Arizona Dreamin’

Dear friends,

It’s coming up on one month that we’ve been on the road, three months since we left Bend. It’s what we call a cabin day here in Tucson, rainy and gray, so we’re reading and watching old movies on the telly.

On our way to Tucson we by-passed Yuma. When you’re driving a big rig (45’) you don’t go into crowded, unknown territory unless there is something you really want to see. And since we were just looking for warm and whatever presented itself, we took a detour and went through the Dome Valley. What a visual treat! Miles and miles of letuce and radiccio, laid out in a grid pattern, jewel tones of green and pink and red. The colors changed from square plot to plot with the type of lettuce and the date of planting — it was like a living quilt!!

Before stopping in Dateland, Arizona, we stopped and walked through a couple of RV parks before asking for a space. Once again, we were amazed at how many little trailers are filling these parks, broken down and propped up by whirlygigs and chairs from Costco, sometimes held up by the most exotic vines. Some of the trailers look planted. We wonder why the RV parks advertise to rent the few spaces they seem to have. Of course, a smaller motor home could probably get into them easier than we can. We are learning how to assess funk, trying to establish a point system, so we can experience the most interesting places. Dateland has one park with the entrance marked by a saguaro cactus made out of beer cans and painted green, complete with a little sign that says “dear crossing.”

Ajo, Arizona is a charming, no longer prosperous little town about 70 miles above the Mexico border. With our new found wisdom, we parked the Bird at the IGA store, unhooked the little red car and toured the RV parks. Passing up Belly Acres, which looked a little tight for us, we spend 3-4 days at Shadow Hills or something park.

Another lesson was right there, real quick. Some of these parks are laid out so you have to pull in at a 90 degree angle, to get next to your lettle piece of cement. If they are spaced close together it takes a little bit of jockeying back and forth. Even without the car it’s tricky. The big lesson was for me: When I say stop, it takes a few feet before the Bird can actually come to a halt, no matter how many more times I shout stop, STOP!!! We didn’t hurt the 5th wheeler that we hit, but we dinged the Bird a little. Damn! It was really upsetting for me. The 5th wheeler had a little, well, actually big skirt thing, canvas wrap that covers the front end. The owners were sitting inside when we backed into them. They came out so fast it was scary. Dave and the 5th wheel people worked it all out easily. I went inside and had a beer then took a nap.

Dave drove the car off the dolly when he was loading it to tow (in Mesquite), and now I have guided him into a 5th wheel. Hopefully there are no more big lessons around the bend. It must sound like we are having a lot of trouble, with incidents like this and repairs. It doesn’t feel like it. We feel incredibly un-stressed and happy.

We were real touristy in Ajo — it was great. We took the scenic tours and went through the museum and bought the book about the local lady who was convicted of arson at age 60 and asked the judge if she could have one more day before she went to prison. The judge took pity on her, she wanted to make arrangements for her aged, ailing husband. Then she went home and killed him.

The 120 miles from Ajo to Tucson was really spectacular. The desert landscape is so strange and beautiful, not really blooming yet, although we saw desert poppies and some kind of smooth cholla just covered in buds. A few barrell cacti are blooming.

The sight that touched me the most along this route, much of it on the Tohono O’odam (formerly known as Papago) Indian Reservation, were the roadside memorials to the dead. I counted somewhere around 36 in 100 miles, most of them very colorful with straw flowers, plastic, even pictures on bright white crosses. There were also a lot of little shrines. Even the adopt-a-highway signs were predominantly in loving memory of someone. I couldn’t always see the adoptor actually cleaned up their stretch of highway in loving memory, but they often decorated the DOT pole and sign, wrapped it in sparkly ribbon.

We’re here in the A Bar A RV park in Marana, north of Tucson. Should have done a drive through before we paid for a week in this one. We’re so used to grass, or even weeds, in the northwest, that gravel sort of offends us. Even dirt ruts are better than gravel. This is a lot of gravel, right next to the railroad tracks (remember, the trains have to toot at the crossing), and we are parked next door to the Suggses with their barking dog.

Davey is getting in good bike rides with Pierce and Willene Cornelius and Bob and Donna Mathers. They are part of the very fit and active retirement community which is understandably drawn to this country. I was in hopes we could have them out to dinner, maybe a potluck spread on a picnic table under a nice tree on the little piece of grass that I must have TOTALLY imagined we would have in Tucson. The Suggses, all four of them, smoke, too. (Another lesson: Pay for one night, and then re-up for a week.)

We’re going to get together next week with our friends from Bend. I’m looking forward to seeing them. I had an unfortunate result with my most recent attempt to touch up my hair. (My first attempt was bad enough: Susie said very kindly, “Well, it’s a real pretty pink, Gramma.” So I’m hoping to get to a salon before then. Dave is kind, too, he likens it to a peach or salmon color (read orange). I actually had an appointment to get it fixed today, but after an hour and a half of driving, totally lost, I gave up.

There is a storm coming up from the Gulf of Mexico and a lot of flood warnings are out. We have been puzzled by all the road signs which say “do not enter when flooded.” Pierce explained to Dave that the many dips in these roads can quickly fill with water and while that isn’t always a problem in itself, many of these little arroyos or washes can fill with sand which flowed in with the water and THAT can be a problem. Hopefully this little storm will blow through without much rain.

We’ve been to Tombstone (loved it) and we’re planning a trip to Tubac for an artist’s exposition, and the Tucson Expo has a large Indian Arts exhibit we plan to catch. Lots to do in Tucson!

And we’re only about 150 miles from Truth or Consequences, NM! Dave says the Tor C elevation makes it not a good trip right now, but I’m comforted just being close! We’ll head up that way as spring comes on.

We send our best to all of you, with love,

Sam

PS: There are photos on the blog, if you are interested: http://www.swansonthego.com/gallery/index.php