Land of Standing Up Rocks

After a good night's sleep, we were ready to go. First thing was breakfast. After checking the reviews we decided to stop at the FE Skillet. (FE = iron). The food was really good but I think they are struggling to stay open. I noticed today when I checked their website they are only open on Mondays. Which is too bad. The food is all homemade. I had biscuits and gravy which were excellent. And her scones made me want more than one. The big problem for us, was that the biscuits were made from scratch and it took a good 45 minutes before they were ready. 

Chiricahua National Monument

The Chiricahua Sky Island rises to 9,763 feet. The Chiricahua Apaches call this the land of Standing Up Rocks. These beautiful formations were formed about 27 million (give or take a few) years ago when the Turkey Creek Volcano spit out a bunch of ash. 

The National Monument was established in 1924. I recently read a news article that said the government is looking into making the area a National Park. I personally think that will bring a lot more people to the area which is both good and bad.

When you get to the monument you will find Faraway Ranch which has been restored to represent what life in the early 1900s was like. As you get further in Bonito Canyon there is a narrow, eight mile scenic drive which climbs from the grasslands to the summit at Massai Point. There are a few pullouts along the way and if there is nobody behind you that's in a hurry, you can stop and take pictures.

Speaking of pictures - there are a lot of them. I couldn't decide which ones to post. But I did not post all of them.  

Paul has a special camera and takes such great pictures. I just had to get one of him in action.

You know I love cloud pictures so I am going to end this with one that I took as it started to rain on us. Yes, rain again for the second time.

A New T-Shirt - Nope

Tombstone, AZ   High - I've forgotten. But the weather was really nice. Warm but not hot. The nights are cooling down.

 Lunch time - we decided to stop at the Farmhouse Bakery Restaurant. This is the restaurant that Pat, Marilyn, and I had stopped at and had such a great hamburger. And the food did not disappoint this visit either.

There is just no way to not stop in Tombstone when you're in southeast Arizona. Especially when Paul really wanted a t-shirt from Tombstone (preferably from the Harley store). If you remember, the girls and I stopped in Tombstone a couple months ago on a Monday. Again Paul and I were there on a Monday and the streets were really quiet. I figure the store owners want a day to recover from the wild week-ends.

Our search for the perfect t-shirt was not successful. Most of the stores looked like they needed to be restocked. Their inventory was quite low. 

I let Paul wander up and down the street while I sat and people watched. I also watched as the clouds started getting darker and the wind picked up.  

 We did succeed in leaving the fudge store without buying anything. That's pretty news worthy.

 Leaving Tombstone we actually got rained on. But it was only just enough rain to make the car spotted with dirt. We did not expect the rain because this area has really been suffering from a drought. They are preparing for wildfires this summer.

It was time to head to Sunsites, AZ where we had reservations at the Inn at Sunsites. 

 

I read some really nice reviews about this place and the price was reasonable. Not a lot of choices unless you're in Benson or Willcox. The rooms were really nice and really clean.

Dinner was at TJ's Bar and Grill. We weren't really expecting anything special in the way of food on this adventure - boy were we surprised. We found some of the best food ever. First stop - TJ's. We would definitely eat here again. (fresh cut fries sealed the deal for me).

We had a busy first day and headed back to the Inn. One problem for me. I don't stream anything so I had no idea how to use the TV in my room. Paul volunteered to show me but I was tired and decided I would just read my book. I don't think my brain could have grasped the streaming thing. The bed was comfortable and I'm not sure how much of my book got read.
 

 

Saguaro National Park (East Side)

 Tucson, AZ - beautiful weather. I just don't remember the highs and lows

Paul and I had talked about taking a trip to see the Chiricahua National Monument and finally decided it was time to go. 

The Chiricahuas are located in southeast Arizona near the town of Willcox. But before we get there we have some places to see. Number one on the list was Saguaro National Park near Tucson. 

Saguaro National Park is home to the giant saguaro cactus. These cactus are tall (up to 50 feet) with arms that grow throughout the years. They are very slow growing and can live to 200 years. Saguaros are found exclusively in Arizona, California and Mexico. 

 

The Park itself is divided by Tucson into two parts. The East Side and West Side. The East Side has a paved 8 mile drive through the Park and that is what we choose to do. Several pull outs with beautiful views of the Sonoran Desert. I have several pictures for your enjoyment. (I really do love the desert.)

The weather was just about perfect. There were more people visiting the park than I expected but not enough to ruin the experience.  

Lizards, Cougars, Ice Cream, Airplanes and More

Apache Junction    High 88  Low 64

 How in the world is it the middle of April already and I am so far behind on my blog. I'm going to try and get caught up so wish me luck. 

We (me and the girls) decided we needed to try Oldies Ice Cream. We invited four of our Missionary Elders to join us for a treat on a hot afternoon. They couldn't say yes fast enough. Oldies is an ice cream shop decorated like the 50's here in Apache Junction.

(I forgot to get pictures of the place and this one if from their website.) 

 Pat and Marilyn both wanted banana splits. When they went to order at the counter, the woman working asked them if they were sure they both wanted one. Turns out the splits are huge. They decided they would share one which was a really good idea. I had a kid's sundae which had fantastic ice cream. The Elders ordered everything from a milk shake to a double scoop sundae. 

 All the time we're there, the music playing is all from the 50's. We were amazed that these 20 year olds knew most of the words to several of the songs that played. This place definitely deserves another visit.

Wendy (my neighbor in our park) takes the best pictures. She found the Superstition Mountain Cougar that only shows up twice a year during the third weeks of March and September.  

 Paul had this visitor in his yard one day. Usually all he gets are bunnies and birds.

 Paul and I tried out a new place for us for lunch. Barrio Brewing Company is a brewpub which sits at the Mesa Gateway Airport. You can watch planes take off and land while eating. It looked like they were working on a couple of new runways out there. 

The food was okay but not much to get excited about. Paul had a burger and I had a Philly Steak sandwich. Probably won't be back.  

Paul and I spent some time planning our next adventure. So stay tuned.