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.