South Central Arizona

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Day: 118
Miles: 7,018





It sure didn't feel like Christmas this year! Our Cornish hens in the Dutch Oven were good but they didn’t replace an at home feast, and most of all family. We did see some family for a few minutes via web-cam, but everyone else in the country must have been doing the same thing so it was quite slow and cut out frequently. It was still a nice touch of home. It seems so strange to hear Christmas music here when there is no snow and Christmas lights are strung on saguaro cactus.








Our metal detecting at Buckskin Mountain State Park was successful and netted us $7.87!! along with numerous tent stakes, washers, a spark plug, a bullet, a crappy cheap ring and countless bottle caps and pull tabs. This also seems to be good exercise since we both have found muscles hurting that we didn’t know we had.






Buckskin was one of our favorite parks this year and we stayed 2 weeks - great location and nice weather. On the 29th we pulled out and headed to Picacho (rhymes with macho)Peak State Park, located between Tucson and Phoenix. The campground is situated a little ways up the side of the Picacho Peak mountain side so we have a terrific view of the surrounding valley and mountains. We can also see weather coming from way off and a train track in the distance along with the city lights - very cool park.





From the pictures you can see that there are saguaro cactus and palo verde trees everywhere and also right in our campsite. Picacho Peak also has a 3 mile hiking trail, one way, to the peak at over 3,000 feet. This is not a hike we plan to take since to scale a part of it there are cables to hang on to in order to boost yourself up.




We put out a bird feeder after we set up camp and before we even turned around the long-billed thrasher was there and was soon joined by a whole flock of mixed birds. Dave loves to sit in his short lawn chair and watch them.






Cindy and Rich have a condo only about 40 miles from here. Since they were here over Christmas break we had a chance to visit with them on New Year's Eve for dinner and again on New year's day when they came to the campground. Their condo is in Florence Gardens in the city of Florence . It has a perfect location as the corner unit up on a hill. It has a nice private patio surrounded by rosemary bushes and trees. We loved it and we love it even more since we get to stay in it when they head back to the frozen north. Who knew a recliner and ceramic toilet could mean so much?!?

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Photos

Tree climbing
This was Dave's favorite tree at Buckskin.

Metal Detecting
Looking for Christmas presents on the beach by the Colorado River

Bill Williams NWR
This is an area by the Parker Dam along the Colorado River that has been preserved to show what the Colorado River Basin looked like before they erected the Hoover Dam and 20 others up stream.

Lounging
Dave has decided he likes the low lawnchairs for birdwatching at the feeder

January 1, 2010
Hot dogs over the fire with good friends

Calloway Trail
Rich, Ron, Cindy and Tam hiking up the Calloway Trail at Picacho Peak State Park

Picacho Peak
A 3 mile trail leads to the peak on the left. This peak is visible from highway 10 for miles.

Comments

[Krys]

Tree Climbing
I thought that was a monkey in the tree with Dave... I mean with Dad! HA HA!!!! Cool sunset! Love ya ~ Krys

[TD]

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to both of you. 30 degrees with freezing drizzle. Stay west. Christmas not at home is very different. See you-----------soon? TD