Tombstone

Last Monday we left Willcox and moved to Tombstone Territories RV Resort it’s not very far and only took us a little while to drive over and set up.

It’s a very nice park, we have great views, the Dragoon Mountains, snow covered Miller Peak in the Huachuca’s and across to the Tombstone Hills and the Mule Mountains.

Dragoon Mountains

Just right for chillin’ out in the sunshine.

Today we took a trip into Tombstone, it was very quiet when we arrived, but soon got busy, we took a look around the Tombstone Courthouse. Arizona has closed a lot of its state parks and the Courthouse was one of them, but the Chamber of Commerce has taken over running it so it is still open.

The gallows were destroyed in the early 20th century but there is a reconstruction in an outside courtyard.

After that we took a look at the Worlds Largest Rose Tree which is just coming into bloom, it is huge! It came from Scotland in 1865 so is over 100 years old and pruning takes 80 hours!

The stem of the rose bush is as big as that of a tree.

The individual blooms are very pretty.

After lunch at the Longhorn Restaurant, we returned to a very hectic afternoon soaking up the sun and the views. Ah life is tough!

Have fun, we are!

Sunday, Baja Earthquake, The earth didn't move here!

Although the news reports talk about earth tremors from the Baja earthquake reaching southern Arizona today, we didn't feel any here in Willcox.

Today has been hot and sunny, and after our hike yesterday we decided to take a day out and do nothing much, so that is what we did!

Have fun, we are!

Natural Arch Trail, Chiricahua National Monument

Yesterday we took a drive out to Chiricahua National Monument the Chiricahua Apache called the rock pinnacles in the monument ‘standing up rocks’. It’s a beautiful place a sky island rising high above the desert, a place filled with sunlit meadows and woodlands containing sycamore and oak further down and juniper and pine trees at higher elevations. Naturally it’s also the home of bears, cougars and last but not least rattlesnakes!

We parked in the small parking area on Bonita Canyon drive, we were the first vehicle there, so needless to say with bears and cougars about I was going through my usual are you sure this is a good idea routine. Somehow when there are signs like this at the trailhead I always feel better if there is someone hiking ahead of us. Don't ask me why, unless it's that I think if there's something hungry out there it might get them first!

We crossed Bonita Creek and set off through the forest on the first part of the trail, it’s a clear easy to follow trail, but very, steep.

The first section of the trail trail was dappled in shade and nice and cool, but as soon as we got higher and out of the tree line it was hot and dusty. If you look closely at the picture below you can see just how steep the trail is.

We climbed up on top of the butte which had spectacular views through the mountains right across Sulphur Springs Valley.

I am a slow walker, so part way up another couple went past us with their dog, which surprised me as I didn’t think dogs were allowed on trails in National Parks or National Monuments.

After a fairly level section across the red rocks

the trail started to descend again, this time into a juniper and pine covered woodland. The trail was covered in pine needles and made for nice soft walking. In this section of the woods there are Apache pines which have pine needles 12 - 15 inches long and were used to make fence posts.

It is a beautiful area and very peaceful, just the sort of place you could imagine someone homesteading, although I imagine it would be pretty cold in the winter.

We followed the trail through the woods, along a couple of stream beds before climbing the final section to the Natural Arch. The trail ends facing the arch across a small narrow valley, you can’t actually get to it and among all the rocks the arch is a little difficult to see. If you look very closely it is near the top of the photograph, in the middle.

It’s a very pleasant spot the people who had passed us earlier were there so we chatted to them for a while before they headed back, leaving us on our own to enjoy the hot sunshine and the view.

As we headed back we met quite a few people coming up the trail and I have to say the return journey was much easier.

Back at the truck we headed up to Masai Point to check out the view and decide which hike to do next.

Have fun, we are!

Rex Allen Museum

Friday we took a walk around the historic district of Willcox, our first stop was the Rex Allen Museum, Willcox Cowboy Hall of Fame.


Rex Allen was a real life cowboy born and raised in Willcox, Arizona. He had a radio show in Chicago before Hollywood beckoned and he became a movie star and singing cowboy.

Each October the town holds an event called Rex Allen days with a parade, rodeos upwards of 15,000 people attend. Even though neither of us really remember Rex Allen we enjoyed looking around the museum.

In the railroad park across from the museum is a memorial to Rex Allen, it’s also where his horse KoKo is buried.

Rex Allen Memorial

We also took a look inside Willcox Commercial the oldest operating general store in Arizona.

From there we took a drive over to the Amerind Foundation in Dragoon. The Amerind Foundation is an interesting place, along with a museum filled with artefacts, some discovered in nearby Texas Canyon there is an art gallery containing interesting paintings, sculptures and furniture. My favourite painting was so lifelike it seemed like a photograph. Photography is not allowed, so no photographs I’m afraid.

We drove home through Dragoon and past Willcox Playa a vast sandy expanse that shimmers in the heat. Thousands of years ago Willcox Playa was a vast lake, Lake Cochise, covering about 140 square miles. The military once used it for bombing practise and there are unexploded munitions out there, so it is a no go area. There are no roads through it. Each winter tens of thousands of sand hill cranes arrive on their annual migration and bird watchers descend on Willcox for the annual Wings over Willcox event. No photographs as we were driving I didn’t think to take any. Interesting place somewhere we’ll have to investigate, so the wildlife viewing area is now on our ever growing ‘To visit list’..

Have fun, we are!

Back on the road

Last Monday on a gloriously sunny day, we finally got around to leaving Big Bend.

Our first stop was Van Horn. On the way we drove past the Marfa lights viewing area, Marfa lights are strange phenomenon that appear out of nowhere, no-one knows what causes them and you can't guarantee when they'll appear. Needless to say as it was the middle of the day, we didn't see a thing. We arrived in Van Horn and checked into the KOA, which was very nice. Van Horn is a small town in West Texas and is a crossroads to lots of different places.

After an overnight stop we took I10 through El Paso to Deming, New Mexico. That was interesting as between Van Horn and El Paso we changed time zones and so instead of it being 10:30 a.m. it was 9.30 a.m. so we gained an hour.

It was sunny and hot but quite windy when we arrived at SKP’s in Deming. Because of the time zone change, we arrived at lunchtime and were quite happy to wait but Barbara a very nice lady from the office came over and checked us in we really appreciated that. After setting up we headed off to Wallys World to stock up on fresh stuff.

While we were in Deming we visited Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus, New Mexico, which is the only place in the continental US that has ever been invaded. Pancho Villa’s troops attacked the town in 1916 looting, burning houses and killing people.

Columbus is only a few miles from Palomas, Mexico, lots of Americans take day trips to Palomas, but we decided not to bother.

After a couple of days in Deming, we left and are now in Willcox, Arizona. Another time zone change, Arizona is on Mountain time, but doesn't observe daylight saving, so we've gone back another hour. So now it's light really early in the morning, but is dark by around 7.00 p.m.

The day we left we knew we were driving into wind and it seemed surreal as although I10 was very windy visibility was clear, whereas on either side of us dust storms were howling across the plains. At one point it was so windy we were unsure whether or not we should be driving with the fifth wheel on the back, but there were plenty of other RV’s and trucks on the road, so we carried on. We were certainly glad when we arrived in Willcox though.

We’re spending a few days in Willcox so far we've visited the Rex Allen Musuem and historic district in Willcox and taken a hike (more bears and mountain lions!) in the Chiricahua Mountains.

More details and pictures when I get around to transferring them from the camera. We're just so busy I don't know where the time goes!

Have fun, we are!

The Window Trail

Befire we left Big Bend we decided to hike down the Window Trail from the Chisos Basin. It’s a nice easy 5 mile trail, but it’s the wrong way round, you go down first and then climb back up, and, unfortunately you’re in full sun all the way back and it was hot!

Needless to say there was the usual warning of a lion that could be aggressive in the area and then further down the trail was a warning of bear activity in the area. Lions and bears aren’t we the lucky ones! Mind you it was so hot down in the canyon, not to mention the amount of people hiking the trail any self respecting bear or lion would’ve found a nice shady spot to snooze the afternoon away.

The trail wound down from the Basin and through the mountains

before entering a really narrow area beside the stream.

After that we climbed in and out of the streambed, before arriving at the window, you have a great view out across the desert, but one wrong step and it’s a very long drop to the bottom.

Have fun, we are!

The Lost Mine Trail

An early morning drive on Wednesday took us high up into the Chisos Basin, our destination was the Lost Mine trail.

Chisos Basin Road

We were the second vehicle in the parking area. Another warning of a mountain lion frequenting the area which could possibly be aggressive greeted us as we set off up the shady trail. Suprisingly, I walk much faster when there’s a bear or lion warning at the trail head, although what difference walking faster makes is anyones guess.

Legend has it that if you are in the right place at the right time of the year, the sun will shine on the entrance to a long lost silver mine, that was either found and then lost or was hidden by the Indians after they were used a slave labour to mine it. Needless to say it didn't shine in the right place today. Ah well guess it's back to checking my lottery tickets!

It’s a 5 mile round trip, and climbs quite steeply up switchbacks there are some wonderful views and it's one of our favourite trails in Big Bend National Park.

Casa Grande

Juniper Canyon

The trail has seats at some viewpoints and steps and culverts built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s. As this is a mountain trail there are different types of trees, several different sorts of oak and juniper, including a Mexican weeping juniper which actually looks as though it’s dying.

The Window

Animals can and do use the trail, after all why push through the brush when there is a nice easy trail to use, and people can and do walk into bears and mountain lions, although today, we only walked into a deer. We rounded a switchback and there it was delicately stepping down the trail, we stopped, it stopped and looked at us then after sniffing the air carried on towards us, unfortunately some people coming up further behind us spooked it and off it went leaping into the brush and out of sight.

It was a lovely hike, sunny and warm and we didn’t meet a lion!

The sunny trail on the way down

Have fun, we are!