Family Time

Hi all,
What a great weekend, our weather was great and we got to spend the whole weekend with our daughter.
 Mandi was scheduled to arrive Friday but a work meeting canceled and she was able to change her flight plan and arrive Thursday.
 So being almost her first time in AZ we wanted to give her a good show of it. Wendy had a rough plan of what we wanted to do but we left a few options for Mandi to decide.
 Friday we jumped in her rental and headed off to Tombstone. We walked the streets and browsed through the shops.

 Next up was Bisbee, the old mining town with narrow streets and picturesque old buildings. Again browsing some shops trying to help out the local economy a bit. We stopped for a cold one at Old Bisbee Brewery. Then stopped for views of the copper mine that has not run since 1974.
 Next up we changed our trip home to drive to Douglas, AZ. We had never been there and thought seeing different roads would be nice. Douglas lies right on the Mexican border and though we didn't have passports to cross Mandi thought it neat to be so close.

We enjoyed a Mexican dinner and then back to home to enjoy a campfire with some of our volunteer friends at Roper.
 Saturday was a busy one, off to the northwest town of Globe getting her first glimpse of Saguaro cactus. A stop at the Pickle Barrel for some shopping mostly looking and then on to Tonto National Monument. The drive to Tonto is pretty cool, saguaros everywhere and beautiful views of Roosevelt Lake. Tonto National Monument boast two areas of cliff dwellings, one tour by reservation only. The other dwelling is a pretty decent walk up to, but along the way are many signs telling of the different cacti and other plant life.

  Next we headed back to Globe and then off to scenic route on Hwy 77. I think we gave Mandi her fill of saguaros.) The drive also was mountains and canyons and a view of one of the large copper mines in the area. The Ray open pit mine spans 1-1/2 by 2-1/2 miles and still in operation.

 The scenic drive continues on circling back to Globe. From Globe back to Safford we got held up in a bad accident requiring flight for life. After 40 minutes we finally were allowed by. Whew! what a day, we finally got home just before 8.
 Sunday plans were a bit sketchy, Mandi has a bucket list to get a pic in each state so being close to New Mexico off we went.

Wendy and I had so wanted to show her Chiricahua National Monument but road construction in the park prohibited that. Not wanting to make a long drive today we made a quick stop in Lordsburg New Mexico then headed back to north Safford to drive through the Gila Box Riparian. A pretty drive along a old twisty road going back and forth to the Gila River.

 We made a quick stop to Dankworth Pond the day use extension of Roper Lake State Park.
 Monday Mandi was flying back to Dallas for meetings and we headed off to begin our last week of volunteering here.
 Mandi said she should have a good 1000 miles on the rental when she returns it, that's how vacations with us roll. It was great Mandi was able to be here and we were so happy to spend time with her.