Ray Plumlee's an American Odyssey
Traveling Webmaster's Deck Log
This is a copy of my old Deck Log (Online Journal). I am now using an online blog at my "Have Web Sites Will Travel" web site. I use it to chronolog my travels around North America (my American Odyssey).
This "Old" Deck Log is now only an archive of past postings. It tell's the reader where I have visited and what adventures I have had up til the time I started my blog on Have Web Sites Will Travel. This archive was written primarily from the perspective of a tourist. Not necessarily my work log though I may do some of that too, especially in those early days when I built the sites resouces. Initially I used it to detail my efforts in getting prepared for the adventure. Then I chronicled the adventure itself.
To read my current Blog, Deck Log, Journal or Captains Log go here.
Date: 30 April 2006 5:35 PM
Location: City: Arizona State: Flagstaff
Log Entry Title: Summary of My Area Visit of Tucson During April 2006 and the Start of My Travels North.
Log Entry:
2 April 2006 Went to Tombstone for a Buffalo Burger
3 April 2006 Went to Sierra Vista for Breakfast at Po Boys
14 April 2006 Visited the Rex Allen Arizona Cowboy Museum in Wilcox, Arizona
17 April 2006 Started My Northward Travels Today and Arrived Back in Phoenix, Arizona
23 April 2006 Departed Phoenix and Arrived in Winslow, Arizona
29 April 2006 Moved From Winslow Over to Flagstaff, Arizona
30 April 2006 Day Trip to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
2 April 2006 Went to Tombstone for a Buffalo Burger
It was Saturday morning and I got an urge for a Buffalo Burger so I went over to Tombstone to the O. K. Cafe. It was OK (like the name says) but I didn't think it had anything on a good old beef hamburger. I think I'll wait until I get some place like Wyoming before I try another one. I think I will do an Internet search for the World's best Buffalo Burger then try again.
After the Buffalo Burger I strolled around town then took a look at the Classic Car Show they were having. They only had 20 or 30 cars so it was a quick show. The last Classic Car Show I went to was during my 2004 visit to Kingsburg where they were having their annual Kingsburg Classic Car Show. That was the biggest one I had ever been to. I don't know how many they had but it must of been over a 100.
Then I walked around Allen street then stopped by the old Tombstone Epitaph. At one time this was one of the most famous Newspapers in the West. I saw that they are still in circulation with a monthly newsletter.
After walking around a bit and ducking in and out of the occasional shop I decided to head back to Benson.
3 April 2006 Went to Sierra Vista for Breakfast at Po Boys
I was planning to head over to Tucson and visit the Pima Air and Space Museum and have coffee with a business associate. But she was not available this weekend so will try again another weekend.
After I had left Tombstone on my first trip I took the scenic route back to Benson and went by way of Sierra Vista. It's a nice little city but unlike any other city, I had been too this trip, I saw a Po Boy restaurant. I hadn't seen one of those since I was stationed at the Pentagon in 91' and 92'. It was getting late so I decided to pass up stopping and come back another day.
Well on Sunday morning's I typically like to go out for breakfast so I decided to head over to Sierra Vista and have breakfast at Po Boys. It was a very good breakfast and the prices were the lowest I have seen in years. The only exception were some of the local Casino's I had breakfast at during my 2003 stay in Las Vegas. The waitress at Po Boys told me they were the only one in Arizona. Boy am I glad I found this Po Boy's!
After breakfast I went down the street to Hastings Book Store. This is the only one I have ever seen outside of Boise, Idaho. One thing they had over the ones in Boise is they had complimentary coffee. That's my kind of coffee. My favorite coffee is the Hastings Hardback brand "Jamaica Me Crazy" which they were serving. I looked around and did not find any beans for sale. I may have to wait until I get back to Boise before I can buy any more "Jamaica Me Crazy" beans.
Then after leaving the Hastings Book Store I started back to Benson and ran straight into the Main Gate of Fort Huachuca. I decided to go on to the Fort and visit the Post Exchange. It was a fairly nice Exchange but I haven't been to too many since I retired. The last one I visited was the Base Exchange on the Naval Submarine Base at Bangor, Washington. Fort Huachuca's was the nicer of the two Exchanges. Especially, their electronic's section. They had a very, very good selection at Fort Huachuca.
Well my next day trip is undecided for now. I will have to think on it. I heard that up the road about 30 miles on I10 is the City of Wilcox where they have the Rex Allen Cowboy Museum. I may decide to head over that way. We'll see.
14 April 2006 Visited the Rex Allen Arizona Cowboy Museum in Wilcox, Arizona
I had planned to visit the Rex Allen Arizona Cowboy Museum last weekend but got busy on some web site projects and, to be honest, I didn't feel like going anywhere last weekend so I just chilled out and to use an old Navy term. I "titivated."
Finally, by Friday I felt like going for a wee trip so decided to visit the Rex Allen Arizona Cowboy Museum in Wilcox, Arizona. Wolcox is about one half hours drive east on I10 from Benson.
I enjoyed the museum. I remember watching Rex Allen when he did his Frontier Gentleman TV show as a kid. There were plenty of pictures and displays covering his entire career.
I will be moving back to Phoenix on Sunday so Saturday will be spent getting stowed away and rigged for underway.
14 April 2006 Started My Northward Travels Today and Arrived Back in Phoenix, Arizona
Left Benson this morning and had an easy trip back to Phoenix. I was planning to stay again at the Pioneer RV Park. But when I arrived in Phoenix the I17 was backed up almost 7 miles because of an accident on Carefree Highway and I17. I was in no mood to spend a few hours in traffic. So I got off of I17 at the Deer Valley Road exit and went to the Desert's Edge RV Village where I stayed 2 years ago.
Desert's Edge RV Village is a nice park but the spaces are a little cramped. I stayed here a month in 2003 so staying here a week before I continue my Northward travel will not be a problem.
23 April 2006 Departed Phoenix and Arrived in Winslow, Arizona
Departed Phoenix and arrived at the Winslow Crater RV Park near Winslow, Arizona. I plan to stay here a week then move a little closer to the Grand Canyon. Probably just North of Flagstaff. I plan to stay there a week then head up near Bryce Canyon in Utah for a week before heading on into Boise.
While here I intend to revisit the Meteor Crater and spend a little more time looking Winslow over. It is a classic Route 66 town with some road side attractions etc.
29 April 2006 Moved From Winslow Over to Flagstaff, Arizona
After 6 days here at the Winslow Meteor Crater RV Park I moved over to Flagstaff. Well just a couple of miles North of the City Limits. Flagstaff rests at 7,000 feet and is in a Forested area. Not what you would expect to find in Arizona. My visions of Arizona have always been of desert sand, rock and cactus.
I plan to stay here one week before departing for Utah. I have a lot of client work so will be staying close to the RV with my work.
Tommorow I plan to go up and see the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. I haven't been there since I was a kid on one of our family vacations.
30 April 2006 Day Trip to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
Been waiting a long time to make this little day trip! I am staying just North of Tucson on Highway 89 so I took it up to the East Entrance. My first scenic stop was at Desert View. This was my first incredible glimpse of the Grand Canyon in over 40 years. My last visit was as a teenager during a family vacation.
The view is absolutely spectacular! It is a sight everyone should see. Desert View is a great place to look at the Grand Canyon. There is an ancient tower there called "The Watch Tower." The original name and purpose of the "The Watch Tower" is lost to history but it's current title is appropriate.
I then went west to the Yavapai Hotel and Market Plaza for lunch. After lunch I went to Mather Point and walked along the Rim Trail taking pictures of the Canyon. Here again, the view is the most spectacular scenic view you will ever see. I am afraid I don't have the eloquence to describe it. So I will be posting several of my pictures on my
Grand Canyon Visit Report, in the next day or so. You will note that some of the photos show that there was a storm moving in but it did not start raining until I was leaving.
After leaving Mather Point I drove around Grand Canyon Village seeing where they coral all the mules for their Mule Back tours. I also saw the Grand Canyon Railway Train Depot with one of the trains in the depot. Then I headed south out of the park back to Flagstaff.
On the way back down Highway 64 to Flagstaff I passed through Valle, Arizona where Flintstones Bedrock City Theme Park is located. It appeared to be a mostly out door park and it had started raining so I decided to stop there some other time.
That brings up the topic of some other time. As my best friend Wally's wife Jean is seriously ill I plan to again spend part of the winter next year (2006 - 2007) in the Phoenix area. On my way south for the winter from the Boise area I will come through the Flagstaff area instead of coming through Las Vegas like I did the last two times (2003 and 2005). I will try to stay here for a couple of weeks or longer and spend some more time visiting the Grand Canyon and related scenic sites.
Ray Plumlee
|
