Under the Dirt

Entering Carlsbad Caverns is like walking down in to a never before discovered pharaoh’s tomb--dark, mysterious and filled with “jewels” and unusual “artifacts”.   Only much more unique and awe-inspiring.  This “tomb” or Carlsbad Cavern extends for miles with each turn presenting gravity-defying formations above, bottom-less pits twisting deep, and delicate jewels formed on the walls all around.  The 750-foot descent switches back and forth until you reach the Big Room.

The Big Room is over a mile of winding paved trail or 14 football fields.  Immense.  If you visited an alien planet, I am certain this is what you would see.  With stalactites reaching down to touch their resulting stalagmites, it makes you wonder if a similar sight inspired Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling—almost a touch between the two.   Or did the intricate columns with their finely carved layers in the Cavern inspire the architects of Southeast Asian temples? 

Always the continuous drip, drip from the 370-foot ceiling overhead.  Very few people on the tour today and often we were alone.  Only the sound of water and our hushed whispers excitedly talking about what we were seeing in front of us.

Rather than climb back up, a quick elevator ride deposits everyone in the visitor center.  Walking out the front doors and looking topside, it is hard to imagine deep below the scruffy desert surface is another world.

This visit is definitely on our short list of must-see natural wonders and should be on yours, too.   We are so lucky to experience something like this.

[Note:  Photographs courtesy of Carlsbad Cavern National Park website.  Taking photographs in this dark environment requires a tripod and we wanted to enjoy the self-guided tour without the hassle.  The lighting in the pictures is all artificial—no natural light—requires special settings and a very steady base.]

Sonoran-Arizona Desert

If you have one day in Tucson, visit the Saguaro National Park and the Sonoran-Arizona Desert Museum.  As Mike would say, “It is dang near a forest of Saguaro cactus out there.”  More than that--there are lots and lots different cactus— spectacular.  Probably the prettiest desert we have visited to date and best desert museum.  (Note:  Visit the Saguaro National Park visitor center first to pick up a 2-for-1 coupon for entry to the Sonoran-Arizona Desert Museum—a savings of $14.)

The Sonoran-Arizona Desert Museum is really well laid out with over 2 miles of paths traversing 21 acres of beautiful desert and lots of dedicated volunteers with interesting information (over 500 volunteer serve this museum).  We went over the whole place twice spending over 4 hours here.  Beside the walking paths you enjoy an extensive cave complete with deep underground formations, hummingbird cage, aviary containing many types of desert birds, animal exhibits where you are eye-to-eye with snakes and Gila monsters (kinda’ creepy), Mexican wolves, mountain lions, and more.

There is a 2 p.m. free-flight raptor demonstration of a group of Harris' Hawks. Big guys.  We were told they fly in family groups of three to seven birds in the wild. The demonstration had the birds flying barely over the heads of the spectators.  Very cool.

Fist bump day.

Sunny Side

According to Wikipedia (I know—not the most credible reference), Yuma is the sunniest place on earth. Of the possible 4,456 hours of daylight each year, the sun shines in Yuma for roughly 4,174 hours, or about 94% of the time. The near perfect flying weather year round attracts military interest in training their pilots here and we saw a lot of military aircraft.  On average Yuma receives about 3 inches of rain annually.  I think the last couple of nights we got the 3 inches of rain, but the days have been sunny and warm.

On our quest to drive on dry pavement and stay in warm weather we are keeping our route on the most southern roads.  Interstate 8 gets you pretty darn south in the United States.  And with that goal in mind, our trip allowed us to visit my Mom and Stepfather, Barb and Tom, in Yuma, Arizona.

They drove us to a few worthy sights nearby and in town including Lake Martinez (a true oasis in the desert) and old town Yuma for a beer at Lutes Casino (restaurant and bar).  Barb and Tom are totally into the snowbird thing—wintering in Yuma until it is too hot to stay any longer (Yuma is also the hottest place in the U.S. during the months from April through October). 

We loved their place with pretty little waterfalls and views of the mountains.   And enjoyed a wonderful visit.  I am glad our travels led us here!

Barley Brothers

Oops!  Yesterday, I posted that we ate at Shugrues; when in fact, it was Barley Brothers Restaurant and Brewery (owned by Shugrues).  Had such a nice lunch yesterday with Julie, I brought Mike here today.  Great view of the London Bridge and boats going by.  This restaurant is also located in Sedona, Arizona.  Good microbrews.

London Bridge is Falling Down

The details are a little fuzzy, but back in the early 1960’s when the London Bridge first came up for sale my grade school teacher had each of her students write a letter to “the seller”.  The letters were a sales pitch to sell the bridge to the town of Richland, Washington offering a dry climate perfect (or at least that is what we were told to say…) to preserve the bridge.  Obviously, the letters did not work since the bridge was sold to a developer in Lake Havasu City.  It was worth a try.  [Picture courtesy of Wikipedia]

I had lunch today with a friend (Julie from the Olympic Peninsula) at Shugrues restaurant overlooking the London Bridge—great view and great company.  You really do not see bridges constructed like this anymore with the arches over the water and big blocks crafted to fit together neatly.  Julie mentioned that if you boat under the bridge you can see remnants of the World War II bombing scars.  And another bit of trivia includes a movie made with the bridge--the spirit of Jack the Ripper trapped inside one of the stones now unleashed in the Wild West. 

While I was seeing the town, Mike played golf with Julie’s husband, Lloyd, at the The Refuge.  Beautiful golf course overlooking the lake. 

We had no idea Lake Havasu City was this populated (but not too much) and offered so much to do—fishing, boating, hiking, golfing and a respectable amount of restaurants and shopping.  A clean little town with a diverse population of young and old.  And lots of young during college spring break.

Did I mention it is 70 degrees outdoors?  Fun day and fun friends. 

Back in travel mode headed for Florida. 

Minimalist Lifestyle

As we are loading our RV to travel this winter, I am struck with how bare our home is after we move into the RV.  Seeing this really makes us realize how much we downsized our belongings over the last two years when we lived in our RV full-time.   And we like it.  Life is uncomplicated this way.

We kept the RV minimalist philosophy when we moved into our new home this past summer—only adding furniture we actually use—not just decoration.  In fact, after we got our remaining belongings out of storage, much of it was let go by either donating it, giving it away or trashing it.  And the purging process continues.  Living in the RV really made us realize how little we need to be comfortable, happy and still stylish.

I cannot say that my home (or RV) is completely minimalist, but it is not cluttered.  Clutter is distracting and stressful.  We find a minimalist approach is calming and makes our life easier.  Think about it—it is hard to clean a lot of knickknacks or to sweep/vacuum around a bunch of furniture. The more stuff you have, the more you have to keep clean, and the more complicated it is to clean.   There are still decorative items we enjoy on our tables and counters, but it is now kept to a minimum.

It is  important in the RV and it is important in our home that we find a convenient place for everything, and remember where those places are. Where does our toaster go? Give it a spot, and stick with it. We aim for logical spots that are close to where the thing is used, to make things more efficient, but the key is to designate a spot—out of sight.

When we have simplified a space whether in our home or RV, we give it some time and then look at everything with a fresh eye again. What can be eliminated? Stored out of sight? What’s not essential?  We come back to each space every few months, and sometimes discover things we can simplify even more.  (I need to keep working on my wardrobe…)

It works for us, maybe it will work for you?  Keep calm and carry on.

Our Home (Post 6)–Weekly Tour/Guest Room

Come Stay with Us on the Beautiful Olympic Peninsula!

[Please note following write-up is a parody—stays limited to friends and family.  Sorry.  LOL]

Located at sunny Sequim, Washington, our guest suite is near the Dungeness Spit, the New Dungeness Lighthouse, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Hurricane Ridge, the Olympic Mountains, and Victoria, B.C., just across the water. Meals are provided, free golf at a private country club, and personalized tours of the area and sights are offered free of charge!

Planning a reunion, retreat  or special, private event?  Our facility includes a large beach-side indoor or outdoor gathering space for up to 40 people.  Additional nearby accommodations are available at the Juan de Fuca Cottages on Dungeness Bay.

Available on site – kayaks!!  Enjoy exploring beautiful Dungeness Bay with its’ abundant wildlife – or paddle out to the Dungeness Lighthouse!  Use by the hour or for the day for a truly memorable experience.

Guest suite includes a comfortable queen-size bed and interior decorated with traditional furniture and home-spun accessories.  Future renovations include whimsical painting of the walls (wide stripes) and featured artwork.

"I was going to spend two nights, but ended up staying for a third, simply because it was so comfy and convenient. An awesome getaway!" ~ Barbara

"The location is absolutely perfect because we had beautiful sunsets and meadow views."
~ Tom

"The owners are friendly down to earth people and will go out of their way to ensure you have great stay." ~ Marianne

See you soon!