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| Chandler to Casa Grande |
After the FMCA Convention in Chandler, we moved a short distance further southeast. A mere 74 miles along I-10, we turned off to Las Colinas RV Resort in Casa Grande where we spent the next week.
The drive was smooth, except for a short slow down for an accident, and the scenery pretty. The desert is in full bloom with cacti a-plenty, and distant mountain ridges flanking the interstate. The lush vegetation belies the desert's dry reputation.
Las Colinas was a pleasant stay, and with full hookups it gave me an opportunity to do the mundane house chores that never go away. After boondocking in a sandy, dusty lot for almost a week, the coach needed an extra thorough cleaning. I caught up on laundry and restocked the larder. It's fun to shop at the local grocery stores and compare produce and products. My favorite in this area is Fry's.
With a more steady stream of WiFi, I was able to catch up on blog posts. Blogging on the road can often be a challenge if coverage is inadequate. Michael's "tower of power" (as I call it), seems to help.
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| Alpine set up with its new "tower of power" to enhance our Wi-Fi experience |
We had fun from the moment we arrived. The resort was hosting an end-of-year party all day. By the end of the month, the snowbirds will be heading back north again, in particular the Canadians.
We joined in for the end-of-year dinner once we were set up and plugged in. We met friendly couples and chatted with them at dinner. Afterward, we joined the street party where there was dancing outside to a DJ. Of all the places and venues where we have danced, this was definitely a memorable first. Here we were in the middle of winter, dressed in short sleeves, dancing outside under a brilliant and bright full moon. It was almost surreal. I wish I could have captured the moment in a photo.
Las Colinas is a typical Arizona winter resort catering to snowbirds. It offers most of the amenities and activities we have found at others so far: pool and Jacuzzi, shuffleboard, games, exercise, quilting and various crafts. Many of the lots have park models, while others have RVs of various makes and models. The only difference is that with only 180 spaces, the park is smaller and therefore it's easier to get to know the people. Everyone is very friendly, and yes, once again, there are a lot of Canadians here too. I suspect that most of Canada's seniors must surely be gone for the winter.
A week vanishes quite quickly. The weather warmed up considerably during our stay, with temperatures in the high 80's and low 90's. We hunkered down inside in the afternoon, thankful for our air conditioning. I had an opportunity to set up my machine and work on an embroidery project.
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| Las Colinas quilting group |
I also went to Line Dancing one morning, and joined the quilting group another day. It was a surprise to see just how many quilters there are in this group. I was warmly welcomed and met several new ladies with a common interest.
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| my Singer featherweight set up and happy to sew |
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| working with One Block Wonder blocks |
While on an evening walk around the park, we noticed another Alpine. It turned out to be Jim and Cathy Durley from Georgia, who had also attended the Quartzsite and FMCA rallies. It was great to get to know them better.
One thing that intrigued me was the cacti in the park. The Saguaro were enormous and very healthy, obviously tapping in to a steady supply of water. A couple of the Ocotillo were flowering and the other cacti were budding.
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| Ocotillo in bloom |
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| I was amazed at the size of these Saguaro |
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| the cacti were huge and thriving |
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| the Saguaro at the front gate of Las Colinas, welcoming newcomers |
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| barrel cactus sprouting |
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| Picacho Peak, the jagged peak ahead |
This morning we went to Picacho Peak State Park to watch a re-enactment of a Civil War battle. It was quite fascinating to observe the battle and walk through the encampments that were set up to emulate camps from the era.
We watched the re-enactment of the New Mexico battle of Valverde in 1862. Two thousand Texans under the command of General Sibley were engaged by the nearly 2,500 Union soldiers and 8 cannons under Colonel Roberts. Equipped with mostly old civilian hunting arms and shotguns, the Texans held their line until the left flank was severely mauled by the Federals. At that point, nearly five hours into the battle, Union artillery moved close to the Confederate center, and in danger of being flanked and decimated, some 200 Texans, aided by the four 6-pounder cannons of Captain Teel's artillery, charged the Union battery. Despite suffering numerous casualties, the Texans captured the battery and turned the tide of the battle, forcing the Federals to flee, leaving the battlefield in the hands of the victorious Confederates. Confederate casualties were 36 killed, 150 wounded and 1 missing. The Union suffered 68 killed, 150 wounded and 35 missing.
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| observing the battle of Valverde taking place below us |
We watched the replay in just under half an hour. The muskets fired and the cannons boomed, and once the smoke cleared, several soldiers fell theatrically to the ground. Thankfully all survived today's re-enactment.
We walked through the Union and Confederate Camps, attended one presentation, and watched an artillery demonstration.
Here is a link to one of Michael's video clips of the battle:
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| union and confederate camps |
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Michael reading about the Gatling gun, an early rapid-fire spring loaded, hand cranked gun
and a forerunner of the modern machine gun |
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in the civilian section of the camp, there were folks in costume playing board games and
these dolls were set up on a table next to them... the doll in blue reminds me of the
cloth doll I made one of our girls 35 years ago |
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| walking through the camps |
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| the Union soldiers in formation, ready for battle |
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| a blacksmith hard at work |
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| more troop tents |
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| folks dressed in period costume |
By noon it was getting pretty toasty at over 90 degrees, so we went home to cool down in very welcome air-conditioning.
The sunset later on was spectacular and a fitting closure to our stay at Las Colinas.
Tomorrow we plan to be up at the crack of dawn to beat the heat as we continue a little further east to Tuscon to join our Escapees group for the Escapade rally in Tuscon.
