Fort McDowell, Arizona

March 9-16, 2014

Eagle View RV Resort

I don't want to sound like an "artist", but I need to preface this blog by the fact that this is a repeat....when the time was happening and I was writing...all that has been lost in cyberspace (with a lot of groaning and sighing and yes, even screaming--don't know why the neighbors didn't come to find out if all is all right?).  I KNOW the second repeat won't be as good as the first........but here we go.....

 

Notice the sun hitting our site....now this is how it should be.  For the first time since Clermont, Florida, we took out the sun screen; but notice who is sitting there enjoying the warmth!!!

 

We arrived at the campground and while Ken was unhitching the car, this lovely lady, taking her walk, came up to me and mentioned how wonderful Barney was, staying in the front seat of the car while we were unhitching and staying where he was told.  A little while later, while we were pulling into our site, that same lovely lady, Annemie McCaffree, finishing her walk, came up and said "I know who you are now...you're coming to our site tonight for "drinks before dinner".  Okay...we are now soooo welcomed to Fort McDowell!!!

 

We spent a wonderful night catching up with our great friends....who we planned to meet here, Bob and Barb Sanderson...and Annemie and John McCaffree at the McCaffree's site with drinks, appetizers and a campfire-in-a-can till who-knew-when....we never did have dinner that night!!!

 

First venture out, after a "preview" with Bob and Barb on day one...Fountain Park.  Fountain Hills just wouldn’t be Fountain Hills without its namesake Fountain! Although not the tallest fountain in the world anymore, it is currently in the top five. The Fountain operates for 15 minutes at the top of each hour from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.  It is normally operated with two of three pumps reaching 330 feet high and can be seen for miles around Fountain Hills. On special occasions it is run with all three pumps operating and reaches a lofty height of 560 feet, higher than the Washington Monument!

 

 

 

The fountain was built in 1970 by Robert McCulloch the year before reconstruction of the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, another of McCulloch's projects, and a place we will be visiting in our future on this trip. 

Fountain Hills is filled with statutes....whether it's in Fountain Park or in various city sites or destonations....they are all quite intriguing:

Me, Barney and Ronnie Regan....good friends!
 

Teddy
 

 

Next destination...Lake Saguaro (thanks Pat DiPietropolo).... we head east and travel through hill country not believing there can be any water in this dry, desert-like area and then....there it is; there is water in them there hills!!!

 

And, we did take the kayaks out to enjoy crystal clear water on a beautiful, sunny day.    I can still feel the warmth on my back!!

 

We joined Bob and Barbara, and John and Annemie for a night enjoying Doo Wah Riders, a group who described themselves as  "high energy country with a cajun twist" and certain got my toe tapping.... followed by a night at the Sanderson's to enjoy a night of reminiscing and the virgin flight of their campfire-in-a-can...what Barbara wants, Barbara gets.....with a little help from her friends!  (Sorry, inside joke!)

 

Enjoyed another day with Bob and Barbara....traveling to Scottsdale, first to visit the Cosanti Bell Chimes created by Paolo Soleri, who died in 2013; thereby making anything he created prior to then is now worth a lot more.  Take for example...

 

 

Believe it or not, this man has a chime listed here at his "gallery" listed for $23,000!!!  I felt like a celebrity, shopping for my latest mega million home!!  These were truly beautiful chimes with soothing sounds....I now know why this man was an artist;  yet he also was an architect, urban designer, craftsman, and philosopher, who truly left his mark in this area and with his students.

 

Next Stop:  Old Scottsdale....yay, my kind of place!!  A few blocks of jewelry and souvenir shops that charge humongous prices for what they know you will buy!!!  And, we did buy some new t-shirts for Ken...the Cape Cod shirts were getting mighty worn!!!

 

Then, as Barb insisted, we visited the Rustic Spur Saloon, Scottsdale's oldest saloon.  The Rusty Spur Saloon is a Scottsdale destination. Celebrities like Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Vince Vaughn, and Jennifer Anniston have walked through its swinging doors to take in the Old West décor and Scottsdale live country music.  And, that we did.....

 

 

 

As soon as we entered the place (with no place to sit until some of the "young fellas" at the bar gave up their seats to Barb and me....Ken looked over the "request list" and walked up to the singer of the day to chat for a minute and request "I Love This Bar" in honor of Jen and Chris' JR Brody's.  Come to find out the guy had lived and worked in Woods Hole for a number of months...still appears to be a small world. 

 

We finally grabbed our own table...and, within minutes the crowds started coming in....after all the spring training games taking place in the area...some celebrating and some saying we'll get you next time.  Reminded me so much of Fort Meyers and our beloved Red Sox spring training (which I'm not so enthused about this year; but isn't that how we started last year?)

 

 

 

 

What a glorious day with some wonderful friends!

 

More to come!!

 

Next day was a trip to the Desert Botanical Gardens during the Chihuly In The Garden Exhibit...our good luck!!!  Started out entering the Gardens and I thought we were looking at a cactus that had been enhanced with lighting through the "stems" only to find when we arrived at the spot that it was a glass sculpture of a beautiful cactus. 

 

 

 

 

And, more......

 




Ken's best picture EVER!!
 

Butterfly Garden
 

If I should find a bloom on any cacti in the State of Arizona, we will take a picture!!!

 

 

 

How can you top such a day?  We found a way...through Facebook, Ken reconnected with high school classmate, Joe Pine.  Next stop:  Gilbert, Arizona to meet up with Joe and his wife, Leslie.  What an amazing afternoon...reconnecting with high school friends who have made us feel like we had never been separated....always good friends!

 

 

I can't tell you how much Joe and Leslie made us feel at home....lemons and all.  What a beautiful home and wonderful life they have made.  We are so looking forward to connecting with their son when we arrive at MOAB in Utah!!!  So, next day they came to visit us at Fort McDowell....hey could the RV life be for them....we will come to see. 

 

Last night in Ft. McDowell...kind of melancholy; we have John and Annemie (can't believe we never got a picture.....love these two) and Bob and Barbara over for a last night get-together.  What a whirlwind week...can't believe it's over....

 

Yet not....we will more than certainly see Bob and Barb again and more than probably see John and Annemie and Joe and Leslie again....life on the road continues.....

 

See you again in Sedona!!!