Pomona California - FMCA Rally

We attended an International FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association) rally in Pomona California from Saturday, Feb 23 to Friday, Feb 29. There were over 3000 motor homes at the rally and lots of things to see and do - seminars, vendors selling everything you could dream of for your RV, new motor homes for sale (some for over $1 million), and entertainment. We enjoyed Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits fame. He is a great entertainer and still energetic after making his big hits in the 60s - "I'm Henry the VIII, I am" and "Mrs. Robertson you have a lovely daughter". The Bellamy Brothers performed one evening - their hits include "Let your love flow".

We had dinner at a Cuban restaurant with the Gourmonds Chapter on Sunday night. This groups primary focus is fine dining. Many of the members are also members of the Dogwood chapter that we belong to in Virginia.

Dr. Phil

We went to the taping of a Dr. Phil show. It was fun to see all the behind the scenes activity and, of course, the stars - Dr. Phil and his wife Robin. We don't know when the show will be aired (need to keep checking the schedule on the internet). We doubt that we will be in the audience shots as the cameras were focused on another section, however, Robin McGraw was sitting around 20 feet from us.

We also checked out the cars at the famous Peterson Automotive Museum.

While we were in Hollywood they were busy preparing for the Academy Awards which were presented the following weekend. We checked out the "stars" along the Hollywood walk of fame; saw the famous "Hollywood" sign; and checked out the celebrity homes in Beverly Hills and Mulholland Drive.

Soledad Canyon

We spent several days at Soledad Canyon in Acton California which is north east of Los Angeles. The canyon provides a nice view of the nearby mountains. Dark skys were perfect for viewing the total lunar eclipse on Feb 20.

Palm Desert

On our drive along I 10 west of Quartzite, AZ we saw lots (thousands) of wind generators. What a fascinating sight for those of us that are not from areas with enough wind to support wind generation . My photos can't begin to capture this sight. These huge turbines (each blade on these turbines is over 40 feet long) were on both sides of the road for what seemed like miles.

Palm Desert was our home for a few days. It's much nicer than Palm Springs which is just a couple of miles west. Palm Springs is older and not quite so fresh and new. Almost all of the housing here is in gated communities with lakes, golf courses etc. There are lots of Palm trees as the name implies.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Park

While in Gila Bend we visited the Organ Pipe Cactus Park. This is the only place in the United States where the organ pipe cactus grow. We saw lots of cactus - organ pipe, saguaro, ocotillo (some with red blooms), barrel, prickly pear - and Mexican poppies along the scenic drive. The southwest section of the park is closed due to the problems caused by illegal immigration and drug trafficking from the nearby Mexican border.

Casa Grande Indian Ruins

We visited the Casa Grande National Park where we saw the ruins of an adobe "big house" built by the Hohokam Indians around 1300 AD. Our visit was accidently timed perfectly. Loren Russell, Native American story teller and flute player was at Casa Grande for a special appearance. He told us the story of why bunny's hop and why Rattle snakes rattle and have fangs. He is an interesting man and his stories provide insight into the native american culture.

As we passed through the area around Casa Grande we saw lots of cotton fields. This area in Pima County is where "pima" cotton got its name. Native americans first started growing cotten in this area about 3000 years ago.

Tucson Gem and Mineral Show

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is a huge event. Multiple shows with hundreds of vendors throughout the city.

Mann has always had a passion for rocks, so had a great time checking out all the minerals. Saw some huge, beautiful geodes.

Kitt Peak Observatory

Friends Larry and Gerry Clark joined us for a visit to the Kitt Peak Observatory. Kitt Peak supports the most diverse collection of astronomical observatories on Earth. Click HERE for more photo's taken at Kitt Peak.