Grand Canyon

Life at the retirement camp has picked up.  I admit I have been busy resting and enjoying life.. .therefore, I've been remiss to tell you about all the fun things I've been doing.   Last week, husband got the itch to travel.  So he called a company that flies you to the Grand Canyon as we decided it was just too far to drive in one day.   We discussed it and decided it was too pricey.   We agreed we might have to come out here in the summer to take in those kind of places.  
   We had crossed it off the fun list when lo and behold, the company called us back the next day offering 4 seats at half price.  We called our new friends from Wisconsin and they were game for a day to the canyon, too. What a deal!!   So it was set.   The next morning, we picked up L & J at their camp and set off for the airport.

    We took off in a Cessna single engine prop, 9 seater airplane.  The weather conditions were perfect for a flight over AZ.  The Senora Desert area. . .red rock formations. . .were beautiful from the air. . . . lots of different types of terrain. But nothing prepares you for the breathtaking views of the Grand Canyon. . .the colors and the rock formations are amazing.   It is one of the 7 natural physical structures of the world.   We landed close to the natl. park and were transported by bus to one the look out areas.   Just gorgeous!!   I'll make an attempt to attach a pic.  After a lunch and another look out stop, we flew back to Phoenix.   What an enjoyable day!    

Carlsbad Caverns Natl Park

     We arrived at the Caverns after a beautiful drive through the desert up a mountain.  I love the colors of the desert. . .so many colors of yellows and browns.  After purchasing a lifetime natl park pass, we start the trek down the ramp to walk the 750 ft to the big room below Earth's surface.   It's like entering a big black hole with a ramp built around the edge.   As we descend deeper and deeper, we begin to see the many formations in the cave.  All the stalactites and stalagmites are so unique and beautiful.  Am attaching a photo of a favorite that they have named "the lion's tail".  
    It's really beautiful down in the caves. It took about an hour and half for us to walk down to the bottom.  So we rode the elevator back to the surface to eat lunch and then back down to walk around the edge of "the big room".  It's the largest natural open cavern in the western hemisphere and has an area of 18 football fields. . . it took us an hour to walk around the edge of it.   It's a beauty that's hard to describe.  Some of the formations and rock structures look like people.  Husband commented that George Lucas must have got some ideas for Star Wars down in the caves--as it was like being in another world.  The structures were so unique and interesting.  

    It was really an enjoyable day for us!   It's on to El Paso. . . .a secluded drive through the desert.  

The Adventure Begins. . . .

    I digress as I must start back at the beginning of this big adventure.  We left at 6:18 a.m. on the morning of Dec. 30.   Holy Moly, seems like a year ago already that we loaded the rocket ship and blasted off for the retirement camp.   What an adventure!   We were due in Albuquerque to visit friends we had not seen for 25 years.  How fun to reconnect with old friendships!   A little before noon, our friend called to say that we should turn south, due to the snowstorms moving through NM.  So at Strafford, TX, we turned south off of Hwy 54 to drive through Amarillo and then Lubbock, TX.   Hopefully, we'll stop to see the friends on the return trip home.
   Very different terrain from KS although some areas were similar to the Flint Hills and the plains of KS.  Huge bales of cotton were sitting in the fields as we drove further and further south.  Then we passed cotton gins with huge mounds of cotton sitting and waiting to be processed.  Interesting sites for these KS kids.  We turned off at Lubbock towards the SW corner of NM and stayed the night at Artisa, NM.  Our plan was to visit Carlsbad Caverns the next day.
    So the next morning we started south for Carlsbad, NM.  The gas attendant at Carlsbad told me of a short cut through El Paso--he said that it's easy to get lost in El Paso.  Oh my ---how lucky that I found out of this short cut.   So --we load back up with a full tank to go find the caves. . .  this should be fun!  Maybe I might like this retirement gig yet.

Retirement Camp

    Here I am down in sunny Arizona practicing for retirement.  Husband and I are here for a month trying out what it will be like when I really decide to be retired.  He quit work back in April and has been practicing for several months now.  I am not all that anxious to give up my work.  The best part so far is I get to work when I want to work. . that's the beauty of substitute teaching.  Plus the fact I have been going to school forever and just can't seem to give it up. . . .
     Being down here is like going to bed one night and waking up in another world. . .everywhere we go, there are folks my age or older.   It is just weird!  Everyone being old at the same time. . .it's like we all came here for an old folks meeting.  There are all kinds of things to do here at the camp.   Cards, exercise (could be considered work by some), billiards, dance, swimming, crafts, etc.  Lots of games, too.   So many choices and so much time. . . I used to say, so many choices and so little time.  What's wrong with this picture?  
    Next week, I must jump in and make myself try out some of this stuff that I used to think would be so much fun ---if I only had time to do it. . . Ha!!   So---I am going to jump in with both feet and start having fun--even if it kills me.  
    Well. . . .enough about the camp. . .more on that for another time.   Next time, I'll tell you all about some of the cool stops we made on the way down here.