Return to phoenix

Oct. 2 we rode to Las Vegas to meet our friends, Forrest and Rosie at the Silverton Casino for lunch and a tour of the Bass Pro Shop. The Silverton reportedly has the world's largest aquarium and there certainly were a large number of beautiful fish in it. The Bass Pro Shop has many displays of animals and we enjoyed looking at many of them. The store is so large we got lost in it and had to ask to find our way out.

Stingray

Larry, Rosie and Forrest in front of the entrance to Bass Pro Shop

Display of a pride of lions at Bass Pro Shop

Thursday, October 5 we left Preferred and headed to Verde Valley near Cottonwood, AZ. We had some trouble with our Jake brake which was a little scary as the descent down the Spring mountains is long and steep but we made it OK. We ended up in C section, one we have not stayed in before. At night I could hear a waterfall and just before we left I went looking for it and found it.  Surprisingly the Verde River had a lot of water in it, more than I've seen before. We discovered our friends, Ed and Lana, were at Verde Valley and while Lana had an errand, Ed came for a nice visit with us. They used to live in Capitan, NM and we visited with them in 2013 when we workcamped at Bonita Park. They have since sold their NM place and now live in Prescott Valley. They also have a new rig. While in Cottonwood we made a Costco run to Prescott via Jerome and then stopped at Sam's Club in Prescott Valley on the way back, again via Jerome.  Great ride on a bike!  Another day we rode to the V Bar V Ranch to see the petroglyph and also stopped to see Montezuma's Well. We had planned to visit Montezuma's Castle but ran out of time so that will be for another visit.  On two different occasions we had javelin roaming the neighborhood and I was able to get a picture of them.  Before we left Cottonwood we rode to Sedona to see the movie “Only the Brave” about the Granite Mountain Hotshots that were killed in the Yarnell Fire in June 2013.  It is a good movie showing how they came to be and the friendships they formed and I recognized the names of several of the fires they fought.

Entrance to V Bar V Historic Site

The largest petroglyph in the Verde Valley

At the west end of Montezuma's Well

Montezuma's Well

Waterfall on the Verde River near our campsite in Section C

                 

Javelin near our campsite at Verde Valley

October 25 we returned to Phoenix, again staying beside our daughter and son-in-law's place.  On Sunday Oct. 29 we went to church and enjoyed seeing friends and eating lunch after the 'Family Service'.  We then returned to the MH and went with Dawn, Vince, Bethany and Jena (Bethany's friend) to the AZ State Fair. We did a lot of walking and looking, enjoying the law enforcement tent seeing new things and of course, 'fair food'.  Dawn and Vince ended up buying a new bed that will be delivered soon.  October 31 I had an appt. with my podiatrist in Sun City West and we took the 303, a new route for me.  It seems strange to again be traveling in a car but nice that I don't have to 'suit up' every time we go someplace.

Gambrel Quail running across the driveway

Vince and Dawn discussing their new bed

Larry and his 'fair food'

My Taco Indian Fry bread