We arrived in Brownsville Texas where Peggy and Mike spend the winter months. They wanted to show me some of the sights before they went East for the holidays. We went to Matamoras which is just across the border from Brownsville. We walked across the International Bridge over the Rio Grande which is surprisingly small as rivers go. Arriving in Mexico, Mike noticed that the Mexican police were on high alert with automatic rifles slung around their necks and many of them at the border crossing. We took a bus into town (apparently local businesses run these busses to bring you to their establishments). We had the driver drop us near the Presidential Square. We walked into the square and took some pics of the bandstand and the old church. The church especially intrigued me. It was basically plain adobe type walls inside and out but decorated all over with terracotta (I think that’s the term). It is clay pottery type stuff affixed to the wall, adhered to it, not part of the wall. Beautiful, unique, impressive. (see pics) The altar was a little overdone for my taste but seemed right somehow. Anyway I liked this old cathedral. The band stand was unbelievable. It was entirely covered in mosaic tiles with what seemed a Persian motif, the base, the ceiling and even the finials on the roof! Another unique structure. Opposite the church, on the other side of the square, was the mayoral building which I didn’t photograph but it had a sign saying Presidential something or other. Thus the name of the square.
We walked to another square a few blocks away which was no where near as impressive but I found that church very interesting. Simple, white, plain but soaring like Gothic cathedrals do. I hope the pic gives some of that feeling. The inside was just exactly like the outside with no interruption of the soaring shape of the nave shown on the outside. I know this is weird but I thought immediately of Danish modern??? Anyway, we encountered an army patrol in humvee type vehicles with a large mounted gun in each. Peggy and Mike had never seen such displays of force but we never learned what was up.
We had an excellent Mexican lunch before returning to Brownsville. I tasted plain tequila and a Marguerita . Nothing to write home about! I’ll stick to whisky!
A friend of Mike’s took us to Boca Chica (about 20 miles from Brownsville), a beautiful coastal area on the Gulf of Mexico. We drove in a four wheel drive along the beach about 10 miles. The southern end of this area is the mouth of the Rio Grande. Wow, it’s even smaller here than at Matamoras! See pics. The amazing thing was there were no more than 3 or 4 cabins along this entire stretch of coast. In fact, from the coast inland about 15 miles there is nothing. The land is flat with some scrub bushes but obviously subject to flooding. Right near the coast there are dunes but just a single row of them paralleling the coast. We stopped at an historical marker which explained that an army encampment had been made at that spot about 8 miles from the coast during the Mexican war (1846). That spot was the first dry, raised land encountered by the army which had landed at the Rio Grande and marched inland looking for a place to camp. This raised area was a few miles long and less than half a mile wide. Interesting topography. Anyway, back to the coast. At the Northern end of the beach is the entrance to Brownsville harbor which is a dredged channel protected by a most impressive stone jetty made of red granite boulders cemented together to form a seawall. On the other side of this narrow entrance is South Padre Island which is as developed as the Boca Chica beach is not. Skyscraper hotels and condos line the Gulf shore and multi-million dollar mansions line the bay shore. We took a trip there and walked the beach which is always fun in the sun! I just had to get my feet wet in the western Gulf of Mexico!
I abruptly decided to end my dream trip in Brownsville. I cannot thank Peggy and Mike enough for their hospitality!! They put up with me through it all, took me to places they had already seen, took me to places they never wanted to see, and through it all were unfailingly gracious. They will never be able to understand the depth of my gratitude. I left Texas December 10th and am returning to New England for the holidays, then to my daughter’s in NC, then Florida somewhere???
Hope you all have enjoyed this blog.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Friday, November 30, 2007
San Antonio
Do you know more about the Alamo than I did ?? My guide on the San Antonio city tour seemed to think visitors uniformly thought certain things were facts because they had the John Wayne image in mind. Unfortunately, I think he was right as far as my mind went. This city is on the edge of the Hill Country of Texas. There is no desert here!! My image had the Alamo in the desert. The Alamo was founded as a mission church not a fort. Hmm. Not in my image. The Alamo is located in the center of the current city and in the center of a 100 year old town at the time of the famous battle. Hmm. Not in my image. You see, I had a lot to learn about San Antonio!
I took a full day tour of the city to see things Peggy and Mike had already seen. Saw the historic cathedral of San Francisco (St Francis) where the ashes of the heroes of the Alamo are buried. Beautiful church but ornate. I noticed that the icons in the apses off the main altar fit my idea of Mexican looking. Mary with a brown complexion, for instance. Perhaps closer to reality than our lily white images but a surprise for me. Anyway, a cathedral.
Then a visit to the famous Riverwalk. We took a boat ride along the two and a half mile section of the river which is like a series of canals. I thought it would have been totally appropriate if the boats had been gondolas from Venice. It was beautiful gliding along the river with a guide telling us of the wonderful restaurants along the sides. Sidewalk dining seems to be a must in season. We are returning to the Riverwalk tomorrow night to see the Christmas lights. Should be beautiful. We watched the parade of barges which followed the lighting ceremony the other night on TV. I was surprised to learn the river results from the overflow of an aquifer just a few miles north of the city. Flooding is a threat here so they have solved the problem by a series of watergates which prevent too much water from getting into then downtown area. They seem to block it and push it away from the city. The gates reminded me of overhead garage doors set in archways. They have also paved the riverbed and close sections each year to clean out the mud and debris. A fully tamed Nature! But beautiful to see.
My visit to the Alamo was very different than anticipated. It was Friday after Thanksgiving and the crowds were all around. I had to wait in line to enter the “Shrine” and never got away from the crowds there. However, it is a mission church on the same design as any other I’ve seen. It is run by the Daughters of the
Republic of Texas. Somehow, they have elevated this to shrine status and got the city and state to back them up. Never approved of the DAR or of this. By law, no building can be built here in such a way that the SHADOW of the building can touch the Shrine! Oh well, certainly more important than health care for children!!
Visited two of the five missions originally established in this town. San Jose mission is the largest and most historic of all those I have visited. The friars converted a number of local Indian tribes to Christianity. They employed them to build the missions. In this case, the Apaches began to attach the local Indians so the mission built a large enclosed area like a fort and let the Indians live inside this stone walled stockade. I took some pics of the Indian rooms along the wall, outdoor ovens and of the church. Most interesting.
I then visited Concepcion mission which was smaller and had not stockade. In both cases, the nave of the mission church was narrow and long with a choir loft reached by an outside staircase. Just like those in California I visited. These are older than CA but same design. These were built of stone, probably limestone, and mortared together. Walls were as thick as the adobe walls further West. The ceilings were made the same was with small branches laid over timbers and mud thatched.
Other than the unseasonable cold which we have experienced here, I enjoyed this visit. Temps:
Wed 90
Thursday 55
Friday 50s
Sat 40s
Sun 40s
Mon and Tuesday 60s predicted!!
I took a full day tour of the city to see things Peggy and Mike had already seen. Saw the historic cathedral of San Francisco (St Francis) where the ashes of the heroes of the Alamo are buried. Beautiful church but ornate. I noticed that the icons in the apses off the main altar fit my idea of Mexican looking. Mary with a brown complexion, for instance. Perhaps closer to reality than our lily white images but a surprise for me. Anyway, a cathedral.
Then a visit to the famous Riverwalk. We took a boat ride along the two and a half mile section of the river which is like a series of canals. I thought it would have been totally appropriate if the boats had been gondolas from Venice. It was beautiful gliding along the river with a guide telling us of the wonderful restaurants along the sides. Sidewalk dining seems to be a must in season. We are returning to the Riverwalk tomorrow night to see the Christmas lights. Should be beautiful. We watched the parade of barges which followed the lighting ceremony the other night on TV. I was surprised to learn the river results from the overflow of an aquifer just a few miles north of the city. Flooding is a threat here so they have solved the problem by a series of watergates which prevent too much water from getting into then downtown area. They seem to block it and push it away from the city. The gates reminded me of overhead garage doors set in archways. They have also paved the riverbed and close sections each year to clean out the mud and debris. A fully tamed Nature! But beautiful to see.
My visit to the Alamo was very different than anticipated. It was Friday after Thanksgiving and the crowds were all around. I had to wait in line to enter the “Shrine” and never got away from the crowds there. However, it is a mission church on the same design as any other I’ve seen. It is run by the Daughters of the
Republic of Texas. Somehow, they have elevated this to shrine status and got the city and state to back them up. Never approved of the DAR or of this. By law, no building can be built here in such a way that the SHADOW of the building can touch the Shrine! Oh well, certainly more important than health care for children!!
Visited two of the five missions originally established in this town. San Jose mission is the largest and most historic of all those I have visited. The friars converted a number of local Indian tribes to Christianity. They employed them to build the missions. In this case, the Apaches began to attach the local Indians so the mission built a large enclosed area like a fort and let the Indians live inside this stone walled stockade. I took some pics of the Indian rooms along the wall, outdoor ovens and of the church. Most interesting.
I then visited Concepcion mission which was smaller and had not stockade. In both cases, the nave of the mission church was narrow and long with a choir loft reached by an outside staircase. Just like those in California I visited. These are older than CA but same design. These were built of stone, probably limestone, and mortared together. Walls were as thick as the adobe walls further West. The ceilings were made the same was with small branches laid over timbers and mud thatched.
Other than the unseasonable cold which we have experienced here, I enjoyed this visit. Temps:
Wed 90
Thursday 55
Friday 50s
Sat 40s
Sun 40s
Mon and Tuesday 60s predicted!!
Sedona
I took a few days vacation and went to Sedona AZ. I had heard so much about it that I was very interested in seeing it. I arrived on route 179, coming around a corner to see the first beautiful cliff of red sandstone right in front of me. A bit further and I saw a pinker red cliff. These were the first pics I took. I drove into Sedona’s main street and saw the sign for Tourist info. Stopped and got shanghaied into one of those Time Share Pressure Sales promotions. They very cleverly have their hook shop in the same parking lot as the regular info center. You start out asking for maps and end up with all this free stuff if you will listen to a presentation. You know what I mean. Well, the tightwad in me raised its ugly head and I went for the presentation. I earned all the free stuff, believe me!!
Anyway, the main thing I earned was a combo tour with Pink Jeeps. A $115 value for $15. As my son pointed out, when was the last time I earned $50 an hour??? The tour was great off-roading fun. We went thru the part of the Coconino National Forest called Broken Arrow because that is where the movie of that name with Jeff Chandler as Cochise (I think) was made. Anyway, rode the jeep up and down rocks I would be afraid to walk on! Very beautiful views. The guide kept talking about the manzanita bushes which are dying because of the severe drought. These bushes have mahogany collored stems which show through the greenery like beautiful sculptures. Loved it. Then we went to the rim of the valley along Oak Creek Canyon. Breathtaking. We went up to 7000 feet from a base of 4000. Learned that the valley walls are basically sandstone and limestone but on the very top of all this is basalt from volcano activity. The hardest rock on the top means that the sandstone erodes first under the basalt and huge boulders of basalt break off and come rolling down into the valley. I took some pics of basalt boulders in Oak Creek.
I visited the airport twice for sunset pics. Mostly I liked the way the dimming light cast beautiful shadows on the cliffs. But the sunset wasn’t too shabby. The view from there is over the whole town so you realize what a small town it really is.
I climbed up through Oak Creek Canyon first in the dark so didn’t really realize what it was like until the next day when I came down thru it. Tried to get a pic of the switchback road that drops over 2000 feet in seconds! Loved that canyon and took some pics at the Slide Rock state park. At that point the canyon widens a little and the park enables you to walk along the streambed where the rushing water in some seasons still is carving the rocks. Channels have been scooped out by the water and people are allowed to sit down and slide along the rock channels being propelled by the water. This section ends in a deeper pool so seems safe enough but 50 degree water did not invite me. (Temps in Sedona average 50’s this month but it was well in the 70’s each day I was there). It was beautiful just to walk along the rock ledges in the streambed.
When I left Sedona, I traveled further on 89A toward Prescott AZ. I had stopped at Montezuma’s Castle on the way to Sedona and now I stopped at Tuzigoot (TWO-zee-goot). Both of these ruins are believed to have belonged to the Sinagua (seen-AH-wah) people. The name is Spanish meaning Without Water. Those at Montezuma’s Castle built homes under cliff overhangs high above the Verde Valley floor (similar to Mesa Verde). There is some evidence that they practiced irrigation which was similar to that of native civilizations in Mexico. The people at Tuzigoot practiced dry land farming and lived in pueblos on a high hill in the Verde Valley. These pueblos were made of two parallel walls of sandstone and limestone with fill in between the walls. A mud-like mortar was used to hold the stones. Interesting to me.
Tuzigoot is located near the town of Cottonwood. Aptly named as the cottonwood trees are turning golden in this season and you can see the route of the river since they are the only trees in the area. I enjoyed Cottonwood for another reason. I was stopped by a parade as I was looking for Tuzigoot. Suddenly, coming to an intersection, a cop stepped out and stopped all traffic. Then there appeared out of nowhere, Santa riding in the high back seat of a tri-motorcycle. He was followed by about 300 motorcycles in parade! Harley Davidson is really doing things up well!
Two things keep recurring as I tour the Southwest. Of course, I’m always in the desert and I’m always aware of the dry washes which drain the land after drenching rains. Here in Texas, I’ve discovered they are called draws. Now that fits better with the cowboy image of Texas. I always remember Westerns with cowboys driving the cattle out of draws. Don’t you?
Anyway, the main thing I earned was a combo tour with Pink Jeeps. A $115 value for $15. As my son pointed out, when was the last time I earned $50 an hour??? The tour was great off-roading fun. We went thru the part of the Coconino National Forest called Broken Arrow because that is where the movie of that name with Jeff Chandler as Cochise (I think) was made. Anyway, rode the jeep up and down rocks I would be afraid to walk on! Very beautiful views. The guide kept talking about the manzanita bushes which are dying because of the severe drought. These bushes have mahogany collored stems which show through the greenery like beautiful sculptures. Loved it. Then we went to the rim of the valley along Oak Creek Canyon. Breathtaking. We went up to 7000 feet from a base of 4000. Learned that the valley walls are basically sandstone and limestone but on the very top of all this is basalt from volcano activity. The hardest rock on the top means that the sandstone erodes first under the basalt and huge boulders of basalt break off and come rolling down into the valley. I took some pics of basalt boulders in Oak Creek.
I visited the airport twice for sunset pics. Mostly I liked the way the dimming light cast beautiful shadows on the cliffs. But the sunset wasn’t too shabby. The view from there is over the whole town so you realize what a small town it really is.
I climbed up through Oak Creek Canyon first in the dark so didn’t really realize what it was like until the next day when I came down thru it. Tried to get a pic of the switchback road that drops over 2000 feet in seconds! Loved that canyon and took some pics at the Slide Rock state park. At that point the canyon widens a little and the park enables you to walk along the streambed where the rushing water in some seasons still is carving the rocks. Channels have been scooped out by the water and people are allowed to sit down and slide along the rock channels being propelled by the water. This section ends in a deeper pool so seems safe enough but 50 degree water did not invite me. (Temps in Sedona average 50’s this month but it was well in the 70’s each day I was there). It was beautiful just to walk along the rock ledges in the streambed.
When I left Sedona, I traveled further on 89A toward Prescott AZ. I had stopped at Montezuma’s Castle on the way to Sedona and now I stopped at Tuzigoot (TWO-zee-goot). Both of these ruins are believed to have belonged to the Sinagua (seen-AH-wah) people. The name is Spanish meaning Without Water. Those at Montezuma’s Castle built homes under cliff overhangs high above the Verde Valley floor (similar to Mesa Verde). There is some evidence that they practiced irrigation which was similar to that of native civilizations in Mexico. The people at Tuzigoot practiced dry land farming and lived in pueblos on a high hill in the Verde Valley. These pueblos were made of two parallel walls of sandstone and limestone with fill in between the walls. A mud-like mortar was used to hold the stones. Interesting to me.
Tuzigoot is located near the town of Cottonwood. Aptly named as the cottonwood trees are turning golden in this season and you can see the route of the river since they are the only trees in the area. I enjoyed Cottonwood for another reason. I was stopped by a parade as I was looking for Tuzigoot. Suddenly, coming to an intersection, a cop stepped out and stopped all traffic. Then there appeared out of nowhere, Santa riding in the high back seat of a tri-motorcycle. He was followed by about 300 motorcycles in parade! Harley Davidson is really doing things up well!
Two things keep recurring as I tour the Southwest. Of course, I’m always in the desert and I’m always aware of the dry washes which drain the land after drenching rains. Here in Texas, I’ve discovered they are called draws. Now that fits better with the cowboy image of Texas. I always remember Westerns with cowboys driving the cattle out of draws. Don’t you?
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Valley of the Sun
This was posted out of order. It should have been posted about 11/15/07.
We went to Phoenix today and climbed (drove) up South Mountain City Park. It is reputed to be the largest city park in the nation. It is located right on the edge of Phoenix and we climbed rapidly up about 2000 feet on a beautiful road. The overlooks were stupendous! We were above the landing and takeoff paths for the busy, busy airport. I think they were using parallel runways because there was a landing and a takeoff about every 30 seconds. Beautiful to watch from above!
You could see the whole Valley of the Sun laid out before you. (If you have the ability to get your hands on a copy of the out of print book called The Weans , even try to borrow one, it would tell you what I am thinking as I write “Valley of the Sun”.) One of the lookout buildings had a wonderful sundial like brass plate with labels and directions to various cities and points of interest. I can tell you there is no dividing line between Phoenix and its surrounding cities. One blends right into another. The only clear demarcations were the desert landscapes and the imported trees landscapes.
We then drove to Scottsdale and toured on the free city trolley. Wow! Now I know how the other half lives. Pricey and then pricier!! No trailer parks or RV parks in that city!! Lots of art galleries but these were the real thing. Not tourist traps. One gallery was advertising that it had Andy Wyeths for sale!! Anyway, all parking in Scottsdale is free – no meters and even parking garages are free. The mall stores were like Nieman Marcus etc!
It was very nice but still desert with an average of 100 days in triple digits!!
This whole area is known as the Sonora Desert. It extends from Northern Mexico into Arizona. We drove to the Desert Museum and to the Saguaro (sah-WAH-row) National Park in Tucson. On the way we saw a large group of airliners parked in a field. It turns out this is called the Pinal (this county) Air Park. Apparently a place to drop off excess or not currently used airliners. Every color of the rainbow was represented but all seemed to be of the same make or model, the ones with the high dorsal fin tail.
Anyway, the Desert Museum. If you ever get to Tucson, you MUST go here. It is unlike any museum I’ve ever been to. A couple of buildings but basically a huge Southwestern garden. Native plants, bushes and cacti!! Now for a little flora lesson ( you’ve had the geology lessons right along). Cacti were always just THEM. A group of undifferentiated stuff but now…
First, everyone knows Kristi’s favorite, the saguaro but do you know the rest?? We saw spiny ocotillo which looks dead but as soon as it gets some rain, will burst into little green leaves which it drops as soon as it gets dry again so it usually looks like dead spines. Peggy liked the fluffy Teddy Bear Cholla (Choya) which you would never want to hug! I liked the Buckhorn Cholla which reminded me of stiffly braided rope. Similar to it is the Chain Rope Cholla which is like braided cable. We can identify Organ Pipe and Senita which is like organ pipe but is six sided rather than round. I almost left out the Chain Fruit Cholla (also called Hanging Fruit Cholla) which is like the Teddy Bear, fluffy, but has fruit hanging from under its top. Now be sure to look at the pics and see what they each look like.
In addition to cacti, the museum had loots of bushes. The palo verde is seen thoughout the desert. It has green bark so the entire bush is green. The turpentine bush is also prevalent. It has white or yellow fluffy flowers on the top. The tree or bush with fern-like leaves and thorns is acacia of one variety or another. The jojoba (hohoba) is used in shampoo. Last but not least is the creosote bush which gives off a pungent odor when wet. People say this is the smell of rain in the desert!!
Then we visited the National park and enjoyed the views of thousands of saguaros marching up and down the hills. No two are alike but the “normal” is not the two armed picture seen everywhere. Normal is multiple arms pointing in multiple directions! Loved it.
Today Mike and Peggy took me to a surprise! We went out to Florence AZ (30 miles) to see a Greek Orthodox Monastery which was founded 11 years ago. Wow!! I’ve never seen anything like it. There is a main church building (see pics) and about 5 other chapels so far. Three or four guest buildings, a dining hall and a building for the 45 brothers. You have to report to the bookshop on the way in where a strict dress code is explained. We were inappropriately dressed so… They provided long pants and shirts with long sleeves for Mike and I and a long skirt, long sleeved blouse and a kerchief for Peg. We got a guided tour of the main church and a self guided tour of the rest. It is a marvel to see the beautiful gardens surrounding every building and walkway. Fountains everywhere. An interesting marriage of Spanish Southwestern architecture with traditional Greek. Beautiful, beautiful everywhere you looked.
We were driving East on I-8 in AZ when suddenly I noticed cars coming toward us on a road to our right!! It seems that at one point to put the road through some mountains, I-8 split and Westbound crosses over Eastbound and continues up the mountains on the right of the Eastbound. Wild feeling!!
We went to Phoenix today and climbed (drove) up South Mountain City Park. It is reputed to be the largest city park in the nation. It is located right on the edge of Phoenix and we climbed rapidly up about 2000 feet on a beautiful road. The overlooks were stupendous! We were above the landing and takeoff paths for the busy, busy airport. I think they were using parallel runways because there was a landing and a takeoff about every 30 seconds. Beautiful to watch from above!
You could see the whole Valley of the Sun laid out before you. (If you have the ability to get your hands on a copy of the out of print book called The Weans , even try to borrow one, it would tell you what I am thinking as I write “Valley of the Sun”.) One of the lookout buildings had a wonderful sundial like brass plate with labels and directions to various cities and points of interest. I can tell you there is no dividing line between Phoenix and its surrounding cities. One blends right into another. The only clear demarcations were the desert landscapes and the imported trees landscapes.
We then drove to Scottsdale and toured on the free city trolley. Wow! Now I know how the other half lives. Pricey and then pricier!! No trailer parks or RV parks in that city!! Lots of art galleries but these were the real thing. Not tourist traps. One gallery was advertising that it had Andy Wyeths for sale!! Anyway, all parking in Scottsdale is free – no meters and even parking garages are free. The mall stores were like Nieman Marcus etc!
It was very nice but still desert with an average of 100 days in triple digits!!
This whole area is known as the Sonora Desert. It extends from Northern Mexico into Arizona. We drove to the Desert Museum and to the Saguaro (sah-WAH-row) National Park in Tucson. On the way we saw a large group of airliners parked in a field. It turns out this is called the Pinal (this county) Air Park. Apparently a place to drop off excess or not currently used airliners. Every color of the rainbow was represented but all seemed to be of the same make or model, the ones with the high dorsal fin tail.
Anyway, the Desert Museum. If you ever get to Tucson, you MUST go here. It is unlike any museum I’ve ever been to. A couple of buildings but basically a huge Southwestern garden. Native plants, bushes and cacti!! Now for a little flora lesson ( you’ve had the geology lessons right along). Cacti were always just THEM. A group of undifferentiated stuff but now…
First, everyone knows Kristi’s favorite, the saguaro but do you know the rest?? We saw spiny ocotillo which looks dead but as soon as it gets some rain, will burst into little green leaves which it drops as soon as it gets dry again so it usually looks like dead spines. Peggy liked the fluffy Teddy Bear Cholla (Choya) which you would never want to hug! I liked the Buckhorn Cholla which reminded me of stiffly braided rope. Similar to it is the Chain Rope Cholla which is like braided cable. We can identify Organ Pipe and Senita which is like organ pipe but is six sided rather than round. I almost left out the Chain Fruit Cholla (also called Hanging Fruit Cholla) which is like the Teddy Bear, fluffy, but has fruit hanging from under its top. Now be sure to look at the pics and see what they each look like.
In addition to cacti, the museum had loots of bushes. The palo verde is seen thoughout the desert. It has green bark so the entire bush is green. The turpentine bush is also prevalent. It has white or yellow fluffy flowers on the top. The tree or bush with fern-like leaves and thorns is acacia of one variety or another. The jojoba (hohoba) is used in shampoo. Last but not least is the creosote bush which gives off a pungent odor when wet. People say this is the smell of rain in the desert!!
Then we visited the National park and enjoyed the views of thousands of saguaros marching up and down the hills. No two are alike but the “normal” is not the two armed picture seen everywhere. Normal is multiple arms pointing in multiple directions! Loved it.
Today Mike and Peggy took me to a surprise! We went out to Florence AZ (30 miles) to see a Greek Orthodox Monastery which was founded 11 years ago. Wow!! I’ve never seen anything like it. There is a main church building (see pics) and about 5 other chapels so far. Three or four guest buildings, a dining hall and a building for the 45 brothers. You have to report to the bookshop on the way in where a strict dress code is explained. We were inappropriately dressed so… They provided long pants and shirts with long sleeves for Mike and I and a long skirt, long sleeved blouse and a kerchief for Peg. We got a guided tour of the main church and a self guided tour of the rest. It is a marvel to see the beautiful gardens surrounding every building and walkway. Fountains everywhere. An interesting marriage of Spanish Southwestern architecture with traditional Greek. Beautiful, beautiful everywhere you looked.
We were driving East on I-8 in AZ when suddenly I noticed cars coming toward us on a road to our right!! It seems that at one point to put the road through some mountains, I-8 split and Westbound crosses over Eastbound and continues up the mountains on the right of the Eastbound. Wild feeling!!
Monday, November 12, 2007
Casa Grande
We moved from Yuma today about 180 miles East to Casa Grande. This town was named for the ruins found about 20 miles North of here. When the Spanish arrived in 1600, they found a ruin of a village centered around a huge house (Casa Grande). the building was at least 3 stories tall with rooms of unknown use. Over the centuries, the building has deteriorated but you can still tell it was huge for the era when it was built.
Archaeologists have worked the site for most of the 20th century and have pieced together that a civilization known as Hohokam. They settled this area around 300 AD and built the Big House around 1100. They seemed to have knowledge like the Mexican civilizations: irrigation canals, large building engineering, and calendar knowledge with view ports in the Big House for sun solstice and moon events. They ma be related to the Pueblos. Anyway, they built the Casa Grande from Caliche (KA Lee Che) which is calcium carbonate and is found as hard pan here in the Sonora desert. They in effect made concrete and poured the mixture into 2 foot sections right on the walls they were building. They did not use blocks or bricks as is done with adobe. I was amazed to see their efforts. I had never heard of them.
Archaeologists have worked the site for most of the 20th century and have pieced together that a civilization known as Hohokam. They settled this area around 300 AD and built the Big House around 1100. They seemed to have knowledge like the Mexican civilizations: irrigation canals, large building engineering, and calendar knowledge with view ports in the Big House for sun solstice and moon events. They ma be related to the Pueblos. Anyway, they built the Casa Grande from Caliche (KA Lee Che) which is calcium carbonate and is found as hard pan here in the Sonora desert. They in effect made concrete and poured the mixture into 2 foot sections right on the walls they were building. They did not use blocks or bricks as is done with adobe. I was amazed to see their efforts. I had never heard of them.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Yuma Crossing/Landing
From the time I arrived in Yuma, I have been hearing about Yuma Landing and Yuma Crossing. The phrases seemed to be interchangeable. Then one evening, Peggy and Mike and some friends took me to Yuma Landing. It is a restaurant. It is built on the site of the first airplane landing in Yuma. It was one of those early biplanes and had to be pushed up the hill so it could take a lot of using the speed of the downhill run. The restaurant is decorated with lots of photos of the era. The next day Peggy and Mike took me to Yuma Crossing. It's in the same neighborhood as the Landing.
However, those two are not related in any way. Yuma Crossing is the historic Park which has been established at this site off the Colorado River Crossing. The mighty Colorado, before it was dammed to death, was an obstacle to transportation East and West. Long before the arrival of the Spanish, the Indians had discovered this ford. The river at this point is divided into three channels flowing around two islands. The river was shallow and men could walk across from island to island. This became critical when the Army established a Fort at Yuma. Supplies could be brought up the Colorado from the Gulf of California and offloaded at Yuma. When the transcontinental railroad was built, a railroad bridge was built over the Colorado at the same site. Later, the last link in an ocean to ocean road was the highway bridge built over the Colorado right next to the railroad bridge. Thus, Yuma Crossing is really a Crossing of the Colorado at Yuma.
The other very interesting thing at that state Park is the Yuma Main Canal Inverted Siphon. Around 1905, the federal government became interested in making the desert bloom. They decided to build a dam on the Colorado called the Laguna dam. It was a good place to build the dam (and steal 90% of the Colorado water) but difficult to deliver the water to the Yuma area. The Gila River flows across Arizona and into the Colorado between the Laguna dam and Yuma. The erratic flooding of the Gila made it impossible to carry the water to Yuma. So an engineering marvel was devised. The water was sent from the dam down the California side (West side) to a point opposite the Yuma Crossing. Then site was built to carry the water and 90 feet down on the California side across under the Colorado River and back up 90 feet where it dumps into the Yuma Main Canal. So the siphon is U-shaped but goes under the river instead of over it!
They had a 1930 model AA truck (so like Vickie's) on display and in running order! And then there were the railroad trucks exactly like those used in Charlestown when I was a paperboy in the papers were delivered to the railroad station. Some of you might remember those hand trucks!
I really enjoyed this and we only left because Peggy and I were hungry. We had not planned this excursion so we didn't have my camera or the crackers so necessary for a Safari!
We leave Yuma tomorrow for points East!
However, those two are not related in any way. Yuma Crossing is the historic Park which has been established at this site off the Colorado River Crossing. The mighty Colorado, before it was dammed to death, was an obstacle to transportation East and West. Long before the arrival of the Spanish, the Indians had discovered this ford. The river at this point is divided into three channels flowing around two islands. The river was shallow and men could walk across from island to island. This became critical when the Army established a Fort at Yuma. Supplies could be brought up the Colorado from the Gulf of California and offloaded at Yuma. When the transcontinental railroad was built, a railroad bridge was built over the Colorado at the same site. Later, the last link in an ocean to ocean road was the highway bridge built over the Colorado right next to the railroad bridge. Thus, Yuma Crossing is really a Crossing of the Colorado at Yuma.
The other very interesting thing at that state Park is the Yuma Main Canal Inverted Siphon. Around 1905, the federal government became interested in making the desert bloom. They decided to build a dam on the Colorado called the Laguna dam. It was a good place to build the dam (and steal 90% of the Colorado water) but difficult to deliver the water to the Yuma area. The Gila River flows across Arizona and into the Colorado between the Laguna dam and Yuma. The erratic flooding of the Gila made it impossible to carry the water to Yuma. So an engineering marvel was devised. The water was sent from the dam down the California side (West side) to a point opposite the Yuma Crossing. Then site was built to carry the water and 90 feet down on the California side across under the Colorado River and back up 90 feet where it dumps into the Yuma Main Canal. So the siphon is U-shaped but goes under the river instead of over it!
They had a 1930 model AA truck (so like Vickie's) on display and in running order! And then there were the railroad trucks exactly like those used in Charlestown when I was a paperboy in the papers were delivered to the railroad station. Some of you might remember those hand trucks!
I really enjoyed this and we only left because Peggy and I were hungry. We had not planned this excursion so we didn't have my camera or the crackers so necessary for a Safari!
We leave Yuma tomorrow for points East!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
San Diego -- Old Town
My adventures in San Diego included eating at Mexican restaurant. Me! By myself! Those who know me know I run at the first sign of a hot spice. Imagine how brave I felt entering a Mexican restaurant and ordering a chimichanga! I loved it and the refried beans and Spanish rice.
But I really wanted to tell you about Old Town. It's a State historic Park which tries to preserve the original Spanish settlement of San Diego. The mission was moved within a couple of years of its founding to get away from the soldiers and near to where the Indians lived. I visited the mission church took a few pictures. The original priests room is preserved and I took a couple of pictures to show its simplicity. The church and its related buildings were made of adobe with walls about 4 feet thick. I've been pondering the reason for this thickness and I've decided it's because Adobe bricks are quite weak and the thickness is needed to support the roof. The choir loft is reached by an outside staircase. The nave of the Church is long and narrow. The only doors are opposite each other approximately halfway down the nave.
Old Town was very interesting. The most important building in the town was the residence
of the Commandant. It was a U-shaped building with each role opening onto a covered porch or walkway. The outside walls of a U-shaped building were continued to enclose a courtyard. in the courtyard was a southwestern part with desert plants at a couple of fruit trees. The ceilings of Rome's were wooden boards, like a floor. They were supported by thieves which were lashed together with what looked like rawhide as opposed to wooden pins that I'm familiar with. The floors were what I would call raw tile approximately 6" x 12". I was surprised at the quality of the furnishings that had to stop and realize that this was the home of a wealthy man with access to imported furniture. This hacienda sat at the head of the square to merchant buildings and government buildings surrounded the other three sides.
I was fascinated by the barn contents on display are just off the square. the barn was used as a Museum to display an interesting variety of transportation related items. For instance, there was a very crude cart, well warn, with appeals eight out of treetrunk layers so you've got the growth rates going around the wheel and wearing off the wheel. That is a large display about Concord coaches including a poster showing a shipment of a hundred or so coaches out of the city of Concord on the railroad. There was a Wells Fargo Concord coach and a lighter version of the Concord coach also made in Concord New Hampshire. I'd never seen this lighter version. Rounding a corner, I came upon a wagon with the manufacturer's name in large letters: Studebaker. Definitely the oldest one I'd ever see!
I spent the most time in the barn on the tandem wagons. I thought that tandem trailers were a modern invention and one I don't like to meet on the highway. However these freight wagons from the 1800's were on display here in Old Town. the explanation given was that 18 mule teams were used to haul freight. The driver rode the left mule nearest the wagon and steered by a rope hitched to the front left mule. This mule with a strained to turn left in response to a continuous pull on the rope and to turn right in response to a series of pulls. Multiple teams of oxen were also used to pull these tandem wagons. I decided that there had to be a reason for tandem wagons and I've decided it was because of the shortage of manpower. This way one driver could carry a double load. Whether you used oxen or mules depended on speed and feed. Mules moved at 2 and 1/2 mph. Oxen at 2 mph! Mules had to carry their food but oxen could graze. Just keep that in mind the next time you move ! Pics here.
But I really wanted to tell you about Old Town. It's a State historic Park which tries to preserve the original Spanish settlement of San Diego. The mission was moved within a couple of years of its founding to get away from the soldiers and near to where the Indians lived. I visited the mission church took a few pictures. The original priests room is preserved and I took a couple of pictures to show its simplicity. The church and its related buildings were made of adobe with walls about 4 feet thick. I've been pondering the reason for this thickness and I've decided it's because Adobe bricks are quite weak and the thickness is needed to support the roof. The choir loft is reached by an outside staircase. The nave of the Church is long and narrow. The only doors are opposite each other approximately halfway down the nave.
Old Town was very interesting. The most important building in the town was the residence
of the Commandant. It was a U-shaped building with each role opening onto a covered porch or walkway. The outside walls of a U-shaped building were continued to enclose a courtyard. in the courtyard was a southwestern part with desert plants at a couple of fruit trees. The ceilings of Rome's were wooden boards, like a floor. They were supported by thieves which were lashed together with what looked like rawhide as opposed to wooden pins that I'm familiar with. The floors were what I would call raw tile approximately 6" x 12". I was surprised at the quality of the furnishings that had to stop and realize that this was the home of a wealthy man with access to imported furniture. This hacienda sat at the head of the square to merchant buildings and government buildings surrounded the other three sides.
I was fascinated by the barn contents on display are just off the square. the barn was used as a Museum to display an interesting variety of transportation related items. For instance, there was a very crude cart, well warn, with appeals eight out of treetrunk layers so you've got the growth rates going around the wheel and wearing off the wheel. That is a large display about Concord coaches including a poster showing a shipment of a hundred or so coaches out of the city of Concord on the railroad. There was a Wells Fargo Concord coach and a lighter version of the Concord coach also made in Concord New Hampshire. I'd never seen this lighter version. Rounding a corner, I came upon a wagon with the manufacturer's name in large letters: Studebaker. Definitely the oldest one I'd ever see!
I spent the most time in the barn on the tandem wagons. I thought that tandem trailers were a modern invention and one I don't like to meet on the highway. However these freight wagons from the 1800's were on display here in Old Town. the explanation given was that 18 mule teams were used to haul freight. The driver rode the left mule nearest the wagon and steered by a rope hitched to the front left mule. This mule with a strained to turn left in response to a continuous pull on the rope and to turn right in response to a series of pulls. Multiple teams of oxen were also used to pull these tandem wagons. I decided that there had to be a reason for tandem wagons and I've decided it was because of the shortage of manpower. This way one driver could carry a double load. Whether you used oxen or mules depended on speed and feed. Mules moved at 2 and 1/2 mph. Oxen at 2 mph! Mules had to carry their food but oxen could graze. Just keep that in mind the next time you move ! Pics here.
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