feb mesa road trip

Olive Mill tour at Queen Creek, Arizona

Our 20 day road trip in February left snow and ice behind in Missouri. Jan and I stayed with distant cousins Marty and Melanie Runge in Wichita, Kansas. Luther and Carmen Runge in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A tremendous surprise in Gallup, New Mexico. An overnight with Carrollton friend Crystal Turner in Cottonwood, Arizona. 

Six travel days to Mesa, Arizona.

In 2006 Jan and I made a trip out to see the Turners. The art couple had lived in Carrollton, Missouri, a number of years. Michael was a good friend on mine. He was known for his mylar paintings. (See sample below)   He died January of 2018. Lots of history between us. Crystal is a sweet friend.

Out of the Flagstaff mountains at 6,909 feet to  Cottonwood at 3,314 feet to the Mesa valley at 1,240 feet. We enjoyed the mild weather of Mesa. Sunshine and desert air. Temps in the 50s and lower 60s. Eight day stay with Carrollton friend Patience Bourne in her unit at the Windsor Park. 

Tall palm trees, workouts at the outdoor pool every day, shuffleboard, morning coffee, eating out, hanging out, making new friends, but mostly being present with our host. 

        Our return route kept us free from snow. Six travel days through lower Arizona, New Mexico, up through Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. A few sights follow here ------

The Saguaro National Park was worth seeing. A 16 mile road loop. Each type of cactus wild + unique + twisted + amazing. Sonora Desert near Tucson.

      

Cadillac Ranch. Amarillo. Texas. A site you must walk out to, leaving your car parked along the service road. The day we stopped it was very very windy. 

An engineer figured out how to support the weight of the leaning cars.

South of Amarillo is the city of Canyon, Texas.

East of town we drove down into the Palo Duro State Park Canyon. Go see it.

Well worth the drive.The park ranger also gave me directions to two more sites. Locals doing their version of the Cadillac Ranch. First, Combine City, near Canyon, Texas with old models of farm combines. Second, near the city of Conway, Texas we saw buried VW cars. The Internet named it the Slug Bug Ranch. 

Just south of Interstate 40 near Conway, Texas -- below.

A warm spell melted Missouri snow. As we pulled out of Kansas City we found fog. Now we are home. The trip was a success. Jan got her wish. To leave snowy winter behind and enjoy sunshine without snow down South. 

   

New Mexico moon.