On Saturday, we got our workouts done and then had a quiet day.
Tim saw this javelina in town by the Family Dollar Store…in fact all of the wildlife we have seen this past week has been in town!
After lunch, we packed the Jeep for one more overnight tent camping trip in Ajo. We wound our way through the labyrinth of trails off Rasmussen Road, trying to find our way back to a campsite we spotted the other day. Lucky us…we found it easily and no one else found it first!
We set up and relaxed into the evening with a nice bottle of red wine.
Another glorious sunset.
The moon didn’t rise until around 9pm. The night sky was so dark and there were millions of stars, another dazzling evening. The Orionid meteor showers peak this week and we were hoping to see them but the moon was just too bright.
We slept well and enjoyed our morning, slowly packing gear. It was a short ride to get back to the RV park.
Tim spent his day watching NASCAR and football and I got caught up with laundry and life stuff. We had grilled venison burgers for our dinner…thanks Kyle!! We went into town to walk around the square; a nice ending to a very good day!
At one o’clock in the morning we were serenaded by a whole pack of coyotes. They were very close., though when I got up to look, I couldn’t see them in the campground.
Another snake, a small one this time, on my morning walk.
We packed the Jeep and headed down Rasmussen Road. We wanted to see the more northern portion of the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge. I had read that it was more common to see wildlife in this area, particularly the Sonoran Pronghorn.
We saw a small fawn just as we were leaving pavement. We drove 17 miles into the remote wilderness and we saw only chipmunks.
We came to a gate at the pass and there we were forced to turn around.
We ate our lunch standing in the desert. It is just so desolate and to me, beautiful.
We took a couple of BLM roads looking for another campsite. We want to do one more sleepover before we leave Ajo. The weather is just too perfect.
This evening, we headed to Bud Walker Park for a Halloween movie event. We watched LIGHTS OUT, a creepy movie, under the stars. There was good free popcorn and I really enjoyed the experience of being there.
Both Tim and I did our morning exercise and then we packed the Jeep for yet another overnight trip. Our first order of business was to get another cup of coffee but both places in town were closed. We had to drive through Why and so we stopped at Why Not for gas station coffee.
Cool old truck fountain.
We went to organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and took our time driving the 21-mile scenic loop. We have been here a couple of times before but wanted to drive through again.
We then headed to Alamo Canyon Campground. This is a primitive 4 site place with picnic tables and a bathroom…no hookups but we brought everything we needed. We had the whole place to ourselves! We set up.
We took a hike on the Alamo Canyon Trail.
We saw an old ranch house and corral built in 1910-1920. There were originally 600 head of free-range cattle kept here. Such a harsh environment to live in. The rocks are sharp and craggy and the sun unrelenting. It was warm today…88 degrees, but in the summer the temperatures here often exceed 110 degrees. Of course, we know that people have survived and thrived here for more than 10,000 years.
There is no water here now though there was at one time. We could see the water marks in this dry creek bed.
We cooked dinner and quickly the sun went down.
As soon as it was just a little dark, I caught sight of a mouse…and his little friend. Tim went up into the nest at 6:30. I didn’t last much longer…I didn’t want mice running over my feet!
I lay awake waiting for the full moon or the hunter moon to creep up and over the mountain. Long before the moon made its appearance, the canyon glowed with white light. It was ghostly and gorgeous! We saw the major constellations and the planets but it was much too bright to see the Milky Way.
Good morning!
I took my walk along the campground road while Tim did his yoga and stretching back at camp.
We were back in Ajo by 9am and ate our breakfast in the square.
We had a restful and lazy afternoon. Tim did take his bike out and I walked to a nice gift shop nearby to do some Christmas shopping.
Ajo is a nice mix of people…people of Native American heritage, people of Mexican heritage, and lots of older retirees.
This evening, we went to Taco El Tarasco for dinner and we shared a platter of shrimp tacos with beans and rice…I don’t know why we don’t do that more often…it was plenty of food for both of us!
On Monday, we began our day with our usual exercise and walking routines. I saw this guy before I even left the campground.
We packed for our overnight adventure and left around 10.
We stopped in town to visit the post office and then we shared another pumpkin spice latte.
Then we were off. We drove 40 miles on dirt and gravel roads to reach our destination. You can only enter Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge with a special permit. I watched the online safety video which warns you about many of the dangers you could encounter…snakes, spiders, heat, lack of water, unexploded ordinances, people attempting to cross the border…with all the warnings…why would anyone want to go there??? It is beautiful and remote.
There is an intense Border Patrol presence and we never felt unsafe.
We passed several emergency relief stations and water supply stations as well.
We signed in at the kiosk with our permit information and we began to explore.
We had lunch at the Papago Campground.
We decided to drive further. This is the Pinacate Lava Flow. Here the road became more difficult and so the driving was slow. It would have been another 20 miles to the next campsites. We made the choice to turn around and find a place to settle.
We set up camp once but the winds were very strong and the blowing sand was rather unpleasant. We packed up and moved back to Papago Campground. Here we were somewhat protected from the wind and we had gorgeous views of the mountains. Enjoy Tim’s video.
The moon rose as the sun set.
The wind continued until about midnight and then finally it calmed and I slept. I was called to wakefulness by the song of a pack of coyotes. I know that there is nothing mystical or magical about the sunrise…I know that it is science…but what a treasure to be able to be unencumbered by lists and schedules and appointments and to be in the moment and witness the coming of the new day. The stillness, the softened light, the glory…this is my favorite part of tent camping. I had that full heart feeling. I love coffee by a morning fire, Tim and I, quiet and at ease together.
As the sun climbed a little higher, I caught sight of a pair of coyotes across the road from us and then minutes later, a third. We also saw several groups of quail scuttling about.
A beautiful raptor.
As we left Cabeza Prieta this morning, 6 Border Patrol trucks passed us traveling in the other direction.
We decided to drive through Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. We took a 14-mile 4WD road, Pozo Nuevo. Fortunately for us, it had just been graded and so it was an easy, pleasant ride.
The road took us to South Puerto Blanco Drive, a road that ran parallel to the border wall.
Finally, on our way back home, we stopped at Alamo Campground. We are going to have another tent camping night on Wednesday and we wanted to check out the sites. As we were getting out of the car, we heard a roar and then saw 2 military jets flying at very low altitude directly above us and making banking manuevers in order to avoid the mountain. It was a tremendous rush!!
When we returned to Ajo, we went to the Farmers Market and Café for lunch. They had the best chicken quesadillas we have ever had…spicy and tender and cheesy and delicious.
We spent the afternoon resting and showering. This evening we did some grocery shopping for tomorrow’s trip and then walked around the Ajo town square. This small town just feels good and we enjoy being here!
I began Saturday with a morning walk from the campground all the way into town, around the town square, and back. I had 4.5 miles. I am trying to challenge myself a little bit more.
This is an Arizona shade tree!
We had breakfast and then went into town to catch the car show and the Red and White Festival. This is a celebration that welcomes alumni. We looked at all the pretty cars.
Tim picked this beautifully restored 1965 Chevy C-10 Pickup as his “Best In Show.”
We got a mango snowball and watched the dancers perform.
Saturday afternoon we packed our lunch and took the Jeep past the old copper mine on Pipeline Road.
We found another perfect picnic spot.
It was 97 degrees in the RV when we got back. We put on the AC and rested. For dinner, we headed to Arriba where we had good food and even better service.
I was awake before 5 on Sunday. I watched the sky begin to lighten and made the decision to get up and watch the sunrise.
I repeated the walk into town, enjoying the mild morning. As I passed the grocery store, I startled a coyote and he slunk out and away from me.
Tim rode his bike into town and back. He took the time to see some of the newer murals.
This is one of my favorites here…a timely reminder and so important to understand in this part of the country.
It is Sunday and so Tim spent the day watching NASCAR and the Ravens. I did lots of chores and stuff…plenty to keep me busy!
I made my version of chicke pad thai for dinner. At sunset, we drove to the Ajo Mine Overlook.
We drove into town and walked around. The evening was gorgeous with a warm and gentle breeze.
We plan to go tomorrow take the Jeep into the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and do an overnight adventure in the remote portions of the Sonoran Desert. So look for our pictures on Tuesday!
On Thursday morning I had an opportunity to take a good walk through Picacho Peak State Park. I made sure to do 4 miles because I wasn’t certain I would have a chance to be very active once we drove into Phoenix.
We had an appointment for engine service for Friday morning. We were hopeful when we arrived that they might be able to take us early…but Cummins was swamped. We were able to stay at Camp Cummins, an electric hookup site in the parking area.
Tim chose to get the RV washed and it was going to be a couple of hours before they could get to us. Tim asked if I had some shopping to do…I grabbed my pedicure flip flops and went in search of a salon. The RV and I were finished at the same time.
I spent the rest of Thursday relaxing and reading…a luxury for which I am truly grateful! We went out to get salads for our dinner. Later we went out again to get a few items from the grocery.
Friday morning we had to set an alarm to get up and ready. We only had to drive across the lot to drop off the coach.
Our first stop was to get a nice cup of pumpkin spice latte. Then we headed to Friendship Park to walk. I walked more than 4 miles. We had our breakfast at the park.
We waited most of the day at Cummins. They have a gazebo where we were able to stay. The day was beautiful and I had a book! We walked to the Taco Taco truck for lunch. The barilla quesadillas were amazing.
At 2pm we settled our bill and took off in the RV. She was clean and serviced and ready to go! We drove 80 miles south to the small town of Ajo. We spent some time here last winter and really liked the vibe of the place. We arrived after 5. The camp host told us there was a festival and car show in town this weekend. We drove into town in time to see the old cars and trucks coming out. They are supposed to be there again tomorrow. We took a short walk around the square. We are looking forward to spending some time here again.
My morning walk was along the sidewalks of Green Valley.
We traveled today just a short distance to Picacho. The state park here is beautiful. I love saguaro cactus. We had lunch and then prepared for a hike.
We hiked a good portion of the Sunset Vista Trail. It is a trail of moderate difficulty consisting of some loose rock with lots of ascending and descending steps. It was a good hike and not too hard. The day was gorgeous and the scenery equally so.
This evening we packed our taco salads and took them to the Sunset Vista Trailhead. We ate and watched the day come to an end.
This was part of the Juan ….Looking out over the rather desolate landscape, it is hard to imagine settlers coming across the desert. The lack of food and water and the rocky and dangerous landscape made this a very formidable challenge.
Until 3 in the morning, the wind pummeled the RV. It finally quelled and I was able to sleep. I had to force myself to walk. I was feeling quite irritable. It was a nice and chilly autumn morning and walking does help to clear my mind and chase away the “grumpies.”
We saw a propane delivery guy working in the park and flagged him down. He was kind and gracious and filled our tank.
We packed a picnic and drove to Madera Canyon. It wasn’t long before we realized that we had been here before with Lee and Claudia. The haze you see is dust. The wind storm last evening lifted the dirt off the desert floor and suspended it in the air. The air quality is unhealthy for susceptible individuals.
We had wanted to hike but the flu shot Tim got yesterday took the wind out of his sails.
Instead, we took Proctor Road, a rough gravel road, to its end.
We didn’t even stop for a picnic but rather ate when we got back home. I left Tim to nap and ran a few errands.
The best part of today was that I got to talk to both sons…a two-boy day!!!
I made quinoa bowls with raw spinach and roasted butternut squash and walnuts and goat cheese and grilled chicken with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. It was such a yummy and satisfying fall dinner.
This snake was laying by the road…I didn’t get close enough to see if he was alive. Not sure what kind he is.
We traveled again today but only about 60 miles. Our breakfast spot.
We needed a full service campgroud so that we could get laundry done. We set up and had clohtes in the washer within minutes. We left home 4 weeks ago and it was time for a major shopping trip. We started at Walmart. While we were there, we were able to get our flu shots. Later this afternoon we went to Safeway and Sprouts. We have everything we need for a little while! Now the clothes are clean and tomorrow we can play!
This is a 55 and older place; it is the first question they asked when I called to make a reservation. Apparently, lots of snowbirds come to Green Valley for the winter. This is actually a nice resort…but I am not sure how I feel about being in a senior living community. There are all kinds of activities and exercise classes and games and potlucks and dances and craft shows and clubs and all kinds of other stuff that happens as soon as the season begins.
We watched the weather this evening. It is supposed to snow in northern Arizona at higher elevations. Winter is coming here, we just plan to outrun it!
Another nice morning walk along the road to the vineyard.
There are grasshoppers everywhere. We don’t have many at home anymore. This beauty posed for a picture. It is a rainbow or painted grasshopper. When he flew off his wings flashed red.
We drove the RV to Patagonia where we made a stop to revisit the Fall Festival. Today, I started my Christmas shopping!
We continued south to Patagonia Lake State Park.
We didn’t do anything blogworthy today. Tim watched NASCAR and football while I did some cooking and cleaning. Sunday has become our rest day.
We had delicious sockeye salmon for dinner…Thanks Lee and Claudia.
Shout out to Curtis and his wife Janice. Tim was happy to get to talk to you today! We look forward to seeing you next time we are in the area!
