Border Patrol

Illegal immigrants have been headline news for several years now. As we traveled Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, the border patrol measures are pronounced. We saw highway stops of individual vehicles as well as a group of border patrol vehicles crossing a dirt road in a bit of a hurry. In addition, there were routine highway checkpoints and unexpectedly to us, the use of aerostats. Quite frankly, I was glad we were staying on military bases when we were near the border. 

One of two that we saw

Border patrol checkpoint ahead

Only the slightest of delays

Where Are We Going Next?

55+ Crowd

We met up with Chris and Becki at Superstition Sunrise, a 55+ community in Apache Junction, just east of Phoenix. It was our first experience of a 55+ community. Most lots are permanent residents or seasonal snowbirds. The lots are close and most have park models with built on porches. We did note a fair amount of transient traffic from our location though.

Just a bit tight - and normal

Since we don't have a comparison, we don't really know if this community is typical as far as activities go, but they weren't kidding when they said they were an active community. On my way back from a 7:00 a.m. video exercise class, I passed a zumba class getting ready to start, with yoga class to follow. The water exercise class was getting ready for a second session. The shuffleboard tournament was underway. The hiking group was meeting in the parking lot. The guys playing billiards had been there since the 6:00 a.m. opening.

There's plenty to do for sure. The afternoons and evenings were filled with cookouts, bands, dances, bingo, poker, more exercise classes, block parties, and so forth. Different hobbies had permanent setups, such as a woodworking shop and a lapidary shop. The computer club had its own room. A lot of the activities are led by residents staying there, and we understand a lot of them end in April as snowbirds move on. 

Lapidary saw

Chris and Becki treated us to an evening at Medieval Times (Chris' penultimate) with two more of Harold's Alta High School classmates, Ashaell and Cyndy. It was a fun evening and certainly fit with Chris and Becki's interest in renaissance faires. 

Alta High School mini reunion

Let the games begin

We didn't really tour the area as we only had a few days there. We could certainly see it's popularity for snowbirds though. Bonus for us: Ashaell lives in the area and allowed us to pick some lemons from her backyard tree. 

Oh boy, fresh lemons!

Where Are We Going Next?

Copper Mine

While staying at Ft. Huachuca, we headed over to nearby Bisbee. It's a former copper mining town with dwellings terraced amongst the hillsides and of course, lots of little shops. The day we were there, it was filled with lots of motorcycles for a chopper show. Loud pipes combined with echoes made for a rather noisy day. 

Thankfully we had reserved places for the Queen Mine Tour. The former copper mine closed in 1975 and the city, in the interest of history and tourism, started tours in 1976. Our tour guide was a retired miner. Here's an interesting tidbit. They used douglas fir and pine timbers to shore up the roof. They're softer woods that make groaning noises when stressed. So when the wood started groaning and popping and the cockroaches and rats started running, there was a problem. 

There are active mines in the Tucson area today. Asarco has a discovery center and a mine tour. We had hoped to take a tour but they were sold out when we were there. We'll try again another time.

Bisbee

Alleyway art

Bisbee 1000 steps challenge

Our guide

Copper and other minerals

Stay oriented

Rail bike 

Where Are We Going Next?

Titan Missile

For years Harold has talked about his visit to the Titan Missile Museum just south of Tucson. It's unique in that you can see the missile in the silo. The Titan II was the first missile to store fuel onboard, greatly reducing the launch time. The website includes a lot of facts about the missile.

The tour lasts about an hour and takes you to the control room. The tour adds a touch of authenticity by including a launch simulation. This was the first of our missile tours to do so, making it easier to imagine what it must have been like to be locked in an underground facility during an attack. 

View from top

Control room

Suspended hallway

Looking up

Looking down

Where Are We Going Next?

Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park consists of an east and west section. Since we ended up staying in Sierra Vista rather than Tucson, we opted to take in only the west section on this trip. We expect to be back in the area within the year for a longer period of time. The drive through Tucson Mountain Park on the way is a fun, scenic drive too, RVs not recommended. 

The park service described the landscape as a cactus forest. We think that's a pretty apt description. The Saguaro (sa Wah ro) is a beast of a cactus. They can get around 50 ft tall and weigh over a ton. They typically don't get branches until they are around 50 years old. They live around 150 years. The pleats in the cactus store water and the spines provide shade. 

Tucson Mountain Park

Various types of cactus

Where Are We Going Next?

Ft Huachuca

 I was a little nervous about getting in the famcamp at Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ. They are a first come, first serve campground. So I made a reservation for Ft. Huachuca (Wa chew ka) in Sierra Vista, AZ. The base was much larger than expected and very scenic. The historic part of the fort included a couple of museums and sat high on the hills. The picnic area sat on the mountainside. The base has a corral and we grabbed tickets to the college rodeo event taking place while we were there. Again, we were impressed with what it takes to be a rodeo athlete. When was the last time you flipped a 600 pound calf and tied his feet together in a matter of seconds or tried to ride a bucking bronc?

Well, you don't see explosives warnings at many campgrounds

Buffalo soldiers history at Ft Huachuca

Drones, part of military intelligence

Picnic area

Wild turkeys

Rain is coming

Colors at the rodeo

Going down

Where Are We Going Next?

On the Road in Texas and New Mexico

We leave you with a couple of parting shots in Terlingua. Supposedly, the cemetery is one of the most photographed in the nation. 

Great looking coach right there ; )

Terlingua Cemetery

We left Terlingua and Big Bend National Park behind and overnighted in Van Horn, Tx. While the campground wasn't necessarily bad, we both agreed that the best thing about it was the sunrise view.

Sunrise in Van Horn, TX

We then spent a couple of nights at a campground about 10 miles east of Deming. We had fun searching for the resident owls.

This way...

Spot the owl in this photo

Train display at visitors' center in Deming

Beep, beep!

Where Are We Going Next?