SUMMER FUN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD 2020

June – September, 2020

AS the old saying goes: “in for penny, in for a pound.” Railside RV Ranch is home this summer. RVs come and go from the campground. Most of our fellow campers are from from the stupid hot Valley of the Sun in and around the Phoenix metroplex, some are from California, and a few from other points, usually passing through on their way to someplace else. There’s even a couple of other full-timers who, like us, are hanging out here for the summer season. Those that are travelling are not typically going long distances…weekend jaunts over the summer months to beat the heat by being in the mountains or going short distances from their permanent homes to see the sites, and we’re pretty sure there are a few with long distance plans in mind as well.

We have to admit that by late August it was getting harder and harder to resist not breaking camp to go somewhere – not sure where, but just a sense that we’ve been here long enough. However, we’ve committed to being here this summer season – our trip to Las Vegas to hang with friends from Bethlehem, PA, our visits to Great Basin and Channel Islands National Parks, and our planned trip to Death Valley National Park (did I mention that on August 17, 2020 at aptly named Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park it was 131 degrees fahrenheit?) will make the time go quickly enough, we hope!

But there’s lots of fun to be had in the neighborhood if you just take a look. By the way, please take your time – there’s lots and lot of photographs…

We’ve spent a lot of time in Flagstaff hiking, riding our bikes, going to PT appointments, shopping, tending to vehicle maintenance, and returning to our enjoyment of viewing a movie seated in a theater.

We had driven by the Museum of Northern Arizona a dozen or so times…it was time to stop and see what it was all about.

The Museum was founded in 1928 by Harold S. Colton and Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton and was established to protect and preserve the natural and cultural heritage of Northern Arizona and geology of the Colorado Plateau. It is dedicated to expanding knowledge of its beauty and diversity through collecting, studying, interpreting, and preserving the region’s natural and cultural heritage.

There are 2 permanent exhibits, each packed with an incredible array of information and artifacts pertaining to the longitudinal geological development of the Colorado Plateau, the culture of the ancient Hohokam and Sinagua peoples and the present day culture of the Chemehuevi, Chiricahua, Cocopa, Apache, Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Southern Paiute, O’odham, Quechan, Tewa, Tohono, Southern Ute, Xalychidom, Yavapai, and Zuni Peoples. Dr. Harold Colton worked closely with tribal council’s in order to properly display and represent those cultures, and to assure that native peoples were integral to the operation of the Museum itself.

The Museum has 2 galleries with changing exhibitions…

…Women took the lead in developing the arts of the region from 1900 to 1940, and “Liberating Landscapes” displays the work of six women artists: Nampeyo, Kate Cory, Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton, Nora Lucy Mowbray Cundell, Harriet Morton Holmes, and Lillian Wilhelm Smith who were inspired by the dramatic landscapes and people of the American Southwest.

…Star Wars holds a special place in the soul of native peoples, and the Museum has on display an exhibition featuring works by 15-20 different contemporary Native artists who have been influenced in their creative process by Star Wars; the display explores the reasons it resonates with them.

How crazy is it that in Arizona’s high deserts there are not one, not two, but three major grape-growing regions? These are Sonoita (southeastern), Willcox (east central), and Verde Valley (northern). Since the 1970s, these locally made wines claim to have earned international acclaim, won numerous awards, and have even been served in the White House. So off we went on a blistering Saturday afternoon to try some Arizona wines.

Cottonwood is in the Verde Valley, considers itself the heart of Arizona wine country, and is home to no less than 9 vineyards…well at least their tasting rooms. The town is delightful and quaint, if not a little touristy, and has a great main street. Cottonwood is a small town (population 12,000 give or take) about 20 miles southwest of Sedona.

The pours at each of the tasting rooms we visited were generous, and tasting flights were drawn from 12-15 varieties of wine. A flight consisted of 6 pours; however, at 2 of the tasting rooms our sommelier had some “specials” that were added for our enjoyment. Even with a snack ordered to enhance our palate and to help soak up some of the alcohol, 3 tasting rooms were plenty for this trip. A walk along main street and some window shopping finished off a great afternoon.

The reds offered by Arizona Stronghold were most pleasing and we found ourselves walking out of a wine store bottle in hand!

Ever been to Prescott, Arizona? Did you know that Prescott is pronounced PRESS-kit? We had spent a day in Prescott in August, 2019 and really liked the hometown feel of the downtown area so it was a natural to re-visit.

Our plan was for an afternoon of wine tasting (again!), but we didn’t check closely enough – the tasting rooms were closed the day of our visit. However, the meadery was open, and sampling mead became the day’s objective…well, they had a hard cider or 2 on the tasting menu as well. Just for reference mead is made by fermenting honey and water, and hard cider is the fermented product of apple juice – flavor it anyway you like, but that’s the basics.

Our tasting flight consisted of 12 different generous pours (is it something to see if us old folks get tipsy?) of mead and hard cider. Different flavors and alcohol content were represented on the flight; for example Tahitian Honeymoon at 13.5% alcohol (26 proof) is described as a semi-sweet mead aged on tahitian vanilla beans on new American oak; Barrel Aged Ragnarok at 15% alcohol is described as classic mango mead aged in port barrels for 26 months, and Blueberry Spaceship Box at 5.5% alcohol claims to be the top-rated hard cider in the world. Barbara’s favorite was the limited fermentation Heavenly Breakfast, 17.5% alcohol – a maple syrup mead aged in bourbon barrels for 1 year. A bottle is sitting in our fridge for that next special occasion. What a great way to spend another hot afternoon!

“Let’s check out the disc golf courses in Flagstaff” she says, and off we went to McPherson City Park in Flagstaff hoping that we could rent discs and figure out whether or not the game suited us. Well, there’s no “clubhouse” at McPherson Park (or any disc golf course), but we did get a chance to watch some folks play the game. It looked cool enough for us to head over to a Big 5 Sporting Goods Store and buy ourselves each a set of discs – yup, a set of discs. A beginner’s set consists of a driver, mid-range, and putter disc; each thicker than the other – the driver thinnest of all.

Hole length varies between 250-400 feet; a little less or a little more than the length of a football field. McPherson Disc Golf Course has been cut out of pine forest, and the game becomes an interesting balance between making a good throw and avoiding the large number of trees down each of the fairways. We’re in it for the exercise (almost a 3-mile walk for a round of 18) as well as fun, and we’ve been playing about once a week.

Along Interstate 40 and on our way to the Petrified Forest National Park we found ourselves intrigued by two gigantic arrows on the south side of the highway, and had to stop. Turns out that the arrows and a dilapidated building covered in graffiti are all that remain of the Twin Arrows Trading Post, once a thriving business along the Mother Road.

Also on the way to the Petrified Forest National Park it’s a short detour off of Interstate 40 to take some time to visit Holbrook. Why? Well, check this out…

…and “around the 1880s the town of Holbrook was a wretched hive of scum and villainy where outlaws and cowboys could indulge their drinking, gambling, whoring, and general rakishness.” Needless to say, gun fights were frequent and casual.  Amidst this atmosphere, Terrill’s Cottage Saloon was able to distinguish itself as particularly violent. It was in this grim watering hole in 1886 that a gunfight took place that ended in so much death that the floors were said to be slick with a “bucket of blood.” Later in its history Terrill’s Cottage was renamed the Buckets of Blood Saloon.

…or how about this rock shop from which Barbara purchased quite a few pieces of petrified wood…

If you’re in the neighborhood, Holbrook is worth a stop – maybe even an overnight!

Show Low, Arizona got its name when two ranchers felt that life in the territory was getting a little too crowded. The men, Marion Clark and Corydon Cooley, decided to settle their differences with a card game named Seven Up. Whoever drew the low card won. At one point Clark is thought to have said, “show low,” and Cooley turned up the two of clubs. Cooley won, Clark moved further down the road, and the main street in Show Low is now named Deuce of Clubs.

So the directions are fairly easy…Interstate 40 to exit 201, US Highway 89 north as if you’re going to Page (Antelope Canyon, Horseshoe Bend, Lake Powell), and 100 yards north of mile maker 443 is the Wupatki Spirit Totem. We drove by it twice before Barbara finally spotted it on the eastside of the highway.

The totem is on the edge of Navajo Lands in an area called Deadman Flats. No one seems to know the origin of the spirit totem nor exactly how long it’s been around. 

Ever wonder where in the world the scientists at NASA would find a place they imagined would mimic the landscape of the moon? Ever wonder where the astronauts might get trained to complete their moon missions? Look no further than Cinder Lake Crater Field.

Literally in the shadow of Sunset Crater Volcano, the volcano’s cinders created Cinder Lake Crater Field. Chosen for its porous volcanic gravel, the cinder lake provided a more than suitable analogue for moon rock. However to accurately simulate the surface of the moon, scientists mapped a portion of the satellite’s craters and proceeded to create an exact replica of the pothole field. Using hundreds of pounds of dynamite, NASA scientists created an identical field of craters in a carefully ordered series of blasts. Once the fake moon field was constructed, the astronauts were free to try out their lunar rovers and other equipment from the safety of Earth’s gravity.

The entire area is now a State Park and is used by boondocking RV and tent campers as well as ATV/OHV enthusiasts. We took a ride through, and the entire Park does seem otherworldly…and best shot in black and white.

Having passed through Bullhead City and seeing the fun everyone was having on the Colorado River we had promised ourselves to return and rent a jet ski. Brian started looking at the reviews of the places that advertised jet ski rental and found many. many negative comments – comments stating that the reviewer had been ripped off by the company owner and that there were hidden costs in rental agreements that were not explained up front. Sure, it’s a buyer beware economy, but these reviews were most discouraging.

Thinking that there must be alternative ways to get out on the river we found a “jet boat” trip departing just across the river from Bullhead City in Laughlin, Nevada. A full 6-hour day excursion traveled down river to Lake Havasu City, gave the passengers an hour for lunch and hanging out, and then returned; a full 5 hours on the water. It was stupid hot on land and somewhat so in the boat on the return trip – the river was very busy with other boaters, but what a wonderful time we had on the Colorado River.

Friends and fellow die-hard Michigan fans from Pennsylvania, Tom and Kelley, were married in Las Vegas, and return annually in celebration of their life together. Usually the trip is in June, but they delayed a month just in case things would loosen up; i.e., the corona virus infection rate would drop to a level acceptable for the Vegas entertainment machine to crank up once again. The Vegas shows remained closed, but they came to town for some R&R and their anniversary celebration. We decided to join them for a few days and then mosey on up north to Great Basin National Park.

Vegas was like a ghost town. We stayed at the Paris Hotel where the resort fee was more than the room rate (would you believe a 3 night stay for $142 total?). About 1/3 of the gaming tables were open, there were plexiglass dividers keeping players at proper social distance and isolated from one another, dealers wore both masks and shields, security guards made sure everyone was wearing a mask indoors (you could take your mask off to eat in a restaurant), and the slots and electronic games had unseen-before-now distance between machines. Some casinos and hotels are still not open.

So it’s July in Las Vegas…a town built in a desert known for its extreme heat. In July 105 fahrenheit during the day is normal and maybe, just maybe overnight it’ll drop below 90. So what to do in stupid hot temperatures? Well you could gamble – it is Vegas after all. Or you could get up early and take a walk along the Strip…nice to see Lady Liberty masked up!

,,,and you could visit the Mob Museum. The Mob Museum is a well-thought-out and executed examination of the impact of the Mob on America, and American Law Enforcement’s fight to reign-in the Mob’s criminal activity. If you visit we highly recommend participating in the hands-on interactive experience of working in a crime lab.

…and you could see the performance of the Bellagio fountain, and the exhibition in the Hotel’s Conservatory…

…and you just might decide to venture out of town and deeper into the desert – feeling like the stupid hot is worth tolerating to see a curiosity known as Seven Magic Mountains…

btw – can you find the 4 Barbara’s?

September 12th was Patriot’s Day in Williams, and a parade was scheduled for 11am. We decided to ride our bikes the mile and a half downtown and take in what we thought would be a brief celebration. Turns out that the parade lasted over an hour. This was an extremely positive and very touching event – a genuine heartfelt sense in the crowd that coming together at this time and saluting our Country was essential to us all. Cheers and applause for our veterans and our first responders, and for those that took the time to recognize America and our history marching along the parade route – just a few hundred people or so being proud to be together on a wonderful sunny day and most of all proud to be Americans.

We feel as if our life is not big enough, that there is just not enough time, nor hours in the day to find and share all of the glorious panoramas, the wide spaces, the hidden loveliness and quirkiness that reward us as the searchers…but we’re sure as hell gonna try.

Barbara and Brian