Picking Up The Pieces...

It's been a while since Julie and I posted our adventures on the blog. It came to a screeching halt last fall as many of you know. But life moves on and we have to also...

We didn't get to post a lot of the pictures Julie took in Oklahoma, so here they are.

Tulsa

Jeanne, Julie and the "Boys"

The picture above of Jeanne (on the left), and the future Mrs. Nardozzi (on the right), at their High School Graduation from MASH. The two boys are Melvin and Andrew.

This was dinner on our first night in Tulsa, with Jeanne and her son Kyle.

Jeanne's mom, Fay (A pistol if there ever was one), and the three of us at the Puffin for dinner.

The Riverwalk, a pretty neat place. Not much open while there. Julie talks me into riding flipper at the Aquarium. Captain Skippy telling us which way to the bar.

Julie performing dentistry on Jaws, while these promiscuous turtles are doing turtle things.

The Gathering place is rated one of the very best public parks in the nation and for good reason. The beach chairs rest among treed backgrounds and sandy lake fronts. A place to relax watch wildlife or take a nap. The steel birds are slides for kids. The playground is acres of fun. And while you're asking, Julie beat up two kids, went in and slid down!

Jeanne treated us to a tour of the Philbrook Museum. Well worth visiting and the grounds are spectacular. Never got the name of the guy in the bottom right image.

On our last night in Tulsa, Jeanne's son Kyle hosted a party. Pictured with Julie on top left is Shannon, Jeanne's daughter. The guy in the yellow shirt is Joe Gallien, father to Shannon and Kyle and a close friend to Jeanne. (Jeanne and Joe were married once upon a time and have stayed close all through the years.)

Oklahoma City

We've never experienced a tornado until we arrived on the outskirts of Oklahoma City. Two times we went into this concrete bunker and were joined by about 6 other people and a few hundred pets. The first warning was about a touchdown 30 miles from us, at 6AM. Thankfully, people still wear PJ's.

We camped at the foot of the Sandia Mountains, which we didn't get to explore much, but again, Julie's pictures. We did however, get a chance to hike among Petroglyphs that were thousands of years old.

Tucson is where I left the Puffin while back in New Hampshire. A huge thanks go to my cousin, Joanne Basini Filipo and her husband Frank for their generosity and care, taking me to the airport and then, eventually, picking us both up upon return to Tucson and then opening their home to Julie and I. We are grateful for their hospitality and kindness.

So this is where we started getting back to exploring the country...

Arizona

We left Tucson and traveled to Palm Creek RV Resort in Casa Grande. We were blown away by the size of the facility, as it is a mixture of Park Model homes and RV sites that is the largest we've ever seen.

In the middle of the main entry into the park (they have two entrances), there is a par three golf course. There were at least 4 pools and a variety of mail, bathhouse, laundry facilities besides the main area. The roads are a bit narrow, but RV sites are wide and well equipped. At the main complex, they have a library, pool hall, an indoor cafe, outside cafe complete with entertainment on some nights. In addition, they have so many different crafts to partake in, which is ongoing and earns the joke reference that you never have to leave the park. There's Pickleball, which is a big thing and pretty competitive, softball leagues, horseshoes, clubs galore, a massive woodworking facility and I'm guessing I didn't cover everything there is to do.

Our street was comprised of a lot of friends that keep coming back year after year. Ages are mixed, but they come from all over the west and there are a ton of Canadiens. They like to party, so there was ample time to get together and we did party. Really nice people and everyone was ready to lend a hand with whatever you needed.

My youngest daughters in-laws stay there and of course we spent time with them. They're truly nice people and a lot of fun. We really enjoy them and understand how my son-in-law is such a good man... his parents.

Casa Grande is approximately 1/2 way between Phoenix and Tucson. To get to serious shopping, Casa Grande has it... shopping malls, Walmart and every RV'ers dream, Dollar General. And Casa Grande has every fast food restaurant you can think of, plus the run of Applebees, Texas Road House, Denny's IHOP, among others. Some of the local smaller restaurants were okay, but you could actually get live lobsters in Casa Grande!

Earlier, we talked about the Filipo's. Since I was a kid in Connecticut, I would go to Long Island, NY with my family to hang out with the Basini family. Always fun times and there's a lot of history between Joanne's mother and mine, but that's another story for another time. So while in LI, we would go to see Franks' band play. They could play everything you heard on the radio and were good. Frank is an accomplished musician and over the years, his catalog of music has expanded to every genre. His collection of guitars has also grown and he has a special room in his home for them. No longer in a band, he's a freelance guitarist and is asked to play in other groups with really great musicians. One such night was in Patagonia, Arizona. Okay, it's a very small town and venue was outside with space heaters, blankets, jackets and an array of people, dogs and kids. The town population was small, but they came out for the music and brother, did it rock. Dancing, singing and just a fabulous vibe. Julie and I were transfixed by the lead singer and band organizer, Connie Braddock. Diminutive in stature, but nuclear in her energy, she's funny, engaging and had a set of pipes that won't quit. Beautiful ballads to James Brown. Tight funk and you were transformed to happiness. If ever in the Tucson area, there is a vibrant music scene and these are the names to look for. We had a blast.

These two bottom images are where Joanne, Frank, Julie and I ate dinner after Patagonia. Good food, great laughs and company. The two guys were all about playing country music and yes, Frank knew the songs and sang along!

One evening, we went to Goodyear to see the Balloon Festival. A huge empty field where the balloons arrive before sunset, unpack their gear and assemble it. It's a weird thing to watch and balloonists aren't shy to ask for help, so yeah, I can count assembling a hot air balloon on my resume.

When it gets dark, the balloons fill up with hot air and hover. To be honest, we thought the balloons would go up and give people rides which now, doesn't make a lot of sense. Maybe rethink adding the new skill to my resume.

We made plans to leave the Puffin in Casa Grande and go to Sedona and then on to the Grand Canyon. The trip took us on back roads up mountains that posted speed limits of 65~70 MPH, that included sweeping switchbacks, no guardrails and sure, Julie and I were afraid of going over the edge down into a ravine never to be found. We got to Payson where the road north dropped from four lanes separated by median dividers to two lanes. Then we hit 4 3/4 winter weather. White out conditions, high winds, rain, sleet, sunshine, hail, snow and began to think the trip wasn't worth it, but we were less than an hour and the thought of turning back was not so attractive.

Sedona

We cut across a ridge and entered into the Sedona area. The immediate change of geography was like a slap in the head - all at once, with red rocks towering on each side of the highway in a variety of shapes. There aren't enough adjectives to describe the beauty of the area.

We lodged at a bread and breakfast, The Inn Above Oak Creek right off State Route 179. It was dark by the time we got there so dinner was at a restaurant within walking distance called Hudson at Hillside. Very upscale, great menu and good service. We ate at the bar and returned to the B&B properly fed and watered.

Below the B&B on the river

The next day we ate at the Garden Cafe, which is in a small shopping center called Tlaquepaque Arts and Crafts Village. A collection of artisans, restaurants and more in a very cool store fronts that speak to the early history of Sedona. But the only problem was coffee. Nobody in Sedona knows how to make a bold cup of black coffee. We'd found a specialty coffee roaster across the street and asked for a large cup of strong black coffee. The barrister said they were out, but they had just brewed a fresh batch of some delightful coffee with notes of... what? We don't want coffee that sings. Please, just a cup of black coffee.

Sedona is quite a place. Very upscale and very expensive. The people that work there apparently can't afford to live there. We learned this from eating at some bars, the jeep tour in the desert and one of the interesting observations was from our guide, who spoke to the beauty of the area and the realities of what Sedona has become. He mentioned that at the end of a work day, Sedona was the last place he'd go for a beer, as there was no feeling of being a regular. We were lucky for the time of year we visited, as it was cold and some snow, which is off season. As the weather warms, tourism swells to the point that traffic is bumper to bumper and it could take 45 minutes to an hour to travel a mile. Sedona appears to be a mostly Air B&B community... if you ask the locals.

Hiking trails are in abundance and Bell Rock wasn't far from the air B&B, so we spent a day climbing all over the rocks before we knew we were half way to the summit. We took a trail that surrounds the whole place and in all, we hiked close to 10 miles. Eating was a mixed bag, as one restaurant advertised good Italian food... it wasn't. We also ate at an old Cowboy restaurant, which was fabulous - even had fried cactus... first & last time.

Julie shows off her mountain goat skills!

The area is near Cliff Dwellings, Montezuma's Castle, which was home to the Sinagua people that dates back to 1100 ~ 1400. It has been meticulously restored to provide a glimpse into what life was like. No one can say for certain why the tribe left or what happened... theories mostly. Still, the ruins are spectacular and worth the trip. A short drive from the castle is Montezuma's Well, which is equally impressive and feeds Beaver Creek that flows past the castle. It was important to the sustenance of life and central to the lives of the Sinagua and Hohokam. It dawns on you that the history of the southwest is rich, complex and extraordinarily beautiful.

Pink Jeeps

Pink Jeep tours are recommended and appeals to all levels of adventuring into the desert. Some climb the rocks ascending to the tops of formations, while others explore the desert floor below. I opted for desert floor, while Julie wouldn't have minded a more challenging tour. So desert floor it was and the best part was a mix of us being the only people in the jeep, as well as out tour guide. Steve told us about the costs of living in and outside Sedona, as well as the desert wildlife, trade and growth. It was fascinating and we thank him for making it seem as we were special guests. It was fun and worth the time and expense.

Williams to the Grand Canyon

We left Sedona and continued traveling back roads heading to Williams, AZ that is home to a railroad hotel that takes you to the Grand Canyon park and back. We've already established that the drive from Casa Grande to Sedona was scary, large switchbacks, no guard rails and speed limits that seemed better suited to a drag strip. Nothing prepared us for this segment of our journey. Steepest mountain grades, hairpin switchbacks and 10 MPH speed limits. I stopped two, perhaps three times to let the speeders fly by at 15MPH. Serious white knuckle experience. But we made it despite looking on the truck floor for my heart.

Williams is a tiny town with a small downtown of eateries, jewelry stores and other souvenir shops, along with a lot of hotels. We'd decided to stay at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, as they package accommodations, the train trip and choices of how long you'd stay and return. We opted for staying a night, taking the train to the Canyon the next day, staying in the canyon overnight, then returning via train the next day.

Before leaving, we were treated to a gun fight near the depot, where the Cataract Creek Gang mixes it up with the towns sheriff.

The train ride lasts for about 2 1/2 hours, passing through wide open fields until the last 1/2 mile or so when entering the park. We took the roof viewing car, that had small bites, coffee and juices and cocktails if you wanted. Our car was not at all full, so conversations with other passengers flowed easily and found that we weren't the only RV'ers. Our suitcases were delivered to the Maswick Lodge, which is where we spent the night. It's clean and a decent place to stay if you want to lodge next to the canyon. But we spent most of the day walking the south rim, having some lunch and completely mesmerized by the canyon. We know people who have camped on the canyon floor, hiked the trails or ridden burros to get there, but frankly, the fear of heights is not the best place to be if you're walking around. There aren't any escalators or elevators.

Julie's brother, Andrew is an accomplished hiker. He's hiked here in the Canyon, all the 4,000 footers in New England and a variety of other states and mountains. He suggested Bright Angel trail, as it would be easiest, but also recommended a couple things that were serious. Water, carry it with you. and time yourself to go 10~15 minutes in, turn around and climb out. He knows we're not as experienced, could be in better shape and decided that safety was his top concern. He was right.

Lobster & More Tucson

Toward the end of February, Julie wanted to treat me to a birthday dinner - something special and also somewhere we'd not gone. I mentioned earlier that a restaurant in Casa Grande had live lobsters that they'd cook and absolutely, let's get it on!. So we went to the Angry Crab Shack. We ordered charred oysters with parmesan cheese, which were not fresh, probably stored in the rubber band bin and honestly were not good. Julie passed on this delicacy. Something about disgusting. But no worries, lobsters are on the way...

I should have known something wasn't right when the waitress brought a pint of drawn butter, which really wasn't butter at all. So the lobster comes and there is only a nutcracker and no pick. But they did give you a pair of scissors. I always crack open Julie's, as the hard shells hurt her hands. Well, I don't know how they did it, but they managed to stuff the shells with cardboard And the scissors? I'm not a barber and can't remember the last time I saw a lobster in a barbers chair.

The waitress was a really good sport and listened to us talk about what they served. Really overcooked and she apologized and then the assistant manager shows up, who also was patient and apologized profusely. Look, we're not lobster snobs, but we have had them, cooked them everywhere... on the beach, at parties and know how to buy, prepare and eat them. Scissors? They were actually really good sports about everything and we spent a little time explaining how lobsters should be prepared - but the real lobster dinner will have to wait until we make it back to Ogunquit.

So now we head back to Tucson to spend time with Frank and Joanne, visit the Sonoran Desert Museum and then go to a club to listen to a different band Frank was appearing with. As we walk into their house, there is my niece Jenny, her daughter Maryanne and Jenny's good friend Jesse. I thought how cool is this. I turn around again and standing there is my sister Edna, who had flown from the east coast for my birthday. It was quite a surprise and a really happy time. For once, I was truly speechless. At least for a little bit.

We took two vehicles to head over Gate pass on the way to the museum and the roads were winding and steep, but not like on the way to the Canyon.

From left to right... Maryanne, Jenny, Me, Julie, Frank & Joanne, Eddie & Jesse

Jenny & Maryanne

Jenny and Maryanne live in Chandler, AZ. Jenny is my brother's daughter and Maryanne is her daughter. They had come to Casa Grande to spend an afternoon and we had a lot of food and fun. Maryanne kept her dads last name, Farkas and is a name that will etch itself, as she's a very smart and very involved with video production, as well as being a mentor to a lot of kids in the community. Her mom, is also dedicated to helping others; she's kind of a den mother to foreign student that come to learn, but feel lonely and homesick. She's hosting them at her home all the time and it makes you feel good that caring for others fuels her passion.

One afternoon, Julie and I ventured to Jenny's house and walked to Chandler for lunch and exploring the area. A lot of food places and shopping. Pictured above is Jenny who told me that we couldn't bring the Ostrich home. A really fun day!

We explored old forts in Casa Grande, ate dinner at a lot of interesting places and there will be more places, photos and experiences in the next blog... this is all for now.