March 6, 2023
Today is an easy travel day. We only have to drive a couple of hours. Carlsbad is fairly close. We didn’t have to check out until 12:00 noon. We took our time getting hooked up and made the short trip to Carlsbad. I must say we have been staying in some really nice campgrounds. We’ll have to give them some good reviews. We use RV Trip Wizard which is part of RV Life. When planning, we read the reviews and tips that others post. We arrived at our destination and just relaxed for the rest of the day. We had to plan our trip tomorrow and make the necessary reservations.
Happy Birthday to our son Phillip. Our youngest is 44 today. Time flies.
March 5, 2023
Sunday morning is here so off to the grocery store to get our supplies for today’s cookout. I was short an ingredient so I could not make the brownies last night. That is my priority this morning before going to Patty and Toms. While at the store Nancy and I talked about a possible icing for the brownies. She wanted a peanut butter icing. I found a recipe online and we got the needed ingredients. We rushed home and baked the brownies. We opted to only put icing on half of them. The icing turned out really good. A keeper recipe.
Off we went to Patty and Tom’s with all of our supplies and a bottle of pear wine we bought at Prairie Berry Winery in Hill City, SD. Even I enjoyed this wine. It was called Gold Digger. We arrived and played a game of cards. After the game it was time to cook. We cooked the steaks and made the mac and cheese. We all sat down to a wonderful meal of steak, mac and cheese, salad, and wine. Absolutely delicious. After dinner we played some more cards and then had dessert. It was so relaxing and so very nice to see friends. We had a wonderful time. After dessert it was time to go. Tomorrow morning we are leaving Roswell and traveling to Carlsbad.
March 4, 2023
We spoke with Patty (Kaplan Barresi) last night and her and Tom have offered up their services as tour guide. Sounds great to us. They came to pick us up around 10:00 AM. We gave them the 30 second tour of our RV, as they have been RVers. We sat and had coffee and talked for some time. It was decided that our first stop would be the International UFO Museum.
We arrived at the museum just before a talk was being given by Dennis Balthasar. He is probably the Number 1 researcher on the subject of the Roswell UFO siting. And it just so happens that Patty knows him through his wife. We sat and listened to his talk and found him very interesting and amazing. He spoke with us afterward also. He was a neat individual to speak with. It gives one pause. After the talk, we toured the museum. I think touring the museum created more questions than give answers. There were a lot of interesting articles and artifacts. They also displayed several of the movie items used in various Hollywood productions.
Once we finished at the museum, Patty and Tom took us to lunch at Antiqua Covina Mexicana. We were treated to a wonderful meal. It was time to get back to the RV as we needed to feed Bree and let her out. Patty said she made a cheesecake. Don’t have to ask me twice. After taking care of Bree and Nancy getting her afternoon power nap in, we went to Patty and Tom’s house. It was only about 15 minutes away. We had talked earlier in the day we discovered they enjoyed playing card games as do we. We arrived and got a nice tour of their home. Very nice. Then about the next half hour or so, Nancy and Patty talked about sewing, etc. We finally got to the card playing. After the game we had a fabulous cheesecake.
We discussed our plans for tomorrow. We found out the two or three places we thought we would visit would be closed as it was Sunday. So it was decided that Nancy and I would get some steaks, and I would grill them at Patty and Tom’s. I was also going to make stovetop macaroni and cheese and make brownies for dessert. Patty was going to make a salad.
Since it was late we would have to go to the grocery store first thing tomorrow morning. Great night!
Meanwhile back in North Carolina, Phillip and a few of our neighbors came to handle some of the issues with the downed oak tree. Greatly appreciate their assistance. There were a few widow-makers and limbs hanging in precarious positions. Those were neutralized. Still a lot of clean up to go. I’m sure I ‘ll get to do some of that when we get home. Phillip did say that the fence would need repair. The only casualty other than our beautiful tree. I hope the carpenter ants went into the woods and not up toward the house.
March 3, 2023
Today is a travel day to head to Roswell. We have been in touch with Patty and will see her and Tom at some point this weekend. Since it is a very short trip to Roswell, we decided to check out the New Mexico Space Museum in Alamogordo. It was only 2 miles from our campground and after a check of Google Maps, I decided they had two big parking lots that we could easily get in and out of. So we packed up the RV and hitched up and headed up the hill to the museum.
We had time to take in one of the movies playing at the IMAX Theater and tour the museum. It was very interesting. They also had two tour buses of middle school children from El Paso, TX. Of course they had a tour guide so we kind of followed them and listened to what the guide had to say. Great information and overall the children were pretty good.
I never realized it until this tour that New Mexico is so tied to our space program. It started with research of rockets and the Manhattan Project in Los Alamos, NM and then extends to White Sands Area for rocket testing, missile testing, etc. And Holloman Air Force Base is an alternate landing site for space shuttles. One of my favorite areas is when you stood on a platform, you could choose a rocket and you could feel and hear the power of that rocket from a certain distance. The floor shook and you felt like you were there. Pretty cool.
We left the museum and arrived at the Town and Country RV Park in Roswell without incident. On the way we passed 3 casinos and wished we had more time to stop and explore. Our route took us through the Mescalero Reservation. Mescalero are Apaches. Again, we wished we had more time to explore.
While we were enjoying ourselves, our son had to deal with an issue back home. Around December 30th, we lost about half of our big, old white oak tree. We loved that tree. Hawks would perch up there to look for food in our yard. We have rabbits and other small critters that they might enjoy. Since half of the tree was down, we were talking about the best way to handle the situation. Well, another big storm came through and took care of it for us. Fortunately, it came down and did absolutely no damage to our cottage, the shed next door or any vehicles anywhere. It did create a few widow makers.
March 2, 2023
So glad to be in New Mexico today. The weather is sunny and will reach the 70s. Why you ask? Easy, in St. David, Arizona where we just left, they had 4 inches of snow! Very unusual and by 5:00 PM it was all gone, but still. We are going to go someplace today that looks like snow. We are headed to White Sands National Park. Our RV park gave us a plastic sled to take to the dunes so you can slide down the dunes. Our first stop was the Visitor’s Center. We watched a short video on the park, its location and how it was/is formed. Very interesting. As we exited the Visitor’s Center, we saw an owl sitting in the tree just outside the center. Cool. We had Bree with us and dogs are allowed on some trails. We used the National Parks app to take the audio self-guided tour. We stopped at a few of the stops and took a stroll through and on the dunes. Very weird in that it feels like sand but looks like snow. It is actually gypsum. We found a spot and decided to give the sledding a try. We had seen several people sledding but wanted to find a place where people wouldn’t laugh at me.
I tried first. I climbed a dune with the sled. I chose this dune as it wasn’t too steep and I didn’t need to mess up my body any more than it already was. I got to the top of the dune and found two things that wouldn’t work. The first was that the sled was very small for my very large body. Second was that the dune was not steep enough. I decided to call it quits.
Nancy came up the hill to assist me in getting up and discussed the facts that I just figured out. She went a little further up the dune and over to the edge where it drops off almost 90 degrees. She waited for me to get back into the truck so I could video her run. She did great! About halfway down she decided that if she continued at her current speed to the bottom there might be a sudden stop so she put her feet out to slow her down. It was an interesting experience. After all of this, we could not dust ourselves off enough. There was some white sand in our clothes, truck, etc. Its like going to the beach.
We got to see some beautiful mountains and scenery. It was a very fun day.
March 1, 2023
We head for New Mexico today. Since we are this close and we have no real desire to visit in the middle of summer when temperatures are much higher, we decided to take a little side trip. Today our goal is to reach our first stop which is in the area of the White Sands National Park. We are staying at the Alamogordo KOA. Its only 20 minutes from the park. For the most part it was an uneventful day. When we first entered New Mexico we saw a series of signs warning about dust storms and what to do if you encountered one. Very interesting. It was also very windy but usually is here from what we found out later. The biggest excitement was when we turned off the highway to fuel up at a Love’s Truck Stop. There was a line of trucks waiting to get fuel that extended back to the road and almost up to the Interstate. I also noticed two tank trucks that appeared to be unloading, so I’m not sure if that was an issue in the process also. We waited in line for a few minutes and then followed a few semis that went into a side parking lot and turned around. We got back on the Interstate and found another truck stop to fuel up at. Just about a mile from the entrance to White Sands National Park we had to go through a Border Patrol Check Point. No problem.
February 26, 2023
Today’s adventure is going to the Boot Barn to pick up my boot which I had to have stretched. While we are there we decided to eat lunch/dinner at Little Anthony’s Diner. It is a 50s themed diner. Outside they have several old cars. The one that caught my eye was a 1964 Volkswagen Bug. It reminded me of the 1963 Bug I had when Nancy and I were dating. I had the Blue Plate Special of open-faced roast beef sandwich with gravy with mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans. Nancy had a Rueben sandwich that came with french fries and had a side order of Fried Mac N Cheese. We shared a “Full” milkshake. The food was very good and the shake was wonderful. They also offered some exotic shakes that looked extremely decadent. They also offer up car shows, live entertainment on certain days. Very cool place. Check it out here: Little Anthony’s Diner
February 24, 2023
We awaken early this morning to make our 1 hour 20 minutes drive to make our 11:00 AM appointment. Where you ask. The Titan Missile Museum in Green Valley, The museum tour is led by a guide and lasts about 45 minutes. It was awesome. The tour starts in a room where you watch a short video about the silos and the missiles. You are told you must descend into the silo by 55 steps. I’m not sure where they started their count but it seemed like a lot more than 55 steps. You had at least 15 steps just to get to the silo entrance. You get to see how thick and heavy the doors are protecting the silos. There were 4 men on duty at all times for 24 hour shifts. The two officers had 3 minutes to go through the launch process which included at least three verification steps. The other two enlisted men were there to fix anything if it malfunctioned to ensure that the missile did launch.
An interesting, at least to me, feature about the control room is that it is built on giant springs and not attached to the walls of the silo. This was to protect the electronics in the control room from shocks and vibration if the US had been attacked first and missiles had exploded nearby. Nearby means more than one mile. We then walked through a tunnel several feet long to the actually silo and saw a Titan Missile in its home. It was aptly named as the missile was very large. From their we went back up the tunnel to the entrance and ascended the steps. Once outside we could walk the grounds as they various support vehicles and displays set up. You could also go to the missile silo and see the heavy doors that covered the missile and see a top view of the missile. This is only possible because the silo door is concreted half open and where the warhead would be is cut in half also. This lets the Russian spy planes know that this silo is inactive and abides by the treaty.
Overall, I found the tour very interesting. It would have been similar to the Minuteman tour in SD that I didn’t get to go on.
February 19, 2023
The weather turned bad today. Cooler and overcast with rain later in the day. Chris and Mitch are coming down from Tucson today. We decided that I would make Monterey Chicken on the smoker. I also decided to try an experiment, called Tater Totchos. I modified the recipe a little by adding Ranch Seasoning. Chris and Mitch brought a broccoli salad, some hard seltzer and some Modello Negro. Dinner turned out pretty good and the beer was very good. We talked and had a great time visiting. After eating we decided to play a little Five Crowns. Had a fabulous time. Then we had coffee and peach pie for dessert. Unfortunately they had to leave to get back to their fur babies. We are planning on getting together at least once more before we leave Arizona.
February 18, 2023
Today is a double treat. First is Vigilante Days in Tombstone. This is a day when throughout the day there will be gunfights, 1880s fashion show, entertainment, etc. on the historic Allen Street in Tombstone. And it is totally free. We walked around Tombstone and enjoyed the sights and sounds for about an hour. We even ventured into a couple of shops to look at hats, clothing, gun belts, and most anything Western. It was very enjoyable. Prior to this we stopped at Pancho Vega’s Guns and Leather Goods. Awesome shop. Might go back to have a new belt made.
Because this is a free and popular event, parking is not the easiest thing to find, especially in a one ton long bed truck. It just happened that the second half of our day had a large parking lot that only cost $5 and it was only 3 blocks from town.
We had purchased general admission tickets for bull riding at the Tombstone Shoot Out Arena. The weather was absolutely beautiful. There was a slight breeze, sunny, and temperature was around 68/70. The bull riding started at 2:00PM. It was really cool. The announcer was fabulous. The action was great. Saw some great action. Definitely want to go to more rodeos and bull riding in the future. My favorite part of the bull riding is the bull fighters. We used to call them “rodeo clowns”. They are fearsome, athletic and courageous. One tradition at a rodeo/bull riding involves the children. They are invited into the arena. Then they have to take off their shoes and create a pile of shoes on one side or middle of the arena. Then, while barefoot or sock feet, they go to the other side of the arena. When given the “Go” signal, they run to the pile and find their shoes and must put them on and then run back to where they started. Now that is expected. But this announcer took the children to another level. He had them warm up first, like doing push ups in the dirt. Then, he had them lie on their bellies and then roll right and then roll left. Then he told them that they should take a handful of dirt and put in their pocket as a souvenir and if they didn’t have pockets, their socks, etc. The majority of the crowd was laughing hysterically. I’m sure some parents were not.
And then Nancy made a great observation. In North Carolina, little toddlers are dressed in camo. Here in the southwest they are dressed in jeans, cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. One we saw even had the belt buckle. Adorable kid. A local vendor was also on site selling homemade freezer dried candies. Nancy decided to try the Milk Duds. Not bad really.
February 7, 2023
Nancy decided a few days ago that she wanted to go to a theater to see A Man Called Otto. Today is the day. We went to Sierra Vista, about 30 minutes away and since we had purchased our tickets ahead of time, we just walked right in. Of course you cannot see a movie without a little popcorn and a drink. As we were finishing up at the concession stand I saw something that just astounded me. A lady was in the theater with her little dog in a bag slung over her shoulder. Why???? I see no reason for this. This world has gone totally nuts. And then, the movie was supposed to start at 12:45 PM. I think it finally started about 1:10 PM after multiple advertising. Absolutely too much. Now I know why I don’t go to a theater too often. At least the price was right. I think we paid about $12 for our tickets. As for the movie, it was fantastic. Another Tom Hanks hit. He plays such a believable character.
February 4, 2023
Today we are going to the Mescal Movie Set. One ticket will get us the opportunity to tour the Set, walk around a Civil War Reenactment Camp, and get a demonstration of Civil War Artillery. The movie set has been used for years for a number of western movies and TV shows. Examples of the movies are Tombstone, The Quick and the Dead, and The Outlaw Josey Wales. It is also under new management like Old Tucson. The idea of movie sets is to fool the eye and the camera. Everything looks real but is very transportable. Some structures, which have no foundations, are not even complete. We saw one which looked very cool from the front, but had no back wall. The tours are conducted by volunteers that dress in period clothing (1880ish). They name several movies for the sets that they tour. We saw the houses of Wyatt and Virgil Earp from Tombstone, as well as the Grand Hotel and the livery stable. The gunfight at the O.K. Corral was also filmed here. The majority of the buildings were locked and we could not enter to see the interiors. The saloon was open and so was one other building that they set up as their gift shop. The saloon has appeared in several movies. This link will take you to the Mescal Movie website which has several pictures and lets you know what and when. MESCAL MOVIE SET
Another interesting page is the history. MESCAL MOVIE SET HISORY
The Civil War Encampment was okay but as a relatively frequent visitor to Gettysburg I have seen a lot more. The re-enactors were very good and very nice. The artillery demonstration was good. Nancy was tired of the sun and wasn’t all that interested in the demo so she found a shady spot to sit down and wait for me. She met a couple of volunteers and talked to them about RVs and Orlando, FL. He was retired Air Force Fire. We talked for quite awhile.
The artillery demo consisted of three different types of canons. One was muzzle loaded and the other two were breach loaded. They went over all of the positions and their duties and responsibilities. It was interesting. After the demonstration we were allowed to get a close look at the artillery and the ammo and the crews were more than happy to answer any and all questions.
After a long day we were looking for a place to eat. Not a food truck, which were available on site, but a place we could sit down. Several folks recommended a little hole in the wall place called the Mescal Bar and Grill. The food was great and they carried some local brews. Nancy chose a Philly Cheesesteak with sweet potato fries and I had a Southwest Cheeseburger with fries and a Barrio Blond Ale. The lunch was fabulous. Might have to go back at another time.
February 2, 2023
Last summer while in Fort Welikit, we met a couple of campers from Colorado. They were in the site between ours and Belinda and Cathy’s. It just so happened that the 6 of us would sit around the campfire with a beverage or two and talk. That couple was Chris and Mitch. As we talked they said they were going to winter in Tucson, AZ. Tucson is only about an hour away. We exchanged numbers and made plans to get together when they got into town. Today is finally the day. Schedules have not permitted us to get together but it’s on now. We had an appointment in Tucson and afterward we met them at Holy Smokin Butts BBQ. Q and Brew. For me it doesn’t get any better. It was great to see them again and to catch up a little. They chose the place and did an excellent job. Holy Smokin Butts offered a sampler platter with brisket, tritip, chicken, ribs, sausage, turkey, and pulled pork. It also came with 2 sides. It was large enough for Nancy and I to share and we even brought a little bit home with us. The local brew was great and the smoked and BBQ meats were fabulous. Tender and juicy and very flavorful. We all enjoyed a great meal and great conversation with our friends. We made plans for 2/19 that they would come down to the park and I will do some cooking for them. We are also planning on seeing them later this year when we go to Colorado.
January 20, 2023
Since I was released last Tuesday, we decided that we would start our exploration of Arizona now. We decided today that we would explore some ghost towns. After a little research Nancy found the Ghost Town Trail which started in Gleeson just south of Tombstone. Looking at the pictures online we had some great expectations. In addition, since we got here I have been wanting to go to Puny John’s BBQ. Reviews were good.
We started out and found Gleeson Jail first. It was kind of neat but the entrance said No Trespassing. Apparently it is on private property. Our next stop was the Gleeson Cemetery. It was located behind fences and on private property also. It was disappointing we couldn’t get out and walk around a little. From there we found the old Gleeson Saloon. From there we continued on the Ghost Town Trail.
The Ghost Town Trail is a dirt/gravel road. We have been on worse roads so this was a nice drive. The scenery was awesome. We did manage to see a few ruins of structures along the trail. We did not venture out into the desert but followed the Trail to the end point of Pearce. We then followed main roads back to Tombstone. It was time for something to eat.
As we walked the streets of historic Tombstone, we stopped into a few shops. I was looking at the boots and hats. We also looked at hat bands for my cowboy hat back in NC. It was originally purchased in 1998 for our daughter’s wedding. Interesting story in and of itself. Saw some really neat stuff but did not purchase anything.
We reached Puny John’s and placed our order. I had high hopes. Nancy ordered a 1/2 of a loaded baked potato with brisket. I ordered a sampler platter. It came with a smoked sausage, brisket, riblets, chicken, pulled pork and two sides. I chose cole slaw and Spicy Baked Beans. The food was visually unappealing and was dry and over cooked. The sausage was so bad I didn’t eat more than a single bite and it wound up in the trash. I did bring a little bit of food home but am still debating on if I am going to reheat any of it. The cole slaw was decent.
As we were driving home we both decided that today “did not live up to our exceptions”. Probably because they were unrealistically high . We will visit Tombstone again as it is a very neat town. And there are several more restaurants to try.
Carissa and Brian’s Wedding
It all started when we went for our tux fittings. I found a seat and just waited patiently. They had picked out tuxes and colors, etc. Then Carissa came over to me and asked me what I wanted. I had been looking around a saw what I thought was pretty awesome. I showed her the longer coat. It was a western style which went down to mid thigh. Apparently she liked the coat as well. Since I was around 6’ tall and the shortest member of the wedding party, they opted to switch to the longer coat. Then Phillip and I started talking and we decided to get black cowboy boots and black cowboy hats to wear at the reception. We already had some of those items. It was awesome. And it is my opinion that I look best in the western style clothing.
January 17, 2023
I had another follow up Doctor appointment today. Of course, X-rays the first item of business. I then saw the PA, Tim. He was pleased with the way I was walking. The wound looked great. He thought that Dr. Smith would probably release me. A few minutes later, Dr. Smith came in. He looked at the wound and he watched me walking. He said that normally he would see me in 1 year and then in 5 years. However, since that is not practical, I was officially released. Dr. Smith said that if we had any questions to feel free to contact him. He has been very open about contacting him through this whole ordeal. He highly recommends it as it is better for the patient and better for the physician. It has also been great to have “alternative” medicine options for pain relief. I still have up to a year to get back to 100% but it will take time to get the muscles and tendons, etc. to stretch, etc. I am so glad that I hd the surgery done. I am no longer in a lot of pain. I can enjoy walking again. Thanks to Nancy’s research, I believe I had a fantastic medical team.
January 4, 2023
The time has finally arrived. The park officially opened Monday January 2, 2023 and now tonight we start our official duties as Night Host. Until now we had discussed what our duties might be but we met with Christi yesterday and now have more of a concrete idea. The duties may still evolve as time goes on. Initially there will not be much to do until we start getting busier.
The Office is open from 9:00AM to 4:00PM. A little before 4:00PM we go over to the office and pick up the golf cart and our clipboard. The clipboard will have guest packets in it in case someone should come in and request a site. We will also be given a color coded map of the park with who is where, etc. After we get our supplies, we are to do a drive around the park to make sure no one got through the process and that everyone is in the correct site. Once we complete our tour, we lock the gate house. Currently the gate house is used only as a mail and package receiving area. The Post Office refuses to deliver to the Office. The Office only recently opened as well. The gate house has been used for some time for mail and packages. UPS and FedEx are delivering to the Office.
We are on duty until 9:00PM. During our hours if someone comes in, we are to show them to their site and give them their packet with standard campground information. For a couple of months now Nancy has been taking care of the bathhouse and cleaning the clubhouse and the bathrooms in the clubhouse. She is still doing that but as there are no workers here, those are more of a check than actual cleaning. At 9:00PM we have to lock the Clubhouse. It is available until them for guests to use. Eventually the pool table will be refinished so it will be available as well as other games. We are also responsible to ensure the golf cart is plugged in and charged for the next day.
After the Office opens the next day, we return our clipboard and take the golf cart to the so they can escort campers if need be. We also open the gate house. We may also be asked to perform other duties as necessary. Our work schedule is four days on and four days off.
The other Night Host arrived today. Her name is Cynthia. She is traveling with her dog Tito. They are very nice. I think we are going to get along great. Cynthia has stayed at the park in the past and loves all the improvements she has seen. The picture above is a view of our night sky. Beautiful!
December 31, 2022
Happy New Year’s Eve!! This week we have had a group of RVers staying here. They are based in Tucson and are the Desert Roadrunners RV Club. Really nice folks. So tonight we are having a large pitch-in with the Roadrunners and work campers, and residents, etc. The schedule is to have hors d’oeuvres at 6:00PM and then Vital Signs will play from 7:00PM until 9:00PM and at that time we will have the New Year countdown with sparkling apple juice.
I decided to make Smoked Shotgun Shells and Smoked Pig Shots for our part of the pitch-in. The shotgun shells were made with Italian sausage and I added green chilies. I made about 15 of them and then cut each of them in half. The pig shots I also added some green chilies. I thought they were all pretty good. Nancy took the shells over and about 15 minutes later we arrived with the pig shots, etc. There was not a shotgun shell left. I ate the last pig shot around 8:30PM.
Vital Signs is the name of the band with Michael and Christi Hargis, our managers and their two friends who are actually the ones that handle the IT issues here at the park. I thought they were very good. Michael is a very good singer and is very charismatic. Loves to talk to the people, have a lot of fun, etc. He encourages everyone to sign along and dance. The music is geared toward our age group so most everyone grew up with the songs they performed. They did do a great rendition of Girl Crush. Overall it was a great night. By the way, Michael and Christi are in the middle of the videos and photos.
In one of the pictures I took is an empty bottle of Crown Royal. It was sitting on the table of the Roadrunners. What a fun loving group! Not sure the beginning level but it was emptied at some point in the evening. Nancy got to dance a few dances and even got a couple of the Roadrunners up on the dance floor. As for me, I did dance one slow dance with Nancy. It was my limit for tonight.
After most people, including the band, left, Nancy and Bill and Gail were cleaning up. A few of the Roadrunners stayed to help also. When all was said and done, they broke open a couple of bottles of champagne and invited us to partake also. So we sat and talked and drank champagne for another hour or so. It was an awesome night.
December 25, 2022
We would like to wish all of our family and friends a very Merry Christmas! We have no gifts to open and we are not around family but we do feel blessed with the fact that we have experienced so much this year and have so many memories. Thank you to all who have supported us and encouraged us. That has been a great gift to us! Love you all!
December 24, 2022
Merry Christmas Eve!! I hope everyone had a nice time with friends and family. We decided we were not going to sit around and just veg. We purchased tickets to Yuletide at Old Tucson. Old Tucson is a former movie/TV western set. It is one of two such locations nearby. The sister location is the Mescal Movie Set. Old Tucson was home to several movies like Tombstone and Three Amigos. Several TV shows also used Old Tucson like Father Murphy and Little House on the Prairie. In 1995 they had a large fire that burnt the majority of the entire town. Through the years it has been slowly rebuilt. From what I read, the venue is owned by Pima County and they have invested a lot of money in it. It is now run by American Heritage Railways. This was the first year for Yuletide at Old Tucson.
Our tickets included parking and admission and several of the activities once in the venue. There are several eateries in Old Tucson. As we entered, we had our pictures taken and we will have the option to buy upon exiting the park. Our tickets were for 4:00PM entry until closing at 10:00PM. We imagined we would only be there a couple of hours. It was an hour and 10 minute drive to get to Old Tucson. We arrived shortly after 4:00PM and the sun was still shining brightly. As we entered we picked up a map which gave us showtimes as well. We started walking through the town, complete with wooden sidewalks in several areas. It was well decorated as it would have been in 1882. That was the year electricity came to Tucson thanks to Royal Johnson.
As we started our journey through town we peaked into a couple of buildings. One was Shelton Hall, which housed a few artifacts and movie memorabilia. We just did a brief look and said we would return. That didn’t happen. Maybe at another event at Old Tucson we can see what we didn’t get a chance to. I was talking to one of the period dressed guides and he told me that he hoped the guided tours would resume but they were not available at this event. Meanwhile Nancy decided to flirt with the Sheriff. I have pictures!!
Our next stop was the blacksmith. It was an actual blacksmith shop. The blacksmith was a contestant on Forged In Fire a few years ago. He was working on a Bowie Knife using a horseshoe from a Clydesdale. He showed us some other items he had forged also. Neat looking work. Very nice guy and more than happy that someone stopped by. We love looking at this kind of art.
Further down the street, as the sun was just starting to set, it was time to get some hot cocoa and a cookie. Interestingly enough, you could purchase not only coffee, cocoa but all kinds of beer, canned whiskey blends, and even put a shot of schnapps in your coffee or cocoa. I opted for a plain hot cocoa. Nancy wanted to try the hot cocoa with a shot of butterscotch schnapps. She really enjoyed it.
We hadn’t eaten much during the day so we decided to go to Jake’s BBQ. After looking at all the menus which were posted we opted for Jake’s. My dinner was a brisket sandwich with sides of potato salad and cold slaw. The brisket was absolutely wonderful. The sides were just okay. Nancy opted for the Wild West Nacho. A bed of french fries with the normal nachos toppings and she added brisket. She loved her meal also. We put the cookies in my camera bag for later.
We finished dinner about 20 minutes before the tree lighting. We wondered around the square and into the post office where children could come in and color pictures and mail them to Santa. This event was very family friendly and had multiple activities for the children. We took some photos and then found a bench to sit and wait. While we were waiting another couple sat down and Nancy started a conversation with them. Very nice folks that also RV. After the lighting ceremony and words by Mr. Royal Johnson we wondered over to take a wagon ride. The wagon was drawn by two Percherons. both were a little over 18 hands high. Very beautiful animals. We even got the chance to pet them. This ride was only a few hundred feet from our previous activity and the next one is just a few hundred feet away also.
Our next activity is the Shoot-Out. As people would enter the area there were two stunt actors that would kid around with them, tease them, etc. They were making the show interactive. The set was an old western town. As we entered to find a seat on the bleachers, I was asked why is Santa here? Nancy replied that I had a curfew but I was good for now. We were both wearing our Mount Rushmore sweatshirts which are red, white, and blue. So one performer started on Merica not America.
The show was about two outlaws who were robbing a stage of money destined for orphans. The individual in charge of transporting the money was assisted by a bumbling Sheriff and a Deputy. The approach was comedic. There were lots of stunts, slap stick comedy, pyrotechnics, and falls from heights. There were even gun battles. It lasted about 20 minutes and was fabulous! In the end, the outlaws were won over to the side of good.
After we left the Shoot Out we found our way back in the middle of town. As we stood in front of The Grand Palace Hotel and Saloon we noticed a billboard. The Yuletide Carol had just started so we went in to rest and to catch the show. The show was a comedy based on A Christmas Carol showcasing local actors who forgot their lines, ones trying to upstage one another and the like. It was great show that lasted about 20 minutes as well.
We continued to walk around town and went past the Krampus Koal Mine. We did not go down into the mine. It was supposed to be spooky but also family friendly. We were headed to the Christmas Fantasy Train. We had to wait a few minutes but there were no long lines. We boarded the train and took a ride around the outskirts of Old Tucson. Very enjoyable .
As we got off the train we wondered through the Christmas tree lot, where you could purchase a fresh cut tree. They seemed to have a lot left over. At those prices I can understand why. We saw a tree about 8 feet tall, can’t remember they type, but it was priced at $450! After recovering from tree shock, I had to go see my cousin. As it turned out he was Santa Randy. We took some pictures and talked about our adventures. It was fun.
It was probably close to 9:00PM now and we were both feeling weary so we decided to head toward the exit. On the way we had to look at our photos that were taken when we first entered. They were okay but we bought the digital package anyway. Some are included here.
To get to the exit we had to pass by The Elixir which sold hot cocoa. We each got a hot cocoa to go. The weather was cool but not frigid. Excellent sweatshirt weather. While we were waiting for our drinks, we met Twinkles, who invited us to tour Christmas Cove, via Santa Trail. What the heck. So off we went. We got some pictures with another Santa and with Twinkles. Twinkles even escorted us back to the main trail through a short cut. Now we really did head for the exit.
Along the way Nancy had to take a picture of the carousel. Of course the exit is through the gift shop. I was occupied with the penny machine while Nancy browsed the shop. I have been collecting pennies for a few years. I also get pennies for Carissa and Andrew so I always try to get three different ones. I even have a pill bottle filled with quarters and shiny pennies to use. We did purchase another Christmas ornament and hung it once we got home.
Overall we did not expect to stay as late as we did. We were both exhausted and hurting some but we had a fabulous night. I should mention at this time that I had decorated my beard. About three years ago, I ordered a kit that had blinking lights and jingle bells that you can attach to your beard. So I decorated my beard and wore my Santa hat. I got several compliments and people loved it. I even had one lady wanted to take a picture of me. So I let here. On our way here I had to take a couple of pictures of Tucson Mountain. I thought it was so neat with the cacti growing on the mountainside. This was definitely a memorable Christmas Eve.
December 22, 2022
Since we aren’t around family for the holidays we decided to do a couple of things for just the two of us. About three weeks ago we started to search for things to do. We found one item, Yuletide at Old Tucson. It looked really neat so we purchased tickets. This is how we will spend our Christmas Eve. We had gotten recommendations from several people about going to the Gaslight Theatre. So I looked it up and got excited when I saw they were doing a production of Christmas Vacation. The excitement was short lived when I saw they were SOLD OUT. So I decided to sign up for emails for future reference.
Lo and behold I got an email from them and they had a few shows where people had canceled their reservations. I immediately called. Tonight is the night. Gaslight Theatre is a small venue attached to Gaslight Costumes, Little Anthony’s Diner, and Grandma Tony’s Pizza. I believe the same family owns all 4 businesses. Not only do you get a show but you have the opportunity to order dinner and/or drinks, wines and beers, and desserts. So it is a dinner theatre.
Once we were seated a waitress came around and took our order. She even got me a taste of one of the local tap beers before ordering a larger glass. I had pizza and a Barrio Blonde Ale from Barrio Brewing in Tucson. Very good. Nancy had a Caesar salad with chicken and a soda. She did not care for her salad. We also had dessert. I had a banana split and she had a caramel sundae. The waitresses were all dressed in very short Mrs. Claus skirts. The male staff were in the Christmas Gaslight tee shirts. The staff was very friendly.
The menu and the playbill were contained in the newspaper on the table. After looking at that I realized that this musical was not the same as the movie. It did parallel several basics of the movie. The cast are local actors. You could tell when the actors would ad-lib or go off script and their cast mates would crack up. We thoroughly enjoyed the production. The music was provided by a three piece band. A piano, bass guitar, and drum. The cast would interact with the audience And for me, I enjoyed all of the corn Dad Jokes they told as well.
When we first met our waitress, she asked if we were celebrating anything. I thought that was odd but found out later why. After the play was done, one of the performers came out and they recognized everyone who was celebrating a birthday or anniversary. The birthday folks got a scoop of ice cream on a cone and the anniversary people got a small sundae with 2 spoons. They then had all audience members stand if they were military or first responders.
Once that portion was over, they moved into a small segment of musical numbers of Christmas songs and multiple costume changes. Very well done. And then Santa came out and made his rounds through the crowd and everyone was singing. Overall a very enjoyable night. For me it made Christmas a little bit better.