Sedona & Grand Canyon April 28-May 2

Our dear friend, Doug Blevins from Fort Lauderdale, joined us in Phoenix for our trip to Sedona, the Grand Canyon and Palm Springs.

The other Doug

Buckley-John-Ric-Steve-Doug

Doug2-John-Ric-Doug. Steve was not on this hike.

The Grand Canyon was just That!!!

We won't attempt to show it all in photos.  They don't do it justice.

Steve-Doug-John-Doug-Ric

Phoeniz AZ April 23-27

We stayed in a Mobile Home/RV park in Mesa where Ric's brother lives.  His niece drove us to Charlie's in Phoenix for some boot scootin.  She was the designated driver.  Eveybody should have at least one.  :-)

Ric -Doug-John

Susanna-Doug

Our former neighbors from Fort Lauderdale, Alber & Allison, moved to Phoenix 2 years ago so were were able to spend an evening and talk about the old neighborhood..neighbors.  All good, of course.  They live the edge of a mountain with stunning views of the Phoenix valley.

View from the house and pool

Albert-Steve-Doug-Alison

The side of the mountain is their back yard.

Phoenix was the city of a few more reunions.  Doug's cousin, Debbie, on the Bachman/Grandfield side lives there and is a Reverend in the Untiy Church.  It was great catching up on family and reliving our youth.  It is a shame we do not live closer.  Facebook somehow doesn't see adequate.

We were able to vist the Frank Lloyd Wright Biltmore Resort.  It is one of the only FLW structures in continuous use as originally designed.  All of the interior is original as well as most of the original furniture.

Tuscon AZ April 21-22

Doug had a great reunion with a friend from his childhood.  Susie Spencer Marsden and Doug were in the same sunday school class when they were 4.  Susie's husband, Bob, wasn't able to make the dinner.  Susie's Mom and Doug's Mom were best friends and worked together in Dayton during WW2.  They went on a double date and eventually married their dates, our fathers.  I've known her longer than any other friend, 60 years!!

Doug, Susie, Steve

While in Tuscon, we went to Old Tuscon, where 100s of westerns were filmed, like Big Valley. John Wayne made 3 films and they were filming there up until 1992.

One of the coolest sites in Tuscon was the Saguaro National Forest.  The iconic cactus can be 200 years old.  A lot of the forest was killed during a freeze in 1937.

Bisbee AZ, April 19-21

Going to Bisbee is like going to Mecca for Steve.  There is a vintage trailer motel called the Shady Dell which features a variety of vintage trailers and a boat that you can stay in.  They are all furnished in period furniture and accessories.  They even had a little diner call Dot's that was open until a couple of years ago.  The Shady Dell has been here since 2000 and has been featured in the NY Times, Gourmet, etc.

 

Dot's Diner

 

 

You can even stay in a cabin cruiser. 

We stayed at a campground 6 miles outside Bisbee.
It looks desolate, but it was very beautiful.
We had views of the  valley and the mountains.

View from the campground.

Bisbee, itself was a cool town founded because of the copper mines.  The town is built into the mountains with steep roads and turn of the century buildings.

Abandoned Copper mine 1/2 mile deep

Rick, John and Steve at the Queen's Copper Mine

Suited up for our mine tour

Mining cars for transport into the mine.

Selfie with John & Rick @ the Bisbee Brew House.