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Stampede Tour - On the Road posted by Dakota Livesay

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We have received a picture for Les Freeman, Sidekick #4.  Les lives in New Zealand. He said the picture was delayed because the Pony Express horse drowned on its swim from New Zealand…We’re joking about the drowning.  Actually, the boat in which the horse and rider were being transported was held up in customs.

Les Freeman

If you’re not familiar with our “Sidekick” program, because we’re a small outfit with a big mission to “educate people about the history of the American West in an entertaining way,” our Sidekicks help us by bringing their special skills or interests to the table.  For instance, we have one sidekick who, in his spare time, makes the initial contacts with radio stations about airing our radio shows.  Another takes the copies of 1800’s articles and retypes them in a format to be used in the newspaper.  Yet another picks up our mail and forwards it to where we happen to be during our two-year Stampede Tour.

We’re always looking for additional Sidekicks.

We’re presently at the Cochise Terrace RV Park in Benson, AZ.  This tepee is at the entrance to the RV Park.  Sunny had her doubts about staying here.  But, once I assured her that they were actually squatters, and were not typical of the people who are staying here, she relented.  It is a great place.  No planes, trains or cars.

Over the next few days we’ll be visiting the Mescal Movie Set, Bisbee Mining & Historic Museum, Fort Huachuca, John Slaughter’s Ranch, and have dinner with our friend, Tombstone Official Historian, Ben Traywick and his wife Mary.

We had a great conversation with Chris Reid, the curator of the Pinal County Historical Society Museum.  This area is rich in Old West history.  The most interesting, and strangest exhibit in the museum are the actual nooses and pictures of each person hanged at the prison.  There is also a trap door that was used in the hanging.  As well, they have the first chair used in the gas chamber.

This conversation will be a major part of our February 5 – 11 weekly radio show.

Dakota gave a talk to a local community group about characters from the Old West.  He always enjoys talking about interesting people that most people don’t know.

This talk included Charlie Parkhurst and Mrs. Woodhurst…Both people are on his “Women of the Old West” CD.  He also told them about two of his favorites…Black Bart and Gail Borden.  The pictures are of Black Bart and Gail.

Black Bart

Gail Borden

Yesterday we went to Tucson, Arizona to talk to a radio station about carrying our radio shows.  It rained most of the day.  On the way back the rain stopped, and as the sun was setting in the west, with more clouds coming in from the east, the eastern sky was filled with this rainbow.

We spent a great day at Old Tucson Studios in Tucson, Arizona.  Everyone we met there was very friendly and helpful.

If you want to go to a place where you really step back into the 1800’s west, this is the place to go.  It’s unbelievable how many movies have been shot there.  As you walk the streets you see buildings and sets that bring back memories of movies that you have seen…many of them John Wayne movies.

Here are a couple of pictures to give you an idea of the atmosphere.  Of course, Sunny had to have a picture with the railroad engineer…even though he drives a baby train.  She’s a sucker for men in a uniform.

The last two nights the temperature has gotten down to the teens.  This has resulted, not only in our water hose freezing, but the hydrant as well…And, we’re in the Tucson, Arizona area.  We’re getting comments from some of the snowbirds around us that they traveled hundreds of miles to get away from this.

As you can see by the picture, Jake has learned to get next to the fireplace to stay warm.  Yes, we have a fireplace.  It was the one thing Sunny wanted.  I also got what I wanted…No cutting of firewood.  The fireplace is electric.  But, it sure looks real, and puts out a lot of heat.

We’re leaving at 8:00 AM to go to Old Tucson Studios.  However, we were prepared for the frozen water line.  We filled a couple of pans with water the night before.  With a lot of camping in our background, we know how to take a camp bath.

It sure is tough roughing it.  We don’t even have cable or satellite TV.

We went to a talk by Jerry Miller about early cowboy movie star Tom Mix.  It was intriguing to realize that Mix bridged the era between the Old West and current times.

He was a friend of Buffalo Bill Cody.  He met Geronimo.  He carried the casket of Wyatt Earp.  And, he was in a film with Mickey Rooney.

Tom Mix was also killed in a single car accident just south of where we’re staying in Florence, Arizona.

The picture is of the monument where the accident happened.

We’re staying for a week at the Desert Gardens RV Park, just outside of Florence, Arizona.  Florence is between Phoenix and Tucson.  The place is quiet and open.  The picture is our view from our back window.

Sunday promises to be a full day.  In the morning, we’ll be attending church.  And, the afternoon will be spent with a group of Old West fans

Yesterday we went to the “Autry National Center” in Los Angeles.  It used to be known as the Gene Autry Museum of Western Heritage.  But, it has grown and taken in two other museums.

Gene Autry, founder of the Autry National Center

We had a conversation with Jonathan Spaulding the Executive Director and John Gray the President and CEO that will be aired later on Chronicle of the Old West Weekly Edition.

The Autry National Center is one classy operation.  I would highly recommend it as a place to attend the next time you’re in Southern California.

We’re on our way to Tucson, Arizona.  We’ll be staying at Picacho Peak State Park between Tucson and Phoenix for about a week.  We have business to take care of in Tucson and Phoenix, as well as some great segments to record for the weekly radio show.

In accordance with a tradition we started several years ago, we celebrated the arrival of 2007 with New York, and were in bed at a little past nine.  At least Sunny was awakened by other people in the RV park celebrating the New Years as it arrived in California.  I did wake up a little afterward, Sunny and I said “Happy New Year,” to each other and then went back to sleep.  We are such party animals.

New Years morning was spent wrapping up some business that wasn’t taken care of last year, and in the afternoon, we went over to friends Jim and Pat Pollard for a fine dinner.

The year 2006 was a great one and we’re look forward to 2007 to being an even better one.  We wish the same for you.