The Party is Over

Well, today was our last day of vacation, as the trip home really doesn't count.  We had a great day with Carole and Herb out shopping.  We left about 10 and got home close to 6.  Karen and I made of list of places we wanted to go and Carole added hers to it and off we went.  In addition to shopping we had a delicious lunch out at Sweet Tomatoes.  Herb said they need to go back there!  We were stuffed.

 

Carole, Karen and I all bought some jewelry, I got a top, Carole got some towels, and we all got some "deals"  at the 99 cent store.  They have some different things than we have at the Dollar Tree.  I looked for new southwestern throws for my newly upholstered furniture but no real luck.  I got some leads on brands to check on online, so maybe I'll have some luck when I get home.

 

Karen and I are pretty much packed for our 7:30 AM flight.  I thought it was at 6 but I had changed it and didn't have that information updated in my computer.  The boarding passes are printed.  So at least we don't have to get up quite so early.  Since we didn't finish lunch until after 3 no one really wanted dinner, so everyone had some kind of snack.  I watched Castle and they all watched Dancing with the Stars.

 

It has been a really fun trip with my friends and lots of laughs and new experiences along the way.  Time to start planning the next one!



Happy 60th Anniverary Carole & Herb

Carole made us a yummy breakfast today of pumpkin pancakes, fruit and eggs.  It was a leisurely morning and eventually we all were showered and dressed.  Although Bill wasn't here we took Carole and herb out for lunch today to their favorite Mexican Restaurant, Casa del Rio.  Lunch was really yummy too. 

 

On the way home we drove by the Rincon campground where Bill and I stayed for 2 weeks when we were here one November.  Then it was just relax time for a while.



Sealing it with a kiss

Doug, Shannon, Carole and Herb

We changed into our "dress" clothes and left for Carole and Herb's church at 5:30.  We met lots of their friends there and they prepared to renew their vows during the church service.  At the last minute Doug and Shannon arrived and I knew how excited   Carole was to have them there.  Doug didn't get off work until 3:45 and they had the 2 hour drive from Phoenix.   The ceremony was very simple but very nice and the church ladies had a wedding cake and 3 other cakes for them and a delicious punch.  Karen and I were in charge of photos and we took lots of the guests after taking the ones at the ceremony.  Doug and Shannon left for Phoenix from the church but it was really nice that they got to come.

Since we had dessert first we had some cheese and crackers when we got home and that was dinner.  Then it was TV time.


And then there were two

San Xavier Mission

Karen, Jean and I got up at 4:15 this morning( well it really was the middle of the night) to take Jean to the airport.  We left at 4:45 for her 6:20 flight.  We managed to get there with no U turns and dropped her off and headed back to Carole's where we went back to bed until 8.  After breakfast and showers we left at 10 for San Xavier Mission.

The famous fry bread

 

There was an event going on there today so there were quite a lot of people and there were tour busses stopping at the mission.  I introduced Karen to her first Indian Fry Bread and she loved it.  Actually we shared one since we were going out to lunch.  She had in mind that it was fried bread, like frying a slice of white bread but when she saw it was more like a big flat donut she loved it. 

 

Rebecca, Harlan and Kelly

We walked around the mission and watched the movie about the restoration of the mission and then checked out the 2 Indian craft shops that were open.  We ventured over to the small swap meet and Little Miss Indian pageant but there wasn't a whole lot of interest for us.  It was time to head to Olive Garden to meet up with Bill's and my friends Harlan and Rebecca.  They were waiting when we arrived and we all enjoyed a nice lunch and caught up on each other.  Karen enjoyed stories Harlan shared about Rebecca.  After taking more than our share of table time  we said our good byes and came home.

 

Carole was ready and waiting to head out for shopping.  We made it to Michaels, JoAnns and Wal-Mart.  I found some kokopelli rugs for my bathroom and a soap dispenser to match.  We just don't have the same items in Florida.  Everyone bought something but mainly I showed Carole the yarns I have been using on some recent craft projects.

 

Carole made a delicious stir fry from our leftover chicken and we finished off the pie we started a couple of nights ago.  I have eaten way too much these 2 weeks and will suffer for it when I get home.  That part of the fun has to end.  Everyone watched TV while I did photos and blogging.

Bisbee and Tombstone

Brewery in Whiskey Gulch

We had a 2 hour drive to Bisbee this morning so we couldn't waste any time.  We left at 8 after a quick breakfast.  The drive was uneventful, just our usual chatter.  We found parking easily and enjoyed going in just about every shop on the main street.  Everyone has been on a quest for jewelry this trip.  Karen was the only one who bought in Bisbee though.  We visited the Copper Queen Hotel, and walked up Whiskey Gulch.  That's where all the saloons and brothels were.  A lady made a glass bead while we watched and now we are all experts in bead making from recycled stained glass.  We had a good lunch at a café/bar.  Karen and Jean tried a deep fried hamburger.  It had topping on it and pinched shut in a bun or bread and fried.  I went with a Greek salad.

Lavender Mine

After lunch we drove to the Lavender Mine for photos and tried to find the Motel comprised of classic RV's but even with our waitresses directions and my phone directions, it was not where they said.  Later Carole said they had been and it was right there, but we were running late going to Tombstone so we just headed on up the road.

 

Historic Tombstone

Everyone really enjoyed Tombstone.  It was their annual Colorado Days and lots of people were strolling the sidewalks in period dress and Jean and Karen got several photos.  Once again we spent our share of time in the shops.  Karen was on a mission to get a pendant and bracelet to match a ring she bought and she left with what she wanted and Jean found a few more baubles and I found a bracelet and a couple of Christmas gifts.  So we did our part to stimulate the economy.  I looked for new throws for my new couch but no luck.

 

Jean and Karen on the stagecoach

Karen and Jean took a short stagecoach tour of Tombstone while I scoped out the shops.  We had gelato as we strolled and the sun was out and it was a great day.  On the way out of town we stopped at the Boot Hill Cemetery and bought a few post cards.  On the drive back to Tucson the moon was full and the sky so pretty.  We took some photos but they never do justice.

 

Carole had beef stew ready for us when we got home.  They had already eaten since it was about 7 but it was delicious with the cornbread.  Jean got her stuff packed and ready to go and I worked on the computer and Karen went to bed.  Those of us who stayed awake watched some TV and called it a night since we had to be up at 4:15 to take Jean to the airport.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Museum Entrance

Karen the Javalina Rider

It started as a lazy morning.  We took our time getting up and Carole made Canadian bacon and eggs for breakfast with fruit.  Then we eventually got ready to head out to the museum.  It's about an hour from Carole's house.  We  spent several hours on the self guided tour of the museum.  We enjoyed what animals we could see and the aquarium was pretty neat.  Those sand eels were creepy the way they go up and down in the sand.  We learned new things about cactus and got to see

Bat Woman

a hummingbird nest.  Karen became Bat Woman and will never be the same.  There was  a cave with stalactites and stalagmites and lots of info about the formation of various rock formations.  It was really an enjoyable day. 

 

On the way home we stopped at Fry's for rotisserie chicken, fruit and Caesar salad mix to make for dinner.  It was about 4 when we got home.  We visited with Carole and Herb, I worked on photos, Karen and Jean did email and we all just relaxed until dinner time.  Jean and I put the Chicken Caesar Salad together and Karen cleaned up the dishes.  We had pie for dessert and everyone was stuffed.  We watched some TV and headed to bed for our last day of touristing with Jean.

Moving on to Tucson

Van loaded to the hilt

October 16 - Everyone was up pretty early and we had a nice breakfast of bagels, fruits, donuts, juice and coffee.  We didn't leave until 9:30 after Doug got home from work.  We packed the car before he got home so we were ready to go once we said our goodbyes.  He and Shannon are great hosts and we enjoyed spending some time by the pool chatting.  Hope they can make it to Florida some day.

The traffic ran smooth most of the way to Tucson but there was one stretch of road work that slowed us up for a bit.  We exited to visit Rooster Cogburn's Ostrich Farm, as I've always wanted to see the birds up close and though Karen and Jean would enjoy it, but as luck would have it, it was not open today.  We tried to get some photos from over the fence as they were being fed but it just didn't turn out well.  Oh well, next time!

After unloading our stuff we went to Subway for lunch.  Carole took a long way home to show some of the "sights" around their neighborhood.  A lot of their schools have been closed.  The elementary school just around the corner was closed and is now being used for a training center for the local police.

Kelly at the trail ranch

I put a load of wash in for the 3 of us and forgot about it as we had reservations for a trail horse ride with a cowboy cookout dinner scheduled.  We needed to be there at 4:30 and in checking it wasn't that far but we needed 45 minutes to get there and for us that really meant an hour.  We changed into our jeans, grabbed our bags and headed out.  Good thing we allowed extra time as we exited in the wrong direction off the interstate.  Melissa, my new navigator needs some training!  On the drive in we got to see a roadrunner run across the road in front of us and later there are range cattle that were on the side of the road.  Karen and Jean had never experienced free range cattle.

Karen on Little Princess

Turned out they were not back yet from the afternoon ride so we looked around some.  It's located on the Colossal Cave property.  I'd like to visit that one day.  We were the only people on the sunset ride so we had Cody, our guide to ourselves.  Jean was lead, then me and bringing up the rear was Karen.  She was her normal entertaining self as she tried to discipline her horse continually for stopping to eat all the way.  She wasn't the best at keeping a firm hand with her steed.

Melissa heads back to Florida

Saguaro Cactus along I-17

October 15 – We were surprised at the continental breakfast this morning.  There was a variety of sweet rolls and oatmeal so we made our breakfast and Melissa and I sat outside and enjoyed our coffee and breakfast.  We left at 8:30 which was half an hour earlier than planned so that was good.  We stopped to fill up with gas before getting on the interstate.  The drive to Phoenix was boring until we got to the area where all the saguaro cactus are.  The girls were impressed by the size and numbers of them.  There was a lot of picture snapping going on.

 

We had no trouble getting to Doug's house.  Traffic wasn't bad at all.  We unloaded, all but Melissa, and visited until it was time to get Melissa to the airport.  It was sad to say goodbye and I know how much she would have liked to stay for the rest of our western adventure.  Carole's daughter-in-law Shannon wrote down the directions to the airport that she said takes 13 minutes.  Well, she wasn't as explicit as she should have been and we should have just put it in the phone and used it.  We didn't take the exit we should have and we got off and turned around and you couldn't take the exit from the other direction so we went almost back to the beginning and got back on I-10 and started over by using the phone directions.  Carole was following behind all the way so she was having to change lanes back and forth trying to stay behind us.  What an ordeal but we managed to get Melissa to her gate.  We returned the rental car and that airport is one twisty and not well marked place.  Geez. 

 

As I'm trying to return the car I get a text from Bill that he's in the emergency room and for me to call Kerry to explain.  So once I got us on the road to Arizona Mills Mall I called her and Bill had some kind of allergic reaction and his eyes were badly swollen shut and he was having trouble breathing.  I called him and he did answer and said the only thing out of the ordinary was he got a haircut and the lady next to him was getting a perm and that he could smell the solution.  They put him on IV and oxygen.  He sounded terribly congested.  I told him I'd check back on him later. Carole, Jean, Karen and I went to the food court and had lunch and then went back to Penney's Outlet.  They are closing so this was my last time to shop there.  I've always gotten really good bargains.  I did my shopping as did the others and before leaving I checked on Bill again.  They had given him a second dose in his IV and he said his eyes were better and he got a breathing treatment and he was breathing better.  They said after 8 they'd most likely send him home but it would take a couple of days for everything to get back to normal.  He sounded much better.

 

We headed back t Doug's to visit with Shannon and him before meeting my friend Newell for dinner at 6.  Shannon put out a nice spread of snacks and we all sat out around the pool and snacked.  Karen pitched in a block of the fantastic cheddar with chocolate from last night.  Everyone enjoyed it too.

 

Dinner with Newell

We met my friend Newell at Monti's Steakhouse pretty much on time.  The girls enjoyed him and I think he enjoyed us.  We sat at the outside bar for a while and then went inside and had steak dinners.  When dinner was about over my injured finger popped open and there was blood dripping from my hand.  Had to make due with a napkin and a small band aid the waitress got for me.  After saying our goodbyes to Newell we stopped at CVS for band aids and then at the grocery for breakfast items to share with our hosts.

 

We were pretty ready to wind down shortly after.

Sedona and Beyond

Kelly, Jean and Melissa at Oak Creek Canyon

October 14 – After a delicious breakfast at the hotel, we managed to get on the road just   after 9.  We headed down 89A towards Sedona but first we stopped at Oak Creek Canyon where the Indians have their crafts set up.  We browsed on our way down to the look out point.  After taking the required number of photos we took our time perusing the various jewelry tables.  Karen, Melissa and I each made purchases but the only thing Jean was interested in the lady would not negotiate a price so she passed on it.

 



Chapel of the Holy Cross

The road was quite curvy but we made it into Sedona without issue.  Once parked, Karen and Jean went one direction and Melissa and I another.  We allowed an hour to look and shop.  We ended up in the same shop so walked back to the car together.  Karen and Jean bought some things but we didn’t.  We didn’t really look much just walked and talked and got my photo with a statue in town. After waiting in line to park at the Chapel of the Holy Cross, we finally got a spot and walked up to view it.  The chapel itself is small inside but the view from there is awesome.  It looks pretty massive from outside due to the way it is constructed like it’s growing out of the rocks.  The red rocks are all around and it would be a great place to sit and spend an afternoon.

 

Bell Rock

Further down the road were Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte standing side by side.  Once we got on the other side of them I stopped so Karen and Jean could get some photos.  We just email them back and forth to each other if anyone missed a shot.  We stopped for lunch in the Village of Oak Creek.  We had good Mexican food that kept us going the rest of the day.  We headed south into Camp Verde and took the cutoff to Jerome.  Everyone was impressed with the mountainside location of the town.  We

Mining car converted to toilet

went to the Jerome State Park where the home of Mr. Douglas is that was donated to become a museum about the mining there.  We all went in the museum and learned more about mining and the different kinds of stones.  Jerome sprang up from the copper mining in the area and grew to 15,000 people at one time and then dropped to 100 but has gradually grown to 500 now.  It’s currently mostly artists, restaurants and boutiques.   We drove around in town and Karen wanted to get certain photos so we stopped for that.

 

We took the Scenic Byway from Jerome to Prescott.  It was very curvy reaching an elevation of over 7,000.  It was a nice ride but did put us behind schedule.  We had planned to go into downtown Prescott to Whiskey Row but we wanted Melissa to go to a Trader Joe’s since she’s never been.  There was one and we made it and ended up buying chocolate cheese, salami, ham, grapes and 2 kinds of chips to have for dinner with the bottle of wine we had from Albuquerque.  It was 6:30 by then so we headed back to Camp Verde and got checked into the Territorial Inn.  It’s a no frills place but clean and nicely decorated in a western theme.  Melissa was impressed by the horsehead door knob to the

Horse head door knob

adjoining room.  We set out our feast but could not get the cork out of the wine bottle.  It was a plastic one I threw in and we would take turns holding the bottle and someone pulling on the hand.  The opener broke off.  The set came with 2 so we tried the second one and had no luck.  I got out my pocket knife and tried cutting off the part that we did manage to get out and tried the corkscrew again.  No luck.  So I started cutting away the cork and the knife shut on my pointer finger on my left hand and cut it pretty bad.  It bled a lot but I had one duct tape band aid to put on it and finally got it to stop bleeding.  The cut is about ¾ inch and pretty deep.  Oops!  Then we managed to punch the cork into the bottle and went on with our wine and dinner feast.  Yum!

 

Early night for us tonight.  We meet up with Carole tomorrow and take Melissa to the airport.  We will be sad to see her go.  We’ve had such a great time together.

Another Day Bites The Dust

Not the best day but with the federal government's poor management of our money, we could not go to the National Parks we had planned from Albuquerque to Flagstaff.  But we made the best of a bad thing.  We weren't in any hurry to leave which was really nice.  We managed to leave about 9:15.  It was really nice out, cool and sunny and warmed up to 70 as the day progressed. 

 

Melissa at the mesa

First stop was just along the highway where there was a

Jean on Rt 66 at Continental Divide

lovely mesa in the distance.  There was a sign that said we were on Route 66 but it was only a 50 foot stretch of road so we got back on I-40.  Later we stopped at the Continental Divide which was also along Historic Route 66, and took more photos and went into a couple of gift shops.  The wind had started to pick up and the air was cool but the sun was still out so it was nice.

 

The gang at the El Rancho

Further along the highway is Gallup, home of the El Rancho Hotel.  I beautiful western style hotel that was the gathering place of movie stars filming numerous western movies in the area.  We spent a lot of time walking the 2 upper floors reading the names of the guests on the doors.  The hotel first opened in 1937 and again in 1985.  The motif is beautiful with the twin stairways up to the second floor and the huge fireplace in the reception area.  There are photos of the stars on all the walls so we had to check them all out.  We decided to have lunch there and it was OK but nothing to get excited over.  Before getting back on I-40 we filled our gas tank while Karen and Jean made a quick stop at the Goodwill.

 

We stopped at the Arizona Welcome Center and as expected we were told the National Parks were all closed except the Grand Canyon and it is ending the season next Friday.  Bummer!  However, we got off at the exit anyway and hoped to at least see something.  We got photos of the sign and the sign saying why they were closed.  There were two big pieces of petrified wood there that everyone could see, so it was better than nothing.

 

Old cars at Wigwam Motel

In Holbrook I took the girls to see the famous Wigwam Motel.  They loved it!  Jean took photos of the old cars in front of each unit, as Paul is a big old car nut!  Inside the office is a bit of a museum that we enjoyed looking at the memorabilia and some nice pieces of polished petrified wood.

 

From there it was right into Flagstaff and to dinner before

checking in to the hotel.  We settled on the Galaxy Dinner on Route 66.  How fitting!  It was a large diner with lots of comfort food.  Everyone was very pleased with their dinners and pretty full too.  We were only a mile back to our Fairfield Inn and ready to get checked in.  They even had cookie for our dessert!

Another Long Day

I'm not sure how long we can keep up this pace.  We're not spring chickens any more!

We did sleep in a little longer, to about 6 and left the apartment at about 7:15 for the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Posse Arena.  There was ice again on the windshield and those credit cards came in handy again.  The arena is 1/2 mile as the crow flies directly across from the Fiesta Park.  I had asked the manager before we came if we could park there one morning to watch the balloons go over.  Bill and I have camped there twice and knew it was a great spot for viewing without all the people.  Of course it's not the same as being at the park but is sure is easier to get to and get out of.  There were 15 or so RV's there this year and people out in their lawn chairs.  We talked with a lady from Santa Fe who came for the weekend.  The only balloons that went up today were the classic ones so we didn't get to see all the shapes but it was still beautiful to watch and they went right over our heads.

Once we knew the last ones were airborne we jumped right on the interstate and headed to Santa Fe.  Immediately there was a horrible accident on the other lane and it was way backed up.  Apparently someone was looking out at all the balloons on the horizon and it looked like 3 vehicles were involved.  Terrible!

Kelly and Barry

By the time we reached the outskirts of Santa Fe we were ready for some real breakfast and a bathroom break.  We hit the McDonald's.  The sun was out and warming and it was truly a beautiful day again.  I called my friend Barry that Bill and I met in Colorado last summer and he came down and visited with us and we made plans to call and meet up with him later for dinner. 

One of the pueblo buildings

We changed plans a bit and decided to go on to Taos to the Taos Pueblo.  It's one of the longest continually inhabited Indian pueblos in the country.  They have no running water or electricity.  The was source is a river that runs through the middle of the pueblo.  A pueblo is actually a village or town.  The building are all made of handmade adobe brick then covered with a plaster of mud, straw and water.  They are up to 4 stories tall and clustered together. 

 

On the ride up we stopped several times for photo ops along the roadside.  The trees along the river were bright yellow and gorgeous.  We don't have anything like that in Florida.

 

After a potty stop at the visitor center we headed 6 miles up to the Pueblo and everyone certainly enjoyed it.  We asked lots of questions about the construction and were able to go inside some of the houses that has gift shops in the front and see the roof beams and how they looked.  Everyone has an outdoor oven where they bake breads and pies and large game.  They all have fireplaces for heat and use propane for some lighting and cooking.  Many ran a shop for the tourist selling fry bread, jewelry and assorted crafts.  We visited the church and it was propane lights and hand painted murals on the altar.  Everyone took lots of photos and we enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the entire place, looking at all of the vendors as we went.  Melissa got a bracelet and I got a Christmas ornament.

 

We made a quick stop at Wendy's for a light late lunch and then got back on the road.  When we got close to Santa Fe we called Barry and he told us where to meet him and we followed him to the main square of Old Town to park.  We walked around the square and looked at some of the shops and went in the La Fonda Hotel to look around.  It's beautiful inside and it's the ritzy place to stay and go in Old Town.  We passed the Cathedral and eventually worked our way to the restaurant that Barry's wife Lisa manages, The Bullring.  We met the owner and Lisa and she seated us in the bar area.  We had a super nice visit with Barry and Lisa and the food was excellent, the margaritas were excellent and she provided an assortment of desserts for everyone to try,  We all had different favorites.

 

After a sad goodbye to Barry we followed him out to the ramp for I-25 and headed back to Albuquerque.  There was no traffic and we zoomed right back.  It was close to 10 when we got there and everyone got their bags packed and ready to leave in the morning.  It was a great stay in Albuquerque and we could have used a week!

The Balloon Fiesta Was Awesome!

Although it was another really long day, it was great!  Melissa said it was worth sitting in the airport all day yesterday.  We were up early and in the car by 6:30.  We had a layer of icy frost on the windshield and no scraper on hand so Melissa and I used credit cards to scrape the ice off.  Reminded me once again why I live in Florida.

 

It was a short ride to our Park and Ride lot but it was still dark out and we saw one sign for it but expected another and a little further down the road we decided that one sign was it.  I made a U-turn (I've always excelled at them) and went back, parked and quickly boarded a school bus (that too us all back a few years) were only on a few minutes before leaving.  The drive to the Fiesta Park took a while but even in the distance we could see the first balloons up checking the weather.  There were so many buses lined up and so many people and it was so cold, but it was still one of the best experiences yet.  There is no way to describe seeing a hundred balloons on the ground, in the air, fading off into the distance.  There were no restrictions, you could walk right up to any of the balloons.  Some never left the ground and some just went up and came down but they go in waves as they are so close together on the ground.  The last to go up were all of the normal lightbulb shaped ones.  They are also very pretty but most people like the shape ones.  I'll get them set up in my photo album you keep trying to open in and see. 

 

 

Once they all were in the air we walked around the exhibits.  There was a big arts and crafts building, fiesta memorabilia tents, sponsor tents and about a half mile of food and gift booths.  Once the crowd thinned out we got some lunch of arepas for everyone and Melissa and I shared chicken on a stick while Karen and Jean chose fried cheesecake.  This was the first time Karen and Jean had arepas and they were a hit.

 



Jean, Melissa and Karen
stagger out of the saloon

Everyone was still cold so we headed back to our bus loading zone and back to the car.  We thawed out on the drive and the sun was out and it was gradually warming nicely.  We parked at Old Town Albuquerque and we must have looked at jewelry and other Native American crafts in 20 shops.  We did our share of spending too so it was really fun.  We visited the San Felipe de Neri Mission, watched a wedding in the square and had a rest stop at the High Noon Saloon.  The margaritas were the best and we had chips with salsa, queso and guacamole.  Yum!  Karen was getting a little giddy and kept us entertained the rest of the afternoon.

 

Spiderman Pig Glowdeo

We made a brief stop back at the apartment and then left at 5:30 to the Park and Ride to head back to the Fiesta Park for the Glowdeo and fireworks.  It was nice but not nearly as impressive as this morning.  At least it was not as cold but there were tons of people walking around in the dark.  The only light was from the balloons when they would fire off the gas.  The dark colored balloons don't really glow but the lighter ones look really nice.  It was also nice to be near one for the heat!  As they started taking down the balloons we head to the food booths, but so did everyone else.  The lines were horrible but we spotted a Greek food booth and there was no one there, so luckily we all like Greek so we had a small dinner while watching the fireworks.

 

We had a short wait for the bus but we knew we would.  The ride back seemed really fast and everyone was totally pooped and ready to shower and get to bed.  I'm the real nightowl of the group so wanted to get today's event recorded for posterity!

Girls Trip West

October 10 -  What a day!  Melissa, Jean, Karen and I left today for a girls trip to Albuquerque.  The original plan was to go see the Balloon Fiesta for a couple of days, however, plans changed and the long weekend grew into a road trip also.  Unfortunately Melissa will be leaving us in Phoenix and Jean will leave a few days later from Tucson and Karen and I will be home the 22nd.

Melissa and Jean both left about 7AM.  Melissa left Orlando and made it to Albuquerque at 10 AM according to schedule.  It was the rest of us who didn't land on time as planned.  Karen and I were diverted to El Paso after circling Albuquerque twice due to inclement weather and a missing windshield wiper.  Upon landing in El Paso I called Melissa to let her know our situation and discovered that Jean had also had the honor of making a side trip to El Paso but was in the air and landing soon.  Although the weather was clearing we could not leave until a plane from Dallas arrived and unloaded so we could trade planes as they were heading right back to Dallas and didn't need a wiper.  Odd!

Karen and I waited patiently for our flight and Jean landed and caught up with Melissa, who I know was really tired of the Albuquerque airport by then.  Karen and I finally arrived in Albuquerque at 5:45 pm and they were patiently waiting for us.  We claimed our luggage and caught the first shuttle to the Alamo car rental, picked up our Chevy mid-size SUV and headed to our apartment.

 

The landlord was waiting there to meet us as Melissa kept in contact about what time we'd be there.  It's a nice 2 bedroom place that could sleep 6.  Big bathroom  and nicely decorated and very clean.  She even left us a bottle of local wine.

 

Everyone was starved so once we claimed our rooms, Karen and I and Jean and Melissa, we headed out for some dinner.  The place recommended by our landlord seemed a bit ritzy for us tonight so we ended up further down the road at a Mexican place that had quite a few cars for 7:30.  Wise choice on our part.  Everyone ordered something different and no was  disappointed in the least.  Karen got to try sopapillas for the first time and loved them.  but what's not to love.  We made a quick stop at a grocery for water, fruit and breakfast sandwiches for tomorrow.  We are really close to Old Town and only 10 minutes from the Park and Ride shuttle to the fiesta so we're in a great location.

 

It was disappointing not to have the afternoon to get a head start on sight seeing but we were thankful that in the end we all arrived safe and sound.

The Long Road Home

September 9 – The party is once again over!  Ugh!  Back to reality and all the ups and downs that go with it.  We were up early since we’d have to go to the dump station before leaving.  I think by the time we closed up the RV, drove around the loop and back to get in the correct direction to dump, dumped and drove out the 2 mile canopy of trees, it was 10:00 – 10:30 when we actually got out on the road.  We didn’t stop at all on the drive home and arrived at our driveway at 2:30.  

 

It was almost 2 hours to empty the 2 fridges, all the compartments inside and get it all in the house and the fridge stuff put away.  There were bags stacked all over the dining room.  The utility room was full of clothes, bed linens, rugs in addition to all those things from in the house since the cleaning lady came after we left.  I managed to do 3 loads of wash before bedtime.

 

The yard and my garden were a mess.  There had been so much rain my sister could not keep up.  We had a big tree down across the front along the road.  Kerry trimmed enough to be able to see to get out of the driveway.  The worst problem we found was the downstairs bathroom sink had leaked all summer and the bottom was ruined.  What a mess.  The joys of coming home!  Once we emptied it out and set up a fan on it we left to take the RV into Camping World for tire rotation and to have the bearings repacked.

 

Needless to say we were both exhausted by the end of the day.  We both fell into bed.  Dreams of another summer behind us and who knows what the next one will be!

Last day on Amelia Island

September 8 – Our last day of leisure for the summer!  Bill, Paul, Jean and I loaded in their

Bill, Paul and Jean waiting for sunset

car and checked out the original Fernandina which is still quite quaint.  It’s on the river side of the island and some of the homes are pretty old.  The original fort is gone but there’s a marker for it.  Then we drove around Historic Fernandina Beach with our tour book this time to indentify the houses.  There are some very nice homes there.  Some were sea captains. 

 

We stopped in a couple of stores along the way and had lunch at a seafood place on the sea side of the island.  Charlie had recommended we drive on down that way but he led us to believe it wasn’t so far.  We eventually came to the end of the island and crossed over the bridge and were heading in closer to Jacksonville, so we turned around and headed back to Ft. Clinch. 

 

Sailboat at Sunset

We retreated to our respective RV’s and later joined efforts for dinner.  We have enjoyed eating outside at the picnic table and just talking.  We all wanted to see the sunset tonight since we missed it last night.  We checked on what sites we all thought we could get into and liked and made notes on the camp map.  Then we headed to the beach at the river.  Jean and I picked up lots of nice shells while the guys sat on the bench.  As it was closer to time lots of people showed up, many with cameras to catch the beauty of the island.  That is when I wish I had a nicer camera.  I did get a sailboat approaching and then passing in front of the sunset.  It was pretty nice.

 

When the fun was over we all headed home and started putting some things away in readiness for our sad departure tomorrow.

Flea Market Day

September 7 -  Everyone was up early and ready to leave at 8:30 to go to the flea market in Jacksonville.  It was OK but we all agreed it was not as good as it looked from the road.  We got some produce and I found a small green leather purse and a phone cover. 

 

On the road heading back we spotted another flea market so stopped there.  First order of business was finding where to eat.  They had a good little place in the center of the complex with tables so Bill and I both had the grilled chicken salad and it was excellent.  Then we set a time to meet back at the door and headed out.  Bill and I bought books (and both forgot our book lists) and we got a rug for the RV and a Christmas gift.  Jean and Paul were waiting when we got to the door and had already loaded their haul in the car.

 

We got back about 2:30 and I think everyone was tired from the heat today.  Bill and I each had a huge glass of beverage and he eventually took a nap while I finished my book and got on the computer.  Bill and I were going to dinner with the couple we met in Sherando who also volunteer here, so around 4:30 we started showered to be ready to meet them at their RV at 5:45.  Tonight they suggested Peppers Mexican Restaurant in Historic Fernandina Beach.  The food was good, the service was good and the company was excellent.  We got to know Charlie and Arlene much better and after dinner they invited us in for ice cream and we ended up chatting 2 more hours.  We figured Jean and Paul would think we got lost.  On the drive in we had a mama deer and 1 baby cross the road.

 

It was too late to go visit next door so we just read and headed to bed.  I was having internet issues so have not gotten to post in a couple of days.

Touring Amelia Island and Ft Clinch

Amelia Island lighthouse

September 6 -  After everyone had breakfast we loaded into the truck and went to the Amelia Island lighthouse.  Wouldn’t you know it was closed?  It’s only open every other Wednesday!  I did get some photos through the trees and they had a sign posted where to get your lighthouse stamp.

Entrance to the fort

 

We took the cooler to the post office to drop it off and then stopped at Wal-mart for a couple of things.  We found the museum where the stamp was and I got my book stamped.  We drove through some of the Historic Downtown Fernandina Beach on our way back to Ft. Clinch.  We went on a tour of the actual fort which we all enjoyed and then back to our RV’s for lunch. 

 

Musical re-enactors and ranger

Jean was outside making some calls and I found a good signal outside so I called Wal-Mart and think I have resolved my parts problem.  The customer service girl called Igloo and arranged for them to send the part to me at no charge after I email them my info and my proof of purchase.  I was also surprised that Wal-mart was crediting me back $20 for my trouble.  Nice!  Then we all migrated over to an empty campsite across from our 2 sites and sat at their picnic table for over an hour chatting until the owners of the site showed up and wanted to set up.

 

By the time we all went to our RV’s it was time to get the grill going.  Paul did the cooking for all of us and Jean and I put together the rest of a great meal.  There’s never a shortage of food.  Then we sat at their picnic table for at least an hour chatting more.  There never seems to be enough time just to talk.  It was nice.  All of the sights in our loop were filled and everyone was cooking or sitting around their campfires.

 

We all finally cleaned up and headed inside for the night.

Welcome to Ft. Clinch

September 5 – This was not the best of days.  We had a small issue last night with the leveling leg that was replaced a year ago by Camping World so this morning before leaving we wanted to make sure it was working properly.  Everything was a wet mess from all the rain last night and in our haste to get away, Bill forgot to rinse out the poop hose after emptying all the tanks.  So there was some residual “doo doo” liquid pouring out when he put it back in its holder and it poured all inside the compartment.  Nasty.  It was his job to mop it up.

 

Then we got on the road and the weather was great all day.  Bill called Jean and Paul to see where they were and poor things, they left after dinner last night to drive part way to avoid love bugs this morning but had a tire blow out on I-10 and finally got the spare on and to a garage where they spent the night.  They waited for them to open today to get 2 new tires but they didn’t carry what they needed so they were on their way to a different place.  We still thought they would get to Ft Clinch before us.

 

We stopped once at Love’s to top off the tank mainly so Bill cold get a jar of his favorite beef sticks that we have only found at Love’s Truck Stops.  The rest of our ride into Ft Clinch was uneventful.  Bill went in to register and I was waiting and saw the Fed EX Ground truck pull in and around the building.  I watched him open the rear of the truck and he got out a box that I was sure was our replacement cooler.  I locked the truck and went in and Bill was coming out and I said I thought that box delivered was ours and the ranger said it sure was, so that was great timing.  However, later when we opened it, the part we needed was not in that one either.  That leaves us to believe that it won’t be in any of the boxes.  Now I need to call Wal-mart online AGAIN.

 

The road to the campsites is over 2 miles into the area of the campgrounds and there’s a warning sign about the canopy of  over the road might cause clearance issues.  We did not want to hear that after our first bad camping trip to Tomoka State Park.  I proceeded with extreme caution, going to the left, to the right, in the middle and all over the road for 2 miles.  I did stop once and wave the 2 cars behind us to pass.  We made it without harm to our camping loop only to find it was not the ideal shape for our RV and we had to be more in the middle so we could open our slide.  It took some maneuvering but we managed to get in and have just enough room left for the truck.  Bill had asked at check in if Jean and Paul were here and they had not checked in yet and were to be right beside us. 

 

We did hit a patch of love bugs and Bill has some cleaning to do before we leave here.  We got set up, had lunch and it was thundering out but Bill rode his bike up to the volunteer village to see the couple we just met at Sherando.  He was forever coming back.  Jean emailed at 2:11 that they were 92 miles away.  We found out when they finally got here that he had to have some brake work done at the same time and that took longer than planned.  They are still having some problems so will see how it goes.

 

We decided to go out to dinner and Cedar River Seafood was recommended and we all enjoyed it.  Bill had gator tail and I had frog legs.  It was delicious, every bite.  There was a Diary Queen next door so we walked over there for some soft serve to top it off.  We were all more than ready to get some sleep for a full day ahead.