Phoenix, Neighborhood Cities and Roadside Memorials

We are still in Florence tonight. Yes, I did say the other day that we would be leaving today. We were supposed to go to Phoenix and get the warranty work completed on the trailer, then we were heading north to Flagstaff. But, when Dave called the dealer yesterday, they had JUST ordered the parts on Wednesday! We really wanted to say “Did you not hear us say last week that we were leaving April 29th and that was why we were coming back on that day?”!!

Anyway, we decided, that since I had already told our boss we would stop by the office today, we would go to Phoenix for the day. We had breakfast and then took off. Got this picture just for you Sheriff Joe fans.

Only stayed at the office about 30 minutes, then I wanted to find a Bed, Bath & Beyond so I could buy an apron. I also wanted to get some new sandles, so we looked for a mall. Ended up in Queens Creek which is Southeast of Phoenix, but on the way back to Florence (actually closer to Florence than it is to Phoenix).

And here is where the “neighborhood cities” come in. As we drive that way to come back to Florence there are these huge neighborhoods that have been built out in the middle of the desert with walls around them and because they are in the middle of the desert,

shopping centers are also built....and schools...and fire departments....and golf courses......and playgrounds....and parks....not necessarily in that order. I just got to wondering.....at what point do the neighborhoods become cities AND what a whopper of home owner association fees they must have to pay every year. The landscaping alone must take up most of it! I call them Neighborhood Cities because they aren't developed like we are used to cities springing up......some business or factory or natural wonder or something brings people to a particular area.

That is a waterfall and there is a matching one on the other side of the 4 lane street!

Now for the “Roadside Memorials”. We are all familiar with these. Some unfortunate soul gets in an accident or hit by a car and their family and/or friends put a cross or a bouquet of flowers on the side of the road.......In most states. In Arizona (probably others too, I'll let you know) the memorials are more prolific and more individually designed. Here are a few pictures of just 3 we see in and around the Florence area...the white one is just outside our RV park.

I just needed to add one thing about Florence that was not apparent when we were looking for an RV park to stay in.

There is a prison here

And Another one

And ANOTHER one

And these are not dinky little places either...they are HUGE...they have their own farm fields..INSIDE the fences! They don't even have them spread out...you drive down the main thouroughfare and they are one right after the other. First you see the Federal Detention Facility, then the State Penitentary, and last the Central Arizona Detention Facility. And then there are all the little mobile home communities outside the fences, which, we're sure, live the families that want to be close to all these felons............IN fact the 2nd day we were here they had that main street blocked off as there was an execution at one of those prisons.

Sooooo, having stayed one more day in Florence, we will bid it adieu tomorrow. We will head out and go to a place called Munds RV Park in Munds AZ. No, not Flagstaff, but almost. It is just south of there. We are planning on staying there until Wednesday or Thursday. Sunday will be Grand Canyon day, Tuesday will be Sedona Canyons ATV Tour day and not sure what Monday will be.

We will be outside Albuquerque Wednesday evening, then Amarillo TX Thursday evening...probably for a day or two. We need to be in Oklahoma City area by the 11th for some phone work we need to do for Elevate and since OKC is a 4g phone/data area we can work from there. We've been looking at Tinker AFB FamCamp, but have a 2nd choice in case we can't get in. They don't take reservations.

OK, that's enough for this evening...I'll try to get another entry in after we go to the Grand Canyon. No! We are NOT going to the Skywalk!

SHOUTOUT: to Eleanor and Dan, who I see have become followers....although I suspect it's Eleanor that's doing most of the following! Hi Eleanor and Dan!!