Show Low, AZ

Don & I escaped the heat in Benson and made our first visit to Show Low, in the White Mountains. Yesterday we didn’t do much more than drive here – I drove the first half and he drove the last half that included the slow, steep descent and climbing on 25mph switch-back curves. It was a beautiful drive, and we were happy to enjoy low 80’s instead of high 90’s as we had in Benson and 105+ in Tucson. We got parked at the Elks Lodge RV Park, after a bit of confusion on the part of the bartender as to what sites were not occupied, and even got a clear shot of the sky among the tall trees for our satellite dish.

We were disappointed that Gloria & Frank weren’t able to come with us as previously planned, due to a wind shear that ruined the awning on their brand-new travel trailer. It wasn’t windy at all that day, until a big whoosh! and the awning arms were toast.

Don & Frank were able to dismantle the arms and wire the rolled awning to the side brackets so the trailer could be towed.

Gee, it was just a few days earlier that it looked like this!

It’s now back at the dealer in Tucson awaiting parts, so Gloria & Frank are waiting until it’s ready to start their summer travels. They made a nice choice for a down-sized rig that can go places their almost 40-ft 5th wheel can’t, including family and friends’ driveways. The floor plan is a nice one, with the bedroom separate from the living/cooking/eating area. And their heavy-duty truck pulls it easily.

Now that we’re on the road again, we enjoyed playing tourist today with a stop at the visitor center to pick up maps, brochures and guides, and to get recommendations for restaurants. We had a great lunch at PersNIKKIty's Cafe. The letters spelling Nikki are in caps because it’s the owner’s name. Cute place, small enough that we shared a table with a couple of women who graciously invited us as they got the last open one and there was plenty of room at the table for 6.

After lunch, we went to the local historical museum. It was very interesting and we spent a couple of hours there. Here are a few of my pictures.

Sand paintings have always fascinated me.

Dyes used for yarn and fabrics were made from various plants by Native Americans.

Beautiful paintings.

Arrowheads displayed as art, and handmade pottery bowls.

Art piece made from broken bowl shards.

Kachina dolls – this picture is especially for Bill Mains who has a great collection.

Several quilts. Maybe I’ll take some inspiration from them. The quilts and clothing were mostly made by hand with a few dresses from very primitive sewing machines.

This telephone switchboard was used in nearby Holbrook in the early 1960’s.

Regional ranch brands adorn this wall.

I used some of these old business machines back in the day! Not the telephone, though.

Unfortunately, the model trains only run on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The level of detail and accurate depiction of a town were very well done.

In closing, we are mourning the loss of Gloria & Frank’s beloved dog Shadow. She passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday evening. We became friends with Gloria & Frank while we were in Alaska in 2011, and the fact that both our dogs were named Shadow was part of the reason we got to know each other. Now both of them are over the Rainbow Bridge – maybe they’re together again.