TONAPAH, ARIZONA AND PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

SADDLE MOUNTAIN RV PARK  IS A PASSPORT AMERICA PARK AND ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT  IT WAS ADEQUATE. THERE WASN'T MUCH TO TONAPAH AND THIS IS  SADDLE MOUNTAIN.  I WASN'T IMPRESSED.

WE LEFT THE NEXT MORNING HEADED FOR CALIFORNIA AND EMERALD DESERT RV PARK. IT WAS JUST A SHORT DRIVE TO PALM SPRINGS.

YOU COULD TELL AS SOON AS YOU CROSSED INTO CALIFORNIA THAT EVERYTHING WAS EXTREMELY DRY. WE SAW THIS ORCHARD OF DEAD TREES.

WE WERE AT OUR RV RESORT BY 12:30, THE TEMPERATURE ON THE TRUCK READ  102 DEGREES.

 IT IS A BEAUTIFUL RESORT, AGAIN, NOT VERY MANY PEOPLE AND WE WILL BE  HERE FOR 8 DAYS! 

WE WENT  SWIMMING AND TO THE HOT TUB, AS SOON AS WE COULD GET SET UP.

IT GOT HOTTER......106 DEGREES.......WHICH IS NORMAL FOR HERE. IT WAS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT  THIS WAS THE FIRST DAY OF FALL.

 THE NEXT MORNING WE WENT TO RITE-AID AND GOT OUR FLU SHOTS, WASHED  CLOTHES,  AND THEN SWIMMING AND TO THE HOT TUB....ANOTHER DAY OF 106 DEGREES.  WE WERE DRIVING ON STREETS THAT WERE NAMED AFTER FAMOUS  MOVIE STARS....

GINGER ROGERS, 

DINAH SHORE,  THE RV PARK WAS ON FRANK SINATRA DRIVE.

I WANTED TO GO ON A TOUR OF MOVIE STAR HOMES, SO ON SUNDAY WE HAD A RESERVATION FOR  THE BEST OF THE BEST TOURS. 

IT WAS VERY INTERESTING...... THE TOUR GUIDE HAS LIVED HERE ALL HIS LIFE, SO WE WERE TREATED TO A LOT OF THE HISTORY  OF  PALM SPRINGS.  HE WOULD PULL UP TO A HOUSE AND GIVE US HINTS AS TO WHO LIVED THERE OR WHO HAD LIVED THERE....MOST OF THE TIME WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GUESS. THESE HOMES WERE  JUST"  LITTLE GETAWAY PLACES...."

AND ELVIS PRESLEY'S HOME WAS AT THE END OF A STREET SO HE COULD HAVE HIS PRIVACY.

WE SPENT THE NEXT FEW DAYS RELAXING AND PREPARING TO LEAVE FOR SAUGUS AND THE PUMPKIN/CHRISTMAS TREE LOT. THE VACATION WAS COMING TO AN END!!

THE SAGUAROS

WHEN WE DROVE THROUGH TUCSON LAST YEAR HEADING  TO TEXAS TO SELL CHRISTMAS TREES, I NOTICED THE GIANT CACTUS GROWING ALONG SIDE THE INTERSTATE,  BUT WE  DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO STOP AND CHECK THEM OUT, SO WHEN I PLANNED OUR TRIP, I MADE TUCSON A STOP. WE STAYED AT ANOTHER REALLY NICE PASSPORT AMERICA PARK. IT WAS A HUGE RV PARK, BUT AGAIN PRACTICALLY DESERTED!

THE GIRLS ENJOYED THE BEAUTIFUL LAWN AND WHAT AN UNUSUAL TREE!

IT HAD A BEAUTIFUL POOL AND HOT TUB!

WE WERE IN THERE EVERY CHANCE WE GOT!

BUT, MOSTLY I WANTED TO SEE THE MAGESTIC GIANTS! ON SUNDAY MORNING WE HEADED OUT TO SAGUARO (PRONOUNCED SAH-WA-RO)  NATIONAL PARK.

WE WENT TO THE VISITOR CENTER AND WATCHED A FILM ON THE SAGUARO.

IT WAS VERY INTERESTING TO LEARN ABOUT THESE CACTI! THEY LIVE TO BE OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD!

THE INDIAN TRIBE FEEL THAT WHEN MEMBERS OF THEIR FAMILY DIE, THEY BECOME ONE OF THESE SAGUARO. THEY SORT OF DID LOOK LIKE PEOPLE AND THEY ARE ALL VERY  DIFFERENT.

I WAS ENCHANTED BY THESE MAJESTIC GIANTS!!

I FOUND AN AUTHENTIC ITALIAN RESTAURANT ONLINE. SO AFTERWARDS WE WENT THERE AND HAD THE MOST DELICIOUS SPAGHETTI !
WHILE I WAS WALKING ONE MORNING I NOTICED  THIS TREE WITH FRUIT ON IT, I REALIZED THE FRUIT WAS A KUMQUAT......THEY WERE DELICIOUS!

I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO STAY LONGER IN TUCSON, BUT WE HAD RESERVATIONS IN PALM  SPRINGS,  CALIFORNIA  FOR THE 23RD OF SEPTEMBER AND WE WERE QUITE A FEW HOURS AWAY. THE NEXT DAY WE WERE HEADED FOR TONAPAH, AZ AND SADDLE MOUNTAIN RV PARK.

BENSON AND TOMBSTONE ARIZONA

WE LEFT LAS CRUCES, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, OUR NEXT STOP......BENSON, AZ.

THE WEATHERMAN WAS STILL CALLING FOR RAINING AND FLOODING. WE RAN INTO ONE HUGE SHOWER, WHERE YOU COULD HARDLY SEE THE ROAD. WITH SHOWERS LIKE THAT YOU COULD SEE HOW IT COULD EASILY FLOOD.

WE  WERE HAPPY TO ARRIVE AT BUTTERFIELD RV RESORT SAFELY. 

TOMBSTONE, AZ. WAS CLOSE AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO VISIT! WE DID SOME CHORES, SHOPPING AND  ON FRIDAY WE DROVE OVER TO TOMBSTONE.

IT WAS A REAL TOURIST TOWN, BUT WE THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY COOL TO BE WALKING THE STREETS OF A TOWN WE HAD HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT!

WE TOOK A TOUR OF THE TOMBSTONE COURT HOUSE.

IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE ALL THE ACCOUNTS OF THE GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CORRAL.

THERE WERE SO MANY DIFFERENT STORIES!

AND THEN OUT BACK TO SEE THE HANGING GALLOWS!

STOPPED FOR A SARSPARILLA....IT WAS COLD AND REFRESHING!!

SAW THE OUTSIDE OF THE  OK CORRAL......

IT WAS A FUN TIME!

DRIVING OVER HERE WE HAD SEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE STOPPED ON THIS BRIDGE OVER LOOKING  THE SAN PEDRO RIVER, ON THE WAY BACK WE STOPPED.

WOW!! TALK ABOUT A RAGING RIVER!!!

WE STOPPED AT A LITTLE FRUIT/NUT STAND A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD, TALKED TO A LADY WHO HAS LIVED HERE FOR FOURTEEN YEARS AND HAS NEVER SEEN THE SAN PEDRO RIVER THAT HIGH. I ENJOYED THE ARIZONA SUNRISES AND SUNSETS, THEY ARE GORGEOUS!

WE GOT UP SATURDAY MORNING AND HEADED TO TUCSON, ARIZONA FOR A FEW DAYS.