Part 1, December 2008 Land Cruise News

The last issue of our Land Cruise News left us in Kartchner Caverns. This issue starts with us in Bisbee, Arizona.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\D8CE.jpg$

Bisbee is an old copper mine town. Obviously from the looks of the pit, it has all but closed down. If you are ever in Bisbee, don't miss the museum.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\D8EE.jpg$

The town is cute with all kinds of little shops.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\D90F.jpg$

Not far from Bisbee is Tombstone. Here the people take their history to heart and really dress up for the occasion. In this photo Miss Lilly is revealing the fact that she is wearing five undergarments, pantaloons and making a fashion statement with her high top, french heeled shoes.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\D91F.jpg$

A very pretty lady!

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\D93F.jpg$

Until this guy got involved in a "shootout" we thought he was just a colorful drunk.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\D960.jpg$

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\D970.jpg$

One of our campsites on the way from here to there was Patagonia Lake. That's Chuck on the footbridge.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\D990.jpg$

The weather continued to be very nice in the low 70's.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\D9A1.jpg$

The sun began to set and the colors came alive.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\D9C1.jpg$

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\D9E1.jpg$

Our next stop was Organ Pipe Cactus National Park. This is the first glimpse of the organ pipe cactus (left of the truck).

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\D9F2.jpg$

We took one of the short trails in the early am. The desert is wonderfully quiet except for the chirping of the birds.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DA12.jpg$

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DA23.jpg$

We kept looking in the holes in the cactus for an owl or bird of some sort but never lucked out.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DA43.jpg$

Instead, birds of all sorts came to the campsite to visit. There was great bird watching and photography opportunities.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DA54.jpg$

This is a cactus wren. They live in the holes in the Saguaro cactus.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DA74.jpg$

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DA84.jpg$

Male desert quail

Female desert quail

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DAB5.jpg$

A red something or other

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DAD5.jpg$

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DAE6.jpg$

Chipmunk standing on the rock.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DB06.jpg$

This is a cholla cactus skeleton. We've seen knife handles made of this stuff. Interesting.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DB26.jpg$

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DB47.jpg$

The sun setting in Organ Pipe.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DB57.jpg$

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DB77.jpg$

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DB88.jpg$

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DBA8.jpg$

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DBC8.jpg$

The sunsets in the desert are breathless.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DBD9.jpg$

We stopped off in Quartzsite, AZ just to see what happens there. We had heard it is a total sea of RVs come January and wondered why. Well, it all comes down to rocks. Hundreds of thousands of people either stay or visit Quartzsite for an annual gem show. We got there in early December so it wasn't crowded. We can't imagine what it would be like during the gem shows. We might just find out one of these trips. The sky was on fire one early morning.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DBEA.jpg$

Our next stop was Joshua Tree National Park. The tree that Chuck is standing under is a Joshua Tree. The desert was wonderful. So far, we haven't stayed in a desert we haven't enjoyed.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DC0A.jpg$

Along with the Joshua Trees are huge boulders like these.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DC2A.jpg$

The campground we stayed in one night had 18 campsites buried among the boulders. They made great privacy barriers but the wind sure whistled through them when high winds hit that night.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DC3B.jpg$

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DC5B.jpg$

The weather was a bit cool at 50 degrees but the sky sure was blue.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DC7B.jpg$

A new cactus to us. Don't know the name but it should be "purple something".

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DC9B.jpg$

We took a walk and ran into this strange rock formation.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DCBB.jpg$

As we got closer, it looked like someone had layed square pieces of rock but it was all quite natural.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DCCC.jpg$

Here is another boulder with a fissure running through it.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DCEC.jpg$

Another desert sunset.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DCFD.jpg$

The next morning we left the campsite early and took a ride through the Joshua Tree National Park. We scoped out the other campgrounds for our next trip to the park.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DD1D.jpg$

We went on a short 1 mile hike to a dam where supposedly all kinds of water fowl and animals visit for a drink. No water in the dam but pretty red vegetation.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DD3D.jpg$

We ran into what we thought were original pictographs but a park sign informed us that someone had painted over some petroglyphs thinking they were saving them from extinction.

$C:\Users\THEPRI~1\AppData\Local\Temp\DD4E.jpg$

We had really high winds in Joshua Tree and in Death Valley. Instead of sitting outside in the sun, we took refuge in the camper for a few days. It was cold!!!

**** End Part 1 *****