SCENES FROM SOUTHERN ARIZONA

Looking at my recent photos today, I realized I hadn't shown you how nicely Catalina State Park cleaned up after the big rainstorm. Here is Odel walking down "our street" in loop B of the campground there; we called it our street because we were the only people parked along there for a few days.

It was a great time of year to be there. The leaves were still on the mesquite trees and, best of all, so FEW other campers. We like the huge, level sites.


This photo was taken further south in Arizona, though at a higher elevation, on the way to my cousin Rosanna's ranch. I always get a kick out of this sign!

This road is the route to Chiricahua National Monument, an incredible wonderland of rocks that is quite remote... I think the sign is a warning to visitors to the monument that they should not expect much (well, ANYTHING) other than striking physical beauty when they arrive. If you want food, water, or fuel - bring it with you.


Elevation trumps latitude here in Cochise County so, even though we are farther south than in Tucson, it is colder here. The coldest temperatures we have experienced while living in our motorhome were experienced at Rosanna's ranch - 12 degrees one night.

Not on this visit, though. We had great sunshine during the day and nights in the 40's. Today we three did one of our favorite hikes in the area, the Cochise Stronghold trail in the Dragoon Mountains. Here are Odel and Rosanna at the top of the divide, a hike of 3 mostly uphill miles. Happy hikers on a beautiful day!

Tomorrow we are moving even farther south, to Naco, Arizona, on the Arizona/Mexico border. We'll be staying at Turquoise Valley RV Park, a gravel lot directly across the street from Turquoise Valley golf course. While I visit family in Bisbee (5 miles north), Odel can walk back and forth to the golf course, his dream come true.