Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch & Bye Bye Clayton & Pat!

Can you see Clayton & Pat throught the dark windshield as they pulled out Sunday morning? Yesterday we returned to Rooster Cogburns with Clayton & Pat. Althought we had to wait quite awhile we really enjoyed the off road monster bus ride & fishing for ostrichs. Judy and I were here 2 years ago and enjoyed it just as much as the first time. We stopped at the Table Top Tavern on the way back to get a jump on happy hour and the locals were getting wound up so we returned to the CG and our HitchHiker RV friends who arrived today while we were gone. Pat made a real nice shrimp, rice and (oh boy!) lima bean supper for all of us while Judy brought the rubarb pie.

B&B II Rally has started!!

We had three reasons to head west, the B&B II HitchHiker Rally, warm weather, and visit NV & UT which are the last two states to see so we can say we've RVed every state west of a line from MI to FL. We are 2 of 3 so far. The B&B II stands for Babes & Balls, several of our friends are going to some spring training baseball games in the Phoenix area. It's a follow-up to the B&B I (Beer & Beans Rally in 2007).

There are 50+ of us here and well over 20 HitchHikers. It's an opportunity to visit with HitchHiker friends we haven't seen in months and meet new ones we have only communicated with on the forum.

Clayton & Pat in Maricopa

The large group picture was at Casa Grande one evening during the cocktail hours. Most of us will be going to the B&B II rally next week. It got a little chilly after the sun went down so we had jackets on.

On Wednesday Clayton & Pat arrived in Maricopa in his motorhome and came down to visit us. We went to Eva's for a late Mexican lunch and checked out a local CG that we liked 2 years ago, & still do. After Clayton & Pat left about 4 couples that arrived from Maricopa (they are in for the rally a little early too) came down to visit with the Casa Grande group so we went out with them for supper at Eva's second Mexican restaurant.

Today we made the 20 mike trip to John Wayne RV Campground in Maricopa where Clayton & Pat are staying for a couple days. Judy's nephew Todd came down from Phoenix too so we all had a nice lunch of kielbasa, German potato salad & red cabbage. Todd spent the afternoon and we all had a nice visit. Todd's the young dude in the picture with us old farts. You can see our fifth wheel parked next to Clayton's motorhome here in the desert.

RV friends are gathering

We have been doing some socializing since Wednesday. On Thursday we drove across Casa Grande and met Nolan & Joann and their Little Blue Truck (a BIG Kenworth). JV & Carolyn Evans went with us and we all went to Eva's for a nice Mexican dinner. That's Nolan, JoAnn, Carolyn & JV above in the right picture.

Friday we drove to Phoenix and had lunch with Stacy & Sharon Wise (left picture), we met them 2 years ago here in AZ. It was real nice meeting new HH friends, Nolan & JoAnn, and getting together with HH we have met in the past like JV & Carolyn and Stacy & Sharon.

On Saturday Dave & Trish Wood (AND Tank) arrived here at Desert Shadows along with Trish's brother Bill. We all had a steak or chicken dinner here at the park last night.

The weather has been pretty consistent, 70s and 80s with all the sunshine you want. Judy & I have noticed in our travels that the desert is MUCH MUCH greener than it was when we were here in 2008. We are looking forward to lots of desert flowers this spring.

Mountains, Lakes, & RV friends

Happy St Patrick's Day to you all. We drove up to Mesa this morning and met Ray & Barb and Rudy & Linda. We were all together in Gulf Shores, AL back in January before everyone left looking for better weather. By the way, it was 88 today, that's getting plenty hot. They are in a very large RV & snowbird park with over 1700 sites for RVs and park models. Patches made out like a bandit with all the goodies she received from Ray & Barb's cats. We spent some time walking around their park before we drove up to the Usery Mountains & Saguaro Lake for some sightseeing and lunch. Thanks for lunch Ray! It was a beautiful ride through the desert and then into the mountains to the restaurant on the lake. The pictures do not do the scenery justice & we had a very enjoyable day.

Casa Grande, AZ at Desert Shadows

Sunday we made the short trip from Benson to Casa Grande, about 120 miles. We checked into a Western Horizons park named Desert Shadows, a little before noon and it's our first time here. There were 5 or 6 RVs checking in at the same time and guess what....one couple was a fellow Haulin' HitchHiker.....JV & Carolyn Evans. The last time we met was in TX when a rally was cancelled due to hurricane Ike. We had a long visit & cocktail hour with them Monday. Desert Shadows is such a nice name but the park isn't quite like it sounds. It is growing on us though. We took a site in the back which is against a block wall and when we stand up we can see over it. A bunch of old falling down wood corals & small buildings. Now, what's nifty is the donkey, rooster & peacock that hee haw, crow & squawk. It's kinda nice, Patches thinks there's a strange jungle on the other side of that wall, she's a little concerned something over there might get her.

Monday was meeting with a Western Horizon rep, lunch at KFC, laundry, Curves, grocery & post office day. Today, Tuesday, was a VERY busy day. It was in the low 70s and starting tomorrow it's going to be in the 80s for awhile so we spent the day washing the RV and then the truck. I'm pooped, Judy worked harder than me and is still going. Patches, she's having a great time watching all the birds and Judy has been going to the clubhouse playing cards, attending presentations, bingo and such. This might not be a beautiful desert park but it has activities up the ying yang.

Gammon's Gulch

Today we went to Gammon's Gulch, about 20 miles outside Benson in the boonies. It has been under "construction" since 1971. The man who owns it and has built it (that's him playing the banjo) is the son of John Wayne's body guard, he has old pictures to prove it. He said he's always wanted his own western town but couldn't afford to buy one so he built his own. Some buildings are originals that he moved there, other he's built. There have been 40 some movies that have used his town, mostly westerns. I suspect they were B movies, he has been in several of them. He was 11 when he was a drummer boy leading a funeral procession in El Dorado with John Wayne & Robert Mitchum.

It's getting nicer out, the wind has finally returned to a gently breeze, and it's in the high 60s.