We are in Van Horn Texas now and have been trying to catch up for the last couple of days. Last night we were in Las Cruces, NM, and had a wonderful dinner with my niece Heather and her husband Rick.

I have to apologise, especially to Heather, for the photo representation here as I was having too much fun to take very many pics. Above is Rick making the absolute best strudel we have ever had ... the art of his action was captivating. The strudel was just one of the many parts of a really nice dinner of fresh salad, baked potato and steaks perfectly done. Rick and Heather spend a lot of time hunting and fishing and teaching hunting and fishing seminars. They cater large hunting groups with their special frozen food items and the quality of the cooking is evident. Also their house contains the most impressive collection of preserved waterfoul and fish outside of a museum I have ever seen and all collected by these guys. Wow ... and thanks for a super evening!

Yes, we are in Van Horn, Texas, and while this isn't a particularly scenic view, it has some significance for us. In 1978 or so, while we were coming back to Texas, from our posting to Tucson, we took our new pop-up camper and stayed here in the KOA for the night ... or a part of the night. The place was filled with tents and campers like ours and I think it was about 100 degrees. We checked in and tried to sleep, but with 2-year old Leigh and the heat the night was gettin long. About 2 in the morning, we couldn't take it any longer and we drove out of the place, trying not to wake the other tenters, with our pop-up still up until well clear of the park and then put it down and then continued on to College Station.

The park really hasn't changed much, but the living accomodations have changed considerably and we will most likely make it through the night this time.

This evening we even had a roadrunner come up to the door to beg.

Now that we are in Van Horn, Texas, I need to catch up with the last images from Tucson. At dinner at P F Changs with the Hammonds near thier house. We had such a great time and it was over too soon.

On the way out of Tucson, but still in Arizona is the first rest stop you come to and the scenery is pretty cool. I had flown over this area 30 years ago and did some rescue work here, but the timeless scenery is awesome. Here's the Flying Scotsman trying to blend into the landscape.

At the same rest stop they still want you to remember the critters .... probably just a ploy to keep your dog near the authorized path.

America's Southwest doesn't get any better than this.

Last Sunday we went up to Mount Lemmon which forms the northern limits of Tucson sprawl. Where the houses end, the Catalina National Forest begins. The drive to the top of the mountain at 9,000 + feet is really special.

At the top there are ski runs and lifts.

Thirty years ago when we lived in Tucson we would frequent the small restaurant at the top which was built in the 50s. When the temperature was in the 60s on the desert floor it would be snowy and 20s at the restaurant. We would come up here to have their special chili and corn bread in front of the roaring fire and it was refreshing to see that 30 years and the recent forest fires had not changed the restaurant.

The road to and from Mount Lemmon is a spectacular ride and one of Americas favorite byways. It is about 35 miles from where you enter the highway in the foothills to the summit. Tucson is about 1,800 feet above sea level so the difference of about 7,000 feet is pretty awesome. As you go up you go through many ecological zones ranging from the desert type of foliage all the way to pines and firs at the top.

This is Dave and Karen Hammond, our hosts and good friends (my high school buddies), for our stay in Tucson. This shot was in the back yard of their gorgeous home in the foothills above Tucson.

It was difficult to get the whole house in, as well as show the proximity to the mountain which rises above thier place.

And the view out of the living room window at sunset is pretty spectacular.

We went out to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum yesterday and even though we lived in Tucson 30 years ago and visited often, it still was a real treat ... an absolutely must-see if you come to Tucson. The museum is about 15 miles west of Tucson through some pretty spectacular saguaro cactus country.

The museum is really about 500 acres of desert preserved in the natural state with walking paths with descriptions and examples of all the animal and plant life in this region. They have some awesome animal enclosures ... believe it or not this is textured concrete ... and they say the walls are high enough to keep kitty in.

And they tell you to stay on the paths to ensure you don't disturb these guys!

There are literally hundreds of exhibits of plants and animals, but of course this little guy caught Jo-Anne's eye just as we were leaving the exit of the place. I got close enough to touch this little pack rat chewing on an agave but he was unfazed by the tourists.

And more rules to keep you and the exhibits separate as much as possible!

This part of the desert is truly spectacular even though this is winter. In the spring every variety of cactus blooms in a really beautiful display.

Yes, we are in Tucson and the beauty of Tucson is this weather and the mountain scenery. Here's the Flying Scotsman and a view of the mountains to the north of town.

While personal, for our daughter, Leighanne here is where you were born, at the Davis-Monthan AFB hospital on April 24, 1976, while we were stationed here.

And our little (1000 sq ft) house we owned out on the east side of town where Leigh came home to in 1976. The cacti have grown a bit, but the place looks about the same. Let's see ... I paid $25,000 and today worth about $250,000 ... ah, ain't life wonderful ... of course I don't own it anymore ....

We arrived in Tucson on the 11th and will be here until the 25th. The Beaudry RV Resort here on the south side of town just off of I-10 is really great and I'll have to take some pictures of the place. There's 350 sites in a very nice paved resort and it is dry and wonderful. As a result we have been cleaning off all the accumulated dirt and grime from the last six months or so. We had a service come and pressure wash the Flying Scotsman in place (roof included) and that was really convienent. Because of the nice weather, 60s and sun, we have had the opportunity to do more cleaning that was neglected over the winter weather to the north; getting more red mud out of all the cracks. There is actually dirt still in the lower bays that we picked up going across Canada on a particularly nasty piece of gravel road construction ... we'll get it out.



Another reason we've been busy is our good friends and hosts here, Dave and Karen Hammond. Dave and Karen and I went to high school together in Okemos, Michigan and graduated in 1963, so we have known each other for a lot longer than we want to admit. Dave and I were in Vietnam at the same time and then after he was rather severly injured, he and Karen came to Tucson in the late 60s and have been here ever since. From 1975 to 1979, Jo-Anne and I were stationed here with the Air Force and that was the last time we have been to Tucson ... and the 30 years of change is very evident. The city has gone from 250,000 to over a million people and so much has changed that we are having a hard time getting around; but the goal is to see some of the old spots that we frequented.



Again, it is clear, dry, warm and beautiful!

Hey, out of the rain and snow ... but for our two night stand in Lake Havasu City it is really cool. The park here is what an RV park should be to be home. You can park your beast right next to your cabana with jacuzzi and outdoor stainless steel kitchen and enjoy those perfect filets and the sunset over the mountain, eh. Actually every site here is for sale ... and while I haven't asked I assume are in the $40,000-50,000 range ... gravel piece of dirt ...

The reason this place is so popular besides the weather is the bridge ... The London Bridge brought here stone by stone ... really a neat sight.

And 20 miles to the south is the Parker Dam which created Lake Havasu. This is the highest dam in the US and while very unimpressive at the surface it is quite a feat and more than 300 feet to the base. It was built between 1934 and 1938.

We finally departed our nice park in Paso Robles and headed east on Monday. We waited for most of the storm activity to settle down and were rewarded with a pretty smooth ride. Just east of Bakersfield on Highway 58 is Tehachapi which bills itself as a leader in wind technology. Justifiably so as there must be thousands of windmills around the city.

We then stayed Monday night at the Famcamp on Edwards AFB just east of Mojave. Edwards is huge as we came in the Rosamond gate and then drove 16 miles to the base center ... and leaving we went about 10 miles the other direction to hook up with Highway 58 again this morning. Nice level campsite with all the amenities but we were warned not to let the pets out by themselves ... just a few coyotes and bobcats.

Tonight we made it to Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where we will spend a couple of days before heading toward Tucson. Somewhere near Needles this afternoon we got this shot of typical scenery out the front window.

On Saturday we made it to the Hearst Castle again and this time they were conducting tours in spite of the 48 degree 15 MPH misty stuff. Not real conducive to lots of pics, but facinating in spite of it. Hearst had a massive ranch in San Simeon of over 250,000 acres ... and the 165 room house and grounds are the center piece of the place.

The first thing you are escorted by is the massive outdoor pool which was heated in Hearst's day.

There are several tours and on this one we were able to see a large living room, the dining room, one of three guest houses, and the indoor pool. Here's our tour guide explaing Hearst's seat at the dining table and his preference for paper napkins and the catchup and mustard containers on the table ... remember this is the ranch!

The heated indoor pool was spectacular and that is a diving platfrom in the center on the right ... again all heated.

And the ever present Borichina dogged our every move, constantly repeating the warning to ensure that we, "don't touch anything, don't take flash pictures, and stay exactly on the walk areas!"

The sea on Saturday was spectacular with the crashing surf; some of the waves being about 20 feet high all stirred up by Friday's storm.

In spite of the pounding surf, about a thousand elephant seals were on the beach as apparently this is the time to have new pups. This is the closese we have ever been to this many of these guys of all sizes.

Here's mom with a few new pups that must be just hours old.

California is soggy! We checked into a really nice park in Paso Robles on Highway 101 yesterday and the evening was pretty good weather-wise. We stopped here because we had not seen the Hearst Castle in San Simeon. The rain and wind started when we got up this morning. We had reservations for this morning and went over there anyway ... about 30 miles. Because of the wind and driving rain all tours of the Castle were cancelled for today so we took a rain check. It has been a torrential rain and wind of about 30 MPH all day and is likely to continue tonight. Here's a couple of shots of the coast this morning near the Castle. We are snug by the fire in the Flying Scotsman and will attempt the Castle tomorrow. Right now the plan is to head East toward Edwards AFB on Sunday ... but the weather may slow that a bit.

Right now we have landed in Paso Robles, California at a really good RV park. We'll probably be here for a couple of days to see the area, the Hearst Castle and the vinyards; actually the RV park is attached to a vinyard with wine tasting, so there you go. In the meantime I need to catch up and here are a few outtakes from the last week or so. First and formost we cannot forget Jo-Anne's birthday in December ... and a significant one at that, if you can read the inscription on the bottle.

Just west of Carmel is the little place called Carmel Valley Village and the Georgis winery which sells a lot of the stuff locally. Wonderful host and nice fire .... and wine and cheese.

Brother Bill relaxing from the wine business and having just re-stoked the fireplace in his house at Christmas time.

And the Chateau Julien winery in the Carmel Valley Village. This was an impressive place that rivaled those in Napa but still with a very friendly (free) tasting host.

Happy New Year 2008!!!

Carmel By The Sea is just that ... a really trendy village for the rich right on the ocean. Here's the Carmel beach at the bottom of Ocean Boulevard.

We had breakfast at this German Black Forest looking place.

But our favorite was "Le Bicyclette" on Dolores Street, a tiny place with just a few tables but some really European dishes.

What attracted us was the interior, which is decorated in a very French style. Super food, service, and atmosphere.

And of course in California, they have pink dogs ...

It's really tough to take a bad picture on the 17 Mile Highway from Monterey to Carmel and while these are simple point and shoot frames in varying weather the result is really neat. This is a fantastic piece of real estate and one ad we saw, right near where the first picture is was going for $22,500,000 for a little over two acres ... no house, just the land.

Golf anyone?

The 200 year old "Lone Cyprus"

And some windswept trees on another golf course.