| We drove through the Salt Valley east of Phoenix, Arizona and wow where the roads steep. But it offered magnificent views. We also visited a farm where our friend Brian keeps some of his horses. Brian is the current President of IGRA. His horses are so loving and tame. |
| We moved west again into Nevada and camped at the Indian Casino called the Avi Resort Casino and Campground. This is a great place to camp, with a casino and good restaurants inside. It too is on the Colorado River. This is where IGRA will hold their finals rodeo finals in 2010. While we were there they were having a designer motor cycle show, followed the next weekend by a national motor cycle rally...which we opted not to stay for. |
| Travelling north we stayed again in Sam's Town campground and casino in Las Vegas. In Las Vegas, the Strip is a wonder to be seen...especially the fountains at the Belagio. They generally put on a musical fountain display every hour which draws large crowds. The final photos are of inside of the Luxor. There are many great hotels in this town. |
| In Barstow, California we found the Western America Railroad Museum. Barstow remains a very busy rail complex for the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroads. Trains were passing constantly while we were there. These historic buildings were originally one of the famous Harvey railroad restaurants. These restaurants were very famous in their day and quickly fed hundreds of travellers at a time. |
| We attended a rodeo in Palm Springs, California and stayed at a very nice KOA. Approaching Palm Springs there is a myriad of thousands of these gigantic wind turbines which generate electricity. During one outing, we drove by some very rustic high mountains lakes, so peaceful and calm, it would be great to have a home nearby. |
| We travelled through Pescott, Arizona and on to another State Park called Dead Horse Ranch State Park. These are some night photos from the campground. Nothing exceptional, but is nice to be able to see large portions of the Milky Way without interference of city lighting. |
| We stayed a few more nights near the Very Large Array Antennae. These are some night photos Frank took while we were there. Unfortunately, both Frank and Tom were suffering from either a mild cold or sinus problems that lasted at least a week, but seemed longer. On Sunday Tom drove 76 miles one way to find a laundromat to wash Frank's handkerchiefs. There simply were no towns nearby with laundromats that were open on Sunday. |
| We next stayed at the KOA in Amarillo where we have stayed several times before. In Amarillo, is the American Quarter Horse Museum which we visited. It is a very nice place, but maybe should be more Quarter Horse oriented, and less Association President orientated. |
| About 25 miles south of Amarillo we toured the Panhandle Plains Historical Society Museum which was terrific. It was located near a college campus and had great sponsorship, as a result the museum was very well done. |
| While in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma we again visited the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Wow is the only word to say after one catches one's breath. A multi-million dollar facility, with artifacts that are literally irreplaceable. This museum is as good as some in the Smithsonian Institution. A great site that needs to be visited more than once. We have now been there three times. It is worth every minute we spend there, plus they have a nice on-site restaurant. |
| We returned home on June 1, and guess what. The ice that was here when Tom broke his ribs was gone, and everything was green, except the Honda and Ford F-150...these were yellow from caked on pollen having fallen all spring. It took a day to clean both vehicles as small trees were growing under the windshield wipers. But they cleaned up well...as do many of our friends. (An old cowboy joke.) Frank purchased a new Nikon D-700 camera and he and our friend Ron went down to the Washington Mall to take some night photos. The photos came out quite nicely. Frank and Ron were out until about 2 AM, so Tom packed them a nice late night snack, and when they left he got to sleep while Frank and Ron were walking the Memorials. |
| As usual we again visited Bob, Terry and Chuck at the farm. Terry, Frank and Chuck went riding. Please note Terry no longer needs a crutch as his hip replacement operation in January was a great success. The last few photos are of Chuck with their dogs, Buddy and the white one Mackie. Trooper, a dog they had for years passed away in the spring from cancer. Trooper (who was featured on last year's Christmas CD) was one of the kindest, docile dog's we know, but illness caught up with him in his old age, and he now rests in Doggie Heaven...waiting for us to join him. |
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We stayed home during the summer to avoid the crowds in campgrounds while families took their summer vacations. But after we started traveling again later in the fall we saw crowds of people, who, like us, had waited for schools to start again before traveling. Here are a few of the camp sites we stayed at while en route to the Chicago rodeo in late August. See our entire Fall trip on Google Earth |
| After a week of heavy rains in the mid-west we emerged at Fort Riley, Kansas. Pictured here is one of about three atomic cannons built by the US Army, but never used. |
| At Fort Riley we toured the US Army Cavalry Museum which was exceptional. Also at Fort Riley was the last quarters of General Custer before he was killed at the battle of Little Big Horn. |
| We needed some trailer repairs done, so we again returned to people we have come to trust. They are Motley's RV Repair in Oklahoma City. They are not cheap, but they do excellent work. They have really helped us solve some major trailer design issues. |
| Again a brief return to Amarillo, Texas. West of the city is the Cadillac Ranch which no more than ten old Cadillacs planted in a farmer's field. Unbelievable, and all graffiti is welcomed! |
| We visited the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. It is amazing to see these ancient trees now calcified and mineralized. Running through the park are the remnants of the old Route 66. |
