Arizona Cruisin'

After leaving Joshua Tree we headed east into Arizona to visit with family in the Glendale area. We always enjoy seeing family who we don't see often, meeting new people and, of course, getting a first class tour of the area from the experts. It's a time when we can sit back for a while and really enjoy our stay without having to google our way around. Of course we also appreciate a washer and dryer that doesn't take coins, home cooked meals cooked in an oven and a much bigger bathroom than the one in our RV!

Enjoyed a great hike at White Tank Mountains with Aunt Diane

3000 year old petroglyphs could be seen in the rock faces all along the trail

       

We also enjoyed meeting up with Aunt Diane's friends for a 4 mile group hike. It was a spectacular trek through the desert and a great opportunity to see the various kinds of cacti that live here. 

                                      

And no family visit would be complete without a host of home cooked meals shared with family and friends. 

My father, Gary and Aunt Diane, and of course, Steve! Nothing like roast chicken dinner on our last night with savoury dressing from Newfoundland. 

It was nice to see Uncle Randy and share dinner with friends Gary and John!

After 5 days in Glendale we decided to head south and made a stop in iconic Tombstone. Known as the "Town Too Tough To Die", Tombstone got its start in 1871 as a silver mining claim. It became a bustling boomtown of the Wild West and provided entertainment to the miners in the way of saloons, theatres, brothels and casinos. It was fascinating to see the real places where gunslingers like Wyatt Earp engaged in brutal gun fights at places like the O.K. Corral and where the longest poker game in history took place. It ran for over 8 years, with $10 million dollars exchanging hands during that time. Our stroll along Allen Street took us back to another era where cowboy hats and stagecoaches were the norm and we became one with the heroes and villains of the day. 

It was also fun to take in a gunfight at a local saloon. These guys certainly seemed like the real deal. 

Though Tombstone is now very touristy it was interesting and relaxing and just a great place to visit!

After Tombstone, we continued south to Bisbee, Arizona and then looped back towards Kartchner Caverns and Tucson to visit the Titan Missile Museum. 

This was an awesome 1 hour guided tour of one of the most destructive weapons ever built. Watching a simulated launch was a literally terrifying experience even though the program was based on a peace by deterrence model.

Onwards to the North we go towards Winslow, Flagstaff and Sedona! Perhaps one of the nicer drives we have taken was along Highway 60 after leaving Globe, Arizona. I think you would agree that the Salt River Canyon was spectacular.

As the sun begins to set outside our trailer window at Meteor Crater RV Park, we are excited about the many sights and sounds yet to be explored in Arizona.