Today is Tuesday, November 19th and we left Davis-Monthan AFB for Fort Huachuca Army Post at Sierra Vista, Arizona. When we arrived, we began our setup procedures for the RV. While we were leveling, one of the front two landing gear shafts collapsed allowing that front corner to drop slightly and the trailer was being supported by the other five trailer leveling support members. Turns out that one of the pins in the front landing gear had sheared. We left the trailer on five of the six supports and drove to a Jayco dealer in Huachuca City. They happened to have the replacement part and we were able to return to the trailer and replace both landing gear pins. After that, the trailer leveled nicely and we finished our setup. We were very lucky to find the part and that I was able to replace both of them without incident. We also are having our first rain since leaving Columbia Falls and Glacier National Park in early September.


Fort Huachuca is a very nice base and our slot at the RV Park is large and has very nice views. Fort Huachuca is a center for Army intelligence and information gathering. The have some small intel-gathering aircraft and two small drones on display pedestals.There is a small Army airfield, Libby Airfield, here which is shares the Sierra Vista Municipal Airport runways. We have not seen any military helicopter or aircraft traffic. The post is home to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and works with the Border Patrol and drug enforcement too. No personal drones are allowed at the base; airports nearby prohibit flight here too. The weather forecast calls for rain for the next three days; the total time that we plan to remain here. We hope to have some reasonable weather to go see Tombstone, Arizona.


Wednesday, November 19th - We drove to Tombstone yesterday to see what is there and learn more about what happened there. Tombstone is about 20 miles east of Sierra Vista, Arizona. We entered Tombstone and came right upon the main street that is the older part of town. We drove around the town and found that it is very small with the main "Old Tombstone" part of town surrounded by homes out in the foothills. We did not see any major shopping areas or large commercial areas; the main draw is the historical "Old Town." We walked down the main street of Old Tombstone and found lots of shops selling western clothing, ice cream, food, and more; a typical tourist environment. The day was cold and windy, so the number of tourists was quite low. We toured the County Courthouse that has been converted into a museum on the history of Tombstone, which also includes the shootout at the OK Corral. This is a very good museum and, in my opinion, the best part of the Tombstone experience. We spent about and hour-and-a-half there. We learned about the issues encountered with mining in the area, dealing with the Apache tribes, how agriculture came into the area, and about the legal aspects of the town with the shootout with the Earps and the Clantons. After the museum, we looked for a place to eat, but half were closed, and the ones that were open did not appeal to us. We drove back to Sierra Vista for lunch and then to the post at Fort Huachuca.


Thursday, November 20th - Heavy rains in the area. Very pleasant and comfortable to just sit in the warm trailer drinking coffee, working on the blog and enjoying the site of the inclement weather just outside the trailer.


The Buffalo Soldiers Museum is a must if you come to this area. These were some "tough hombres." Several cavalry units of African American soldiers were stationed at Fort Huachuca in the early 1900s. The went our to protect the border and also search for Pancho Villa and several Apache Indian groups. These soldiers were noted for their toughness and fighting skills. They did not give up when on a mission. Pretty neat to study what they did.


Friday, November 21st - We head on off to Phoenix, Arizona. Lisa went online and found an available campsite at the Lost Dutchman State Park right at the foot of the Superstition Mountains near Apache Junction, Arizona. This is at the very eastern-most side of the entire Phoenix area. The drive was uneventful and took about three and a half hours.