An Unsual Evening

At least it was for us. We attended the Summer Kickoff dinner at our resort. It was, in essence, a normal happy hour--drinks and loud music--with a hamburger or hot dog, chips, a slice of watermelon and a cookie thrown in.

If you know us very well, you know we aren't often interested in parties and music so loud you have to shout at the person right next to you is an even greater irritant. Because John wears hearing aides, any situation with lots of people or other background noise makes communication impossible. But, the food was free!

Since summer is coming to Arizona, most of the resort residents have already headed north, but about 200 came to the party.

I mentioned happy hours. During the winter season, there is live music for happy hour in the resort two or three times a week. Those who attend can have two free drinks--if they wear their name tags. There is also popcorn available. We have never attended, but often they are held outdoors, one street over from our house, so we hear and see them. Many of the residents do attend and love to dance to the music. They did the same at the Friday dinner.

We did enjoy talking--or shouting--at the others seated at our table. The couple on my left are from Holland. Every year they come to the United States, pick up their RV, which they store in Texas, and travel the country. I enjoyed talking to Hilde about their life.

On John's right were Otis and Tina, two long-term residents of the resort. We will see them again.

There was another couple on the far side of the table, but we weren't able to hear each other and so we didn't try much.

On the Move

All over the country, RVers are on the move. September and October are great months to travel. The weather is good in most parts of the country and the leaves are turning to bright shades of gold, red and orange in many places.

The first wave of snowbirds are heading south, like we are. That move may be very slow. We are waiting till the temps in Mesa drop out of the triple digits into the low 90s. And all along I-40 and I-25, people are headed for the Balloon Festival in Albuquerque. Two different people asked if we, too, were headed there. No, we're headed west and south.

In Gallup, we saw an Airstream Caravan going to the festival. We enjoyed the decorations in the USA RV Park there.







I would hate to try and sit on this saddle.



We couldn't believe the location of the TV satellite on this small RV. I hope they move it when they drive down the road.



We are spending two nights in Holbrook, AZ, along old Route 66. That is about all the town has going for it at this point.



We wandered through the town's cemetery. We found a number of graves marked as unknown. When we read about the town's history, we learned it was a really rough and tough place in the early years. When the Texas Rangers chased the outlaws from that state, they made their way to this part of Arizona. One year, at least 26 people were shot to death here. Maybe they are some of the unknowns in the cemetery.



You can tell a motel has been around a long time when you see it has refrigeration (air conditioning) and electric heat.



Some of the old signs are kind of cool and bring back memories of Historic Route 66.









The Navajo County Courthouse was built in 1898 and used that way until 1975. It now houses the visitor center and a museum.



All over the town you can see petrified wood. After all, the Petrified Forest is just down the road.



There are also murals on some of the buildings.





We ate breakfast at Tom and Suzie's Diner. The food was OK, but the building was like most of the town, old and run down, but very clean. Our RV park, OK RV, is the same way.