I added pix to the last post, FYI. 

3/8/13  

     We did go to Scottsdale to check out the ballpark etc for the next day's game.  It was cold and a bit drizzly   The ride though Mesa where the Casita was parked to Scottsdale took 40 min on a beautiful, busy freeway.  We had no idea we were so far away!  We parked and checked out the sights.  It was after 5 so the shops were pretty locked up but there were lots of people around all decked out in their Giants gear.  The stadium here is devoted to just the Giants and their spring training games this time of the year.  You can tell it is a huge money maker for the area.  The shops are pretty high end.  We had dinner out and We ran into Dr. Spencer from the hospital!!  We then drove all the way back and crashed. 

3/9/13
      In the morning Jerry was soo excited we were on the road early to get to the ticket office by 10. We already had our tickets we had bought on the internet and printed at Sandy's house, but he just couldn't wait to get inside!

     As you all know, we have been trying to keep this trip as inexpensive as possible so bought nothing at the Giants stores but when we walked in we signed up for a raffle and got a Giants scarf and key chain each and when Jerry signed up for a new credit card we got this bag!  We had brought a lot of stuff  to prepare for cold and rain and had been carrying it in a plastic bag but now we were stylin'! 

    The field was covered when we first got there. The game the previous day had been called due to rain.  We walked all around the stadium and bought lunch.  Mine was a delicious chicken salad and Jerry had a terrible hot dog...And we also had some junk food!  :-)  The stadium was so much smaller that San Fran but still classy!  

    Our seats were the third row from the field on the foul line down from third base.  They were OK but difficult to see the batter. 

 We got to see the fans get their baseballs and hats signed by some of the players within feet of us.

        Buster Posey didn't sign any:(

      The Giants did terrible!  They allowed 6 runs by the Royals (one of the worst teams according to Jerry) before they even got up!!  They lost 13-2.  It was also one of the coldest days of the year!

     When we got back to the RV park (remember, a long way on the freeway!) Jerry relaxed in the hot tub 

and drowned his sorrows with.....as Jerry's sister Susie would say "a mixed drink" or two!

and I got the dirty clothes together walked over to the laundry facilities, put the clothes in and went to put the quarters in and lo and behold you needed to use a card that you had to get from "Sally" at the office who had left 10 minutes before!  I put the clothes back in the dirty clothes bag and went back to the trailer and had leftover caramel corn for dinner!

3/10/13 Sunday

    After way too much discussion, in my humble opinion, we had decided to go to Sedona.  I had called my cousin Lorna and made a plan.   Remember her from Ajo?  She is my double cousin.  She and her husband, Doug, split  their time between Durango, Colorado and Ajo Arizona.  It just so happened that they were traveling south at the same time we were in Phoenix so we decided to meet up at a casino near Camp Verde off of Highway 17 on our way to Sedona. 

     We took only the car due to the mountains and we were glad we did.  I drove and got as slow as 40 when others were going 65 up some of the hills.  Of course we have no pictures of the road because I was driving.  Just so you know, it was beautiful.  More Saguaro cactus (the kind with arms) than I had ever seen!  The rain had made the grass come up so things were quite green.  The road wound in and around and up and over the hills.  As we climbed we could see powdered sugar covered mountains.  

     We had a fun lunch with Lorna and Doug at Johnny Rockets restaurant at the casino.  It was Lorna's birthday so now we are the same age again....  Sure wish we lived closer...but of course we would drive our spouses over the edge.  They were loosing interest in our talk about Grama's house on Hillsdale street within minutes!  Can you imagine!?

     We headed north and they south.  Sedona is gorgeous and the weather had much improved.  Beautiful sun and blue sky and red, red rocks.

 Snow on the side.  All in Sedona were quite excited!

  Thank you for your encouragement to go, Marilee and Bruce!

This Church was amazing.

You were absolutely right!  The town was so quaint and the shops and houses just fit so nicely with the landscape.

 Glass twirly sculptures.

 Dr Seuss museum and art gallery

 Sculptures everywhere!

We had a leisurely walk about the town and then headed south to our "home" again. 

     Dinner at an outback restaurant and home through heavy traffic in the dark.  Where are folks going???  We tried to check in that morning to say we were staying another night but the RV park office is closed on Sunday, sooo ...still no clean clothes and....

3/11/13 Monday

     We snuck out by 8:30 (the office opens at 9).  We quietly hooked up the Casita and hit the road for Suprise on the West side of town. I counted up our free nights and including this one, we have 5!   It took over an hour to get there as we took the loop around Phoenix because it was Monday morning and we do know where all those folks are going!  (retirement is great!  but I do fear Jerry is catching the retirement fever! Don't tell him I said anything!)  

     Gorgeous sunshine, easy free parking, and another ballgame with even better seats!!  We bought these at the front ticket counter when we got there!!  This was at the Surprise Stadium and is the home of the Texas Rangers and The Kansas City Royals (the team we lost to on Saturday).  The Giants were playing Texas.  It is absolutely amazing what a difference some warmth and blue skies has on one's enjoyment of a baseball game.  Maybe Jerry is right in his constant search for sun. (don't tell him I said that either!)

     We sat about 4 rows back from the dugout right at third base!  We saw more players I knew (no Sergio Romo, though).

 Our first view of the Surprise Ball Park

 Home plate from our seats!

 A gorgeous warm day!

 Shortstop Crawford

 

      The Giants even won!  A much better game.  We had a terrific time!

     The game was over about 3 so we headed West. We wound up taking the 303 "soon to be real, but now under construction freeway".  Whew, quite exciting!  It took us to the 17 and then just past Tonopah, we started north on the Salome Road.  It turned out to be a beautiful drive with a gorgeous desert Sunset.  The road had lots of "washes" across it so it had lots of nice gentle "dips" which were quite fun!  Jerry said I am pretty easy to please!  We got to Salome in the dark.

    Our RV park book seemed to have gotten the addresses wrong on the RV parks, so after much searching in the dark we arrived at "Desert Vista" RV park, checked ourselves in, put our $15 in the envelope, plugged in the electricity and water and here I sit 2 hours after Jerry went to sleep.  I guess older people need less sleep...or is it that I am more tightly wound or a female???  Who knows, but I am tired so good night all!