Thanksgiving

November 26, 2015

Quiet Ordinary Days

Friday, November 20, 2015

We just enjoyed the day.


Saturday, November 21, 2015

Drove over to Sierra Vista to do some shopping. Otherwise we just relaxed.


Sunday, November 22, 2015

Started the day with Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Tombstone. I had written about this church last year.
http://tdcelebratingthedance.blogspot.com/2015/03/more-household-chores-and-updating-of.html

After Mass we stopped at  Wyatt's Coffee House for a cup of coffee and a quick breakfast sandwich. The coffee was not bad, I had a cappuccino and Tom had regular coffee, but the sandwich was a little dry.

From there we parked over by the Bird Cage and walked up and down Allen Street. Went in a few shops and purchased a couple of items, Christmas gifts I was specifically looking for.

We then circled around towards Sierra Vista, made a quick stop at the Dollar Tree for gift boxes, and back to the Crusader.

When we got back Tom headed over to the Club House to watch the Packer game and I did some crocheting.

Like the last few days it was just a quiet day to be enjoyed.

Heading into Tombstone.
Front windshield needs to be cleaned.

Leaving Tombstone.
Heading South on Arizona 80

Monday, November 23, 2015

Drove over to Sierra Vista and Tom dropped me off for a pedicure. Always a relaxing hour.


Tuesday, November 24, 2015

First stop today was to pick up our mail that our daughter had forwarded to us. There was a nice surprise inside several drawings from our granddaughter and two Thanksgiving cards from grandsons. Tom then dropped me off at a hair salon, roots had to be taken care of, and he took care of some errands.  After that we made a quick stop at Walmart and home.


Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Today was a cooking and cleaning day. Not the most relaxing way to spend the day but things needed to be done.

It is not always about going and seeing things sometimes it is just about everyday living. Some days are about ordinary chores we all need to take care of. That is what a lot of the days during this 'adventure" are all about.

These days have been perfectly ordinary and delightful,

Huachuca City, AZ

November 19, 2015

 

Short drive today only about 86 miles. I was not even planning any pictures until possibly when we turned off of  I 10 onto Arizona 90. Then it was time to stop for gas and we realized we were pulling off at the same exit we did last year in Willcox and we could see Apple Annies Country Store. Last year we had seen the signs and decided to stop for a piece of pie. This year I obviously was not paying attention but there it was. (Side note: we both agree not the best apple pie we have ever had but not bad either.) It was lunch time and lets face it sometime pie for lunch is acceptable. 

 

The place to buy the pie and the same view as last year as we
enjoyed it. Only one tumbleweed went by this year but we still
listened to Roy Rogers and the Sons of The Pioneers singing
Tumbling Tumbleweeds. We have decided, if we go by here
going West, this will be our tradition.

Had to include one highway in front of us picture.

We have decided, as far as we are concerned,
 "The Thing" will remain a mystery.

Then we can see it ahead, Texas Canyon. I do not think we will ever get tired of seeing this place and wondering what keeps the rocks from tumbling down.

Not long and we are turning off of I 10 and headed south on Arizona 90 and our home until December 1st.

We settle in and drove over to Sierra Vista to Fry's to purchase groceries.

 

"The most beautiful view is the one I share with you."

                                                                       ~unknown

Ft. Bowie National Historic Site

November 18, 2015

Note to self: when you are going to visit a National Historic Site be sure they are open on the days you will be there. As I said in the 17th's post we stopped here to visit the Ft. Bowie National Historic Site and right now they are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday's.

 There was a wine tasting for Ft. Bowie Vineyards just down the road and we decided to stop. We ended up buying two of their wines. A little sweet for my taste and Tom is not a wine drinker but I am sure our daughter and daughter-in-law will like them.

 

 

  We then decided to take a ride over to Ft. Bowie, even though it said it was closed, luckily it only means the visitor center, no passport stamp, is closed you can still walk through the site itself.

Turning off the paved road this is the sign we saw.
Plus a lot of prickly pear cactus.

Following Google Maps we ended up at the Handicap only entrance, did not know this until later when we went down another road and saw the actual entrance to the site.

Looked at the picture and sure enough

 that is what the sign said.

Anyway, it did save us a mile and a half walk and no one said anything.  I am guessing since they were closed it really did not make any difference.

This was the path looking down, I took these on our way back
 to the truck, after the stairs it was pretty much up a hill.
This was, according to the sign, the handicap entrance.

The view of the site from the porch of the Visitor Center.
The picture of Ft. Bowie in 1894 was also on the porch.

For over twenty years Ft. Bowie and Apache Pass were central to US Army operations against the Chiricahua Apaches for control of the region. The Battle of Apache Pass led to the building of Ft. Bowie by soldiers from the 5th California Volunteer Infantry. They started this task on July 28, 1862 and it was named for the regimental commander, Col. George Washington Bowie. Ft. Bowie was built to protect the pass and the Apache Spring. In three weeks the fort was more a temporary camp then permanent post with 13 tents surrounded by irregular stone breastwork thrown up at key positions atop the hill.

In 1868 a less primitive Fort was built on a plateau 300 yards to the southeast. Between 1862 and 1886, Ft. Bowie was the nerve center for military campaigns against hostile Chiricahua Apaches led first by Cochise and then by Geronimo. With Geronimo's final surrender in 1886 this ended both the Apache Wars and Ft. Bowie's military usefulness. It was an active post for eight more years.

When it was abandoned in 1894 Ft. Bowie was a modern post of about 38 structures. These are the ruins we see today. (Information from brochure.)

We did not take the time to walk the whole site but do plan on coming back and doing so the next time we come this way.

Corrals and Stables

Quartermaster and Storehouse.

Guard House 1886

Another view of ruins.

One view from visitor center.

Back to the main road we headed towards Apache Pass and came upon this sign and by this time the road was no longer paved.

Just after this sign there is a parking area,
rest rooms, and information about Ft. Bowie.
This is also were the one and half mile trail
to the visitor center starts.

I did not take pictures of this area but from what we could see the path was very similar to the one pictured above that we took. The difference being about 800 feet versus 1 and 1/2 miles.

Before reaching Apache Pass we came upon this sign.

Apache Pass

The road mentioned in the above information.

This will definitely be a place we will return to. We would need to arrive earlier in the day and be better prepared for the hike. There is a lot of history here and we hope to explore it further.

 "When I was young I walked all over this country,

east and west,

and saw no other people than the Apaches."

                                                                    ~Cochise

 



Heading South and West

November 17, 2015

Leaving Monticello RV Park and

heading towards I 25.

Our last look at the mountains in the distance.

The road ahead as we head South on I 25.

More views as we continue South.
Could not resist snapping the sign,
who could, Garfield 8 miles.

We turned onto New Mexico Highway 26 a nice shortcut to I 10 when heading West.

In Hatch, NM, a small town just after we turned onto 26, there are peppers hanging in stands just about everywhere you look. I said to Tom, I wonder if this is the Chile capital of New Mexico. I have since done some research and it is actually advertised as the “Chile Capital of the World”.  They are known world wide for their Chile crop.

The Hatch Valley also grows onions, pecans, alfalfa, lettuce, cabbage, sweet potatoes, wheat, cotton, along with various experimental crops. Hatch is proud to have never experienced a crop failure.

Labor Day Weekend they celebrate their world famous crop with a two day festival. and this small town has accommodated up to 30,000 people from all over the world for this event. 
 

I only took one picture in Hatch.
Out the window as we traveled down 26.

These signs speak for themselves.

It was not that long and we were in Arizona.

Wanting to visit the Ft. Bowie National Historic Site our travel day ended in Bowie, AZ. The RV park we landed at, there will be no pictures, Mountain View is a Passport America park and does have full hookups with 50 amps. There is also free WiFi, and they did sell Jerky and Pecans. Plus the people we met there were friendly and the park itself seemed clean. We would stop there again if we go back to Ft. Bowie; otherwise not a destination stop.

" I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever

situation I may find myself. For I have learned that the

greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined

not by our circumstance but by our disposition."

                                                            ~Martha Washington

 

Wind Delay

Monday, November 16, 2015

The "plan" was to be up early and on our way this morning. We actually were not sure where we would be stopping. The goal was Arizona with Bowie as a possible stopping point. Ft. Bowie National Historic Site is nearby and we do want to go and see it. We thought we would take off and decide when to stop as the day unfolded.

Through out the night we could feel the Crusader moving from the wind. When we checked the weather in the morning there were High Wind Warnings for where we were and several cities we checked along our route. The wind itself would be any were from 25mph to 32mph but the wind gusts, being predicted, would be from 45mph to around 58mph. So we looked at each other and said there is no where we have to be and no schedule to keep so lets stay put. The beauty of this lifestyle being retired. (We are learning more about those "plans" written in "jello" and enjoying every minute.)

We hunkered down and enjoyed the time being spent together. Tomorrow is another day and the road ahead and the places we are going will still be there.

"We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails."

                                                                ~Author Unknown

Saturday and Sunday

Saturday, November 14, 2015

Not to much to report today. We spent the day just enjoying the day.


Sunday, November 15, 2015

We had made tentative plans for the day but after checking the weather, rain was predicted, we decided to just stay in.

Views of the sky as the day progressed.

Just enjoying these days, together, has been a special time.

Heading South, Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

Friday, November 13, 2015


Today we traveled about 100 miles South down I25 to Truth and Consequences, NM.



A rest stop not long after we were on our way. Somewhat
different then we are used to seeing.

The road and views along the way.
I love the way the mountains look shrouded in a
blue mist from a distance.

A canyon we dropped down into.

Pictures out the front window of the highway winding
away into the distance.

Our drive into our home parking spot for the next few days.

After we got set up we headed into Truth or Consequences. Our first stop the post office to pick up our mail our daughter had forwarded to us. We then had a quick bite to eat and headed to Walmart to pick up a few things.

The truck parked in Walmart's parking lot. This is the first
time we have come across a covered Walmart parking lot.

We then headed back to the Crusader for a relaxing evening.

"Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going to fast -  you also miss

the sense of where you are going and why."

                                                                            ~Eddie Cantor

 

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument

November 12, 2015

We headed out Thursday on US 60 going East
towards Mountainair, NM

 

 



Our first stop was at an open air restaurant in Mountainair called
the Bakery for lunch. A friend had recommended we try this
place and we are glad we took her advice. Lunch was delicious
and the bakery items we bought, for later, were also excellent.

Buildings around town. The bottom one which is connected
to the two on the right top is the Municipal Court. The center
building looked vacant and the one above is a recreation center.
Not sure what the building on the left was but the
sculpture out front was interesting.

Paintings on the side of three buildings in Mountainair.

This, as the sign says, is the Visitor Center and Headquarters
for the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument.
Here we were able to obtain information about the three
Missions and watch a short movie about the three Pueblos.
Plus we were able to get our "passport" stamp.

The Salinas Valley was occupied as early as the 10th Century, first by Mogollon then Anasazi cultures, who established major trade centers that served both the Rio Grande villages and the Plains Indian tribes. Franciscan missionaries built mission complexes at each of the Salinas Pueblos. What remains today are austere yet beautiful reminders of the early contact between the Pueblo Indians and Spanish Colonials. Severe drought, Apache raids and an epidemic forced the abandonment of the pueblos in the 1670s.

There are ruins of mission churches at Abo and Quarai,; these are the two we chose to visit on this trip. There are two more churches at Gran Quivira, which we hope to visit next time we come this way.

It was first proclaimed Gran Quivira National Monument on November 1, 1909. It was listed on the National Register of Historical Places on December 19, 1980. It was enlarged when two New Mexico State Monuments were absorbed into it on November 2, 1981 and now comprises a total of 1,100 acres. It was renamed on October 28, 1988.

Interesting information we learned from one of the rangers, by tradition the woman and children of the community did most of the building of the masonry house blocks of the Pueblo and Mission structures.

She also mentioned parts of the structures we see today were refurbished and rebuilt by the CCC. Research on the internet stated that stabilization of the walls did take place in the 1930's and was done by the CCC. Further reading talks about several stabilization and excavations throughout the years. (Above information from a card  obtained at Visitor Center and the internet.)

Our first stop was the Quarai ruins about 8 miles north of Mountainair.

The view of the church as you approach the
Quarai Contact Station and Museum.

Contact Station on right and Museum on left.



The first sign you see as you start down the trail.
Our grandson, Noah, is always asking if we have seen any
rattlesnakes. Well Noah this is why we have not, we are
respecting their privacy.

It is a small museum located here but well worth the time to walk in and view the displays and information boards. There is a lot of information about the Quarai Pueblo.

I am including below pictures I took of some of the information boards. This is information I wanted to have, you can just scroll past. All the information is written in both English and Spanish but wanting to get the best possible shot for reading I did not include the Spanish.



 

Starting down the trail.

1830 Church
The foundations seen here are 200 years younger then the
surrounding walls of the Pueblo and mission of Quarai.
When Spanish settlers moved back to the Salinas district,
 they started to build a small church here, using old
mission stones. The church was never finished.
(from sign in front of this foundation)



Inside the Church



Looking up at front entrance
to church.



South Convento

 The trail circles around through a wooded area past the south mound and a picnic area.

This picture was taken from the picnic area.

Leaving the Quaria Ruins we traveled back through Mountainair and then West about 9 miles to the Abo Ruins.

Road into the ruins with the mountains as a back drop.

First view of  the ruins as we pulled into the parking area.

Across the road from above picture.

As can be seen in the above picture there is a lot of
unexcavated area at this Pueblo. The Ranger on duty
told us, at this time, there are no plans for any further
excavation at this site.

 





 



Close up of walls.



It was at this point the battery died and there are no more pictures of this ruin.

Abo was a thriving community when the Spaniards visited in 1581. But disaster struck this Pueblo as it did the other Salinas Pueblos and sometime between 1672 and 1678 the people of Abo left to take refuge in towns along the Rio Grande.


After spending time here we continued West on US 60 back home to the Crusader. It was a day well spent learning some of the history of this country we call home. Some of it beautiful and some of it hard to learn but important to know just the same. We are looking forward to spending time exploring the third Pueblo, Gran Quivira.

"If you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday."

                                                            ~Pearl Buck