Day Fourteen

Happy Valentines Day!

A beautiful sunny morning in Arizona.  What sort of adventure shall we try today?  Dale’s brother, Lee, reminded us that Uncle Donald’s house has been for sale in Sun City.  This has brought back fond memories for Dale and we decide we should check it out – and maybe get a tour!

We key in the address in Sun City (using our GPS) and search for the house number.

 

We found it!  And Dale remembers all sorts of details about the house and his Aunt and Uncle.

They loved cats—and when they had this house built they made a special room next to the garage to house their eleven cats with a sign on the door “The Cat House.”

The house is not for sale but Dale wants pictures – nice house!

 

Once we fulfill this goal we are off to Carlsbad Caverns, NM.  This route will take us through downtown Phoenix.

 

What is this tunnel for?  And why are we under something?

Continuing on we have lots to see – livestock, desert, more trains.  Just beautiful!

 

 

 

 

As we travel through Tuscon we have the option of going to Nogales, Mexico.  We have already been there so we opt to continue on the road to El Paso.

What – we are that close to Tombstone!  Change of plans – we HAVE to go!  Dale starts singing this song “Whistle Me Up a Memory” – that’s just weird.

 

Signs along the way to Tombstone – seriously – watch for animals?  Of course we have been but haven’t seen anything out of the ordinary.

Welcome to Tombstone – reminds us of so many tv shows from back in the day.

 

 

We walk around to get the lay of the land and check out the town.

 

 

 

We try to see both gunfights this day – at the Saloon and at the OK corral.

 

This gunfight was very loud and they offered ear plugs to everyone!  It was freaky how close all the action is and you have to wonder how more people didn’t die in these fights.

 

 

Play instructions to the audience for the gun fight reenactment

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This was great fun and we highly recommend this stop!  Now off to the Boothill Cemetery.

 

 

 

 

 

There is some beauty even in a cemetery.

 

We donated $3.00 to the cemetery upkeep fund and now have a map of where everyone is buried!

Time to get out of Dodge, or Tombstone and find a place for the night.  We really need to plan bathroom and gas stops because there is a lot of land with absolutely nothing! We are hoping to reach El Paso tonight.

 

Just when we thought we had enough excitement – a Homeland Security checkpoint complete with K-9.  The dog goes behind each vehicle and sniffs – we are asked if we are US Citizens and then told to move on.  Okay.

 

 

 

Evidently we need to go back through New Mexico to get to El Paso, TX.  The scenery is amazing.

 

 

So excited to cross the Continental Divide – somehow thought it would be more dramatic.

  Our first passenger train!

  We are reminded how close to Mexico we remain.

We are finally in El Paso for the night. We celebrate Valentine’s Day at a Texas Roadhouse, so close to our hotel we can walk!  Time for rest!