On The Road Again - In Search For Warmer Weather

(Why, Arizona)  67 degrees, clear blue skies

On the road again heading towards the Organ Mountains - near Las Cruces NM

Our last evening at White Sands National Monument was spent with friends visiting from Indianapolis.  I belonged to a wonderful book club for about four years when we lived there and Kas was one of the members.  She is  very talented and designed the renovations we did to our home.  Her efforts helped us sell our home very quickly (two weeks to be exact).  Her son, Nick, helped us order a lap top for "the road" and an antenna for amplifying WYFI signals.  Their daughter shared here adventures as a seasonal employee at Yosemite.  She will return again next spring and helps build and maintain trails throughout the park. This family really enjoys visiting National Parks together and have been to about 28 so far.   It was great to see them and hear about their vacation. 

Last Sunset Stroll

They arrived just in time for my last Sunset Stroll.  It was a beautiful evening.  We have really enjoyed volunteering here at White Sands.  We will miss everyone and hope to return someday. 

John & I with the Vargo Family

We said goodbye the next morning to all the staff at White Sands and headed west.  Our first stop was Tucson Arizona and stayed at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Fam camp.  It is a great campground that has certainly expanded since our last visit.  In 2007, as we were preparing to become fulltimers, we attended a Life on Wheels conference in Tucson and visited the base to check out the fam camp.  We were just dreamers then and so anxious to some day be "on the road".  It is wonderful to be back and realize we had fulfilled one of our goals. 

Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of the campground due to catching a bad cold/flu.  It sort of knocked the wind out of my sails. 

Currently, we are in Why Arizona meeting up with some friends (Mal & Marsha)  we camphosted with at Lake Sheridan in South Dakota.  Why is a small town in southern Arizona very close to the Mexico border.  The town is not much to see, however, there is a lot to do in the area.  Mal and Marsha had told us about this "quirky" place during some fireside chats last summer.  We just had to come check it out. 

We arrived late in the afternoon and they quickly helped us settle in and invited us to dinner with their friends.  Marsha made the best pot of chili I have ever tasted.  Unfortunately, she does not use a recipie but her secret ingredient in molasses.  It was delicious. 

They have been coming to this area for about seven years.  We are staying at Coyote Howl a full hook up campground and they are across the road at an "annex" for boondockers.  Mal designed an elaborate solar panel system and this is their first year "off the grid".  It seems to suit them perfectly.  I'll post pictures soon.  They have a great view of the mountains and some pretty cool cactus.  The stars were amazing as it was a great evening sitting around the chiminea fire.

The next morning we went on a jeep trip to see some of the Sonoran desert.  It was beautiful. The plants and cactus are very interesting. 

Organ Pipe (left) & Saguaro (right) cactus

We drove through BLM land and then visited Ajo.  This is where most folks go in the area for groceries, shopping, and eating out. 

Ajo Visitor Center

We had a great lunch and then traveled to Organ Pipe National Monument.  We drove the Ajo Mountain 21 mile drive and saw some spectacular cactus and desert. It takes about two hours and we stopped often to take pictures and listen to the wind whipping across the desert. 

Teddy Bear Cholla

These Teddy Bear Cholla's may be cute, but beware!  They have hooked spines which can  attack you if you get too close. 

Saguaro Cactus

Marsha told us  the Saguaro Cactus have to be a least 75 years old before they grow an arm.  They grow very slowly and bloom at night in the spring. We hope to return to late March and see some of the desert in bloom. They have had more rain than normal and a ranger told us he thought it might be a good year for flowers. 

Organ Pipe Cactus

This namesake cactus for the park is amazing.  They are very tall and not found in many other areas.  We are so glad  President Roosevelt had the foresight to protect this place. 

Arch Canyon (note the rising moon)

Close up of double arch (caused by erosion)

We enjoyed this road trip and plan on returning in March.  The campground at Organ Pipe is wonderful.  The sites (no hookups) have level concrete pads and are beautifully landscaped. They could certainly accommodate a big rig and we have been told their ranger programs are great. 

More adventures await.  Check back soon.  A special thank you is sent out to our many followers.