Cascade Canyon on the Durange Colorado train

Hello, I keep trying this blog and finally it works!  Today was awesome!  We rode a train to Cascade Canyon (made in the 1800's).  We ate our lunch, watched the river rush by, and look at some of the most beautiful countryside I've ever seen.  It was totally awesome! I took so many pictures, but had to cut out a few.  There was a couple on the train that sat near us.  You think I TALK???  That woman can talk!  I loved lunch just to be able to take a break.  She was very interesting and very ADD/ADHD!  There was an open car so we could go outside and take the most beautiful pictures.  Here are some of them. 

Train Station

It was really cold!

 Beautiful River

 

Really neat train!

Can you believe how close the rock wall is??

This is a private lake...

Snow on the mountains

Grand Canyon

Hello Everyone!
  We are finally at a place, Cortez Colorado, where I can actually have internet and work on this blog!  It is quite cold and windy here.  Glad to be stopped and in my nice warm RV!  29 degrees tonight!!!
   We have talked to the KOA Ouray where we will work next week, and there is still snow all over the place there.  We'll have to park across the creek until the snow melts away.  Ugh!  Oh well, I work inside with Reservations and the Store so I'm good.  Burl is doing security, but not until we have people!
   I have to say that the Grand Canyon is beyond words.  I always saw pictures and it was pretty, but now that I've been there, walked a little in it and around the South Rim, I am amazed! I have my pictures on Snapfish, but will put a few up here.  Some of my favorites. 

Looking through to the Canyon

South Rim

Add caption

Burl holding the Pinon Shell

Standing in front of the Canyon

Okay, We are finally in a coffee shop that allows free internet!  We are in the Grand Canyon and it is unbelievable.  We are with friends, Jane and Jerry Riley, from Lakeland, FL but are also full-time RVers. 
Our first day my back was sore from an early adjustment.  So this was my first sight of the canyon.

Maybe my pictures are working!!!  YAY for me!!!  The Greek Orthodox Church

Greek Orthodox Church...

Chapel     There are many chapels

Chapel

Casa Grande National Monument

Saguaro Cacti

Where the Indians slept

The Ruins protected...

Cactus... purple

More Saguaro

 

Hi Everyone!
We are finally back to our original post.  Hope you all enjoy our times on the road.  We have left New Mexico and are now in Arizona.  We started off in Tucson and that was a nightmare!  The site they had us in was hardly as big as our rig!  That spells Catastrophe!  But all in all we are fine but were so glad to get out of there.  However we did see some wonderful sights.  For example, the Saguaro National Park.  We have also visited the Living Desert and Zoo which is so fascinating.  I would add pictures, but the Internet Explorer keeps kicking me off when I try to add pictures.  Maybe one of you smart people out there will be able to give me some clues as to how to get rid of Internet Explorer!
Another fun place we went was Tombstone.  We visited the Boot Hill Cemetery and then went to a local saloon for some lunch and beverage. 
In Tucson we also saw San Xavia Plaza and the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.  I have pictures of all of these.  Hopefully I'll find a way to show you. 
We are now in Casa Grande, which is half way between Phoenix and Tucson.  I think we have found our retirement place when we get off the road.  It gets really hot here in the summer, so we'll head East for the summers.  The kids will have to share us :) 
We were planning on staying here a few days but it will be about 10 when we leave on Saturday.  We'll head to Cottonwood, AZ to the Dead Horse Ranch State Park.  We'll be there about 5 days and then head to the Grand Canyon.  Maybe by then I'll be able to add pictures to my blog. 
Keep in touch.  My email address is:   djpart1230@yahoo.com  or djpart1230@gmail.com    I no longer have Facebook as it caused me 18 virus' and cost me $400!  Have a great week!

 

Las Cruces, New Mexico

Hello.  This has been such a wonderful weekend!  We have seen such wonderful things and done some awesome things as well.  We decided to get away for a couple of days so we headed south to Las Cruces, which is about 70 miles from Truth or Consequences.  

Friday:  As we were entering Las Cruces, we saw the sign to White Sands Monument so we headed in that direction.  We had friends who visited that place last week and highly suggested we see it.  It was a nice ride, seeing the mountains all around us.  As we looked ahead we saw we needed to go OVER the mountain and I got nervous.  However, as we drove, the mountains separated and we drove between them!  Then there was a sign that said Entering White Sands Missile Range.  That was cool!  So all we saw was DESERT and more DESERT.  Nothing… Not even animals!  But about 20 miles down the road there was a sign that said White Sands Museum.  WE love museums, so we headed off in that direction.  The more we drove, the more I wondered if we were going somewhere where we shouldn’t be going… but finally, it said we needed an ID to enter the White Sands Military Base!  That excited both of us.  We love Commissary’s and were hoping they had one.  Sure enough.. they did and we wandered around it for about 45 minutes.  Then when we came out, we saw the Missile Museum.  Now THAT was fascinating!  We walked all through it seeing different types of missiles, rockets, Howitzers and bombs.  The atomic bomb that dropped on Nagasaki!  It was so interesting and I took pictures, of course!

 

 

 

When we finally left there, we headed to the White Sands Monument.  We drove and drove for 30 miles when we saw the entrance to the National Park.  I was waiting to see a “monument” until I realized the White Sand was the monument!  It is so beautiful!  The longer we drove the more White Sand we saw.  It actually looks like SNOW!  We got out and took a 1 mile hike through the White Sands.  It was fascinating.  Pictures and more pictures!

 

When we left the White Sands, we went to the Visitor Center.  We saw a video of how the White Sands was many, many years ago.  It was so interesting, I bought the DVD!!  Its hard to believe there was a time when there was so much water over the White Sands during the Monsoon period.  Now, they are in such a drought.  It truly is sad. 

When we left there we headed out to eat at Furrs Buffet.  If you ever see one, stop and eat there.  Fabulous food!  Oh, along the way, we stopped at Kohl’s and Burl was very generous buying me an outfit for church.  He is so sweet!

Saturday:  We got up, went to the Farmers Market and then headed to Mesilla, pronounced Mesea (2 LL’s make a y). Here is some history.

After 1800, the vicinity of Mesilla was a camping and foraging spot for both Spaniards and Mexicans. It wasn't until after the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 that the first permanent settlers came to Mesilla to make it their home. By 1850, Mesilla was a firmly established colony.  In 1854, the village, being closer to the fort than either Las Cruces or Dona Ana, became the supply center for the garrisoned troops, providing entertainment, food, hay and building materials. The Mexican inhabitants of Mesilla also provided the knowledge needed to build a fort of adobe. The colony of Mesilla flourished. It was a major stop on the crossroads of the Chihuahua Trail, and now the fort demanded items Easterners were accustomed to having. Business prospered and Anglo merchants such as Fountain, Reynolds, Griggs, and Bean, many of whom had come with the first armies were among those who reaped the profits of commerce. In 1854, The Gadsden Purchase declared Mesilla officially part of the United States. As Mesilla was the most important community in this parcel, the treaty was consummated by the raising of the American flag on the town plaza with much ceremony on November 16, 1854.

We walked all around and I found some of the most darling shops.  Of course, I shopped!  I bought some long skirts that will fit perfectly around this Mexican area.  I love it!  We saw a beautiful church, but I guess either a wedding or service had just taken place, so I didn’t feel good about going inside. We walked around and saw lots of neat things.  I’ll have pictures to show you.  Then we went to Applebee’s and more shopping.  Nothing of interest.  We finally headed home about 4:30.  We had such a great time.