Jan 7 2012

January 6-7, 2012

All I have to do is try to keep the days straight.  HA!  Friday morning, as Dan took Junnie to the truck, Junnie jumped from Dan’s shoulder into his carrier and waited for us to leave.  That campground had lots of citrus trees, too, but there were lots of trains passing about 75 feet from the camper.  In fact, there was a spur beside the track that ran by the campground.  Junnie was thrilled to be leaving.  Our neighbors there were so generous.  We offered a couple some tangerines we had picked at the last campground and they accepted.  Next thing we knew Ben had brought us a half dozen oranges he had picked from one of the trees at the camp and his wife came by later with a half dozen ruby grapefruit.  You meet the nicest people camping!

We were still driving through the Imperial Valley and saw fields of radishes and chives.  There were more “cemented –bottom” streams in the desert, filled with water.  We still have not found the range where the deer and the antelope play, but we keep looking.

There must have had some rain, however, because there was a hint of green in the sand around the other vegetation along the road.  We passed a couple of areas with cows. Lots and lots of cows at feeding troths in huge outdoor corral were busy eating.  They must be at  the last station before they are sent to be turned into steaks, roasts, and ground beef.  Seeing all the cows cleared up a mystery for us.  We did not dare ask anyone at the campground what was causing all the fragrance we experienced every time we took a breath.  Even driving down the road the next day, I thought the upholstery had absorbed the odiferous essence.  The whole area stink-ethed…big time!

It was our day to be stopped by the border patrol.  Once again they wanted to know if we were both citizens and then they asked us if we had people in the camper.  I started to laugh but thought better of it.  They probably would have searched us.  If they have ever been inside a trailer when it was moving down the road, they’d know no one in their right mind would do that…(see “The Long, Long, Trailer with Lucy and Desi!  The patrol people had pulled several cars and the drug dogs were searching along with the police.

We’d been on the road a while and saw a rest area.  We were informed, when we got there (via sign), that the unloading of livestock was forbidden at that area, so we had to keep Junnie in his carrier.  We disobeyed the sign!

I spied a sign that told us there were petroglyphs ahead and we veered onto the road that led us to them.  What a fascinating sight.  Huge mounds of boulders with etchings in the desert “varnish” on them.  According to the signs they had there, many of the drawings have been documented to the BC ages.    It is definitely a cultural  and religious site.  It’s wonderful when places of such significance are preserved for the future,  and so that we can see portions of our country’s history.  The petroglyphs are also on part of the Butterfield Trail.  The trail went from St. Louis to San Francisco.   On the way to the petroglyphs we passed a sight called, Solana Generation Station.  I think they will have hundreds of acres of solar collectors when the project is finished, but that’s just a WAG!

We passed cotton bales everywhere and more cow plants.    I also want to report I saw 2 lizards at the petroglyphs and one road runner in the middle of a road.  Where else would a roadrunner be?

We had time to shower and change before going to our friend’s home for a wonderful evening last night.

Saturday.

I promised to have a dull day and it started that way.  Then your wonderful father decided to treat me to some local cuisine, Kath.  He bought me a bacon, egg, and cheese burrito for breakfast with a piping hot cup of coffee.  He did this as we were leaving the Phoenix area.  They called the restaurant around here, Carl, Jr. AKA Hardee’s!   It was delicious.  I’ve never had a burrito for breakfast before.   Not all meals do I cook!

I’m not going to say too much more except that today has been one of the most breathtaking and heart stopping scenery day we have had so far.  Perhaps it is because what we saw is so foreign to us.  We stopped shortly before arriving in Tucson trying to find a map and were told by a tourist information person to go to the Saguaro National Park.  Our friends had told us of some caves to visit, and we planned to do that.   We found the road to the park, but no one told us it would be an “iffy” drive pulling a trailer.  What a terrific job Dan did of driving.  We saw thousands upon thousands of Saguaro Cacti and many others, too.  I can see why people have cactus gardens.  They are so varied and interesting in their shapes, colors and fruits.  We saw an excellent film about the Sonoran Desert and it was narrated by Native Americans telling us what the desert and this particular Cactus means to them. When the film was over, the screen ascended, the drapes opened and we were staring at a huge expanse of this part of the Sonoran Desert.  I wasn’t the only one who gasped. 

 Did you know that those Cactus that look like people are over 100 years before they even begin to develop arms.  It takes 44 years before the first flowers appear on the ones in this National Park.  What a glorious day we have had.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get anything else done because the sun was way past it’s zenith and we needed to set up for the night.  I just wish each one of you could have been with us.   We’ll just have to make another trip out here.   We have such a marvelously wonderful country with all kinds of experience opportunities and beautiful areas to bring so much joy to us all.  I’m so grateful we are doing this.  What a gift to ourselves.

Blessings,

Three Thankful Travelers