“…just can’t wait to get on the road again”

   ….and boy oh boy, is that ever the truth!

Last night about 6PM we heard a helicopter really close..Den said they were looking for the trespassers who climbed through the barbed wire Wednesday, and went rock hounding on private property….Very funny, Dennis.  We stood in our camper doorway and saw them hovering just across the interstate from us….We also heard lots of sirens going down the interstate, so maybe it was an accident.  I do know one thing from having a son who is a paramedic…sirens are not a good sign.

  On a more positive note, we had a pretty nice sunset and I actually ventured outside to the back of our camper in my “uniform” to get some photos..

…I figured that I couldn’t look any more suspicious than anyone else out here, so what the heck…Maybe I should phone ahead to Pancho Villa State Park and for warn them of my “interesting” evening wear…nah..let them be surprised…

We had some pancakes for breakfast and took our walk.  We walked around the campground enough for 2 miles worth of cardiovascular, and I did find a cactus or two to add to my gallery..

When we were doing our covert stone gathering on Wednesday, in the middle of the high desert, we came across this post and sign..in the middle of nowhere…

 

I researched it online and found out this…..

¡Vayan subiendo!¨

"Everyone mount up!" This became a familiar call from Spanish Captain Juan Bautista de Anza. In 1776, as Americans fought for their independence in the East, Anza led almost 300 people over 1200 miles to settle Alta California. It was the first overland route established to connect New Spain with San Francisco. Walk in their footsteps from Nogales, Arizona to San Francisco, California.

( I obviously did a “copy and paste” for this info)….But apparently this Spanish Captain led some 300 Spanish settlers into California to live…and we had just stumbled upon part of the route they took…I found this to be very interesting, and in the middle of nowhere!!! Here is a link for any of you interested “home gamers”…DeAnza Historic Trail.

I spent most of the afternoon labeling my 142 photos I took at the Pima Air Museum last Monday..luckily I wrote down every photo and the type of plane..I was getting a little punchy from sitting at the computer so long, so when Den suggested we go up the road and see what was just across the interstate to the West, I quickly peeled my behind from the chair.

We were quite surprised to find not one, but two restaurant/bars over there…and a tire shop..in the middle of nowhere!!

I hate decisions, but Dennis made the call…He was leaning toward the Cow Palace (on the right) because there was a “happy hour” from noon till 4PM with $1.50 longnecks…I knew this was going to be a great choice by the “bandito” who met us just inside the door….and no, he wasn’t real.

We were delighted when we walked into the bar…Our bartender told us the bar was built in the 1920’s and frequently had movie stars in the joint..due to many movies being filmed out here…For instance, Tin Cup, with Kevin Costner…The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, and some other westerns I can’t remember..But, he did say John Wayne was a frequent visitor…There was a picture on the back bar of the Duke and the former owner..

 

Another famous person on the right…wait a minute, that should have been “infamous”…Here are a few more shots of the bar..

I don’t know how we were in this area one full week and never knew about this place…maybe because we were anti-social???AND…they have a great restaurant attached to it!! AND..they serve breakfast!!! Oh well, that’s just our luck, a day late and several dollars short…but at least we did find the place and will remember it for future reference if we ever get back in the Amado area..If you want to learn more about this place use this link ..Cow Palace Bar and Restaurant….

Here are a couple more unsavory characters who were frequenting this place..

…I look like a deer in the headlights…and this was after only one beer!!

OK, right now it is closing in on 4:40 PM and we had a little bit of an early start with our happy hour, so we may delay the next one…Actually I had one beer and Den had two….so we were just fine. Tomorrow is travel day and I am getting excited to get back on the road. Den is taking down the Hughesnet dish in about and hour and tucking the receiver into the back seat of the truck..So be careful where you sit in the morning when you climb in….

More tomorrow…a new place ….AND…..maybe a campfire!!!!!