24-WE WENT BACK!

We are on the final leg of our trip home. Our “You Can’t Go Back But We Are Going To Try,” trip is nearly over.

Driving the I-5 is challenging as far as finding anything to put in this blog.

We did see many acres of apricot trees in bloom. The snowy blossoms added to break up the monotony of endless blacktop.

Of course a crop dusting airplane crossing the highway at a low altitude always perks things up a bit. It was spraying the apricot trees and flying from one orchard to another on the other side of the road.

 

We saw lots of signs relating to the lack of water for crops in Central California and the politicians who are being blamed for it.

So much for scenery on the I-5.

On this trip we were privileged to see 37 friends, some we haven’t seen in 20 years, others, only a few months ago. Amazing!

Typical of Don, he is ticking off statistics to me as we drive down the highway.

The bottom line is that we have driven just under 5,000 miles in the RV with over 100 hours of driving time. Additionally the motorhome sucked up waaaay too many gallons of diesel fuel. Also there are a couple thousand more miles of driving in the Jeep to see fun things in places where the motorhome can’t go.

I was hoping this would be the end of input from Don. but one of the things he always asks me is, “What was the best part of the trip for you? What would you want to repeat and what would you not want to do again?”

These are always hard questions for me because I just enjoy the trip as it comes and I don’t keep lists in my head…unlike Someone I know.

But to answer his questions, the best part for me was all the friends we got to see. That was real joy and a blessing. Then, of course, there was all the climbing we did to find petroglyphs and cliff dwellings and lots more really neat things. It’s really hard for me to narrow down what was best.

The next time we take a trip I would hope to again see a lot of friends. I consider them priceless treasures and I would repeat that again any day!

And what would I NOT want to repeat again… And it had better not happen when we get the new toilet installed!! (The carpet is still damp.)

One special item on this trip was meeting Paul De Luna and commissioning him to do the charcoal drawing of Don as Nicodemus. At first Don argued that he didn’t want Nicodemus to look like him, but I said that I did. I told him, “When you die this will be something that I will keep.” He gave me that look and said, ”What makes you thing I will die first?” Later he told me he was hiding the gun. OK, now he is just being overly sensitive!

So then I turned it around and asked Don what his favorite thing was on this trip. He said he wasn’t going to do that this time. He had something else in mind.  Hold on!  No telling what is coming next. 

Usually at this point on the trip home he wants to wrestle my blog away from me and wax philosophical. However, knowing that he can go on forever, I have agreed to listen to what he says, boil it down and not let him get his hands on my computer.

Then he started…"We hear so much in the news lately about ‘legacies.’ The President, other politicians, Hollywood stars…So many times these “legacies” are self serving  power trips that get in the way of what these people are supposed to be accomplishing.

There are three events that we experienced on this trip where I believe people left behind their legacies without really trying.

3) The Amerind Museum. (Blog Post # 11)
William Shirley Fulton moved from Connecticut to the desert of Arizona 20-30 miles east of Benson, near the Cochise Stronghold. After discovering a prehistoric pot in a cave he started working on his passion. He was not an archeologist but he spent years collecting artifacts, pottery, rugs and pictures from all over the Southwest including many items from Mexico.

He housed it all in a museum outside of Benson opening it in 1937. There is no way that I could live in this dry desolate location.

I’m sure that this man did not think that his legacy would be leaving behind his collection and museum for the public to enjoy, but to Dorene and I and many others, it is a monument to a man who followed his passion.

2) Kartchner Caverns. (Blog Post # 10)
In 1974 Randy Tufts and friend Gary Tenen entered a sinkhole in the Whetstone Mountains west of Benson, Arizona. They found a small blowhole by which they entered the Caverns. They became the first humans ever to step foot in this fantastic cave. This began an incredible story of secrecy, intrigue, political maneuvering and self doubt about whether they were doing the right thing.

On previous visits to Kartchner, Dorene and I heard some of their story, but on this trip I decided to buy the book, Kartchner Caverns by Neil Miller. Wow, what a story! I’m surprised that Hollywood has not picked this up and made a movie of it.

In 1978 Tufts and Tenen decided that they would visit the Kartchner family who owned the property and tell them about their discovery. They would continue to keep the location of the cave secret from the public. They eventually informed Arizona politicians about the cave trying to get it included in the State Park system. This lengthy process extended through the terms of three different governors.

In November 1999 the Rotunda and Throne Room first opened to the public. Both Tufts and Tenen were present at the opening. In November 2003 the Big Room was open for public tours. Randy Tufts had died in 2002 and of course did not see the second opening of his wonderful discovery.

 

The Kartchner family was paid about 1-1/2 million dollars for the property. It took many millions more to open it up for public tours. Of all the stories I have heard, and this book I read, I did not see any evidence that Tufts and Tenen received any financial reward for their discovery. The cave itself was their legacy.

I’m sure that they did not perceive at any time that they would leave a legacy behind, but they did.

1) The Out House. (Blog Post # 5)
When Dorene and I, after some 20 years, finally discovered the location of the homestead of Mom and Dad it was an exciting time. We often think of many people who had a pioneering spirit. I also give credit for that to my parents.

When they homesteaded this five acre piece, there was only one major road, no power, water or sewer. I remember driving across the desert with no roads trying to identifying the piece of property that they homesteaded. Finally they had a cabin (if you can call it that) built on the property.

 

As Dad began plans to construct an out house for the cabin, I am sure that he did not consider that this would be part of his legacy to me.

The process of building and trailering the out house some three hours out to the desert cabin was an experience that I fondly remember. Digging the hole and placing the out house over it completed the process. Oh, I guess there was one more step…”baptism by fire”.

This episode reminds me a lot about what my mom and dad taught me and the pioneering spirit that they both had. What better legacy could anyone leave?

The above three stories show what real legacies are all about. Nothing contrived, nothing controlled, nothing planned. But with determination and integrity it just happens.”

Disclaimer: OK, Folks, I tried, but I couldn’t hold him back. I told him this was a blog not a book. He replied that I couldn’t tell stories as good as he and Dad. Well, at least not as good as his dad, that’s for sure!

Through a wet and rainy windshield we finally see a familiar entry gate.

Well, guess what? We finally made it back home. It’s been a great trip. Thanks for riding along with us. Hope you enjoyed the trip as much as we did. Remember, we always enjoying hearing from you.


So long till next time.

Dorene and Don