Lowell's Blog
Updates from the road

Cousins Phyllis & Rex reluctantly flew home to Lake Viking near Gallatin last Tuesday after a 5 week visit. Time sure flies during their visits. It only seemed like yesterday they arrived. I’m a little late on photos from the second half of their visit, but better late that never.. Besides there’s some fun photos that will definitely put a smile on your face.

 

Final departure photo for Scott & A after birthday weekend.

 

You’ll see the hats a little later in the blog. We got hi-jacked by a hat salesman.

 

 

 

 

Life settled a bit after birthday weekend.. Sunsets, dinners and cards.

Mike and Gill took us on drive down the coast to a great raw seafood restaurant “ AguaChili” All fresh and cooked in lime juice with hot chili sauce added. So good

 

Stopping at Mayan Place above for piña coladas deserts while we relax at their beach front bar.

 

 

Dinner at Flavio’s on the water front in Penasco

 

Sunset from our dinner table with condos and the Cholla mountain

 

 

And yes, one more time to El Capitan before they say goodbye to Penasco.

 

And you can’t go to El Capitan without stopping at Little Wrecked.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Owners Randy & Jeanie hosted us this day and provided shots to the losers of our 99 card game we played on the patio.

 

 

Final sunset photos as we prepare to depart the next morning.

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Back in Phoenix on the Light Rail stopping at Diamondbacks ball field then on to Tempe for dinner with Walt & Kathy

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During our final week in Phoenix we took a trip north stopping in Camp Verde, then on to Montezuma Castle.

Here’s come Wikipedia on the Castle

Montezuma Castle is near the top of a Verde Valley cliff and is one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America. The area was briefly abandoned to due to volcanic ash from the Sunset Crater Volcano. It is likely that the sediment from that aided in agricultural endeavors when the Sinagua arived. During the interim, the Sinagua lived on the hills nearby and sustained themselves on agriculture dependent on rain. After 1125, the Sinagua resettled in the Verde Valley and used irrigation systems left by the Hohokam. The monument itself encloses 826 acres and lies at the intersection of the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range physiographic provinces. The latest estimated date of Sinagua occupation for any site is for Montezuma Castle National Monument around 1425 AD. The reasons for abandonment of their habitation sites are not yet known, but warfare, drought, and clashes with the newly-arrived Yavapai people have been suggested.

 

 

 

 

Then on to Jerome for lunch at the haunted hambuger. Jerome is an old mining town setting on the hillside overlooking the Verde Valley.

 

 

 

 

Final stop Prescott

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During the final days we arranged to have dinner with Scott, Adrianna and her mom Debbie and sister Carina.

 

More dinners at the house and cards with Kathy & Walt then their flight home with Stella entertaining everybody at the airport.. She rides in her little carrier under the seat and sleeps through the flight.

Fun visit.. We’re looking forward to their next one.. In fact, we’ve made plans to spend a week in Nashville together Sept 8-15 at the end of our Missouri summer visit.

This will be the last Lowell’s Blog until the summer season as we are ready to start our Baja 2012 sailing season..

Join us at www.GatoLocoSailing.com to adventure out on the Sea of Cortez..

Until the next update…

 

 

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Photos from their stay.