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We left Ft. Stockton, Texas in the early morning and made our way past El Paso with only a
fill-up and a rest stop. The oddest thing is how much more green the dessert is than usual for
this time of year. I guess they have had some better than average rainfall because this has
been a stunning example of how alive and beautiful this part of the county can be.
We had lunch in the small town of La Mesilla, N.M. (just west of Las Cruces), where Billy The
Kid escaped from jail. After a stunning drive up US 180, we finished the day in Silver City. Julie
hit the sack before sunset and I followed soon after dark.
Thurs, 08/25/05
Awoke and had breakfast in an adobe diner and made our way up Rt 15 to the Gila Cliff
Dwellings National Monument via Pinos Altos, a living ghost-town where Judge Roy Bean held
court. The drive to Gila is a winding path that sometimes is just wide enough for a single car to
get by. The turns are often hairpin and the climbs and descents are steep. Thankfully there is
little traffic and we arrive at the base of the cliff dwellings ready to get out of the car and hike.
And what a hike! Geronimo was born here at the headwaters of the Gila River and the ancient
dwellings are unbelievable! I'm filled with awe as we wonder around this unique village in the
sky.
We return to the car and have lunch before heading back to Silver City and drive down Rt.90
to the mining town of Lordsburg. We arrive at this dusty and run down spot on the map and
realize we can't stay. This place is creepy. It seems even more so after the magic of Gila, so
we continue on and cross into Arizona near the town of Portal and reach the edge of the
Coronado National Forest as night falls. We are in bear country, so I tie the ice chest up into a
tree and we go to sleep. We are the only people in our camping area and we feel the first chill
in the air...
Fri, 08/26/05
We wake up to find ourselves at the base of a stunning mountain pass. The road ahead to the
Chiricahua National Monument is unpaved, so we get an early start. Good thing, too! For the
next couple of hours we will snake up and down, back and around this roller coaster road. You
may notice that there are no pictures of this part of the trip. That is because Julie could not
stop gripping her seat. No joke! This is an intense drive! UBER! Thank God our car has
4-wheel drive! There are more than a few places where the road (if you want to call it that) is
only just wide enough for us to get past. And that's with a sheer drop off of the edge and no
rail! Julie more than once says "Slow Down"...while I was in first gear going less than 10 MPH! I
will say this: As I drive I never feel like I am not in control and it may be the most fun I've ever
had behind the wheel!
On the western side of the pass the road is once again flat and paved. We enter Chiricahua
and we work our way up to the top of the park.
These rocks and cliffs are a feast for the eyes. Looking at the shapes of the giant rocks is not
unlike gazing at clouds. Faces and images pop into ones head and the imagination can run
wild.
As we leave we are short of gas, so we head north to the nearest town, Wilcox Arizona. Here
we find an Espresso shop in an old western saloon across from the train station run by an old
biker dude from Seattle. He can make some coffee! And he can tell a story (see story page)
interrupted by his fascination with the trains that go by about every five or ten minutes.
From here we continue onto Tombstone where we engage in a bit of hokie tourism. And it's
some of the most fun we've had on our journey. We visit the OK Coral and watch a bunch of
old stoners re-enact the famous gun fight and the events that surrounded it. They have fun
and more than a couple of times slip out of character. At one point, a cowboy can't get his gun
out of it's holster, so the victim has to sort of stand there and wait to get shot. Another time, a
gun jams... after almost a minute of attempting to shoot, the cast-member just yells "Bang!
Your Dead!" However, the old photos on display in the museum are truly works of art, and the
"Hist-O-Rama" (narrated by Vincent Price) is a one of a kind bit of kitch that must be seen to
be believed.
We end the day at my brother's house in Tucson and settle in for a day of rest.
Sat, 08/27/05
We rest and hang out with my brother John, and his daughter Ramsey and son Bailey. These
kids are a blast! We play a few games and relax and enjoy a day of not moving much.
Sun, 08/28/05
A long, very hot drive to San Diego today. At least it's scenic.
We arrive in the late afternoon and we stay with my Aunt Sali and her fiancé Al. After a walking
tour of the northern downtown area and Hillcrest, we go to dinner. That night we both sleep
hard!
Mon, 08/29/05
Al has mapped a short bike tour of Downtown and Coronado Island via the ferry. Another
bike-friendly town! The only problem is that Bush is visiting and there is security everywhere.
Didn't we just leave that guy in DC ?!? (...and I guess he was in Texas when we were there
too... say, is he following us?)
Sali and Al take us to dinner in Little Italy and Julie and I agree that this is a very nice town.
Tues, 08/30/05
We explore the area by the trolley, seeing the sprawl and industrial underbelly. The trolley
system is honor based with ticket machines at the stations and no one to check to make sure
you have paid the fare...until you get to the Latino neighborhood south of downtown where
three uniformed Transit Cops (one with nasty B.O..) check everyone! We head back to Al and
Sali's in the late afternoon, then We meet up with my cousin Blake for dinner.