Payson, Arizona, Part One

On October 24, 2019 By LToddIn Arizona, Photography, RV Travel, Travel4 Comments

We left the nearly 100-degree temperatures in Gila Bend for cooler weather in Payson, Arizona, on October 6, 2019. When our escort led us to the rear of Payson Campground and RV Resort, we cheered. Another week without freeway noise sounded good to us. The dusty roads and campsites surrounded by tall hedges and trees made us feel like we were in a National Forest campground.

Campsite at Payson Campground and RV Resort

Green Valley Park and Lakes

One of the highlights of Payson is the Green Valley Park and Lakes. The 45-acre property is home to the Rim Country Museum, the reproduction of the Zane Grey Cabin, and the Haught Family Cabin. Anglers are welcome to fish the well-stocked lake, sailors with non-gas powered vessels are invited to glide across the calm waters, and bird lovers will enjoy the waterfowl that live in the area or visit during their migration.

Walkers, runners, and parents with children in strollers find the 1-mile concrete trail around the large lake and the amphitheater a great place to enjoy a bit of exercise. Children even have access to a playground.

The amphitheater is used for the 4th of July and Memorial Day events, summer concerts, and as we found out during our visit, the Annual Beeline Cruise-In Car Show.

When we heard about the car show, we didn’t expect much. Cars had arrived from Phoenix and other Arizona locations as well as from neighboring states. Someone made an announcement over the PA system that this year’s event was the largest ever. They had slots for 225 cars but ended up with over 240. Fortunately, the group was able to accommodate everyone who arrived. Jon and I spent about two hours gawking at the classic cars and snapping photos.

If you’re not interested in photos of classic cars, just roll on down the page.

Ah, there’s the boy that made the music play, skulls rattle, and dog bark.

1948 Chevrolet Fleetmaster Country Club Convertible

My first car was a white two-door 1970 Datsun 510 with a black vinyl top. I wanted the butterscotch color, but it wasn’t in stock. Fifteen years later when I could afford the aftermarket paint job it was time for a new car.

Jon owned a blue 1963 Volkswagen bug with a ragtop moon roof.

Payson’s first firetruck. The museum is taking donations for a restoration project.

Jon also owned a Metro after he crashed his 1955 Chevy

I don’t think this Jeep spends much time 4-wheeling

Taking photos with someone proves that photographers put their own personal spin on their photos. Jon took pics of the cars with their hoods up, showing off the power plant and/or the wheels and tires, while I took pics of quirky autos like the Mad Max, the Halloween Roadster, and Carhop.

Rim Country Museum and Zane Grey Cabin Tours

The Rim Country Museum and Zane Grey Cabin are only viewed through a docent-led tour. Sadly, no photos are allowed inside the museum or cabin, and the museum’s website does not contain any photos. Only people lucky enough to travel to Payson and take the tours get to see the wonderful displays and artifacts inside. It is a small space, and I understand they need to limit how many people enter the museum. However, it would be nice if they shared their images so more people can enjoy the exhibits. Perhaps someday they can record a tour or take photos to post on their website.

The first National Forest Ranger building. Through the door and window are displays of objects used years ago.

The displays included artifacts and stories about ancient civilizations that populated the Rim Country, continued with early settlers, the June 1990 Dude Fire that took the lives of six firefighters and destroyed the original Zane Grey cabin, and a feud deadlier than the Hatfield-McCoy feud. The Pleasant Valley War (also known as Tonto Basin Feud, Tonto Basin War, or Tewksbury-Graham Feud) racked up an estimated death toll of 35 – 50 from 1882-1892, while 13 people died during the Hatfield-McCoy feud. For those interested in learning more, Wikipedia has detailed information on the conflict, and Zane Grey based his novel entitled To The Last Man: A Story of the Pleasant Valley War on the war.

Reproduction of Zane Grey’s Cabin

Through architectural plans, the historical society was able to recreate the Zane Grey hunting cabin. The structure contained one large room that served more like a meeting room than a place to sleep and cook. In fact, there were no facilities for cooking and sleeping. The hunters must have cooked and slept outside in tents.

The docent-led tour of the Zane Grey Cabin included historical background of the author ‘s life, his time in Rim Country, and his career as an author. Grey’s books line the shelves and his typewriter sits prominently on the desk. Apparently, years after Grey’s death, his wife was cleaning out and giving away belongings. She gifted the typewriter to a young man who worked for her. He kept the typewriter safe for many years until one day he arrived and donated it to the museum.

The Haught Cabin

The Haught cabin is also on the premises at Green Valley Park and Lakes. Imagine living in a 10’ by 18’ dirt-floor cabin without windows with five children and a mother-in-law. That is what Sarah Haught did after she and her husband Henry arrived in the Arizona Territory from Oklahoma in 1897. Territorial settlers sure were hardy folk.

The cabin is staged inside as if only one person lived there, not eight. Did hammocks hang from the walls?

When the nearby spring dried up, they took apart their little cabin and moved it to Little Green Valley where they settled next. Years later, Henry and Sarah’s daughter continued the family tradition by living in the log cabin with her husband Henry Garrels and their 5 sons. When Larry Hammon acquired the property in 1999, he contacted the Rim Country Museum to see if they were interested in relocating the structure. Again, the cabin was dismantled and then rebuilt where it now stands next to the museum.

Restaurants

While in Payson, one must eat, so we tried out a few local restaurants. We stopped in for lunch at Miss Fitz 260 Café. I had a cheeseburger with potato salad (with bacon, yum), and Jon chose chicken fried steak. We both enjoyed our meals with Arnold Palmers.

We felt privileged that Duza’s Kitchen had room for us at lunch. The comments about Mensur Duzic, the owner and executive chef, and her restaurant in Phoenix were glowing, and previous customers promised a drive to Payson for her food. The turkey, bacon, and avocado sandwich on Asiago bread was delicious.

Fargo’s Steakhouse was the perfect setting for celebrating the one-year anniversary of my surgery and Jon’s pain-free back and recovery from Bell’s Palsy. The menu offered so many choices that they are sure to please everyone’s palate. We enjoyed good food, great service, and best of all, spending our special day together.

Fargo’s Steakhouse has much more than steak

That’s enough for now. Stay tuned for next week’s post when we venture outside the city limits.

Safe Travels

Respite in Gila Bend, Arizona

On October 18, 2019 By LToddIn Arizona, Photography, RV Travel, Travel5 Comments

Peace and quiet and wide-open spaces are what we needed after the big city sights and sounds of San Diego. Although temperatures approached 100 degrees, Gila Bend KOA seemed like the perfect spot to get away from the ants that invaded our coach and the roar of the freeway outside our bedroom window.

We checked in at Gila Bend KOA on October 3, 2019, for a three-night stay. This RV park has been our go-to campground whenever we pass through the Sonoran Desert. Each year we arrive anxious to see what improvements the owner Scott Swanson has made since the previous year. A major street resurfacing project was underway when we arrived, closing off the main road. Our escort led the way along an alternate route to our site. This was the best site we have ever had at this campground.

A new gate at the entrance prevents people from entering that do not belong. Unless I missed it during our last visit, the Solitary Confinement shelter was a great addition for folks who want to enjoy a little solitude.

Step right in for your solitary confinement

Chairs have been placed inside the two cubicle-like spaces with a view of the usually dry creek lined with palo verde trees. Don’t even think about talking while cocooned in solitary, it’s not allowed. And pets and loved ones must stay at home.

Patio and fireplace behind the Ranch House

Although Gila Bend boasts a Dollar General, Family Dollar, and a Carniceria, for shopping we prefer to drive to Buckeye for our groceries. The Butcher & The Farmer Marketplace had everything we needed under one roof.

The Butcher & The Farmer Marketplace in Buckeye has everything you need

We took Old US 80 to Buckeye, a scenic route that winds through farmland, around lava flows, and past The Co-op Grill.

Operating farms and dairies and smaller ranchettes also lined the road. Dotted here and there were a few properties that appeared abandoned.

The highlight of the drive is the Historic Gillespie Dam Bridge and Interpretive Plaza. Unfortunately, someone had removed the interpretive part of the plaza leaving only the sign supports. Never fear, Wikipedia to the rescue to fill in the details of the artifact’s history.

The interpretive Plaza lacked information signs

The concrete gravity dam on the Gila River was constructed during the 1920s for irrigation purposes. In 1927, the steel truss bridge opened to traffic and incorporated into the highway system as Route 80.

It carried US 80 traffic until 1956 when the bridge was decommissioned. On May 5, 1981, the bridge earned its spot on the National Register of Historic Places.

It carried US 80 traffic until 1956 when the bridge was decommissioned. On May 5, 1981, the bridge earned its spot on the National Register of Historic Places.

Following extreme rainfall in 1993, a portion of the dam failed, remnants of which can be seen from the road.

Driving through Buckeye we noticed the school looked like it had been recently renovated. Across the street stood a two- and three-story brick building that housed the city offices and chamber of commerce. It all seemed too fancy for such a small town until I learned the population approached 69,000 people, about 10 times what I thought, and was the fastest-growing town in the US during 2017.

Before we left Gila Bend for cooler climes in Payson, Arizona, we drove east on Interstate 8 to see if any progress had been made at Big Horn Station since our visit in February 2018. Our post, dated March 3, 2018, titled Gila Bend and Ajo, Arizona, here provides more detail of the historic property.

Not much improvement happening at Big Horn Station

Refreshed from our respite in Gila Bend, it was time to move on. Payson, here we come. But before we go, here is a sunset photo.

Safe Travels

Fall 2019 – Finally, On the Road Again

On October 11, 2019 By LToddIn Travel15 Comments

We leave our 2014 adventure in the past and zip forward to September 2019. That’s right, we’re back on the trail. After a false start in the spring, followed by doctor appointments, an MRI, physical therapy, spinal injections, and medication, Jon is pain free as of three weeks ago from the date of this post.

Packed up, hooked up, and buckled in the truck, we drove into the sunrise on September 21. With smiles on our faces and adventure in our hearts, we headed for San Diego for a week not daring to venture too far from home in case the sciatic nerve monster attacked again.

Often, we only make one stop when driving to San Diego. Breaking up the 9-hour 467-mile drive with two one-night stays seemed a good idea. We pulled into the Mountain Valley RV Park, in Tehachapi for the first night.

This park offers water and electricity at the sites and a dump station. The lack of train and freeway noise and the glider port next door are benefits we find hard to pass up. Of course, the hurricane-force winds at certain times of the year would see our rig driving by.

That was not the case this time. During this visit we caught the glider port in action. I looked on with longing as we watched the small plane pull its glider into the sky, circle around the mountains, release the tether, and fly back to port. A bit later the glider silently made its way to the runway.

Since I was a kid, I have dreamed of taking a ride in a glider. The low risk of injury or death associated with gliders has not yet convinced me to climb into the cockpit. I did grab a rate chart for future reference, though, to keep the dream alive.

A free night is always welcome, and when combined with visiting relatives, it is even better. Jon’s brother ensured we could stretch our rig in front of his house for the night in Fontana, California. A stop in Fontana also meant a trip to Ontario for a half-order dinner at Vince’s Spaghetti. Vince’s has been a Todd family favorite since Jon was born. Sadly, there are no pictures to share. I really need to remember to take photos of people.

No matter how many times we pass under the West Lilac Road Bridge on Interstate 15, I’m always overcome with amazement at the engineering that supports its 3.79 football field length across the span.

It stirs something inside of me that I cannot explain with words. I imagine Fred G. Michaels and John Suwada, the designers, sitting in a café drawing several designs on napkins. When they selected the image that would become the bridge, did they experience the same emotional reaction I do when I see it in person?

We arrived at San Diego RV Resort on September 23, 2019, for one week. Although it has its drawbacks (freeway noise and ants), we like this RV resort for its friendly staff, cleanliness of the park, convenient location, and price. Rates for RV sites close to the beach start at $70.00 for a parking spot with no hookups and can go over $300.00 per night for a supersite. And good luck securing a reservation during certain times of the year.

Visions of a relaxing week in San Diego with time to write, work out, and hike turned into a let’s-go-here-and-there adventure. A walk around Lake Murray gave Jon an opportunity to test his walking distance.

We knew he could get through the grocery store without stopping and having to rest. How far could he make it along the 5.9-mile out-and-back path, was the question.

Waking up the next day with shin splints and sore ankle muscles revealed the two-mile roundtrip as a starting point was sufficient.

Now the hard work began to strengthen the muscles that had gone dormant during the sciatica flareup and increase his stamina.

A friend from high school and I arranged to meet in Ocean Beach for lunch. We met Suzie and her husband Dan at The Old Townhouse Restaurant for a good meal and conversation with great people. Of course, a walk on the pier for a photo opportunity was in order after our meal and before we parted ways.

Susie and me on the pier. Unlike me, Susie is always on the hunt for photo ops.

Balboa Park is one of our favorite haunts while in San Diego. Creatures of habit that we are, we ate at The Prado and watched Turtle Odyssey at the Imax theater in the Fleet Science Center.

Did I forget to mention Jon woke up with Bells Palsy the day after his back stopped hurting? Poor guy walked around with a crooked smile for three weeks.

Okay, I guess a little spout of water on top of my head is better than the large one.

Botanical building and lily pond at Balboa Park

Spreckels Organ and Pavilion at Balboa Park

We couldn’t pass up a chance to see the Blue Angles in action. We didn’t have time to view the entire airshow, so at Doyle Community Park we managed to catch a glimpse and take a few shots and movie clips. I never tire of watching their performances and hearing the screaming jets. For some reason, my eyes turn blurry every time. I blamed my tears on the heavy mist that appeared as soon as the planes came overhead.

En Fuego Cantina & Grill satisfied our craving for Margaritas and Mexican food. Sitting on the patio and catching a glimpse of the ocean now and then was a treat.

Son Kevin with what looks like a scowling Jon…seriously he was trying to smile

Kevin has lived in San Diego for 20 years and never once stepped foot on the Star of India, so we staged an intervention. First, we took advantage of a snack at the Lane Field Park Market. All types of food are offered as samples and to purchase. Bring a blanket to spread out on the grass under the umbrella shades and munch away.

Across the street is the Maritime Museum of San Diego where the Star of India calls home. She is listed as both a California Historical Landmark and a National Historic Landmark.

Star of India at Maritime Museum of San Diego

According to the museum, she is considered the oldest active sailing ship. The iron-hulled ship was launched in 1863 carrying the name Euterpe. The ship’s history includes damage from a collision and cyclone in India.

Besides her voyages to India, the ship was used as a cargo ship and later as transport for emigrants to New Zealand, Australia, California, and she also sailed to Chile.

The bunks would have been too short for me

Several other ships are docked at the Maritime Museum. They include the steam ferry Berkeley, steam yacht Medea, HMS Surprise, and many others.

Bailey took time out to take care of business

A visit to Costa Brava in Pacific Beach for tapas for lunch topped off our days in San Diego as we said goodbye to Kevin and Bailey. Thanks, guys for a wonderful week. We enjoyed spending time with you.

Next stop, Gila Bend and Payson, Arizona.

Safe Travels

Quincy and Graeagle in Plumas County, California

On September 26, 2019September 25, 2019 By LToddIn California, RV Travel, TravelLeave a comment

Exploring new territory is our favorite type of adventure and Plumas County in California was a place we had yet to explore. So, on October 4, 2014, we headed north from Yosemite along State Route 49 to Interstate 80, and then north on State Route 89. We had often passed State Route 89 near Truckee, when driving to and from Reno, Nevada, and wondered what lay beyond the thick forest. We were about to find out.

We selected Pioneer RV Park in Quincy as base camp for four nights.

Campsite at Pioneer RV Park in Quincy, California

James H. Bradley, one of the organizers of Plumas County, donated land for the county seat that would become Quincy. Bradley had named his farm in Illinois after John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) and decided that name was just fine for the new town in California. In 1858, the town was formally recognized. The estimated population for Plumas County in 2018 was 18,800, of which about 1,900 people lived in Quincy.

We began our exploration at Buck’s Lake on the Oroville-Bucks Lake Road. Surrounded by the Bucks Lake Wilderness and Recreation area, residences, and resorts, visitors can enjoy fishing, camping, hiking, and water sports during the spring and summer months.

When winter descends on the valley that sits at 5,200’ elevation, the snowmobiles and snowshoes came out to play. Several campgrounds accommodate both tents and RVs in Plumas National Forest or in private campgrounds. Only a small number of full hookup sites are available.

Our next stop was Thompson Lake where the trees showed off their yellow and gold fall colors.

We hiked around Gansner Park where the green grass and shade from the tall pines made for a pleasant stroll. Overall, the park was in good order, except for the tennis courts. It looked like they had been abandoned for several seasons.

The next day we headed out to the Cascade Trailhead. The Spanish Creek flows next to the trail and leads to five small falls. The trail was originally built to transport water for hydraulic mining and used as a supply road for the Western Pacific Railroad. Fall had surely made its way into the canyon.

Purple daisies look more like it’s spring

The Union Pacific railroad runs through the canyon. I had seen the tunnel high up on the canyon wall.

Then the roar and thunder of a freight train grew in intensity and soon there it was chugging away and disappearing into the tunnel.

We moved our base camp to Movin’ West RV Park in Graeagle to explore another area of Plumas County. Once a company mill town, recreation now drives Graeagle’s economy. With a championship 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, nearby Plumas County National Forest and lakes basin and the Plumas Eureka State Park, visitors have plenty of activities to enjoy during their stay.

The Plumas Eureka State Park museum was closed when we arrived, which should have disappointed us. Instead, we managed to learn about the artifacts while wandering around the exterior grounds and examining the old gold-mining equipment and buildings. Although it would have been nice to have a docent tell us the history of the place, we were able to grab enough information from reading the signs, which told each object’s story.

This Huntington Mill was used to crushed gold-bearing ore for processing

JT inspecting the antique mining equipment

Fall had definitely descended upon the Madora Lake Loop Trail.

Hmm, does he want to go through there or not?

We finished our exploration of Plumas County at the Plumas National Forest Lakes Basin Recreation Area. The lush forest, crystal blue lakes, and fall-inspired scenery was the perfect setting to close out our adventures. We selected the loop trail that skirted Big Bear Lake and passed by Little Bear Lake, Cub Lake, and Silver Lake.

Putting together these past posts has made me homesick for the thick forests, alpine lakes, and trails. I want to lace up my shoes, sling my camera around my neck, and walk the trails exploring new territory.

Jon’s back has been pain free for almost a week as I write this post. Now comes the slow process of avoiding another flare up and regaining strength and stamina. However long that takes, I have hope that one day soon we will once again climb mountains and sit along an alpine lakeshore eating our lunch.

Safe Travels

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