C. Bledsoe of Bisbee willed 280 acres in the canyon to The Nature Conservancy. He directed that the area be used for scientific, educational and aesthetic purposes. Through later acquisitions, the preserve grew to 380 acres. We arrived around 11:00 am and set out up the canyon for a hike.

Our goal was to make the two mile round trip up to the edge of the ridge called "Vista Viewpoint" as shown in the upper right corner of the map. The first three quarters of a mile followed the stream bed in a gently winding path. We were amazed at the abundance of deer and other wildlife. Interestingly, along the stream grow a wide variety of cactus, bushes, small trees and huge Arizona Sycamores. The trail was thickly carpeted with leaves from Maple, Oak, Sycamore, Madrona and others as it wound through the trees towards the original Ramsey homestead.

As we headed higher, the trail became steeper with more rock outcroppings and changes to the types of vegetation - more pine trees and fir, less lowland bushes. The walls of the canyon became shear in places with unusual rock formations protruding here and there. There were nine benches placed at strategic places along the trail so we could rest periodically during the climb up the switchbacks to the top. We finally reached the viewpoint where the trail forked south along the ridge and looked out over the canyon and the far town of Sierra Vista.

We spent some time admiring the view before heading back down. After passing the third bench from the bottom we were surprised by another family of white tail deer, including a young buck who seemed very nonplussed by us. He looked us over then sauntered across the trail to look at one of the females. Several large gray squirrels were playing in the trees and gathering seeds and nuts from the ground.


As we neared the lower portion of the trail we took the loop trails back to the trail head. This allowed us to get closer to the stream and pass some of the remaining log cabins and outbuildings. One only had the fireplace and chimney remaining. The play of the sun on the leaves created hues of gold, silver and orange which contrasted with the dark trunks of the Sycamores and green of the pines. A very beautiful area and nice hike capped our first exploration.



We returned to the car and headed back north to Hwy 90 and the Karchner Caverns.


The caverns, located about nine miles from Benson were apparently unknown until 1974, when two cavers, Randy Tufts and Gary Tenen, found a narrow crack in the bottom of a sinkhole and followed a source of warm, moist air toward what ended up being more than 2½ miles of pristine cave passages. Concerned about vandalism, they kept the location a secret for fourteen years, while deciding the best way to preserve the caves. Eventually they worked with the property owners and the Arizona State Parks Department to develop the caves for tours.

Today the site is managed by the Parks department with strict control over the number of people that can go in the caves. They have instituted strict regulations on what goes into the caves, including no cameras. All tours are guided. This photo is courtesy of the Arizona State Parks Department.

To see a good set of Karchner Cavern photos, click on this link:
http://www.amwest-travel.com/awt_kartchner.html

We were fortunate. Since I had booked our tour for late in the afternoon, Tina and I were given a special two person guided tour by a very knowledgeable park ranger. We boarded a tram and were hauled about a quarter mile up the hill to the cave entrance. After passing through the first two environmental control doors we were surprised to experience warm, moist air. Our guide lead us through the various caverns and with special lighting showed off the features of the cave formations. The caverns consist of numerous very large rooms connected by small passages. We were able to visit the Rotunda, Throne Room and home of Kubla Khan, a 50,000 year old column over fifty-three feet tall. Though not as impressive as some caverns, we enjoyed our tour. An hour later we passed through two more environment control doors and, with a short tram ride, returned to the information building.

After taking the dogs for a short walk we drove home and had dinner. Another great day!!

To see all our Ramsey Canyon Preserve photos, click on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Tombstone and Bisbee

Brrrrr!! We woke to temperatures in the low 40's so we put on our woolies to walk the dogs. After breakfast and a few household chores we jumped in the car and headed out for Tombstone, "The Town That Wouldn't Die". I had mapped out our route the night before and wrote up directions to take with us. We had wanted to go to Tombstone http://www.tombstoneweb.com/, about 25 miles south on highway 80, then 20 miles further south on highway 80 to Bisbee http://www.discoverbisbee.com/attractions.htm for a tour of the old Queen copper mine, then back north on 80, crossing to highway 90 then over to highway 82 and the Ramsey Canyon Preserve http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/arizona/preserves/art1973.html. Unfortunately we turned left instead of right and ended up going south on highway 90 instead of highway 80. We finally figured it out after 20 miles when we saw a sign pointing East saying, Tombstone - 19 miles. It's surprising, how far out in the desert we were and how many homesteads we passed and how easy I got off track - heh, heh.



We took the turn and headed for Tombstone. Crossing several small mountain ranges and passing across the flat valleys between them we finally made it into town and found a place to park. Definitely a quiet day in town, very few tourists. Mainly we shared the streets with gunfighters, cowboys and various desperado's with a few tenderfeet thrown in for good measure.

Old Tombstone is really set up as a tourist area with staged gunfights and shops selling everything from old west trinkets to very high end clothes, jewelery and leather goods with several saloons and restaurants added to the mix of shops. Boot hill is at one end of town and the OK Coral is at the other. In between you find the Golden Eagle Brewery, Bird Cage Theater, Big Nose Kates and the Clanton General Store.

We spent a while walking around town and checking out some of the stores but decided that it was not as authentic as Virginia City, Nevada We had been in Virginia City several years before in our first motorhome and really enjoyed the experience.


Leaving Tombstone, we continued south to Bisbee and the Queen Mine Tour. Arriving at noon we parked in the shade and left the kids in the car. Before we could enter the mine we had to put on rain coats, hard hats and battery powered miners lamps. Our guide for the tour, Tom, gave us a brief history of the mine before we boarded the electric miners train.

Once on the train and entering the mine we noticed that the tunnel we were in was only about five feet high and maybe three feet wide. Several sections of the tunnel were heavily shored up with timbers and cross members. We later found out that the shoring was less to hold things up than to provide a warning to the miners of shifting rock. The timbers would actually creak and groan if the rock above or around them shifted and took up the weight of the surrounding rock.

About 700 feet into the mine we stopped at the mine bosses office, a space carved out of one of the side tunnels. Not very luxurious for an office but close to the work. Further on we stopped at a larger opening that lead up a set of stairs to a large opening called a stope which was an actual chamber where ore was removed. Finally we stopped about 1,500 into the mine and were told that there were three levels below us, 100 feet apart and four levels above us also 100 feet apart. So we had about 650 feet of rock over our head at that point.

We walked along another side cut and were shown some of the equipment used in the old mine. Then Tom gave Tina a safety lecture on how to handle dynamite, then showed us how it was placed in the bores. To remove a section of rock approximately seven feet deep and seven feet square, up to fifty, one inch diameter bores, seven feet into the rock face, were made in precise patterns. Up to thirty-two were packed with dynamite. Each of the dynamite bores had a blasting cap and fuse. The fuses were trimmed to specific lengths and lined up in a fuse holder. A punk was lit (like a sparkler) and each fuse was lit in sequence. Once they were all lit, the miners moved out of the area and took shelter in the main tunnel.

We also got to see one of the man lifts (elevators) used to take men and supplies from level to level. They were actually controlled by a man on the surface who operated the donkey, pulleys and cables that lifted or lowed the lift. Instructions from inside the mine were given with a system of bells controlled by a bell pull at the man lift station. Somewhat like morse code, there were over 300 distinctly different set of combinations that could be rung to instruct the lift controller what was wanted. This was a really fascinating tour for several reasons. One, our guide Tom had been a miner for over 35 years and was very knowledgeable about mine operations. Second, there were only four of us on the tour and Tom was not in a rush to get us out. Third, he was also very friendly and personable making each of us feel he was talking directly to us, sharing his experiences with enthusiasm.


After getting back out of the mine we headed across the street into Bisbee proper for lunch and a walkabout. Bisbee is a fascinating town with a lot of history. We toured the mining museum, checked out the lobby of the old Copper Queen Hotel and finished it all with an ice cream cone. Driving out of town we stopped to view the old Phelps Dodge Open Pit Mine which was closed in 1973 along with all the other mines in town.

As it was getting late in the day we decided to extend our stay in Benson so we could visit the Karcher Caverns and the Ramsey Canyon Preserve.


To see all of today's photos, click on this link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Tempe to Benson

Today we got up early to another beautiful day. We planned on making stops at the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and the Saguaro National Park (East District). Just a side note - We were impressed with all the beautiful buildings in downtown Tempe, their new light rail lines and how well planned the city is laid out. Perhaps because Tempe is a University town and appears to be experiencing a rebirth.

We got under way by 8:30 and navigated our way to Hwy 60 and over to the I-10 to head south. Traffic south of Phoenix was heavy for the next twenty miles so I kept it between 55 and 60 mph. Lots of trucks passing us, but it was a good highway and we didn't have any problems, except in the construction zones where things get a little tight.

We turned off the freeway at exit 185 and followed the signs to the town of Coolidge where the Casa Grande Ruins were found. We pulled into the park and took the dogs for a walk before visiting the ruins. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is made up of an imposing four storey building dating from the late Hohokam period, probably around the 14th century.

It is part of a large settlement composed of several public rooms, storage and living areas and surrounded by what would have been a large wall. Most of the walls are worn down to three or four feet in height but the structure of the community is clearly defined. The large covering over the tallest ruin was put in place by the NPS to stop further weathering. In addition, at this site, there are several surrounding structures, probably residential in nature. This grouping probably served as a center of trade and communication. The large building may also have been used as an observatory. This site was part of a collection of settlements scattered along the Gila River and linked by a network of irrigation canals.

Leaving Casa Grande Ruins we stopped at the Walmart located about a half mile away and stocked up on grocery's. Interestingly, the town of Coolidge is a great example of horrific sprawl, little planning and little concern for a National treasure by allowing the town to spread out all around the monument.

Staying on Hwy 97 we picked up I-10 and heading east again drove about 90 miles to exit 275 where we drove through the eastern outskirts of Tuscon to the Saguaro National Park. The ranger directed us to a parking/picnic area just down the road aways. About a quarter mile on Tina exclaimed, "There goes a Bobcat!" Sure enough a Bobcat was sauntering across the road in front of us. We got to the picnic area and parked in a little pull out.

Putting the kids on their leashes we got out and went for a short walk to explore a little of the surrounding area. After finding two ticks on Wicket in the last week we were a little leery about getting too far into the brush. This is a spectacular area with lots of hiking trails and an eight mile one way paved loop that is perfect for cyclists. In fact there were dozens of them passing us while we were there.

The scenery was much the same as at the Botanical Gardens with lots of tall Saguaro cactus, dozens of other cactus species, Mesquite and creosote bushes in abundance. Many of the large Saguaros had nests drilled into them.

We left the Saguaro National Park and returned to I-10 for the final 30 miles to Benson and the Butterfield RV Park.

Distance traveled today, 146. Trip total is 1,853 miles.

To see all our photos, go to:

http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski

Desert Botanical Garden

Today we took a drive and went to the Desert Botanical Garden (http://www.dbg.org/) in Phoenix which had a huge exhibition by Dale Chihuly set in and amongst the desert plants of this 145 acre preserve. I'm not going to try and describe all that we saw, but it was simply amazing. To see the beauty of the installation go to http://picasaweb.google.com/mjdolanski where we are posting our trip photos and open the "Desert Botanical Gardens" album. We spent almost four hours walking through the gardens and it was absolutely awsome.

Blythe to Tempe

Last night we were treated to an absolutely beautiful sunset. The colors are spectacular and later we were treated to a rainstorm with drops the size of small peas. They woke us both up several times during the night.

Morning dawned bright and clear. Last nights rain had cleaned the air and left sparking dew on the ground. Another beautiful day.

We got up and had a leisurely breakfast. After paying some bills online we closed up and pulled out of camp leaving the Coloado river behind.

Stopping for gas just before getting on the freeway, Tina noted that so far this trip we have paid an average of $1.90 /gal for gas. We have been getting an average of nine to ten miles a gallon except in the mountains where it drops to about six to seven mpg.

Most of the drive on I-10 to Tempe was straight as an arrow with a few hills thrown in. There were incredible rock formations in the distance on both sides of the freeway with desert scrub, sage and lots of sand everywhere.

We stopped at a large truck stop for lunch and both of us had breakfast - heh, heh. Getting back on the freeway, traffic was light until we got to the outskirts of Phoenix. From there in it became somewhat stressful. With ten foot lanes and semi's on both sides doing 50mph (along with all the other traffic), construction and trying to make sure we were always in the correct lane to connect with different freeways, I experienced the joys of driving a big rig in an urban environment.

But we finally made it in and got a nice spot next to the pool. After getting settled in we took the kids and drove to Safeway for supplies. Returning from shopping we met several of our neighbors and their pets and watched a beautiful sunset. We finally went in and Tina fixed dinner while I mapped out our exploration of the area. Tomorrow we will go visit the Desert Botanical Gardens.

This leg, 155 miles. Trip total is 1,707 miles.

Banning to Blythe

The day dawned warm and bright but with high overcast. After our usual morning ritual - make bed, start coffee, walk dogs, shower, eat breakfast, etc, etc, we packed up and left for Blythe. The freeway was very busy for a Sunday morning but started thinning out as we neared Indio.

Passing south of San Gorgonio Mountain we drove through a huge Wind Farm. The facility which stretches for almost five miles on either side of I-10. This wind farm on the San Gorgonio Mountain Pass in the San Bernadino Mountains contains more than 4000 separate windmills and provides enough electricity to power Palm Springs and the entire Coachella Valley. Apparently it is owned by Palm Springs Wind Energy which sells the output to Southern California Edison.

Once we got to Indio the traffic thinned out considerably. At one point along the freeway as we passed Salton Sea, Tina saw an interesting sign that read, "Elevation - Sea Level". Just after that we began a 10 mile climb up to the desert plateau. As we passed Chiraco Summit we reached the 1,250 foot elevation mark and the terrain became pretty flat the rest of the way to Blythe. We had really good pavement for a change so the ride was pleasant and with limited traffic it became a very relaxed drive.

We got to Blythe and pulled into the "Hidden Beach RV Resort" which is right on the Colorado River. Tina fixed some lunch then we gave the dogs a bath. What excitement!! Twice in a week! It has been really dry but the mornings always have dew on the ground. Once Punky gets any moisture on her the dust and dirt are drawn to her like a magnet. The same with seeds, leaves, grasses and twigs. No matter how careful we are to brush her off and towel her down before getting back in the rig, she looks like she is wearing brown socks - at least untill she dries completely and all the dirt drops off. We try to vaccum every couple of days and with constant policing of leaves, etc., from the floor, the rig stays pretty clean. But they are such good little travelers that we don't mind a little dirt. Besides, we're on an extended vacation!!

Here is a photo of the mighty Colorado as it passes through Southern California!! This was taken about 30 feet from our camp site.

This leg, 137 miles. Trip total is 1,556 miles.

Buellton to Banning

Woke up at 7:00 this morning to blue skies and sunshine - cool, but looking good. We knew we had a long day so by 9:00 we were packed up and ready to go. After hooking up the car we left Flying Flags RV Resort and stopped for gas before getting on the freeway. Hwy 101 from Buellton down through Santa Maria is a really rough stretch. There is a lot of constructin, the pavement is reaqlly broken up in places, there are a lot of twists and turns with very heavy traffic. Can you spell 'nerve wracking'? Here is the last photo and our last look at the Pacific. Our next big body of water will be the Caribean.

South bound on Hwy 101 we had pretty clear sailing all the way through to Ventura and over the hill to Thousand Oaks. Shortly after that it slowed down to a 15 mph crawl for about 45 minutes before picking up again. Somewhere around La Verne we stopped to walk the dogs and grab a bite to eat. Then it was back on the 210 again. For a Saturday traffic seemed fairly heavy and stayed that way all the way to the I-10 East.

We pulled into the KOA in Banning shortly after 3:00 this afternoon. This leg, 193 miles. Total for trip 1,419 miles.

Solvang

Last night, Tina and I went to dinner at the Stagecoach Restaurant, here in town. We were looking forward to a Barbecue dinner of spare ribs and beans. Just after the soup was poured I dosed mine with margarita beans and hot salsa for a real unique flavor. With my first spoonful though I knew I was in trouble. I'd been having some sensitivity problems off and on with one of my teeth and as I bit into a piece of tomato I felt something give. Lo and behold I had lost a huge chunk of that troublesome tooth. Well, not really lost it, but it was no longer where it belonged. Ouch!! I managed to enjoy the rest of my dinner without too much discomfort, but it looked like we might not be leaving town for a while.

In the morning I called a local dentist and was fortunate to get in right away. After looking at what remained he determined that rather than put a crown on it he could build up the 'missing' section with one of the new composites and I could get a proper crown when we got back home. By 10:30 I was back at the RV with hardly any after effects of the Novocain. This is a Dentist that definitely made a difference for Tina and me!!

Just after 11:00, our friends Don & Diane arrived. They had driven up from LA for a day to visit with us and tour Solvang. After a brief stop, we hopped in their car and went to Solvang for a day exploring and shopping.

Solvang, or Sunny Fields, was founded in 1911 by a group of Danish educators. The settlers wanted to escape the midwestern winters and create their own Danish community. What evolved is a picturesque community with Danish-style architecture, including windmills filled with bakeries, restaurants, and merchants offering a taste of Denmark in California. The architecture of many of the buildings follows traditional Danish style. There is a copy of the famous Little Mermaid statue from Copenhagen, as well as one featuring the bust of famed Danish fable writer Hans Christian Andersen. A one third scale replica of the Copenhagen observatory Rundetarn (Round Tower) can be seen in the city centre.

We wandered along shady streets checking out shops and the architecture finally stopping for lunch at the Solvang Restaurant where we had Reuben sandwiches with Aebleskiver for desert.

What the heck are aebleskiver you say? Well let me tell you, Aebleskiver are some thing different. Supposedly invented by some Dane back in history, they are like a waffle or a pancake formed like a tennis ball and served with powdered sugar sprinkled over them and then topped with raspberry jam. Yummm!!

After lunch we spent several more hours just wandering around town with a final stop at the Solvang Hardware Store. This place is like a combination of Ace Hardware and Linds, a real fascinating place.

We returned from Solvang and spent a couple of hours playing "Competition Yahtzee" followed by dinner at Andersens Restaurant, famous for their split pea soup. After dinner there we went home and played a Lightening Round of "Competition Yahtzee" for all the marbles. Don (Commander Scorpion) ended up the winner. At this point I must digress. Over the past six years (off and on), Don (Commander Scorpion) and I (Captain Hotshot) have been writing a sort of free form book which we finally decided to publish as a blog which can be found at: http://blacktoblue.blogspot.com/. This is truly a work of literary genius, but that's another story, heh, heh...

Don and Diane finally left for home (with all my marbles) around 7:30 for the long drive back to LA. After walking the dogs we settled in for a good nights sleep!!

Santa Margarita to Buelton

We finally rolled out of bed around 8:00 in the morning to find that we were enveloped in a very chilly fog. We had planned to go for a bike ride early but decided to wait until it warmed up. Finally at 10:00 we had to take the dogs for their after breakfast walk. I had the bikes down and all ready to go for when we got back from our walk. Unfortunately, by the time we got back we were so cold we decided to bag it... it was still in the 40's and foggy.




While I got the bikes back on their mount Tina got the rig ready to go. We hooked up the car and by 11:00 were on the road. Ten miles later at Hwy 101 the sky was blue, the sun was out and we had to put on sun glasses. Eighty miles later we pulled into the Flying Flags RV Resort in Buellton and got set up in our spot. After a spot of lunch we put on our bathing suits and headed for the pool. It was over 70 and nice and warrrrmm!! A quick dip in the pool, into the hot tub and then a relaxing lounge in the sun with our books. What a diference from this morning!! This leg, 70 miles. Trip total is 1,226.

Santa Margarita

We pulled into Santa Margarita yesterday afternoon and spent the rest of the day in camp. We were able to get the only pull through. Makes it easier to get in and out when you're towing a car. This shot is taken looking down from the hillside along the exit road. The site is actually level.

This morning was cool and overcast so we decided to take it easy until it warmed up. By 11:00 the sun was out and we took the dogs for a long walk to the lake. Along the way we saw an Osprey with a fish in his tallons and atall scrag of a tree with five or six California Black Vultures.

The sides of the road are riddled with ground squirrel burrows. Every now and then they will sit up and watch as you go by. Down at the lake we visited with the park ranger and he told us about some of the trails we could take. Heading down to the lake we saw a Red Headed Woodpecker looking for lunch. The lake is about six miles long and looks like it is dammed at one end.

Along the shore there was a Great Blue Heron and very large Snowy Egret fishing. We also saw several pair of Loons, several Mergansers, lots of Mallards, some Buffalo Head Ducks and several other species of diving birds and ducks we couldn't identify. We also surprised three Black Tailed Deer as we walked along the shore.

A very pretty place, peaceful and quiet.