Places We Have Called Home In 2019

Home Is Where We Park It:   UMOM New Day Centers, Phoenix 

Nov 3, 2109

Temperature 85 Degrees

First Team Meeting and Pot Luck Lunch

Titan Missile Museum – Part One

Sunday, Sunday.  Not having a church to go to we decided to as we have in the past to attend our home church by listening to our Pastor’s Message.  As always it was simple, direct, inspiring and provided much food for thought for the week ahead.

Noon time and we attended our first team meeting and pot luck lunch.  Once again we are the new guys on the block.  Everyone here has already served together at this location multiple times in the past.  Furthermore, this team is as different from our first team as night is different from day.  I’m not saying one team is better then the other.  Not at all. It’s just interesting to observe how each team – our first and now this our second – is a direct reflection of the personality and leadership style of the the team leaders.  Adaptability is the key.

That said lets go visit another fascinating and informative Museum.  Which would be

Proclaimed an Arizona Treasure by former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, The Titan Missile Museum is a unique facility that is comprised of two parts:  The Titan Missile National Historic Landmark which is the original launch complex and

The Titan Missile Museum Education and Research Center which is situated directly adjacent to the launch complex and houses an exhibit gallery, museum store, classroom, and an archival storage area.

The Titan Missile National Historic Landmark is former Titan II launch complex 571-7.

This former operational missile site was originally part of the 571^st Strategic Missile Squadron (SMS), 390^th Strategic Missile Wing (SMW), Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (AFB), Arizona. 

It is the sole remaining Titan II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) complex of the 54 that were on alert during the Cold War between 1963 and 1987.  There were 18 sites around Wichita, Kansas, 18 sites near Little Rock AFB, Arkansas and 18 other sites in the Tucson area.

The Titan II was the largest operational land based nuclear missile ever used by the United States.  This is a model of it on display in the Museum.

The primary mission of the Titan II missile

More about the Titan II missile

About that huge 9-megaton warhead

This is a deactivated W-53

The W-53 was contained inside what was known as a Reentry Vehicle.

which looked like this

Titan II had a big advantage

More about the fuel for the Titan II missile

These are the engines that powered the Titan II

This is an actual Titan II missile inside the original silo.  It has neither warhead nor fuel, allowing it to be safely displayed to visitors.  The dummy reentry vehicle mounted on the missile has a prominent hole cut in it to prove it is inert.

In accordance with a US/USSR agreement, the silo doors are permanently blocked from opening more than half way.

We have more to share with your but I’m going to call it a night at this point.  In a following blog we’ll go underground and take a tour of the facilities that have been preserved at this site.

Time to wrap up our day on The Road of Retirement.  We start our new project tomorrow so I’m going to get some sleep.  I know from the past three weeks I’m going to need all I can get in the days to come.

Thanks for checking in with us.  We always appreciate your company and comments.  Catch you tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before

See you on down the road!

 

 

 

 

 

Places We Have Called Home In 2019

Home Is Where We Park It:   UMOM New Day Centers, Phoenix 

Nov 2, 2109

Temperature 80 Degrees

Travel Day

Time to move on, time to add yet another blip to our map of Places We Have Called Home In 2019.

Inasmuch as the trip to Phoenix would not be a long one we decided to just take it easy this morning.  We headed out to McDonald’s for breakfast since neither of us wanted to cook or clean up before getting on the road.

Breakfast under our belts we returned home to take a brief nap.  Once that was accomplished it was time for jacks up.  Believe it or not, we were still on the road by 9 am.

The trip was for the most part an easy one.  Route 10 is a really decent road.  We only ran into one bad section that was a bit rough.  Overall, it was an easy ride with no traffic.

Along the way we encountered some overpass art

and we passed Picacho Peak which rises to a summit at 3, 374 feet.   A small flat space on top of the main spire can be reached via two trail heads. Portions of the trails are precarious, and hikers are aided by cables and catwalks.  At the base of the peak and surrounding it is Picacho Peak Park.  Anyone up to a hike?

In due time we were at our exit off the interstate and on local streets.  A few miles later we were at the entrance to

What is UMOM?  Their Mission, in their own words is: To prevent and end homelessness with innovative strategies and housing solutions that meet the unique needs of each family and individual.  

Founded in 1964, UMOM is an innovative provider of shelter,housing and services for people experiencing homelessness.  Every night they provide safe shelter and supportive services for over 170 homeless families. They also offer nearly 300 units of affordable housing across the Valley, each with special Program Centers for residents.

As NOMADS we have come to help them so that they can continue to help others.

Once through the gate, yup, we remembered the gate code we started down alongside the Admin building to the back parking lot.  Watch out for those speed bumps!

Around the corner and we were there.  Time to find out where our new home would be.

Our new home, space number 2.

We have 50 amp and a FHU.  The space is paved, level, and everything is right where it needs to be.

Everything went smoothly, although Gertrude threw a hissy fit.  Try what we might she just didn’t want to get a signal.  Solution?  I finally put her on the roof!  Problem solved.  Perhaps part of the problem was Mount Metal which is right behind us.  We are backed up to a scrap metal yard.  Hey, we are still surrounded by a mountain!

By late afternoon the rest of the team arrived.  A total of six rigs.  With space for yet one more.

On the drivers side we have lots, and lots of room but on the passenger side it is just a wee bit tight.  You should have been here to see him back this 5th wheel in, he definitely knew what he was doing.

That was our day on The Road of Retirement.  We’re home, home for the next two months.  The longest we’ve been in one place this year.  In fact by the time we leave we’ll be starting a new year.  We’re looking forward to the projects we’ll be working on over the course of these two months.  We’re also looking forward to just kicking back and relaxing during the month of January.  One day at a time, though, first this then that.

Thanks for joining us again today.  We always appreciate your company and comments.  Catch your tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before

See you on down the road!

 

 

Places We Have Called Home In 2019

Home Is Where We Park It:   Casino del Sol RV Park

Nov 1, 2109

Temperature 78 degrees

Franklin Auto Museum

Never content to just sit around when there are so many neat places to visit, so many fascinating places to discover we were off and running today.

We visited two absolutely fascinating and amazing places today.  The first was the

and on the way home we stopped at

In the days to come we’ll share both of these amazing places with you but tonight we’re going to an absolutely favorite museum of mine.  This is one that we visited about a week ago.  It was a bit hard to find and interesting to get to since it was on a dirt road but it was definitely worth the effort to get there.  It is the

The Franklin Automobile Company was a maker of automobiles between the years of 1902 and 1934.  Herbert H Franklin, usually referred to simply as HH, was the founder of the company.  He actually began his career in the metal die casting business before establishing his automobile enterprise. 

About the H.H. Franklin Manufacturing Company and the H.H Franklin Automobile Company.

All Franklin cars were air-cooled which the company considered simpler and more reliable than water cooling.  Franklin cars were the undisputed leaders in air-cooled cars at a time when virtually every other manufacturer had adopted water cooling as cheaper and easier to manufacture. Before the invention of antifreeze the air-cooled car had a huge advantage in cold weather, and Franklin’s were popular among people such as doctors, who needed an all-weather machine.

About that air cooling.  Here is how it worked.  On the front of each engine attached to the crankshaft was a cooling fan

The large black cover on the front of this engine covers the fan in the picture above.

The fan pushed air back along the engine through a driver’s side box (the green ducting in this picture)

The air moved left to right across and around the exposed cylinder heads and exited on the passenger side.  I was told that even on the hottest days in Arizona a Franklin engine would never overheat.

Regarding this particular Museum off of a little dirt road in Tucson

Now for the wonderful collection of cars themselves.

 A similar Franklin to this one made the trip from San Francisco to New York City in 1904, cutting in half the cross-country record set the previous year.

Franklin also tried manufacturing a truck but it was soon discontinued.

As you view the remaining cars it is worth noting that the bodies on everyone is made of aluminum, only the fenders are made of steel.  Lightweight aluminum was used in quantity, to the extent that Franklin was reckoned to be the largest user of aluminum in the world in the early years of the company.  As for the rest of the car, Franklin used a wooden frame constructed of three-ply laminated ash and full-elliptic leaf springs. This meant that the vehicle was lighter and was better able to absorb shocks, important in providing a smooth ride over unpaved roads.

The next car is remarkable in terms of its original miles

This car was one of the last to use a crank to start it.  It was simply becoming too dangerous to crank an engine over by hand.  There were reports of broken wrists and arms and even one reported death.

Jump forward to 1918 and we have one of the first Franklin automobiles with both an electric starter and a generator.

This is the electric starter and the generator all in one.  Interesting to note, since there was no voltage regulator the operator needed to watch the voltage gauge on the dash and when the battery showed full charge there was a switch to turn off the output of the generator.

Another interesting device to note, immediately behind the generator/starter was an air pump.  Flat tire?  No problem you had the means on-board to refill your tire when it was fixed.

This next car has been un-restored.  The paint, hard to believe, is the original paint applied when the car was first manufactured.

This was considered the hot rod of the Franklin line.

Complete with custom wooden wheels

Here is a car with an interesting setup for the back seat passengers.

This is the passenger windscreen, note also the full window curtains.

This, my guide told me, is the Museum’s bread and butter car, the one they typically take out for a spin around the neighborhood, to a parade, etc.  He stated that the car has 323,000 original miles and the engine has never been rebuilt.

The paint is also original

All original interior

What do you do when you work for Milton Hershey and are getting married in Hershey, PA?  You have your car painted Hershey brown of course!

This is one beautiful car with a two tone color that pops.

Getting in the back seat was an interesting affair.  First, you folded the windscreen down, next you picked up the cowl that it was fastened to, then you reached inside for the door handle, and then you were in!

 In 1932, in response to competition among luxury car makers, Franklin brought out a twelve-cylinder engine.  Air cooled with 398 cubic inches it developed 150 hp.  It was designed to be installed in a lightweight chassis, but the car became a 6000 pound behemoth when Franklin engineers were overruled by management sent in from banks to recover bad loans.

Although attractive, the Twelve did not have the ride and handling characteristics of its forebears. Unfortunately, this was simply the wrong vehicle to be building after the crash of 1929 and the Great Depression that followed. The cars sold poorly and came nowhere near to recouping the company’s investment. The company declared bankruptcy in 1934.

Car production did not survive, but the name and assets were sold and production of air-cooled engines for commercial and aircraft use was continued by Aircooled Motors of Syracuse. This company was bought after World War II by Preston Tucker. The flat-six engines were fitted with water-cooling jackets and used in the short lived Tucker automobile.  The company was sold again after Tucker was disbanded.

One final picture from this amazing Museum about an absolutely amazing automobile.

If you are ever in the Tucson area, put this Museum on your bucket list of places you just must visit.  You will not regret it.

Almost forgot, lunch today.  A bit different to say the least.  We were told that you ever have a chance to eat an Indian Taco don’t pass up the opportunity.  Well, today we had that opportunity.  Here is the small native stand we visited and Barbara checking out the menu.

The menu

Hand made

The Taco and yes it is really as good as it looks.  I folded it over and gobbled it down!

There you have it just another wonderful day on The Road of Retirement.  We enjoyed our time in Tucson, the work, the new friends, and the amazing places we visited.  Life doesn’t get much better than this.  Thank you Lord.  Time now to call it a night, tomorrow is another travel day.  Phoenix here we come.

Thanks for joining us again today.  We always appreciate your company and your comments.  Catch you again tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before

See you on down the road!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Places We Have Called Home In 2019

Home Is Where We Park It:   Casino del Sol RV Park

Oct 31, 2019

Temperature 74 degrees

A Rewarding Experience

Travel Day

Today it was time to say to all our new friends We’ll see you on down the road.  Yes, we’re moving on.  On to new experiences, new sights and sounds, and on to new adventures.

The last three weeks have been intense, tiring, exhausting but so very fulfilling and rewarding.  I would like to believe that through our efforts others will be helped in a positive way.  One thing we learned the hard way and are just now realizing, never ever in the future plan back to back NOMAD Projects like we have done!  Sure we could cancel the next two months but we are not about to.  What’s the old saying in for a penny in for a pound. We’ll give it our all the next two months and then just sleep our way through the month of January – until that is we start all over again with another NOMADS project!

Our team was the greatest.  Each and every member was so special in their own way.  Each has enriched our lives in immeasurable ways.  We learned a lot, we grew a lot, we had a wonderful time working side by side with them.  I’m sure somewhere down the road we may work with them again.  It would be an honor and a privilege to do so.

Today we rolled a little further down The Road of Retirement.  We didn’t have far to go and we couldn’t check in until 11:30 am so there was absolutely no rush to get out.  We took our time and finally got on the road around 11 am.   Thirty minutes later we were at our new home – Casino del Sol RV Park.  For many, many, many years you were able to park for free in the Casino parking lot.  No more.  It’s the RV Park now or not at all.  I guess they also ticked off a number of people who used to come here for free because though this park has 73 sites there are only 15 rigs here.  Remember, this is high season.

About the RV Park.  Look at their web site and you go Wow!  You look and you say what a beautiful park with shade trees and shrubs between each site.  Well, reality is a bit different.  Let’s just say the artist had an over-active imagination.  This is the reality, if you can find a tree or a shrub anywhere you’ve got better eyes than me!

That’s not to say it’s a bad place to let one’s jacks down.  It’s just not what you are led to expect.  Registration is on the left as you enter.  Too bad there is no place to park why you go into the office.  You just leave it in the road and hope no one runs in to it.  Registration is also an interesting experience.  This is their first year and they don’t quite have it all together yet.

Here is our site, it’s a paved pull through but just long enough for the rig.  The car has to go across the front. Our orientation is not perfect since we’ll have the sun on the refrigerator during the morning.  At least it is only the morning when it is usually fairly cool.  Forget using the awning, not with the winds around here.

 Thankfully, our site is level and all utilities are convenient to the utility bay.  Gertrude (see her in the back)  is happy since there is not a leaf in sight to obstruct her view of the Southern Sky.  Within minutes we had her set up and were pulling in all of our favorite TV channels.

Now the view?  Once again we are surrounded by beautiful and majestic mountains.  I never tire looking at them.  I keep saying, someday in someway I’d like to go to the top of them.

So here we are for the next couple of days.  Tomorrow we have sight seeing planned.  Saturday we leave for Phoenix for our next NOMADS Project.  As for today, we’re just hanging around the homestead letting our sore muscles relax.  I wonder, if I ever get a new rig can I get one with a hot tub in it?

That was our day on Road of Retirement.  An easy travel day and a day of rest and relaxation.  Yeah!  We continue to take each day as it comes and each day we give thanks to the good Lord for every minute of every one that we are given to live to the fullest.

Thanks for checking in with us today.  We always appreciate your company and your comments.  Catch you again tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before

See you on down the road!