Day 136 – Saturday, November 9, 2013

Our goal today was to drive from Quartzite, through Phoenix, to Queens Creek. We were scheduled to camp at Schnepf Farms so we could meet up with some friends that are arriving tomorrow. Stay tuned to find out who. Julie notes `We`re excited! Spoiler alert – It isn`t Norm.”

Before we left Quartzite though, we had been advised to try Sweet Darlene’s Restaurant and Bakery. It is ranked #9 of 19 restaurants in Quartzite so we did not have high hopes but actually the breakfast was really good. It is located in a steel Quonset type building and in a completely fenced compound. Julie notes “Yes the breakfast was great, the interior decorated nicely with memorabilia, everything was clean and the waitress very strict but efficient (she would work well as the no nonsense principal of the `Old Schoolhouse Restaurant` in Cottonwood, if she ever gives up her day job here.) She has been working as a waitress for 57 years and knows her stuff. We left happy with a full tummy but still wondering who `Sweet Darlene` might be.”

It was then onto I-10 for the 2 hour drive into Phoenix and then on to Queens Creek, AZ.

Julie had some mail to send and the Quartzite Post Office is pretty handy. Julie notes `Yes some of you will be receiving some cards mailed from HQ. Not Head Quarters this time or Husband Quentin but Hot Quartzite.”

Then to Sweet Darlene’s for some breaky.

Julie notes “Our waitress is directly to my right isn`t she? I am going to sit up straight and behave myself then as I wait for my breakfast. Shush! No whispering or passing notes!”

The I-10 drive eastbound towards Phoenix through the desert. Julie notes “Beautiful drive as the mountains change colour and shapes as the light and haze and our position shift. Lots of crazy cacti but no windmills. Sorry.”

Driving the I-10 through Phoenix. Julie notes “Are those our friends in that plane up ahead? No, one more sleep!”

After having an afternoon snooze with the air conditioner running because it was in the mid 30C’s, we headed out for some dinner at Uncle Bear’s Grill & Bar. The other reason to run the A/C was to drown out the noise from the remote controlled helicopter flying competition in a field on one side and a tractor show in the field on the other side. J Julie notes “We couldn`t have planned this if we tried. And to those enthusiasts out there, model airplane and helicopter flying is not really a spectator sport. Do not record it to take it home to show your significant other or wow your friends. Unless like the other day, your plane goes crazy and takes a nose dive into a cactus. Now that was funny and a recordable moment. But unfortunately only the operator, the cactus and I saw that.”

I enjoyed a Guiness and Julie had the Horn Dog Margarita – one of the house specialties – mostly dog related. The food was good and the atmosphere is good but the service was pretty poor. Julie notes “You get a big dog dish of peanuts on your table for starters and the walls are covered with pet dog pictures and dog pound fencing around the booth tops. Cute place, good food, just needs some tips on service. Hence their tips would improve. Throw a dog a bone so to speak. Not necessarily obedience training but maybe a visit from the Dog Whisperer. Luckily we didn`t lay down with dogs and get up with fleas, we think. But we were nice and didn`t bite the hand that fed us. Dog gone it, I think I am at the end of this leash and I better stop before I end up in the dog house.”

Julie sharing her margarita with Man’s Best Friend. Julie notes “You can lead a dog to water but you can`t get him to drink a Horn Dog margarita.”

We ordered some Hot and Honey wings to share and we each got a salad.

It was then back to Schnepf Farms campground for the night. Julie notes “Okay say that 5 times fast. I am thinking our friends the Scheopps were perhaps originally the Schnepfs but changed their name to make it easier to pronounce. Can you back me up on this Nathan? And then maybe suggest it to your southern relatives.”

…over and out, the muleskinner and his sidekick

Julie notes “Oh I hope I can sleep! Big day tomorrow! Guess who arrives! Hope they remember we are not nearly as entertaining in person as we pretend to be in blog land. Now off to dreamland.”

Day 135 – Friday, November 8, 2013

It is really hard to believe that our #1 daughter was born 31 years ago today. I remember it was a Monday and Julie’s due date. I was getting ready for work and said to Julie that she should go into labour on her due date so that I wouldn’t have to go to work. And what do you know? Before I left, she was in labour and we were off to the hospital. After a gruelling 15 hours, our little Jaime Nicole was born at 10:57 PM on Monday, November 8, 1982. We have been very proud of her ever since. She is a caring, compassionate, loving person who enjoys to the fullest everything that she undertakes. A parent cannot ask for more than that. Julie notes “I will add ‘smart, creative, funny and a dancer too’ to the long list of qualities that make her the wonderful gal we love. All of this despite being the first born and as my mother used to say ‘our first experiment.’ Love you Jaime and can still remember the minute you popped into this world with the help of those tiny forceps. (Ouch!) Although that may have been the last time you were right on time. J”

Jaime Nicole Emond – 2 days old.

And just so Kristin and Emily don’t get too upset, Jaime is the #1 born daughter. You three can fight it out as to who is the number 1 daughter overall. J Julie notes “There is a lot at stake. Whoever is the overall winner gets to care for us in our old age. Perhaps some Hunger Games competition to decide the winner of that great honour? May the odds always be in your favour.”

Today was a slow news day otherwise. We relaxed in the desert pretty much all day. We started the day with toasted bagels, poached eggs, ham, and cheese (for me). A delicious way to start the day. We had some nachos and salsa at lunch and then left over spaghetti and sauce for supper. Julie notes “Our new motto has been eat it up, pack it up, give it up and as you’ll see below, burn it up. We are downsizing for the next trek of our journey.”

The temperature reached 29C and was clear and sunny despite JimBob OG’s (Julie notes “Oh Golly!) prediction of dark clouds. He is still adjusting to the altitude. From over 7,000′ to around 800′ above sea level is making it hard for him to predict weather trends. Julie notes “It is 29 C and he is still wearing a sweater. Although our Jim Bob was very hairy so maybe that’s NOT a sweater after all? At least he’s not wearing socks in sandals though eh Karen P?”

Julie’s view of the world for most of the day. Julie notes “Ahhhhhhh….”

I had purchased a nice little RV rake yesterday at one of the Quartzite shops. It is very compact but a little hard to rake with.

Then I realized my $6.95 purchase actually unfolds into a full size rake. Nice. Julie notes “Maybe I should add ‘rake it up’ to the list.”

We ended the day with another fire and I’m sad to say, the last of my firewood. Julie notes “With a little added left over charcoal… burn it up.”

We still had time on our hands and this is the best entertainment we could come up with. OK, OK, I told you it was a slow news day! Julie notes “Still not sure why we never have neighbours parking near us? It’s a mystery.”

…over and out, the muleskinner and his sidekick

Julie notes “Cheers Jaime Nicole. You were named after your Grandpa James and he’s left his candle still blazing up there in the sky for you!”

Day 134 – Thursday, November 7, 2013

We woke up this morning in the middle of the Quartzite desert. The weather here is very dry. It gets cool at night but is very warm during the day. High 20C’s to low 30C’s and bright sunshine. The night sky is very clear with a good view of the planet Venus (as Julie discovered yesterday). Julie notes “Or Dad is having trouble blowing out his candles?”

We decided to drive into Quartzite for a late breakfast at Times Three Family Restaurant. The waitress was a classic diner waitress and the owner very friendly and the food was homemade. Service is a bit slow but we were not in a big hurry. Julie notes “Glenna knows the way to a man’s heart alright, lots of good food and calling him ‘honey’ and ‘sweetheart’ and ‘lovey’ doesn’t seem to hurt. I suppose I could try it, right Sweetheart?”

We then ventured on to the Chamber of Commerce office to get some local information and maps. We found a few of the swap meet/flea market/show areas and shopped around for a bit. I made a few purchases at the first stop and Julie made a few purchases at the second. I can’t say what we bought because Christmas is so close and who doesn’t want something from Quartzite flea markets? Julie notes “Hopefully the fleas survive until Christmas, ‘Honey’. (Just seeing if that pet name will ‘stick’.)” We headed over to the world famous bookstore “Reader’s Oasis” so Julie could meet the owner. Julie notes “We convinced each other, right Darling, that we needed to do this for our readers. And it’s amazing how quickly one gets comfortable and we spent quite a bit of time meandering amongst the stacks of well-organized and abundant tomes, encountering the scantily clad proprietor at various turns.”

We drove north of town to check out another BLM camping area at the Hi Jolly area but both agreed we liked our spot at the Road Runner area better. Julie notes “Yes Sugar, we said ‘Bye Jolly and raced back to Roadrunner, Beep, Beep, Varoom!” We came back to “our” spot and enjoyed the sunshine, warm temperature, and desert for the afternoon. I made a big pot of spaghetti and wild mushroom, red pepper, meat sauce for supper. It was really good if I don’t say so myself. Julie notes “It was delicious Lovey!” We also enjoyed sitting around another fire at sunset with a glass of wine. Ah, the good life! Julie notes “Neil Diamond serenaded us with ‘Red, red wine’ as we sat down for supper.”

Times Three Family Restaurant for breakfast.

Julie had the French toast with sausage. Julie notes “Oh can you see that puddle of melted butter? Glorious. FYI this is not touted as a health wise restaurant.”

I had the bone-in ham with poached eggs and real hashbrowns and sourdough toast. Julie notes “It looks artistic with the bite of toast and the broken egg but truth is he just couldn’t wait the few seconds it took to get the camera out before sampling it.”

Downtown Q also has a windmill for your viewing pleasure. Julie notes “It has 2 actually but this was the money shot.”

Julie posing with the owner of the Reader’s Oasis bookstore, Paul Winer, nudist and Quartzite celebrity. Exactly where is her left hand anyways? Julie notes “Checking for a back pocket? (My natural pickpocket instinct kicking in.) Checking for the invisible string that holds things together? Admiring the overall tan with my hand? Checking to see if he’s been keeping up with that ‘Buns of Steel’ workout video that was on sale inside? Doing a medical inspection for any abnormal moles that he can’t see but should get checked out. (A lot of sun exposure is not good for you.) Looking for my cell phone. (I’m sure this is the leathery purse I popped it in for safe keeping.) The truth is one of these people had too many clothes on and one perhaps not enough. Thanks for the adventure and the great finds Paul and we encourage everyone to go buy something here while they are in Quartzite to keep things afloat, so to speak.”

Blending in with our surroundings. Julie notes “Can you pick us out? (Or should that be ‘prickle’ us out?) Look carefully.”

Cheers! Julie notes “Now that peace sign cactus is giving me giant bunny ears. What a character!”

…over and out, the muleskinner and his sidekick

Julie notes “I think I will stick with my usual names for the Windmill Man. Even if he may deserve them sometimes, all those sweet names are making me fat. (That must be what’s causing it.)

Day 133 – Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Today, November 6, was Julie’s Dad’s, James David Holmes, birthday. He would have been 83. There was a lot of reminiscing throughout the whole family. Also, many tears were shed and much laughter shared by having so many good memories. Miss you Jim. Julie notes “We celebrated in grand style Dad. You would’ve loved this drive today. (Sisters Janet and Suze not so much, even though the guardrails were plentiful.) And the iTunes didn’t let us down with lots appropriate mountain, driving, living and loving and ‘missing you’ kind of tunes. Of note, Krista once again beautifully sang ‘Wind Beneath My Wings’, Bob Seeger made us aware of the impressive surroundings with ‘Like a Rock’ and we had just settled into the campground when dad’s favourite song ‘Oh Canada’ brought us all to attention. (Yes I have Oh Canada on my iTunes and you should too!”

Today we left Cottonwood and headed southwest towards Quartzite, AZ., Q, as it’s known, is a small town in the desert of southwestern Arizona at the junction of I-10 and Highway 95. It is well known in the RV world for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) dispersed camping areas that surround Quartzite and also because of the warm dry winter weather. January and February are especially popular because of the Gem and Rock shows. It is estimated over 1,000,000 RVs visit Quartzite every winter. Julie notes “Notice how casually he talks about this. I have heard for years about this dream destination of his so he was fairly giddy the closer we got to Q. (This is probably how Kelly H. feels the closer she gets to her HQ (Husband Quentin).”

The route we chose was a secondary highway, 89A, through Jerome to Prescott, AZ. Highway 89A is known as the Mingus Mountain Scenic Road and we now see why. We then continued southwest on mostly secondary highways. Julie notes “I see has forgotten to mention that he drove most of this first part of the windy trail without his ToeMogeAh in gear. For those of you who don’t speak Kelly and Quinn Montgomery-ese, this means Tow Haul Mode. Boy did he feels silly.”

We stopped in Prescott for lunch at the highly rated Bill’s Pizza. It is a great little place in the touristy area of Prescott, with great food in a fun atmosphere. There are a lot of neat little towns we will need to come back and explore later; places like Cottonwood, Jerome, and Prescott all seem like neat places to re-visit. Julie notes “Okay, this was an awesome place with great food and very friendly and funny service from Derrick, our waiter. Derrick told us his name at least twice and we heard him announce it as many as 10 times as new customers entered the restaurant. Brad called him by his name, Derrick, to take our order. At the end of our visit I leave Brad alone for 2 minutes while I used the facilities and he says to Derrick while he is paying the tab, ‘So are you the Bill of Bill’s Pizza?’ Then Brad explains to me as we are leaving that that is not Bill the owner but he is great at his job. And I’m looking at him in my sexy but quizzical way and said ‘Who are you talking about? You mean Derrick?’ And he gets that look and says ‘Oh yes, I guess he did mention his name now that you mention it.’ Honestly! 2 minutes, I swear, and he has them thinking they should call the little men with the white jackets.”

We fueled up after we arrived in Quartzite and then headed out into the desert to find our perfect camping spot. We choose the short-term visitor area known as Road Runner. We have acres and acres of beautiful desert to ourselves. Luckily, Julie let me buy more firewood in Prescott and we had a nice fire as we watched the sunset.

A revitalized street in the old Cottonwood area. Lots of restaurants and shops and funky little places. Julie notes “and wine tasting boutiques.”

Entering Jerome after the climb up the mountainside. A former copper mining town that has been revitalized as a tourist town with B&B’s, restaurants and shops. Julie notes “This looked like a fun, bustling little town, clinging to the side of a mountain. Adding it to the ‘hope to be back to visit’ list.”

Mountainside properties in Jerome. The road climbs through the town in a series of switchbacks with the property on one side perched high above you and the property on the other side way below you. Julie notes “Don’t be sending the kids or the dog for that matter, to the front yard to play.”

Highway 89A, the Mingus Mountain Scenic Road. Julie notes “Note the guardrails gals.”

A view back into the valley around Cottonwood.

She just doesn’t listen, and I thought it was just me? Julie notes “I was only wearing my reading glasses so was trying to get close enough to read that sign.”

If you look closely, you can see the highway winding its way up the mountainside. Julie notes “Guardrails galore gals. You’d love this trip.”

Descending into the Prescott Valley area.

Lunch stop in Prescott at Bill’s Pizza. Julie notes “Hi I’m Derrick, but you can call me Bill.” Brad notes; You will note that I do not point out every little mistake Julie makes to the world via our blog. J

Our 10″ gourmet pizzas. Delicious and enough left over for another slice or two with supper. Julie notes “Brad’s was the Northern Italian. Yummmm.”

Julie notes “Mine was the ‘Cristine’s Rocker’. Oh so good!”

The descent west of Prescott back down into the desert. You may note there is only one lane. The uphill traffic uses a separate divided highway that climbs up another section of the mountainside. Julie notes “Janet and Suze, also please note the ditch protection. Or as Jim Bob og would say ‘Obvious Guardrails’.”

A little variation on the windmill for you viewers. Today Julie presents a Native American on a horse. Julie notes “I like this money shot. I wonder though if he speaks Windmill?”

Our campsite in the Quartzite desert.

The muleskinner in his happy place. Julie notes “Very peaceful. Even the cactus is giving the peace sign.”

…over and out, the muleskinner and his sidekick

Julie notes “Cheers Dad! There is an extra sparkly light in these skies. The experts might debate that it is Venus but I’m pretty sure it is the candles from your cake. Miss you. P.S. ‘Hey Jude’ also played today so thanks for arranging that.”

Day 132 – Tuesday, November 5, 2013

We are spending another day near Cottonwood, AZ in the Dead Horse Ranch State Park. After breakfast, we decided to do an easy 0.5 mile loop trail. Julie notes “Okay, he fails to mention we pretty much lost the original trail after only 0.1 miles but were following the river, could see people, dogs and the park still at this point as there were lots of popular paths. We ran into a horse tour guide and his mounted touree and he assured us a circular route in the other direction would take us back to the campground. We were long past the 0.5 mile hike by now and I was beginning to regret my choice of hiking attire, which did NOT include a hat, water bottle or shorts (or common sense, I know you are mumbling to yourselves). Luckily we had thought to bring the camera and the phone. So we record our last dehydrated minutes I suppose.” Then Julie saw a sign for an old abandoned limestone kiln that we just had to see. Julie notes “On the ‘map’ it showed the kiln was only ‘this’ far up the trail (imagine finger and thumb almost touching). But that map didn’t indicate a distance or scale. You probably know where we are going with this. (Too bad we didn’t know where we were going.)” The 0.5 mile loop turned into a 5.0 mile trek through the mountains and desert. Mainly, because we walked right by the kiln, even took a picture of it, without knowing we had just passed the landmark. Julie, not being one who would turn around and give up, insisted we continue forth. When we reached a “Y” in the trail and the boundary of the park and were heading further into the wilderness unprepared, I convinced her we had missed it and we should turn around. On the way back, we spotted the “prominent” sign with the word “KILN” a few hundred feet from our origin. Julie notes “It was a skinny little metal sign faced the wrong way for those ascending. Plus I had been told at this point, after a progressive lens vertigo moment, to keep my eyes on the trail, ‘no gawking around because it is narrow here.’ I will be sending a formal complaint to the signage people.” We followed some new trails and roads back to the campground with the help of Google Maps on our phone showing us the way. Julie notes “This is Brad’s fancy way of saying we were a bit lost again once we hit low ground and the myriad unmarked and semi marked path system. But we sure felt like we had earned out water and sandwich when we finally got back from our ‘half mile’ trek. Hardly any big rocks this time Aunt Doreen! We were heeding your advice, kind of sort of.”

The afternoon involved food and drinks, showers, recliners, and sunshine. Then we headed into Cottonwood to the Old Schoolhouse for dinner. A #1 pick on Trip Advisor. The Chef Chris and his wife and Front-of-House manager, Laura, started the restaurant 8 months ago and have turned it into a real success with their great service and excellent food, all in a unique and fun environment. We’ve had the pleasure of eating at some great and interesting places on this trip, and this one ranks right up near the top of that list.

The Cottonwood ½ mile trail on a beautiful warm fall morning.

The hike to find the “kiln”. This is the picture we took of it hiking uphill and not knowing what we were looking at. It is the white hollowed out area with the rubble below.

Here it is on the way back once we knew what it was and after hiking 4 more miles!

Julie, part way to the top, saying “Where is this kiln?”. Julie notes “We are going to find that dang kiln if it “kilns” us.  I am also saying ‘Where is my hat, water bottle and a bathroom?'”

At the park boundary, heading further into the backcountry, asking the question “Where is this kiln?”. Julie notes “We were pretty sure we didn’t want to go to the ‘Rattlesnake Wash’ as the other sign was pointing. We were planning a non rattlesnake shower later that day.”

The trail.

The old fire pit graveyard that they don’t show you on the brochures. You have to hike unprepared and somewhat lost to find these kind of sites. Julie notes “Who’s name do I have for Christmas. This would look good in your backyard whomever you are.”

The Old Schoolhouse Restaurant in Cottonwood, AZ.

I tried the local Arizona beer, Oak Creek Amber Ale, and Julie tried one of the house drink specials, a Hibiscus Margarita. Julie notes “I was trying to act like I shouldn’t go to the principal’s office for drinking alcohol on school property.”

Pork belly and dates with beans appetizer.

Duck Carnitas Pot Stickers.

Demi Glazed Pork Osso Bucco for the muleskinner. Julie notes “The chef/owner Chris’s favourite dish. Top marks for him!”

Pan Seared Diver Scallops for the sidekick. Julie notes “The front of house/owner Laura’s favourite dish. Mmmm and she schooled me well. A++++++++++++++++++++ as Mrs. Kennedy, Enterprise Public School would’ve marked.”

Peach Cobbler desert for our dining neighbour who wanted to be in our blog. Julie notes “We were lucky again to meet this wonderful couple, native to the area and full of pride and hints as to where we should visit and eat. We were so immersed in trying to remember all of their suggestions and trying not to get expelled for taking cheat notes and talking in class, we have forgotten their names. But thank you!”

The owner, front-of-house manager, Laura. A great ambassador of Arizona and especially Cottonwood.

The wine list, on the old blackboard. Julie notes “They were impressed that we had travelled to the top left wine bottle and lived at the next wine down from that.”

…over and out, the muleskinner and his sidekick

Julie notes “Lesson #132 (in my best Mr. T impression) ‘Don’t be a fool, stay in School!'”

Day 131 – Monday, November 4, 2013

We spent a leisurely day around the Dead Horse Ranch State Park. Temperatures reached about 25C in the afternoon. It was very pleasant. Julie relaxed a bit but also did some house cleaning in the camper while I washed the outside of the camper. We both did some blogging, emailing, Internet stuff and reading. Julie notes “Our adventure yesterday through the backcountry trails, left piles, puddles and poofs of red dust everywhere inside and outside the camper. You wipe it once and it just forms a thin layer of red cement over everything. So we worked at it a bit and got rid of the most noticeable layers. I was forced into being an accomplice on the washing of ‘the unit’, something usually frowned upon in campgrounds. Just putting it out there that I worked the water handle under duress in case the campground policia check the water meters and come after us.”

So, we do not have much to report today. Julie notes “Oh come on! These are the days when we have time to make up a bunch of stuff. Hmmmm I guess my thinking cap is coated in red dust. Can’t think of anything. We usually don’t have to invent adventures. They just seem to happen. There is always tomorrow. Or El Morro. (right Vickie?).”

We have a few Gambel’s Quail around our site. A small game bird in Arizona. Julie notes “I don’t know what kind of ‘game’ these small birds play. Perhaps hide and seek from our camera and the cotton tail bunnies that were exploring our site as well. We already had meat out thawing for supper so they all felt safe around the campfire. Don’t you just love their little head tassels.”

A nearby creek and trail through the park.

Getting the firewood ready.

And yes we did have a fire. Nice! We grilled up some marinated baby back ribs with baked potatoes and carrots. Good stuff. Julie notes “We got inside just as the lone coyote started up his lament. Seems like a sad and eerie call when there is just one. But then just before bed, it seemed very close to the camper!”

…over and out, the muleskinner and his sidekick

Julie notes “Ok here is a real story for some filler. We have been in the land of spiders, snakes, lizards, scorpions and very weird sounding cicadas. Back in San Antonio, I had a very sore and swollen bite on my leg. It lasted a couple weeks and I assumed would end with baby spiders hatching or something. (As far as I know there were no hatchlings.) So when my husband, Brad (in case you have forgotten his real name), jumps straight up out of bed last night and yells ‘OUCH!’ and throws the covers to one side, searching and stomping and slapping frantically, I automatically assume one of the above creatures has found its way into our bed. I watched this outburst with large eyes from the safety of the kitchen table while I planned on alternate sleeping arrangements. After some more flipping and flapping (and some bedroom windmilling) the culprit who attacked Brad’s leg was found. It was about 10 inches long, skinny, black with a scaly texture. In the Southwest it is known as the ‘Pokey Little Bedroll Sidewinder’. In Canada we call it ‘The Tie for the Sleeping Bag’. His injuries were minimal. He pointed out a couple of freckles he said he was sure were teeth marks but no swelling of extremities ensued.”

Day 130 – Sunday, November 3, 2013

We left our site at Homolovi State Park near Winslow, AZ today but not before checking out one more Hopi ruins site located on the Little Colorado River.

Our campsite in Homolovi State Park.

Julie was leading the way trying to find the Hopi ruins for us to view. Julie notes “This archeology stuff isn’t as easy as Harrison Ford makes it look in his ‘Raider’ movies. Luckily though we never once needed to use a bull whip (outside of the camper) or had to out chase a giant boulder. As you’ll see further down, we did encounter some troublesome boulders though.”

Some of the unexcavated ruins with archeological survey stakes still in place.

After our brief site tour we headed westward on I-40 towards Flagstaff, AZ. Before we got very far into the strong headwind we decided to detour 6 miles south to see the Meteor Crater. Julie notes “We heard they ‘crater’ to all sorts of visitors. There were some fun signs on the road approaching the crater sight. One said ‘Speed Limit – Vehicles 50 mi/hr, Meterorites – 26,000 mi/hr’. And ‘Enjoy the impact!’ Yes I see that there might be a career for me in writing ‘punny’ signs.” It was very impressive to see the impact crater. The crater itself is about 1 mile in diameter. The site was used to train Apollo astronauts and has a lot of memorabilia of space exploration. The original research conducted here led to a much greater understanding of our solar system. Julie notes “Yes I made Brad watch the 10 minute movie and read parts of the brochure out loud to him. Until that said brochure mysteriously ‘disappeared’? We declined the hour long meteor rim tour that was included in the slightly heavy entrance fee as we had miles to make yet plus it is very windy up there. I am not sure Brad would pay to have me hauled out if my feather weight body was accidentally blown into the crater.”

Julie notes “Note the telescopes that Brad could watch me through as I scurried around the bottom if I did happen to blow over the edge. They have a life size astronaut figure down there so at least I wouldn’t be lonely. I should have had a speech ready. How about ‘One small step for woman…'”

A view of the desert and mountains from the visitor centre courtyard at the Meteor Crater site.

Julie took a little side trip and I agreed to pick her up again if she could land the Apollo Capsule in the courtyard. She did pretty well for never having flown a space capsule before. Her only previous flying experience has been her broomstick. Julie notes “Sometimes he is just funny isn’t he?. (insert wicked cackle here) Gotta let him have that one, but as usual he will be watching his back (and sniffing his drinks for hints of that arsenic water I stashed up on at Ojo Caliente spa.) (insert more wicked cackling and sounds of potions gurgling and brewing)”

After our tour of the site, some lunch at the onsite Subway, and the obligatory trek through the gift shop we headed out towards Dead Horse Ranch State Park near Cottonwood, AZ. Being ones who do not like to backtrack, we decided to take the seemingly high-grade gravel road, the Chavez Pass Road. This road led us south through some beautiful desert and then the Coconino National Forest. There are numerous Forest Service roads that head off in every direction. Most of them are dead ends.

This was one of the unheeded warning signs. “Primitive Road – CAUTION – Use At Your Own Risk – This Surface is Not Regularly Maintained”. This is our kind of road.

So far, so good. Level, gravel, a little rough, but pretty good driving conditions for our truck and camper.

Nice scenery and no other traffic. We only met 2 other vehicles the first hour of driving. Julie notes “One more hint gone unheeded. We have no fear or something. My book map shows a nice straight gravel road. It wouldn’t lie would it?”

Julie notes “Still a bit of a breeze out there. The iPod with Terri Clark’s help sang about ‘tyin’ a heart to a tumble weed’ and we saw a few of those as we drove along today.”

Left or right? Follow the graded road or the GPS?

A little road work was required after we first followed the graded road instead of the GPS. After a short distance, we decided to turn around and follow the GPS.

Wrong! The road started to deteriorate quickly and became a 4X4 track. Lesson #130; Follow the graded road – ignore what your GPS tells you to do. Julie notes “We have named her Bambi as she seems to want to get us lost in the woods, in hunting season.”

Checking out the trail ahead. Julie notes “For once the pain in his backside is not caused directly by me, just the jarring roads.”

We decided, at least with the camper loaded on the truck, that we should follow the graded road. Julie notes “Nooooo! But there were parts of the road ahead that would likely cause us to tip over, that is if we made it past the trees overhanging the road. We were worried we would have to travel all the way back to the Meteor Crater because of the myriad of dead end roads that Bambi was showing us on the GPS. We had not heard any banjo music yet though so weren’t too afraid about being lost for the night out here. It was a beautiful but bumpy place. The actual music playing as he headed back scratching his head was the ironic Cowboy Junkies again singing “this ain’t no long journey home, this ain’t no trip across the tracks, this ain’t no dead end street, there ain’t no turning back…” I think that might be ironic. I am never sure. I should ask Alanis Morrisette, ‘Isn’t it ironic?”

A short distance down the right path led us to a hunter, and his faithful companion, who knew the area and gave us some good directions. Julie notes “Windmill Man meets Windmill Hunter and Friendly Dog. I was not fast enough to catch the multiple arm (and tail) actions involved by all three participants. My impression, from the arm movements, lead me to believe the Windmill Hunter was saying ‘WTF? (Why This Forest?) You can’t get there from here, you crazy Canuck tourists!’ But they were actually windmilling about RVs, real roads and where we had seen elk tracks, yonder on the rock path.”

After another 15 kilometers or so of graded road we joined up with Highway 87.

Ahhh, pavement!

We started descending from ~7,500′ above sea level and 10C to ~3,200′ and 17C, even as the sun was setting. Nice! We arrived at Dead Horse Ranch State Park and got a nice site just before dark. Julie notes “We are expecting to have scrambled eggs for supper after our extreme version of a Brad/Kelly H. shortcut.”

A great day. We love days like this; traveling through unknown territory with beautiful diverse scenery and great clear weather. (Julie notes “And no Deliverance banjo music and a fridge full of food and a furnace and bathroom with us.”) We finished the day with a campfire, some bratwurst cooked over the fire, and a couple of drinks. Julie notes “I haven’t been brave enough to check the eggs yet. We ‘shell’ see later if the final ‘yolk’ is on us.”

…over and out, the muleskinner and his sidekick.

Hi folks,  We just wanted to let you know that we are experiencing technical difficulties uploading our daily posts to our website/blog.  Please stay tuned.  We will get these issues resolved as soon as possible.  Believe me, you won’t want to miss these updates.  …the muleskinner

Julie notes:  “I have my full time live in IT guy working on these issues.”

Brad notes: “Where are my Help Desk guys?”

…over and out, the muleskinner and his sidekick

PS: I uploaded this message the old fashioned manual way and may have to resort to that for the posts.

Day 129 – Saturday, November 2, 2013

It was cool here again overnight. The low was about -1C. It did not get as cold as it did in Gallup, NM where you are close to 7,000′ above sea level. The high today was about 23C and mostly sunny but the light desert wind makes it feel cooler. Julie notes “Thank you Jim Bob o.g. (ohso gorgeous) for the nice weather. The elevation here for those of you wondering just how high we are most of the time, is about 4850 ft. What a difference a few thousand feet makes.”

The Arizona State Park is a beautiful place near Winslow. And guess what? It has more ruins here from the Hopi tribe. Julie notes “I did not know that when I first suggested we come here honest! (Pssst They also have a museum and gift shop. Don’t tell Brad.)” We renewed our camping permit for another night and filled out a 15 minute survey for the Arizona State Parks in exchange for a free night camping worth $20. Julie notes “We saved $20 bucks and I was able to leisurely explore the beautiful displays and exhibits they had, while Brad made up answers on the survey. Win/Win/Win situation.” We then headed the 3 miles to one of the ruin sites within the park. Most of this site has not been excavated and stabilized. It is mostly still buried by the desert sand. Julie notes “Well archeologists have explored a lot of this site and this area. Homolovi, ‘Place of the Little Hills’, was a thriving area in the 14^th century. On bequest of the Hopi peoples, archeologists explored the area and upon completion of a 5 year project, filled the site in with desert sand to protect from erosion, etc. Other methods besides digging, including aerial surveys, are used now as well for less disturbance of the sites. Pot hunters had raided this site extensively making it look like it has been bombed to the dismay of all. A very informational audio tour was available on our phone and it was neat and a bit eerie walking form sign to sign with the traditional Hopi music playing. If you would like to know more about what I learned and have since forgotten please contact me and I will be happy to relay more misinformation to you. If you are writing a school report on this though I would suggest you Google the info. I don’t want to be responsible for any ‘F’s on your report card. I had enough of my own.”

After touring the site it was time for lunch. We checked the ever faithful Trip Advisor and discovered the Turquoise Room at the La Posada Hotel in Winslow, AZ was rated #1 and had some great reviews. It did not disappoint! I am not sure what we did before the Internet? Eat at a lot of bad places maybe? Oh yeah, more importantly, Julie let me buy some more firewood. J Julie notes “Just to clarify, he did not buy firewood at the restaurant. That was at a garage.”

We toured around the small town of Winslow, AZ singing the Eagles song, Take It Easy with the lyrics “Standing on a Corner in Winslow Arizona”. I sounded really good with my natural talent; Julie not so much. Julie notes “We of course had to get a picture of Brad standing on the corner. We were wondering why the locals were snickering as he posed in front of the Winslow post office, on the corner as I took a bevy of pictures from across the street. Turns out there is an actual corner delegated for these photo ops. But maybe we started a new trend? Won’t be the first time.”

We headed back to Homolovi State Park and relaxed for a bit in the sunshine and watched a beautiful sunset. After the sun sets, the temperature drops rapidly and cools the air down especially with a bit of wind. We headed into the camper and enjoyed some snacks and leftovers for supper. Julie notes “Jim Bob o.g. (Ohno Gouda?) declined the snacks. Could be he didn’t want to crumbs on his mittens or that he never was a big cheese fan, smoked gouda or not.”

Julie notes “Some of the excavated walls of this site that contains from 1,200 to 2,000 rooms. We assume there are hidden cameras somewhere to watch for vandals but most likely to watch people like us going in circles trying to figure out if we are at the right view point or not.”

Julie notes “Another big party here back in the day I guess. Beautifully patterned pot shards litter the area.”

Julie notes “Using our imagination to see the walls and 3 huge plazas that were busy places at one time.”

La Posada Hotel Julie notes “This is another historical site (with a self guided tour and museum and gorgeous gift shop), that will be on the list to explore further next time. As one reviewer put it, Winslow has seen some hard times but La Posada and the Turquoise Room seems to be immune. It is the last Santa Fe Railroad Hotel to be built. The train station is out the back door.”

Julie in her happy place. Julie notes “Yes, as with the rest of the Holmes, when I am in my happy place and smile, my eyes disappear. At least they are not rolling up into my head, this time.”

Brad’s happy place. A local (Flagstaff, AZ) brewery called LumberYard. This was their Pilsner. Very good.

More Julie happy times. We shared the Piki Bread with Hopi Hummus. It is a ceremonial bread made by the Hopi. The local delicacy is difficult to make with blue corn flour and ashes from juniper. The hummus was also their local version. We both had the signature black bean and cream of corn soup. I had the Southwestern Turkey Cobb Salad and Julie had the Crab and Avacado salad with heirloom tomatoes. The Turquoise Room is an excellent choice for a delicious meal in Winslow, AZ. Their #1 rating is well deserved. Julie notes “mmmmm so good, but do not waste your time asking for the signature recipes, there is a reason they are called signature. The walls are decorated with memorabilia of the Fred Harvey days and beautiful Navajo weavings. There was one in particular beside us that caught my eye and I thought they might throw it in with our meal. Only if we bought $1,385 worth of lunch I guess. I should’ve ordered the sandwich.”

And of course, Julie caught me “Standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona”. Julie notes “Such a fine sight to see! Brad is the one on the left. The other guy ‘wooden’ get out of the way.”

…over and out, the muleskinner and his sidekick

Julie notes “A little information mission for those of you who enjoy that (Suze and Aunt Lynne) and those of you who enjoy making up stuff (Quent and Aunt Doreen). Who was this Fred Harvey who’s name keeps popping up around and about these parts? The restaurant had a quaint old picture of waitresses called ‘The original Harvey girls.’ And it didn’t look like any Harvey’s restaurant we have been to.”

Day 128 – Friday, November 1, 2013

After a leisurely morning at the USA RV Park, we packed up the camper and headed west to Arizona. Julie notes “It was time to leave New Mexico as the poor wrinkled and stained New Mexico pages in my giant Rand McNally map book had literally come loose and fallen out of the book. A sad ‘state’ of affairs so it was time to turn a new page in our travels.” We travelled on I-40 into Arizona and then toured through the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest. Julie notes “Again I thought this was a Halloween theme park where we would be petrified with fear as painted desert and forest zombies and other creatures would jump out and scare us. I was on edge the whole trip!” Another amazing and unique place. After a few hikes on a couple of recommended trails we headed westward towards Winslow, AZ and the Homolovi State Park.

Before touring the National Park, we had lunch at the park restaurant, gas bar, gift shop, and information centre. We both ordered the lunch special of Italian Wedding soup and a fish (Pollock) sandwich. Once again, don’t order seafood in the middle of the desert. When will we learn? Actually, it wasn’t too bad and the soup was excellent and the cafeteria ladies were very friendly. Julie notes “Maybe we were very hungry, or the square fish patty was cooked perfectly because we gobbled it up. But it was the fancy advertising outside the cafeteria of ‘Cap’n Jacks catch of the day’ fish sandwich with all the fixings, that got us. We instantly forgot we’d been travelling through desert and badlands, no water in sight for miles when they dangled the bait, caught us and reeled us in like the suckers we are. There was also another beautiful gift shop there with some different and interesting items than we have seen so far. We decided, for a change, to think about it and come back after the tour if we decided we still wanted the items. We didn’t realize the route is one way so we didn’t go back. A good way to save money but sorry for all the folks that were going to get gifts from there. (So basically there will be no gifts for anyone, just a heads up.)”

The road winds through the park for about 28 miles. There are numerous overlooks and side trails to explore but no campgrounds within the National Park. We chose, based on some ranger advice, the Blue Mesa trail (1.0 miles) and the Crystal Forest trail (0.8 miles). We also stopped at a few of the overlooks and Newspaper Rock where you can view some distant petroglyphs through binoculars. Another stop was the Jasper Forest filled with remnants of the petrified forest that is left behind after erosion exposes the forest.

We carried on past the town of Holbrook to the State Park near Winslow, AZ.

I-40 parallels the Sante Fe railroad through the desert and through the largest Indian Reservation in the US. It is Navajo land.

The painted desert. Julie notes “Sorry, this humble photographer did not portray the beautiful reds, blues, oranges, greys, etc. in the following pictures that we saw with the naked or rather progressive lensed eye, so we suggest you all need to come and see for yourself. I am pulling out the ‘spectacular’ word Barb.”

The Painted Desert Inn. A famous landmark within the park. Julie notes “Notice the speed we are going past this. There is a museum within and Brad didn’t want to chance me jumping out and going for a ‘quick stroll’ through the exhibits. I did not attempt a tuck and roll out of the truck due to the speed and the unfriendly landing areas. Next trip perhaps. I will tell him there is a beer parlour, a BBQ pit and a camping supply store there that sells firewood.”

The highpoint at the start of the decent into the Blue Mesa trail.

The trail descending into the badlands valley where the exposed petrified wood is visible. Julie notes “Again put on your rose/blue/purple coloured glasses and look at these. Then you will see the colours pop.”

A view of the exposed petrified wood littering the ground.

Your guides through the Blue Mesa trail. So far no one has signed up for our tours. We can’t figure out why? J

A view of the valley and trail below from one of the overlooks.

One of the logs being exposed in the Jasper Forest. Julie notes “Again, the colours of this wood/stone is wonderfully varied in oranges, browns, reds. The areas look like a giant came with a chainsaw and cut them into chunks, piles of small petrified pieces as if he had chopped up some wood for a fire, big long logs that looked like just fell and broke into segments. And beautiful stumps that would make the best coffee tables.”

The Crystal Forest. Julie notes “This area, and the rest of the park were plundered and stripped of most of the crystal and train loads of the petrified wood, even after President Roosevelt declared it a National Monument. It is now a National Park and according to the park records, people are getting much better at leaving for other’s enjoyment. We could see the temptation though.”

Chopping up some petrified wood. Julie notes “Finally a chance to use our karate moves.”

More petrified wood. Julie notes “We have about 90 more pictures of Brad’s wood fetish if anyone is interested.”

No one was looking when I loaded this baby into the camper but Julie made me put it back for others to enjoy. Julie notes “I had to convince him it would be hard on his axe and even harder to light. Plus there was the old ‘take only pictures, leave only footprints’ rule we were abiding by. (plus it weighs a ton, literally).

Oh, you didn’t think I would forget to put in a windmill shot, did you? This one in a town square in Holbrook, AZ along historic Route 66. And the image number from our camera is #666. Coincidence? Julie notes “hmmm that is kind of WTF! (Way Too Freaky!)”

On the road, I-40, to Winslow, AZ.

…over and out, the muleskinner and his sidekick

Julie notes “He did not mention that I did the dinosaur museum at the end of the route, in under 15 minutes. I even declined the 17 minute video. So we left the park happy with visions of 4 foot long skulls of crocodile type beasts dancing in my head.”