Bandera Dance Rally

The group of us arrived in Bandera, TX, for two weeks of fun and dancing with 160 friends at a singles dance rally at Skyline Ranch RV Park. Since we arrived a few days before the activities got under way, there was time for some sightseeing. The first day we took a trip to see the Texas Bluebonnets. But along the way we made a few stops.....

This bar and grill had some interesting and unusual items inside.

There were numerous parrots and other exotic birds, and some even talked.

This was one of the fancy Chinese pheasants.

And this peacock was sitting on the roof.

This room had an upper level with tables and chairs so you could dine with the parrots. And yes, the owner and his daughter also make pottery and sell it too.

On down the road we stopped at the Old Tunnel Wildlife Management Area.

 One of the main attractions, this old railway tunnel was built in 1913 to connect Fredericksburg and San Antonio. The tunnel has not been used for rail traffic since 1946. Today it is home to over 3 million bats. If you come at the right time of year you can view the colony of bats emerging every evening to go eat 25+ tons of insects nightly.

 

Next stop was the Alamo Springs Cafe.

They are famous for their hamburgers. You can get your burger on a jalapeno bun. Boy was it good.

They grind their own meat and make up the patties themselves.

After lunch we headed to Luckenbach, TX, made famous by Willie Nelson in his song. I don't remember this steer being here last year.

They usually have music every afternoon, as well as the evenings. In the evenings, the music is in the dance hall. Last year we came over one evening for dancing, but we never found the extra time this year.

And then it was on to Willow Springs Loop, a 13 mile drive full of Texas Bluebonnets and other spring wildflowers. Last year the Bluebonnets weren't blooming yet, but with the wet weather, all the spring flowers were in bloom.

More spring flowers.

Most of the creeks were full of water.

Site of the 1968 World's Fair, Hemisfair.

Another day a few of us headed to San Antonio. As many times as I have visited the Riverwalk and downtown area as an adult, I had never visited the site of the 1968 World's Fair. This year I walked the grounds of Hemisfair, the name for the 1968 World's Fair. The reason it meant so much to me was because I attended Hemisfair with my parents when I was 13 years old.

When I started looking back at all the pictures from this year's rally, I knew why I was so tired at the end of the two weeks. There will be separate blogs on many of the activities, but here are a few pictures of what went on every day.

 

 One evening Linda Wheeler entertained us with her singing while the rest of us line danced.

Every day there were dance instructions. It was beginning dance lessons in the morning and more advanced lessons in the afternoon. Here are Betty and Troy, our instructors, giving us a demonstration.

We were served breakfast every morning.

 As you registered you were assigned to a team. For the second year in a row, I was on the purple team. Every day a different team was responsible for preparing and serving breakfast, cleanup, social hour goodies and entertainment, and cleanup after the dance every evening.

 

Our goodies at social hour every day.

Waiting for announcements and entertainment.

If you wanted an evening off from dancing you could always join a few others for games.

Entertainment was the responsibility of each team. Some did skits, some sang, some had games, and some told stories and jokes. What was most fun was getting to know the other team members as you prepared your entertainment for your day.

Most evenings we danced to the music of Ronnie Furr. He not only does a great job playing other peoples music, he writes and records his own songs as well.

One evening there was karaoke.

The last two nights we had the Desert Rose Band.

More about the dance rally will forthcoming......

From Arizona to Texas

I'm only about two weeks late in updating my blog, but for my defense, I've been busy.

I left Benson, AZ, and headed east. My goal was the SI's Singles Dance Rally in Bandera, TX. But there were stops along the way. First, Rellene joined me in Benson. After spending the night in Deming at the Dreamcatcher RV Park we headed to Las Cruces, where Cheryl, who lives there, was joining us. While waiting for some more friends to arrive, Cheryl gave us a tour of Mesilla. The Village of Mesilla was incorporated in 1848 after the Treaty of Guadalupe made the area part of the U.S., and not Mexico. At one time it was the capital of Confederate Territory of Arizona. It was also the location of both the Butterfield Stagecoach Line and the Santa Fe Trail. Many historical figures, such as Billy the Kid, Pancho Villa and Pat Garrett, spent time here as well. It lost its prominence in the area when the Santa Fe Railway selected Las Cruces, another small village nearby, to locate in. I forgot my camera so I didn't get pictures.

By this time, Max, Mark, Nancy and Patty had joined the group, so when we left Las Cruces, our caravan was seven strong heading towards Texas.

Our stop for lunch was in Van Horn, TX. The two smaller vehicles are back behind.

Chuy's was made famous by John Madden, the sports caster. The owner even has a table especially for when Mr. Madden stops in. There is a variety of memorabilia from Mr. Madden on the walls, including one of his football jerseys from his professional days. They also have good Mexican food.

We spent the night in Ft. Stockton. Here is supposed to be the largest road runner in the world. Looks pretty big to me!

We drove out to the original Fort. Not much is left but a few buildings. We got there too late to tour the buildings, but still had a chance to walk around the grounds. This fort, like many in the old west, did not have the typical high walls around it like we are used to seeing in the movies.

The city's public pool is from a natural spring.

The old train station is now the Chamber of Commerce.

Bisbee, Tombstone and Fairbanks

Fairbanks is now a ghost town, although as late as 1972 they say you could stop and get a snack and soda. Although Tombstone is famous because of the OK Corral, they say many a gun fight and even a train robbery was held here in Fairbanks, too.

Although the town was founded in 1881, I doubt these street signs are that old. Originally a stage coach stop, the town blossomed when a railroad spur was built, connecting it to Benson and the Southern Pacific Railroad. Anyone heading to Tombstone or Bisbee had to pass through Fairbanks. Here you could stop for a elegant meal at the Hotel or have a drink at one of the several saloons. There were millinary shops and people had access to all the goods available by rail.

Located on the San Pedro River, it also became a hub for the mills located up and down the river.

Currently these buildings are under renovation.

On the other side of this slab is where the train tracks used to lie. Today there are no sign trains ever ran through this town. The town managed to stay alive, even after the trains quit running, because of the highway which was built next to the town.

I believe the school dates back to the 1890s.

Some miles southeast lies Bisbee, famous for its copper mines.

After the mines all closed around 1985, the town realized it would die unless something was done. The citizens decided to capitalize on its heritage by putting together a first class museum and by keeping the town much as it was in the early 1900s.

Built on a hillside, you can see each of these streets is at a different angle.

The is the Copper Queen Hotel which dates back to when the town was in its heyday.

Another old building.

Site of "The Glory Hole" the original entrance to the Copper Queen Mine.

During the time the mines in Bisbee were operating, they removed 8 billion pounds of copper and 3 million ounces of gold and silver, making this the richest copper mine in Arizona. Underground mining was central until 1910 when open pit mining came along and started mining the low grade ore while the underground mines continued to mine the higher grade ores.

 

Looking down the old main street.

A view of the town from the Copper Queen Mine.

I decided to take the Copper Queen Mine tour.

You can see this entrance was built in 1915.

Here we go, 1500 feet into the side of the mountain. Although the mine was several levels both above and below for a total of 700 feet, we saw mainly this level from where the train could take us.

We did stop once and climbed 35 steps to the next higher level. Here is one of the drills as was used at the time the mine closed. Our guide worked at the mine for 24 years before retiring. He had some interesting stories to tell, too.

Can you see the 2 green spots, one on the upper left, and one about middle? These are both copper in the rock. This is the purpose of the mines, to get that copper out.

 I found an explanation of the difference between rock/ore/grade. Any rock containing metal, which is profitable after digging it out is considered ore. All other rock is waste rock. Grade is the percentage of metal per ton. High grade ore is about 8-10%, meaning there is up to 160-200 pounds of copper per ton of ore. Nowadays high tech equipment can make a profit off low grade ores, some as low as .1% or 2 pounds per ton of ore.

 

These bicycles were provided for the bosses, who had to make the rounds of many sites multiple times per shift.

Ore broken up on the upper levels was sent down chutes into the ore cars for removal. We did not get to see how they removed the ore from the lower levels, only that it was said to be hauled up.

The mine is in much the same condition as it was when it closed operations 25 years ago, including many of the signs required to be posted.

Where did the guys go, when they had to "go"? These 'sanitary pots' were maintained on each level. I'm not sure why they were called 'honey pots' because I'm sure they didn't smell sweet.

This shovel could scoop ore and an experienced operator could fill one of the buckets in less than a minute.

An interior frame showing when it was constructed.

The town in its heyday in the early 1900s with a population of 20,000.

But by 1908 the downtown had burnt 3 times and was rebuilt.

When the mines opened in 1877 all the copper had to be hauled over 50 miles by freight wagon to Benson where it could be loaded on the railroads. But in 1881 they saved 25 miles when the New Mexico and Santa Fe Railroad opened in Fairbanks. In 1883 the trip was made easier when a toll road opened across the Mule Mountains.

Between Bisbee and Fairbanks was Tombstone. Made famous by the shootout at the OK Corral, the town itself was a short lived boom town fueled by silver mining. The first mine was found in 1878, and then the boom was on. It brought those prospectors and all the followers for the short time silver mining existed. In the late 1880s the mines flooded and the boom ended. But by that time it had a reputation for corruption and lawlessness which attracted many of the Old West's most famous characters. The town was known for its gambling, stage shows and prostitutes'. There were numerous gunfights, although none as famous as the shootout at the OK Corral. From about 1889 until the 1930s it was mainly forgotten. Now it contains many an historic landmark.

Many of these buildings are original, have only been restored and turned into shops and tourist traps. You can take a stage coach ride or watch a gun fight in the street.

The Bird Cage was one of the more prominent attraction in the 1880s. Now a museum, I did not have time the day I visited, so I decided this would be something to come back to.

Truthfully, I was disappointed in Tombstone. I knew it would be 'touristy', but I had no idea. I've been to places like Deadwood, and Dodge City, but never have I been to something like Tombstone. Every place you go into wants to sell you a ticket if you want to see it. And they aren't cheap either. Most tickets were $10 or more. Figure several of those and it adds up quick. Even the shootout at the OK Corral is now held privately and you have to pay to see the gunfight. Several places boast gunfights, but they all charge. I even saw a sign at one of the stores for a 'self-guided' tour for only $1. At least in Deadwood the gunfights are free.

 

I did think this scene was cute. (He was soliciting business for a gunfight down the street for only $4)

The old courthouse is now a state park. I got to Tombstone on my way back from Bisbee and decided I didn't have time to do more than stroll down the main street. This is another site to come back to.

I did see these guys jamming on the porch, so I stopped for a few minutes to listen.

If you want to see the site itself you have to pay. I declined.