Coarsegold, CA: Park Sierra

Today we left the desert and can now view huge trees, lots of flowers, snow capped mountains, and lush green fields. It was a beautiful 239 mile drive from Edwards AFB to Coarsegold. The hundreds of white mountaintop windmills, which generate power, are fairly common in California but still seem peculiar to Easterners.

The Escapees (SKP) park where we are staying is perhaps the most beautiful RV park we have seen. It has 161 acres of rolling, shady terrain with wonderful rock formations that were used for many purposes by Native Americans. Through the park's 161 acres runs the Coarsegold River, where early settlers panned for gold, and an old stagecoach line.

We elected to "dry camp" this week, rather than rent a site, to compensate for the high gas prices ($3.32). We are near a lovely, air conditioned club house, which is open 24/7. We can access wi-fi and TV in the clubhouse or go there for coffee, games and reading. We also have a water faucet, drain for our bathwater, and hardstand site; in the afternoon, we even have shade. The only thing we lack is A/C, but we're touring during the day. When we in the park, our ceiling fans, powered by solar panels and generator, take care of our basic needs. At $2.50 per night, this place is a real bargain! We are located about 22 miles south of Yosemite National Park. We will spend tomorow there.

Air Force Flight Test Center: Edwards AFB

The historic silver plane to the left was introduced in 1942 by Bell and had GE jet engines. This model was our first military jet aircraft. However, Great Britain was the first allied country to use jets in combat in WW II (see camoflaged aircraft).

The more modern silver plane below is an F-86 Sabre. It was our first swept wing fighter and was initially tested at Edwards in 1947, produced the next year, and set a record of 671 mph. Over 8500 were eventually built and used by 20 different nations. During the Korean Conflict we lost 76 Sabres in combat, but we downed 792 Russian MIGs. That was a testament to our superior pilots as well as to our aircraft. The red and white fighter beside the Sabre is an F-16 Fighting Falcon first tested at Edwards in 1974. Thousands have been produced and are still being used today.

The sinister looking black aircraft (top) is the famous high-flying U-2 spy plane flown by CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers, who was shot down by a missile during the Cold War years. President Eisenhower at first denied the Soviet allegation that we were flying over their country to spy. Later he had to acknowledge the fact when the Russians produced the surviving pilot and the
U-2 wreckage. Powers was imprisoned by the Soviets, eventually released and ultimately met his death in 1977 in Encino, CA as a traffic-copter pilot.

Memorial Day Weekend: Edwards AF Base, CA

Here we are in the Mojave Desert camped at Edwards Air Force Famcamp. The days are warm, sunny and windy. The nights are cool enough that we run our heat pumps. This is the famous base where the Air Force Flight Test Center is located. You will recall the many test flights made famous here by Chuck Yeager, an American hero, as well as by other courageous pilots. When the NASA shuttle cannot land at Cape Canaveral, it lands here.

There is all kinds of wildlife at Edwards. Thousands of rabbits dart to and fro from every location on the base. We were fortunate to capture on camera a red tailed hawk. Although you cannot see it, in his right talon is a small creature we saw him grab along the street.

Today we attended a wonderful service at the base chapel. The Chaplain emphasized that our real purpose in life is four-fold: Worship, Discipleship, Fellowship, and Ministry. We also used computers at the base library to check out Courtney, Josh, and Althea's blog from Belize. Note the G-flat trio looking on. If you are confused by this, you will need to scroll down to our Big Bend National Park posts in early March.

Farewell to the Grand Canyon

This has been our third trip to the Grand Canyon in the past 45 years. Each journey grows more interesting and exciting. The rose colored, rocky canyon walls blend perfectly with the black and green hues of the cliffs and ledges. The treacherous green rapids on the Colorado River at the bottom of the Canyon beckon to us. Then reality sets in, and we elect to safely gaze upon the river from afar. Rafting trips are available.

Yesterday we drove to the canyon accompanied by Tom and Millie. We had a special pass that allowed us to drive to Hermit's Rest. For the most part, autos are not allowed, and trams are the only mode of transportation. We stopped at nearly every viewing area in order to capture photos. We also saw the fabulous I-Max Theatre presentation of the history of the Canyon, which still holds many hidden secrets. Major John Wesley Powell, the one-armed Civil War officer, must have been quite a man. After the War in 1869, he and his small party were the first men to traverse the wild white water rapids that violently churn their way through the canyon.

After lunch, we drove east on scenic Arizona Highway 64, with its magificent multiple canyons, to Cameron, where we shopped at an Indian trading post that dates back to 1916. Then we traveled to Flagstaff and on back to Williams. We must have been exhausted, as this was the first evening that Bridge was not on our agenda.

Train to the Grand Canyon

At Tom and Millie's suggestion yesterday morning, we took the two-hour plus train ride from Williams, AZ to the Grand Canyon. At the depot, prior to departure, we were treated to a short western show. The actors/musicians boarded the train with us and providcd cowboy ballads as we traveled. The countryside ranch views were impressive, as we gazed from open windows. Upon arrival at the Canyon, we took a park shuttle to a point on the South Rim and then enjoyed a two-hour hike along the canyon rim back to the canyon depot. The awesome views were majestic to say the least! The 4:00 p.m. train from the Grand Canyon to Williams included several coaches filled with happy tourists. Along the way, we were again entertained with singing, guitar pickin' cowboys. The merriment was temporarily interrupted at one point by masked robbers, who galloped along side the train on the their horses and then climbed aboard. They "robbed" passengers in every car, much to the delight of the children. Back in Williams, after dinner, we continued our Bridge marathon with Millie and Tom.

Historic Williams, AZ: Gateway to the Grand Canyon

A couple of days ago, we were traveling from Tucson to the Grand Canyon. Gloria had an urge to call some RV friends, Tom and Millie. We had met them three years ago in Del Rio, Texas, played Bridge in El Paso, took a trolley with them to Juarez, Mexico, and traveled on with them to Yuma, AZ. When Tom answered Gloria's call, he enthusiastically insisted that we camp with them in Williams, which is about an hour from Grand Canyon. We were able to park across from them at the Railside RV Ranch. The park has many amenities and even serves free breakfast everyday. So far, about all we have done is play Bridge, scout out Williams, attend services at First Baptist and hike to an area which is rich with Native American petroglyphs.

Exploring Biosphere 2

Tucson was the ideal place to locate Biosphere 2, an experiment to replicate Earth (Biosphere 1) on a small scale (3.15 acres). The ultimate test was to see how humans were affected by this man-made world within a world environment. The glass and steel, air-tight complex contains a million-gallon ocean and living coral reef, a rain forest, a marsh and desert.

Two groups of people lived there at two different times completely dependent upon their enclosed enviroment. They raised their own food, had animals, and even had 100 different varieties of insects. No one entered the complex during those two periods and no one left, with the exception of one woman who accidently severed her finger. The first group of eight lived in Bio 2 for two years, while the second group of seven stayed for only six months. One of the outcomes of the experiment was that the plants had been over fertilzed, and living organisms gobbled up the oxygen to the point that the amount of oxygen being pumped into the complex had to be increased.

Sabino Canyon Recreation Area

We can't seem to get out 0f Tucson! It is a lovely city, and there is much to see and do here. Yesterday, the weather was slightly overcast. Thus the usually bright Arizona sun was subdued, and because of low humidity, 90 degrees felt no hotter than 75 degrees in Virginia. At 7:00 a.m. Jerry thought it was an ideal time to wash our trailer. Gloria devoted her energies to cleaning the inside, including polishing the cabinetry.

After lunch, we made our way to Sabino Canyon. At the visitors center, we caught a tram, which delivered us 3 1/2 miles up to the brim of the canyon. We dismounted the tram and began our downward trek on hot pavement. Because of rattlesnake warnings, we avoided the trails. Our three-mile walk, complete with buzzing gnats, was not easy. However, our many photo opportunites and sightings of wildlife made it all worthwhile. The large photo is a Javelina. They look like pigs, but they are not of that family. The canyon boasts over 200 species of birds. Our favorite was a vividly colored yellow and black hooded oriole. Mountain lions used to reside here, but after the big fire a few years ago, there have been no sightings.

A Day of Worship and Celebration

Today is Mother's Day, and it is fitting that it is celebrated on the Lord's Day. Gloria always says that she could never have effectively reared five children without the Lord's help every day. This day began with worship in the post chapel at Davis-Monthan AFB. In our 48 years experience with military chapels, the D-M experience has been the best. They are expecting 65 children for Vacation Bible School next month. The facility is grand, and the Chaplain is an outstanding, enthusiastic presenter, who knows how to use humor effectively. The Sunday Sunday school class we attended is warm and participatory, and the teacher, Lou, is simply terrific. He is 87 years old, and walks with a walker. However, he has the spiritual mind of a mature, mentally alert man of 35. He also has a friendly, outgoing manner. He has bravely taken on the Book of Revelation as the current study. Note his photo!

Following the service, Jerry treated Gloria to a special Mothers Day Champagne Buffet at the Mirage Officers Club. What a wonderful meal! In addition to the standard breakfast fare, there was smoked salmon, chicken, shrimp, tuna, prime rib cooked to perfection, and even caviar.
Jerry, remembering those cold, hungry days in the field with the 2nd Armored Cav, had a double portion of SOS. That fancy cuisine is OK, but let's not forget the important stuff that sticks with you! We finished off the meal with a generous serving of lemon merangue pie.

Mt. Lemmon and Summerhaven

Drive 30 miles into the Santa Catalina Mountains on the Catalina Highway, and you will reach 9,157 feet at the top of Mt. Lemmon. This scenic byway takes one from the Saguaro-studded desert floor to a beautiful forest of pines, aspens, and firs. “How many pictures of rocks do we need?”
Summerhaven, a quaint village near the top of Mt. Lemmon and a longtime Tucson favorite, suffered severe fire damage in 2003. Over 300 homes and nine businesses were destroyed. The tent-draped Café is the only business that survived. You will want to stop there for lunch but save room for a piece of delicious, over-the-top, homemade rhubarb-strawberry pie, Jerry’s favorite. There are houses built straight up the sides of the mountain. How people live in this vertical life zone is a mystery to us. Surely most of them leave before the winter snow and ice arrive.

Pima Air & Space Museum

The Pima Air and Space Museum provides an historical look at space travel. There are several hangars housing memorabilia, 250 aircraft, and vivid WW II displays honoring various crews and heroic units. The main building has the smallest plane ever built. It held only 3 gallons of fuel, so it didn’t stay in the air long. Also exhibited is the world's smallest jet aircraft.

The Museum has
a gift shop with interesting selections for the flying enthusiast. The 90 minute tram tour of the outlying areas was led by our driver, a retired USAF Fighter Pilot, who also retired as a United Airlines pilot. He had information on most of the important aircraft since the beginning of WW II. The tour included President Kennedy’s Air Force One, Ike's Columbine, the SR-71 Blackbird Spy Plane, several MIGS, and other models that never made it to the production line. The largest plane we saw was used by NASA (white plane above) to transport space equipment. The Thunderbird Restaurant is a great spot for lunch at reasonable prices.

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, AZ

This Air Force Base covers many acres, and there are thousands of all kinds of retired aircraft (bone yard) and other vehicles. Many different planes are located around the post in addition to the “bone yard” area. DMAFB has an active Officers Club, The Mirage. We were treated to a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta for one dollar each with our club card. Along with delicious choices at the buffet, the club gave money and gift certificates throughout the evening.

DMAFB is a great biking opportunity; the streets are flat and smoothe. The base has all the amenities that we enjoy. We are parked at the famcamp, Agave Gulch. The 24-hour clubhouse has excellent DSL internet service with five stations and great chairs. Our "backyard" is a desert garden with a tall, stately Saguaro and other flowering cacti. We have a lovely tree and three blooming rhododenron bushes framing our patio. The laundry is just a few doors away, a real plus for RVers.

Benson, AZ

On our way from Sierra Vista to Tucson, we stopped for a couple of days at the SKP Park in Benson, AZ. We also wanted to meet Mark, a Baptist pastor. We had been tentatively planned to paint his church’s new addition, but it was behind schedule and not ready for us. We did worship there on Sunday. We were thankful that we had been assigned to paint in Douglas. The last mile to the remotely located Benson church is an unpaved, dusty, rutty road. The pastor, dressed in bib overalls, was enthusiastic, and the people were friendly and proud of their new education facility.

The Saguaro SKP Park has a huge, attractive, club house—one of the best we have seen. The park is quite clean and well-managed. Permanent buidings on leased sites are creatively designed and meet the high standards of the association. Snowbird residents of the park are friendly and welcomed us warmly. Happy hours were well attended with great snacks and good conversation. There was even morning coffee and converstion in the clubhouse. Benson, as a town, is less than exciting. We stayed two nights before leaving for Tucson.