A HARROWING MOTORHOME DRIVE OVER MINGUS MOUNTAIN IN NOVEMBER OF 2007

A WINDY STORM TOSSED LAKE HURON ALONG BAYFIELD ONTARIO’S SHORELINE

RV NET is our favorite website for keeping tabs on the pulse of the traveling RV public & it's the place to go with all your RV questions, curiosities, & comments regarding the lifestyle.  Many topics in the forums & any RV problems you have can be answered here by fellow RV folks.  Always people ready to lend a helping hand.  There is no cost to join the site, just register & away you go.  We've been members since 2002. 

ALL THESE BAYFIELD HARBOR BOATS WILL SOON HAVE TO COME OUT OF THE WATER FOR THE WINTER

It was while I was perusing through some of the topics yesterday morning that I came across a post from some folks thinking of buying their first RV. They were trying to decide on what length of an RV to buy.  The fellow mentioned that he didn't want an RV that was too long or it might limit them to certain parks & he didn't want to get into towns or places that were too small to get his RV out of.  He mentioned the MINGUS MOUNTAIN  town of Jerome, Arizona as an example & that immediately reminded me of an accidental wrong turn & harrowing ride we had over Mingus Mountain right smack dab into the narrowed streets of Jerome on November 26th of 2007 with our 33 foot motorhome.  Our blog for that day is HERE & the photos I took while trying to squeeze through the streets of Jerome & still leave some paint on the rig are HERE.  Additional pictures of Jerome, Arizona are HERE.

SQUEEZING THE MOTORHOME THROUGH THE STREETS OF JEROME, ARIZONA

When we think of Autumn we generally thing of falling Autuman leaves, & that's a common thought.........unless you live in a pine forest!!  Before moving here we never thought of pine trees dropping their needles in the fall.  Not all of them of course, but a lot of them.  Always a big huge pine needle clean-up in the sping.  It is windy here to-day & it almost looks like a lite snowfall with all the pine needles falling from the trees.

THE YELLOW PINE NEEDLE  ROAD IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE

Had a few questions about yesterday's Ikea blog & the furniture we bought there for the motorhome.  A resounding 'yes' to the question about whether the furniture has worked out well & do we still like it. 

POANG CHAIR….2008	VERY HAPPY WITH EVERYTHING
THE PAINTING BEGINS	BORREGO SPRINGS 09

ONE PICTURE SHOWS MAX RESTING ON A BIG CHAIR IN THE CORNER….THAT CHAIR FOLDS OUT INTO THE  COMFORTABLE SINGLE BED LITTLE CORA IS SITTING ON

While boondocking east of Sierra Vista last winter we met a fellow on RV Net who worked on the army base at Fort Huachuca.  We called him Sergeant John.   The ‘Sarge’  & his wife Jackie live in the little town of Elfrida.  They are an RV couple & the Sarge’s hobby is his 2 Hudson Hornet cars.  They have traveled to many car rallies over the years & I think John may have been President of the Hudson Hornet Car Club at one time.  The photo album below shows the Sarge’s cars in storage at his home.

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It has turned out to be a very windy & gray rainy day but I did manage to slip over to the lake earlier & grab a few photos before the rains returned.

THE FISHING BOATS EVEN STAYED IN HARBOR TO-DAY

A VIEWPOINT AT BAYFIELD’S PIONEER PARK OVERLOOKING LAKE HURON & THE BEACH BELOW

GROANER’S CORNER:((  The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS  http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.

FORT HUACHUCA.....A VERY LARGE ACTIVE ARMY BASE

While watching the tail end of the Superbowl game last Sunday we heard that Denny's was having a nationwide free breakfast to-day. We were on Denny's doorstep by 9 a.m. with appetites in hand!! So were a lot of other people & by the time we got in, had our yummy free breakfast & exited the building we had used up a whole hour. But that was ok because it was free. Thanks Denny's:))

There is a very large active Army base here in Sierra Vista called, Fort Huachuca.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Huachuca
http://www.nps.gov/nr//travel/amsw/sw3.htm
We were told at the Visitor's Center over a week ago that we would not be able to tour the base because we were Canadians. All non-Americans have to be accompanied by an American escort. Well, we had an Ace up our sleeves. Kelly has dual citizenship because she was born in the State of New York. But, her driver's license is Canadian so we knew that could pose a problem. Before entering the Fort we switched driver's positions figuring it might look better if the American is driving & the Canadian is the passenger. As expected, the security fellow wanted to see Kelly's driver's license & said because it was Canadian we could not go in. Another security person walked over & Kelly asked if a Passport would be acceptable. The 2nd security person took the Passport & checked with her supervisor. Yes, that is acceptable she said & away we went onto the base. This is one very, very, large Army base & it didn't take us long to get lost looking for the museum buildings. We had a map but that confused us too. I was based on 3 different naval military bases back in the mid 60's in Canada & none of them even remotely looked like this one. Fort Huachuca is a city unto itself. We could just as easily have been in any large town somewhere. With an unusual piece of good luck we actually blundered right into the museum complex parking lot before asking someone where it was. "Your in it" was the reply. IN THE MUSEUM

The first building we entered was mainly dedicated to the Buffalo Soldiers who called Fort Huachuca home. It's an old original base building & is packed full of artifacts & memorabilia from the Fort's beginnings. Just about every square foot of this older structure has been used. Many historical exhibits & much to see including Pancho Villa's spurs. (web album)
http://www.geocities.com/maureenjim/blacksoldier.htm
http://www.discoverseaz.com/History/BufSold.html

THE BASE SITS IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE HUACHUCA MOUNTAINS

Second building contained many more paintings & exhibits. Guns, swords, saddles, etc.
Third building housed past U.S. Army Intelligence exhibits. The enigma code machine, spy cameras, test drones, many communications devices of all kinds dating back to the late 1800's. Lots to see in this 3 part museum complex. The buildings are original & stand on the site of the fort's early beginnings. Parade grounds & officers quarters are all there. (check to-day's web album)

SITE OF EARLY FORT HUACHUCA

From the museums we drove over to the Fort's cemetery. I like cemetery's because they are always very peaceful & special places with their own histories. Took a few photos there & then we headed off up a gravel road within the base called, Huachuca Canyon Road. A bit rough & we weren't sure where it led so only went a couple of miles before turning around. Many deer in the woods & I was able to get a few photos of them. Drove up to an observation & picnic area called Reservoir Point & took some pics overlooking the base. From there we headed back across the base to the east gate we had come in, & exited the base onto the streets of Sierra Vista. We had been on the base for 3 hours. FORT HUACHUCA'S CEMETERY

Sierra Vista is a large spread out city with every imaginable store you can imagine. Nice looking newer type of place with lots of hustle & bustle & traffic. I was glad to finally get to the other side of town & back out into the countryside again.

Spent the rest of the day relaxing & just before supper I took myself for a long walk out into the hills to have look at some more pit mines I had spotted with the binoculars. It's just unbelievable how those men years ago could have dug such large holes through solid rock with just picks & shovels. Even the walking is not easy as the ground is covered in rocks & prickly shrubs. It's a hostile, but beautiful land & we wouldn't even remotely think of going anywhere other than the American southwest.................................

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/