28 December ‘08 Sunday
Friday was our last day in Casa Grande. We pulled out of the gate about noon and headed to Safeway to top off the fuel tank. We’ve been saving the “gas discount” points so when we pulled in we were able to pick up 35 gallons of diesel for $1.67 and then top off the remainder 10 gallons at $1.96. Man, just a few months ago we would have been paying close to $4 to $4.50 for the same fuel. About an hour out of Casa Grande and we started to find our windows getting covered with some large rain drops. Just as we were passing through Tucson we noticed that the large rain drops were now turning to snowflakes.
Friday was our last day in Casa Grande. We pulled out of the gate about noon and headed to Safeway to top off the fuel tank. We’ve been saving the “gas discount” points so when we pulled in we were able to pick up 35 gallons of diesel for $1.67 and then top off the remainder 10 gallons at $1.96. Man, just a few months ago we would have been paying close to $4 to $4.50 for the same fuel. About an hour out of Casa Grande and we started to find our windows getting covered with some large rain drops. Just as we were passing through Tucson we noticed that the large rain drops were now turning to snowflakes.
Fortunately we had planned to spend the night at Western Horizons St. David. As we pulled up to register, the ground was starting to be completely covered with a light snow cover and the temperature was dropping fast. Time to settle in for the night…plug in the electricity, drop the air, level and snuggle… As we pulled the curtains back from the windshield in the morning we were surprised to find ICE ON THE INSIDE OF the windshield…
what the heck is this, we’re supposed to be in SOUTHERN ARIZONA… Being Saturday, the clubhouse was selling freshly made cinnamon rolls so I grabbed a couple of “travel treats”. We were on the road again by 9:30 and fortunately we’ve left the rain and snow behind. As we passed through Benson this morning, we had to stop for a picture…Grandma Goodmans…
Our route will take us to Deming, New Mexico via I-10 and then we will jump off the highway and find our way up to Rock Hound State Park. I was a little worried that the campground would be full as we were coming in a little late and on a Saturday… Well as luck would have it, they had 2 spots left with electrical hook up and we were going to get one. We felt that electricity was important for our stay with the temperatures dropping so low. Fact is, last night it got down to 17 degree and we just couldn’t get the feeling of warmth in the coach without having the furnace operating full on. Rockbound SP sits on the slope of Little Florida Mountains and overlooks the surrounding areas of Deming in the valley below. There are 29 campsites here and most are taken up by “rock enthusiasts”. They are looking for a large variety of rocks and minerals, ranging from silica, quartz crystals, agate, common opal, to thundereggs and geodes. The “rockers” can gather 15 pounds of rock per person and if you can’t see them out there on the hills, you can hear them digging and hammering. Well Louise just had to give it a try.
With a stick (that's all she could find in a quick moment of need) she dug her way through the rock and dirt. She did find some "pretty rocks", but decided that we don’t want to weigh down the coach with rocks so we’re making the most of the area by hiking and a little bit of digging. The trails are plentiful and we’ve had a chance to cover a few of miles already this morning. Our first hike took us high up the hillside and kind of followed the shape of the campground below.
The flora was tall grasses, cacti, and assorted desert brush. Those that were “rocking” were found in the crevice areas of the mountains, and as we hiked by we could hear them at their work. About three miles across the valley, is another state park. It’s called Spring Canyon State Park. Last night we had a beautiful sunset that set behind Spring Canyon and this morning, we went to explore those hills.
The rock formations at Spring Canyon are wonderful. They are so wonderful that the Ibex Goat that was introduced to the area 40 years ago from Iran, have found this to be a perfect place to live and reproduce.