JEEPERS CREEPERS RUN TO DUGAS – VERDE RIM (BUT NOT TO VERDE HOT SPRINGS) APRIL 17, 2014

 This run was advertised to be to Dugas and Verde Hot Springs. Three vehicles set out . Herm and Marilyn Feist, Jay and Diana Olson with guests Don and Neva Johnston, and Bill and Jo Strong.  Dugas is about 12 miles by good road east of I-17  north of Cordes Junction. We arrived there by about 10:00. Several homes are in the area, and Sycamore Creek runs through it.

Pictures were taken by my Canon A1100 IS point and shoot 12 mp digital camera.

Sycamore creek was flowing at Dugas  but only a few inches deep where the road crossed it.

 

Here is the  lineup of our vehicles with the  Dugas Ranch house at the right. It still may be inhabitable. Other homes in the area were much more up to date.

 

I wonder if the windmill still works.

 

Closer view of the Dugas Ranch house. The porch roof is about to collapse, but the rest looks OK.

 

The mail box proclaims: Dugas Ranch.

 

 

The road east of Dugas was quite good for about 4 miles. The next 8 miles  became rockier – the rocky areas became closer together and the rocks in the road became taller the farther east we went. At least most of the rocks were rounded. We did not have any flat tires.  There were enough direction signs so we were able to stay on the intended route of FR 68 and 68 G.

 

Much of the road paralleled Sycamore Canyon. The area is suitable only for grazing, and we saw evidence of that.

As the road became more challenging, the Feists decided to return to Mesa, leaving just the Olson’s Toyota FJ and our Grand Cherokee in the group going the last four miles to the Verde Rim.

We reached the Verde Rim at 1:00 and parked  at a scenic turnout for lunch and the great view of the Verde River. Shown here are Neva and Don Johnstone,  Diana and Jay Olson, and Jo Strong. In light of the time and probable road conditions in the last 6 miles to the river, we decided to save a visit to Verde Hot Springs for another time.

 

The greenish area center left is the Verde River, seen straight up from the right end of the large rock in the foreground. Verde Hot Springs and the  Childs Power Plant site is to the right downstream. Parts of the 6 mile road from Verde Rim to the river are shown here, and better in the last shot.

 

And here is a wider view looking northeasterly into the Verde Canyon.

 

Here is a telephoto shot of parts of the road down into the Verde Canyon.

The steep walled canyon shown in the upper part of the picture is Fossil Creek Canyon. 

 

CAR SHOW AT QUEEN CREEK

I had not attended a car show for many moons, so I could not resist going to one at Schnepf Farms south of Mesa. I took an old 35 mm camera to finish a test roll and the pictures came out well. These were taken in my Canon A1100 IS 12 mp point and shoot, so convenient to use.

Here are some classical street rods, usually beginning with a Ford Model A coupe body and with a V8 and modern running gear being added.

How long has it been since you have seen a Studebaker on the street? My Uncle Jim had a bright yellow  Studebaker convertible in the late 1940s.

 

I could not resist  this picture. At the left is a 1937 Ford tudor. A black version of  that was our family car from about 1940 to 1955. I learned how to drive on it. The blue one is a 1940 Ford. A black 40 tudor was my first car.

 

 

 

Very few  1905 Mitchell cars were made. This probably was the oldest at the show

Do you miss chromy dashboards?

 

Isn’t this a pretty one with suicide doors and a big V8

My third car was black 1966 Plymouth two door, not nearly as pretty as this 1955 station wagon

CABO SAN LUCAS 2014 – SUNSET BEACH RESORT - PART 1

 On March 3 we flew from Phoenix to LA and then on to Cabo San Lucas on United Airlines as the only direct flights from Phoenix were too dear. But United left a lot to be desired. A defect turned up in the plane into which we were boarded in LA. We were deplaned and boarded on another plane, getting to Cabo 3 hours late. I felt sorry for the folks returning to LA that afternoon in our plane. When we returned our plane was late getting out of Cabo, and with the shortened layover we were the last to board our connecting flight in LA for Phoenix. Pictures all were taken by my Canon A1100 IS 12 mp point and shoot camera.

 

The flight down was through clear skies, so we got some views of the Baja California peninsula and the Sea of Cortez.

This view from our balcony has a large cruise ship headed for Cabo San Lucas. Almost every morning fishing boats congregated in front of the resort and as the day wore on, moved to the right a mile or two but still in view from our Junior suite as in the next picture. All of the white dots in the ocean are sport fishing boats.

This is the walkway/cart path to the entrance to our building, no. 22. The carts are fueled by propane and hold 6 passengers in the rear and another next to the driver.

This is at the northerly end of the beach we walked. A guard patrolled the area to keep people from going further as the next beach is for the mansion of the developer. The guard also discourages guests from getting too close to incoming waves as the risk is very high of getting swept out to sea by undertow or a rogue wave.

And this is the view of most of the  resort from the spot the last picture was taken. It reminds me of the cells in a beehive.

 

This a telephoto shot from the same camera station.

 

Bougainvillea thrived in all colors along the walkways

 

Toward the south end of the beach we had this view of Pedrigal, a very upscale subdivision of the rich and famous. There will be other views of it in a following blog

CABO SAN LUCAS 2014 - SUNSET BEACH RESORT – PART 2

 As shown in an earlier shot, the resort is built on the side of a mountain, perhaps 300 to 350 feet higher than the ocean. One has to admire the resourcefulness of the architects to lay out a plan for 40 buildings with dwelling units and  5 swimming pools, plus buildings for restaurants, reception, bars, fitness area, stores, a chapel and other service areas.

This is the balcony for a 1 bedroom suite. Our junior suite had exactly half of what is shown, plenty for two to have breakfast or do some reading.

One of five pools, this one with an area specifically for children.This pool is at about the same level as the reception area. All pools had  towel service and a book exchange for folks to pick up books to read around the pool or wherever.

Here is a typical cart path with nice landscaping. Pedrigal is in the background

The swans provide part of the ambiance.

Here cart paths meet. The rocks in the upper background are those shown in a picture in part 1.

Tthis reminded me of Lombard Street in San Francisco. The building in the left top contains units and the one to the right houses offices, reception, and two restaurants.

 

This is the most colorful of many similar fountains about the resort.

The terracing shown here is the way so many buildings can be built on the steep slope of the mountainside, all with a great view of the ocean.

Dwelling units on the beach. We have never stayed in this area but we will try to do so next year. It is a long were from here to the free wifi area, though!

Here is the pool at the level near the beach, probably the largest of the five. Activities take place here, such as table tennis and pottery painting.

Here is the bar for the bottom pool, and below are the barstools and tables in the water. Food service is in a part of this area.

Every pool are has a hot tub.

And here are cabanas on the beach for those who like to be in the sand and yet have protection from the sun.

CABO SAN LUCAS 2014 – SUNSET BEACH – PART 3

 This is the last part on the Sunset Beach resort. Hope that you are enjoying the details. We have been in a lot of different timeshares and to me this is the most beautiful.

In this closeup of a cart, we see several passengers in the back. Cart loading spots are marked by signs, but the cart drivers usually will stop briefly anywhere to board more passengers if there is room in the car. Note the two colors of bougainvillea behind the cart.

Nice tennis courts

More statuary in a fountain.

 

One of the pools has a sushi bar.

 

 

Aerial view of the Sushi Pool with the tennis courts in the background

The multi story buildings are near the top of the mountain on which the resort is built. Our unit was on the first floor of the part at the right.

Here is more terracing to make enough level space for the building at the left.

Some of the steeper cart paths on the property above and below.

the d

The fancy reception area. The decorator liked old world art, and this theme is repeated in other parts of the reception area.

I visited the public wifi area nearly every morning.

The two part pool at the top of the mountain is named the Sky This the lower of the two and is were we usually hung out on the loungers.

Yes, the upper pool has a swim-up bar. The food preparation area is nearby

 

This is the view of the SkyPool from the yet higher hot tub. A golf course is being developed on the side of the mountain in the background.