The Journey Continues

We left San Carlos March 27th and had a wonderful 2 weeks visiting friends and family in Arizona.

We stopped off for a few days in Tucson and stayed with our dive buddies Steve and Lynne. They have a beautiful old house in north Tucson, close to the river. Their landscaping is early 1800’s Arizona desert and includes a date palm that has a cactus growing out of its top. They have named it “What’s the Point”. Lynne is an amazing artist in an unusual medium. She is a gourd artist. She creates unique and beautiful pieces of art. Check out her website, www.LMEastdesign.com. We also had a great time visiting with her parents, Don and Lillian, who we met while diving in San Carlos.  Their house reflects their diverse interests and achievements. They are avid rock hounds, talented musicians, world traveling videographers, silversmiths and the list goes on and on.  What a fun visit. Tucson pictures

Phoenix was the usual whirlwind stop visiting friends and family. Jim’s youngest daughter Avanlea transferred with Sprouts Market and is now living in Sacramento, Calif. so we didn’t get to see her. Our little grandson Jack was definitely the hit of the party. He is 1 ½ yrs old and on the move all the time. We got to spend a whole day with him, momma  Melanie, poppa  Travis and had a great time.  Pictures of Jack We even managed to squeeze in a visit with long time dive buddies Jodi, Gary and Cindy. They regaled us with descriptions of their recent dive trips and future plans.

Next stop, Camp Verde, Az., just a couple hours north of Phoenix to see Jim and Sandie. They are more old dive buddies who showed up in San Carlos over spring break and we had such a good time together we had to continue the party a little longer. Camp Verde is an old Arizona town (Info on Camp Verde) with lots of history and still has that old west feel.  Jim owns a jewelry and collectables shop in downtown Camp Verde called Laid Back Jewelry. It is a very cool store with lots of old Indian jewelry, turquoise & silver plus he has a lot of western collectibles. Take the time to stop, say hello and check out his restored 1953 Chevy pickup which is generally parked out front. Or on his website at  www.laidbackaz.com.

Sandie is going to college to get a degree in photography and jewelry making. Her website is www.laidbackaz.net.  She is creating some amazing designs in copper jewelry not to mention building an impressive portfolio of photographs.

We were there during the full moon and went to Montezuma’s Well, which is an ancient spring filled oasis. (Info on Montezuma's Well). The Park service had a huge telescope set up for viewing the moon and Venus. It was very cool. We had dinner in one of the most unique restaurants I’ve ever been in called The Horn. Rumored to be one of the oldest restaurants in town the food and ambiance were delightful.  Pictures of Camp Verde. There are a lot more places to explore in the Verde Valley like…..Sedona, Jerome and Montezuma’s Castle to mention a few.

 Easter Sunday found us driving north out of Camp Verde, heading for a spot on the map north of Gallup, NM. (GPS:  N 35° 37.881’ W 108° 57.813). We could actually plug the co-ordinates into our Tom Tom. However, Google Earth is the coolest (Link to Google Earth) Dive buddies we met in San Carlos, Jim and Bren, (does it seem like we have a lot of friends that are divers?) are building a house on 80 acres there. This acreage was part of a coal mine that was restored by the mining company by simply burying many of the structures on the property. They have found septic systems, concrete pads and basement substructures that they have been able to incorporate into their new construction.  When they aren’t there, they have a house north of Window Rock, AZ. We had a great time visiting them and hiking the mesa on their property.   Camp Davis

We also took some day trips. We spent one day at the Navajo Museum in Window Rock; here the history of the Navajo is interestingly documented in displays, essays and photographs, especially the conflicts between the settlers, the army and the Navajo inhabitants. Museum pictures.  Check out their website: Navajo Nation Museum .......

And then we went to Hubbell Trading Post which is the oldest active trading post on the rez and a National Historic site. It was an important part of history in the area. They have a great exhibit in the visitor’s center. It is an interactive panoramic pictorial history of the Hubbell family, famous visitors and the Native Americans who he considered his friends.  The website (Hubbell Trading Post) has great pictures and history. Trading post pictures …..

And of course no visit to the rez would be complete without a trip to Canyon de Chelly,   (Canyon de Chelly website). The canyon is a national monument and it is also an active Navajo community. This is unique among monuments in the southwest. It is amazing to be viewing the ancient ruins in the canyon while watching Navajo people going about their business nearby in much the same manner as they have for centuries. Canyon de Chelly

We are heading to Golden for a much overdue visit........