Rancho Sonora Inn & RV Park was our camp destination. This is a lovely park, well maintained and with a very clean and neat office, meeting room and restroom complex. Rains totaling over two inches, fell Thursday and Friday. At the beginning of the Florence Historic Home Tour, however, the rains had about stopped and remained at bay for the rest of the weekend. Some dozen historic homes, or public buildings were open for display. Knowledgeable volunteers, or the home owners were on hand to explain the significance of the building and the pains taken to maintain or restore it.

The Woman’s Club was taken over by an antiques and arts and crafts fair with lots of chance for selecting items to take home. The church on the tour was serving a bar-b-que beef lunch in their basement fellowship hall. Pretty darn good bar-b-que at that.

The following day, a bright and sunny chamber of commerce day, we traveled the 8 miles to Coolidge and the Casa Grande National Monument, a four story Indian building built approximately 1400 to 1450 AD. This huge house built of caliche mud has withstood the rains and winds of nature, however, the Park Service has had to do some preventative work to protect the structure from the worst of calamities, Man.

Our hosts, the Kaufmans provided the Meatballs for the Sunday afternoon potluck. Used in both sub sandwiches and standing alone, these meatballs were exceptional. Then filling the plates we had both green, veggie and fruit salads, rolls and buns, chips and salsas. Completed with cake and cookies.