Bisbee, Tombstone and Kartchner Caverns

So it's been a while since we crossed into, visited and out of Arizona.  A week in fact.  We've been reacquainting ourselves with the Palm Desert area around the Palm Springs TT Park.  Actually more changes to the park than to the surrounding area...at least initially....but wait, I'm getting ahead of myself.

After leaving the Balloon Festival we headed south for beautiful downtown Deming New Mexico.  Stayed at our favorite chain hotel, Walmart, and we were off and running the next morning for St. David, Arizona.

It was nice to see desert again.  I love this particular area of Arizona just west over the border of New Mexico.  It's supposedly an area of high spiritual and UFO experiences.  This is the Dragoon Mountains also known for it's beautiful boulders upon boulders.

I took this picture and sent it on without even noticing the "UFO?" over the mountain range.  What do you think.  Bill says it's the windshield glare, but it's not in any other photos taken within seconds.

Finally arrived in Benson, AZ, and found the park in St. David, about 8 miles south on US 80.  Parked the rig and turned on the air and off we went to explore Tombstone.  Once the wildest and most lawless town in the West.  It didn't take much to get yourself shot in this town...at one time.

 

Tombstone hasn't changed much in 150 years.

We strolled around town, into a few shops, had lunch at Big Nose Kate's Saloon and headed further south to Bisbee.

Check out some of the names of people in this picture.  Some big names like Wyatt Earp, Teddy Roosevelt, Butch Casidy and the Sundance Kid.

Back in 1992 to 94 I lived in Bisbee, AZ in the Mule Mountains.

In 20 years since I left and moved to Washington those four little boxwood shrubs, about 2 feet high have flourished and are in sorry need of some pruning.  Why you can't barely see the house I lived in for all the shrubs.  It's not the same color either.  It looks a little candyass color to me.

I've always enjoyed the "look" of downtown Bisbee.  Very European.

We drove past the town down to the Lavender Pit.  Actually this pit was once a mountain higher than it is deep now.  A lot of copper was hauled out before Phelps Dodge closed down and took the town with it.  Today it is a struggling "artist colony" and hippy hangout.

Overlooking the downtown area as we head back towards Tombstone and Boothill.

Less than 20 miles north we returned through Tombstone and came to the Boothill Graveyard on the outskirt of town.

Boothill Graveyard is a legitimate graveyard but the "foundation for it's preservation" has sissyfied it and now it looks almost phony, but I know it's real but nothing like it use to look.

Ya'll have heard of the shoot out at the OK Corral?  Here's the after.  There's lots of interesting headstones but these are the main ones.

Worn out we returned to St. David and spent the rest of the day and night resting for our visit in the morning to Kartchner Caverns.  I couldn't figure out why I'd never heard of these caverns while I lived in Bisbee and then I found out because though they'd been discovered it was kept a secret for 14 years while the legal aspects and preservation precautions were set in place before it was mentioned to the public in 2002.  Eight years after I left Arizona.

Check out these huge grasshoppers.

I spotted a pretty little hummingbird in the trees and took a few pictures.

This entire area to the south and east of Tucson is absolutely beautiful.

Into the caverns we went.  The tour was a very well rehearsed adventure.  Through three air locks and humidifying chambers with thick steel doors we had to go before even coming near the cavern.

Eccentric called Helictites form in total defiance of gravity.  They drip up, out, sideways and around.  Scientist are still trying to figure this one out.  Oh by the way, no pictures were allowed once inside the cavern, so they forced me to "borrow" from their website.

I can't remember the names of all these stalactites but the ones below I believe are called straw...like in a straw for a drink not something you feed a cow or horse....not that I know what either of those eats.

So that was our visit to Kartchner Caverns.  Interesting but not nearly as interesting as Mammoth Caves in Kentucky or my so far favorite the Lewis and Clark Caverns in Montana.  Maybe if they'd kept the lid on the Kartchner Caverns a few more decades.....

Tomorrow we head to Yuma and who hasn't been there.  Bill is going into Algondones for crowns and fillings and I'm going for a shrimp taco.  We'll be in Palm Springs in 5 days.

Thanks for traveling along with us for so many months.  If we do anything more exciting than play pickleball or water aerobics or water volleyball we'll be letting ya'll know.  TTFN Susan

Dawn Patrol

This is all so exciting and sharing it with our friends makes it all the better.  BUT, this 5:30 a.m. stuff is getting old not to mention exhausting.  We ain't kids no more, eh?  However, except for Kay and Russ and Eddie and Judy, we were all up and on a shuttle to the launch field.

We walked somewhat aimlessly across the fields of grass in the direction we thought was the launch field.  Finally asked someone if we were heading in the right direction only to be told we were in the middle of it  Perfect.  Soon we spotted these undulating mounds in the distance.  It was pitch dark outside with no sign of the morning sun's plans on rising.  We approached the mounds and confirmed that they were indeed balloons in the early stages of morphing into air filled balloons.

These below are the six Dawn Patrol scouts.

Movement starting.

Upright

And we have the first of six liftoffs.

Then the followers.  Must have gotten the go ahead.  How lucky we are to see all this up close and personal but the wind report was from the south and all the balloons will head away from our rigs.  So we're lucky to be here.

The skies were lighting up. The wind was very still.  The balloons mostly just floated in place.

Weee, weeeeeeeeeee

Get in, get it, this puppy is leaving with or without you.

 

I think this stage coach of Wells Fargo will eventually get off the ground.

We headed for the shuttle bus to go  back to the rigs for breakfast and a nap.

The shuttle was too slow for us so we hitched a ride with Mama Andrettie.  She drove like a woman possessed with speed.  It was a fun ride and I feel lucky to have gotten two shots off the back while weaving and bouncing down the sidewalks.  I warned her I would be posting her in the blog.  Here she is.



Now to my friend Gretchen back in Washington, this picture is for you.  A beautiful quilt.

This was the end of the day basically.  That evenings events was once again canceled due to a repeat of the night before.  We were doubly lucky to have gone to the morning events.  Russ and Kay, and Eddie and Judy were sadly disappointed but there was still the fire works display.

The following morning was still and calm and we were planning to watch the Mass Ascension one last time before heading off in different directions.  We are heading south to Deming and then St. David.  Many of the gang are heading to Taos and then Santa Fe before going to Texas and some are heading back to Phoenix.

Another minor disappointment, the launch was on hold because of strong winds above.  It was a wait game so all of us decided to head out before the mass departure.

We all scattered to the winds.  What a wonderful time we had visiting with so many of the Lewis and Clark gang again.  A bucket list to check off and made so special with all of them there to share it with us.  Come back soon for more and again thanks for visiting.