A casual Sunday is a great way to round out a fucking great weekend. We’re having one around here today. There’s not a whole lot of ambition around this house today.
Yesterday the wife and I went to an outdoor Punk Rock concert with some old favorites and enjoyed each others company. One of the nice things about living in a larger city is you can pick out a good show or two. We were the old guys in the back. I had a blast.
Today, the wife is out looking for pokemon with the kids, the football game is set to record on the DVR (go Steelers), and I’m just sitting here checking out roads on google maps that I’d like to ride. You gotta love a good Sunday.
Today was a helluva good day. My son in law got sworn into the army and headed off to basic training. We’ll see him around Christmas time and then off to Texas where my daughter will re-join him and go off on the crazy ride of life in the military.
At first, we weren’t all that excited about the decision, but it wasn’t my decision to make. They’ll go off on a whole other path thats going to lead to places Mrs Zip and I can’t even probably comprehend. Shit like that, is a good thing. He knows what he’s doing.
I don’t have a son, but I love my SIL like he was: he’s a good man. A principled man — honest and his priorities are right. He’s doing this to take care of his family, get an education and I think there’s also a part of him that wants to know what he’s capable of. I get that. I think any man worth his salt can understand that.
My father was a marine, but other than his stories, I’ve had very little exposure to the military. I’m excited to hear his stories when he gets back. I was completely proud when he got sworn in to defend the constitution of the united states, and I know he was too. Effing cool.
It wasn’t a choice I’d ever make (Even though I’ve always wished I could have gone through basic training). I looked around the room and saw a bunch of scared kids who we’re going to become men over the next couple of years, and my son in law who is going to become even more of one. Yeah, we were all pretty proud.
Kick some ass out there Jordan, we’ll hold down the fort and see you when you get back…
I’ve been wading through politics all year it seems. The NFL and the national anthem. Gender neutral bathrooms. Trump tweets. Racism. Revolution. That crazy fucker in North Korea who figured out how to make a nuke. Earthquakes in mexico, hurricanes in Florida. Someone will spin them all into politics, somehow.
I’ve had a gut full of all of it.
I’m not burying my head in the sand. Truth is, I’m paying attention. but there are more important things to concern yourself with.
I’ve been running around most of my life as an 18 year old. In most ways, I still am 18. 30 never bothered me, neither did 40. I gotta admit, I stopped and noticed 50. Fucking fifty. I paused at that one. Thats half a century — Half a century I wouldn’t trade for anything.
I work with mostly young guys, who like to joke about my age. When they bust out the daily sales results, I’m still at the top end of that list, and it sorta makes me giggle. I can still out-ride anyone on a long ride, and can more than likely fix your bike when you break down because you did something stupid. They value youth because its all they know, and I value experience because you fuck up less. We balance each other out.
I stopped chewing Copenhagen Saturday morning. that’s what I’m laying on the altar of 50. That’s all you’re getting from me. Its been 3 days, and its easier than I thought it would be. Maybe I’m just ready. I won’t do it again: I’m pretty determined to be done with it.
I gotta think next to my family and Riding, making BBQ is *maybe* my next favorite thing.
I’ve owned several smokers, and have put some time in trying to learn the art of low and slow cooking of meats. I don’t know why. something about it just appeals to me. I tend to lean toward Texas style BBQ, which lets the meat speak for itself, and the bbq sauce is on the table if you don’t like what the meat is saying. Less Rub and Injections, more quality time on steady, low heat. The lower and the slower the better.
BBQ is like golf: no matter how many times you think you have your swing down or have practiced at the range, some days you still end up swinging from the red tees with your pants around your ankles. You never actually win, its just an endless pursuit of perfection.
Making a pork butt today: Shooting for pulled pork. We’ll know in a few hours, but I think I got this one…
Highway 60 is still one of the main roads into Phoenix. Back in the day, it was *the* road if you were coming in from the East. It runs through Mesa Arizona first, and there’s still parts that retain its past of epic sized neon signs and old school road trip memories. The Buckhorn Baths is the king of those places in the area. It just stands out. When I first saw it, it reminded me of Roys in Amboy on route 66. I liked this place immediately, and wanted to know its story.
The Buckhorn Baths Motel. This sign was built to not be ignored. There’s a ton of Arizona history here.
Ted and Alice Sliger started the Buckhorn Baths. Ted was was an entrepreneur and a Texan, but found his way to Arizona and in the 30s, started a gas station on the corner of the Apache Trail and the bush Highway on the way to Saguaro Lake. A fire later destroyed their business. Ted, ever the opportunist bought a homestead on the far edge of highway 60 into Mesa to start over and try again.
With the brutal desert heat and water a necessity, The couple got tired of hauling in water and put together enough money to drill a well. It didn’t go so well. The results were an undrinkable, hot, odorless Mineral Water. Ted made the most out of it and they started the Buckhorn Mineral wells in 1939.
The Buckhorn Hot Mineral Wells.
It didn’t take Long. Right down the middle of the Apache Trail and right in view of the superstitions – the Buckhorn brought in travelers, and started to grow.
More and more people were travelling by car, and the Buckhorn started getting more and more business. Ted and Alice’s venture started to grow. They put in a cafe, motel, Curio shop and even a 9 hole golf course. They bought old bricks for $5 per thousand from a local school that was being torn down and built a trading post complete with a greyhound bus station. When local cowboys came through town and needed food and a place to stay, they’d be put to work in exchange for labor to expand his new enterprise. Ted was also a skilled Taxidermist and started a small animal museum to bring in customers.
The Buckhorn became the home of the New York Giants for Spring Training in 1947
Arizona seemed like a great place for Baseball spring training, and in 1947 Ted capitalized on an opportunity. His Motel and therapeutic mineral waters were a perfect fit to house baseball players. He cut a deal to have the world champion New York Giants stay there for spring training. He outfitted locker rooms into the facility for the team which are still there. This was the Giants spring training home for 25 years. Ty Cobb, Willie Mays and a list of baseball players all stayed here. Other teams soon followed into Arizona, and the cactus league was formed. Today, more than 1/2 of the Major League Baseball teams train in Arizona. It all started with the Buckhorn.
Any good curio shop has self promoting postcards with “World Famous” In there somewhere.
Buckhorn Baths Arial View 1940s
All the amenities of the day: Kicking back at the Swimming Pool
The Place was packed.
The Buckhorn continued to thrive through the 60’s and 70’s. The staff of 25 made beds, sold admission to the museum, cleaned and made food. The business had 27 stone tubs, 15 adobe style cottages with attached carports to get out of Arizona sun. The wildlife museum had over 450 animals, some that were extinct in Arizona. Ted and Alice lived on the property and continued the business of hospitality.
When Ted Passed away in 1984, Alice continued to run the place for 15 more years When route 60 was re-routed in the mid 1990’s, traffic all but stopped and Alice finally shut the doors for the last time at the age of 93 in 1999.
There’s been some on and off discussion on what to do with the place: The city of Mesa spent a couple of years trying to acquire the property but they weren’t able to pull it off. The whole 15 acres is currently for sale. Its currently listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Inside its still a time machine:
Inside: Ted Sligers Taxidermy still displays proudly
I busted out the drone and got some Arial shots…
Just a cool old place, with a great Story. God, I love Arizona.
