September 24th - 28th: Arizona

Tuesday - Sept  24

Travel from Gallup NM to Camp Verde, Arizona Distant Drums RV Park.  The grasslands gave way to even more rugged cliffs, rocks and ledges.  The skies are gray and the clouds are hanging so low you can't discern the clouds from the mountaintops.  There is not much along some stretches of this drive so we decided to stop at the Painted Desert National Park Visitor Center.  We have already visited here years ago but we have learned that Visitor and Information Centers have great restroom facilities.  There was snow in the distance up on Humphries Peak, the highest point in AZ, 12,633 ft.  Karen sent a message the other day that Snow Bowl, AZ got its first snow of the season this week.   J & H RV Park is a place in Flagstaff where several people from Trilogy spend the
summers.  I wanted to check it out.  They were totally booked for the next couple of week since their seasonal campers are still there, but we did stop and check out the facilities and do a drive through.  It was small but nice and clean and Flagstaff has lots of things to do and bike trails.  Not a place we would want to spend a whole summer but nice for a few days or a week.  Coming out of Flagstaff south on I-17 there is an 18-mile down hill grade as you make your way from around 7,000 ft down to just over 3,000 in Camp Verde.  The road designers were so helpful they even put up signs on several of the level sections that say "Hill Resumes 1.5 miles, Save Your Brakes".  It is amazing how many people we see that ride their brakes the entire way, not down shifting and using the engine to help slow the descent.  Consequently we averaged about 15 mpg  for our gas mileage today when we normally get only 10-11 while pulling the trailer. 

Distant Drums RV Park is right off I-17 so there is still quit a bit of highway noise but we do have a great view of the distant mountains.  Castle Rock Casino is also very close so their huge electronic billboard with the scrolling advertisements unfortunately shines right in the bedroom window and during the night the flashes look like lightening.  There is a group from Adventure Caravans here that is just finishing a tour of Utah and the National parks so the park is pretty full.  Back near us there are a few open spaces so we had a great sunset view.  We plan to get organized and do some maintenance here before we go home. 

Wednesday - Sept 25

Tony says I worked him like a dog today.  Several of the secondary seals on a couple of slide outs have dry rotted and split so a couple of days ago the seal material was ordered from Amazon and it got here today.  It comes in a roll that you cut to length and slide out the old and in with the new.  After inspecting the rest of the secondary seals Tony found a couple more that are "on the edge" of their useful life so he ordered more. 

We washed the interior of all of the windows and cleaned the screens and window tracks.  I washed floors and we vacuumed everywhere including behind the couch and around all of the edges with the crevice tool.  It was nice enough that I could clean the kitchen mini blind outside and let it dry.  Even some of the outside compartments got cleaned and our lawn chairs too.  We did a bit of rearranging because the opening where the front landing gear retracts is open and when the road is wet and muddy it splashes in.  We moved a tub to that area and the chairs to a place where they wont get so dirty.  Easier to wash the outside of a tub vs the folding chairs.  Hopefully this will work out. We found that our entry rug was deteriorating and the rubber backing sticking to the floor so that took some extra elbow grease to remove.  Over the summer we have toyed with the idea of getting rid of our couch and getting newer swivel recliners with built in footstools and adding built in storage along the back. After playing around with different arrangements and searching out dimensions of recliners we decided to keep what we have.  We are limited by the depth of the slide and the space behind the two slides when they are pulled in.  Not that we have a lot of company but I would also hate to give up our fold out queen bed in the couch.  

Tonight my cousin's husband came for dinner.  Kevin works for Embry Riddle University in Prescott about 45 minutes away.  April his wife, still lives up in Utah and he commutes back and forth.   He left Rose Holman University where he had been working from home in Utah as a Corporate Recruiter.  April stayed there when he moved to AZ.  You know how things are with new jobs, you just never know if they will work out.  They wanted to make sure everything worked out before uprooting the family and they had one daughter still finishing high school in Utah.  Of course we were glad to see him and catch up on their family (they have 5 daughters and 5 or 6 grandkids) but the main goal was to hand off half a dozen photo albums that had been my grandmother's that I picked up from my dad's house this summer.  April is going to play around with her new hand scanner and digitize them to share.  There were some really cool old black and white photos.  Most were not labeled and some of the ones that were had dates with no names or I could not read my grandmother's handwriting or the writing had faded.  I took pictures of some myself and sent a few to several of my aunts and other cousins just for grins.  There were several I wanted to take and make a collage just for the old clothing, cars and expressions.  One stunning photo of my dad's cousin had a great smile, captivating eyes and was the epitome of a pinup photo if I have ever seen one. 

The buffalo burgers I had gotten at a grocery in Wall, South Dakota (from a Rapid City butcher) and the baked bean casserole I put together were very tasty.  We are cleaning up things out of the fridge and finished off the pickled beats, and most of the jalapeno and garlic stuffed olives too.  Desert was a fruit crisp medley, with peaches frozen from Bayfield Wisconsin and peach freezer jam my friend Kathy gave me this summer.  The topping was the last several packages of instant oatmeal and spices and my last half stick of butter.  We had offered to meet half way to hand off the photos but Kevin said he doesn't mind driving to get a home cooked meal plus I do not think he has ever had buffalo burgers.   It was a win-win situation for both of us.  Before we turned in for the night Tony scraped and re-caulked the kitchen sink.  We have noticed a few drops of water under the sink this summer and some of the caulk is pulling away.  It needs 24 hours to dry.

Thursday - Sept 26

Woke up pretty early this morning due to plane noise.  We have been close to airports large and small before but this morning was a first.  The planes were so low and loud I could feel the vibrations and I said to Tony as we lay in bed "I feel like I have been crop dusted!"  No sense in trying to get back to sleep now.  Since the sink caulk is still drying, breakfast today was left over fruit crisp with coffee.  No cooking today.  I started going through all of the cupboards and cabinets one by one and cleaning them out, organizing and setting aside items that need to go back into the house, including stuff we have not used this summer and a couple of items that were not used even last summer.  The extra roll of rubber seal material came and it took much longer to install today.  The rain kept starting first in sprinkles, and then a downpour for a bit and the skies would clear.  Tony would go back up top and get a little bit done then the skies would open up again.  We decided to take a break and head for lunch and then to check out the "old town" section of Camp Verde. 

On Trip Advisor there was a Mexican Restaurant, La Casita that got great reviews although in the picture the place looked really small.  What a treat!  Looks can be deceiving.  Inside the place was probably three times larger than it looked and the decor was over the top colorful and typical Mexican motif.  At 1 pm it was past the lunch rush but there was still a stead stream of clientele, some locals, like that guy from the auto-body shop and the girl who ordered take out with out looking at the menu and the older couple who exited with a "We'll see you tomorrow " wave to the waiter.  Several others like us asked for recommendations and the lone waiter was courteous, prompt and friendly to boot.  Tony went for his usual burrito and I had the Jalisco Salad (Carne Asada on mixed greens with cabbage and a vinaigrette topped with beans, Mexican cheese and avocado). It poured while we were eating but the skies cleared again by the time we were done. We also had entertainment while we dined, featuring an accordion in the band!  (Hey, it was televised, but it still counts as an accordion spotting!)

We fueled up for tomorrow, browsed the Verde resale shop and got paint to touch up the trailer gas line that is pitting a little bit.  The gas line was something that the RV service man that came out the other day noticed that would need servicing soon.  Looking over the Camp Verde map I noticed that Montezuma's Castle National Monument was just up the road.  The Cliff dwellings are in a hillside that backs up to Beaver Creek, which feeds the Verde River.  I was pretty sure we had been there but we decided to take a drive anyway.  Once there, both Tony and I remembered being there with Noel and Karen a few years ago.  I got a couple of stamps for my book including one with a Teddy Roosevelt image that says "National Parks, America's Great Idea".  I noticed that the local tourist map also touts Camp Verde as being the geographical center of Arizona.  I did not know that.  Might there be a marker or plaque here to get a picture with?  Well, we asked at the gas station, one of the shops and at the visitor center and could find no one who knew if there was such a marker so we finally gave up.  The Verde River is one of two rivers (Fossil Creek near Camp Verde is the other) in Arizona given the "Wild and Scenic River" National Congressional Designation for outstanding natural, cultural and recreational value.  We picked up the Historic District walking tour brochure and read about the history of the buildings (1871-1932) we had driven by earlier including, the schools, armory, boarding house, dance hall and of course the saloons.   There looks to be several bike, ORV, and horse riding trails along with river activities.  This area may be worth a repeat visit especially since it is only a couple of hours from home.   

Back at Distant Drums RV Park (Camp Verde is in Yavapai Apache Indian Nation Territory), the park has emptied quite a bit because the caravan has moved on, but back by us we are once again surrounded.  We were still full from lunch so we were not ready for a light dinner until about 6:30.  Caulk still drying, so the last of the left over chili got reheated in paper bowls and we finished off the Ritz crackers and cheese.  The hot tub and pool here are still operational, so two evenings we have spent some time relaxing there.  As opposed to the RV parks in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Colorado where we have been lately.  All of those places shut down the pools by the week after Labor Day.  Glad to be heading south. 

Friday - Sept 27

Work, Work, Work.  Tackled cleaning the stove today.  Tony decided that the gas line was more rusted than he thought so he called the RV guy back and he came out today to replace the black propane line under the RV.  Figured he knew where to get the pipe and get it threaded and since we were sitting here we might as well get it done.  The job took about four hours between measuring and going to get parts and doing the installation.  At $75/hour even though the job took four hours it is cheaper than the $135/hour we would have had to pay at Camping World considering the parts themselves were only $50.  I made a trip back to town to return a paint and paint brush while they worked.   Finished going through the rest of the cabinets cleaned and washed the fridge and freezer.  Tony scraped most of the ice out of the freezer so there will be less water to deal with when we defrost it at home tomorrow.   The outside speaker housings have yellowed a lot so while waiting for the gas line repair Tony got out the ladder and took one speaker out to get a size and model number and ordered new ones, this time black so the white plastic will not turn yellow over time.  For about $20 we thought it was a bargain vs. trying to repaint the old ones.  Amazon Prime delivery, they may even beat us home tomorrow. 

Tony has also been busy with summarizing our summer expenses and travel fun.  We have hauled the RV 7,065 miles during our 12,500 mile adventure this summer.  We camped 119 days paying a total of $3,799.96 for sites at campgrounds.   On average that is $37.25/day for the days we paid or $31.93 /day factoring in the 17 days we did not pay while staying with friends or family.  Driveway surfing has its perks!  Of course we have to fuel the adventures and that cost us $24.16/day for a total of $2875.09. The cheapest fuel was near Chattanooga TN at $2.40/gallon and we have paid as high as $3.15 at a couple of truck stops.  Seems like fuel runs higher farther south and closer to the refineries.  Go Figure?  Sightseeing, tours, shows, etc and the National Park pass cost us $1154.83 or about $9.70/day.   We still have to eat whether at home or on the road so we figure those are sunk costs.  We do try to limit eating out to once a day and very often it is less than that since I like to cook. 

Last night splurge.  Fish Fry Buffet (Mountain Springs Restaurant) at the Castle Rock Casino for only $14 per person.  Quite a large selection of fish entrees and carved NY sirloin too.  The coconut shrimp and clam chowder were both tasty, Tony and I both liked the salmon and the beer battered cod, but the black sesame cod was not as good.  The salad bar had numerous choices including peel and eat shrimp and crab salad.  The carrot cake I had was delicious while Tony enjoyed the chocolate pudding pie.  Castle Rock Casino has rock pillars with openings designed to mimic the cliff dwellings at Montezuma's Castle so the exterior is not too gaudy and blends with the landscape.  Well, except for that large Neon Billboard!  It has been voted the number one Casino/Hotel in Arizona for over 15 years.  There is another caravan group in the RV Park tonight and along with many others the park is full again.  It is the weekend and the weather is gorgeous so I guess it is to be expected.  Next time we are in this area I guess we will have to make a side trip to Jerome, (old copper mining town), since that is a side excursion the caravans who stop here have been doing. 

Saturday - Sept 28 

Home Sweet Home.  Our lovely neighbors Mike and Kathryn blew the dust off of the patio and front walk and even trimmed our bush by the driveway.  What a treat so that we were not tracking too much dust into the house on the clean floors I had washed before we left.  Getting unloaded, washing the trailer, installing the new outdoor speakers, getting the scooter and car started up, restarting the mail, putting the insurance back on the vehicles that had been sitting all summer, restocking the pantry and fridge...and the list goes on.  It’s so good to be home!!  We have only lived in AZ for 5 years and there is so much to do here in our community that we say that coming home is like being on permanent vacation.  Can't wait to hit the pool, the pickleball courts and the golf course and see our friends at the weekly card and Mah Jongg events.