Thursday, March
31
Set the alarm
early because I wanted to be up and showered before calling around to Harley dealerships
to see if I could get my tire replaced/repaired. Service departments opened at 8 a.m., so at
8:02 I was on the phone with the Tucson dealership. Sure, they could help me today. Yay! They’re only 36 miles away…Phoenix and Scottsdale
were twice that far. Before we could
load Pegasus in the trailer for transport, we had to transform it from a cozy
little living space back into a bike trailer.
That took about 45 minutes and we left most of the items (sleeping bags,
air mattress, cooler, stove, chairs, etc.) on the picnic table. We let the staff know what we were doing, so
it was okay that it looked like our trailer threw up on the table. Tire changing took a few hours…we had lunch
in Tucson before picking Pegasus up and heading back to camp. Got back early afternoon and had time for a
90 mile ride. Life is good!!
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We rode out to
Saguaro National Park this afternoon….about 45 miles away. Not only was it an opportunity to get out on
the bikes, but hopefully it would also be a chance to the tall ones up close
and personal. Turns out we could admire
more than just the saguaro….it appeared every type of cactus was present at the
spot we stopped. Some were in bloom,
some had nasty looking spines, some had softer looking spines, some towered
over the desert and some were no more than 6” tall. All were to be respected for their ability to
grab, stab and puncture. Definitely had
to be spatially aware of everything in that environment. And because it’s such a temptation to pull aside
a branch to get a better look at something else, like I would with a tree, I constantly
told myself “Don’t touch…don’t touch…don’t touch….”. And don’t even think about leaning in to smell
the flowers!!
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A number of KOAs
that we’ve stayed at during our travels have had a little restaurant for the
campers. This one is no different…it has
Frankie’s Chuckwagon. Upon check-in, we were given the details…it is closed Mon
& Tues and we should make reservations because the building is small. Not too many campers in the campground, so I
wondered just how small this building was.
Well, yesterday when we got back from our trip to Mesa, the parking lot
was full! Seems Frankie draws in more
than just campers….and from the smell of it, he knows what he’s doing with
those steaks. **When we got back tonight
from a ride, the parking lot was busy again. Frankie sure draws them in! We plan on making reservations sometime
before we leave. One of those things I’d
regret if we left here without having a taste of what has been smelling so
good!
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Found out today
that cotton is the main crop around Eloy.
So that might be what the locals do for employment. Cotton, pecans and some corn. We saw the pecan orchards on the way to the
campground…big open fields were for cotton or corn. Also learned that the correctional facility
(the CCA) brought in employees that had the necessary job training, so the
locals probably aren’t employed at the facility.
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It’s another
clear night and my budding astronomer is out looking at the heavens. When we got back from our trip to Tucson, we
found a note on our table, anchored with rocks.
It was from the family whose kids came over last night to look through
the telescope, thanking Kim for the opportunity to stargaze. They headed back to California today, so Kim
is out there by himself tonight.
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It’s my birthday
today and Charlevoix’s spring break basically started today. When the boys were in school, my birthday typically
fell at the beginning of or during spring break. Although early on we took a couple of
vacations during the summer, eventually we took our family vacation during
spring break just like every other family on earth. Because of the timing and also because we did
something different every year, I’ve been fortunate to have some really good
adventures on my birthday. The tradition
continues as it seems I can’t give up taking a trip during spring break even
though my youngest son graduated 11 years ago. J Ride on!!
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This morning, the
service manager at the Tucson H-D dealership (Andy) heard me say we were from
Michigan. He wanted to know where in
Michigan…showed him the spot on my hand and said between the bridge and
Traverse City. “Oh, yeah”, he says, “I
know Michigan. Most of my family’s from Michigan.” Oh,
really?..where? Down along the
western side of the state, he says…turns out it’s the Holland, Zeeland,
Saugatuck area. And the family names are
Dalman and VanderSchof(f?). Told him we
both grew up in the Holland area, but I made sure he knew that we went to West
Ottawa, not Holland High. J
It is indeed a small world…and this
conversation restored my confidence that people know there’s more to Michigan
than Detroit. We say we’re from Michigan
and most people will mention Detroit….but not Andy. J
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Today’s
uneventful schedule: Drove to Tucson in
the morning…got back around 2:30 p.m….took a 90 mile ride…got back about 6:30
p.m. It makes me chuckle that I still
managed to take 70 pictures.
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Saw a memorial the other day along Indian Route
15 that needed additional research. It
had an American flag and what looked like a military headstone set in the
ground. Took a picture of the memorial
as well as the name, Roberto Duran so I could check it out later. This is from The Customs and Border
Protection website (cbp.gov):
Roberto J. Duran
Entered on Duty: 1998-01-04
End of Watch: 2002-05-06
Border Patrol Agent Roberto
J. Duran was on temporary assignment to the Casa Grande Station, Arizona on
Monday, May 6, 2002 when he was involved in a fatal vehicle accident.
Agent Duran was returning
to the Casa Grande Station in his Service vehicle on Federal Route 15 at the
end of a midnight shift. At approximately 5:25 a.m., an agent following Agent
Duran witnessed his vehicle leave the pavement on the east side of the road.
Agent Duran apparently over-corrected which caused the vehicle to overturn
several times and ejected him from the vehicle. Agents from the Casa Grande
Station attempted to render emergency aid to Agent Duran and provide comfort.
However, he died at the scene due to injuries sustained in the accident.
Agent Duran was a native of
Anthony, New Mexico. He proudly served in the United States Navy from 1986 to
1997. He was a graduate of 361st Session of the United States Border Patrol
Academy in Charleston, South Carolina. At the time of his death, his official
station was Chula Vista, California.
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