Shot Down in a Blaze of Glory.....

It was pouring down rain...I mean a real gusher of rain.  John and Eli were suppose to hop on the Spyder and ride it to Capitan, Lincoln and then into Odessa, but plans changed when they were both wet in 5 minutes. Eli got into the car with Lizzy and me, and John got grumpy..real fast. After I pointed out the fact that he knew it was going to rain and didn't pack accordingly....he hunkered down. The rain didn't last long.

1st stop was the home of  Smokey The Bear in Capitan, NM.  I'd been here before, but loved seeing it through the kids eyes. I mean, who doesn't love Smokey The Bear?

 Smokey's final resting place Inside the beautiful Smokey The Bear Historical Park

The sun was out...John dried out and we headed up the road just a few miles to Lincoln County, NM. This is the sight of the historical Lincoln County Wars where Billy The Kid was part of the problem or solution depending on which history you want to believe. Anyway...always fun to learn more about the American West and a folk lore legend...

Old Lincoln County Courthouse.  It's been restored and is full of many interesting facts which include a time line of events.

Not far from home, now....I can smell the dirt.  After lunch in Carlsbad...we rolled the back roads into Seminole, hit Andrews - where John stopped at Cpl. Rays for coffee and we pushed on to Odessa, TX The end of our journey...an epic trip, for sure.

Heading for Texas...or where am I today?

After so many days riding Dolly and being adventuresome, Lizzy and I turned the bike toward the East out of Camp Verde and headed for Springerville, NM where we stayed one night before mushing into Ruidoso, NM where we will hook up with hubby and Eli.

The weather is gorgeous, finally not too blazing hot as we left Camp Verde and headed for our first stop in Pine, AZ on Highway 260 East. That was a pretty road.  I'd do that road again in a heart beat.  Plenty of wide open areas with a few sweeps and twisties thrown in for fun. We fueled and got fresh water in Pine and then ventured forth toward Springerville, NM.  The road was great...not too much traffic and plenty of beautiful mountains to see...with green trees!

Springerville found us at a nice motel right off the main road with a great little cafe right next door.
The free breakfast was pretty good and while eating, I started a conversation with a couple who were from South Africa and Rhodesia. After telling them about Lizzy's interest in foreign languages and cultures, they said they would love to meet her.  It was very cool to see Lizzy being talked to in Zulu and in Africanz.  Lizzy was pretty impressed and added those to languages to her journal of languages and cultures that she has now met and heard.

We headed to Ruidoso, NM with the end in sight..well after a 327 mile trip, that is.  This was the long stretch at the end of the trip, but we just had hunker down and do it.

Pie Town was interesting...nothing there except two pie shops and a small gift store.  We went into the gift shop, bought some small items and visited with the owners before having a piece of pie at the Pio-Neer.  I had peach with raspberry.  It was, by my pie standards, just OK.  Off we go to San Antonio, NM where we picked up Highway 380.  HOT!  HOT!  HOT. The store attendant where we fueled said the freeway entrance to Highway 380 was closed and gave us directions to go around. Well....the directions may have worked at one time, but 15 minutes later the road ended in a dead end and we had to turn around and go back...it's HOT!!  Turns out, the entrance was not closed and we scooted onto Highway 380 toward our destination of Ruidoso, NM.

Stars and Stones....as we wind into Ruidoso it was raining.  Not hard...but definitely rain. We are dirty, tired and hungry...pizza room service!

Eli and John arrived around 9:30...warmed up pizza, took showers, watched a little TV...we all crashed! We head for Billy the Kid trail and home of Smokey The Bear tomorrow before arriving at home.  Last night on the road.

Grand Canyon Ride - The Zip Line or how I thought I would die!

So...OK....Zip Line.  I am a woman of my word, unfortunately in this case.  I signed Lizzy and I up for a 2 hour zip line tour at Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Camp Verde, AZ. The name of the zip line is the Predator. But, let's back up before I share my terror with you.  Leaving Sedona.

Sedona is a city that I really don't care to go back to unless I'm in a car. Then, I'd like to poke my nose around in the touristy little shops and spend money on things that when I get them home, I wonder why I bought them.

Camp Verde is only 32 miles from Sedona...piece of cake.  I ask Google to give me directions and it does. The map shows a nice road off the freeway so we decide to take it.  We launch without breakfast...we'll get something on the way out of Sedona as our check in time at the zip is 9:00am.
Reverse is still twitchy and I found that I had put Dolly in a position where I couldn't make a big old circle to turn. We are at a gas station fueling and eating donuts and I spy two hunky dudes whom I recruit to turn it around. Once turned...we were off in search of the back road into Camp Verde, AZ.

What we found was a pretty road with overhanging trees and a dead end. Google promptly told me to turn around. Well, DUH!!!! After turning around in the middle of a forest road with a big old sign that says..DEAD END, we headed back the way we came and got on the freeway, took the correct exit and found our way to the park.  Phew...we are ahead of 9:00am. Sweet!  NOT!  The guys didn't show up until 9:45 as we sat around in the hot morning sun.  OK..they show up.

After a safety briefing and fitting of our harness, we followed our two guides to the wooden stairs that switch backed all the way up 120 feet.  Needless to say, I was the last one up to the launching pad..well, one of the guides was behind me.  OK...my fear is evident on so many levels that my brain is in overload.  if the stairs were any indication of what was ahead....

Awrighty then....the platform is fenced on three sides. Sitting close to the edge of the open launch side is a big, sturdy wooden box, which, I am told is where we launch.  From the moment I reach the platform, I begin to shake and I can't let go of the guide who followed me up the stairs. I will saylet like I was going to fall from the platform..the safety was never a concern as we were always hooked onto at least two points of cable or the platform at the same time. that wasn't the fearful part for me. Plain and simple...it's stepping off the launch box into thin air that scared me to tears.  OK..my turn to go.

I make sure the guide goes over the procedure one more...no...two...no..three more times.  I shake like a quaking Maple tree as I stepped onto the launch box...never letting go of the guide.  I sat down into the harness and told him to push......

I didn't die...I didn't fall off the cable and most importantly...I didn't puke.

After three lines, we came to a rope bridge that was 40' long. WHAT????? After three zip lines, I was feeling pretty good ...I never warmed up to the platform, but the launching from the box, did not bother me after three zips...then comes the rope bridge...my fears elevate off the chart!

They made me go first.  OK...I'll go, but by my controlling rules:  Guide goes in front of me...no wigging....takes baby steps...I hold on to guide with left hand and the rope bridge with my right hand...I get to curse.... I didn't die...I thought I would, but I didn't. Phew!  Two more lines to go and by the time, it was over, my body was stressed, I couldn't talk, barely could walk.  My endorphines had maxed out and all I wanted to do was piddle.

Lizzy loved every minute of it. Every daredevilish thrill...upside down....et, al...she loved it. Does that fact make my fearful experience any better?  NO. But, I am happy for her. Will I ever do it again? NO.  I can embrace what I don't like and I am fine with that!

We've turned the corner...time to head for home.....