October 8, 2007
October 8, 2007
Yesterday we had few quality choices in RV parks. That was unusual and gives comment on how sparsely populated and little visited this region of eastern Arizona is. Our choice was to stay in a hole-in-the-wall RV park behind a bar or continue driving for two hours. We stayed, intent on leaving at first light. That plan was put on ice (pun intended). It got very cold last night unexpectedly. 24F, if my thermometer is accurate. That is cold enough to turn our water supply hose into a solid snake of ice. I hope leaving the hose attached didn’t cause any internal pipe ruptures to the RV. Cross your fingers for us. After the sun started to warm up the area a little I took Aimee’s hairdryer and defrosted the hose enough that I could unhook it. I tossed it in the shower to defrost while we drove.
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I am glad we didn’t keep driving last night. Route 191 South (Coronado Trail National Scenic Byway) was one very long and winding road. It was very slow going and took us most of the day. After almost getting carsick the whole day, Aimee scratched this road off future itineraries. On the upside, the route went thru a rugged mountain pine forest that you would never think to find in Arizona. It was almost continuously downhill. We stopped at the Blue Vista Overlook for a great view of the Mogollon Rim, the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau.
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The Scenic Byway ended in the middle of the giant Phelps-Dodge copper strip mine in Morenci, AZ. For probably ten miles the mountains on both sides of the road have been turned into barren rock terraces. A sign says this mine produces almost a billion pounds of copper annually.
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Past the mine we hit the Arizona desert and surprisingly a few scattered cotton fields ready for picking. I have to stop and pick a cotton ball for myself.
In the town of Safford we take a break from this all-day drive and visit Discovery Park, a red dot I noticed on the map. This was a first for us. Despite going to some very out-of-the-way attractions, we have never been the only tourists. Here we were. The caretakers even had to turn the lights on for us. Inside were a bunch of exhibits on astronomy that are loosely associated with the nearby Mt. Graham Observatory.
Finally at the junction with I-10 we head west to Tucson where we find a spot at a “55+” snowbird RV resort. Aimee and I break out the wine and toast the end of another successful summer of traveling.
Yesterday we had few quality choices in RV parks. That was unusual and gives comment on how sparsely populated and little visited this region of eastern Arizona is. Our choice was to stay in a hole-in-the-wall RV park behind a bar or continue driving for two hours. We stayed, intent on leaving at first light. That plan was put on ice (pun intended). It got very cold last night unexpectedly. 24F, if my thermometer is accurate. That is cold enough to turn our water supply hose into a solid snake of ice. I hope leaving the hose attached didn’t cause any internal pipe ruptures to the RV. Cross your fingers for us. After the sun started to warm up the area a little I took Aimee’s hairdryer and defrosted the hose enough that I could unhook it. I tossed it in the shower to defrost while we drove.
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In the town of Safford we take a break from this all-day drive and visit Discovery Park, a red dot I noticed on the map. This was a first for us. Despite going to some very out-of-the-way attractions, we have never been the only tourists. Here we were. The caretakers even had to turn the lights on for us. Inside were a bunch of exhibits on astronomy that are loosely associated with the nearby Mt. Graham Observatory.
Finally at the junction with I-10 we head west to Tucson where we find a spot at a “55+” snowbird RV resort. Aimee and I break out the wine and toast the end of another successful summer of traveling.
posted by Mike and Aimee at 9:50 AM
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