Cave Creek Wild West Days and Scavenger Hunt

Sooooo, after I published last night's post (WELL after I published), I realized that I had neglected to explain the other two shots in the post's title.  Sorry 'bout that.  In case you were wondering, they were blockers and steroids, put into the facets around L4, in an ongoing effort to mitigate the effects of that fractured vertebrae.  The first one went great - I don't really remember much about the walk out to the car, nor the ride home, and there's absolutely NO recollection of eating a granola bar, but I did see the empty wrapper, so there's also no denying it, but the pins and needles were significantly reduced, as was the pain in my lower back.  So, we waited the requisite week and went back for another one.  THAT one was different.  I remembered more about the aftermath, and while the pain has been reduced to just about nothing...I now have two vertical rows of hives, courtesy of the 4 bandaids they slapped on me!  Oh.My.God...but how they itch.  Why can't we just fix one thing without breaking or impacting something else??  Benadryl cream to the rescue!  So that's my 3 shots - 2 in my back to fix a break, and 1 in my arm to prevent any more breaks.

And now, Cave Creek Wild West Days.  Y'all know my brother and I never really got along well, right?  Did you even know I had a brother?  I know I don't mention him often; pretty much, he is out of sight, out of mind.  Last time we really had any dealings was at my mother's funeral, back in Feb 2000.  By my math, that's 19+ years ago.  No biggie, by my thinking, but Driver thinks it's weird.  Well, he (brother, not Driver) and his lovely wife, Nina, live out here, northeast of Phoenix, in a little town called Cave Creek.  At some point last summer, I had occasion to talk to Nina (probably about my dad) and happened to mention we had planned to come out here for part of the winter.  She was mighty receptive and even inviting, and insisted they would want to see us.  I can believe that of HER; probably not so much for brother.  Funny, that originally typed out as "bother."  

Well, further discussions have ensued over the course of the last couple of weeks, and we even went and visited them for dinner one Sunday.  Turned out very well, surprisingly enough....brother was even nice to me, didn't hit me, nor did he call me any names!  She obviously is a good influence on him!  This weekend, she (she is the manager of the Cave Creek Tourism Bureau) was hosting a town-wide scavenger hunt.  Remember the shop hop Driver and I went on a couple of weeks ago?  Sort of like that.  We were to get a list of clues, and find 12 participating businesses, visit them, and collect a business card from each one.  At the end, we were to turn in our checkoff sheet, get our cards verified, and we were entered into a drawing, where the prizes were 3 $100 bills.  Yup, cash money, not even gift certificates that we would be hard pressed to spend.  So, off we went!  Because Nina was in charge, she had to stay in the Bureau offices for the day, but Charlie (brother) came with us to help us figure out where we were going and what businesses were to be visited.  First up, though, was one that we wanted to go see, just because we like that sort of thing...

Two bottles of oil later, and we were off in hot pursuit of our business cards.  We found The Duke at the Hot Sauce store.  Yes, Real Men Rub Their Meat.  Or so they say.

And, I'm pretty sure this is Marilyn, trading cooking for sex.  Not likely, from what I know of her...but, hey, that's definitely an idea for my embroidered aprons.  Wonder how well they would sell at the upcoming craft fair?  I sure don't see either one of them moving at a square dance campout!

Ghost pepper jelly, but there were no samples, so there was no purchase. 

Now, THIS would make a good tea towel for our camper/dancers!

 What's that chili pepper fabric hiding?  Can you read the sign?  It says Adult Language...

And, lo and behold....yeah, I wouldn't want these products just sitting around in plain sight either.  But, again, no samples, so no purchase.

Off to the next stop!  Yeah, it's The Creamery!

First we scan the options.

Then we sample a couple.

Then we select Wedded Bliss, a chocolate base with caramel swirl and pecans.  I'm told it was good, but not the best ever.  Not very rich or dense, so only about a 6 spoons out of 10 rating.

Onward, to Bryan's BBQ.  Oh my, this place smelled good!  And the flying pig outside reminded me of Bill Chesnut, and his lovely bride, Mary, and their little pet pig.

After we wandered around town for another hour or so, we had all our required cards turned in and we had visited all the other shops we wanted to see, we still had some time before the drawing for the prizes, and Nina wasn't quite ready to leave the office yet.  So we ventured down to the local rock shop.  Oh.My.God.  When we parked in front of this set of crystals, I cautioned Dick about not going too far - we surely didn't want to bump it and topple it down onto our car - we would be crushed!  Not to mention, bankrupt, after having to pay for damages!

Stepping inside, we were immediately greeted by this striking collection.  I'm sure not gonna spell it out, but do you see it?  How can you not?  All I could do to just move on and move away.  But, yeah, I might have set the display up a little less....umm...provacatively?  Less risque?  OK, less explicitly.

There were lots of other pretties in that little rock shop.  Most of them rendered me speechless when I saw their prices.  The geodes ran about 12 to 30 thousand.  THOUSAND.  The sinks were running around 25 thousand, tables around 27 thousand.  A small (and, boy, was it SMALL) rose quartz soap dish was only 98 buckeroos.  No, we didn't purchase any souvenirs at this particular shop.  Definitely, no room in the camper (or budget!) for any of those trinkets!

We moved on to another little junk shop, where we found yet another little piggy for Bill and Mary.  But, I know for a fact, they are trying to trim their pig collection, so he stayed on the shelf.

After all that, we went back to the Tourism Bureau, where Nina and one of Cave Creek's council women were waiting to draw the three winning tickets.  First one pulled was Nikko's - a little boy, about 10 years old, who also happened to be present.  (there was only Nina, the council woman, Nikko & his mom, brother, Driver & I.  And Bailey.)  Yeah, that little boy about came unglued when his name was called out!  Second ticket was pulled, and guess whose name was called next!?  Yeah, baby, it was Dick & Karin!!  Right after I retrieved our prize, another little girl and her mom walked in, a little late to the party, but ready to claim a prize anyway.  Too bad, hers was NOT the next name called.  Too bad, so sad, sorry little one.  Maybe next time.  But, meanwhile, yahoo!  Drinks all around!

While Nina was trying to close the office, a group of moms came in, with babies and children in tow.  Looking for bathrooms, and complaining how there were no bathrooms in all of Arizona.  They were from Michigan, and they had bathrooms in Michigan and couldn't understand why there were no public bathrooms in all of Arizona.  Bless her heart, she opened up the office and let 'em in.  Finally, we got them all out and on their way, and we 5 can set off for that long-promised Mexican dinner that Driver has been anticipating for 6 weeks now.  Onward, to Hacienda's Mexican Grill, a bit down the road.  Along the way, we saw this odd outcropping of rocks, just popped up out of nowhere.  Nothing like it on either side.  I tell ya, the landscape here is nothing short of freakish and bizarre!

I wish I had thought to take photos of our dinner plates, sorry.  They were very pretty.  I had grilled avocados with shrimp, on a bed of field greens.  Only I requested the avocados not be grilled.  They were drizzled with a sweet/tart balsamic vinaigrette, and they were really tasty.  Unfortunately, there were only 6, so there was no sharing of shrimp this time! Dick's chimichanga was huge, but it was covered with 2 slices of Kraft American processed cheese, so it was a bit disappointing for him.  Charlie's dinner was a generous serving of nachos with lots of toppings, and Nina's looked to be something similar to pulled pork barbeque.  I will say, the margarita was a little shy in the tequila department....and probably a whole lot more costly than the ones we get down in Nuevo Progreso.  Ah, yes, we are looking forward to crossing the border in January.  And thank you, Cave Creek, that hundred bucks will help us get there!  We figured it will take us all the way to Tucson!  Sure hope I can sell enough stuff at the craft sale to get us the rest of the way!!

Till next time - y'all stay safe! 

The Big Texan Steak House (A Cultural) Experience

Last we you saw, Dick was all dressed up to take me out to the The Big Texan Steak House.  The shuttle bus had arrived and we were ready to hit the road once more.

Remember how the exit to our campground was closed?  That meant we had to take a back road around our elbow any past our behind to get there.  And being in the van, that meant every bump in the road was felt and shimmied right up my already aching back.  I could only hope the evening would get better!  The Big Texan was opened in 1962, well, heck, let them tell the story.

"In 1960, R. J. “Bob” Lee opened The Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo on Route 66, the “Mother Road. Its distinctive architecture soon became recognized across the Mother Road as a good stopping place for great steaks grilled over an open flame.

The towering sign of a long-legged cowboy that Bob erected next to the building became a major landmark on Route 66. From the beginning, the Big Texan welcomed weary travelers and migrating families whose roots spread all across America. The now World-famous FREE 72-oz. steak came to life not long after Bob opened the doors to the Big Texan Steak Ranch.

Beginning in the mid-1960s signs began cropping up along the Mother Road inviting travelers to come in for a 72-oz. steak dinner that was FREE if it could be eaten in one hour. Thousands of road-weary youngsters practiced their ciphering as they converted 72 ounces into four and one-half pounds. Those Big Texan signs became as much of the nation’s culture as the old Burma Shave signs. One company has long-since disappeared with the dust of the old road, but the other still flourishes. Big Texan Steak Ranch billboards can still be seen to the east and west of Amarillo along Interstate 40 and on major north-south routes that run through the Panhandle.

In the early 1970s, Interstate Highway 40 muscled its way across the country replacing Route 66 as the major traffic lane. Bob Lee purchased land along the route for the new highway.

He and his family built an new, bigger and better Big Texan Steak Ranch fron the ground up along I-40.

The giant cowboy, now an historical icon, was moved by helicopter from its original location on the Mother Road to its current home on Interstate 40."

"Excitement and prosperity turned briefly to despair in 1976 when a fire destroyed most of the restaurant. But the Lee family had learnedthrough adversity and they remained undaunted and determined. Everyone — family members, employees and friends — pitched in and the restaurant was only closed for one business day. The business continued to grow."

Out in the parking lot between the steak house and the hotel/motel, is a fiberglass (?) dinosaur.  There's a link on their website, that takes you to pictures of its installation, but offers no explanation as to why it's there, sorry.  I found Route 66 News blurb that offers a bit more detail, but still no reason for WHY he's there.  I guess just 'cuz he tickled the fancy of ole Bobby Lee.

Here's a little more info about the steer and the 72 oz challenge beginnings.

Click on the panoramic view below to enlarge it to a normal size, and you can see the whole front lot.

These are the rooms for people; there is a bona-fide HORSE motel (barn) around the corner, with 20 stalls inside. - Vicki Todd, you hear that??

When you walk in the door, you see an ice chest, with a sample 72 oz (4 lbs, for those of us that don't do math, and we all know who we are!) steak, 3 fried shrimp, salad and dinner roll.  All that, for only $72!  The price has remained the same ever since the inception of the challenge, way back in the 60's.  If you are successful, you get to add your name to the wall, a free T-shirt and a plastic souvenir mug.  Oh, yeah, and you get the dinner for free.  While we were there, we saw 3 people fail to consume it all, but a 4th was well into it within 15 minutes.  He looked like he'd been practicing for a while, so it's quite possible he finished in time.  The record for fastest time is currently held by a 120 lb young lady, who finished the meal in about 5 minutes.  !!!!  5 minutes!!!  120 pounds!!  More power to her!

As we walked toward the dining area, we passed a bench made from cowhide and horns.  Not exactly our coastal style, is it?  Notice the refrigerated case to the left --- filled with delicious looking cakes!  Keep Walking!!!

All the hostesses and servers look so cute in their cowboy hats.  The gent in the peach shirt is carrying what's left of his 72 oz steak dinner.  He about dropped it on his way out.  I guess he was rattled about the $72 he just dropped at the cashier's station.

Lots of eyeballs watching over us as we ate.

We split a 21 oz steak, salads, rolls and baked potatoes.  NOOOOO, neither of us was interested in attempting the challenge!

That, my friends, is 21 ounces of top sirloin, medium rare and two baked potatoes.

And THIS, my friends, is a Big Texan Margarita.  Notice the garnish!  It's a lime AND a jalapeno!

There was scratch-made fudge...and ice cream.  No, we didn't get any ice cream, and somehow, I forgot to take a picture of Dick window shopping.

Big Grizzly greets the diners up by the hostess station.

Bill Chesnut, this one's for you!  I think she'd look so cute in your new camper!

Pick your poison!  Various hot sauces packaged as cowboys.

More hot sauce varieties....

And lastly, POPCORN!  Carolina Reaper, Chili Lime, Ghost Pepper, Ass-Kickin' and Sriracha. 

Just what every pantry needs!

In the back, we found a friend, circling our feet as we admired the outdoor seating arrangement.

As they say, everything's bigger in Texas....I'd hate to see the foot that fits this boot!

And there's a rocking chair built for two...

We've eaten, been through all the rooms and gift shop, resisted the fudge and gelato counters and have gone back outside to pick up the limo back to "The Ranch."  I thought the newest addition for the motel was interesting in its own way.  The Horse Motel is back around behind this one.

Thankfully, the limo back was a real limo, not the shuttle bus.  The seats were soooo much cushier and more plush.  The ride back was Number 1, direct (no detours necessary) and Number 2, much more comfortable.  Good thing!  I just don't think my back would handle another ride in that van!

The whole evening would be what Charles would call "a real cultural experience."  It was a whole lot of fun, and the food (and drink) was REALLY good.  

Bailey was sure glad to see us when we got back.  She likes traveling, but I don't think she's crazy about us leaving her in the camper while we go off exploring.  I think our next adventure is going to be Palo Duro Canyon State Park.  

This is the cover photo from their website:

Pretty, yes?  They call it The Grand Canyon of Texas.  There's a musical dinner theater down in the Ampitheater so we'll probably check that out as well.  We'll have to sit through the singing and dancing, but they promise fireworks at the end!  Who can resist fireworks??

'Till next time....