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Published: January 17th 2010
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Rich and Cindy's condo
Here we are relaxing on the patio.There is a wall of Rosemary growing along the back, very quiet place. DAY 129
We certainly have enjoyed the luxury of being in Cindy and Rich's condo in Florence. Our square footage in the camper is about 105', the condo is about 6 times that. This area is known as the Cowboy Cradle of the Great Southwest and Florence is the fifth oldest city in Arizona founded in 1866. It is on the banks of the Gila River and there is a bridge over the Gila - but honestly we haven’t seen any water yet. The River Bottom Saloon advertises that it is on the banks of Gila River with water so clear you can see the bottom - LOL!
Ron joined the flying club that meets in the park. On his first time out flying on a real airfield, he crashed the glider. He has flown this thing everywhere we have been and then crashes on a real field - very frustrating for him. It meant a trip to Mesa, where the nearest hobby shop is located, to buy replacement parts. The second flight resulted in another trip to Mesa - but then things got better and he had some great flights out in this desert location.
Casa Grande Ruins
The great house with owls nesting in the protective structure The airfield is on State Trust Land and the members have to watch out for free range cattle while they fly - one more thing to make landing a challenge.
We explored the area and one of the first places we visited were the Casa Grande Ruins. This is part of a vast area that was once inhabited for hundreds of years by the HoHoKum; by 300 a.d. they were already building miles of canals to divert water from the Gila River to irrigate their crops. The largest remains are of the Great House which was 4 stories high, built about 1100 ad. It is 60x 40 feet at the base and has caliche walls over a yard thick. There is evidence that part of its use was ceremonial with the sun setting at the summer solstice and aligning itself with a circular hole in the west wall. A pair of Great Horned Owls has a nest in the rafters of the cover structure and they just sat there watching us as we watched them.
One day we geocached in Florence and then went to the Pinal County Historical Museum. The artifacts included
LB Inn
The outdoor seating was great...... 12 hanging nooses that were used in executions and a two- seater gas chamber chair for brothers executed at the same time. There is also furniture made from saguaro cactus and medical instruments and, of course, the ever present staple of western museums - a barbed wire collection. Across the street is the LB Inn where we stopped for lunch - the best part of that experience was the outdoor seating and not the food.
We took a Jeep trip on Price Road that heads into a box canyon. We were quite sensible and stopped before we got into trouble. Great area for a hike with very narrow canyon walls.
We've been at the condo for 2 weeks and are heading out on the road again. It sure was a nice break in our camper routines, but there is still so much to see. So we're heading to Catalina Mountain State Park by Tucson so we can get in some mountain hiking and birding. There is also a Quilt show in Tucson that we'll try to get to. That's it for now.
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AnnMarie
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Hi You Two!!
Hi! It looks like you are having great fun and adventures!! Is it warm where you are? It looks sunny is your pictures. Keep u0p the great job of blogging!! TTFN me