The Adventures of Adrian & Cameron

The most impressive day trip out of El Paso, was the Hueco Tanks State Park. The park is stunning and famous for rock climbing. Even more importantly, the park is known for ancient pictographs depicting the sacred relationship between man and animals. This relationship relied on the rock formed pools (Huecos) that dotted the surface of the mountainous volcanic formations. These Huecos are nurseries for tiny translucent shrimp that provide a food sources for birds and ultimately larger animals through the food chain. This desert oasis was hallowed ground for native peoples who relied on the water and animals for life in the harsh environment. Unfortunately, due to vandalism, the park is now limited to only 70 visitors per day and we felt lucky to have experienced it.

It was snowing when we arrived in Flagstaff. Really snowing! We could not wait to get out into it and took a hike along the Arizona Trail just off of Walnut Canyon before we even got into town. We had a great time looking for clues in the fresh snow to determine which way we should go but checked into our Airbnb safely before dark.

It continued to snow in Flagstaff…really snow! So much so that we didn’t think it was safe to go out for several days. Finally, we ventured out to sled down a hill at a local park, snowshoe on some nearby trails, and drive up the mountain to the Snowbowl to watch the sunset. Flagstaff sees about 100 inches of snow per year, but even locals were shocked. We ended the trip with a just beautiful hike up the side of the volcanic mount Elden called Fat Mans Loop. We hiked under the watchful gaze of very old alligator junipers and like the “Fat Man” squeezed between large boulders on the trail. 

Flagstaff had a great energy, with everyone out enjoying the snow in local parks. But as in most circumstances, dogs were having the best time. A favorite memory was watching a pair of furry friends diving over and over into the knee-deep snow drifts. This was happening in the course of chasing “impossible to find” balls thrown by their owners on a never-ending rotation. That kind of joy was infectious, and it seemed everyone in Flagstaff had a smile, especially the pups.

Alligator Juniper

Alligator Juniper

The Flagstaff Blizzard

Snowed in!

Pair of Bald Eagles

Arizona Snow Bowl Ski Area

Arizona Snow Bowl Ski Area

Arizona Snow Bowl Ski Area

Cameron and Alligator Juniper

The drive from Texas into Arizona took just one weekend but was comprised of some incredibly different experiences. Out first stop on the way into the town of Clifton was to check out Gillard Hot Springs. Apparently, the springs had been the site of a resort in the early 1900’s. It is uncertain how people actually got to the springs then, because even now, it is incredibly remote. After several miles of rough Forest Service roads that had us pretty nervous, (even with four-wheel drive) we came to a wash that appeared to be similar to the ones described by other avid adventurist bloggers.  We hiked down toward the banks of the Gila River, and thankfully, recognized landmarks as described by those before us. The river itself was shallow, but clear, with areas of steaming seeps coming out from the banks. We knew to be careful, as these seeps are verified to be at least 180 degrees Fahrenheit as they enter the river! Makeshift pools had been created to mix the fresh cold river water and scalding seeps. We would have been entirely self-congratulatory on finding this hidden gem based on just internet descriptions. But truth be told, our GPS helped guide us the entire time. If you are in the area in a four-wheel-drive…check it out!

We got into to Clifton in the evening and were pleasantly surprised by the quaint Clifton Hotel. We met Matt and Karen, a really brave couple who visited from Ohio and fell in love with this historic building. They were painstakingly remodeling it, largely on their own. We were amazed to see what they had accomplished and thoroughly enjoyed touring the small downtown. Though the quaint historic buildings were mostly empty, it was easy to see the potential. Clifton is a mining town with houses built into the cliffs overlooking the San Francisco River. The Morenci copper mine is still operational and created some impressive terracing within the vistas on the way out of town. We would not be surprised to see Clifton as an up-and-coming destination town in the future. Clifton even has hot springs that were once a resort and could be again. 

The travels continued with an overnight stop in the resort town of Pinetop-Lakeside. The actual trip to Pinetop was beautiful and most of it traveled on a remote, high, twisting windy stretch of road known for beautiful views and dangerous conditions. Highway 191 lead us up into a part of Arizona that is at much higher elevation. It was snowing in Pinetop and made us feel like we had been instantly transported to Colorado. We stayed one night in Pinetop and descended back into the desert on the way to Flagstaff. Along the way, we saw petrified wood, Historic Route 66, and the famous Wigwam Motel from the movie Cars. 

Since everyone loves the Eagles, including us, we made a fun stop for lunch in Winslow, AZ. We got to actually “stand on the corner” next to statues of Jackson Browne and Glen Frye. We had a fantastic lunch at the local RelicRoad brewery and set off for Flagstaff, with the lyrics to “Take it Easy” stuck in our minds for days!

We were very sad to leave Big Bend Ranch State Park, but as always, ever ready for new adventures. The drive to El Paso was one of our longest and most desolate. We didn’t arrive in El Paso until after dark on Sunday January 17, coming in on I-10. I am not sure what we expected of El Paso. A sleepy border town? A medium sized city? To say we were shocked at the lighted evidence of humanity stretching out before us is quite an understatement. A quick google search revealed El Paso to be a city of about 700,000, with its sister city, Ciudad Juarez just to the south, with over 2.5 million inhabitants in the metro area. The Mexican valley was lit with single family homes for miles, and the El Paso skyline was illuminated by an enormous mountainside star.

We stayed in an adorable historic duplex and got out to walk in down-town, shop for cowboy attire, and even do a bit of mountain biking at the Billy Rogers Arroyo. This led up to some impressive views of the cities. 

The striking difference between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso was hard to ignore. The Mexican barrios appeared ready to slide down from their mountainside perches at any second. This is in contrast to the modern and safety-inspected US structures. A very obvious example of greener grass. Not there was much of that to see…as we headed off through west Texas to Arizona for even more adventure.

San Antonio is known for the River Walk, which is amazing. Sadly, we did not get to see it in much action due to Covid and the unrelenting cold rainy weather. Since we only there a few short days, our favorite stops are easy to pick out. The Briscoe Western Art Museum was a testament to the native American influences on the west as well as the the talent of the artists represented. We also thoroughly enjoyed Tucker’s Lounge,( a velvet upholstered “wall-to-wall nod to the the 70’s “ lounge straight out of an Austin Powers movie) so much that we went twice! The food, drinks and staff were amazing. We learned about Grackles, the most impressively loud birds in North America which noisily guarded the entrance to the restaurant. San Antonio is on our most return list for when the weather is warmer and the dangers less transmissible. 

Oh, wait. We almost forgot about the Alamo!!  This was a must-see for Adrian since he only got to see the outside on a Greyhound bus trip across the country in 1989 with Paul Schultz. 

Cold and lonely Riverwalk

Really socially distancing at Riverwalk

No crowds at Riverwalk

The Riverwalk

Briscoe Western Art Museum

Briscoe Western Art Museum

Our AirBnB

Tucker’s Lounge

The Alamo

The Alamo

Tucker’s Historic Lounge