We arrived at our last major National Park after about fifty years of traveling and camping. We have been visiting National Parks, Monuments, Seashores and other National sites. Big Bend National Park has been on our bucket list for years and this year on our way home from Eloy Arizona we were as close as ever 175 miles to visit this park and 2200 miles from home. Several of the Big Bend facilities close at the end of April due to the extreme heat. The day we traveled we got to see four Javelinas (Have’li.na) crossing the road and arrived with the temperature at 96 so our days began early in the morning. Day one as we drove to the Santa Elena Canyon Overlook, along the way we got to see a couple of coyotes, then on to the trail into the canyon. The 1.6-mile round trip hike started on a wood walkway then to the beach along the Rio Grande River then across the water to a not very well marked trail. Shortly we started our climb up concrete steps about 80 feet then down to the river. It was over all a beautiful walk to a view point in the canyon. The drive in Big Bend provides a different landscape than we have ever driven. We had lunch at the Chisos Mountain Lodge enjoying the winding and steep drive up the mountain then back to camp where the temperature was 98. Day two we drove to the Rio Grande Village stopping at the Boquillias Canyon Overlook where we got another view of the Rio Grande River and saw a Mexican riding a mule on the Mexico side of the river also the port of entry at Boquillas Del Carmen. We were disappointed at the Rio Grande Village for it is only a campground village. We did stop at the Fossil Discovery Exhibit which is new and very well done, we enjoyed the informative exhibit. We arrived back to our campsite for lunch and 101 windy degrees. We are glad we visited Big Bend National Park but would not return.

While the disc brakes were being installed on our 5^th wheel we went to breakfast and at wonderful local restaurant, Sandy’s. We then drove to the Chiricahua National Monument where we traveled the land that Cochise the Chief of the Chiricahua Apaches lived. In addition to the unique rock formations there was a colossal rock formation in the distance that takes the shape of a man’s head lying on his back and labeled Cochise Head. This park is well worth a visit.  

Our campsite while disc brakes are being installed 

Cochise Head

As we prepared to leave Eloy Arizona for the last time, I was checking the air in the 5^th wheel tires and discovered that the inside of the rear tires had excessive wear and had to change one of them then head for Tucson where I bought a replacement.

We camped at the Pima county Fairgrounds and visited the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum and enjoyed the very well-built park. There were a lot of different trails and exhibits from desert plants to animals, reptiles, several botanical gardens and an aquarium. There was also a walk-in aviary as well as a humming bird aviary and Raptor free flight demonstrations. This was well worth the visit.

We had lunch and headed a short distance to the Saguaro National Park Visitor Center and drove the loop scenic road, which started out paved and became a dirt/gravel road. I was interesting and we did a short desert walk among the tall Saguaro Cacti. As we departed, we agreed that of all the National Parks and Monuments we have visited that this one is our least favorite but glad we visited.

    

We arrived in Eloy Arizona on October 29 2018 and are getting ready to return to Ohio.

This has been an interesting winter Arizona, like the rest of the country, has had unusual weather, it has been cold, windy and rainy. We wore our winter coats most every morning, jackets in the afternoons and when the sun started to set it got mighty chilly about 4:30 PM every day. The good news is there was no snow or freezing temperatures.

Before we left Ohio, I had an eye exam and found I had cataracts and the new glasses did not help. I made an appointment and found I also have macular pucker in both eyes as well as the cataracts. The doc recommended just doing the left eye starting with the cataract. That was finally done in February and there was not enough time here to get the second surgery so it will wait until Ohio.

We did not do much sightseeing while in Arizona. 

We did travel to Tortilla Flats, nice scenic drive, and visited a wonderful G-scale train layout at the Superstition Mountain Museum Rail Road that had so much detail it looked real.

I helped a couple of friends with work on their campers and constructed a stained-glass window for a friend’s 5^th wheel that will be installed when we meet them in Hot Springs Arkansas on our way home. I also made a stained-glass panel for our pantry door.

Karen has been busy reading, coloring, visiting friends and Thursday night Bingo having a few Bingos probably wining enough to pay for the games and having fun. We have been visiting, with friends.

When we leave, we have an appointment in Cochise Arizona to have disc brakes installed on the camper and we will be visiting a few more National Parks, Saguaro near Tucson, Big Bend in southern Texas and Hot Springs, Arkansas. We plan on spending a week in the Pigeon Forge area then head home.