Summer days ... drifting away!

Hi there - I hope you have all been lucky enough to grab some of that summer sunshine this week.  

Here in Scottsdale we have were visited by another monsoon again this week.  No high winds or dust storms this time but torrential rain and flash flooding in many local areas (thankfully not ours) due to the sheer amount of rain that fell over a short period and then of course all the water running down off the mountains into the valley.  Several people who had ignored the 'stupid driver' law (yes that really is a thing ... 'Turn around don't drown') had to be rescued from their cars ... Yikes!

Anyway, back to the final part of our Tehachapi Tale.  Where did we get to?  Oh yes.  That amazing feat of engineering that was the Tahachapi loop - what a riveting day out that turned out to be!

On the next day's sightseeing agenda was yet another of Karina's recommendations ... a self guided tour of the local wind farm (yes, it really was that desparate).  However, despite following the directions to the letter, once again we could not for the life of us work out where we were supposed to go.  This was becoming a bit of a theme. It was our own fault though - why we hadn't already learnt our lesson I don't know.  Christopher Columbus would never have discovered America if Karina had been navigating! Mind you, it wasn't as though the gigantic wind turbines were hard to spot from pretty much anywhere in the vicinity and quite frankly once you had seen one ...

So finally we came to our last day in Tehachapi (the longest week EVER) before we headed off to Santa Barbara for the weekend.  Today's resort-led excursion (for which read Karina leading the way in her jaloppi whilst we all followed behind in convey - a risky strategy if you ask me given her previous navigation track record) involved visiting three different ranches (thankfully all fairly close by) - a ranch for rescued race horses, an ostrich and an alpaca ranch.  

First was the United Pegasus Foundation, a non profit organisation dedicated to rescuing & rehabilitating thoroughbred horses, saving hundreds of former racehorses from slaughter and giving them a humane and deserved retirement.   All very admirable and I'm sure completely fascinating if you are into horses (a lot of famous names from the California race tracks apparently ... never heard of any of 'em but they all seemed to be slightly psychopathic) but not really my idea of a fun day out, especially in the 90 degree heat with no shade and flies ... lots of flies.  Some of the other guests caught a hint of our accents as we meandered our way round.  "What part of Australia are you from?"

Oh please ... still?!

After what felt like hours, but was probably about 40 minutes, trailing past scores of horses along endless dusty tracks (more orange feet) we got back in our cars and followed Karina to the next venue - Indian Point Ostrich ranch.  This was slightly more entertaining, but only slightly.  We saw a few large birds (and some of the feathered variety) and were introduced to Ralph - a large male ostrich who had been to LA and starred in a video with the group Megadeath! 

As we finished the tour, given by a very friendly lady called Susie, we were shepherded into the gift shop (in the hope they could flog another few feather dusters and jars of hand cream) and as we chatted she asked

"Whereabouts in Australia are you all from?"  

**sigh** "England actually"

"Oh!  I went to England back on 1984.  We landed at a tiny little airport, not a big one.  Oh what was it called?!"

Mr B helpfully offered suggestions ... Stansted?  No.  Luton?  No.  This went on for several minutes whilst we all racked our brains to think which tiny airport she could mean.  Suddenly she shouted triumphantly  "Got it!  Gatwick!" **face palm**  It's only the 9th busiest airport in Europe love - hardly tiny! Good grief.

The last stop on the tour was the alpaca ranch.  Cute, funny little things and my favorite of the day (although let's be honest there wasn't much to choose from).  This one was called Valentine on account of the heart shaped mark on her nose ... awww

Just as we were getting ready to leave, one of the other visitors asked what that noise was in the distance

"Oh that'll be the target practice at the prison"

Sorry what?  Prison?  Oh yes.  Turns out we were just a few miles from the California Correctional Institution - a supermax prison (which stands for super maximum security apparently).  Oh nice.  Yes, there it is - complete with guard towers (or gun turrets as I called them!)  Well, I suppose at least they didn't have to worry about anyone escaping - they would be begging to be let back in within hours!

Ethan and I were all packed and ready to leave at the crack of dawn the next morning, whilst Mr B, seemingly immune to the boredom, fannied about packing the boot with the aid of a set square ...  HURRY UP ALREADY! 

Eventually we said so long, farewell and DEFINITELY goodbye to Tehachapi and set off in the direction of Santa Barbara to find the rest of civilization.  

Three hours later we arrived to find not only civilisation, but 5*civilisation! Oh, thank you God!  

The For the next two days we didn't leave the hotel (except for an early morning stroll on the beach) and made the most of every luxury on offer ... and boy had we earned it!

So in summary, we had a great family holiday ... as usual, lots of laughs (usually still at Mr B's expense!) and we enjoyed spending time together but think we might be giving Tehachapi a wide berth in future especIally as when we got back and I was chatting to our Landlord (a retired geologist) he told me that the San Andreas fault runs right through the middle of it!  **gasps!**

Sadly the long summer holidays which seemed to stretch out before us for weeks on end just a mere moment ago are now almost at an end and its back to school this week.  If you had told me a couple of years ago that we would have a Freshman in a US High School, I would have thought you were mad!  The start of another exciting chapter ...

... AND it's only three weeks until Eldest arrived ... Woohoo!

Have a great week my friends and see you next time.

TTFN

Bev x

 

"15 minutes ... my arse!"

Hi and welcome back!

You may recall that we left off last week just after the resort's 'Welcome Cheese & Wine Social' and the  somewhat unconvincing list of local 'attractions' - a word which I use loosely.  As I also explained, the area is currently experiencing an unusually long heatwave and so it is has almost been as hot as it is at home.  Never mind, we thought.  A nice dip in the pool is what we need.  It had been advised at said Welcome meeting the day before that the pool was located at the nearby 'Country Club' and golf course just 5 minutes (drive) up the road, so we set off eagerly with swimsuits and towels.   When we pulled up in the deserted car park, next to the derelict tennis court overrun with weeds, we were convinced we were in the wrong place, until we noticed the small sign on the front of the shabby and dilapidated wooden building before us, which read 'Horse Thief Golf & Country Club'.  After much hysterical laughter, we got out to investigate.  There was a small bar at one end and an even smaller shed at the other labeled 'Pro shop' **snort**.  We continued out to the back in search of the pool having considerably lowered our expectations at this point.  To be fair, the pool itself, whilst small, didn't look too bad and was at least clean, but the iron railings complete with padlocked gate surrounding it and the 5 grubby plastic sunbeds enclosed therein did nothing to improve its appeal.  Needless to say, we decided there and then that we would survive without the pool this week and left as quickly as we could.  The whole time we were there we never saw another soul.  Not a guest, a golfer **more snorting** or even an employee - very weird, although can't say I'm surprised.  Never mind, the wine tasting trip was in a few hours - that would cheer us up.

In actual fact, the wine tasting actually turned out to be best activity of the week (no surprise there though eh?).  The Souza Family Vineyard was a little under 20 minutes away from where we were staying and we arrived around noon.   Bob Souza and his wife Pattie were our hosts, together with a lovely lady called Susan.  We asked her how she came to be running wine tastings and she told us that she was due to retire soon from her job of the last 20+ years as a California Air Traffic Controller (!) and as she had recently lost her husband **sniff** had been looking for something to do where she could get out and meet people.  She also told us that she had met Bob some 15 years earlier when they had both qualified as pilots!  What an interesting lady - I could have happily sat drinking wine and chatting to her all afternoon.  

 

 

We tried 8 different wines in total, accompanied by a lovely platter of cheese, charcuterie, bread, grapes and Apple to soak it all up, plus some poppy seed cake to try with the dessert wines. (Ethan just had a Pepsi with his ... it's a tough life being a kid).   One of my favorites (although to be fair there wasn't one I didn't like) was a delicious chocolate infused red which Susan then added a little port to which unbelievably make it taste just like chocolate cake ... amazing!  We also got chatting to another couple of older guys who were also staying at our resort.  They introduced themselves as Ed and Ted (LOL) and explained that their wives were waiting in the car as they were going on somewhere else and they were just supposed to be popping in for a quick taste.  Ed was a real character and clearly partial to a glass of red ... or two, whilst Ted confessed that he wasn't really a big drinker and that he daren't get up off the stool he was sitting on as he already felt a little 'woozy'.   Needless to say after a couple more glasses they looked like they were quite happily settled for the afternoon until Ted's wife appeared at the door with a face like thunder and after a pointed glare in their direction they both scuttled off sharpish.  LOL.  We managed to come away with a few bottles to take home, although Mr B managed to carry on with his own little tasting once we got back! 

The next day, fresh on the back of the successful wine tasting trip, we decided to take a ride out to two of the more unusual places that Karina, the resort manager, had mentioned in her overview of the area.  The first was what she described as the 'Monastery in the mountains'.  Oh that sounds interesting, I thought (naively as it turned out).  After trekking to the top of a mountain up hairpin bends and steep drop offs, we finally arrived at the sign at the bottom of a steep dirt track. ... The Norbertine Sisters of the Bethlehem Priory of St Joseph.  Oh. Nuns (which personally I have always found to be really creepy).  Well, we're here now, might as well have a look.  We carried on up the track expecting to see at least some kind of religious looking building.  To be honest, I think I had imagined some brilliant white monastical building, shining high on a hilltop against a bright blue sky (compete with chanting monks and a donkey or two).   Instead, there was what looked to me like a large bungalow with two dogs dozing outside, a few weeds in pots and a section at the end labeled 'Gift Shop' .... there's a surprise.  

Gingerly, we opened the door to take a peek inside, to find a series of wooden pews where several people were seated before what looked like a serving hatch in the wall.  I was just imagining a series of nuns on the other side frying chips and battering fish, when a 6ft nun wafted up behind us nearly giving me a heart attack (wearing if I may say the most unattractive black glasses and a habit at least two sizes too big. A waft of blusher wouldn't have gone amiss either.  Did she not look in the mirror before she came to work for goodness sake?  Oh yeah ...)   She muttered that they were just about to start lunchtime prayers but we were welcome to look in the gift shop for a few minutes if we were quick **fixes with creepy glare**.  We politely ducked in and out of as quickly as we could (taking cover behind a rather large Mexican man in case she was thinking of throwing any more evils in my direction) before making a mad dash back to the car.  There were some other buildings tucked behind the 'bungalow' which we didn't get to see so maybe they were more convent-like (or maybe not) but definitely not what we expected!

Next stop, the Mountain Spirit Centre, which is described as "a Buddhist monastery and spiritual retreat ..."  Ha!  Yeah right.  If the last recommendation was anything to go by I am not holding my breath.  After another trek out to the middle of nowhere, we followed the directions to a secluded canyon and up a remote dirt track for a further two miles (where Ethan was convinced we were going to break down and with no phone signal, either be reduced to chalky skeletons after days of aimless wandering with no food or water, or killed by some wild axe murderer LOL).  As we rounded the final bend at the top of the track though we were all stunned by what we found.  There, in the midst of a dusty dry canyon with buzzards circling above, that wouldn't have looked amiss in some John Wayne Western, stood a Buddha Temple on the top of a rocky outcrop

and another large 'Meditation Hall' which apparently also serves as a dormitory for the two full time monks who live there.  They came out to wave, wearing the traditional orange robes, shouted a cheery "hello" as we got out of the car, before going back inside and closing the door.  Random.

Once again, not another soul to be seen as we crossed the little bridge to the temple and marvelled at all the brightly painted images decorating the wooden structure. We found a small door on the side and a sign which said "Please remove your shoes on entering" so figured it must be ok to go in and take a peek, as there was nobody to ask, and were astounded by how even more beautiful it was inside.  I definitely wasn't expecting that! It is apparently used for Sunday services which the public is invited to attend. Amazing.

The HUGE 'Peace bell' is housed in an equally beautiful hand painted structure featuring children from around the world in traditional costumes, holding hands, encircling the bottom of the bell. 

The word Peace is translated into hundreds of languages and at the top the words "Living Together in Peace and Harmony" - very fitting for the current climate I thought and as you were invited to toll the bell, we thought it was definitely worth a go.  If you are ever passing through Tehachapi (because nobody in their right mind would actually stay here ... note to self) I would definitely recommend checking it out.

The next day we planned a visit another of Karina's Top Tips - the Tehachapi Loop (clearly we still hasn't learned our lesson).  This, we were assured, is one of the 'great engineering feats of the nineteenth century' **yawn** that allowed the Southern Pacific Railroad to bring trains through the Central Valley of California (500 ft above sea level) to the Los Angeles area and one that you must see on a visit to Tehachapi.  In summary it's just a giant loop of train track going round a mountain as far as I can tell (I got bored and dozed off after that)  but if you are train nerd  ... I mean enthusiast ... it's a big deal apparently.  "It's really cool to watch the trains go round the mountain" enthused Karina ... Seriously? We do have trains in England love, trust me it's not that special .... "and they run every 15 minutes all day so you won't have to wait long to see one" ... Reeeealllly ....

Off we trotted with the information sheet and map, the directions for which you will not be surprised to hear were rubbish, and after reading it both right way up and upside down, driving to the top of the mountain and then back down again, we finally worked out where the vantage point we were supposed to stop at was at.  

"Right..." said Mr B, instructions in hand.  "It says, park at the side of the road and walk up dirt track to vantage point at top of hill ..."  

Ethan and I looked at each other sceptically but knew there was no point arguing so trudged up the dusty track ... it was at this point that I realised flip flops were probably not the best footwear I could have chosen ... in the searing mid day heat to the outlook at the top of the hill.  We looked down on a  train track circling a hill and then disappearing into a tunnel.  Woooo ... riveting. Quite frankly I have seen more exciting track building on Ethan's old Thomas set **yawns whilst now also sweating profusely**.  

"Well we must have been driving up and down for at least 15 minutes, so there should be one along any minute now" Mr B enthused.

We waited.  We waited some more.  30 minutes passed.  Still no train.

"Shall we go?"  Ethan offered hopefully

"Surely there must be one coming soon.  Karina said they were definitely every 15 minutes ..." 

Did she now.  I also recall her saying the Monastery was marvellous and the 'Country Club' did a nice dinner, oh and look, there goes a flying pig ...

"Well, let's just wait another 10 minutes" said Mr B, ever the optimist.

We waited.  We waited again.  Still no train.

Ethan then looked over at the hill in the middle .  "Is that a cross in top of that hill?"

"Yes, it looks like it"

"He probably died waiting for the bloody train.  I bet it arrived 5 minutes after he snuffed it!" LOL

After another 15 minutes of waiting, 45 in total, (both Ethan and I now sheltering under the shade of the only tree whilst my feet had now turned oompah lumpah orange) we decided to give up and walked back to the road.  Ethan and I gave each other a knowing look as we got back in the car muttering in unison ...

"15 minutes ... my arse!"

Remind me to poke Karina in the eye when I see her.

There is so much more yet to share.  Come back next week to hear about the final part of our Tehachapi tale ...!

TTFN

Bev x 

"... And I would drive 500 miles ... then I would drive 500 more ..."

Hi folks,

I am so pleased to see that the weather has finally improved for you all back in Blighty - just in time for the summer holidays too!  I am crossing my fingers for you all that it continues for a good while longer yet.  It seems very odd to be reading about all the kids just breaking up from school this past week when in Arizona the summer holidays are almost over :(

Whilst it may seem like some of us are on a permanent holiday **ahem**,  Mr B has had a very hectic schedule over the last few month and since the beginning of April has travelled to Philadelphia, New York (twice), Orlando and Jacksonville in Florida, Dublin, Colorado and Atlanta, Georgia.  So when it came round to fitting in a family holiday before Youngest goes back to school in 3 weeks time (I really can't believe how quickly that has gone) the last thing he wanted to do was get on another aeroplane and deal with the whole airport debacle - can't say I blame him. 

As you may know, we own a couple of weeks at different time share resorts and generally bank our weeks each year to exchange at a later date.  We usually just plug in the dates that we want to go, select a general destination we fancy and see what comes up.  For the past 20 years or so this has almost always been somewhere in the US and hence how we have come to visit some random places that we would otherwise never have thought to visit - North Georgia Mountains, Maine, Montana, Oregon.  In fact, by the time we moved to Arizona we had already crossed 22 states off our list.  We have never had a bad holiday yet and so this summer we set about the same process once more to look for availability somewhere that met all of our criteria:

- had to be within driving distance 

- had to be before school started again

- quiet, scenic location where we could chill out and do "absolutely nothing" (Mr B's)

- somewhere not too hot (mine)

- had to have wifi (moody teenager's - and was non negotiable apparently)

So when Stallion Springs Resort in Tehachapi, California popped up for this last week of July, we had never heard of it but thought "why not?"  I checked driving time - 7.5 hrs ✔️; average temperatures - mid 70s ✔️;  location - small resort of just 21 units set in scenic Tehachapi mountains ✔️; wifi? ✔️.  Book it Danno!

On Friday morning we loaded up the car with bags, gadgets, board games, cool box and snacks for the journey and set off, California bound, with the radio tuned to '80s Classics' ... Road Trip!  Woohoo!

I don't think we had even got to the first set of traffic lights before Moody Teenager was moaning about   the choice of music on the radio and then our singing (rude) as Mr B and I embarked on our own version of Car Pool Karaoke (James Corden eat your heart out).  First up ... "You're The One That I Want" from Grease.  Tune!  More groans from the back as Mr B and I did our best impersonations of Danny and Sandy.  Oh dear ... looks like someone is only just learning that once parents discover that something is excruciatingly embarrassing to their kids, they have to do it some more?  They're just the rules I'm afraid. Next up, Duran Duran, followed by Foreigner and then another classic by U2.  As Mr B and I were belting out the final refrain of "... and I stilllll haven't founnnnnd what I'm looking for...!" I think that was the final straw and the noise cancelling headphones appeared in the back and were clamped firmly over ears for the rest of the journey.  Hahahaha!  What fun! 

After a quick Starbucks pit stop a couple of hours in we continued to make our way along the monotonous I-10 as the temperature continued to rise (and not just in the back seat either, lol). 

 I think this was the highest it got during the journey (49C in old money) as we approached Palm Springs and even with the A/C blasting it was still roasting as the sun shone through the window straight onto my legs! A good time to stop for lunch I think!  As we approached the shopping outlets at Cabazon (sadly no time for shopping today, sniff) we all remembered a diner we had been to on a previous holiday to Palm Springs some 7 years earlier called Ruby's (Ethan particularly remembered it as kids got a toy and a hat with their meal :D).  I wonder if it's still there?  Yes!  There it is!  Although it was nothing special (and don't think the menu had changed in 7 years either!), we had to stop there for Lunch and a trip down memory lane (we couldn't convince Ethan to wear the hat this time though).

As we continued on the final leg of our journey (still on the boring I-10) the scenery slowly began to change at last from dusty brown desert to, whilst not exactly green (there is still a major drought here in California), at least less rock and more trees ...

   

As we finally neared our destination, some 481 miles and 9.5 hrs (including stops) later, we were beginning to wonder where exactly we has come to.  It was certainly quiet and peaceful - hardly a soul to be seen - and looked like it would definitely fulfill Mr Bs wish of doing "absolutely nothing"!   In fact some of the activities looked downright odd ... (although it is legal in California but I thought you usually smoked it?)

Some of the locals looked a bit scary too ...

Whilst the resort is a little more 'basic' than we are used to and the condo barely big enough to swing a cat, it is certainly very peaceful and abundant in wildlife.  Within half an hour of arriving we had spotted rabbits, squirrels and a family of elk grazing just across the road and last nights view over the mountains as the sun went down was pretty amazing.

 Not sure about my requirement of 'not too hot' though.  I was really looking forward to being able to do lots of walking (well alright, some ...) and snuggling up in a cozy cardigan during the evening, only to find they are having a heatwave at the moment and temperatures are expected to be in the mid 90s all week.  Cosmic.  Thanks for that.  Still, the high for Phoenix this weekend was 114 degrees so I guess I'll take the 90s for now.  

Just attended the 'Welcome Cheese and Wine Social' where the resort manager gave an overview of the area and local Points of Interest.  Not sure that communication is perhaps her strongest asset ... "... there's a really cool mine there ... I haven't actually been ... It's like a really big ... er ... hole ..." Funny that.  And really selling the local community " ... there's a small town up there too but it's a bit of a dump ..."  Ethan and I had to make our excuses and leave quickly afterwards before we dissolved into hysterics as I was pinching my leg hard and he was biting his knuckles.  It seems we should have also ensured Mr B left with us as when he followed some 10 minutes later he announced that he had signed us up for a wine tasting trip to a local vineyard tomorrow (clearly I'm up for that) and also a trip to the nearby ostrich farm ... Oh good grief.  Clearly they saw him coming.  Ethan is particularly thrilled as none of the other guests are under 70 ... hahaha!

Knowing us though there will be plenty more laughs along the way (usually at Mr Bs expense) and we are quite good at making our own entertainment.  Thankfully, we are finishing the week off with a couple of days back in civilization in Santa Barbara so looking forward to that.  

Come back next week to find out what else we got up to on our California adventure!

TTFN

Bev x

Pokemon No!

Has the Pokemon Go phenomenon hit your household yet?  It only launched here just over a week ago and already I am sick of hearing about it!  It has become an epidemic and you can't turn on the TV or radio without hearing about some Pokemon related story.   I can't deny that it is a very clever concept though and making its creators a bucket load of money.  

If you are still wondering what on earth everyone is talking about, here's a potted summary. 

Pokémon Go is a free app that you can download onto your phone.  It can't be played stationary, so in that respect I'm all for it.  Kids can't just sit on the sofa all day playing, they have to get up and move around which can only be a good thing.  The augmented reality game uses your phone's GPS and camera to find virtual Pokémon creatures in your neighborhood. It looks something like this ...

The app tracks user location and uses notable real-life landmarks as "Pokéstops" where players can collect Poké Balls (yes I know) and capture Pokémon. For example, the trail head just 5 minutes from us is a Pokestop and so Ethan is a frequent visitor (just a shame it's all uphill and 110 degrees outside!).  So instead of catching Pokémon in the traditional digital landscape, players are forced to get off their couches and explore the real world to capture Pokémon and engage in virtual battles. As players move around they encounter different Pokémon depending on the time and their location.  You also have to walk certain distances in order to complete tasks, for example you have to walk anywhere between 2 - 10 km before you can hatch an egg (!).  Once you reach a certain level, you can have your Pokémon battle other players' at "gyms." These are also situated at local landmarks, e.g. our local Library is a 'gym' - I imagine they are totally thrilled by the hoards of kids (and incidentally this game is not just being played by kids!) appearing through it's doors, muttering at their phones for a few minutes and then leaving again!  Most churches appear to be gyms too, which is a very clever way of enticing you in (or just a little bit freaky in my opinion). 

Just 5 hrs after it was released Pokemon Go became the no 1 downloaded app and Nintendo shares have increased by 24% and increased their market valuation by over $9 billion so far ... and it's only been out just over a week! 

It has completely dominated the news over here and every day now we are seeing more reports of accidents that people have had whilst playing, because they are not paying attention to where they are going.  Mishaps with revolving doors and walking into trees seem to be the most common, whilst some You Tuber in Brooklyn fell into a pond whilst live streaming a video of himself trying to catch a 'water pokemon' in the local park, LOL!   It seems there is no end to people's stupidity whilst playing this game though and there have been some more serious incidents reported too - two guys in California fell 80ft off a coastal bluff whilst playing in California and had to be rescued from a the beach, and a multiple pile up on one of the major freeways here was caused when someone apparently stopped in the middle of the road in an attempt to catch a Pokemon!!!  Really???!  As if texting while driving. isn't a big enough problem now we have to watch out for idiots like this! 

As a result ADOT (Arizona Dept of Transport) came out with another of their catchy signs this week (you may remember I previously shared their Star Wars one) 

Today I even read that two people (a man and a woman in their late 20s!) were apprehended at a zoo in Toledo, Ohio after having jumped a fence at night trying to catch Pokemon and were apprehended near the tiger exhibit!  Seriously people - get a grip!

I also read today that some enterprising person is now offering to drive you around to all the best locations in your area for $30 an hour and of a local police station (blue team gym) and fire house (red team gym) situated next door to each other who spend their down time battling for supremacy!  

At least my crafty skills came in handy this week when I was able to make Ethan a team logo (he's in the red team apparently) for his water cup ... 

extra brownie points for me!

No doubt we will be plagued by more Pokemon related news items in the days and weeks still to come as it doesn't look as though it's going away any time soon, however,  I suppose it does make a welcome change from 'Trump reports' (er ... not sure that came out quite right.  On the other hand ...) and Brexit, which I am equally bored with  **sighs**.

Anyway peeps, hope you feel more informed now (whether you wanted to be or not!) and if you are about to rush off to download the app remember to look up every now and then and WATCH WHERE YOU'RE BLOODY WELL GOING!

Until next time ...

TTFN

Bev x

Roaming around Jerome ...!

So last weekend was the 4th July (Independence Day ... ahem) holiday weekend.  Given that it isn't really a holiday that us Brits celebrate (for obvious reasons!),  Mr B found himself with an extra day off and as he clearly can't sit still for more than a couple of hours before he starts getting twitchy, he suggested we go off on a daytrip somewhere. 

"Someone said that Jerome is really pretty and a must see in Arizona ... " *post script: when I find out who it was they will be getting a sharp poke in the eye!*

After checking maps and determining it was just over a 2 hour drive from here, we decided it was do-able and that we could also tick off Prescott as well on the way back. 

Obviusly moody teenager was thrilled.  

"Can I just stay here?" he asked hopefully.

"No!"

After the usual sulking and muttering, he resigned himself to the fact that there was no getting out of it and assumed the now familiar 'Mission Control' position in the back of the car - headphones firmly clamped to ears, phone on seat beside him and games console in hand ..

"Help! ... I can still hear them ..."

Mr B and I sang along to classic rock tunes on the radio (which did nothing to improve moody teenager's mood and consequently just made us sing louder, lol!) and after climbing higher and higher along steep mountain roads, we eventually arrived in Jerome, some 5,000 ft above sea level.  

Views on the climb up to Jerome

Jerome 

Once known as the wickedest town in the west, Jerome was a copper mining camp, growing from a settlement of tents to a roaring mining community in the late 19th century.  Four disastrous fires destroyed large sections of the town during its early history apparently, but one noteable section still standing is the “Cribs District" where all the buildings were part of Jerome’s ill-famed “prostitution row.” Lol.  Sadly, the same can't be said for Jennie's Place though ... doesn't sound like she had a lot of luck!

Oh dear ...

Other than the usual array of touristy gift shops and eateries, there was not a lot else to see in Jerome (unless you wanted to tour the copper mining museum ... No? ... me neither). From what I saw, it seemed to be a haven for drop outs, aging hippies and 'new age therapists'.  They clearly did a roaring trade in tie-dye t-shirts and bead necklaces as nearly every other person was wearing one! 

We did manage to find the usual 'treasures' though whilst poking around the shops ...

Camouflage hat anyone? (nice photobomb Mr B!)

and the piece de resistance ... 

Christmas lights made from bullet casings ...

So in true Barlow family outing fashion, half an hour and one ice cream later we were back in the car.  Next stop Prescott.

As we drove into the town square, we discovered a bustling arts & crafts festival in full swing.  Yay!  (Mr B and moody teenager clearly thrilled).  However, (after spending 20 minutes looking for a parking space), closer inspection revealed more 'new age' therapies, sickly smelling hand made soaps, tie dye t shirts, beaded necklaces (ah ... that explains a lot) popcorn and candy floss.  Add to that a host of down and outs with dogs on bits of string lying across the pavements swigging bottles of beer and you could be forgiven for thinking you had inadvertently stumbled into Bognor (OK, maybe a bit harsh ... it wasn't quite that bad).  Hmmmm.  Maybe a spot of lunch then?

You could have knocked me down with a feather when moody teenager passed on the bacon cheeseburger in favour of a chicken ceasar salad, with the comment 

"Well you are always saying I should eat more healthily ... I'm a-dressing the situation ... hahaha!"

Groan.  Sadly that wasn't the end of the pun-fest which he had clearly been working on all through lunch.

"Sorry ... That joke was a bit Cheesy.  Lettuce continue ..." Terrible.  

Once we had all finished and another equally moody teenager had brought the bill ...

"Time to leaf" ... Ok, stop it now.

Before we left Prescott though, I wanted to have a look at the historic Victorian houses in Mount Vernon Avenue, which I have to say were absolutely beautiful.  I would love to live in a house like that.  I could just picture myself sitting in one of the old rocking chairs on the front porch sipping a nice cool drink (although it would NOT be iced tea ... bleugh!).  I did manage to snap a few pictures, however at most of the houses the occupants seemed to be congregated on their front porches with family and friends celebrating the holiday so wasn't sure they would be thrilled at the prospect of some mad British woman lurking in the shrubbery trying to take their picture ...

Later when we got home, I remarked how nice it had been nice to spend the day together despite the disappointing destination.

"Yes..."  remarked now not so moody teenager reunited once more with the wifi "... and we had a nice Rome around after lunch" **rolls on floor laughing**

"What's funny?"

"Caesar salad? .....Rome? Hahahahaha!"

OMG!! And on that note ...

TTFN and see you next time!
Bev x