Havasu Lake Arizona by way of Quartzsite

We left Picacho Peak, Arizona on January 15, 2011 and will arrive at Lake Havasu city early evening. It's about 285 miles distance with a brief stop at Quartzsite AZ, where we will return for the Circling of the Montanas. Our trip has been good and safe with the weather cooperating to sunny days, low humidity, and temps about 65-70 daily.

As we head to Lake Havasu, we passed Parker AZ,

named after our Grandson - Parker!

Travelling from Carlsbad to Picacho Peak Arizona

As we travel from Carlsbad NM we take US62/180 to I-10 in the El Paso TX area. We will pass Guadalupe Mountain range that extends over 8700 feet. It's Thursday January 13, 2011 and remains cold. We are not complaining because the scenery is great and so new to us. This pix is along ways off showing the Guadalupe Mountain.

Guadalupe Mountain upclose as we travel toward

I-10 to connect back up on our Arizona journey.

On I-10 West outside of El Paso, TX we are detoured to a side

track area that  is an unmarked U.S. Border Patrol Check

station. The Border Patrol guard on the right

with the K-9 has the dog smell the car

while another agent questions the driver.

Often the driver is never aware there vehicle is being

sniffed by a K-9.

Betty and Judy watchover the rigs for a rest stop

just after the Border Patrol stop on I-10.

We are 10 days on the road and they are still smiling. Not

bad, eh?

A view of the rock formation just above

the I-10 rest area.

Sherriff on duty as we enter 81 Palms RV Park

in Deming NM. Can't tell if she is awake!

The Picacho Peak in the distance in Airzona

We will stay one night at the Picacho Peak RV resort

in Picacho, AZ on January 14th with our

destination of Lake Havasu, Hoover Dam

and ultimately Quartzsite Airzona.

Entrance to Picacho Park RV Resort

in Arizona

This view of Picacho Peak is from our site.

Picacho means Peak in Spanish. So does that mean

we can call it Peak Peak!

Carlsbad NM and the Carlsbad Caverns

The Natural Entrance route is a walk-in or walk down entrance that we took. It descends more than 750 feet into the earth following steep and narrow trails through a tall and spacious trunk passage called the Main Corridor. The route ends in the underground rest area, near the elevators and the Big Room route starting point. It was at least an hour for us to descend down the 75 stories to the Caverns. Highlights along this route include Bat Cave, Devil's Spring, Green Lake Overlook and the Boneyard, a complex maze of highly-dissolved limestone rock reminiscent of swiss cheese. We were also aware that Carlsbad Caverns are considered a dead cavern while others remain alive in the U.S. We will visit one soon in Arizona.

Steve, Betty and Judy

prepare to descend down towards

the Carlsbad Caverns. It was a very

cold morning outside.

The outside amphitheater is positioned to view thousands

of bats that exit the opening every evening to feed on insects and

return to the caverns early morning. This occurs from May

until October when the bats migrate to Mexico for

the winter.



View of us descending into the caverns.

Betty on the walk down. Daylight

will soon disappear and temperatures

will become steady at about 56 degrees.

We welcomed the warmth from outside temps

of 25-30 degrees.

This a very large stalagmite which

grow upward. Many areas

are accented with lighting however

the cavern is dark overall and

not wet.

This is a column which is

a stalagmite meeting a

stalactite

This is the ceiling of the cavern

The caverns change as you walk

and our photos don't do it justice.

This is titled the Chinese Theater in the Caverns

Rojas Restaurant in Carlsbad.

All homecooking Mexican food

We had a late lunch here after our Cavern tour

On the Road

Orla Texas is a Ghost Town
on Hwy 285. Just so you know
it's 5 mi SE of Red Bluff
and 38 mi N of Pecos TX. You
knew that right?

Orla TX once had 250 Folks. Today it has

two and  it's own Post office up the road.

Why a Post Office? I wonder the same.

It faintly reads "It's a long way to anywhere

from Orla TX. To the left it points to

Carlsbad NM, Red Bluff and Pecos, TX.

Hwy 285  from Ft Stockton TX to Carlsbad NM

is a Texas desert  prarie ride!

Road Journey

Following Steve and Betty on I-10 in West TX

We leave New Orleans and head West. The next leg of our journey to Arizona will take us across the southern part of Texas to Carlsbad New Mexico along Interstate 10. We stop in Houston, Boerne, (pronounce like journey), and Fort Stockton Texas. We then head North on Hwy 285
to Carlsbad NM. The scenery is desolate natural beauty to some
and just desolate to others.  

Battle of New Orleans - Chalmette Battlefield - End of War of 1812

The Battle of New Orleans ended the War of 1812 on January 8, 1815. General Andrew Jackson led American troops against the Britains at the Chalmette battlefield in the New Orleans area. January 8th became a national holiday due to the American victory.

Here's a few of our photos while at the Chalmette battlefield.

The Chalmette Monunment is

dedicated to those who fought

at the Battle of  New Orleans

A meal is being prepared for the American
troops on the battlefield

Judy had a meeting with

one of General Jackson's Officers

 

 

Betty too had a successful

meeting with General

Andrew Jackson's Aide

New Orleans

New Orleans Sidewalk Band. Very Good.

Nativity inside St Louis Cathedral

St Louis Cathedral-Basilica

New Orleans est. 1720

Dinner at Bubba Gumps in New Orleans

Steve and Betty at Bubba Gumps

Our visit to the French Quarter took us to the St. Louis Cathedral. Today minstrals, muscians and just plain people watchers inhabit the outside of the St. Louis Cathedral. The sanctuary remains a quiet meditative place for all souls. Bubba Gumps for dinner. We had Shrimpin'Dippin' with tons of shrimp, broth, rice and French Bread for dippin'. Awesome.

Departing Olde Mill Stream RV, Umatilla FL Monday, January 3, 2011