Mar 1, 2013 - Casa Grande

We left Tucson after 3 days. Tucson area has a lot to see and do. We traveled a few hours to Coolidge AZ. To see the Casa Grande national monument . It is an old habitat of the pueblo people from the 13th century. It is an amazing 4 story structure made of dirt and other material piled layer after layer ( no bricks or stones) in the Adobe style of construction . Only a few walls and 1 main structure remain. Getting warmer . 26 today.

Feb 25, 2012 - No grass growing under our wheels in Mesa

Wow, where have 3 months gone!! Being retired doesn't mean being inactive and letting life pass us by. I am as tired at the end of every day here, as I was working and I still find more to do in the evening. We have just over two weeks to go before our reservation ends here at Silveridge on March 13th. We are normally deeply involved in planning our next travel season, but alas, this next trip will be a return to Sacramento. Marianne and I have decided to return to our house in the South Natomas neighborhood of California's capitol city to...

Nov 15, 2011 - Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

We decided to visit a nearby National Monument that is administered by the National Park Service. We have seen several "cliff houses" and some other ruins, but this one was a bit different. An Ancient Sonoran Desert People's farming community and "Great House" is preserved at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Created as the nation's first archeological reserve in 1892 by President Benjamin Harrison, the site was declared a National Monument in 1918. Casa Grande, meaning "Great House" and its surrounding compound, one of the largest...

Jan 20, 2011 - Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Today John, Jan and I went to visit the Casa Grande Ruins. It was a pretty neat place. We saw a short movie then went through a small museum. Then there was a tour guide who gave us a great tour of the Ruins. The home there is known as the ("Great House") is still there and they think it has been there since around 1350 C.E. This is one of the largest prehistoric structures ever built in North America; its purpose still remains a mystery.

Apr 17, 2010 - Desert Flowers and Cactus (1st and 3rd grades)

Traveling north from Tucson to Prescott, the cactus are finally starting to bloom as are the wild flowers. Beautiful to be driving along in the CoCo Locomoto and seeing these beautiful sites. We have learned a lot about the Prickly Pear Cactus and have sent you some candy, fruit and pads from the Prickly Pear. Can you guess how the candy is made? There are different varieties of the Prickly Pear but all have "fruit." The Native people in the area use the fruit to make the candy by peeling it and cooking until soft, then straining the juice...

Apr 15, 2010 - Casa Grande Ruins

What a learning trip the Casa Grande Ruins were! They are located in Coolidge, AZ and date back to the 1200's. The main structure was covered in the 1930's and it was designated as a National Monuent to keep people from ravaging the ruins. It was inhabited by the Hohokam culture who were farmers and gatherers. Still visable in some areas are the irrigation canals they dug way back then to irrigate their crops. THe "Great House" which is the covered structure had holes in different places to track the sun and moon's movement which is how...

Feb 16, 2010 - Casa Grande National Monument

Dear Farley, FINALLY they hauled themselves out of the pool long enough to take an excursion to Casa Grande National Monument, which I thought was the whole reason we came here. As you know, pre-Columbian archeology is my passion, so I have been waiting for quite a while to see this place. Casa Grande is a canine archaeologist's mecca because they actually allow dogs to walk around the ruins here -- on leash, of course, but whatever. I was able to nose the walls of the big house (casa grande, get it?) and poke around in some of the lesser...

Mar 27, 2009 - Casa Grande Ruins

On the way home we stopped at the Casa Grande Ruins in Coolidge Az. There is a town called Casa Grande but that is not where the ruins are. Go figure! This 4 story high and 60 feet long building is the largest known structure built by the Hohokam tribe. It was the early Spanish explorers who named it Casa Grande ( Great House). Our guide told us that the walls face the four points of the compass and there is a circular hole in the upper west wall that aligns with the setting sun at the summer solstice. The Hohokams are called the "First...

Jan 6, 2009 - Trying to leave Arizona...

As most of you know we have spent more than our fair share of time in service centers attempting to get 'coach issues' fixed. To be fair, 2008 was a pretty good year and we only had to come in off the road a couple of times to have items taken care of. When we pulled into Mesa a couple of weeks ago we headed into RV Renovators for what we hoped would be one final service appointment. We had a couple of minor repairs done and one on-going problem 'fixed'. This on going problem is a leak in the bedroom slide. Whenever it rains water drips...

Feb 24, 2008 - Onto Coolidge

Very short day today, about 2 1/2 hours after leaving Benson we arrived at the Ho Ho Kam RV Park in Coolidge Arizona. Unhooked the trailer and headed up the road to check out Casa Grande Ruins National Park. I think if one had not all ready seen the ruins at Chaco Canyon and Bandelier these at Casa Grande may seem impressive but having seen the first two they were pretty average. After leaving the park we headed over to the actual town of Casa Grande, about 16 miles away. We took a cruise through the Palm Creek RV Resort, WOW!!! Over 1800...

Feb 12, 2008 - Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Today we decided to take a drive & we ended up at Casa Grande National Monument,located in Coolidge, AZ. an hour southeast of Phoenix (on hwy 87/287). Info from pamphlet: Casa Grande Ruins National Monument preserves remains of an ancient Hohokam farming village as well as the enigmatic great House. The ancient builing was four stories high & 60ft. long, it is the largest known structure from Hohokam times, early Spanish explorers called it Casa Grande ("Great House"), & to them it was a mystery. Its walls face the four cardinal points of...