Rock Shadows RV Park-Apache Junction,AZ

Dec. 4, 2011
We have arrived in the Snowbird capital of the world it seems!  Rock Shadows has +/-600 sites with the majority being permanent park models.  Nightingale will Workamp, and I will rest and recuperate--I am still the recipient of endless special treatment. :)  Many of our previous Workamper friends are in the Phoenix area for the winter as well as old friends from Maine and Nightingale's friends from college.  It promises to be a busy, fun-filled winter...even though we arrived to record low temperatures! 

Side excursion to Las Vegas with our Wine Country friends!

The beautiful Superstition Mountains are nearby and provide the backdrop for the park.  A most pleasant surprise was the Park's hiking club--"The Cactus Kickers."  Our park neighbor and fearless leader Bob, with his cohort Spencer, regaled us with legends and lore, local history and much amusement along the trail.  Nightingale, of course, was elated to be under a backpack again after a long, long 6-months of hellacious confinement.  I am just plain elated to be alive and hiking again!!  What a perfectly-timed Godsend those weekly hikes were for us.

                                        

Sensing the correct direction.

Nightingale naps in the shadow of Weaver's Needle.

It is wise to give a wide berth... to those who have horns!

Our adventures included searching for Arizona Marble and digging for Apache Tears, both of which we found, thanks to Fred and Connie who jeeped us up steep mountain trails over boulders and through gulleys.

We were thrilled to have so many visitors at Rock Shadows!  Park Ranger Cynthia came from Joshua Tree and we cruised on the Dolly Steamboat around Canyon Lake.  Brad and Dawn came for respite from cold weather in Maine, and we all went to the Arizona Opry.  It was great to see Jon and Marie at the Opry and the Good Sam Rally.  They treated us to dinner at their house in Sun City.  Tony and Mary and John put off their golfing vacation in Tucson for a few days to celebrate Nightingale's 60th birthday!  It was a busy winter of fun, food and frivolity with good friends--old and new. 

Arizona Opry

  

   

  

Spring is upon us! 

My recovery must be near complete... as the TLC has been discontinued.  I have read lots of books with the Rock Shadows Book Club, baked many loaves of bread for my hard-working Workamper... who has washed, waxed, shined, greased, lubed, tightened and aired-up everything on the Bighorn. 

Our time here has come to an end.  We must be on our way. 

The schedule for the next few weeks includes:   Memphis, TN; Elkhart, IN; The Black Hills of South Dakota, and Seattle for an appointment with my favorite Doctor.  From there, God-willing--next stop Kenai, Alaska, June 1!!!!!

 

Death Valley National Park

Two days after Thanksgiving 2011

First of all, it is SO GOOD to be on the road again!!!  We are going to visit Death Valley National Park on the way to Arizona.

Very high winds around Los Angeles and on the way up to Lone Pine, CA where we would park the Bighorn.

Nightingale and I disagree somewhat about our Park experience.  It does have the lowest elevation in the U.S., and the salt flats certainly make for interesting geography...but it is a very remote Park...and the salt flats lead to more salt flats...  We did do some really cool hiking in a few of the canyons.  Death Valley is not a place I would choose to revisit.  Summer temperatures would be intolerable and dangerous.

On the day we were to resume our journey, high wind warnings caused us to put off leaving for a day which was fine because we discovered The Alabama Hills behind the town of Lone Pine.  It is the area at the base of Mt. Whitney where all the old cowboy movies were made.  Now miscellaneous pickup truck ads are filmed there...one of which we saw on TV that very night.  Nightingale did go to a black and white John Wayne movie at the Cowboy Museum...and reported much enjoyment!

Touring over; sunshine here we come!!

Oops, I almost forgot about borax mining...

Seattle on the Good Days

Given the amount of time that has passed, one would think I could now wax poetic about my illness and our difficult stay in Seattle.   After numerous failed attempts, I cannot.  Maybe just a few photos... However, one thing must be said. My very own husband-turned Nightingale saved my life. Here it is permanently and indelibly etched in our BLOG, "I am a very lucky woman to have such a man!"

We are OUT OF HERE destined for warm, dry Arizona!!