Tucson to Gila Bend, AZ

So, today we left Tucson.  Sorry, not sorry, y'all, but no tears were shed.  Freedom RV did a great job on our tile floor, and we did get to visit a cozy quilt shop packed with really pretty and unique fabrics (dropped a bundle of cash there, too...just ask Driver.  Better yet, don't ask!)  But, aside from that and the Desert Museum, which was really more of a zoo/aquarium/gardens, and the nice Air Force Base FamCamp, there wasn't much else to hold us there.  Lots of dust and dirt blowing around, and way more Saguaro cactus than we've ever seen, but that's about it.  But, they did have lots of pretty bridge abutments and overpasses.  Even a lot of their bridges were decorative.  I was able to get some (really poor) shots in today, on our way out of town, at 62 mph.  Yes, 62.  Speed limit was often 65 or 75, but 62 is our preferred speed.  Yes, you may call us turtles if you wish.  But, that gives us plenty of reaction time when fools come sliding and spinning across the road and back.  

These are mosaics, leading up to an overpass.

Don't ask me what it represents, about all I could tell was the mountains and the sun.  I'm guessing all together, they represent the petroglyphs found outside of town, way up in the hills.

I took this to represent the sun.

Driver thought these were bats.  I thought they were just chevrons, but I like they idea of them being bats.  Bats are so ugly they're cute.  And definitely necessary.

Yeah for more cotton!  'Cuz, you know, I need more fabric.  HAHAHA...no, no I do not.

Heading back out to Picacho Peak.  Yes, yes you can climb up it.  No, no I am NOT going to do so.  Not in this lifetime, not in next lifetime, not in ANY lifetime.  Thank you for your generous offer, but, no, no thank you.

Often, we camp by railroad tracks.  I think it must be a prerequisite for campgrounds to be located nearby RR tracks.  No big deal, we kinda like hearing the trains go by and we don't mind the whistles tooting at all hours of the day (and night).  No big deal.  The RV dealer we just left had RR tracks about a hundred yards away, just across the street, and everybody warned us about them coming through all night.  Well, we heard only 2, and they went by pretty quick.  Again, no big deal.  This Air Force Base Auxiliary Air Field is about 3 miles from the Interstate.  And RR tracks paralleled the road down to the gate, so we fully expected we'd be hearing some trains during our stay here in Gila Bend, AZ.  HA!  We turned onto the street to enter the gate and had to cross these tracks.  Don't think they will be used anytime soon.  Certainly not tonight, and we'll be leaving in the morning, so I highly doubt we will be hearing trains tonight.

After we parked, though, we did take a short tour of the base.  Short, because there really isn't much to see here.  One 20 room motel they use for visitors, one visiting officers' quarters, a motor pool, a small gym, with an outdoor basketball court, an airstrip & tower, and ummmm...that's about it, except for the FamCamp.  This was the sign down by the airstrip.  We didn't have permission, so we didn't enter.  Thought it prudent to follow the rules, this one time. Like yesterday, no feeding the coyotes.  We followed that rule too.

This little guy was sitting out in the field, and this is one of only two grassy patches we saw on base.

The tour of the base was so much fun, we thought we'd head into town.  Such as it was.  Our intent was to scope out the way to Pilot, which promised to be a little tricky, and maybe even fuel up the RAV4, since gas here was a bit less expensive than up in Surprise.  Key words, there, "our intent."  First, we stopped in at the junk store...

...and found the ice cream counter.  Nooooo, didn't make any purchases here, way too close to dinner.

...and the cafe part of the junk store/ice cream counter promised to be another "cultural experience," but not necessarily one in which we wished to participate this time.  Dinner was to be BBQ and Tater Tots, with homemade cole slaw, and we really were looking forward to it.  Mexican prepared by the cashier just didn't sound so appetizing...

After all that, we went on to the local museum.  Which was CLOSED, according to the sign on the door.  The posted hours were 9 am to 3 pm, Mon thru Fri, and we were well within those parameters, being Thursday, at 11:30 am.  Yet, still CLOSED.  However, it was adjacent to some Administration Center, whose doors were actually open, so we went inside and inquired about the closure.  Turns out, there was no one to tend the museum, but we were invited to enter through the Administration Center hallway.  Score one for us!  Didn't take much time to view all the artifacts and browse all the brochures.  The biggest deal here was the Oatman Family Tragedy, and the survival of Olive, poor dear, she had it rough, and there doesn't seem to be any photo of her with a smile, and it's no wonder.  Then we started our search for gas.  We went to the Pilot station first.  Too expensive and crowded too.  So used Gas Buddy and found the Circle K, at the other end of town, to be the cheapest gas in town.  We went back (it's all of a mile, about 3 minutes ride, from one end of town to the other) to Circle K, pulled in and entered the credit card.  Yes, I'm using WE, but WE is Driver.  The other half of WE was sitting in the front seat, searching out geocaches on her telephone.  So, the card was accepted, but there was no gas coming out of the nozzle.  Not a drop.  Twice.  OK, so there is a Chevron, just across the street, and up a half a block.  Pulled in to Chevron.  Credit card declined.  And Driver's phone, as it often is, is back at the camper.  So, if USAA had called or texted to put a fraud alert on the card, as they so often do, we didn't know it and couldn't decline it.  So we used MY credit card, 'cuz they never put an alert on MY card.  Except this time, apparently.  NEITHER card was accepted.  Ruh-roh.....that could be an issue....we planned on putting about $150 of fuel in the coach first thing tomorrow morning....we'd better go get back to the camper and check the phone and see about getting this resolved.  We couldn't imagine what could be the problem...after all, we had paid cash for the campsite (a whopping $12!!) and we had used Driver's card yesterday to get admission to the museum, and my card the day before, at the fabric shop.  So, yeah, maybe I did spend over a hundred bucks a lot, but certainly not enough to reach our credit limit...what could possibly be the problem???  Well, a quick call to USAA reveals there was a temporary block put on our account (both cards).  When there was no gas at the Circle K, Dick canceled the transaction and retried it.  Sort of like restarting the computer, ya know?  That fixes everything, right?  Nope, not this time!  That action set off the alarm at USAA and they thought our card had been compromised, so, they suspended it immediately.  And when we tried to use it at Chevron, it was immediately declined.  Tight security bit us in the butt!  But, we got it all sorted out, and we turned right around and went back to town.  To the Chevron.  Unfortunately, they have the buttons backwards, and the one that got pushed was for premium gas.  At almost $4 a gallon.  That was NOT the intended selection.  Geesh.....are we ever gonna get this gas today?  We seemed doomed and destined NOT to get gas here!  Transaction was canceled and we went on down the road to visit the 9/11 Memorial Park we had passed earlier.

And I must have taken the worst possible picture of the Space Age Restaurant signage.  Even the gray paint of the building had sparkles in it.  It's really a Best Western, but for some reason, it's all done up with an outer space/aliens theme.

The alien was draped in cheesecloth for Halloween.

This was the domed lobby of the hotel.

After that, we went BACK to the Chevron and selected the right octane level and pumped a few gallons of gas.  All set for the night, and it's about time to go home and fix dinner.  BBQ and Tater Tots, here we come!  Besides, the laundry here is free and the machines are large enough to do our quilts, so we'd better get on the stick!  There is NO tv here...nada, zip, zilch.  Not a single station, Mexican, shopping or otherwise...but, hey, we should see some stars, don'tcha think?  Maybe some aliens?

This is our view out the front - the setting sun.

Tomorrow morning we head back up to Surprise and settle back in for the next couple of months.  I have lots of sewing to do - our placemats, a charity quilt top I was given to finish, a new purse for myself (fabric was purchased way back in ...Oh Lordy, I can't even remember where or when!), Betty's two garden flags, and I signed up for TWO tables at the craft sale next month, so I better get busy and make some more stuff to sell!!  Honey, you won't mind walking without me, will ya??  And you're welcome to go exploring all you want...maybe go with Lora to the photography club meetings...I have work to do!  In fact, since there is no TV, I think I'll go sit with my seam ripper a while, and get started on that charity quilt!  Yeah, crazy, I know.  I have to take it apart so I can put it back together again right.  Good night & God Bless!!

Downtown Pueblo and RiverWalk

Soooo, yesterday was Monday, and as you may know, most museums are closed on Mondays.  I think it's because they're open on Saturday, so they make up for it by closing Monday.  Well, it was promised to be a scorcher (and it was, setting a record at 102 degrees) and I knew we couldn't be out and about too awfully much in that kind of heat.  We both had business resolve and phone calls to make, and that took up most of the morning.  Dick made his dental appointment for Tuesday (today), and called the insurance company to figure out why they are billing for another $24, I talked to Newmar about the crack in the floor, my father (I know, miracle of miracles!), and a rheumatologist out in Phoenix.  My calls actually took the longest, since the new doc wanted any and all lab tests and results faxed to him.  THAT was a chore and a half!  Last bone density was done in 2017, that part was easy.  It was dealing with that awful corporation, Florida Cancer Specialists, that began the run-around.  I'll spare you all the gory details, and tell you only that I got my name and reputation cleared, AND supposedly, William faxed the results of the bloodwork they did back in December.  Hopefully, the new doc won't lose it by the time I get there!   Newmar gave me a couple of repair shops we could go to when we get to Phoenix and Tucson, so we'll deal with that down the road, when we are closer to Arizona.  After all that, we looked around for something else to do, and we spied with our little eyes, a DIRTY DUSTY PUPPY DOG!  Our neighbors on both sides had left, so we hauled out the table and shampoo and set to it!  And here's the result: 

Then we were ALL tired and we just hung out in the camper, chillin' as best we could.  So the dental appointment was for today, at 3 p.m.  After breakfast, that gave us about 5 hours, travel time included, to wander around and see the sights.  We started at Hotel Vail, which was built in 1911.  It was luxurious for its time, and it was purchased by the Pueblo Housing Authority in 1979.  After extensive remodeling, it was ready for occupancy in 1984, and is now housing for the elderly and disabled.  It is said that the historical features were kept intact, but we couldn't enter it to verify such rumors.

Across the street was the museum we intended to visit, El Pueblo History Musuem, a community museum and story.  Outside was this majestic eagle sculpture, surrounded by beautiful Mexican tiles inlaid in the cement foundation.  You can see that it was presented Henry Reyes, of Pueblo, CO, by the citizens and authorities of sister city, Puebla, Mexico, in 1992.  

Inside we found a few rooms, each with a themed display.  The room about the ever-moving border and displacement of residents probably contained the most actual artifacts.  These Commanche moccasins really caught my eye, surprisingly, not because of the elaborate beading, but because of just how small they were!  I would have to say in today's sizes, they'd be no more than a woman's six 5!  They were really tiny!

Pike's Peak, also now known as America's Mountain, was named for US Army Brigadier General/explorer  Zebulon Montgomery Pike, even though he never reached the summit. He was killed by an explosion during the War of 1812, and showering stones from the explosion dented his scabbard.  Personally, I failed to see said dents.  ???

Outside was an archaeological excavation of an adobe placita ("little plaza") that was found on the grounds.  This settlement stood on the northern bank of the Arkansas River, which was long known to be the geographical boundary between the United States and Mexico.  This was an important trading post for Native Americans, pioneers, Mexicans and Europeans until 1848, when most inhabitants departed for the California Gold Rush.  You can see the adobe brick walls below the grid lines of the dig, in the photo below.

Touring those displays didn't take too long; it was a pretty small, but important, museum.  It also had dioramas relating to the Children of Ludlow, and the Colorado Coalfield Strike and Ludlow Massacre.  The young man who was tending the admissions desk admitted that he was born in Pueblo, had gone all through school in Pueblo, and had never heard of this important event until he started working at the museum.  It was definitely a story that needed to be shared and repeated, and every single worker today should be thankful for the sacrifice made by those pioneer miners and over 9,000 children who endured the strike.  After we had seen everything inside and out, and looked at all the trinkets in the shop, we still had about 2 hours to spend before the dentist appointment, so we headed a little farther south, to find the RiverWalk and the Pueblo Heritage Museum.  Along the way, we spied this beauty of a building.  Signs indicated it was the Pueblo Depot.  We found a place to park nearby and walked up to the building, with the idea of taking a picture for your enjoyment.  We were pleasantly surprised to find A Little Bite of Heaven, a charming little bakery and gelato retailer, on the ground floor.  Dick didn't want any (whaaaaaa???) because he didn't bring a toothbrush, and he didn't want to visit the dentist with dirty teeth.  So we kept walking and came upon the front door.  You know I tried it.  And it OPENED!  It opened to a magnificent foyer area, filled with glass display cases, with lots of railroad-related artifacts, postcards and newspaper articles.

The woodwork and stained glass inserts in the transoms were just beautiful examples of the craftsmanship of the times (1889-1990). 

 

Dick pointed out that it was the time before nails were used, showing me the wooden plugs that were used instead.  I've never actually seen that technique in a still-standing building.  

'

And, I'm going to guess that all these doorways and casings were hand carved.  No CnC machines in those days!

Again, we had the pup with us, and she always, ALWAYS gives me a tug, just as I'm clicking the shutter, so, sorry for the blur! But, please, no singing, no dancing, no swearing.  This is a respectable house.  No fun either, if you ask me!  That sign was a bit odd, since it was posted right on the threshold of the bar area/waiting room (for Americans only, as you'll see in a bit). 

The bar was impressive, for sure.

As was this sideboard.  See how tall it is?  Notice, you can't see the ceiling!  

Looking outside, you can see a covered veranda, complete with ornate ironwork, and the train tracks behind the parking lot, complete with a coal train moving down the tracks.  

For all my quilting peeps, check out the Grandma's Flower Garden floor tiles.

The sign said, No Public Restrooms, so I was surprised to find this inside.  I could not resist taking a peek inside.  Yes, the pup came with me!

Inside I found marble sinks and wooden benches.  

Even the stalls had beautiful wooden walls.  Not very sanitary, but they sure were pretty.

Back out in the hallway, we found an early horseless carriage.  No other signs or identifiers, sorry.

Attention: Immigrants.  Your waiting room is behind the baggage depot.  We never did find it, but I'm sure it was nowhere near as opulent and ornate as the "American" waiting room we just left.

This room would make any model train aficionado swoon.  It was filled with models of all sorts.  I'm guessing they aren't the type made for playing with - I'm pretty sure they are scale  models of cars at are, or were, actually in use.  

The door to the train room is marked Union Pacific Railroad, Suite A, Rio Grande Yard, LLC.

Check out the metal steps leading to the second story....I wonder how many thousands of feet have trod these same steps, and what are all the stories of the people that have come before me?

Once upstairs, we noted we were in the office of the Pueblo Public Defender.  Several employees were up there, working hard, and we were asked 3 times if we needed help.  I know we were intruding, but we just couldn't help ourselves.  When we told them we were just admiring the building, we were told, people do it all the time, and to take our time.

 So we did.  :)

Outside, the flowers in the front were spilling out of their buckets and appeared to be well cared for.

When we could finally tear ourselves away from the Depot, we saw the Arcadia Building, just across the street.  It was built in 1901, as a hotel, by Italian investors.

Just down the street, I saw a sign that said Neon Alley.  I had read about it, but pretty much all I knew was that it existed in downtown Pueblo.  Further research would inform me that it's "the greatest assembly of neon art West of Times Square and East of Las Vegas." 

As we were admiring the neon art, though, we kept a close eye on traffic.  Even so, we almost got run over by a gent in an SUV, who was obviously in a hurry, and obviously oblivious to the fact that there were pedestrians in his path of travel.  Speedy travel.  To his credit, he did stop, roll down his window, and apologize profusely.  And sheepishly.  He even thanked US for watching out for HIM.

We found ourselves back behind the Depot again where this antique Mercedes was parked. Again, no identifying marks or informative signs were evident. 

There was also this beauty.  This is Santa Fe 2912, built in 1944. She sometimes saw service in the Pueblo area, and provided rapid service between LaJunta and Los Angeles.  According to the website, they are collecting funds for restoration, which sort of surprises me, because she's in much better shape that the locomotive we saw in Amarillo.

Can you see what Dick is gazing up at?  Any guesses?  That is the marker for the high water line, from the flood of June 3, 1921, when the water reached 10 feet, 6 inches.  That's a lotta water!

We still had about an hour to spend, so we headed toward the RiverWalk. As we approached a stop sign, we were privileged to spot this triangular building, The McLaughlin Block, built in 1891.  It originally contained a hotel, 2 saloons, 2 restaurants, a barbershop and a shoe shop.  There was also a garden out front, that has never been unearthed after the flood of 1921 filled it with debris and mud.

As we approached the beginning (or the end, if you will) of the RiverWalk, we came across this adorable sculpture of children playing with garden hoses.  As we were sitting there admiring it, the water came on!  It really was charming, and later on, as we walked by it, we saw a lady playing in the water, cooling off.  Couldn't blame her; if we didn't have someplace else to be, we probably would have joined in the fun!

I'm thinking this might be a pleasant way to spend some time - it's a narrated boat tour, for about $6 a piece.  What a bargain, eh??  Another day, perhaps.  And perhaps not, as our time here is growing short.

We walked up the river just a bit, and came across The Center for American Values.  It was HOT.  The dog was ready for a break, and so was I!  And the sign said FREE, so, in we went.  Boy, were we in for a surprise.  The walls were lined with photographs of all the Medal of Honor recipients, in the settings of their choice, each with a saying or quote of inspiration.  We were greeted by the docent, who graciously explained the mission of the display, and let us know the only other place you can see these photos is the Pentagon.  We were truly honored and humbled to be in their presence.  The docent played a welcome video for us, which showed several recipients explaining what they did to earn their medals and how they felt at the time of sacrifice and courage, and how they felt when they received the medal itself.  There was one old guy that was telling about his medal ceremony, and how it took place in Hitler's stadium, where there was a huge Nazi swastika flag that could be seen for miles.  The engineers of the unit were able to hang an American flag over the swastika flag, signifying how America and democracy prevailed.  Just after they (he and 3 others) were presented their medals, somehow, that swastika flag was blown to bits.  He never really explained what happened to the American flag, if it went up in the explosion, or if it had been taken down...  but you could hear the satisfaction of and pride in a job well done in his voice.

It was truly a moving and humbling experience.  Again, we were presented with an opportunity to view a small piece of the World Trade Center.

Here are a couple of photos and quotes that inspired me.

There was also an interactive kiosk, where you could touch an icon of any of the photos, hear the stories of the recipient, often in their own voices.

During our visit here, Bailey was laying at my feet, just chilling.  For the most part, I was able to relax in one of the oversized chairs, so we were both ready for the hike back to the car.  Remember that dentist appointment?  Yeah.  Well, we got there in plenty of time, and they gave us an estimate of anywhere from 70 to 90 bucks, depending on what they had to do.  OK, not great, but OK.  Dick filled out all the paperwork, and we sat down to wait his turn.  We were STILL about 30 minutes early, so we both got to read a couple of magazines in full.  For SOME reason, Dick kept showing me pictures of food (knowing all the while that I was hungry!!).  Finally, they called his name, and he got to go in the back, while I kept reading all the latest gossip about movie stars I know nothing about, other than their names.  And sometimes, not even that much.  After about an hour, he came out and I could hear him discussing the bill over at the reception counter.  I heard a hundred and eighty something, and looked over at him - he had paled considerably!  The clerk was kind enough to explain and itemize it for him, and there really was no option but to take out his new credit card and hand it over.  I mean, really, what are ya gonna do???  Not pay it?  I think that would be considered Theft of Services, and while he does like to eat 3 times a day, I'm pretty sure he'd rather not do it in a holding cell.  And I can't drive this big bus, at least not out on any roads, with traffic, passing or oncoming, and oh yeah, don't forget the HILLS around here, so he'd better not do anything to get locked up!  

Just as we were arriving back to our rig at the campground, we got a phone call from Nancy, the park owner.  She was letting us know that there was a power outage, and she was calling everyone with a pet, to see if there was anything we wanted her to do.  She volunteered to come to the camper, break a window or call a locksmith, whatever was needed.  How sweet is that?  Could be expensive, but it was 102 degrees, and RV's can become ovens in no time flat, so she was calling all pet owners to advise us of the outage.  Thankfully, we had the puppy with us, so no problems there.  We fired up the generator and turned on one A/C unit, and closed all the shades, and we were fine.  The outage didn't last long, and they came around to let us know power was restored.  Yeah!  Now it was finally time to start on dinner!

Tomorrow, the hot springs are open.  We still haven't decided on what to wear (or NOT to wear), and they are forecasting severe storms for the afternoon.  We'll see what happens and let you know!

Till next time!