New Riders

It is always a delight to go out into the desert with first time riders. I never get tired of hearing them yell "WOW" and/or "OH S**T".

And for Dick and Dona here's a Photoshop picture of big horn sheep taken at the south end of Box Canyon...

Flight Path

I enjoyed Sunday's Miners Revenge ride so much that I joined the same group for Flight Path which is part of the Sycamore Creek area west of highway 87 north of Apache Junction. This trail is rated 4 out of 5 because of a couple of "pucker points" involving some tricky rock crawling. Most of the trail is very doable with the side-by-sides.

Click on photos to enlarge

In as much as I had a lite lunch, I decided to go to the De La Cruz Mexican Grille for dinner. On the way in I met Louise and her friends in front of the Gold Canyon Cafe and then inside the restaurant ran into Terry, Gail, and Terry's brother. Life is good!

Miners Revenge

Today, I joined Bob and that rowdy jeep crowd to explore Miners Revenge off Battleaxe road south of Superior. I think I have found the perfect trail for my wild and crazy side-by-side friends. On a scale of 1 to 5, this is a 5 (definitely, not for the faint-of-heart).

Unfortunately, on the day that my friends take this ride, I have a prior commitment and will be unable to join them. Note to the wives: this would be a good time to double up on the life insurance.

The good...

The bad...

The ugly...

Jack Handle Part Deux

It's always a pleasure watching professionals at work...

Ron

Gary and Dick

Boys & Their Toys

As I am looking out the window of my RV, I see a helicopter being towed by a side-by-side down the street within the park. In as much as I had not yet partaken of the American Honey Bourbon, I am pretty sure it is not an illusion so I grab a camera, jump in the RZR and take this photo...

Click on images to enlarge

Here's the rig that hauled it...

Must be Michigan farmer money

RZR Repair

Coke Ovens Via Martinez

Fun ride to the Coke Ovens with a group of hard core riders...

Unfortunately on the way back, we came across a rescue operation where an ATV had run off the side of the mountain and the injured couple were being airlifted to the nearest trauma center.

Tortilla Flat

If you are ever in the Phoenix area, one of the "must do" items is a trip to Tortilla Flat (The Town Too Tough To Die) for lunch or dinner. The drive alone makes it worthwhile as you wind your way up through a series of multi-colored rock mountains and canyons. Then you are in for a unique dining experience at the restaurant & saloon. Of course, it helps to go with professional travelers...

Dona tasting the "Snake Venom" beer while Dick looks on

The first thing you will probably notice when you walk in is almost every square inch of wall space is covered in real paper money. Dick had heard that it may total as much as a quarter of a million dollars...

Expensive wallpaper

The second thing you might notice is that the bar stools are horse saddles...

Fun way to "belly up to the bar"

Lastly, after your meal you will want to meander next door to the gift shop for some ice cream. I highly recommend the dark chocolate gelato.

Life On The RZR's Edge/Side

In an effort to breakup the monotony of our routine, boring rides, we decided to try something different today... we may have overdone it a bit.

Later, Gary suffers a similar fate while attempting an intricate backup maneuver on a hairpin turn.

Unique way to inspect skid plate

Fortunately, no one was hurt and the only damage to the machines was some mangled tupperware. All in all a fun day where no one acted their age. Lastly, many thanks to Ron for winching us back on all fours.

Update: If at first you do not succeed...

Woodpecker & Highway To Hell

Today, we rode "Woodpecker" and part of the "Highway To Hell" southeast of Florence Junction. Here's what you can expect along the way...

Terry demonstrates how to save rubber on tires
(click on photos to enlarge)

Entrance to "Highway To Hell"
(those are vehicle parts from the trail)

Where we turned around on "Highway To Hell"

Karen's Birthday

Today was Karen's birthday and this was her present...

New park model

Birthday Party / Happy Hour(s)

Jack Handle Trail

Is another extreme jeep trail southeast of the Florence Junction. It's relatively short but has a couple of interesting obstacles that cannot be by-passed. Here's John and Ron making the first climb look easy...

Today's Photos

Pioneers in spirit

Ancient cliff dwellers

Gails's favorite part of the ride - lunch

Caution: The following video is "R" rated for strong language...

Sonoran Desert

If you have never ventured into the Sonoran Desert, I think you would be surprised at how beautiful a desert can be. Although I have taken hundreds of photos over the last two winters, I have not yet been able to capture what the eye is able to take in, particularly, the distant panoramic vistas.

Terry, Gail, Tom, Jordana

Crime Spree In RV Park

Note to Denny and Toby: this photo can be purchased for a very reasonable price...

"Breaking & Entering" in progress
(click on image to enlarge)

Elvis - Box Canyon Loop

I teamed up with those intrepid guys from Michigan, Gary and John, to ride Elvis and Box Canyon coming in from the Cottonwood trailhead.  I would recommend running Elvis south to north (we ran north to south) as you would be going upstream which allows you to see the obstacles more clearly.

Elvis is known as an "extreme jeep trail" but we were able to work our way around the sections that we deemed impassible for the RZRs and that allowed us to run the entire trail. Here's a video of John getting a "cardio-workout"...

First Ride of 2014

"The Gang"

Here's Gail thinking of increasing the amount of insurance on Terry

Remnant from WWII practice bomb

Mill Site Canyon

Once again, I joined Bob "The Grayfox" Micklick and a group of his jeep friends on a ride northeast of Queen Valley. Bob and I have this gentlemen's agreement whereby I pay for the gas and he keeps me alive during the ride. If I die in a fiery crash or am crushed and mangled beyond recognition, I get a complete refund. He even promises to mail the check the same day!

An "Oops" moment

Wench to the rescue

Panoramic view at the end of Hardt Tank

First Day Back

After a restful nights sleep, I awoke refreshed and ready to start a new day. While cleaning out the storage compartment of the toyhauler, Jimmy stops by to say "hello" and to catch me up on the happenings in the park. After a quick power nap, a neighbor invities me over for a home cooked "poor boy sandwich" for dinner. Then a quick ride around the park in the RZR and I run into Karen and friends. After lunch I walk over to Keith and Jayne's to hear what they have been up to since our time together in Colorado. And then I stop by Bob's RV to see how he is doing after the bone marrow transplant. Finally, Noah swings by my neighbors with a fifth of Wild Turkey American Honey Bourbon which goes surprisingly well with a "poor boy sandwich".  All in all, a great first day back out west!

Arizonian RV Park

I have returned to the Arizonian RV Park for the winter. After eleven days on the road and a long setup process here in the park, I am one tired puppy so this will be a short post.

During my recent stay in NC, I found that one of things I missed most was the socialization and camaraderie of the RV parks with active seniors like myself. It is particularly nice to go back to a place where you get to see friends from previous years.

Roswell, New Mexico

Having met a number of individuals in my travels that I strongly suspected of being from another planet, I have journeyed to the center of extraterrestrial activity here in the USA - Roswell, New Mexico. If you are wondering why a semi-rational person like myself might believe in such phenomena, you only need to spend a winter at the Arizonian RV Park... but that is a story for another time.

I actually chose Roswell in order to see a different part of the country on my way to southern Arizona and to put it in the "been there, done that" column. In as much as I had never been here before, I imagined a small, dusty town in the desert selling cheap alien memorabilia. What I found is a good size city (population ~50,000) with all the big box stores and franchise restaurants you could imagine plus an eight screen cinema. I figure this is as good a place as any to spend Christmas on the road this year.

PS - they still sell cheap alien memorabilia...

If you think English is easy

Consider the different pronunciations and meanings of words that are spelled the same...

• The bandage was wound around the wound. 
• The farm was used to produce produce.
• The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
• We must polish the Polish furniture.
• He could lead if he would get the lead out.
• The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
• Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
• A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
• When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
• I did not object to the object.
• The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
• There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
• They were too close to the door to close it.
• The buck does funny things when the does are present.
• A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
• To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
• The wind was too strong to wind the sail. 
• Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
• I had to subject the subject to a series of tests. 
• How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend? 

Moab Base Jumping

Okay, you're sitting in your favorite recliner enjoying a cold beverage, wondering what you are going to do for excitement next summer. I may be able to help with that. Perhaps, base jumping from one of the rock towers in Moab is what you are looking for. The following video really starts to get interesting at around 3:20...

I think this may be one of those "hold my beer while I try this" moments.

Map of Travels

Office Max was having a sale on Microsoft Streets & Trips 2013 so I spent the big bucks ($19.99) and updated my old version. As a way to familiarize myself with the new software, I created a map of my travels for the last two years as a full-time RVer...

Click on map to enlarge

It's fun to look back and remember all the places I have been and the things I have seen and done. Am looking forward to doing more of the same in 2014.

Now We Know What Could Go Wrong

Back in February I posted the following excerpt from a speech given by Dr. Barbara Bellar on Obamacare entitled "What The Blank Could Possibly Go Wrong"...

"So let me get this straight. We are going to be gifted with a healthcare plan that we are forced to purchase, and fined if we don't, which reportedly covers 10 million more people without adding a single new doctor, but provides for 16,000 new IRS agents, written by a committee whose chairman doesn't understand it, passed by Congress, that didn't read it, but exempted themselves from it, and signed by a president who smokes, with funding administered by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, for which we will be taxed for four years before any benefits take effect, by a government which has bankrupted Social Security and Medicare, all to be overseen by a surgeon general who is obese and financed by a country that is broke. So what the blank could possibly go wrong?"

I think we are now beginning to understand "what could go wrong". And I am afraid this may only be the "tip of the iceberg".