Superstition Sunrise RV Resort

We arrived at Superstition Sunrise RV Resort on Sunday 18th January. Our location where 'Dutchess' will rest for the next two months. This park is 55+ with one thousand units, mostly Park models with attached Arizona rooms and car ports, but there are still a lot of motor homes, 5th wheels and trailers. There are two swimming pools with large hot tubs, one indoors and one out. There is shuffle board, golf driving ranges, two doggy runs, baseball diamond, wood working/carving work shop, lapidary, pottery, stained glass classes, choir that puts on two concerts during the winter season as well as a comedy club that also produces two shows. We went to the comedy show the other night and it was very good. The club must have had a lot of fun putting all the skits together. There is also a computer club, that has been helpful in dealing with a poor wireless service.

We have an orange tree at the front of our site, as do most of the locations throughout the park.










Just one of the streets in the park.








The outdoor pool and hot tub.









The entrance street lined with palms.

Friends from Vernon BC

Brian, Marilyn and Suzie are staying in 'Dutchess' while we are away in New Zealand.







Pat, Nancy and Bea in front of their Road Ranger trailer.









John and Caroline in front of their Park Model.

A few stats on the trip....

Since leaving on our North American round trip from White Rock (Vancouver) B.C. on the 2nd June 2008 we have traveled through and explored 8 Canadian provinces and 27 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, arriving at Apache Junction, just east of Phoenix Arizona on the 18 January 2009.

During this time we have covered 22,500 kms in 'Dutchess' our motor home and an additional 14,000 kms in Granny our car. Dutchess, towing 'Granny', was normally driven on main highways to move from one point to another where she would be setup as a home in a campsite or RV Park. Granny would then be used for all the local trips and exploring the area. This combination has worked very well for us.

During the trip to date Dutchess has used 6075 litres of diesel fuel giving us an average of 26.9 litres per 100 kms or approximately 8.8 miles per US Gallon. On the open highway cruising at 95 kms/hr we can expect about 10.5 miles per US gallon.

Using 'Granny' around town we used 1425 litres of gasoline for an average of approximately 10.1 litres per 100 kms.

Both vehicles have performed very well and we have had only minimal problems.

Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas

These 3 states form a long border with Mexico to the south, California to the West and the 'Gulf States' to the East.

Border Patrol Check Point

The U. S. A. Border Security is very obvious as you follow the border between Mexico and the States of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona and also California but we have not gone that far yet. As we drove along the Interstate 10 in Texas towards El Paso we could see in the distance the 'Wall' that America is building to try to stop illegal immigrants crossing the border into the States. Border Security vehicles are very obvious on all the roads. As we were heading north away from the border and Tombstone towards Tucson we had to stop for this Border Security check, several people in cars in front of us passed out documents for inspection, the cars were visually checked and waved on. We drove up and stopped but were waved on immediately, no check, we figured that our British Columbia licence plates showed we were just visiting.

Tombstone, Arizona

'The Town Too Tough To Die', Tombstone was perhaps the most renowned of Arizona's old mining camps. When Ed Schieffelin, an ex soldier, came to prospect the area for silver and gold his comrades told him it would be his tombstone! He named his first claim 'tombstone' and soon the boom town adopted this name.

Millions for dollars in Silver and gold was taken from the mines, and the town became well known for its lawlessness and violence. The gun battle between Wyatt Earp and his brothers, against the Clanton brothers at the OK Coral was the climax of this violence.

The character of the town and many of its buildings have been preserved.

Tombstone, Birdcage

The Bird Cage Theatre, an interesting building with a very checkered past.

Vehicle's and horses

About three blocks of the main street of Tombstone is closed off to modern day traffic so four legged horse power rules. Much to Bill's dismay he had to hold his breath whenever a horse passed by as he is allergic to horses.

City Hall and Fly's Photography

Fly's Photography Gallery where Doc Holliday rented a room.












The entrance to the O. K. Corral.






Tombstones City Hall

Gun fight at the OK Coral

The gunfight at the O. K. Corral took place on October 26th, 1881.

It began in the 18 foot wide lot behind the O. K. Carrol next to C. S. Fly's Boarding House and Photo Studio. This inevitable showdown over control of Tombstone climaxed months of threats, romantic rivalries, stage robberies, pistol whippings and arrests.

Police Chief Virgil Earp deputized brothers Wyatt and Morgan Earp and Doc Holliday to help him disarm the cowboys who were waiting to confront Doc when he returned to his rented room at Fly's.

When the shooting started, unarmed cowboy Ike Clanton ran into Fly's and kept on running.

When the shooting started

In the next 30 seconds nearly 30 shots were fired.
The three cowboys, Frank McLaury, Billy Clanton and Tom McLaury, who stood their ground were all killed.












Tom McLaury, who may have been unarmed, was cut down by a blast from Doc's shotgun.


Frank McLaury stumbled onto Fremont Street and was shot in the head.


Morgan Earp shot 19 year old Billy Clanton.


Both Virgil and Morgan Earp were badly wounded, while Doc Holliday suffered a superficial hip wound. Only Wyatt Earp walked away unscathed.

OK Corral, Animated

As we left the re-enactment of the Gun Fight at the O. K. Corral there is an animated fight in the actual location, with the figures talking and moving with guns blazing.

Boots

These boots are made for walking ...... dancing ....... riding in any colour you can imagine.

Next Day

After leaving the Hidden Valley RV Ranch we stopped at the first rest stop on I 10 to try and remove some of our accumulated dust. This is the first time that we used our compressed air hose since acquiring all the parts for it in Montreal. Under the dust it was wonderful to find that an engine still existed in the car and motor home! For several days after, Granny had a nasty rattle in the engine area, sort of like little stones being thrown around. It was great to get to a spray car wash when we arrived at Superstition Sunrise RV Resort, at Apache Junction, to wash the car and engine.

Entering Arizona

Interstate 10 only covers a small part of the most southern area of New Mexico. As you can see in the picture the road is almost perfectly straight, great to make good time on, but not too interesting.

Hidden Valley Ranch

Much to our surprise the road into the Hidden Valley RV Ranch was 8 miles of gravel with several 'cattle stops' on the way. The road was very dry and the dust like talcum powder. Once we were on our way in there was no turning back. To survive the 'wash board' road does one travel at 10 kms or 50 kms per hour, the jury is still out!

Note the picture of the entrance gate, in the lower left corner is a grave covered in stones, and on the cross was the inscription, 'Trespasser'. On arrival the owner met us for check-in with an arrow in her back pocket and carrying a bow! This is probably one of the most remote and most interesting RV Parks that we have stayed in. The wireless reception was excellent!

Dutchess and Granny

After setting up for the night we surveyed the state of our previously clean motor home and car. The Park owner told us that the dust prevented paint deteriorating from the sun! A garden could have been planted on the engine under the hood of 'Granny'.

There were abundant trails in the area for hiking and 'ATV' riding as well as numerous rabbits and other wild life!

The motto of the Ranch...'To enjoy the country life, you have to endure the country roads!'

Cactus

Some cactus beside the motor home at Hidden Valley RV Ranch.

Entering New Mexico

Western Texas was a long open landscape, with few changes when we entered New Mexico with more of the same long straight roads for miles and miles.

West Texas

From Houston, we set off west across Texas on the Interstate 10, miles and miles of nothing but straight roads, semi-trailers and motor homes and 5th wheels but very good roads. It is about 2,000 kilometers to Phoenix.