Move to Benson, and the Chiricahua National Monument

Sunday, November 17
Today was moving day. We left at 1100 and arrived at our next campground by 1140. Now that's a short drive. We would liked to have stayed longer at Quail Ridge in Huachuca City but it is an RPI Resort and we are limited to a seven day stay at the $10/night rate. So we moved up the road to Valley Vista Resort in Benson. This is another RPI Resort. We can actually stay at this one for fourteen days but we're only staying for seven. Still, the rate is $10/night plus a resort fee of $4/night. We could get 50 amp power for an additional $3/night but we can make out just fine with 30 amp. Besides, that saving of $21 for the week might buy us lunch somewhere!

Lots of nice murals in Benson.

Our home for the week.

The wash through the campground is dry now, but we're going to get some rain this week.

Our spot. No, those aren't our flags. That's the neighbor.

Lots of empty sites.

They have a Saguaro here! First one we've seen this season.

This is another pretty nice park and very empty. Maybe a third full. I'm sure that will change after the first of January. That would be their busy season.


Monday, November 18
The weather for the coming week is looking ugly. Up to two inches of rain, windy and about twenty degrees cooler so we decided to put in a road trip that really wanted to do while the weather was nice.

We headed southeast of Benson past the small towns of Sunizona and Sunsites (good names!) and the ghost town of Pearce. This is an interesting area. It's in a low valley that may or may not get much rain. There are a number of orchards and agriculture ventures. There are also a lot of boarded up and failed ventures.

I think we could fit under that overpass. Should clear it by 6 inches.

Heading toward the Dragoon Mountains. East of Benson.

An amazing metal horse sculpture!

Lots of orchards along the road. Small trees here......

......bigger trees here.....

....even bigger here. Sorry, not sure what fruit they are.

Coal fired power generator.

The Dragoon Mountains. Apache Chief Cochise is buried up there somewhere.

This is called Cochise Stronghold. The Apache's would hide from the Cavalry up in these rocky hills.

Along the road there were signs of mining activity.

The two dark areas are entrances to old mines.

Mural on a gas station.

A vineyard along the highway.

They need to trim the ditches.

Our main goal was to see the Chiricahua National Monument. You start out in a desert and before long you are in pine trees and rocks and about ten degrees cooler than the desert.

Our destination for the day.

Heading into the Chiricahua Mountains.

Moving up out of the desert.

The movement of the Apache tribes. They first appeared in the early 1600's displacing the Jiricama Indians.

The Chiricahua Apache Indians called this area the Land of Standing Up Rocks. About 26 million years ago an ancient volcano blew up and ash covered about 1200 Sq Miles (3100 sq km). The hot ash settled up to 2000 feet thick and a combination of the heat and pressure formed a rock called rhyolite. Over time the freezing, thawing, ice, water, wind caused erosion and the eventual creation of tall pinnacles of rock.

Beautiful tree-lined road.

The rock is volcanic ash based.

How do these rocks stay upright?

We climbed higher into the mountains.

Mexican Jay

Acorn Woodpecker

Fire outlook on the top of Sugarloaf Mountain the highest point in the National Monument.

Cochise Head. Can you see the head laying down? Nose and mouth to the left, forehead to the right.

Read this sad story.

Harris Mountain in the middle.

Some balanced rocks......

Leaning on a friend for support.

Amazing landscape.

Some of these towers are very narrow. See the one in the center of the frame?

Large balanced rock.

The bottom of the balanced rock.

China Boy rock.

Organ Pipes

We headed north from the Park to the town of Willcox. They had a museum there we wanted to see, but although the sign stated they were open Monday another sign stated they were closed. Closed they were. So after a quick look around we headed back to Benson.

No ditches here!

Lots of old buildings in Willcox. Lots were empty though.

We tried to go here, but they were closed.

I took a couple of pictures through the window.

It would have been an interesting spot.

We've enjoyed a couple of nice sunsets here. They might be the last ones we see this week if the weather forecast holds. We'll see.

Sunday Night

Monday Night

......and that was Our View From Here!