Spring Training

We've always talked about going down to Spring Training 

for the Mariners.  This year we decided to do it and Mel 

and Gary wanted to come with us.  So we drove our trailer

over to Mel & Gary's

 When we left we didn't know if we were going

to get over Snoqualmie Pass

 They had just closed it the day before for a couple

hours for snow plowing

 But we made it and beyond to Oregon

 After Mel's we went south thru Nevada
The mountains were beautiful with all the snow

 Rest area right on the old route of the Pony Express

 Into Ely, NV
The campground was really pretty

 with a beautiful sunset

 Into warmer weather the next day

 Oasis RV Resort in Las Vegas
at the pool with sandy beaches

Our cousin, Jerry, came to our RV site to visit for the
evening.  We probably haven't seen him in 20 years
It was great seeing him again and reconnecting

Lake Mead in Boulder, NV

 You can tell when you get into Arizona

 when you see all the cactus

and Joshua Trees

The RV Park in Peoria didn't rent spaces for less
than 3 months so we stayed in their temporary spaces
with only power and water hookups, no sewer

 But I think we got the best sites in the park
Look at those views

 Another Artic Fox next to us

We met up with Walt's brother and sister-in-law, who
came over from Palm Springs for the game and visiting
Right to left: Gary, Walt, Don, Mickie, stranger

 91 degrees was a bit hot for a game

 Diane came over for the game too

 We saw the best sunsets from our camp site

 Went over to the pool one morning and had it

all to ourselves

Then we went over to Diane's to see her apartment
and our cousin, Randy, came to see us.  We haven't
seen him in at least 40 years.  We had a great visit

 Can't believe our view

 Mickie and Mel keeping out of the sun. On Saturday
the RV Resort had the 6th Annual Rockabilly Bash
with old cars and live bands

 It was hot but not this hot

Now those are little trailers

Saturday night Harriet, our dad's cousin, had us
to their Spring Training house for dinner

 Got to see their whole family it was very nice

On to Tucson the next day
Bougainvillea along the freeway

 Tucson

Saguaro National Park

 Prickly Pear Cactus

 This is what dead Saguaro cactus look like

 All the cacti had buds on them, they were ready
to bloom 'next week'

 except this ocotilla had blooms

 Neil, Mel, Gary, and Walt

 One bloomed for us

Petroglyphs 

 
 Big bats

 and little bats

 Mountain Lions

 Black Bears

 Wolves
Oh, not in the park, in the Sonora Desert Museum

 Barrel cactus almost in bloom, 'next week'

We had a nice pool in Tucson too and at 95 degrees
we needed it

 A cute little train village in the RV park

a big park

Walt's uncle, Neil, came for dinner and to visit

Heading to Texas we spend one night in Las Cruces, NM

 Las Cruces, New Mexico

85 degrees made it a little cooler than Tucson
Nice evening

The next day we went into Texas

El Paso

Pretty along the way

 to Lajitas outside of Big Bend Nat'l Park

 Our RV campground for a couple nights

Our trailer is on the left and Mel & Gary's is on the right
the space in between was not another camp site

Pretty sunsets there too

The next morning we got up early to head into the
park.  It was going to be 100 degrees so we want out
of there before midday

Pretty sunrise with the ocotilla in front

 it's almost up

 It was hotter down here than Tucson so the prickly pear
cactus were in bloom

 Pretty blossom

 and the yucca were in bloom too

 sun up!!

 We're driving down to that crack in the buttes

Gilberto Luna built this 'house' where he and his wife
raised a family.  Brave woman

Hiked out to the Rio Grande
The butte on the left is Mexico and the right is Texas

Follow the rocks

 Got our feet in the Rio Grande

 Mule Ears view point

and lunch, of course, at Dugout Wells

After Big Bend Nat'l Park we moved up to Carlsbad,
New Mexico and visited Guadalupe Mtn. NP one day

 We set out early again to beat the heat

 so it was a little cool to start

 but we warmed right up

 Wild life

We hiked McKittrick Canyon Trail to the Grotto
6.8 miles round trip

Interesting formation

 Tables built out of the slab stone so we ate lunch

A little further is Hunter Cabin

 Then back to Pratt Cabin
He built this place out of that flat stone

even the roof

We visited the caverns the second day in New Mexico

 86 degrees outside but we didn't care with 56 in the
caves we were very happy

 Amphitheater for viewing the Bat Flight

 in April (not the week we were there) the bats
return from wintering in Mexico and each night
you can watch 400,000 bats exit the cave to find food

 The switchback trail down into the caverns

 The formations were amazing

 750 ft down and there's a gift shop and restaurant

 Self guided tour to the Big Room

 This formation is called Draperies
they look like fabric folded

 the ladder they used to use to climb down into the caves

 more Draperies

Pools of water

 We went through Roswell, NM
on our next leg of the trip
There were many of these little green men all over town
Missed the display of the UFO as we came into town

Pretty flat out there

 a few trains to break the monotony

Pretty green out there though

 RV Park in Rio Rancho, NM
Got some rain during the night before we left for Colorado

 Durango, CO

Ya, back to the snow

Off to visit another Nat'l Park

Walt's buddy from the Navy, Pat and his wife, Nancy,
met us in Mancos at our RV park and toured the
park with us

 Gary, Walt, and Pat

Tours don't start until April, but we got a
good look at some of the cliff dwellings anyway
Spruce Tree House

 Cliff House

Along the cliffs across the way we could see more dwellings

View of the San Juan Mtns. from the visitor's ctr

And on into Utah

 La Sal Mtns.

 Church Rock

Spanish Trails RV Park view of the the La Sal Mtns.

 Nice to have some warm weather again but the wind
picked up in the afternoon

 This raven was right there outside our window when we
stopped for a photo op.  Mel told him to turn his head
and he did then she said the other way and he did that too

 Petrified Dunes with the La Sal Mtn in the background

 The Windows Arches

Upheaval Dome

 Buck Canyon

Green River in Buck Canyon

Grand View

Mesa Arch

Petroglyphs

 Heading home thru Upper Utah and Salt Lake

 We've seen these mountains before but never with snow
on them.  It makes them all look so different

North Salt Lake RV park

Nice view in this park too

 Trees are blooming

Into Idaho

Snake River was full

The hills were very green

We had a great time seeing the National Parks and traveling
with Mel and Gary.  By the time we got back to Mel's house they
were pros at setting up their trailer and taking it down again.
Thanks for a great trip Mel and Gary!!