We had this trip planned for 2020 but, of course, Covid
messed that up too. Anyway, we got to go this year
We stop in La Grande, OR the first night on the
way to Filer, ID. It was cool but we had a
rainbow!!
Then leaving Idaho we head down thru Nevada
A recent snowfall made for a pretty drive
We stayed in Ely, NV and had snow overnight
The roads were warm enough that the snow just
blew off them or melted
The further south the warm it got thankfully
Lake Mead
Camping in Boulder City, NV
Warm enough for shorts and no coats
We visited San Xavier del Bac Mission in Tucson
Mostly closed because of you know what!!
The freeway overpasses in Arizona were pretty
We took a day and drove down to Tombstone
Lots of cacti there
Prickly Pear
Boot Hill
Ocotillo Cactus
Tombstone was a silver mining town
this is one of the shafts
It goes down 500 feet
A replica of what it looked like when they were mining
We paid money to go in and see the largest rose bush
in the world. It was huge
The trunk was 4 feet in diameter
This is the top of it. It bloomed little tiny yellow
roses but was mostly done when we were there
The OK Corral which they told us wasn't really in
that location...it was really on the block behind
Tombstone's Courthouse
The first church in Tombstone was this
Catholic Church...now a meeting hall
and the new church is behind me
They also had a rose bush and it was free to see
Not quite as big tho
Inside the new church
There you see Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday,
Virgil Earp, and Morgan Earp
Last time we were in Tucson we visited the Western
Side of Saguaro Nat'l Park so this time we went to
the Eastern Side
The Saguaro Cactus were in bloom
along with the Prickly Pear cactus
Barrell Cactus
Cholla Cactus
This creosote plant had tiny little
pussy willow on it.
The troop
Prickly Pears were in bloom all over
And the Petrified Forest Nat'l Park none of
us had been to before
The Painted Desert
The Painted Desert Inn is now a museum but closed
right now because of ...
Route 66 runs right thru the park
see the telephone pole running left to right
that's the location of the old road
Old Pueblo ruins
Kiva was their meeting place maybe for church
Petroglyphs were scattered around the park
The Tepees
The petrified logs were agatized in the center
Looks like a wood log but it's stone
Everywhere you looked you could see these
petrified trees scattered around the hills
agatized center
The Agate House
They climbed in thru the roof
Traveling toward home we went thru New Mexico
and into Colorado
To see Mesa Verde Nat'l Park
Far View Site with 5 villages
a Kiva
These squares were places the women would
gather and grind food
The communities reservoir
No tours to Spruce House anymore
The road to Cliff Palace was being worked on so
no tours to Cliff Palace either
It was still impressive to see from afar
Step House was open for a self guided tour
and wildlife
And into Utah
getting back into the cooler weather
Here you go Pete Henry
Your own mountain
not this one but at the same stop
Our camping buddies in Torrey, UT
After visiting Walt's brother, Vic and Cecil in Moab
we went on to Capitol Reef Nat'l Park
Walt and I have been there before but it seems like
there is always more to see at each park we revisit
like Gooseneck Overlook
and Sunset Point
Capitol Gorge
out to the Tanks
and natural bridge
and then a hike to Hickman Bridge
And on to Filer where Mel, Gary,
Marci and Bruce thru a celebration for our
50th Anniversary
in Mel's backyard
Thanks You Guys!!
I took the flower home
Back to La Grande, OR
with different wildlife. There must have been
25 babies along the lake
Great Trip!!
