Thursday, June 8, 2017

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.

IMG_7925

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

IMG_7928

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

20170525_154918

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.

20170608_141214

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

20170608_141230

Beautiful paintings.

20170608_141240

Arrowheads displayed as art, and handmade pottery bowls.

20170608_14124520170608_14130420170608_141308

Art piece made from broken bowl shards.

20170608_141329

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

20170608_141344_001

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.

20170608_14244120170608_14245420170608_14250720170608_142510

20170608_143342_001

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

20170608_142839

Regional ranch brands adorn this wall.

20170608_143117

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

20170608_14313220170608_143154

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

20170608_143712

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.

Two Shadows