Finally Onward to New Mexico - If Only for 22 hrs

We hit the open road today headed to Texas with an overnight stop in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Again, New Mexico wasn't encouraging visitors to the State- hence we are only there overnight. Just like the infamous Wall Drug, we saw many signs for "The Thing" between Tuscon and the New Mexico border. Turns out it was a fireworks/souvenir/diner establishment. 

The Thing!

We passed an interesting area with boulders reminiscent of Utah.

The Motley Crue in a pile on the couch as we travel.

We asked for a Medicare Commercial, We Got a Red Bull Commercial

Mother Trucker was getting the jones for hiking and biking even though it is as hot as the surface of the sun here. So we started early and explored the Catalina State Park. The 50 Year Trail looked like a fun trail to bike. After climbing up sandy hills the trail got rocky...real rocky. With prickly pears and catcus lining the trails and small boulders in the trail, it was mostly us walking the bike up the trail. We turned around eventually and head back to the paved roads of the park. Then we tried hiking a few small trails on the other side of the park.

While getting the bikes assembled, we watched a colony of ants doing heavy lifting. 

At least the saquaro catcus on the 50 year trail were visually stunning.

Beetlemania on the trail.

Mother Trucker was amused that Good Buddy's bike seat pad had worked its way off the seat.

The King of Saquaros!

It is hard to photograph many of the animals out here since they are so skittish, but Good Buddy got a glimpse of this prairie dog.

So Fresh and So Clean!

The pups got their hair did at the salon today. They were overdue and looking a bit hobo-ish. While they were being pampered,  we checked out the East side of Saquaro (sah-war-ro) National Park. Lots of cacti to say the least.

Just as this photo was taken, a bicyclist zoomed by at 30 mph in a park that had a 20 mph speed limit. We did not see him piled at the bottom of the hill.

Hi, my name is Ron. I'm a saguaro cactus.

Take me to your leader!

They are sooo over the salon. 

Meep Meep!

Still on our detour around New Mexico, we headed to Catalina State Park which is just outside Tucson, AZ. On the way, we got Winfield and Miss Fit a bath. Many campgrounds don't allow car washing so it is hard to keep up with the billion bugs and dirt that accumulate on both vehicles. 

No you guys, we are not there yet.

Before...

After... Cause they SHINY!

Meep Meep! A Roadrunner at our campground.

Another Sizzlin Day Outside Phoenix

Today we hit a trail early before the triple digits took hold. It was a loop of several trails at Silly Mountain Park. The trail climbed to the summit of several smaller mountains and took in a bunch of desertscapes. Then we chilled out in the RV until sunset. Dinner was at a local Chinese Restaurant (Good Buddy had craving).

High Point of High Point Trail.

Lichen decorating the stones near the trail.

False advertising. We were about half way around the loop 

This catci has seen better days.

Rosie being tired...cause she is a dog.

There's Gold in Dem Der Hills!

It was a pretty chill day today. We stayed out of the heat for much of the day. We did end up at the Goldfield Ghost Town and Mine at the end of the day. Good Buddy tried panning for gold and ended up with a little less than a mother lode.

Score!! Garnets, Amethyst, Peridot, and the tiniest bit of gold.

Sunset at the campground.

Miss Fit and Winfield have a great view.

It's Hot, Hot, Hot

Our plans changed and instead of heading to Albuqurque, NM, we diverted to East of Phoenix. New Mexico isn't welcoming out of state visitors and most of our destinations there were closed. Phoenix is HOT! Temps here are over 100°F for the forseeable future. On the way, we made two failed attempts to grab lunch. One at our favorite salad bar (Sizzler) since it was closing doors nationwide. We ended up at the Lost Dutchman State Park.

Teddy Reggie.

To be clear this is a fat lady in a scooter, towing a full grown man in a wagon on a 2 lane road in Flagstaff. #scootergoals

We love the "Sizz" but the salad bar wasn't happening so Mother Trucker said no way.

Safety first for the all important Kirkland Gin.

Looking at the Superstition Mountains from our campsite. Unfortunately, all the trails are closed because of fires. 

Got Wood?!

The whole crew went explor'n at the Petrified Forest National Park. We found a lot of cool views of the painted desert, evidence of native american inhabitants, and LOTS of petrified tree trunks. The dogs did a bunch of trails and we all learned about the region and geology. The motley crue even became official bark rangers for the park!

Views of the painted desert.

Puebloan village excavations.

The Newspaper Rock where there are hundreds of petroglyphs.

This lady had a strange fascination with taking photos in the road. She did so 3 seperate times at two seperate viewpoints.

Route 66 (historic) runs through only this National Park.

Houdini in Bark Ranger training.

You can see the tree rings in this petrified trunk.

Told you they have wood.

Close up of one trunk.

Exploring the Long Logs Trail.

#exhausted

Odd public sculpture in Holbrook, AZ.

Rosie sporting her Bark Ranger badge...and a healed left paw.