Cousin Billy Bob Richardson and his lovely Eileen spend their winters in Sun City Grande in the Phoenix area and devote a lot of their time touring in his humongous motor home. They were scheduled to lead a 30 motor home caravan down to Puerto Penasco, Mexico the first week of April and had invited us to tag along to provide first class entertainment for them.

After the rush of finishing up the Hacienda and moving in, Lil Annee and I were up for a break and some time in the sun. So, in order to beat a spring snow blizzard over the mountain passes, we pulled out of Montrose by 2Pm on March 31th figuring to spend the nite in Cortez over by the 4 corners. By the time we hit Cortez we had plenty of sun left and pushed on for a tour down thru Monument Valley, which lay along the southern Utah border and extended down into Arizona.

As you ole timers know, John Wayne shot many of his movies in Monument Valley, utilizing the magnificent views afforded by the towering buttes and mesas. Crossing the San Juan at Mexican Hat we climbed the escarpment and began to see the first of the northernmost pillars indicating the entrance to the Valley. As the sun chased the horizon, we rolled along at a goodly clip taking in the majestic landscape.

By flat dark we pulled into Kyenta,AZ to circle the wagon for the nite at the Navajo run
Holiday Inn. Early next AM we were on the road down thru Tuba City to Flagtown, and on to Sun City Grande, where Billy and Eileen were waiting.

By 3PM we pulled into Billy's and found he and Eileen provisioning their massive new age covered wagon for the trip. A 20 minute tour of the motor home assured us we would not be enduring the hardships of the wagon trains of old running across country. The rest of the day and Sunday gave us a couple of good meals out, a community block party, and time to load all our gear up for the trip into Old Mexico for a good time in the sun.

The Richardson home was an attractive typical desert home with magnificent landscaping utilizing desert plants just starting to come out in bloom and leaf [or spine]. Billy had told us he lived on the golf course, but I began to question that when I saw his house tucked back in a typical neighborhood. He quickly corrected me when he said he lived on his very own two hole course, which turned out to be a putting green off the back patio.

After dinner Saturday nite, we sat around the fire in the cool desert evening enjoying a good Cuban Cohiba. Down to chawing on the stub of our cigars, Billy drifted off on a discourse of all he had learned in his almost 70 years. He said,"Dee, you know I've had 2 airplanes, 3 or 4 boats, and 3 wives, and I'll tell you, if it flys, floats, or f_ _ _ s, its much easier to rent!" Quite the philosopher Ole Bill Bob is!

As the sun peeked over The Superstitions Monday, we were on the road towing a car, headed to the rondevous point, where we met up with the first 10 of 30 RVs for the trip. Billy was designated Wagonmaster and had planned for groups of 10 RVs to leave the start point at one hour intervals so as not to clog the highway with a long caravan. The folks we met at the starting point seemed to be a fun group and it looked to be a great start. After our 10 arrived and lined up in assigned order, Billy hollered,"Wagons Ho! Load 'um up, & head 'um out!". And , off we went heading to the border. First order of business was to open the bar at 60+ mph for Bloody Marys!

South of Greater Phoenix we headed, down thru Gila Bend, Why, Ajo, Organpipe Cactus National Monument, and on to the border at Lukeville, where we stopped for a lunch break awaiting a noon crossing of the border when our insurance became effective.

Lukeville on the US side is affectionately referred to as Gringo Pass for all the Gringos crossing on the way to Puerto Penasco and points south. After the required trip to the dutyfree store to load up on spirits, we rounded up our caravan and eased on thru the border checkpoints, headed for the Sea of Cortez.

In a short hour we passed on thru Sonoyta and the cactus covered mountains down thru the coastal plain to Puerto Penasco and the Playa Bonita hotel & RV Park, where we immediately set up our wagons in our appointed spots. During the rest of the day the rest of the caravans pulled in and got ready to party!

That nite we all hit the Playa Bonita hotel for Margaritas, dinner, and live entertainment. Annee & I got to meet all the other 60+ folks on the trip and our week was off to a great start!

Next day we all were invited over to Cholla Bay for a special breakfast, followed by a morning of clamming on the flats at low tide. Like lemmings, our group scoured the huge mud flats scratching for clams. Billy was designated photographer, while Annee, Eileen, and I along with 60 others went about our task. Luckily, my years of clamming the Eastern Shore of Va. came into play as I showed them how to "sign" for the elusive clam instead of just raking up an acre. We finished with a bucket of 100+ and when all were collected we had a mess of 900 or so for chowder and steaming.

Each nite the group was treated to Margaritas at "Billy Bob's & Howard's Bar", along with a massive table of horsdouvers. Usually, we would then take off on our own for a scrumptious seafood dinner at one of the great restaurants in town. Over 3 nites, Billy Bob's went thru some 28 gallons of Margaritas! What a buzz!

During the day we would seek desayuno [breakfast] at a local joint, then stroll the malecon downtown shopping, before almuerso [ lunch] at a great open cafe overlooking the Sea of Cortez. Puerto Penasco is the shrimp capital of Sonora, evidenced by the huge bronze statue of a fisherman riding a giant shrimp on the malecon, as well as all the excellent camorones we ate while there.

When not eating or shopping, our time was spent soaking up the sun by the pool or strolling the beautiful beach. What a way to spend a vacation!

Our last nite in PP was spent at Hacienda Las Fuentes with our large group soaking up an abundance of more Margaritas and good food, as well as enjoying a good Maraichi band and troop of traditional dancers.

Saturday AM after coffee, everyone began to load up and pull out at their leisure for the 4 hour trip back to Phoenix. Back at Gringo Pass we chowed down on a good burger, raided the dutyfree store again, and backtracked to Sun City Grande.

That nite we relaxed with a good steak grilled on the patio and reminisced about all the fun we had had. Next AM Annee & I were up early, and while Billy & Eileen were snoring away, hit the road for home.

Not liking to backtrack on our trips, preferring to cover new ground, we turned east at Flagstaff then north up through Navajoland for a visit to the historic Hubbel Trading Post established in 1876. Then we took a visit in to the fantastic Canyon De Chelly and a scenic tour of the rim road. By dark we pulled into the Hacienda after a great trip with the Richardsons!

POSTSCRIPT:
During the trip to PP, Billy wasn't feeling so pretty good, and as it turned out, went into the hospital after we left with congestive heart failure, due no doubt to a life of hard drinking, partying, and not following his own sage advice about renting vs buying!

After a week in the hospital and some regulation of his medicine, I'm happy to say he has recovered nicely and is anxiously looking forward to his 70rd birthday on April 28!