POST #64

We arrived here at Picacho Peak State Park, AZ on Friday, March 27.  We are only here for a short time, leaving the morning of March 30.

The unique shape of the 1,500-foot Picacho Peak has been used as a landmark by travelers since prehistoric times. One of the first recordings was in the 1700’s by the Anza Expedition as it passed through the area.

Picacho Peak is not a volcanic cone, but is part of a volcanic flow that has been partially eroded away.

In 1848, the Mormon Battalion constructed a wagon road through Picacho Pass. The forty-niners on their way to California used this road. In the late 1850’s the Butterfield Overland Stage was carrying passengers through this area. Picacho Peak’s most noted historic event occurred on April 15, 1862, when Confederate and Union scouting parties met in the Battle of Picacho Pass during the Civil War. This was the largest Civil War clash to take place in Arizona.

Picacho Peak has long been known for its spring display of wildflowers. If rains come at the right times in the winter, the spring will bring an explosion of gold to the bajadas of the mountain that appear as a tapestry of color.

The wildflowers are predominantly Mexican Gold Poppies and purple Lupines. 

Picacho Peak State Park Campground is a beautiful place! Click HERE for a 360 degree tour of the campground!  This is our spot, #20 in the "C" Loop...

We hiked around all of the Loops...

The only problem with this campground is there is NO water available.  We had to arrive with a full water tank, and would have to drive 8 miles to the Flying J to get more.  This wasn't a real problem because we are only here 3 nights.

Tomorrow will be a bit of a sad day...we will be leaving the Desert and heading North about 180 miles to pine trees and an elevation of 6300 feet to Fool Hollow Lake State Park...

So this evening we walked among the Saguaros at sunset...

As we bid them "goodbye" until next winter...

They are calling for temps in the 90s here next week!  Due to the stupid virus the restrictions that they were hoping to lift on Monday have been extended until April 30th.  If for some reason travel is restricted we don't want to be here in the Desert as the temps rise into the 100s.  It will be 20 degrees cooler where we will be, near Show Low, AZ, for the next two weeks.

Stay Safe!  Stay Positive!  We WILL get through this!

Until Next Time!!

POST #63

Yesterday, March 27, we left Gilbert Ray Campground at Old Tucson.  Due to the stupid virus, everything was closed around there, such as the Old Tucson Movie Set, the Sonoran Desert Museum and the buildings in the Saguaro National Park.  

We stayed "home" most of the time....Sleeping in...

Hiking around...looking at scenery and plant life, like this Barrel Cactus in bloom...

A packrat got to a Barrel Cactus fruit on this one...see the little seeds?  The fruit is edible and is said to have a taste similar to lemon...We didn't try it!

While in Gilbert Ray Campground we had some spectacular sunsets!... 

And we still had time to relax inside with the Boys...

When we headed out we drove through the Saguaro National Park on our way North to our next destination.

Click HERE for a Dashcam Video of the drive through Saguaro National Park.
Pick the "Sonoran Drive"

It was a short drive of about 40 miles to Picacho Peak State Park...partly cloudy, breezy and only about 60 degrees...

When we arrived about 2 PM we set up camp...Picacho Peak in the background..Picacho Peak is not a volcanic cone, but is part of a volcanic flow that has been partially eroded away...

A HUGE Saguaro is growing right behind us...

We  leave Picacho Peak on Monday.  Today we will explore a bit and get back to you with what we find....

Stay Well!  Think Positive!  Be Safe!

Until Next Time!

POST #62

(a lot of pictures and links on this...Click to see larger or follow links)

Friday, March 20th, we left Catalina State Park, north of Tucson, and moved to Gilbert Ray Campground, SW of Tucson.  It was a short trip of about 25 miles...

We got into our campsite at about 2 PM.  

For a 360 Video Tour of the Gilbert Ray Campground---Click HERE.  

Gilbert Ray Campground is right across the road from the Old Tucson film studio and theme park.  Old Tucson is a movie studio and theme park just west of Tucson, Arizona, adjacent to the Tucson Mountains and close to the western portion of Saguaro National Park. Built in 1939 for the movie Arizona (1940), it has been used for the filming of many movies and television westerns since then, such as Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), Rio Bravo (1959), El Dorado (1966), and Little House on the Prairie TV series of the 1970s-1980s. It was opened to the public in 1960, and historical tours are offered about the movies filmed there, along with live cast entertainment featuring stunt shows and shootouts.  Click HERE for a Wikipedia page that shows a list of everything filmed here.  For a Video Tour of Old Tucson---Click HERE.  

The mountain behind our campsite can be seen in many of those movies and TV shows...

On April 25, 1995, a fire destroyed much of Old Tucson... 

Buildings, costumes and memorabilia were lost in the blaze. Among the memorabilia destroyed was the wardrobe from Little House on the Prairie. Also lost in the blaze was the only copy of a short film about the history of Old Tucson Studios. This film included rare behind the scenes footage of stars, such as William Holden, John Wayne and Angie Dickinson. The Reno, a steam locomotive from the Virginia and Truckee Railroad on static display in the park, was also badly damaged.  See a Video HERE...

After 20 months of reconstruction, Old Tucson re-opened its doors on January 2, 1997. The sets that were lost were not recreated; instead, entirely new buildings were constructed, and the streets were widened. The Reno locomotive was cosmetically restored before the filming of Wild Wild West, in which it was featured as Union Pacific 119 in the scene at the driving of the final spike of the First Transcontinental Railroad, but was subsequently used in an explosion in the scene and is in need of additional restoration. The soundstage was not rebuilt.

We were not able to visit Old Tucson this year due to the Chinese Caronavirus..

The park is closed until further notice.

Also closed is the nearby Sonora Desert Museum.  

They both very cool and worth a visit!  We were able to visit both last year, 

but were hoping to do it again, but its not likely due to the fact that we will be leaving Friday, March 27😞  We will just isolate in place...Its easy to do here!

Until Next Time...Stay safe!  Stay optimistic! Take care of yourselves!  

POST #61-2

An update to POST#61... as you read last time we are almost convinced we were affected by the Chinese Covid-19 Virus, referencing the timeline of events.

What we should add is that you should take all preventative precautions with your own health.  If you have any underlying conditions..do what your doc says to keep ahead of it as much as possible.   

Boost your immune system! 

We are big believers in Vitamin D therapy to help supercharge your immune system!  We each take 8000 IU of Vitamin D daily.  It keeps our D Level at around 50.  We have it tested by the clinic at least once a year to make sure our level is above the minimum of 30 and below the maximum of 100.  DO NOT start taking 8000 units of Vit D each day WITHOUT having lour level tested.  Everyone is different in their needs of supplementation!  Most people are low in their D Level...some critically low.. Bottom Line...Get tested, supplement if necessary. Doctors are waking up to this and recommending it!

Vitamin C is a good immune booster as well.  Make sure to take it daily!

IF Covid 19 is what we had in February we are thinking by boosting our immune system it kept us from the worst of it.

Keep positive!  Don't be panicky and stressed out!  Stress really weakens our immune response, and that's NOT what we want right now!  This whole thing will pass...probably sooner than later.  Keep the numbers in perspective!  There are 327 million Americans.  At this point there are about 26000 cases in the US.  That number will rise, probably dramatically as more tests are performed.  the 26000 is a tiny percentage of 327 million.  And most that become infected get over it.

Stay in PRAYER!  Ask the Lord for protection of you and your loved ones!  Thats a big one!!   

Until Next Time!

POST #61

Some thoughts on this Chinese Covid-19 Virus...

Yeah yeah, I know its considered racist to call it a Chinese virus..but hey---did it not come from China?

We all have seen the disruption in our lives due to this...but we feel there is a lot of fear caused by the sensationalist press and media outlets.  We are thinking the virus started spreading in the USA a lot earlier than was first reported.

In fact we are quite sure we both were afflicted by this virus.  We both became uncomfortably ill.  We have never has a cold or flu that felt like it.  

Consider the following timeline: 

Dec. 31, 2019: China informs the World Health Organization of a pneumonia-like disease in Wuhan, China.

Jan. 11: China reports the first coronavirus death.

Jan. 20: The first U.S. case involving a 35-year-old man who had traveled to Wuhan, China, before returning to Washington State.

Jan. 30: The World Health Organization proclaims the coronavirus outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Jan. 31: “a public health emergency in the United States” is declared.

Jan.31: Trump bans the entry of foreigners who were in China. Trump is called racist and xenophobic for doing it.  He is later criticized for not doing it sooner.

Feb. 7: Barbi starts Azithromycin and Inhalers.  

Feb. 10: Mikey gets sick…no medications other than NyQuil.  All of the next week we both spend most of the time in bed, too weak and tired to do much else.

Feb. 16:  We are mostly up and around, but still weak and tired with a dry cough…the dry cough holds on for another 10 days…feels like something is stuck in the throat….the raspy sounds in our throat hang on another week or 10 days. 

   

Feb. 22-24: The CDC discourages travel to and from Iran, Italy, Japan and South Korea.

March 11: Trump restricts arrivals from Europe, which reels beneath this disease.

March 13: Trump declares a national emergency.

You all know how it goes from there...

There was plenty of time for hundred or thousands of travelers from China to directly or indirectly come to the USA (or other countries) before the travel from China was restricted.  We were in the Phoenix area all through that time between the virus was running rampant in China and when travel from there was cut off.  Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix has direct flights from China.  The virus could easily have come to Arizona during that time, and spread through the population.  It has been said the many folks are contagious and never show symptoms.  Or they may have just thought it was a regular cold or flu.  We both had the high power multi-strain flu vaccine in October so would think we would avoid the regular flu.  Maricopa County (Phoenix) was one of the first states to have confirmed cases.

We think we picked it up somewhere..we were in very crowded restaurants and pubs, museums, stores etc in many parts of the valley during the month of January or early February, between the time it was announced and the closing of travel from China..

Of course we can't say with certainty that what we had was the Covid-19 virus, but considering the timeline and other circumstances it is very likely we did.

The stores have had panic shopping here, just as in Billings.  There's no toilet paper, paper towels, hand sanitizer, wipes, rubbing alcohol when we have been at multiple stores. (We made our own hand sanitizer)

Theres very little soup or canned goods...

Cereal is picked over...

Canned anything is picked over...

We just returned from a Walmart...there's not much of anything in meat products, frozen dinners....really pretty much everything was gone...These are photos of the Billings West Walmart....looks pretty much the same here.  We were there in late afternoon....maybe its better early...

If folks would just relax and quit hoarding the supply chain could catch up and the shelves will be full again.  We have 3 weeks of food with us and wells for water so we will be fine.

Anyway...hang in there...this too shall pass and eventually life will return to normal.  Promising treatments are out there and sheltering in place will eventually starve the virus of new hosts.  The numbers in the US are going up fast recently, but a lot of that can be attributed to a lot more tests being done...

Hang in there!!  Don't panic!!

Until next time!

POST # 60

Well, here we are at Post #60!!  It's been fun doing this and we hope some of you are reading it and enjoy it!

A reminder...in this post and all previous posts if you click on any photo you will see an enlarged version..  Also most posts have "links" to other sites so you can learn more about the subjects of each post.  Some posts have video...if you click the arrow and then after the video loads click the arrow again it should play..   Those of you reading on phones or tablets can scroll down to the bottom of the post and select "View web version" if you would like.  

We have been here at Catalina State Park, near Tuscon, AZ.  Beautiful place...its hasn't been quite as warm here as the last few places.  Even a couple rainy days...we measured about 3/4 inch of precip.  We are at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountians...

A wide view of the campground...

Catalina State Park sits at the base of the majestic Santa Catalina Mountains. The Geology of the area can be studied HERE.   The park is a haven for desert plants and wildlife and nearly 5,000 saguaros.

The 5,500 acres of foothills, canyons and streams invites camping, picnicking and bird watching — more than 150 species of birds call the park home. Information on the Science of the area, including the fearsome Camel Spider, wildlife, plant life and cultural history can be found HERE. The park provides miles of equestrian, birding, hiking, and biking trails which wind through the park and into the Coronado National Forest at elevations near 3,000 feet. 

We are here at this park, closely following the crazy virus situation, until February 20th....

Until Next Time!! 

POST # 59

Today we left Lost Dutchman State Park, near Apache Junction, AZ and moved to Catalina State Park, near Tuscon AZ.

A beautiful sunrise over the Superstition Mountains as we were packing up... 

It was a drive of about 90 miles down to Catalina...slight overcast...temps in the low 80s....

The drive really wore out Ted....

We got our camp set up at Catalina Park...got this photo after sunset, it was nearly dark...my new phone, a Samsung S-9 takes some amazing photos!

Until next time!!

POST #58

We have been here at the Superstition Mountains at Lost Dutchman State Park, AZ for the past 14 days.  Weather has been great...with some days in the 80s.  

We did a lot of hiking around here with the boys...it wore Bill out...

A B-25 Mitchell World War II Bomber has been flying around here quite a bit...I think it is selling rides out of Falcon Field in Mesa...Click arrow to view video...

A closer view...

We visited the Goldfield Ghost Town just down the road....

We purchased a dashcam...here is a video of the drive from the outskirts of Apache Junction to our Campsite...I had to reduce the quality of the video to conform with the requirements of the site....Click the arrow to view...

Tomorrow we will leave the Phoenix area and head south about 90 miles to Catalina State Park...near Tuscon AZ.... 

Until Next Time!