Arizona!
[Calvin writing] I didn't get to post last night. We spent Sunday going from Shamrock, Texas, to Holbrook, Arizona. New Mexico and Arizona awed us. We have never seen mountains like these before. People who had been here told us that pictures or even movies don't do them justice, and we agree.
At Holbrook, we decided to stay at Motel 6 rather than Econolodge. The expected low of 17 degrees Farenheit deterred us yet again from sleeping in the van. The worst thing about Motel 6 for me was the lack of internet service. I totally failed to realize that the Denny's next door had free wifi until the next morning when our server told us so. By then, we had done the laundry (Motel 6 has washers and dryers) and couldn't wait to get rolling. It's worth noting that, despite the temperature being 13 degrees, Loretta had little trouble getting up and going about her business despite her arthritis. The difference from Ohio is that the relative humidity here runs about 5% to 15% rather than 40% to 100%.
Rather than stay on freeways, we took state highways southwest to Payson, Arizona and on to the Phoenix area. I can't find words to describe the beauty of Tonto National Forest. This is high country, not the desert found further south. Tall pine trees, high mountains and clear air make views that take our breath away.
We arrived in Mesa, east of Phoenix, and turned east to Apache Junction, where my friend Don lives. Since we got there about noon, Don and his wife, Patricia, were at work. We spent most of the afternoon checking out pagan shops. The layout of the streets here makes more sense to me than that of any other city I've seen. "Major" streets make a simple grid pattern, have interstate exits and move at 40 or 45 miles per hour. The other streets fill in the grid, have lower speed limits and tend to be quiet. I like that. The area does have a lot of traffic, though, especially freeways. Don and Pat tell us that it's a lot quieter when the snowbirds leave town.
We spent the evening talking to Don and Pat, then slept on their living room floor on the futon mattress.
Today, we drove part of the Apache Trail through another part of Tonto National Forest. We turned back after about twenty miles and discovered the campground at Tortilla Flats. They charge $12 a night and provide water and sewer, but not electricity. We don't need that anyhow in the minivan. Then we stopped at Lost Dutchman State Park, close to Apache Junction, and looked over their campground. Also $12 a night, that might be even better. They have no hookups yet, though. By next year, they expect to offer electricity, with water and a dump station available but not plumbed to the campsites. The sites are pretty nice, and many are pull-throughs.
Then we came to the library where I'm writing this. I now have a card good for a month of library computer use. It cost me $1 and I had to show picture ID. Good deal!
More later,
Calvin
At Holbrook, we decided to stay at Motel 6 rather than Econolodge. The expected low of 17 degrees Farenheit deterred us yet again from sleeping in the van. The worst thing about Motel 6 for me was the lack of internet service. I totally failed to realize that the Denny's next door had free wifi until the next morning when our server told us so. By then, we had done the laundry (Motel 6 has washers and dryers) and couldn't wait to get rolling. It's worth noting that, despite the temperature being 13 degrees, Loretta had little trouble getting up and going about her business despite her arthritis. The difference from Ohio is that the relative humidity here runs about 5% to 15% rather than 40% to 100%.
Rather than stay on freeways, we took state highways southwest to Payson, Arizona and on to the Phoenix area. I can't find words to describe the beauty of Tonto National Forest. This is high country, not the desert found further south. Tall pine trees, high mountains and clear air make views that take our breath away.
We arrived in Mesa, east of Phoenix, and turned east to Apache Junction, where my friend Don lives. Since we got there about noon, Don and his wife, Patricia, were at work. We spent most of the afternoon checking out pagan shops. The layout of the streets here makes more sense to me than that of any other city I've seen. "Major" streets make a simple grid pattern, have interstate exits and move at 40 or 45 miles per hour. The other streets fill in the grid, have lower speed limits and tend to be quiet. I like that. The area does have a lot of traffic, though, especially freeways. Don and Pat tell us that it's a lot quieter when the snowbirds leave town.
We spent the evening talking to Don and Pat, then slept on their living room floor on the futon mattress.
Today, we drove part of the Apache Trail through another part of Tonto National Forest. We turned back after about twenty miles and discovered the campground at Tortilla Flats. They charge $12 a night and provide water and sewer, but not electricity. We don't need that anyhow in the minivan. Then we stopped at Lost Dutchman State Park, close to Apache Junction, and looked over their campground. Also $12 a night, that might be even better. They have no hookups yet, though. By next year, they expect to offer electricity, with water and a dump station available but not plumbed to the campsites. The sites are pretty nice, and many are pull-throughs.
Then we came to the library where I'm writing this. I now have a card good for a month of library computer use. It cost me $1 and I had to show picture ID. Good deal!
More later,
Calvin
posted by Calvin & Loretta | 4:02 PM
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