Starstruck in Sedona

 Saturday, October 10, 2020

Our last day in Sedona was a power packed day!   We got up early to visit a National Monument called Montezuma's Castle.  It is a pueblo dwelling built between 1100 and 1300--that's old!  Right next to it, is Castle A, which appears to be a series of "condos", stretching over 5 stories, but the roofs have slid off over the years.  How amazing to think about the people who built these dwellings using the natural alcoves so long ago, and how they accomplished construction on the cliffs.  Very impressive! 

Montezuma's castle

(And, speaking of old, we were able to use our Senior Park Pass and got in free!  It's the best deal going!)

Castle A

We decided on hiking the Broken Arrow Trail that we heard about at dinner last night.  It was an adventure just getting to the trailhead--you almost needed an ATV to get to the parking area!  We're glad the pink jeep tours were sold out, because this turned out to be a fabulous hike. 

It was a narrow trail, intermediate difficulty, not a lot of elevation, very few people and a lot of interesting stuff!  It was different than the hikes we are used to in Scottsdale, because there were trees that provided occasional shade, and large areas of flat rock surface that provided a resting place and stunning views.  

We stopped at the first flat rock area and there was a panoramic view surrounding us that was spectacular.  We couldn't capture the full impact on camera.  In the distance you could make out the famous Sedona rock formations.

We took a side trail out to Submarine rock--you can see how it got its name!  We climbed up part way, but didn't go over the top.

Along the side of the trail in one spot there is a 90 foot sinkhole dubbed "Devil's Dining Room" that has been fenced off.  Documented collapses occurred in the 1880's, 1980's and 1995.   We didn't stand around there for long!

The hike was about 3.5 miles long--a really good one!  Here's our desert selfie!

We followed the hike with a  nap so that we could stay awake for our next adventure...STARGAZING!   

It's something that's always fascinated me, and since Sedona is one of only 20 certified International Dark Sky Communities in the world, this seemed like the perfect place to explore the starry night skies!  

It was an exceptional experience.  (I'm running out of superlative words to use....)  

We had a small group of about 10 people who met up with Wes, the astronomer and his assistant in an open field set up with huge telescopes and chairs.  It was a little spooky meeting up--they provided directions--"look for the flashing red lights and we will be there to meet you." They were there with headlamps to guide us to the field.  We were asked not to use our phones or flashlights so that our eyes could adjust to the night sky...it was sooo dark, but the blanket of stars was beautiful.  Each group of two had their own telescope, so that made it nice. 

These $3,000 telescopes had an attachment like a remote control, that allowed you to input the object you wanted to look at.  Then the telescope automatically moved and pointed to that site...pretty amazing!  Wes had a powerful laser pointer that he used to help us identify the constellations, planets and star clusters.  The telescopes allowed us to see the rings of Saturn!!  You could hear the gasps of people as they looked in the scope and first saw the rings.  We saw Jupiter with it's lines created by spinning "dust", and Mars.  We saw Alberio, a binary star with two colors, and Andromeda galaxy.  It's too bad we didn't get to see the moon through the telescope--it doesn't rise until midnight at this time of year!  Jim and I both saw a shooting star!  Wes was so knowledgeable and provided a great education.   We learned the North star never moves and it's really not the brightest star. It is hard to wrap your mind around the astronomy concepts--light years and galaxies, black holes, etc.  We will certainly look at the night skies and stars a bit differently after this experience.  Now I'm going to have to learn astrophotography!

A picture from the internet that gives a good example of what we saw.

It Never Gets Old!

 Friday, October 9, 2020

The scenery here never gets old!  Everywhere you look brings breathtaking views.  Nature paints a beautiful portrait!

Just driving along the highway provides spectacular views! 

We visited the town of Jerome, an old copper mining town which has been declared a Historic National Landmark.  It boasts a population of about 450 people and now thrives mostly on tourism with its many shops and artists galleries.  Many of the shops were closed or restricted--they would let only 5-6 people in at a time.  As people waited and wandered outside, there was this unique wishing well--probably lots of wishes that the virus would go away! 

We ventured into downtown Sedona which was a big mistake.   The traffic congestion was terrible.  We haven't been to downtown Sedona in over 20 years, and my has it changed.   We didn't even stop (except in traffic)--we were afraid we'd get caught in a vortex of traffic jams!  Instead, we visited the Chapel of the Holy Cross, and checked out a few trailheads, planning for a hike tomorrow. 

 At the church, we encountered a wedding about to take place.  What a beautiful setting for a wedding, but what an ordeal for the groomsmen, carrying chairs and flowers up the stairs!  We were going to hang around for the wedding, but figured they wouldn't really welcome uninvited guests!

We ended up in the Village of Oak Creek, just south of Sedona and met niece Rachel for dinner.  We surprised her with a birthday dessert for a special birthday coming up next week.  It was good to catch up!

We had hoped to do a kayaking trip or a pink jeep tour, but unfortunately both were sold out--we didn't consider the holiday weekend.  But, the good news is that we were able to find a bike shop and replace the missing bike part.  Tomorrow, we'll do some hiking and take in this beautiful scenery.

Changing Times and Changing Temps

 Thursday October 8, 2020

We've been gone from home for a week already! (My pill-minder told me!)  We have gained 3 hours and almost 40 degrees since leaving home. (Haven't checked the scale to see about weight gain.)

It's surprising how the time change has an impact on sleep cycles, and daily routines.  Part of the routine is reading the e-editions of Indy Star and Arizona Republic.  Jim set me up with a printer so I can print out my daily puzzles (crossword, suduko and cryptoquip) to keep the routine going and to keep me happy!  

The landscape is constantly changing.  They call this area "Painted Desert" and you can see why.

We finally reached Arizona, along with bumpy roads and a lot of traffic.  We settled in at Distant Drums, a very nice RV Park right off the interstate nestled into the foothills.  

The park overlooks the Verde Valley, with some gorgeous views.

Each day, there is a different food truck on site to accommodate travelers--that's a first!  

We are settled here for a few days, so we got our bikes out of the car to put them back together, only to find one of the parts is missing--probably left in the grass at the side of the road when we disassembled.  It should be an easy one to replace, thank goodness.   

There were remnants of nasty burrs from the brush along the side of the road ; we continue to find them everywhere.  I'm still nursing a sore finger from pulling one off of my sock!  

Here's a picture of the bent drop hitch that shows the damage from the accident on Wednesday.  We ordered a new tow bar, base plate and new drop hitch today! 

Is 6:30 pm too early to go to bed????

Unlucky but Lucky in Shamrock Texas!

 Wednesday, October 7

It was a great start to the morning, with clear skies and beautiful weather.   Interstate 40 was smooth, and traffic was light  We crossed the border into the Texas panhandle, and looked forward to making a trip across Texas in a few hours, rather than the few days it takes us to get across Texas when we travel Interstate 10. 

The speed limit is 75mph, but we normally travel about 65.  We were headed down the road, just approaching the exit for Shamrock, Texas, when suddenly we felt a heavy jolt, and realized someone had run into the back of us at 65 mph!!  Now that's an unplanned adventure, for sure!  That's not the luck we were looking for in Shamrock.  

We pulled over, and thank goodness, the driver pulled over too.  (I was poised at the windshield with my camera to capture the car and license plate in case he decided to take off--I think I've been watching too much tv!)  The 34 year old guy from Connecticut said he was on cruise control, rearranging stuff in his car and looked up and we were there.  I wonder how fast he was going.   We think he probably fell asleep.  His car was stuffed full--he said he was moving cross country and had 12 more hours to go, so not sure where he is headed.    

Back bumper of the car

When looked at the damage, we realized it was necessary to call the police.  Our poor bike rack was hurt, the bikes were on the hood of the car,  and the tow system buckled with the impact.  AARGH!  

First the constable showed up, then two sheriff deputies, then a safety officer,  then an ambulance with EMT's, even though I told the 911 dispatch that nobody was injured.  

Emergency crews lined up on the highway

The EMT crew arrives!

As we were waiting for the police to arrive, I got a little mouthy with the other driver, so retreated to the RV to settle the nerves.  After exchanging information, Jim got to work with his tools trying to figure out options.   The other driver said he was a mechanic and got underneath and wanted to start taking things apart.  Jim asked him to not touch anything...good thing I wasn't out there to tell him what I thought!  The deputy and safety officer were very helpful.   We knew we were not going to be able to carry the bikes on the rack, so we had to remove things packed in the car to provide space to put the bikes inside.   AARGH again!  

Jim was able to remove the bike rack, and reconnect things.   The luck of the Shamrock came through, and we were able to continue on our way, just a little rattled.   I had visions of having to drive the car, following the motorhome the rest of the way, accompanied by bicycles in the rear and passenger seats!  We truly are fortunate it wasn't worse, and that Jim was creative enough to get things patched up and workable.  Now he has more projects--repairing the tow system and bike racks!!

We finally made it to New Mexico.  In a typical year, this would be the week of the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, but it was cancelled this year due to the virus.   A memory popped up on my timeline from 4 years ago when we spent time at the balloon fiesta...what a wonderful event!

New Mexico has recently experienced a spike in virus cases, and signs on the highway displayed messages and warnings.  The campground asked all visitors from out of state to quarantine for 14 days, so I guess we won't be going anywhere while we're here!  But that's okay because we've had way too much excitement for one day anyway!

Give me a home where the buffalo roam....OKC

Tuesday, October 6

Oklahoma City is often called OKC (I didn't know that)!  It was founded in 1889 during the land rush when thousands of people raced to unclaimed plots of land.  It is in the middle of the frontier, and two of the old frontier beasts were there to greet us at the campground!  The buffalo are huge animals that look majestic as they lay around all day, and get up in the early evening to eat, as they look over the campground. 

The landscape is very flat, and this probably explains the number of tornados that have struck here (13 violent tornadoes, 11 rated F4 and two F5)!  It was interesting that there was a "tornado safety" section in the campground information provided when we checked in. 

Sadly, OKC is probably best known for an event that happened 25 years ago...the horrific bombing of the federal building.  We went downtown and visited the Oklahoma National Memorial Museum that is built on the site where the bombing occurred.  It is probably the best museum we've ever visited.

It was a powerful and moving experience, learning about the event, through a thoughtfully and beautifully created museum.  I almost jumped out of my seat when we heard an audio recording of the blast, and watched newscasts of the chaos that followed.  Many artifacts recovered in the rubble are on display providing an eerie reality--glasses, shoes, briefcase, appointment calendar, etc.  There were lots of stories about the rescue and recovery  as well as survivor commentary on their miraculous survival.   It was amazing to see the description of how the suspect was caught and the clues and investigation that brought him to trial.  Much of the actual evidence, including the car he was driving when he was arrested, is on display. 

Equally moving is the memorial plaza for the 168 victims.  The "Gates of Time" are at either end of the reflecting pool, one marked 9:01-the minute before the blast, and one marked 9:03-the minute after the blast.

Across the plaza is a field of empty chairs, each inscribed with a victim's name and 19 smaller chairs for the children who were lost.  It is a touching tribute.  The chairs are arranged in nine rows that reflect the floor where victims were located. 

On the other side of the plaza is a large American elm tree that stands at the highest point of the Memorial.  In 1995, it was surrounded by a parking lot filled with burning cars and survived the impact of the explosion, so it became known as the Survivor Tree, and serves as a symbol of  strength.

This fence was originally installed to protect the site during demolition, but has remained as a place for people to leave mementos for loved ones.

Although it was a somber experience, it was certainly worth the visit. The museum and memorial was very well done, and we came away with a feeling of hope in knowing how strong and resilient people can be...we need more of that in today's world!

We returned to the campground and the buffalo were waiting to greet us! 

After a visit to an Indian market, we stopped and bought a watermelon and called it a day!  It's on to Albuquerque tomorrow!

PS. Happy 30th anniversary to youngest sister Sam & Ted.

Westward Ho!

October 2-5

We began our journey West after going through our checklist multiple times, getting flu shots, and trying to remember what we probably forgot!   We will be gone for about 60 days, so packed up accordingly.  We made a weekend stop in Terre Haute to visit with mom before our trek out west.  Cora and Benjamin joined us for a night, and we were able to hit the pumpkin patch on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.

That night the campground hosted a "battle of the bands", an unusual event at a campground, but it attracted a lot of interest from the locals.  Rather than battle the bands, we made an exit and joined a sister for a nice quiet dinner!

Our journey continued on Sunday morning across I70.  The Arch in St. Louis is always such an impressive sight.  

We stopped in time to watch the exciting NASCAR race at Talladega.  In a typical year, we'd be at the race, but as we all know, nothing about this year is typical.  (Chase had a top five finish, and almost won!)

We got up early for a long day drive to our next stop in Oklahoma City.  We turned on Interstate 44 and remarked what a smooth and easy drive it was.  As we stopped at two different toll booths, we realized why...it was a $20 toll at each stop!  But probably worth it.  The cheap gas almost made up for the tolls; Diesel fuel is $1.89 per gallon and unleaded is $1.72.  Along with the drop in gas prices came a rise in temperature.  We changed from jeans and sweatshirts to shorts and teeshirts. YAY

Seeing more of Michigan...

 Thursday,-Friday August 20-21, 2020

Jim woke up a year older and sure enjoyed the birthday wishes from friends and family on the Kudoboard.  Thanks to all the contributors.

We left the beautiful Hearthside Grove resort and they thanked us for coming and even sent us a picture taken when we arrived..pretty classy!

We traveled 260 miles south to St. Joe Michigan in the lower part of Michigan.  It lies on the shore of Lake Michigan, right at the mouth of the St. Joseph River. These north pier lighthouses are  listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

We met up with my brother and sister in law who treated us to a beautiful evening at the Yacht Club!   (Thanks Greg)

Shortly after we arrived, sirens went off—a Coast Guard alert --and the boat took off quickly from the marina (I wondered if someone called ahead and told them about Jim’s birthday--they may have thought we were going to light candles and wanted to be ready!)

On Friday we strolled around downtown St. Joe and an unbelievable event occurred....Jim made a purchase before I did!  Wonders never cease!  We stopped at North Pier Brewery to sample their collection and enjoyed the pleasant weather along with the tasty brews—-Weiss Guy and All my Guava! 

When we got back to the campground Jim tried once again to capture the satellite signal.  There are trees and branches blocking the signal path.  They were too high to cut, so Jim got on top of the RV and threw a rope over a branch to pull it out of the way.  The nearby campers came over to help (and to see what we were doing).  But, it didn't work--we were not able to get a signal —darn!  Hope they don't throw us out for messing with the trees!

The campground is filled with all sizes of campers, a lot of tents, and even cabins; and it is completely full.  (We know this because we asked if we could change campsites to one that might have better satellite access.)  There is cable provided at the campground, so we will be able to watch the NASCAR and IndyCar race on Sunday, thank goodness!  

We closed out the day with a great dinner on the grill, followed by a trip with Spot to the beach to watch the sunset.