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Please click here for – Part Seven
Thanksgiving
Staying at the Sonoran Desert RV Park in Gila Bend was definitely another culture shock for us. Old people – most likely younger than us – in huge motorhomes and trailers also had golf carts to give their dogs rides down to the dog area. The place is very clean and has a large laundry room with lots of machines – that work! The restrooms and showers are large and spotless and are mostly empty because most of the rigs have large bathrooms and are hooked to sewer. The place aptly served its purpose, especially just for one night.
We arrived at my cousin Keith (The Big Guy) and Kathleen’s charming home in Green Valley midafternoon. It is always wonderful to get “caught up” with news and stories with these two.
Thanksgiving morning, we drove the short distance up to Madera Canyon for a walk along the creek. Fall colors were still about.
The creek was clogged with fallen leaves.
Woodpeckers were the main birds visible. Acorn
woodpeckers busied themselves with their fall chores of hiding and caching acorns
We also saw Arizona Woodpeckers. Although I was my usual patient self, these woodpeckers would never turn to the camera and pose for a photo. I wanted my hiking companions to give them a lesson, but they were far down the trail ahead of me.
Madera Canyon is always a great place to visit.
Thanksgiving dinner was a traditional feast and quite wonderful.
Thank you, Keith and Kathleen for sharing your home and holiday with us! It is always a fine time staying with you two.
After staying in Green Valley, we traveled up to Oracle and stayed three nights with my Cousin Sherry and Thom. It is also wonderful to spend time with them. The Arizona Trail is very near to their home – they ride there often with their horses.
Sherry joined us for a walk on the trail one afternoon.
The flora and fauna were fascinating.
We found a cactus wren nest hidden safely away in the arms of a cholla.
The Lady seized the high ground.
And we, of course, came upon an archeological site.
We spent one afternoon driving to the western trailhead for Aravaipa Canyon.
Permits are required – reserved in advance – to enter this wilderness. We will figure out how to make it work, on a future trip, to hike this canyon.
We had a great time with Sherry and Thom – we always do. Thanks Sherry & Thom so much for your generosity and hospitality!
During our stay with Keith & Kathleen, Julie and I took a day trip down to Bisbee. We have wanted to visit Bisbee for a long time.
Bisbee is just about everything – a tourist town, a mining ghost town, an artist community. It is also, maybe, “about a half bubble out of plumb.”
It is a town ready to take care of all your needs.
I will allow my photographs to tell the story of our visit to Bisbee.
We chatted with Nicholas Withrow, “The Blue Mountain Buckaroo,” a fiddler who spends half the year in Joseph, Oregon and half in Bisbee where he’s purchased property. It was nice to meet you, Nicholas!
Bisbee was definitely a fun day.
We drove a different route back to Green Valley from Bisbee and stopped a at very hard to find site.
The Lehner Mammoth Kill Site was discovered in 1952 (yes, 70 years ago) and contained evidence that mammoths were killed and butchered here 13,000 years ago. Here is a source for more information – Link. Be aware, as we were not, there is only this monument on public land. The excavated site itself is nearby on private land and cannot be visited.
After a great time with visiting and celebrating thanksgiving with family and getting to know their neighborhoods a bit better, it was time to turn toward home.
The story continues. Please click here for - Part Nine
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