Bob & Elizabeth's Excellent Adventure

While waiting to hear about our truck on Friday, we headed to the Benson Visitor's Center to check out the sightseeing oppurtunities in Benson. Well, let me tell you, they are scarce. Birdwatching seemed our best bet so we grabbed a map of the birding route and headed down the road. We arrived at our destination to find the birding trail lined by two ramshackle single wide trailers inhabited by numerous snarling dogs and littered with mounds of trash.  This was not looking promising! But we parked the bike and set out through the dusty parking lot in search of the many species of birds described in the brochure. Upon exiting the parking area we came upon the trail - yep, this was not looking good! Dry, dead waist high weeds lined the dusty dirt trail. But we ventured on figuring the birds didn't care about beauty and the town wouldn't have printed so many glossy, full color brochures if there weren't plenty of birds here, right? Well, we walked for two miles and saw one crappy little dull brown bird so I have no more faith in glossy, full color brochures. So then, gluttons for punishment that we are, we decided to try the waterfowl viewing pond. At least there would be water here and we could sit on the banks of the pond and eat our apples while happily viewing waterfowl. Sounds like a plan. So we ride on over to the pond. We drive down the street where it is located and pass a pond which is fenced in, barbed wire on top,  and has that funny color of treated waste water. Nope, this can't be it, keep going. Then we pass a waste water treatment plant. Then the road runs out. We turn around and sure enough the treatment water pond has a sign saying "Waterfowl Viewing Area" and another sign saying    "DANGER: Polluted water"

 There are cut out holes in the fence to view the birds swimming in the dirty water. Nice.  Needless to say, we didn't sit by the banks of the pond and enjoy our snacks!  Didn't I tell you there weren't many sightseeing oppurtunities in Benson?

On Sunday we headed down to Sierra Vista to their First Annual Fiesta Days and Womans PRA Rodeo. The 35 mile ride was scenic with mountain and desert views. We spent a nice afternoon basking in the warm sun and watching breakaway and tiedown calf roping, team roping, steer riding, trick riding and bull riding.  I was in my element although perhaps Bob was a little bored though he never once complained. And both of us thoroughly enjoyed the trick riders from Rialto Ranch. This team of four girls ranging from 11 to 16 years old were fantastic! Check out the slide show on the Benson photo gallery page.