We headed out the end of September after Edna's (Belinda's Mom) 87th birthday celebration. Our first stop was Branson, Missouri.
We enjoyed the Dixie Stampede, the Titanic Museum, the Pierce Arrow Show, the World's Largest Toy Museum and the Amazing Acrobats of Shanghai. We hiked at the Table Rock State Park and viewed the Table Rock Dam. We had several very nice eat outs and a fun walk around the historic downtown.
Our next stop
was Amarillo, Texas.
Home of the Cadillac Farm and the Palo Duro Canyon.
The canyon is the second largest in the America’s
after the Grand Canyon. We ate at the famous 72 oz. Big Steak
Restaurant, an old Route 66 icon. Jerry
only had the 18 oz. sirloin, that was enough.
Our next stop
was a tour to Spaceport America. Spaceport
America is an FAA-licensed spaceport located on 18,000 acres (7,300
hectares) of State Trust Land in the Jornada del Muerto desert basin in New Mexico directly west and adjacent to U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range. It lies 89
miles (143 km) north of El Paso,
45 miles (72 km) north of Las Cruces, and 20 miles (32 km)
southeast of Truth or Consequences.
The site has
been described as "the world's first purpose-built commercial
spaceport" because it is the first spaceport designed and constructed
specifically for commercial users that had not previously been an airport or
federal infrastructure of any kind. The site is built to accommodate both
vertical and horizontal launch aerospace vehicles, as well as an array of
non-aerospace events and commercial activities. Spaceport America is owned and operated by the State of New Mexico, via a state
agency, the New Mexico Spaceport Authority.
We drove out to Chloride,
New Mexico. The 11
residents of Chloride, New Mexico live in what’s essentially a former ghost
town. It sprung up in 1880, two years after Briton Harry Pye chanced upon
silver ore, a discovery he initially kept secret. Word eventually got out,
prompting a boom.
Chloride, in its
heyday, had nine saloons, a general store, a dry goods store, a millinery shop,
a restaurant, a butcher shop, a candy store, a pharmacy, a Chinese laundry, a
photography studio, a school, and two hotels. The Black Range
newspaper was printed in Chloride from 1882 to 1896.
The demise of Chloride
began with the Silver Panic of 1893 and was hastened by the presidential
election of 1896, which resulted in a drastic decline in silver prices.
Today, many of
Chloride’s original structures still stand. The old Pioneer Store is
a museum., and next door the former Monte Cristo Saloon and Dance Hall houses a gift shop and gallery featuring work by local
artists.
Truth or
Consequences is known for their Hot
Springs. We
spent an afternoon at the Riverbend Hot Springs enjoying the 7 wonderful
natural hot springs
tubs with a view of the Rio Grand River. We would highly recommend
Riverbend Hot Springs. It is an awesome,
relaxing place to visit with great views of the Rio Grande River.
We were able to
participate in the 100th Anniversary of the Elephant Butte Dam by
walking the dam. It was an awesome
experience, only open for 2 hours to walk across it.
Our next food
trip was down to Hatch, New Mexico, home of the Green and Red Hatch Chili
Peppers. We ate at the Green Chili
Cheese Burger Capital, Sparky’s Restaurant.
It was the best cheeseburger I have had in a very long time. Jerry had the best brisket west of the Mississippi. Also, a first, a Green Chili Milk Shake. He said it was very good.
Our next
adventure was in Tucson, Arizona.
We visited the Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures. The Mini Time Machine was created from the
imagination and dedication of Founders, Patricia and Walter Arnell. Pat’s
fondness for miniatures began in the 1930’s, when as a young girl she received
her first miniatures- a set of Strombecker wooden dollhouse furniture. It
wasn’t until the Arnells moved to Tucson
in 1979 that Pat began collecting in earnest.
The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures showcases more than 300
antique and contemporary dollhouses and roomboxes. Most are on a 1/12 scale. It was one of the most amazing museums we
have seen in our travels. If you are into small scale detail this ones for you.
Our next stop
was the Postal History Foundation. They
receive and process stamps from all over the world and for every category
imaginable. We learned more about the
whole stamp collection industry, collectors are known as philatelists. There is a world wide cataloging system for
stamps that collectors use. The Postal
History Foundation is dedicated to preserving the history of stamps and
education of adults and children.
The next stop
in Tucson was the Jewish History Museum and Holocaust History Center. The Holocaust History
Center is dedicated to
the survivors of the Holocaust and their stories with emphasis on the survivors
and their stories vs. the negative side.
The rest of the
week in Tucson
was dedicated to getting an electrical problem fixed on our rig. After 3 days of service the problem was found
and we were back up and running reliably.
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