Benson Arizona

Wow.
So much has happened in the last two days. We spent the last days at Agua Caliente in very strong winds. We couldn't even sit outside. And it was starting to get colder. So we thought that we would do better moving east. Wrong! But more about that later. Yesterday morning we were all packed up and ready to leave by 8 am. But it was a stop and start leaving. First Bob realized that he did not have his hearing aids in. So we stoppped and opened the trailer and took out the hearing aids. Then I couldn't remember if I had secured everything, so we stopped again so that I could check. Then I couldn't remember if I had closed the vent on the top of the trailer. In all, we had to stop five times and open the trailer to make sure that everything was secured.

We did have an unusual challenge on this leg of the trip. From Sunday night at sundown to Monday night at sundown, it was my brother's yahrzeit (the anniversay of his death). We are supposed to light a memorial candle and keep it lit for 24 hours. We lit it at Agua Caliente and then carried it with us in the truck's cup container until we stopped for the night, then in the trailer. That was a true challenge.

Driving through California and then into Arizona I realized that there is really a lot to see in the desert, but it takes quite a while to realize what you are seeing. At first it all looks the same. It takes a while to realize that there are major differences in the cacti and in the ground and in the mountain. (The mountains in Arizona are lower but more rugged looking than the ones in California. The cactus is also lower and there is lots more of it. The ground seems to have a lot fewer rocks.) I will never really like it, but I can learn to appreciate it. I was also impressed by how fertile it is when water is added. The Imperial Valley was incredibly green in spots and then really barren in other spots. It all depended on the water.

One of the things that surpised both Bob and I were the number of times that we have gone through Border Patrol checkpoints. Nine during this week. They take one look at us, ask if we are US citizens and then pass us through. But lots of them. Undoubtedly this is because we were so close to the Mexican border. At times we could see into Mexico from I-8.

We drove through Yuma and did not see anything but RV parks - lots and lots of theml We tried to find the Arizona Tourist office, but could not. The most interesting thing about Yuma was a large billboard with a big picture of George W. Bush that said "Miss Me Yet?" Hmmm. Not me.

When we got to Tucson it was pouring!!!! - and it was rush hour traffic. Bob and I decided that we would stop at a Holiday Inn Express, but it was $100 a night. Not worth it. So we drove another five miles to Benson Arizona and we are parked in an RV Resort. It is not camping - it is parking the vehicle. We hooked up the power, walked a block to a great restaurant, and came back and went to bed.

Last night the temperature went down to 33 degrees. I think it is warmer in Portland. We are south, but we are at 3500 feel elevation. During the day today it got up to the mid 50's and was very sunny, but it was very cold last night.

Today we went to Bisbee Arizona, where we went to a great museum that talked about copper mining in Arizona and life in the desert in the early 1900's. It is a town that is surviving on tourism, but it is nicely done. I say that because we then went to Tombstone. Too too touristy for me. Nothing really but shops selling overpriced stuff that is not even local. They put on fake shows of the gunfight at the OK corral. Bob and I were both bored.

We then just started driving, not sure what to see next. We saw a sign to Colossal Cave Monument Park and went there. We took a tour of a HUGE cave (65 feet underground). That was definitely worth seeing. The paths, the handrails and the lights were put in place in the 30's by the CCC. What a good way to spend federal money.

We are now in the social room of this RV Resort. There are three very noisy tables of people (all over 65 years old) playing poker. Interesting. but not camping.