Willcox, Arizona (April, 2021)

 After nearly a year of being stuck in place, I'm finally on the road again.  I realize there are no guarantees, so there may still be problems finding things to do.  I'll just play it by ear and do the best I can.  If it proves to be more trouble than fun, I'll give it up and head home.

I want to bring you up to date on a couple of changes, concessions to old age primarily.  First, the LRJ is no more.  While I loved it for its ability to take me anywhere, the rough ride was getting to be an issue.  So, I traded it for a Jeep Grand Cherokee.  I still can go off-road, just not extreme places, and the ride is so much better for my old bones.

Secondly, I had to admit that my knees and back simply won't allow the kind of hiking I've always enjoyed.  To help get around, I bought an electric bike that folds and can be carried in the back of my Jeep.  I'm hoping it will allow me to take some of the trails that I would otherwise have to forgo.  We'll see how that works out as I travel.

My plan is to do a lot of bird photography on this trip, so my first stop was in the town of Willcox, AZ, which has a big population of birds that migrate there in the winter.  I had hopes that a few hung around through Spring.

Willcox dates back to 1880 when it was founded as a railroad stop about halfway between El Paso and Phoenix.  It also became very big in the cattle industry.  It turns out the climate here, similar to Sierra Vista, is very good for growing grapes.  Quite a few of the ranches have converted to vineyards, making this area the largest wine producing region in the state.  Also, I observed huge groves of pecans and pistachios as I drove east from Willcox.  Some older readers may remember the "Arizona Cowboy" Rex Allen, who was born here.  Allen was a singing cowboy along with Roy Rogers and Gene Autry in 1950s movies.  Tanya Tucker spent her early years in Willcox.  Not much has happened since.  The population, around 3500, is declining steadily.

Here are a few of the birds I found near here, plus a photo of an Arizona sunset.

American Avocet plus unidentified photo bomber

Northern Shovelers and American Avocet

Cassin's Kingbird

House Sparrow

Gambel's Quail

Killdeer

I also stumbled across the ghost town of Pearce, originally a mining community.  Gold was discovered here in 1894, silver later became the major source of revenue.  The mines finally shut down in the 1940s.  The population, once about 1500, dropped to 15 currently.

 

Roads still lead up the mountain to the mines, but I settled for a long-distance view.

Willcox is also the gateway to Chiricahua National Monument, which I last visited in 2003.  I went there again because it has a reputation for having good birding opportunities.  I saw several species, but only got a photo of one..

Mexican Jay

The spectacular rock formations that were home to the Chiricahua Apaches attract few visitors these days.

Next stop will be Glenwood, New Mexico.

Southern California Continued - 2003 (Re-run)

 Joshua Tree National Park is named for a variety of yucca plant known as the Joshua tree, supposedly named by Mormon settlers.  The plant grows primarily in the Mojave Desert, although there is some overlap with the Sonoran Desert.  Initially fast growing, its growth slows significantly.  With no tree rings, it's hard to ascertain the age of a tree, but some are believed to be 1000 years old.  Fifty feet is about the maximum height attained.  Root systems go some 35-40 feet deep in order to survive in the desert.

The national park not only features the tree, but unique rock formations and prolific wildflowers when conditions are right.

Numerous desert creatures make a home in the park, such as the alligator lizard.

Native Americans also lived in this region.  Pictographs in the park appear to be more modern, although the Park Service didn't comment on their origin.  At least they are colorful.

Old Town San Diego has long been a favorite stop due to its history, beautiful gardens and great restaurants.

Mission San Luis Rey, founded in 1798, is still active today in the third church on the site, built in 1815.  Portions of the original adobe walls are preserved, and the lovely gardens include the first Peruvian pepper tree in California, planted in 1830.

Southern California - 2003 Re-run

 Our first campground in California that year was the rather exotic sounding Fountain of Youth.  While the park itself was very nice, and very popular among the snowbirds, its location is quite desolate.

Our next stop was an ultra nice Outdoor Resorts facility in Indio, CA, one of the several communities that are part of the Palm Springs metro area.

This was our first time visiting Palm Springs, a beautiful area with manicured lawns and streets.  The Botanical Garden was one of our favorites.

Our next campground was going to be in the village of Aguanga, so I took a look at the map to plan our route.  Noticing the twisty road over the Santa Rosa mountains, I decided to check it out in the SUV before driving it in the motor home.  That convinced me to take the longer route, 108 miles compared to 56 miles.  Good decision.

Once we were high in the mountains, the scenery was wonderful.  The wildflowers were some of the best.

The Outdoor Resorts in Aguanga was nothing short of spectacular.  It even had a nine-hole golf course.  If ever I was going to buy an RV site, it would be here.

 

 The area around Aguanga had its own share of beautiful wildflowers.