Rick and Noreen

  Our preference to backpack Aravaipa Canyon is via the east entrance which is 149 miles by car (3 hrs) or, 50 miles as-the-crow-flies.  Our adventure opens with the normal visit to Klondyke AZ...pop 12. We always drop in on the folks who run the small store and make a purchase. It's the kind of place where the dusty screen door slamming behind you wakes the storekeeper snoozing behind the counter. If you're ever needing to avoid the law, on the lam, or need a place to lay low for awhile.  Klondyke fits the bill.  Map to east trailhead. Reaching the east trailhead and Turkey Creek requires driving across the creek about a half dozen times. As we continue to head towards the canyon, we come into the tiny town of Aravaipa where we pass several homes, the Salazar family Church, and an open range 😏.  To gain an early start to backpack in the morning, our first planned night was to camp (in Thundra) at the trailhead in Turkey Creek, which when flowing, empties into ...

Harris Ranch Resort (stock internet picture) Our roots didn't have time to settle much from our NY trip when, three weeks later, we hitched up "The Villa" (small travel trailer) and headed to northern California. An hours' drive from San Francisco is Sebastopol; our dear friend Steve lives there as a SOWER-on-assignment (sowerministry.org). It was our intent to spend the week's time visiting without sightseeing. We allowed 3-days/2-nights to travel to Sebastopol. One night's stop was Harris Ranch Resort: resort/restaurant/cattle ranch 🐄. We enjoyed a Prime Rib dinner (😊) and parked for the night as permittable. The next day, we completed our trek to Sebastopol but first, stopped for lunch at a favorite Chinese restaurant in Dublin, CA - "The Mayflower". According to Noreen, this restaurant has "THE MOST WONDERFUL" hot chili oil-paste!! So much, that we purchased a pint. "The Mayflower" We are aware that Steve practices a special...

Oh my goodness! There was so much to do and see in New York. Beyond that, we had to do a part II just to fit in all the highlights. Joe and Kim were great hosts and treated us to some special places around upstate New York and the Adirondack mountains. We stopped for a great lunch at the Adirondack hotel on Long Lake.  We also visited Lake Placid NY, site of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. This is the site where the "Miracle on Ice" took place. I'd tell you what that is but you might find it more interesting to look it up. We also took an elevator ride to the top of the ski jump. Obviously great views from 400 feet up!                               Standing at the top of the jump looking down...That would take some guts! We also were able to visit property owned by relatives of Joe & Kim located near a beautiful waterfall. We stopped at an Amish market and produce stand where I came across a true...