Douglas, AZ and the Chiricaha National Monument

As we drove into Douglas, AZ, the sun was dipping below the horizon and the temperature was dropping quickly into the 30s. We parked at the Visitors Center behind the Douglas Police Station. It was a great well-lighted place to spend the night once we got clearance from the police. The last time we were in Douglas, we helped paint the Sunny Side Baptist Church. We were anxious to see the finished effort, so we left early the next morning in order to park near the church and plug into power—more ways than one. We were awed at the beautiful green trim on our white paint job. We were thankful that the members had completed a difficult task. God is good! We spent the morning worshiping with fellow Christians. Afterward, we enjoyed a delicious dinner and warm fellowship at the lovely home of Doc and Rosa.

Monday morning, after Gloria’s workout at Curves and a brisk walk back to the church, we left Douglas heading for Wilcox. The wind was fierce and the air cold. We were happy to have full hookups that night. We drove to the Chiricahua Monument the next day. We had been warned that the icy weather and high winds provided treacherous driving up through The Monument. We first stopped at the entrance to Ft Bowie. It was a 1.1 mile hike into the Fort. The wind was calm in that part of the canyon, and we anticipated a delightful hike to the Fort before going on to The Monument. After about an hour we turned back having confused the trail with a dry creek bed. Signage was scant. We will locate the historic fort another day.

The day was speeding into late afternoon and we still hadn’t seen Balanced Rock, the crown jewel of Chiricahua Monument. The temperature continued to drop, but our interest in the rock formations, many photo opts, and the plants and trees peaked. At one point when we were hiking the Massai Trail in search of Balanced Rock, the temperature read 23 degrees. Nevertheless, we persevered and were rewarded with breath-taking views. The Faraway Ranch was closed but visitors may roam the grounds.

Farewell to City of Rocks State Park, NM

We have now completed our three months as camp hosts at this incredible park. We have had great staff members and fellow volunteers. Our assignments have been interesting, rewarding and fun. We shall miss waking up to such a beautiful view of the mountains and the wondrous rock formations. We will never forget the clear, star-studded skies that are so pervasive here. The camp hosted three star gazing parties while we were here. The many friendly visitors with whom we shared great on-the-road experiences will be a lasting memory.

During our last week, Jerry briefed the staff on how to effectively present the three PowerPoint presentations he had worked to provide: Rattlesnakes: Dispelling the Myths, Mysteries of the Moon, and the Desert Grocery Store. On our last morning, the Park Manager stopped by our rig with a generous gift and a free two-week pass to any New Mexico State Park. We hope to use it in the fall of 2008. Upon departure, we elected to backtrack to Arizona for a few days before moving east to Texas.

Apache National Forest, AZ

Today on our day off, we traveled north from City of Rocks and drove into Arizona via Silver City, NM. We stopped for a terrific brunch at a quaint old rancher's cafe near the AZ line in Alppine and then drove along snowy AZ Rt. 191 through the Apache National Forest. At a rest stop, we had a friendly snowball fight, and Gloria built a miniature snow woman. As we eased down the mountain, we stopped at some old abandoned ranches. Eventually we stumbled upon the old Morenci Mine. It has been operating for over 100 years and goes on for miles. It is the largest mine of its kind in the world. It's primary ore is copper, and the people of Morenci are delighted that copper prices have been escalating for the past few years.

Catwalk at Whitewater Canyon

About 100 miles northwest of City of Rocks State Park is the famous Catwalk. The sometimes difficult trail follows the old 18 inch waterline from an abandoned silver/gold mine that operated from 1889 until 1942. At peak capacity 75 tons of ore were mined each day. The water line once fed a generator that provided electicity for 200 townspeople. The town is no more, but the Catwalk is a spectacular public hiking trail that is about two and half miles long round trip from the parking lot. The gigantic, colorful rock formations are spectacular indeed.