Tombstone, AZ

That name means many things to many people. It creates images of gunfights and dusty streets, whiskey and Faro games, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday and a plethora of old western movie scenes. But what many folks don't realize is that Tombstone Az is a real town with real inhabitants who have lived here throughout its history and still do today. That is part of the reason Tombstone has been called "The Town Too Tough to Die".

Back in jail, those bad boys!

I mentioned that we saw a "star show" in the observatory last night.  We saw a young family come in with 3 kids but it was very dark inside.  I did chat with their one son a couple of times.  During our day trip to Tombstone, I saw them in a gift shop and said hello.  We got to talking and they are 6 months into a 1 yr journey.  They were staying at the same park and mentioned they would be grilling out by the pool for dinner.  We decided to head over there and see if we could meet up with them.  The kids had fun swimming in the pool and we enjoyed exchanging stories while the kids ran amok!  I wouldn't be surprised to be bumping in to them again as we are on the same trek.

Jan. 15, 2014 Full Wolf Moon, the first full moon of the New Year is also the smallest.  This moon appeared when wolves howled outside villages vocalizing their hunger. It's also known as Old Moon or Moon After Yule.

How I got this image:

This was a big crowd pleaser on Facebook which I found entertaining.  I love to be able to be in the right spot for a full moon rising and when comes up 2 minutes before sunset, the timing is amazing.  We are in an RV park that backs up to a shopping mall.  It's a busy area, for Benson, AZ anyway.  I walked to the back of the park and there is a metal bridge that goes over a dry bed and gets you to the shopping plaza.  There are thorny bushes growing up and around.  I wanted to get a bit higher so I climbed the fence and hooked the outside of my nose on a thorn which instantly started to bleed. I had to get my shot...but this is what I was looking at, buildings, wires, there were some telephone poles in there too.  Bloody nose, I carried on and continued snapping away thinking something is better than nothing...

A lot more zoom and some good cropping and this was my final result.  Sometimes you never know what you have until you share it with others!

Heading into NM today. and will more than likely be out of contact for a few days.  

~Linda

Tucson, AZ

January 15, 2014

Wow! This is my 50th post!  When I first created this blog, I tinkered around with it for a month so I would know how to use it when I hit the road.  I had no idea if I would be consistent with it or what it would be exactly.  I am so glad I did it because, without it, I'm not sure I would know where I was or what we have done!

Jan 14th

Pima Air & Space Museum is one of the largest air and space museums in the world, and the largest non-government funded aviation museum. There are more than 300 aircraft and spacecraft including many of the most historically significant and technically advanced craft ever produced, both from the United States and throughout the world.

I enjoyed the artsy painted planes. 

Scout was more than welcome to tour the entire museum and outside grounds that covered 80 acres.  The only problem was that Scout did not want to be there. He went outside and then just basically stopped and laid down.  He would not move.  We ended up bringing him back to the RV.  The thing is, it didn't take the rest of us that long to figure out that we were not that into it either.  Too much negative energy.  The kids came across a disturbing video of Viet Nam that they couldn't "un-see".

Top Gun

I'm just not into planes, trains or automobiles...don't get me wrong, I find them fascinating, but I also find Mt. Everest fascinating and have no desire to go or climb it.

We carried on to the RV park which boasted an Observatory.  We went to the Star Show tonight and got a very cool astronomy lesson. It features a Meade LX-200 GPS 16 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. This university quality installation is housed in a 15’ diameter electrically operated dome.  We got to see the moon, Jupiter, blue giants (massive stars with short lives) and red giant stars Red giants are (stars that have exhausted the supply of hydrogen in their cores) and a nebula.  It's almost a full moon so it wasn't the best time to be viewing stars but I really enjoyed it.

Tombstone, AZ tomorrow!

~Linda

I'm talking to YOU!

I love hearing from so many people as we travel across the country!  I love that we can spark a really great childhood memory for someone just by visiting somewhere you grew up or vacationed with friends and family. 

We know that we are not the first to make this trek and we have this great resource online, Facebook, that connects us all instantly.  I ask for suggestions and they come pouring in! I read them all and I even paste them in a new document to keep it all organized for when I need it!

Here we are in Phoenix...I know I should hike Camelback Mtn but I also know that my friend wasn't lying when she told me it took a couple days to recover from that hike!  We have had several people tell us to go to the Pima Air a Museum. This is not tops on my list, but so many say to go, that we are going to go! 

Some of you would love to do a cross country trip like this, others prefer the 5 star resort, but we all have this big, beautiful country in common.  If you told me you enjoy seeing my pics everyday, thank you. Even if you are a quiet observer, I hope you are enjoying our adventure.  Thank you to those that openly comment and whole heartedly support us every mile of the way.   

I could have kept our family blog private but my intent with sharing is simply to inspire others as others have inspired me.

~Linda

Lake Havasu, AZ

January 13, 2014

I have wanted to come to Lake Havasu for many years after hearing about from friends.  Actually, I really wanted to see Havasu Falls, but few people actually make the 8 mile hike in, then, there are no amenities etc.  I guess this fabulous resort will have to do! It was slightly out of our way but definitely worth the extra drive.   This is probably in our Top 3 resorts.  It has the ever important beautiful, clean bathrooms, lots of laundry, a heated pool and spa.  There is a nice trail along the water that we can bike and walk, great views of the lake and mountains.  The mild temps feel great!

Scott spent all day cleaning the RV with a kitchen sponge...people are meticulous about their RV's and ours was quite dirty.  Most parks will not allow you to wash your vehicle. I cleaned the inside if anyone is wondering.

The kids have been enjoying a bit of freedom on their bikes.  Most resorts we stay at have 24 hr gated security.  This has to be the friendliest and happiest place we've been  too.  Everyone we have met has been so nice and quite intrigued by our travel story.  Many of us are on similar journeys but not many are as young as we are and have young kids in tow.  

We had spent the better part of a week "dry camping" between Huntington Beach and Joshua Tree. I was lucky if I get a shower because I have to think about how much water I will use and what we need for dishes and cooking etc.  This morning I said that I might actually do my hair and put on makeup.  Tyler's response was "Mom, you don't need to do that, you already have a husband!"

We have a tv on board but we only get regular TV, no cable or satellite.  The kids love all the old shows we grew up watching...MASH, Dragnet, Batman and Robin, Wonder Woman, Giligans Island...all of them.  

Tyler is obsessed with all the different types of RV's.  He likes to bike around and check them all out and then take us on a tour.  At this place, most people have some sort of toy vehicle.  It's either a golf cart, dune buggy, unique 4x4.  There is even a yellow Ferrari here.  One guy had a remote control boat on the lake that was quite large and loud.  Scott found out it was powered by 2 weed whackers!

We went on a nice bike ride today to see the famous London Bridge!

Originally, the deserted Lake Havasu vacant land was given to the State of Arizona by the Federal government. The federal property was an abandoned landing strip for the military. McCulloch made a deal with the State of Arizona and received the property for free with a promise to develop the land. The problem was that the real estate agents could not bring in prospective buyers, because the land was in the middle of nowhere and very arid and hot. McCulloch's real estate agent, Robert Plumer, learned that the London Bridge was for sale and convinced McCulloch to buy it and bring it to the area to attract potential land buyers. The initial response from McCulloch was "That's the craziest idea I have ever heard.", but after consideration, he decided to go ahead with the purchase. 

In 1967, the Common Council of the City of London began to look for potential buyers for the London Bridge. Lake Havasu City founder and entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch placed the winning bid of $2,460,000 on April 18, 1968. McCulloch came by this figure by doubling the estimated cost of dismantling the structure, which was $1.2 million, bringing the price to $2.4 million.  He then added on $60,000 -- a thousand dollars for each year of his age at the time he estimated the bridge would be reconstructed in Arizona.  Each block was meticulously numbered before the bridge was disassembled.  The blocks were then shipped overseas through the Panama Canal to California and trucked from Long Beach to Arizona. Following reconstruction of the London Bridge, Lake Havasu City rededicated it in a ceremony on October 10, 1971. 

The London Bridge, Arizona tourism’s second-largest attraction after the Grand Canyon.

Jack definitely takes the road less traveled!

Next Stop, Phoenix!

~Linda

Joshua Tree National Park

January 10, 12014

Joshua Tree National Park...wow!  Driving in, I figured that we would only spend one night here.  It didn’t seem like much and as we soon discovered, the desert holds much more than is apparent to the casual observer. 

I really had a different picture in my head of what a Joshua Tree actually was.  It is actually a Yucca Brevifolia  and a member of the Agave family.  They are twisty spiky trees right out of a Dr Seuss book.  

It is an important part of the Mojave Desert ecosystem, providing habitat for numerous birds, mammals, insects and lizards.  Joshua Tree forests tell a story of survival, resilience and beauty through perseverance.  Like the Lorax, we speak for the trees, but often the tree speaks to us.    

We are at Jumbo Rocks Campground…and the name does not lie! These rocks are jumbo.  It is a beautiful spot and and we are all enjoying exploring all the rocks and cave formations.  

We love it here so much we had to spend another full day exploring.  We came across a really cool meditation garden, lots of totems and different rock formations left behind by others.  We left our mark too. 

The entrance to a labyrinth can be a place to stop, reflect, make prayer or intention for the spiritual walk you are about to take. The walk around the design to the center can be a "letting go" - a quieting of the thoughts, worries, lists of tasks to do, a letting go unto the experience of being present in the body. Arrival at the center rosette - a place of prayer/meditation - "letting in" Gods guidance, the divine into our lives. When ready, the walk out "letting out" takes us back into our lives, empowered by spirit to transform our lives and actions.

The rocks are quite unlike anything we have seen. Many huge round balls and also many cut into diagonals and diamond shapes.  The kids have a new word they named podacle: noun, a shallow cave like cut out in a rock, usually round in nature. 

The boys are off on another hike (I will wait for the sunset hike) while I am back at camp with Scout baking a loaf of banana bread for the morning.  I still need my baking fixes!

We have had no internet since we arrived, so sorry if anyone was worried about our whereabouts that last couple of days.  We weren’t expecting to have no service, but it has been nice to disconnect.  I can still upload and work on my photos, so I am happy.  

We met some nice girls that are camping next to us.  They remind me of Laney…one has really awesome bright red hair, so young and nice.  Scott had heard them chatting outside as the temps started to drop and he thought they might be cold.  My mother instincts kicked in and I dug out my 2 extra blankets from storage, all nice and clean and brought them over.  They were most grateful in the morning…that and a cup of hot coffee delivered to their doorstep!  They are already returning he favor by picking us up some firewood for tonight so we don't have to drive this thing into town.  Scott is so funny telling the boys stories.  They are stories about us and our trip but with a different ending...sometimes funny, sometimes scary! I made the kids a grilled treat of bananas sliced open with marshmallows and chocolate chips wrapped in foil....not bad.  The only thing missing was the ice-cream!

I played around with some night photography.  We bought the kids some helicopter glow sticks that they fling in the air like a slingshot. These are the rocks at our site...you can see the constellation Orion.

I got up for the sunrise and grabbed the sunsets too!

Next stop, Lake Havasu, AZ.  We were in California from December 8- Jan 10th!

~Linda

Huntington Beach

January 5-8th

Classic sight of of a VW bug with surfboard driving into Huntington Beach!

We really enjoyed some premium waterfront parking at Huntington Beach.  Apparently, you can only camp out there during the low season which we are in.  The kids had fun creating their little cities in the sand, playing frisbee and skim boarding taking full advantage of the nice weather.  

I even got to sneak away to a local salon for a pedicure and later met the boys for lunch at Ruby’s Diner.  It’s the only restaurant at the end of the 1800 ft pier serving burgers and shakes.  There was a Balloon Guy that came to our table and just when I think they are too young for that kind of thing, Jack asked for a Palm Tree hat with a monkey.  Tyler got a fire breathing dragon! He let us know about a street festival going on that night.

It was fun watching the surfers every night and the last sunset there was an amazing one.  I decided to shoot it from the pier where I was looking down on the surfers and the sun kept hitting the top of the waves.  It was like liquid lava.

After the sunset, we walked down Main Street that they had closed off for the street fair.  I was kind of surprised that they had one, being a Tuesday night, in the off season.  Surprisingly, it was pretty well attended.  Along with a petting zoo, bouncy house, jewelry, clothing, and lots of baked goods they had a Farmer’s Market.  Of course, the kids and I sampled cakes and breads the whole way down the street.  The Farmer’s Market was a welcomed sight and we bought a ton of strawberries, asparagus, eggs and oranges fairly cheap….it helps actually being close to where they actually grow.

A few days at the beach was enough for me.  I get kind of bored and I don't particularly care to build sand castles all day! Scott was great sport and really played with the kids all day long!  

Off to our next destination....Joshua Tree.  Jack asked what it was and then he said "oh, forget it, I don't want to look it up!"  

~Linda