Keeping Up With The Counters: ARIZONA - MARCH 1

Yuma, AZ - March 1 & 2
ONE FOOT IN THE NURSING HOME
March 1st we reluctantly left our beautiful spot in California and stopped in Yuma for 2 nights on our way to Green Valley, AZ. There are hundreds of RV parks in Yuma and we ended up at the Capri RV Resort where the spaces are small and packed together. Jim skillfully maneuvered the RV around until he got it parked in the tight space we were assigned at the end of a street. We quickly realized that this RV community was made up OLD retirees that had one foot in the door to the nursing home. A huge red flag went up in my head as I read the longer than usual list of swimming pool rules. In addition to the common rules, i.e. "No Glass Allowed in Pool Area", also spelled out were the following rules: "Swim Diapers Must Be Worn if You Are Incontinent", and "Do Not Swim if You Have Diarrhea".

We had to keep our feet out of the street and watch out for cars at this campsite.
If we extended the awning, it would have been hanging over the street.

Amado, AZ - March 2 - 9
FUN WITH FRIENDS
Sunday we were happy to leave Yuma and get to the De Anza RV Resort in Amado, AZ. This is the same RV park we stayed at for a week last year. The sites are spacious, the guests are active retirees, and fun activities are offered throughout the week. Terry and Steve Marine are renting a house again this year in Green Valley and invited us over for dinner after we got settled in our new spot. Jim and Steve made golf plans, while Terry and I made lunch and shopping plans. Monday, Terry and I met Mary Johnson to see the movie Philomena. I loved the movie and give it 5 stars.

IT'S A SMALL WORLD
Fat Tuesday there was a party at the Park club house. As we were getting introduced to the people at our table, I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to see Marilyn Davis' smiling face. Marilyn and Jack Davis are from back home in St. Joseph Township. She and I met while both working at the Town Hall during elections. Although they stayed at De Anza last year while we were there, we never ran into each other. By the way, neither one of us plan to leave the sunshine and perfect weather here to be back in St. Joe to work at the April 1st election.

Heck NO, we aren't going back to the cold and snow!

OUTER SPACE
The Smithsonian Institution Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory on Mount Hopkins was just up the road from our campsite. At the Visitor's Center, 4 huge mirrored telescopes connected to computers give scientists data to study about the Universe, gamma-rays, and black holes. The observatory is 10 miles up the mountain from the Visitor's Center and can be visited on a guided tour. Unfortunately, all the tours were booked up through March so we will have to visit another time.

Two of the mirrored telescopes on the left and right of the Visitor's Center.

A closer look at one of the telescopes.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
Medera Canyon is located in the Santa Rita Mountains and the Coronado National Forest in Green Valley, and is a popular place for hiking, camping, and bird watching. We started a 3.4 mile hike at the Bog Spring Trail-head, but a few miles up the trail we missed a turn and ended up hiking about 8 miles up and back along the mountain trail. It was a beautiful hike among cactus, a variety of trees, and wild flowers. We even spotted some WILD life. Hehehe.

"Let's go find that Bog Spring"

Taking a break along the trail.
We never did find that Bog Spring, but we saw some surprises along the way.

OUTLAWS AND LAWMEN
We took a scenic drive to historic Tombstone, AZ. One event that made this wild west town famous was The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. On October 26, 1881, lawmen, Virgil, Wyatt and Morgan Earp and Doc Holiday had a gunfight with some wild cowboys who were itching for a fight. One cowboy (who happened to be the instigator) ran away, while the other three cowboys were shot and killed. Wyatt Earp walked away unscathed; Virgil and Morgan Earp and Doc Holiday were wounded. The entire town is designated a historic district.