May 3, 2023
First, Happy Birthday to our daughter, Carissa. We met Karen and Steve in the morning and Steve showed me how to access the sites to be done. However, my tablet was not working correctly. I was going to have to take it to the rangers to see how to get signed on or something. The computer system is relatively new to the parks system, January 1, 2023 actually. Not all of the bugs or processes are worked out. We followed Karen and Steve around for about an hour. The process to cleaning a site is to rake the rocks and gravel and sweep the concrete pads and check the electrical box to ensure the breakers are turned off. After doing a few sites, we split the work. Nancy and I headed off to do a few sites on our own. We finished the day by around noon.
Karen and Steve also arranged a party for the hosts to get to meet each other and socialize, no work talk. The rangers were also invited. It was a pitch-in. We opted to go to King Soopers, a Kroger owned grocery store, and bring some mini cupcakes. After working and with no idea of timing, we took the easy way out this time. It was a very nice gathering. We met Carla and Angel Amen, the other hosts and Rangers Jasmine and Patrick and Desiree. The rangers left early but the hosts stuck around and talked and shared some beer and tequila. Angel is from Mexico and is a US citizen and Air Force veteran. He is a very interesting individual. We are going to have some fun here in Colorado.
May 2, 2023
Sometime in the morning we were told that our site, Site 50, was ready for us to move into. So we hooked up and moved down to our site. We spent the rest of the morning setting up. Unpacking our smoker and table, chairs, etc., setting up our outdoor carpet, etc. After lunch we headed down to the Visitor’s Center and met with Michael. He gave us a tote full of information, a radio, a cashbox, a tablet, necessary keys, etc. We were scheduled to start working tomorrow and shadow Steve and Karen Holmes.
We were then ushered into a room and told to pick out our uniforms. There was a lot of items to choose from. We each chose a boonie hat, a couple of short sleeve t-shirts, and a long sleeve t-shirt, Whatever they had, if they didn’t have our size Michael was going to order it. Nancy found a nice golf shirt. I thought they would be nice when working in the gate house. I had to put one on order. We also had to order a hooded zip-up for Nancy and a vest for me. We also got our name plates but we had to return them as our name was misspelled. Michael apologized and said he would reorder them.
We took our items home to wash them so we can wear them this week at work. Later in the afternoon, they delivered our brand new gas powered “golf cart” with our broom and leaf rake to clean the sites. We decided to venture up to introduce ourselves to Karen and Steve as we were going to work together tomorrow. As we almost reached their site, we noticed them heading down to see us. We were closer to their site so we went there. While Nancy and Karen talked, Steve took me on a little tour of the campground and the location of Maintenance and the various codes we would know. It was a nice evening.
May 1, 2023
We arrived today at Cheyenne Mountain State Park. The park is about a mile from Colorado State Road 115 and sits across the street from the main entrance to Fort Carson. Once you climb the mountain to the park and the campground areas you are just down the mountain from NORAD and USNORTHCOM. If you are a movie buff, Cheyenne Mountain and NORAD should be familiar from “Wargames” with Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheddy. The park is absolutely beautiful and very clean. While driving in we did notice a prairie dog town on either side of the entrance. We love to see the wildlife.
We pulled into the Visitor’s Center to find out where we were supposed to go. We met Michael Ivis, the Senior Ranger. He is the number 2 ranger at the park but the hosts and general operations are his responsibilities. He put us into Site 19, a pull through full hook up as a temporary site as the hosts we are replacing have not left yet. Michael told us to just chill today and not worry about anything. Tomorrow we should be moving to our more permanent site and when we can go “shopping” for our uniforms.
April 29 & 30, 2023
Today is another travel day. The goal is to get Nancy by some water and get close to our summer home. We can accomplish this by staying the weekend at Lake Pueblo State Park. It is located in Pueblo, CO about an hour and a half south of Colorado Springs. The snow has melted and we packed up. I must admit that just about every time you travel with an RV there will be something come up. So far we have forgotten to secure the refrigerator doors or latch a shower door or some other item. Some times can lead to major consequences and sometimes you just say “Wow, that was a close call”. About 2 hours up the road I suddenly remembered that I had not secured the weather station outdoor sensor.
We have a weather station in the bedroom and it tells us the temperature, time, and humidity inside and outside. Normally we put the sensor on top of the wheels on the door side of the RV. It protects it from direct sun and from precipitation. Well, this morning I left it on the wheel. And obviously there was little hope of it surviving. Additionally, we were not going back to retrieve it even if it had survived. We arrived at Lake Pueblo and was not aware of the procedure for Colorado. We made our way to the Visitor’s Center. Just ahead of us was another fifth wheel. He did not know the procedure either. His wife had already went into the Center so we awaited the word. We found out that you go toward the campground and there will be a gate there. You will need to purchase your day pass for each day you are in the park. The cost is $10 per day. We were following the other fifth wheel. He pulled in and stopped and made his purchase. We were just behind them. We had to veer right slightly to go through the entrance lane. As the leader was pulling away, I happen to look up and notice a sign that said “Clearance 12 Feet”. I was hoping this was a mistake as our rig is 13 feet 5 inches high. I slowly pulled forward as Nancy had gotten out to spot. I was able to reach the Ranger window and they did confirm that it was indeed on 12 feet high. Nancy also confirmed that there was no way. The person in the gate house called for a Ranger to come down and direct traffic.
In the meantime, someone else in a large fifth wheel pulled in behind me. So Nancy was able to get them backed out so I could start backing out. I was not a happy camper (pun intended). To compound the problem, the right side of the road was about a 6 foot drop off. After a few minutes, I was able to move to the other side of the gate house and purchase our passes. I had mentioned to the gate keeper that it would be an excellent idea if that 12 feet sign was posted prior to entering that little drive. Her comment was that we were not the first ones to pull into and back out today. It happens a lot apparently. I was less than impressed with the lack of signage in the campground. It was tense to even find our campsite, but we finally pulled in.
I was able to leave the RV hooked and able to level it. As I was hooking up the utilities, I discovered that we had electricity only. I thought we would also have water. My bad for not checking. Fortunately we travel with a full tank of potable water just for such occasions. And we had lots of capacity remaining in our black tank. We would just have to monitor our grey tanks. After all of this, the view was spectacular. We spent the weekend looking out over the lake and enjoying the sunshine. A very relaxing spot. It was enjoyable to sit outside and listen to an audiobook and soak up the sun.
April 28, 2023
Well today’s plans went out the window quickly. We awoke to a snow covered ground. We have been traveling for about two weeks and just used the snow as an excuse. We stayed in and caught up on our laundry as our next stop would not be a full hook-up.
April 27, 2023
We initially had planned to go to Los Alamos and Bandolier National Park, but decided to stay a little closer to home due to weather conditions. So we opted to explore Santa Fe. We chose to first explore the Santa Fe Plaza. It is a very cool area. It reminds me of a large square with various vendors in the park and store on the outside of the park. There were also street performers in the Plaza. It was very nice and the weather held for us. Across the street from the Plaza stands the Governor’s Palace. It is an awesome looking structure but we did not go in to tour it. Instead, we walked around the exterior and looked at some really neat handmade crafts. Each vendor was a Native American and you could see a lot of silver and turquoise. They had some very nice pieces and the prices were not bad considering how much time it took to make each piece.
We found a couple of stores to walk through just for grins and giggles. One of those was Lucchese. For those of you not familiar with Lucchese, it is a very high-end boots. They also have other fine leather goods like belts, purses, jackets, etc. The sales person was very nice and friendly. He knew we were only there to admire the quality of the products. I did try on one very nice cowboy hat. And I did find one of the softest pair of boots I have every seen or felt. They were 100% buffalo. They were awesome. But the price of $1,200 was cost prohibitive. The salesman did suggest that I work for Lucchese part-time. They require their employees to wear their products. I hope Lucchese comes to North Carolina very soon so I can get a part-time job. The closest store is in Nashville, TN.
We continued to walk around the square and even took a side trip to a couple of shops just off the beaten trail. One was the Santa Fe Hat Company. The hats were beautiful. Of course they custom make hats but it may take a year for you to get it. We had a chance to talk to a sales/craftsman and learned so much about the difference in materials. It was fascinating and educational. Again, the prices were a big deterrent to purchasing. Nancy got to get a free skin care treatment with some very high end products. We had the chance to talk to a lot of interesting people. It was a fun day.
As we headed back to the truck we passed a cafe called The Plaza Cafe. The menu looked really good and we were hungry so we decided to stop. Nancy had an awesome looking Avocado Toast, which she thoroughly enjoyed. I had the Upside Down Santa Fe Frito Pie. It was absolutely delicious. We enjoyed our meal al Fresco and afterward went back home. An enjoyable day.
April 26, 2023
Back on the road again this morning. Our next stop is only a short distance away at Rancheros de Santa Fe Campground. We arrived and got checked in. We found our site and set up. The plan is to take a drive thru the New Mexico landscape and find Madrid, NM. I wanted to visit the town and Maggie’s Diner. The reason is it is a part of one of my favorite movies, “Wild Hogs”. Maggie’s Diner was built just for the movie and is not a diner at all. It is strictly a tourist souvenir destination. I tried to find a shirt but it took about 4 tries to find one in my size. I did finally find one. I also found poker chip and a patch for my leather vest. I have a few patches that will need to be sewn on it. We left Maggie’s Diner and headed back to our campsite to prepare for tomorrow.
April 25, 2023
Travel today to get to New Mexico. We had not planned on stopping anywhere but we saw signs for Winslow, Arizona. We decided to pull off of Interstate 40 and found “the corner”. The next step was to find a parking spot, relatively close, and one that would hold a 42’ RV being pulled by a long bed truck. Apparently Winslow thought of everything. About 3 blocks past the corner was a very long lane of parking area. We stopped and walked back to get our pictures and souvenirs from the area. The Eagles’ song “Take It Easy” is what made this area famous. Verse 2: “Well, I'm a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona; and such a fine sight to see; It’s a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford; slowing down to take a look at me.” It was a great stop.
We left Winslow and were back on the road to Grant, NM. Our stop for tonight is the Junkyard on Route 66 Brewery. A Harvest Host. We arrived and got set up. Now it was time for dinner. The brewery/eatery is in a former junkyard. The inside of the building is very eclectic. The dining tables are hoods. The menu tonight is brisket sandwich and a bag of chips. Nancy had a Margarita and I had a F460 beer. It is a double hefeweizen. Very good.
April 24, 2023
We used yesterday to just chill and work on the blog. Today, we decided to explore the small part of Route 66 in Williams. It didn’t take long. As it turns out some old friends of ours from New Jersey just happen to be in Williams, Arizona with their new RV. They are on a few week outing. We got in touch with them and we met Marie and Denis for lunch at The Longhorn Saloon. Lunch was very good and so was the cold beer. We talked for a while after lunch and then it was time to go. We headed home to start packing up as we are headed out tomorrow.
April 22, 2023
The day has finally arrived after 6 years of wishing, planning, praying, etc. The day is pretty much planned out for you when you ride the Grand Canyon Railway into the Grand Canyon. The train starts boarding at 9:15AM and departs at 9:30AM. At the train location is a small western themed area. At 9:00AM you can watch the western skit and then after the show, board the train. The trip north, into the Grand Canyon, takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes. You descend down to about 2,000 feet elevation and then climb up to 7,000 feet elevation once you are in the park. The return trip, southbound, takes about 2 hours. The train starts boarding at 3:00PM and departs the canyon at 3:30PM. There are musicians on board to entertain you. And the afternoon train has a robbery also.
There are six classes of railcars. Starting with the basic, you have Pullman Class, Coach Class, First Class, Observation Dome, Luxury Dome, and Luxury Parlor. At the various levels you have various amenities. Some serve snacks and beverages and then others have bar service, etc. The type of seats are different also. They also have a cafe car where you can purchase hot chocolate, and other assorted items.
Today is Earth Day. So in honor of Earth Day, we had a diesel/steam locomotive to pull our train today. Really cool.
We walked from the campground to the western theater. It was about a 10 minute walk. We found a spot on the metal bleachers and sat and waited. The actors were good and as people arrived they were interacting with them and one was on horseback and allowed people to come pet the horse. They did their skit about robbery and they did some stunt work. Unfortunately the sound system was not very good so it was difficult to hear the dialogue. At the end of the skit, we were ushered to the train boarding platform. We found our car and boarded. We rode to the Grand Canyon in First Class. It was very comfortable and included pastries, coffee, etc. During the two hour 15 minute ride, we were serenaded by Kelly. He was very good. It was a nice relaxing ride with beautiful scenery.
As you pull into the station on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon you can get your first look at the most spectacular view of Mother Nature. After disembarking, we walked up to the South Rim and took a good look at the Grand Canyon. This was the Number 1 item on Nancy’s bucket list. We finally made it. From our brief look we headed to the Visitor’s Center. We walked along the rim first one way and then another. We had about 4 hours to take in the views before having to board the train again for the ride home. We used our time to walk, rest, and take pictures. By the time we were back on the train it felt so good to sit down on a cushioned seat. We had seats in the Luxury Dome on the way back to Williams. Again, snacks and certain drinks were included. It was wonderful. We had a roaming musician again and this time, we were visited by train robbers and the Sheriff.
One of the neatest things about the trip home was that we could go to the rear of the train and stand out on the rear platform. It was really cool to stand on the back of the train and peak around the corner. While we were on the platform, the train stopped. This was to allow the robbers to board the train. Once the train started again, we saw a lone cowboy with a riderless horse. Apparently one of the robbers. We were toward the rear of the train and I wanted to get a picture of the engine so Wayne and I rushed to the front of the train. It was a very long walk. However, we made it. A very tiring and awesome day.
April 21, 2023
By mid morning we were all up and about. Wayne gets up really early and had walked thru downtown Williams a little and then he and Jen visited the Williams Visitor Center. They came over and we decided to head to Bearizona today. It is a drive thru park with several different wild animals and also a walk around area to see bear cubs, badgers, otters, javelina, and many others. It was a great drive and the animals were very cooperative. After we drove through the park we stopped at the walk around area. We spend a hour or so walking around looking at the different animals and taking a ton of pictures. We also had to stop to get a picture of the metalwork at the entrance to Williams.
When we were done with the park, we picked up our boarding passes for our train ride into the Grand Canyon South Rim tomorrow. Jen and Wayne were still feeling the effects of the 3 hour time difference so they went back to their motel to chill for a while. When they were refreshed, they would return to our place and we would have dinner. We made spaghetti and meatballs with a Caesar salad and a red velvet cake for dessert. After dinner and dessert it was time to rest up and get ready for tomorrow.
April 20, 2023
We found our way to I-40. This is the second travel day where the Interstate road systems are absolutely horrible. Rough with pot holes galore. It wasn’t until we got almost to Williams that the road was in decent shape. It is no fun getting bounced around and wondering what it is doing to your home. It did not matter what speed I went, it was rough.
We finally arrived at the Grand Canyon Railway and RV Park and set up. Nancy and I attempted to get our boarding passes for Saturday’s train ride into the Grand Canyon. However they will not be available until tomorrow after 12:00 noon. Very cool steam train on display outside the gift shop. Later that evening Wayne and Jen, another high school friend of mine and his girl friend, were meeting up with us to explore Williams and the Grand Canyon together. After getting the RV opened up we discovered many things had fallen and had become displaced. We did get lucky in one respect. This morning I had used the bathroom and I had closed the door so Ashes wouldn’t run in there and hide under the laundry closet. He had a tendency to do so when it’s travel day. However, neither Nancy nor I double checked the bathroom. Usually when we travel, if a door is closed it means that everything is secured and ready to go. Well not today. The laundry closet door was just bouncing around unsecured and 2 screws came out of the track. That was not big deal, I put them back in the door in new wood. Then we got real lucky as the glass shower doors were not secured. No broken glass. Whew!! A few bottles of shampoo, etc. got bounced around but nothing broke. The biggest tragedy was our Emeril’s Air Fryer bounced off the counter. The handle bent but was easily straightened. A couple of small plastic pieces broke off but I believe it will work okay. Never had any issues before but the roads were rough. Glad to be stationary for a few days.
Wayne and Jen arrived and we sat and talked for some time. We were all getting hungry so we walked over to the Grand Canyon Brewery. We had a delicious meal and as we talked and shared photos we got to know Jen. She is a very nice lady and I think we are going to have a lot of fun together. We also had our adult beverage. As usual I ordered a flight to try different brews. They had a couple of really good ones. I was so hungry that I did not take photos of the meal itself but I did get a picture of our deserts.
The structure itself is a wonderful heavy timber structure. Lots of real wood decorations, columns, and tables. After dinner we walked back to the RV and parted ways. We will play tomorrow by ear.
April 19, 2023
Another travel day. The roads in California are strange. It’s like being on a roller coaster. This has a profound effect on the back of an RV. That’s 42 feet of whip. We are headed north and just crossing into Arizona to another Harvest Host, Hooch’s Route 66 Bar and Grill in Topock, Arizona. The first order of business is to fuel up. After fueling we got on I-10 and headed east. We then found our road to head north northeast. This route took us thru the Mohave Desert. Interesting sights.
We arrived at Hooch’s and again found a relatively level spot to park for the night. There was another RV in the parking lot and later a van pulled in as well. For us it was dinner time so we went into the restaurant. It was a very bouncy day and I just wanted a cold beer. So we ordered dinner and I had a couple of Stellas. Normally Nancy orders Marguritas but tonight she went for Long Island Ice Tea. She enjoyed them too. We ate a good dinner. While we were eating Nancy noticed a couple at the bar and said that they were the other camper. We introduced ourselves and invited them to our table. They were from the New Jersey area around Philadelphia. We knew a lot of the same areas. As luck would have it, he was also a retired firefighter. We sat and talked for a while. Tonight was karaoke night at Hooch’s. The locals sounded pretty good but the bartender/waitress was really good. She had a great voice and great personality too. Very fun night.
I started the generators and we made it through the night. Again the weather was ideal. In the morning, the generators had run out of fuel so I went out and put a little gasoline in only one. I figured this was enough to get my second cup of coffee made. I was wrong. I decided it was just time to pack up and leave. As we were getting dressed and opened our closets we had noticed that our hanging clothes had come off the bar. So we had to put those back up also. Not starting out to be a great day.
April 18, 2023
The wind is continuing today but this is our last day here in CA. We decided to explore Palm Springs. We found, at least we think we found, the downtown Palm Springs. For us it was not what we pictured but the palm trees were sculpted beautifully. Nancy found a park that had a waterfall. It was the Tahquitz Canyon. It is on American Indian property. We had Bree with us. We parked and left the windows down for Bree. We went inside the Visitor’s Center. There we found out two things. The first is that the waterfall was up a rugged 1.25 mile hike. The second was that dogs, were not allowed on Indian property. So we got back in our truck and left.
I had passed a few Del Tacos. I remember them from an episode of The Big Bang Theory. So we had them for lunch. I thought they were very good. We needed a couple of groceries before we left town so we found an Albertson’s. After that we left and returned to the campground.
April 17, 2023
The wind has picked up today. The wind advisory says 20 to 30 mph winds with stronger gusts. We opted to stay put today. This has given me a chance to start catching up the blog. I am several days behind.
April 16, 2023
We got up early this morning so that we could make it to Joshua Tree / Palm Springs KOA by 1:00 for check-in. We were going to see Cheryl Morris and her family. We had two route options and both were within 10 minutes of each other. Nancy had wanted to see Quartzsite. The area peaked her interest because it is a very large boondockiong area and it was featured in the movie Nomadland. From our location it was a straight shot up US 95. In Quartzsite we picked up I-10. We went from the Sonoran Desert to the Mohave Desert.
We arrived on time and had the RV set up and within a few minutes Cheryl and her family arrived. We sat and talked for a little while and then Cheryl, Jessica, Ron, Nancy and I loaded into the truck and headed to Joshua Tree National Park. They had never been and we thought since they were this close, why not?
Our first stop, as always was the Visitor’s Center. We talked to a Ranger about what was really the best to see. We headed into the park and when possible and warranted, we would pull over and some would get out and many pictures were taken. The Joshua Tree is really neat looking. We also saw a multitude of different rock formations as well. They were very interesting. We got to a cross road and turned right. In a few miles we reached the Cholla Cactus Garden. The cacti are starting to bloom. We all piled out of the truck and walked around the garden for several minutes. After several pictures we decided to head out of the park and find a restaurant for dinner. We settled on a restaurant and had a wonderful meal with great conversation. And we even had a little dessert. It was about a 45 minute ride back to our RV. It was getting late and Cheryl and Ron and Jessica still had about a 2 hour ride home. It was another awesome day with friends and exploring our great country. Another memory for us. We have taken the opportunities or made the opportunities to see a lot of my friends that I went to high school with or worked with over the last several years. It has been great to reconnect with these folks. The great thing is that Nancy has been or has become friends with them also.
April 15, 2023
Today is travel day again. First thing this morning we returned park property to the office and said our good-byes to Christi, one of the park managers. Michael wasn’t feeling real well so we didn’t get to see him. Sallie and Ron came down and we said our byes to them as well. Then it was time to hook up and head toward Yuma, AZ. We are scheduled to stay at a Harvest Host for the night. The Host is Dirty South BBQ. We arrived and checked in and found a good spot to spend the night. It was relatively level so we did not have to unhitch. We just lowered our jacks and opened our slides. I got the generators all set up. There was another couple there spending the night also.
Harvest Host is a membership program. We pay an annual membership fee. Across the country there are wineries, breweries, restaurants, dairies, farms, churches, museums, and many others that allow RVers to spend the night in their parking lots for free. The idea is that you will patronize the business in some way. Examples are taking a tour, purchasing something from their gift shop, eating a meal or two, etc. There are even a few that offer electricity. There is another level of membership which includes Boondocks Welcome. These are usually folks that have large driveways, etc. for RVs to park. Then another level is the golf package which allows RVers to stay at golf courses. The normal is a one night stay. Sometimes more is possible. Most hosts have their reservations online and the maximum number of RVs allowed and maximum sizes. We have used it 3 times on this trip. Well worth it.
We went into the restaurant and ordered our dinner. I got the brisket plate with BBQ (red) slaw, baked beans, and had a Mountain Dew to drink. Nancy had the brisket plate but with creamy cole slaw and mac and cheese. After we ordered we made our way outside to a large outdoor area with lots of tables and chairs. As it was outdoors, we could take Bree with us. Shortly after we were seated, the other camping couple came out and we invited them over. The four of us sat and talked and enjoyed some wonderful BBQ. As it turns out they are on a couple month trip and are from Libertyville, IL, which is on the north side of Chicago. He is a retired firefighter/paramedic. We sat and talked until the restaurant closed at 7:00PM. Very enjoyable. Fortunately the weather was ideal. Low was only going to be mid 50s so we wouldn’t need a heater or AC. We got up in the morning and I had my coffee and we closed up and headed out.
April 14, 2023
First thing this morning we said good bye to Dan and Susan, some fellow work campers. I had to run to town to fill our propane tanks and to fuel the truck. We spent the day packing and trying to figure what was going where and what will we need easy access to. We have a couple of Harvest Hosts stays coming up and we will need to have access to our generators and associated tools. We have accumulated a lot of stuff in the last year.
It is also our last night to work. Doesn’t seem possible. We took our ride around the park and took one last look. In the morning, we will return the golf cart to the office along with any keys we have and the clip board. Nancy ran out to get something and while she was gone, an elderly couple stopped in looking for an overnight spot. He didn’t like driving at night. They were pulling a pop-up. Since they had no bathroom, they were not supposed to stay but I though it might be best if we put them close to the bathhouse. They had just re-opened. I showed them a few spots but they said they wanted a pull-thru as he didn’t like backing. So I took them up to the Wagon Wheel where a couple of pull-thru are. Too far from the bathhouse. So back down to the original spot we went. They chose one and with my help and his wife’s help, he got it backed in just fine. And our last night was complete.
April 13, 2023
We are finally going to see some friends today that we knew from our Carmel days. After retiring, Ernie Maroon moved to Apache Junction, Arizona. He married Kirby. I didn’t know Karen but I knew her father. We ate at one of our favorite restaurants in Tucson, Holy Smokin’ Butts. We enjoyed good food and had a wonderful time catching up. They had driven a couple of hours from Apache Junction, AZ to meet up with us. We would have done this earlier but life kept getting in the way. It was time for them to head home as they have animals that needed tending to.
Nancy and I decided that tonight we would celebrate our anniversary by going back to Casino Del Sol. We again set our limits. We had to raise them a little as the minimum went from $5 to $10. The upped the ante. :) We played 3-card poker. It is a relatively fast paced game. Again, we played for 2 or 3 hours. This time we came out about $150 ahead of the game. We had a very good hot streak going and then they changed dealers. Then we started to lose a little. Then when the cards went cold we said, adios!. We did take some of our winnings to the fancy restaurant in the hotel and we had desert. I had a chocolate lava cake and Nancy had an almond cake of some sorts. Both very good. We left the casino and Tucson as tomorrow is pack up day. Going to be a long day.
April 12, 2023
HAPPY 48TH ANNIVERSARY!!! HAPPY 1ST ANNIVERSARY! Today marks 48 years of marriage. Today also means that we have been full - time living in our RV for one year. One year ago today we left our home in North Carolina to work camp our way across America to fulfill as many items as we could on our Bucket List. We are going on a date tomorrow night to celebrate but today we have different plans. Ron and I are going to the Pima County Air and Space Museum. It is my second day.
Nancy and Sallie are going to go out as well, to Sierra Vista for craft stuff. Nancy is needing more stuffing material for the Victory Junction Bears. While out she found me a really cool piece of yard art. A metal road runner. That was my anniversary gift. Beep! Beep!
Ron and I walked around Hangar 1 for quite some time. I focused on the A-10A Thunderbolt II, A.K.A. The Wart Hog. There was an ancillary display depicting a typical base camp. The stories were very interesting. We finally decided it was time to move on. The weather was warm and sunny so it was time to grab a bottle of water and sit and relax for a few. After our rest period, we went to the Dorothy Finley Space Museum. As usual some very interesting displays. Like the Mars Phoenix Lander.
After the Space Museum, we wandered around the outdoor exhibits for a while as we made our way to the 390th Memorial Museum, Home of the B-17 Flying Fortress. The museum was great. It told the story of how important the B-17 was to the American war effort. The museum also detailed the history of one particular B-17, the I’ll Be Around and talked about each position on the aircraft. We found out that on certain days a couple of volunteers came in and would tell stories. These men were actually in War World II and flew on B-17s. One was a POW but somehow survived the German Stalags. I wished we knew this ahead of time.
It was time to leave and get something to eat and a cold beer. We decided to to try Fire Truck Brewing. We found the closest one. It has only been open for a few months. We scanned the menu. We decided the cost was a little high and the only real food was pizza. We opted for a couple of appetizers. Ron ordered a beer he had had before. I ordered a flight of four. I sampled the Hero Dunkel, 1811 Desert Blonde, Heatwave Hefeweizen, and Coldshot IPL. The Blonde was pretty cold. After finishing our snack, Ron suggested we try another place with good beer and good food.
We headed to Sonoita to the Copper Brothel Brewery. Ron was correct. I opted for the enchiladas and a glass of Maggie Mae, a pale ale. It was very good. Once we finished we headed home.
PIMA COUNTY AIR AND SPACE PICTURES