Travelin' Highway 10 - Day 1

Travelin' East on Hwy 10 ... blue skies ... fair weather!

Absolutely will NOT miss seeing BILLBOARDS everywhere!

This San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm is really quite beautiful. It sits near Palm Springs, atop the San Bernadino Mountains of California. There are more than 4000 of these Wind Turbine Generators, enough to power up all of Palm Springs and all of Coachella Valley! These make smart use of pure, natural, constantly replenishing, and FREE energy resources!

California's wildflowers decorated her dry desert floor.

Click on the pictures to enlarge and enjoy the flowers.
Bright yellow, pale yellow, white, greens, and greys.

Corals, touches of purple and lavender ...

Ocotillo blossoms were like graceful red flames...

First Stop: Chiriaco Summit, CA: Aproximately 1,700 feet elevation. This Post Office (above) is made of cactus skeletons. We made our obligatory tour of the restaurant's gift shop and visited the new "Chiriaco Summit Southwest Travel Information Center." "The center can provide comprehensive travel and tourist information for attractions in the Southwest." Well, maybe it could, but the person working that day, knew absolutely nothing about the Southwest nor traveling ... however, as always, it was a fun ... a kitchy, cool little stop. Gas, food, General Patton Museum, West Coast Viet Nam Veterans' Remembrance Wall.

The Chocolate Mountains ... close to the CA/AZ border. Yee haaw!

Finally ... ARIZONA!!!! We're home!!!! Have you missed us?

ARIZONA TRAVEL WARNING:
Photo Radar Enforcement, day and night, virtually everywhere, especially highways!

Buckle Up.

Pay close attention to Speed Limits.

Seriously ... Arizonians say that police will cut you no slack.

Read this important information: Arizona Driving: click here.

Signs in Quartzsite, AZ are unique - couldn't resist sharing this one.

We enjoyed a short, but sweet, time of fellowship with one of my BFFs. Then we proceeded West to Hwy 60 North.

We made our obligatory stop to pick up some lunch at the Brenda Country Store in Brenda, AZ. Always interesting locals around and a nice place to stretch, take a deep breath of AZ air and look around at the wide open spaces!

Then on to our favorite stop in Salome,AZ, the T Bar B Feed store. (Which, btw, is much more than just a feed store) A must stop, if you are passing through this cute rural little town. Besides feed, grain, tack, horse and pet supplies ... they have some quite nice silver jewelry, unique western gift and decor items ... some locally crafted. Down to earth, good ol' western hospitality, they always make a visitor feel welcome! My g'daughters' favorite attractions are the store kitties, always have a purr and a pet waiting there!

The T Bar B Arena, just North on Hwy 60 @ Hope St, hosts team sortings every Wednesday and the annual T Bar B Rodeo in October.

VERY sad to hear that the powers-that-be are trying to pass ordinances against horses in Salome ... under the guise of protecting the land or some such nonsense.

The truth is that the Mc Mullen Chamber of Commerce is promoting off road vehicle activity in place of equestrian activity. Talk about trashing the environment!!! They advertise: "Quads, Jeeps, Dirt Bikes, Buggies, Trucks - Off Roading at it's best!" Says a lot, doesn't it???!!

Oh my goodness ... the world is all backwards and upside down! Bob Dylan was right ... the times they are a changin' ...!

Bottom line: Locals: speak up and support the horse population in Salome! The rest of us need to see what's left of the old West, while it is still here!

Our next mandatory stop was at Double D Western World in Wickenburg. 24,000 square feet of Western delights. No kidding! Nothing I couldn't live without this time though ... which is a FIRST for me! It is always fun to go and drool, and get decor ideas, at the very least ... the folks there are super nice! A few years ago, I called my neighbor in CA to come out and take a my new couch and chair home for me! AWESOME! Never regretted it, not even for a minute!

We were anxious to see "our" town. But we had traveled quite a few miles and were pretty road-worn by now. We could hear a hot shower, hearty dinner and soft beds somewhere calling our names!

So, we headed straight to our usual resting stop at the Best Western Rancho Grande in Wickenburg; figured we would walk to dinner from there. Well, guess we had forgotten that we can make all the plans we want, but only God can direct our steps. Next time, we need to let Him confirm our itinerary before we go. Duh ....

"Bad" news: a very unusual and unpleasant experience with a very unpleasant clerk. Evidently, the rooms range from wonderful to ... well ... unacceptable. This clerk placed us in an outer wing of the motel in a dark corner room that was not, at all, acceptable. I have since read a few other negative reviews, thus ... our best advice: always check out your room before taking it, no matter how tired you are!

Disclaimer: The accomodations and staff have been great in the past. They are kid and pet friendly, even provide a couple of surprises for your pets! Located right in downtown Wickenburg; it is only a short walk to almost everything. As for special needs, ask for a ground floor. The ramps are quite steep and long for anyone with mobility issues.

Good news: the Lord led us to a an even more excellent new discovery!

The Wickenburg Inn (above); a delightful little hotel ... just a hop and a skip from town. Merv Griffin used to own it; it was then a fancy dude ranch on the West end of town. Our concierge told us that it was sold after Merv died and the same company aquired and renovated this hotel. Very nicely done!

Complimentary breakfasts are cooked up personally by a local gourmet chef! Beat that! Room service will deliver fresh meals to you right from the Cafe Azure in Wickenburg. The hotel is child and pet friendly and has a nice pool, spa, horse facilities, horseback riding in the Hassayampa River Preserve available from there. Clean room, comfy cozy beds, great shower, free wi-fi and high speed internet, nicely appointed.

Seeing double? Twins are SO much fun! Even more so with mirrors!

We drove into town for a hearty Mexican dinner at El Ranchero Restaurant: the hosts were quite friendly, but the food was not as much to our taste as our favorite:

Anita's Cocina (pictured below) in downtown Wickenburg.

Yummmm....next time ... back to Anita's!

Watched the sunset from our hotel window, as turkey vultures soared on the cool evening air currents. Beautiful ... relaxing ... ahhhhhh ... thank You Lord, for bringing us here ...

We have had a long day and are ready to snuggle in for the night.

More about our Wickenburg adventures soon!

Sayonara ... zzzzzzzzzzzzz

ON THE ROAD 2009 - PART ONE

Whew, we have been rambling outside of the blogosphere for quite some time! Most of which was, admittedly, a welcome change, free from noise, busyness, and "have-tos." Actually, we have been on a techno-free vacation (fun) followed by a few short leaves of absence (not-so-fun). We are considering blogging during our next vacation; wouldn't it be fun IR (in real-time)???

Ricochet ridin' shotgun; tough job
My granddaughters' school has been on a year-round schedule, which has afforded us precious winter "off-track" opportunties to spend time together. Most people seem to choose summer to travel, making winter vacationing very enjoyable! Sadly, the girls will be back on a traditional schedule next year, with regular summer vacation. *boo hoo*

Anyway, we packed up the Equinox, the two smallest ranchdogs, the twin girlies, loosed the bonds of everyday life and headed out for our annual two-week winter road-trip.

Our first stop:
Pam's? YumYum? Donuts: Beaumont, CA: 5 out of 5 bullets ¤¤¤¤¤
Right off of the Beaumont exit, just north of the I-10. A MUST stop if you are ever anywhere near that town ... if you like donuts, that is! Hands-down, they had the largest selection of the freshest, most delicious donuts we have ever seen or tasted! The rich chocolate they use is like no "regular" donut shop! Oh-my-goodness!!!!

Next stop:

Chiriaco Summit, CA: 4 out of 5 bullets ¤¤¤¤

Post Office made out of chollas
We stop here on every road trip, coming and going. A good place to stretch and care for various needs: including kitty-petting, there are always purring cats appreciating attention from travelers. The Chiriaco story is one of fascinating local family history. Click here to read about it. The link on the title has further information as well.

Always welcoming and kid-friendly. There is a comfortable patio area with plants, fountains, shade, a pet walking area, an unusual rural Post Office made out of cholla wood, a sit-down restaurant with good homestyle cookin' and a nice little gift and souvenir shop. The cheesy to the antique, there is something for everyone. Gas and services are conveniently right across the drive.

Right next door:

George S. Patton Memorial Museum: 4-5 out of 5 bullets ¤¤¤¤-¤

Photo:Courtesy of motorhome05

A wonderful, bigger-than-life statue of Patton and his dog welcomes you. A little-known, yet hughly important, piece of U.S. history. There is a small fee for the museum, which is full of memorabilia and artifacts found locally. There is a "tank yard" out front which houses a Sherman Tank, a Stuart (both from WWII) and others. Military buffs will LOVE all the militaria! GREAT photo opps! Also sand dunes of fine/soft sand that you can sink your toes into. Definitely an enjoyable and enlightening hands-on world history lesson for kids and adults alike!>
General Patton "actually handpicked this site and was the first commander of the Desert Training Center (DTC) with Camp Young as the headquarters, eventually training over a million men to go into the WWII." He also reportedly imported camels to this location, planning to use them in the war.

Photo: Courtesy of waymarking.com - AWESOME website - recommend visiting!

To see pictures of the inside of the museum: click here!

Also located at the Patton Museum:

West Coast Viet Nam Veterans Wall of Remembrance

Very sobering, touching, and relevant.

Photo: Courtesy of snowbirdchronicles

Continuing east on Highway 10 ... wwe crossed the Colorado River.

Photo:Courtesy bikeacrossamerica

... and voila! FINALLY! ARIZONA!!!

Photo:Courtesy bikeacrossamerica

We see our first saguaros and ...

Our next stop:
Quartzsite, AZ: 5 out of 5 bullets ¤¤¤¤¤
Just east of the CA border, on both sides of Highway 10, is an incredible must-be-experienced event held during January of every year. When you come over the hill from CA, it looks like snow down in the valley ahead. But it is soon apparent, that it is actually a bazillion RVs and tents that you saw.

This guy has ALL the skinny on Quartzsite shows
Photo: Courtesy of Hitchitch

There are acres and acres of gems, rocks, minerals, and stones, in every form you can imagine, in their rawest states to finished jewelry. From countries all over the world are vendors selling jewelry, beads, goodies, gadgets and gimmicks. The customers and sellers are every bit as interesting as the merchandise (none however, that you would want to take home, like the jewelry...hee hee). There are crusty "desert rats" to high-class store owners and celebrities. There are also dogs of every kind (mostly little) in every imaginable kind of wagon, stroller, and homemade pet-"vehicle."

There is mostly dirt and rocks on the ground and you are a little dusty by the end of the day, but all are happy. Everyone there is friendly, welcoming and helpful. A unique and fun experience for adults and children alike. Caution: potentionally "dangerous" if you really like jewelry. You will find gift items from 50 cents to whatever you are willing to spend. Hint: Only take as much money as you are prepared to part with. :)

Bring: comfortable walking shoes, plenty of water, a camera, money, a c-card and a gift list! If bringing children, sunscreen and caps and/or an umbrella for shade would be wise. There is really nowhere to stay overnight, unless you RV or camp, except perhaps in Blythe (or Ehrenberg, if you're really lucky.) Love's has the best prices in town for gas. There is a General Store, a Post Office, several stores and "restaurants" ... and an AWESOME little bakery with genuine homemade goodies, the wildest police car you have ever seen, and a very STRICT 35 mph speed limit! (Don't ask how I know!)

Tyson Wells Sellarama

We, however, did not come for the show, our friends Linda and Art live in town and we stopped to visit them. We visited Linda at their sales booth, explored the "Sellarama" a little, and left with trinkets for the girls' "medicine" pouches and colorful metallic hair extensions.

Our friends were gracious enough to feed us wonderful bbq'd "steak" and cold canned pork and beans ... our favorite! Anyone else out there like them that way??? Oh yeah, YU-UMM! They also put us all up for the night in their oh-so-cozy and beautiful southwest desert hideaway.

Shiloh's Stagecoach at the Ranch in Quartzsite

Linda and I have been blessed to be bffs for 27 years! Their home has been my first layover in AZ since I started coming here! Murphy always remembers their house and is especially excited to see his "buddy," Art! He follows him all over the property, whatever he's doing is good for Murph (must be a "guy thing.") The girls and I wore our "triplet" matching cowboy jammies and got to sleep on Linda and Art's awesome new couch bed!

KJ, CJ, Richochet

Linda was up bright and early, making tea. Art said, "Sue, your sunrise is outside." Waking up to an Arizona sunrise is always SO exhiliarating! The fresh air, the wide open skies ... ahhhhh ... I'm "home!"

CJ, KJ and "Linda's gecko"

All too quickly time passed and we had to hug, kiss and say our goodbyes.*sniff* Our friends took off for their day of work, we took a few more pictures and then headed out to continue our adventure.

I must, at this point, insert 2 massively, vitally serious exhortations

1. Love fully every moment! Do not miss even a small opportunity to give a good hug and say "I love you." Do not take for granted that you will see that person again. You just don't know.

2. See your doctor regularly! Brave up and take any and all age-appropriate tests (especially heart, blood pressure, cholesterol) and/or medications he or she suggests.
I just thank God that we made this visit when we did! We could not have know, but this would be the last time we would see one of our beloved friends! Less than a month after our visit, Art unexpectedly went home to be with the Lord.

Back to front: Art, Linda, CJ, KJ, Murphy

ART: You are loved and will be missed by every life you have touched! I know that I will see you there my friend! If it is possible, put in a good word for me with Jesus, OK???

LINDA: My forever-friend and sister, we all LOVE you and keep you constantly in our prayers. We are so THANKFUL that you are in our lives! My heart hurts for you. We have been on a few journeys together over these 27 years ... this is the toughest one yet, but a brand new journey has begun for you ...
As we left Quartzsite, we headed east towards Phoenix, then to old Highway 71 North, towards Prescott, one of my favorite roads and a highly recommended adventure! There is an old, comfortable familiarity about this route that used to be the "thoroughfare" for Easterners traveling out "West." Ruins of late 40s motels evidence bygone days of the early driving tourism post-WWI; old cool road signs and all.

There are quaint, interesting little country stores and places to eat, explore, and photograph! Ruins of mines, and remnants of the first wood and wire that fenced off "private" lands. The open landscape is BEAUTIFUL! Saguaros, ocotillos, creosote, cholla, yellow and purple flowers, the beautiful and very special Harcuvar mountain range,

BIG blue skies, peace ... and open highway!

We will explore some Highway 71 treasures on our next "On the Road 2009" edition.

Thanks for joining us! We love sharing the awesome wonders that the Lord in His wisdom has placed in and along our paths.

HAPPY TRAILS!