On to the next adventures...
We have been in Phoenix for the last month; visiting with friends and family. While we are in Arizona we wanted to take advantage of the nice weather and visit a few of the southern states.

In the meantime here are some fun facts about Arizona (this list is for Heather.. aka "Mom"):
Arizona:
1. The saguaro cactus blossom is the official state flower. The white
flower blooms on the tips of the saguaro cactus during May and
June. The saguaro is the largest American cactus.
2. Arizona leads the nation in copper production.
3. Petrified wood is the official state fossil. Most petrified wood comes
from the Petrified Forest in northeastern Arizona.
4. The Palo verde is the official state tree. Its name means green stick
and it blooms a brilliant yellow-gold in April or May.
5. The cactus wren is the official state bird. It grows seven to eight
inches long and likes to build nests in the protection of thorny
desert plants like the arms of the giant saguaro cactus.
6. Turquoise is the official state gemstone. The blue-green stone has a
somewhat waxy surface and can be found throughout the state.
7. The state's most popular natural wonders include:
the Grand Canyon, Havasu Canyon, Grand Canyon Caves, Lake
Powell/Rainbow Bridge, Petrified Forest/Painted Desert,
Monument Valley, Sunset Crater, Meteor Crater, Sedona Oak Creek
Canyon, Salt River Canyon, Superstition Mountains, Picacho Peak
State Park, Saguaro National Park, Chiricahua National Monument,
and the Colorado River.
8. Arizona, among all the states, has the largest percentage of its land
set aside and designated as Indian lands.

Today we woke at the crack of dawn...actually before the sun came up but who is counting anyway..and packed up the rest of the truck. We found a wonderful bike rack from Costco.com that holds our bikes in a tray type system on a hitch mount. The bikes were strapped down; beverage and food coolers loaded; Roxy made sure she had Rosie the Rino; and we hit the ground running.

Today we travelled on the I-10 through southern Arizona through Tuscon and toward the Arizona/New Mexico boarder. We continued to head east through New Mexico and landed in Texas for the night. All the way through Arizona and New Mexico continued to have a desert/semi-arid climate. The vegetation consisted of dry bushes, scrub and cacti. Not a cow, horse or any animal to be found; nor any grasses of any sort. It would definitely be hard to make a living on this land, at-a-lone any type farming. However, spring does bring all sorts of color to the desert with its wonderful blooming plants. Cacti that appear to be dry and prickly pop out with the most amazing flowers.

As you start to getting into Texas, small hills start to form and shrubs and trees start to get larger. As you look into the distance you can spot acres and acres of pecan trees throughout the hillsides. The trees are just starting to leaf out now, with the pecan festival just around the corner to mark the growing season. Too bad we won't be around for it.

As you get further into Texas you start to notice oil pumping stations and some small oil rigs around. The few towns that we drove through today were one-horse towns; filled with oil workers staying in all of the hotels and motels. Definitely great for the economy.

As it started to get closer to supper time we decided it was time to pick a place to rest our hats. We landed upon Fort Stockton and decided to stay for the night. Fort Stockton’s history reflects the tale of the American frontier. In 1858, soldiers of the 1st and 8th Infantries arrived from nearby Fort Lancaster to garrison near the Comanche Springs at what was known as Camp Stockton.

They were tasked with protecting travelers heading west by stage coach to Mexico and California from San Antonio, many of whom used the area as a stopping point due to the abundance of water provided by the springs.

In 1867, the camp gave way to the new, more permanent Fort Stockton, and troops would remain stationed there until it was finally abandoned in 1886.

Once arriving to Fort Stockton we found a Days Inn and settled in for the night. We found a great little take out place for dinner- Bush's Chicken. Bush's chicken was founded in 1996 on the outskirts of Waco, Texas. They have now expanded and started franchising in 2005. It was some of the best fried chicken I have ever had.

Total travel miles: 660 Miles