Mark and Pat Day Go on a Mission: January 2012

Monday, January 30, 2012

CELEBRATION AT OLD TOWN

WE SPENT THE DAY AT OLD TOWN FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE MORMON BATTALION'S ARRIVAL IN SAN DIEGO ON JANUARY 29, 1847. ALL OF THE VARIOUS WARDS IN THE AREA HAD PEOPLE DRESSED IN COSTUME AND THERE WAS A PARADE AND REENACTMENT OF THE ARRIVAL. THERE WERE LOTS OF BOOTHS, MAINLY ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN TO MAKE, BRICKS, QUILT, MAKE ROPE, CHURN BUTTER, MAKE A RAG DOLL. ETC. TONS OF PEOPLE TH ERE AND VERY WARM. 83 DEGREES. SO FOR THOSE WHO KNOW ME I WAS AT LAST WARM IN JUST A T- SHIRT. WE WENT UP TO THE BATTALION CENTER TO TAKE ANOTHER TOUR BUT THEY WERE SO BUSY WE THOUGHT WE WOULD LET OTHERS GO AND WE WILL GO BACK NEXT WEEK.

CAME BACK ON THE GREEN TROLLEY LINE AND DECIDED TO RIDE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE END IN SANTEE. A NICE MALL AND SHOPPING AREA AND MARK WAS ELATED TO FIND A MIMI'S RESTAURANT WHICH WE SHALL HAVE TO TRY SOMETIME. AS FOR ME THERE IS A MARIE CALENDARS JUST DOWN THE STREET. PIE ANYONE?

THE PARADE OF SOLDIERS

MAKING ROPE

MAKING BRICKS

MARK IS READY TO HIT THE TRAIL

THIS IS THE FIRST ROOM IN THE BATTALION CENTER AND THESE PICTURES COME TO LIFE AND TALK TO YOU.

THIS IS SOME KIND OF AGAVE PLANT THAT GROWS HERE. VERY WEIRD

TEACHING PIONEER DANCES AT THE BATTALION CENTER

OUT AND ABOUT

TODAY WE RAN A FEW MORE ERRANDS. I WANTED A BIRD FEEDER TO HANG OUTSIDE. WE BOTH LOVE TO WATCH THE BIRDS AND WE ARE HOPING TO ATTRACT SOME HERE IN THE RV PARK. MARK HAD TO MAKE CALLS TO FIND THE NEAREST VA FACILITY SO HE COULD GET SIGNED UP ON THE MEDICAL SYSTEM HERE. IT TURNS OUT IT IS ONLY A FEW TROLLEY STOPS FROM US AND EASY TO ACCESS SO WE WON'T HAVE TO GO CLEAR DOWNTOWN. I WENT TO FIND SOMEPLACE TO GET MY HAIR DONE BECAUSE I FAILED TO DO IT BEFORE LEAVING HOME. I FOUND A NICE AVEDA SALON BUT THEY WERE CLOSED. SO I WENT EXPLORING AND FOUND THE CUTE VILLAGE OF LA MEAS. SOME VERY NICE AND FUN LITTLE SHOPS. OF COURSE THIS PINK PURSE JUST JUMPED OUT AND SCREAMED "BUY ME". SO I DID. I HAD TO HAVE SOMETHING TO MATCH MY IMPATIENS I BOUGHT FOR THE OUTSIDE TABLE. I ALSO FOUND A NICE SHOPPING AREA WITH THESE BEAUTIFUL STATUES AND FLOWERS.

THIS ATMOSPHERE COULD DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE ONE TO GO SHOPPING IN THE WINTER.

SO WHAT IF I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING PINK. I THINK IT'S CUTE.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

CHECKING OUT SAN DIEGO

WE SPENT YESTERDAY CHECKING OUT OUR TERRITORY AND WHERE THE GROCERY STORES ARE AND THE CHURCH (ABOUT 5 MINUTES FORM HERE) ETC. WE ARE SURROUNDED BY FREEWAYS AND IT WILL TAKE AWHILE TO FIGURE IT ALL OUT. DID A TRIAL DRIVE TO THE BATTALION SITE IN OLD TOWN AND THEN TO THE SAN DIEGO TEMPLE TO SEE HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE ON DAYS WE HAVE TO DRIVE.

WE TOOK THE BATTALION TOUR IN SPANISH WHICH WAS FUN. I UNDERSTOOD ABOUT EVERY 100TH WORD. BUT I DO WANT TO LEARN THE DIALOGUE IN SPANISH SO EVENTUALLY I CAN DO IT. (SENIOR AVALOS WOULD BE SO PROUD OF ME)

WE HAVE NOW MET ALL THE OTHER SENIOR COUPLE WHO ARE HERE. WE WILL REPLACE THE BRENCHLYS WHO ARE FROM SALT LAKE. THE WOODBURY'S ALSO WILL BE LEAVING AND THEY ARE FROM SALT LAKE. THE SEEGMILLER'S FROM SOUTH JORDAN ARE THE NEW DIRECTORS. THE STALLINGS WILL BE HERE FOR A FEW MORE MONTHS AND THEY ARE FROM TWIN FALLS. THERE WILL BE ANOTHER COUPLE COMING FROM OAKLEY,UTAH WITH US.

WE ENDED THE DAY BY GETTING LOST ON THE FREEWAY ON OUR WAY TO SEE THE SUNSET. "FLO" OUR GPS WENT "BELLYUP" ON US IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY SO WE HAD TO DO IT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY BY USING OUR OWN INTELLECT. (SHE IS GOING BACK TO COSTCO TODAY. CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT A GPS HERE.) WE FINALLY MADE IT TO THE SUNSET CLIFFS ROAD AND DROVE ALONG THE BEACH DRIVE. PARKED FOR AWHILE TO SEE THE SUNSET. THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE HAD HIGH SURF THAT DAY AND WE WANTED TO SEE IT BUT IT WASN'T ANYTHING GREAT SO WE MUST HAVE MISSED THE TIME. THE SUNSET WAS NICE AND IT WAS STRANGE TO SEE PEOPLE SWIMMING AND SURFING IN JANUARY.

Friday, January 27, 2012

SUNSET ON THE OCEAN

WE SPENT THE DAY EXPLORING OUR AREA AND RUNNING SOME ERRANDS. TOOK A NICE WALK AND WENT BACK TO THE BATTALION SITE. WE DECIDED TO TAKE THE TOUR IN SPANISH. THAT WAS DIFFERENT AND KIND OF FUN. IT HAS INSPIRED ME TO BRUSH UP ON MY SPANISH SO I CAN MEMORIZED THE DIALOGUE IN SPANISH. MAYBE I'LL EVENTUALLY BE ABLE TO SPEAK IT.

THEN WE TOOK A TRIAL RIDE TO THE SAN DIEGO TEMPLE JUST TO SEE HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE UP. ONLY 15 MINUTES BY CAR FROM THE OLD TOWN BATTALION CENTER. DRIVING TO OLD TOWN FROM OUR RV CAMP IS ABOUT 20 MINUTES, BUT WE WILL TAKE THE TROLLEY MOST DAYS BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC.

CHECKED OUT WHERE WE WILL GO TO CHURCH. IT IS ABOUT 6 MINUTES AND WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE FREEWAY.

NOW FOR THE NICE PART. WE DROVE OUT TO SUNSET CLIFFS ROAD AND SAT AND WATCHED THE BEAUTIFUL SUNSET AT 5:16. HERE IT IS JANUARY 27TH AND PEOPLE ARE OUT IN THE OCEAN SURFING. WOW!

TOMORROW THERE IS A BIG CELEBRATION IN OLD TOWN ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTALION ENTERING SAN DIEGO SO WE WILL GO AND HANG OUT. WISH WE COULD BE INVOLVED BUT THEY WON'T LET US UNTIL WE ARE TRAINED.

WE FEEL REALLY BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO COME TO THE BATTALION SITE. THE MISSIONARIES WHO ARE THERE NOW SAID IT IS ONE OF THE MOST REQUESTED MISSIONS. SOMETHING LIKE 4,000 REQUEST TO COME HERE. SO WE ARE SO BLESSED AND FORTUNATE AND WILL TRY TO DO OUR BEST.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

OUR FIRST VISIT TO THE HISTORIC MORMON BATTALION SITE

WE SPENT OUT FIRST FULL DAY IN THE 83 DEGREES SAN DIEGO WEATHER DOING SOME ERRANDS AND GROCERY SHOPPING. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL JANUARY DAY. ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID WAS TO PURCHASE OUR MONTHLY TROLLEY PASS. IT IS ONLY $18 TO RIDE/ MONTH AND IT GOES MOST OF THE PLACES WE WILL NEED TO GO. I DID SOME LAUNDRY AND THEN WE HOPPED ON THE TROLLEY AND HEADED FOR OLD TOWN TO CHECK THINGS OUT AT THE BATTALION SITE. WE MET THE TWO COUPLE WHO WE WILL BE REPLACING AS WELL AS THE NEW DIRECTOR AND HIS WIFE, THE SEEGMILLERS. I THINK SHE AND I WILL GET ALONG FAMOUSLY. THE YOUNG SISTER MISSIONARIES SAID THAT SHE WAS A DRAMA TEACHER ALSO. WE MET SEVERAL OF THE SISTER MISSIONARIES AND THEY WERE EXCITED TO MEET US. WE WATCHED THE FILM "MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD" THE STORY OF THE BATTALION EPIC. WE DIDN'T TAKE THE TOUR BECAUSE IT WAS GETTING LATE BUT WE WILL GO BACK SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE WE HAVE TO GO TO PROVO TO THE MISSIONARY TRAINING CENTER IN FEBRUARY.

WE ARE READY TO GET GOING.

ON THE TROLLEY

We met the man who was the model for this statue in Phoenix...Owen Garner

THE MORMON BATTALION HISTORIC CENTER IN SAN DIEGO

www.mormon.org/mb

AND HERE WE ARE!!!

GREAT GRANDPA ABRAHAM DAY OF THE MORMON BATTALION

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

THE LAST LEG OF THE JOURNEY ...ON TO SAN DIEGO

WE ROSE EARLY THIS MORNING ANXIOUS TO BE ON OUR WAY TO SAN DIEGO AND OUR FINAL DESTINATION FOR 18 MONTHS. OFF WE GO ACROSS SOME MIGHTY RUGGED TERRAIN. THANKFULLY WE WERE IN "BIG HANK" AND ON THE FREEWAY. WE ARRIVED HERE SAFE AND SOUND AND SET UP OUR "HOME AWAY FROM HOME" AND NOW AWAIT OUR NEXT ADVENTURE. STAY TUNED.

ONE MORE STOP AT THE BORDER PATROL STATION AND OVER THE HILL WE GO TO SAN DIEGO

I WISH I HAD A NICKEL FOR EVERY ROCK ON THIS MOUNTAIN.

THE HISTORIC PLANK ROAD ACROSS THE SAND DUNES

TODAY WAS AN ADVENTURE. WE ROSE REALLY AND IT WAS COOL AND WINDY. HEADED WEST ON I-8 ABOUT 10 MILES TO FIND THE OLD GHOST TOWN OF TUMCO. IT WAS A FORMER MINING TOWN. AFTER SEVERAL PASS-BYS WE FINALLY SPOTTED IT. IT WAS QUITE A HIKE AND THERE DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE MUCH TO SEE SO WE JUST USED BINOCULARS. WE COULD SEE THE REMNANTS OF AN OLD MINE AND SOME SORT OF OLD TANKS. WE DID COME ACROSS A VERY SMALL DESERT CEMETERY WITH JUST PILES OF ROCKS AND SMALL WOODEN CROSSES. I WOUNDER WHO WOULD WANT TO BE BURIED HERE? THE LATEST ONE WAS 2001.

NEXT IT WAS ON UP THE ROAD TO SEE THE OLD PLANK HIGHWAY BUILT IN 1912. THE SAND DUNES ARE SO DENSE THAT THE EARLY CARS COULD NOT TRAVEL OVER THEM. 8 MILES OF PLANK ROAD WAS MADE FOR THE EARLY MODEL A AND MODEL T CARS TO DRIVE OVER. AS THE SAND WOULD SHIFT THEN THEY USED MULES AND WAGONS TO REPOSITION THE PLANKS,. THIS IS THE LAST REMAINING SECTION OF ROAD. IN THE DISTANCE YOU CAN SEE THE LARGE METAL FENCE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT OUR BORDER AND THE BORDER PATROL.

QUITE A FEAT TO BUILD THIS ROAD AND THEN TO TRY TO DRIVE ON IT. THE WIND BLOWS CONSTANTLY.

THERE WERE LOTS OF MOTOR HOMES PARKED ON THE DUNES AND PEOPLE RIDING THEIR ATVS ALL OVER.

BORDER PATROL

QUITE A FEAT TO BUIILD THIS ROAD AND THEN TO TRY TO DRIVE ON IT. THE WIND BLOWS CONSTANTLY.

THERE WERE LOTS OF MOTORHOMES PARKED ON THE DUNES AND PEOPLE RIDING THEIR ATVS ALL OVER.

BORDER PATROL

IF YOU LOOK OFF IN THE DISTANCE YOU CAN SEE THE HUGE FENCE THAT WAS PAID FOR BY YOUR TAX DOLLARS. IS IT WORKING????? I DON'T THINK SO!

OFF WE GO AGAIN. THIS TIME TO THE EAST OF YUMA NEAR THE TOWN OF WELTON. IT IS ABOUT 30 MILES EAST OF YUMA. WE ARE LOOKING FOR ANTELOPE HILL WHERE THE MORMON BATALION CAMPED ON JANUARY 4, 1847. WE DROVE "BIG HANK" OUR DODGE TRUCK AROUND THE ENTIRE MOUNTAIN IN THE SAND. THEN "OH NO" WE GOT STUCK AND STARTED SLIDING SIDEWAYS. I THOUGHT WE WERE FOING TO TIP OVER SO I GOT OUT SO THAT I WOULDN'T BE SQUISHED AND MADE MARK PUT ON HIS SEATBELT. HE PUT IT INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE AND GUNNED IT AND SLIDE DOWN A SMALL BANK AND WE MADE IT OUT. I WAS WONDERING HOW FAR WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO HIKE IN THE DESERT TO BE RESCUED. FUNNY THING JUST OVER THE NEXT KNOLL WAS A PAVED ROAD. AFTER SEVERAL PASSES AND LOOKING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD WE FINALLY FOUND THE MARKER.

ANTELOPE HILL BIG HANK GETS STUCK

THANKS TO MARK'S DRIVING PROWESS "BIG HANK" SLID SAFELY DOWN THE SAND.

I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW DIFFICULT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR THE BATTALION TO MARCH THEIR WAGONS AND MULES THROUGH THIS SAND.

AT LAST WE FOUND THE NEXT MONUMENT WHERE THEY CAMPED. IT OVERLOOKS THE REMAINS OF THE GILA RIVER, WHICH THEY FOLLOWED FOR MUCH OF THE JOURNEY. IN THAT DAY IT WAS A LARGE RIVER AND NOW THERE ISN'T A DROP OF WATER IN IT IN MOST PLACES.

THIS IS WHERE THE GILA RIVER WOULD HAVE FLOWED

THE NEXT STOP WAS ABOUT 12 MILES WEST IN THE GROVE OF AN OLD MESQUITE TREE THAT IS THOUGHT TO BE OVER 300 YEARS OLD. THIS IS WHERE THEY CAMPED ON JANUARY 5, 1847. IT TOOK US 20 MINUTES TO DRIVE THERE AND WAS ONLY 12 MILES AWAY BUT IT TOOK THEM ALL DAY TO GET THERE.

LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THIS TRUNK!

EVEN AMIDST ALL THE SAND AND BROWN DIRT THERE IS A BEAUTY IN THE DESERT.

WE NEXT DROVE WET TOWARD "DEVILS' POINT" THROUGH LOTS OF LOW FARMLAND. IT IS SOMEWHERE HERE THAT THEY CAMPED ON JANUARY 6TH 1847. THERE IS NO EXACT MARKER BUT WE KNOW THAT THEY LED THEIR ANIMALS ACROSS THE RIVER HERE SOMEPLACE.

TODAY IT IS A FERTILE AND PRODUCTIVE VALLEY.

I COULDN'T HELP STOPPING TO EXAMINE THE FARMING METHODS HERE. LARGE SHEETS OF BLACK PLASTIC ARE FURROWED ALONG WITH A WHITE PAPER TYPE OF MESH. NOT SURE WHY THEY DO THIS AND ONLY CERTAIN CROPS ARE PLANTED THIS WAY.

MORE LETTUCE MIX

NOW WE COME TO MCPHAUL BRIDGE. THIS IS JSUT PAST "DEVIL'S POINT" WHERE THE BATTALION MADE A ROAD. THE BRIDGE WAS MADE IN 1927 AND IT WAS BUILT BY THE SAME MAN THAT DID THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE. THEY SAY IT WAS A PROTOTYPE. IT WAS USED FOR MANY YEARS BUT IS CLOSED NOW DUE TO INSTABILITY. IT CROSSES THE GILA RIVER. THE BATTALION CAMPED ON THE UPSTREAM SIDE OF THIS AREA.

WE HAD A DELICIOUS HOME MADE TACO AND QUESIDILLA AT A LITTLE STAND HERE.