Thursday, February 28, 2019

Yuma, AZ - February 2019



                         CLICK HERE TO SEE PICTURES AROUND YUMA AZ


Moving day tomorrow so better get this updated for our Yuma stay.

We spent a week at Yuma Lakes and then moved to Araby Acres for two weeks.

We were able to meet up with RV friends Lee and Elaine Morris that we first met in Texas.  When we were here 2 years ago they were just getting their house framed.  Well it is finished and just gorgeous, turned out so nice.  Elaine and Lee fixed a great meal for us one night, and gave us a chance to catch up since we seen them the last time.

Made a couple of trips across the border to Mexico.  Always find shopping/haggling there so much fun.  It is amazing the savings on prescriptions over there, just doesn't make sense.

Visited a couple of local casinos also, both of us did well one day, gave back another and broke even another time.

My nieces Vicci and Janet drove down to Yuma from Apache Junction for the day, so good to see both of them, we went to the flea market and out to lunch, it was good to get caught up and spending time with them.

Visited the Yuma Proving grounds one day, they have an outstanding museum that did take several hours to tour. The Yuma Proving Ground Heritage Center and Museum depicts the history of Yuma Proving Ground. The Museum tells the history chronologically from 1942 to 9-11. As the visitor goes through the museum they will begin with the Desert Training Center moving on to the Yuma Test Branch, Camp Seeley, the Yuma Test Station, and Yuma Proving Ground. Across from the Yuma Test Station is a room which tells the history of the Liberation of the Concentration Camps, and the American Army Units that liberated those camps. The Tests of the 50's and 60's is located at the end of the center hallway. Down the hall from the 50's and 60's is a room on Munitions, the room is in Tribute to the Victims of 9-11. As the visitor leaves the Museum the hallway and last room was established in Commemoration and Recognition of the Vietnam Veteran.

Went with Lee and Elaine to "Howling at the Moon", such a fun time.  Live music while you wait for the moon to peek over the mountain top and then everyone starts howling.  There was even a dog there that got in on the howling, he drew a big crowd.  It was only 52 degrees and chilly, everyone was bundled up, not the normal temp for the desert, but I survived. There must of been more than 2,000 people there.

I caught a cold and it pretty much kicked my butt for a few days.  While I slept most of the time Len was able to check out a few sights.  He visited a Museum of History in Granite (the center of the earth). A unique attraction of the town of Felicity, California is the Museum of History in Granite. The museum exhibits monuments made from Missouri Red Granite. Each is 100 feet (30 m) long. Conceived as an historic record of humanity designed to last for four millennia, the Museum of History in Granite is a collection of over 900 large granite outdoor panels.[1]
Development has been underway for several decades with most of monuments completed. However the eight monuments of the "History of Humanity" are only 31% engraved.[2]

Len also made a stop at the Plank Road. The Old Plank Road is a plank road in Imperial County, California, that was built in 1915 as an east–west route over the Algodones Dunes. It effectively connected the extreme lower section of Southern California to Arizona and provided the last link in a commercial route between San Diego and Yuma.[2]

Len visited the Ft Yuma Quarter Master Depot.  In March 1851, when the post was moved to its permanent site, its name was changed to Camp Yuma. A year later the post was designated Fort Yuma. In June 1851 the Army virtually abandoned the post because of the high costs incurred in maintaining it, and it was completely abandoned on December 6, 1851, when its commissary was practically empty of provisions.

We went to a Neil Diamond tribute at the RV park, glad we only paid 7 dollars a ticket as it really wasn't that good.

Len joined Lee Morris for a ride in the dessert in Lee's Razor, there must of been 16 in the group, it was an all day trip and when they returned everything, including the guys were covered in several layers of dessert sand.  Enjoyed pizza that night before saying our good-byes to both Lee and Elaine.

Until our next update, everyone stay healthy and safe.




Saturday, February 9, 2019

Fiesta



                             CLICK HERE TO SEE PICS OF THE CASA GRANDE MUSEUM


                              CLICK HERE TO SEE PICA OF OLD TUCSON










Fiesta Grande, Casa Grande, AZ (Jan 2019)

Our two weeks here in Casa Grande flew by.  Friends Jim and Sharon, that we met in Texas, were here for the winter so it was nice to catch up with them again.  We enjoy sight seeing with them whenever we are together. We took a trip down to Old Tucson with them, what a place to visit.  As you walk the dirt streets of Old Tucson you realize you are walking the streets were your "heroes" have walked, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Elizabeth Taylor and Steve Martin, just to name a few.  You look at the buildings and remember seeing them in the movies you watched.  We spent the entire day there and don't think he saw it all.  The reenactors did an amazing job,  gun battles, stunts and audience interactions made for an amusing day. Len and Jim also went out with the hiking club.  The hike was suppose to be a moderate 5 mile loop which turned out to be so much more.  While the guys were busy Sharon and I went out for lunch and made a stop at the craft store, I think us girls enjoyed our day more than the guys, and the next day we didn't have any sore/stiff muscles.

Played Bingo at the park a couple of times and Len won both nights.  We also had a membership appreciation one afternoon with a tropical flare.  If you want to stay busy a destination park like this is the place to go.

Visited the local museum in Casa Grande also,  have stopped on previous visits but wasn't open when we were there.  With all the museums we visit you would think we have seen it all, but yet we always find something new, that is old, that we find.  Like the breath analyzer from back in the 30's or the glass jars that coffee came in.

Bristol was feeling a little under the weather so took him into the vet.  After some antibiotics he seems to be to his old self once again.

Drove over to Coolidge to check on the house.  When in Coolidge a stop at the old Galloping Goose is always a must.  Good burgers and cold beer are always waiting, plus this is where Waylon Jennings got his start.  Hard to imagine a little town like this having someone famous.

While here there was a dove that liked the motorhome and built a nest on the ladder and laid an egg. Len moved the nest to a nearby tree the day before we left, don't think the dove came back though.

We enjoyed some of the local restaurants while here and both of us visited the chiropractor a couple of times, those back and neck adjustments always feel so good.

Onto Yuma and our next adventure.