Arizona

Catalina State Park

November 30, 2011

First, please allow me to start the blog today by wishing my brother Andy a very happy 60th birthday. I love you, bro!

We are currently camped at Catalina State Park near Oro Valley, Arizona. When I looked the park up on the map, I thought we would be 20 or 30 miles out in the country. As it turns out, there’s a mall right across the road from the gates to the park!

Catalina State Park is located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains just north of Tucson, Arizona.   Many of the trails in Catalina State Park work their way up the sides of the awesomely beautiful Santa Catalina Mountains.

The awesome Santa Catalina Mountains

Catalina State Park may well become our new favorite park in the U.S.A. (it used to be Maryhill State Park in Washington).

Catalina State Park sign

The Park is very well maintained, each site is level with plenty of room for parking both your RV and your vehicle, and the restrooms and showers are immaculate! Every site has at least one Mesquite tree for shade. 

K.C. in camp at Catalina State Park

Bob in camp at Catalina State Park

Camped at Catalina State Park

There is no river, but there are two washes – the Sutherland Wash and the Canada del Oro Wash so occasionally there is a water feature! There are two camping loops, a group camping area, numerous picnic areas, trailheads, and an equestrian area.

Crossing Sutherland Wash

I found Catalina State Park when I was searching online for ruins in the local area. More than 1,500 years ago, a small Hohokam Indian village was established here on the flanks of the Santa Catalina Mountains. In the 1800′s, the Romero family homesteaded here. They built their farm buildings on the site of the Hohokam Indian Village with stones taken from the Hohokam ruins. The Hohokum village ruins are now referred to as the Romero Ruins.

Catalina State Park is located in the Sonoran Desert. Common plants include mesquite trees, paloverde trees, prickly pear cacti and saguaro cacti – or as Bob would say – cactiasses.

Saguaros on a hillside

Beautiful desert with Santa Catalina Mountains in the background

Animals include jack rabbits, cottontail rabbits, mule deer, white-tailed deer, javelina, coyotes, ground squirrels, packrats, various birds, lizards, and snakes. Occasionally the park sees mountain lions, bighorn sheep and black bear. Recently a Mexican Jaguar was captured nearby.

The Park contains a wide variety of archaeological sites – most of which have not been excavated. They are evident from fallen cobble foundations of small rooms and walls, petroglyphs, and samples of mortars and/or grinding slabs. The earliest occupants of the area arrived about 9500 B.C. to A.D. 1. Archeological evidence reveals chipped stone artifacts including projectile points and spear points that are specific to that period of time. Around about A.D. 600, the Hohokam Indians began to settle into villages in the Southwest. They remained until about A.D. 1500.

We hiked an interpretive trail that climbed up out of Sutherland Wash and provided information about the prehistoric and historic structures we were seeing.  The Romero Ruins are located on a ridge above the Sutherland Wash. The village covered about 15 acres and was surrounded by a rock wall. 

Informational sign about Romero Ruins

Bob at Romero Ruins Trail Sign

The Romero Ruins are thataway

Climbing up out of the Wash

Bob climbing stairs up out of the Wash

In the valley below, remnants of a large prehistoric agricultural field system exist including two cobble masonry field houses and numerous rock piles and rock terrace borders. Archeological findings indicate that the Hohokam grew and ate maize and beans, and that they gathered berries. The Sutherland and Canada del Oro washes flowed fairly consistently in prehistoric times providing a source for water. 

Sutherland Wash

The Romero Ruins community was continuously occupied from A.D.500 through A.D. 1450. The greatest number of people appear to have occupied the site during the period from A.D. 850 to 1000. Before and after this, a smaller population lived here. By A.D. 1450, the prehistoric occupation of the site had ended.

Walled village sign

Remnants of Hohokam wall

Remnants of prehistoric wall that surrounded Hohokam village

Ancient Wall

Two depressions at the site are the remains of prehistoric ball courts. Hohokam ball courts are large oval depressions with sloping walls. Stone markers are sometimes found at the ends or in the center of Hohokam ball courts.

Hohokam Ball Court sign

Hohokam ball court

Within twenty miles of the Romero Ruins, two different caches of prehistoric valuables have been found. Ceramic jars covered by an inverted bowl were decorated with red-on-brown designs. The jars were filled with around 100,000 stone and shell beads and about 30 copper bells. These jars were hidden in areas where there are several natural water catchment basins, called tinajas, surrounded by over 1,500 petroglyphs. This suggests that the jars may have been buried in a sacred place and provides proof that the Hohokam people traveled to or traded with people from great distances.

Francisco Romero and his bride, Victoriana, homesteaded at the site of the Romero Ruins in the mid 1800′s.  According to Francisco Romero’s grandson, Francisco and his wife were forced to relocate to Tucson because of Apache Indian raids. Evidence of the historic Romero farm buildings  is still visible as are the falling rock walls built by the Hohokam Indians in prehistoric times. 

Remnants of Romero house built from rocks taken from ancient Hohokam structures

Ruins of Romero cabin with fireplace in corner

Bob standing by historic structure

The Hohokam lived in pit houses, so their structures are not as visible.  The trail we hiked did climb to the top of a mound that was identified as a prehistoric garbage mound.

Trash mound sign

The day was clear and sunny.  At an altitude of about 3,000 feet, the three quarters of a mile hike among the cacti at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains can only be described as awesome.

Taking a rest on the trail

K.C. with Grandaddy Saguaro

Bob near grandaddy Saguaro

Blooming Cactus

Bob and a beautiful blooming cactus

Beautiful Cactus

We made it back to camp in plenty of time to watch the beautiful sunset in the west.

Sunset at Catalina State Park

It’s raining now.  We’re hoping we will be able to get across the wash tomorrow to return to Foothills West RV Resort.  They don’t “do” colverts here.  If the wash is underwater, you just wait to cross.

Arizona

Casa Grande

November 26, 2011

Bob and I went out to dinner tonight in a local, very authentic, Mexican restaurant.  While eating, we heard a most interesting story told by a man sitting in the booth behind me.  He was tall, thin, and kind of scruffy.  He had upper teeth only on the right side of his mouth and lower teeth only on the left side.  He was eating and visiting with his friends and told them this tale:

“I was riding along on my Harley, when a car load of yahoos came up on me.  They proceeded to run me off the road while laughing and calling names out of their window.  I managed to save the bike and  proceeded on down the highway at my own pace.  A little ways down the road, there they were – in the ditch off the road.  It looked like they may have rolled but ended up on their wheels.  I stopped and asked, ‘Are you smartasses okay?’  They said they were okay.  Once it became obvious that they weren’t badly hurt or going into shock, I shot their tires out.  As they scrambled for the car, I drove off.  I didn’t want to hurt them if they were injured, but I wanted them to remember me.”  His dinner partner laughed and said, “I think they will remember you.”

It’s always enlightening to eavesdrop on other’s conversations when you are out in public.

roflmao

Arizona

Casa Grande

November 25, 2011

We enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at Foothills West RV Resort.  The Resort supplied the turkey and dressing and the rest of us brought a potluck dish.  We had so much food that any person could have gone through the line four times and never run out of something good to eat.  Everything was delicious.

We are enjoying life at the park.  K.C. takes line dance lessons every Tuesday and Thursday morning.  Bob goes to the clubhouse for coffee every morning.  There is always a puzzle going, cards and Bingo are played every night of the week, and the pool and hottub are well heated.   The golfers have been working hard to create a putting green.

Putting green

Home is Foothills West RV Resort, at least for a while, but we are looking forward to taking the Casita out and about on adventures.

Getting ready to go on another adventure

We’re heading for Catalina State Park just north of Tucson, Arizona.  Stay tuned for details.

Traveling

Casa Grande to Oklahoma City to Dallas to Casa Grande

September 16, 2011 to October 24, 2011

We left Casa Grande in the pickup to drive to Texas to pick up our Casita Travel Trailer.  We planned to visit our daughters in Moore, Oklahoma and Euless, Texas on this trip also.  We left Casa Grande and traveled east on I 10.  We decided to take a new and different route.  At Las Cruces, New Mexico we headed north on Highway 70 to Ruidoso, New Mexico. 

In Ruidoso, we found an excellent older motel. 

Arrowhead Motel in Ruidoso, New Mexico

Because our pickup was loaded with all of the household goods we would be tranfering to the Casita Travel Trailer, we wanted our motel room door to be close to where we parked the pickup.  The Arrowhead Motel is one of those old-fashioned motels where you pull your vehicle right up to the front door. It had been recently remodeled and updated so the room was comfortable, immaculate and quite nice.  We were very pleasantly surprised. 

Arrowhead Motel - a most excellent place to spend the night.

The motel also has a few RV sites all of which are under the watchful eye of the Arrowhead Motel Buffalo.

Arrowhead Motel has a few RV sites

Statue at Arrowhead Motel, Ruidoso, NM

We checked into the motel and then went into Ruidoso to find a restaurant for dinner.  We were in the mood for good ole’American food.  On the internet, we found a restaurant called the All American Diner.  That sounded like a good bet.  We set the GPS and drove to the restaurant.  Inside, the menu seemed to have just what we were looking for.  I wanted a BLT and Bob wanted a chicken-fried steak.  Unfortunately when the server came to take our order, she spoke no English.  She ended up having to go and get the cook, who spoke only slightly more English, to clarify our order.  After much pantimime we managed to place our order.  We had to chuckle over the fact that the owners of the “All American Diner” didn’t speak English.  The food was delicious, however, and the server learned two new words:  “Mashed” and “Potatoes.” 

Before leaving Ruidoso the next morning, we drove through Ruidoso Downs.

Ruidoso Downs Sign

Ruidoso Downs

Blue Ruidoso Downs Sign

We continued east on Highway 70 through Roswell, New Mexico. 

entering Roswell, NM

We drove into downtown Roswell to eat lunch in a small cafe and enjoyed seeing the alien-related businesses. 

As you probably know, following a number of UFO sightings around the U.S., something crashed near Roswell in the summer of 1947 during a fierce thunderstorm.  The next morning, a New Mexico rancher saddled his horse and rode out to check on his sheep.  He began to notice metal debris scattered over a large area.  Upon further inspection, he saw that a shallow trench had been gouged into the land and was struck by the unusual properties of the debris.   A couple of days later, when the rancher had occasion to drive to town, he reported the find to the sheriff.  The sheriff reported it to the Intelligence Officer of the 509 Bomb Group.  For the next few days, the debris site was closed while the wreckage was cleared.  On July 8, 1947, a press release stated that the wreckage of a crashed disc had been recovered.  Hours later the press release was rescinded and a second press release stated that a weather balloon had been mistakenly identified as a flying saucer.

Meanwhile, back in Roswell, a young mortician from a funeral home received calls from the morgue at the air field requesting small, hermetically sealed coffins and wanting information on how to preserve bodies that had been exposed to the elements for a few days.  On a trip to the base hospital, the young mortician saw a large piece of wreckage with strange engravings on it sticking out of the back of a military ambulance.  At the hospital, he was threatened by the military police and forced to leave.  The next day, a nurse who was a friend of his, told him about alien bodies and drew pictures on a prescription pad.  Within a few days, she was transferred to England and her whereabouts remained unknown.

From that day forward, the military tried to convince the news media that the object found near Roswell was nothing more than a weather balloon.

I was surprised at the size of Roswell.  I had the impression it was just a small, country town but actually it is a small city that has taken advantage of its notriety as the site of a UFO crash.

UFO Theater and Museum, Roswell, NM

UFO Landing, Roswell, NM

Out of This World Coffee Shop, Roswell, NM

Aliens on the street, Roswell, NM

Should you ever happen upon a crash site and have need of alien body bags – they make them here!

Alien Bags Made Here, Roswell, NM

Roswell Court House

We continued on east on Highway 380 to Haskel, Texas.  One other item of note was the difference in affluence between New Mexico and Texas.  In the same kind of country, the towns in New Mexico were dismal, the businesses all closed and everything looked dilapidated and sad.  As soon as you cross into Texas, there is much evidence of prosperity with small businesses looking busy, houses well maintained and a much happier atmosphere.  I don’t know what the difference is, but there are only a few miles between the towns so it must have to do with state regulations and taxation or something.

Another thing we have noticed over the years is that most counties in the midwest have awesome old courthouses.

Admiring another courthouse in the Midwest

At Haskel, we headed northeast to Witchita Falls and then took the I44 toll road into Moore, Oklahoma where our daughter lives.  Moore is just south of Oklahoma City.  It was dark before we arrived and I enjoyed watching the lightning striking above the clouds. It was quite a show.

We spent a week with our daughter and son-in-law, Toni and Jim.  Their new puppy, Tobi, and Patti spent the week playing and wrestling.  This is the first time we’ve watched Patti really enjoy playing with another dog.  It was very entertaining to watch and kept us laughing  the whole time we were there. 

Patti and Toby Play

and play

and play

and finally they rest

Also, while we were there, a severe thunder storm came through the area.  Oklahoma really knows how to put on a lightning show.  It was awesome to watch.

We left Oklahoma City on Sunday and drove south to visit our other daughter and son-in-law, Bobbie and Mark, in Euless, Texas (between Dallas and Fort Worth).  We enjoyed visiting them for a few days, and I appreciated Bobbie showing me how to groom Patti.

It turned out that our Casita was ready a few days early, so we headed down to Rice, Texas to pick it up.

Picking up the Casita in Rice, Texas

We spent the first few nights at a nearby Corp of Engineers Park on Bardwell Lake. 

Camped at Waxahachie Creek Park on Bardwell Lake, Texas

 It’s a good thing we did, because our furnace didn’t work right and we had to take the Casita back to the factory to have the furnace replaced.  Once everything was checked out, we moved over to our Thousand Trails Park at Lake Whitney, Texas.  I towed the Casita across the 65 miles or so to Lake Whitney and backed it into the campsite in only ten tries. 

Camped at Lake Whitney Thousand Trails RV Park, Whitney, Texas

We enjoyed a visit with our good friend, Pat and then headed west on I 20.  We made it to Monahan Sands State Park in Texas the first night.  Bardwell Lake and Monahans were a couple of the very first parks that Bob and I ever stayed in when we began traveling together, so they are special to us.

The next day, the horse was headed for the barn.  We drove on into Casa Grande and made it to Foothills West RV Resort by about 8 p.m.  It was a long day and a long trip. We are glad to be home for a while.

Arizona

Casa Grande Ruins

October 20, 2011

We drove out towards Coolidge, Arizona today to visit the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument.  First order of business was a stop in the Visitor Center to watch a rather poorly done documentary about the Ruins and to look through the interpretive information.  We followed that with a lecture from the Park Ranger and then wandered around among the Ruins.

Casa Grande Visitor Center

The Casa Grande “Great House” was built by the Hohokam. 

Distant view of Casa Grande

The Hohokam people lived in the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona as long as 3000 years ago.  They designed and built large earth structures out of “cliché (a mixture of water and soil ),” and created hundreds of miles of irrigation channels to bring water from the Salt, Verde and Gila Rivers to their fields.  They were artists and traders who used sophisticated decorative techniques and materials obtained from miles away to create beautiful pottery and jewelry.

The Casa Grande Ruins are the ruins of a four-story, eleven-room building built around AD1300 to 1350.  It was abandoned about 550 years ago. 

Casa Grande "The Great House"

Archaeologists speculate about the purpose of the structure suggesting that it may have been a dwelling, a storage structure, or a meeting place.   One interesting feature of the building is a round window located high on one wall that lines up with the summer solstice on June 21^st. 

Note round window which is a summer solistice marker

 The ruins of many smaller dwellings surround the “Great House” indicate that there was a Hohokam Village located there.

Ruins of surrounding village

The Hohokam played a game in a ball court – the ruins of one are on the premises.

Sign for prehistoric ball court

Prehistorical ball court

We enjoyed being free to wander among the ruins. 

K.C. at Casa Grande Ruins

K.C. and Bob at Casa Grande Ruins

Bob near the "Great House"

Bob exploring an ancient dwelling

Here is the view from the picnic area.

View from the picnic area

Before we left, Bob bought me a beautiful Native American flute.  It was a most interesting trip.  As always, we were amazed to learn how sophisticated and innovative the ancient people were.