11 Best Things To Do In Arizona

Above, Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Living 40 miles from the Arizona border allows me to frequently visit the "Grand Canyon State" for recreation.

There's plenty of things to see and do in Arizona and The Traveler has posted "11 Best Things To Do In Arizona". So far, I have done about half of them.

They begin with:

Arizona is a state of big skies and even bigger landscapes, where red rock deserts, cool pine forests, tribal lands and dynamic cities all sit under the same desert sun. From standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon to wading into turquoise waterfalls, slot canyons and cactus forests, the challenge is not finding things to do but deciding what to fit into one trip. These 11 experiences span the best of Arizona, with suggestions on when to go, how to visit responsibly and how to stay safe in a place where heat and distance can be just as dramatic as the views.

To see what they are, go here. 

Walk The Streets of Western TV History At Old Tucson

Above, an Old Tucson hotel and saloon set. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of the places I've always wanted to see was Old Tucson in Arizona.

Old Tucson is a studio near the city of Tucson, Arizona and Saguaro National Park. Hundreds of movies and television westerns were filmed there. Movies included Rio Bravo, El Dorado, McLintock! and others.

I got my chance two years ago when I was in Tombstone, Arizona. From there, I headed to Old Tucson and spend a good part of a day wandering it.

RV Travel has an article on Old Tucson and it begins with:

Growing up, I always wanted a horse. My wish probably stemmed from the popular television shows of the 1950s and ’60s: Westerns.

My sisters and I sat transfixed while watching Roy Rogers, Zorro, The Lone Ranger, and Bonanza. If the same is true for you, it’s time to saddle up! Old Tucson awaits your visit.

What is Old Tucson?

Old Tucson is a time capsule of past Western-themed television shows and movies. Built as a Hollywood set in 1939, it later opened to the public as a Western-themed park.

Columbia Pictures built a replica of 1860s-era Tucson in 1939 for the feature film, Arizona. Construction crews reportedly erected more than 50 buildings for the movie in just a few weeks.

After more movies and TV shows used Old Tucson through the 1940s and 1950s, the site was refurbished and opened as a theme park in 1960.

Over the decades, Hollywood kept coming back. Old Tucson has been a backdrop for hundreds of film and TV productions. Included in this list are movies like Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Rio Bravo, and El Dorado. Old Tucson also provided the setting for television hits like The High Chaparral and Little House on the Prairie.

To read more, go here. 

Is It Camping When Staying At An RV Resort?

Above, at the Tucson/Lazydays KOA Resort. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When staying in a luxury RV in a full-hookup RV resort, are you camping? 

That is the question in a recent article in RV Travel. This has been asked many times before and will likely be asked in other venues.

The closest thing to an RV resort I've ever stayed at was probably the Tucson/Lazydays KOA Resort in Tucson, Arizona last year during the clampout trip to Tombstone.

According to their website, their amenities are:

Tucson/Lazydays KOA Resort offers all the amenities KOA campers have come to love such as a fully stocked camp store complete with firewood and propane, Kamp K9, two outdoor pools, and WiFi. Whether you are joining with us for an extended stay or visiting us overnight on your way through Tucson, you'll find something fun to do. Tucson/Lazydays KOA Resort also features unique amenities including BBQ Rush Restaurant, a 9 Hole Putting Course, Mini Golf, Solar Power Parasols, Pet Sites, and a Workout Room. Our NEW Activity Room is ideal for your kiddos in tow, complete with a climbing wall, movies for the whole family, magnet wall, and more.  See the front desk for the Recreation Station schedule of planned activities.

The article begins with:

Today’s question in Campground Crowding prompted us to wonder, what do you consider “camping”? If you’re parked at a luxury RV resort with pools and tennis courts and spacious lots between you and your neighbor, is that camping? Or is camping only when you’re at state park campgrounds, among tenters, and just staying for a night so you can fish in the nearby lake? Is that even camping?

Has the definition of “camping” changed so much with our fancy RVs and parks that we’ve forgotten how to define it? Well, you tell us!

The responses from readers are interesting to read.

To read all, go here. 

Booking Campsites Is Not As Hard Now

Above, Tucson Lazydays KOA last year. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since the pandemic, more people have purchased RVs and are hitting the road in record numbers. Yet, despite this, booking campsites is not as hard now.

RV Travel takes a look at this in an article.

They begin it with:

Back in 2022, people were screaming. If you wanted to go camping, they said, good luck trying to find a spot. A new survey says things have loosened up. Booking campsites is not nearly as hard as it was then, even though the number of RVers booking sites has increased significantly.

95 million campers in 2023

App promoter The Dyrt released its 2024 Camping Report, with statistics based on surveys of three different interest groups. The first, 7,000 members of its camper community. The other two, a representative sample of 1,000 U.S. residents, and finally, camping property managers across all 50 states.

Last year, says The Dyrt, almost 95 million Americans went camping. Of that number, 5.5 million went on their first camping adventure. Turning back the dial, the survey shows the number of new campers since 2021 is now up to 20 million. So, you wonder, how does this make booking campsites any easier?

To read more, go here. 

What Should You Do When You’re Done RVing?

Above, at the KOA-Lazydays RV park in Tucson last April. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Everything in life has a beginning and it also has an end. That includes RVing.

As one gets older, there will come a time when one is done with RV travel. Physical conditions and illness are two things (among others) one faces as we age. 

What to do for when it's time to settle down? RV Life has some tips on how to deal with it.

They begin with:

What Should You Do When You’re Done RVing?

RV travel is exhilarating, but every journey has its end. When it’s time to transition from the mobile to the immobile, it can be a mix of emotions. Here’s how to navigate the change.

Sell your RV in the spring

The best time to sell your RV is in the spring, when people are shopping for campers in anticipation of summer. To maximize your sale, consider listing your RV during this season. This ensures a broader audience and a quicker sale.

To read more, go here. 

5 of Arizona’s Best National Parks

Above, a cactus at the Tucson Mountain District (TMD)
 of Saguaro National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Arizona border is only 40 miles west of my home in New Mexico. Understandably, I have made frequent trips into the state. Most recently, was in Willcox, Tombstone and Tucson. On that same trip, I visited the Tucson Mountain District (TMD) of Saguaro National Park near Tucson.

Arizona has a number of national parks and forests. Signals AZ has posted five of them.

They begin with:

Arizona gets the reputation as a hot, dry desert. But did you know the the state of Arizona is the top 5 of most biodiverse states in the United States? From the southern Sonoran desert to the northern mountains, Arizona sure has it all. But to truly take in the stunning natural landscapes across Arizona, we recommend these 5 national parks.

To read more, go here. 

Is KOA Abandoning RVers In Favor of Glampers?

Above, at the Tucson-Lazydays KOA Resort. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During my recent trip to Arizona for the Lost Dutchman Chapter of E Clampus Vitus spring clampout, I stayed at two KOA Kampgrounds. One was in Willcox, Arizona and the other was in Tucson, Arizona.

I did not make reservations for either one. I simply drove in and asked the clerks if they had any spaces for my 23' Class C motorhome available. Both did. Thanks to the accumulated bonus points I had, I was able to stay at each for way under $100/night.

Granted, we're not in the summer camping season yet (that officially starts during Memorial Day weekend next month). 

At both KOAs, I did not see any evidence that either one was "abandoning" RV business in favor of glamping. Apparently, some of them are as Chuck Woodbury at RV Travel wrote about in today's Newsletter.

Here's a snippet:

So now we come to KOA, Kampgrounds of America, once referred to as the Motel 6 of campgrounds when its parks were less expensive. I am here today to suggest that KOA is no longer focused on serving RVers. Today, it’s about “glamping,” offering non-RVers stays in luxury cabins, designer tents, yurts, tee-pees, railroad cabooses, covered wagons and other profitable “glamping facilities.” Other RV parks are doing the same, but KOA is the best known.

This summer, an RV site at any KOA close to a popular national park may cost you $100, $150 or more a night — that is if you are lucky enough to find an available space. For example, a two-day weekday stay in my 32-foot motorhome at the KOA in West Glacier, Montana, for a full-hookup Super Site “with grass” goes for $199.70 a night. It would be higher on weekends or holidays.

But good luck getting a reservation. Most of the popular KOAs are already booked solid this summer.

To read more, go here.

Saguaro National Park

Above, Saguaro cacti near the visitor center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

When I got into Tucson, Arizona after the clampout, I headed to the general area of where Old Tucson Studios were located. The studios open at 10:30, so I had some time to explore as I was a couple of hours early.

Nearby, was the west district (Tucson Mountain District) of Saguaro National Park where a big concentration of saguaro cacti are located. 

Above, Saguaro cacti come in many sizes, heights and shapes. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

From the National Park Service's Saguaro National Park website:

Icon of the Southwest

Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation's largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of the modern city of Tucson. Here you have a chance to see these enormous cacti, silhouetted by the beauty of a magnificent desert sunset.

Above, some blooming desert wildflowers. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Unfortunately, the visitor center wasn't open yet, so I ended up driving around the park on the loop drive. Since it is now springtime, desert wildflowers were blooming.

Above, since the sun was still low in the sky, it made
for some interesting photos. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Visitor entrance fees are paid at the visitor center. Since it wasn't open yet, I couldn't check in. It wouldn't have mattered anyway as I have a Senior Pass for all national parks.

There are no RV campgrounds at this district, but there are some nearby campgrounds a short drive away.

Above, yours truly during my park visit.

For more information, go here.

Old Tucson Studios

Above, a bit weathered is the Old Tucson sign near the entrance. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Following the clampout in Tombstone, Arizona, I headed west to Tucson to pay a visit to Old Tucson Studios. This was my first visit there.

Above, yours truly during the visit at Old Tucson.

It started as a western movie studio and is now a theme park as well as a movie and television studio. One movie was wrapped a week ago and another is set to begin filming there within the next two weeks. Some areas were blocked as they were being readied for filming.

Some set buildings were destroyed by a fire at Old Tucson on April 24, 1995. Some were rebuilt or new buildings were built in their place. Some of the classic sets were not rebuilt.

The Southern Pacific station building was donated to Old Tucson by the railroad some years ago.

I was able to watch a shootout show but missed by minutes a can-can show.

According to Wikipedia:

Old Tucson is an American movie studio and theme park just west of Tucson, Arizona, adjacent to the Tucson Mountains and close to the western portion of Saguaro National Park.

Built in 1939 for the movie Arizona (1940), it has been used for the filming location of many movies and television westerns since then, such as Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957), Rio Bravo (1959), El Dorado (1966), Little House on the Prairie TV series of the 1970s–1980s, the film Three Amigos! (1986) and the popular film Tombstone (1993). It was opened to the public in 1960 as a theme park with historical tours offered about the movies filmed there, along with live cast entertainment featuring stunt shows, shootouts, can-can shows...as well as themed events. It is still a popular filming location used by Hollywood. It was closed permanently during Covid-19 but has recently re-opened under new management in early 2023.

The new management company operating Old Tucson, American Heritage Railways, is the same one that manages the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in Colorado.

The mountain peak in some photos is Golden Gate Mountain and was clearly seen in some movies and television shows.

Some photos:

Home Again!

After six days of travel, fun and frivolity, I made it home today around 2:00.

It was a long drive (356 miles worth) of mountains, deserts, ranchland and small towns. I left Tucson around 5:00 Arizona time. 

It was an easier drive than the one last Wednesday, but still tiring. I took route 77 through Show Low, Arizona up to Interstate 40 in Holbrook. 

I did make a stop at the Tee Pee Trading Post for some stogies. They expanded and remodeled their cigar room since the last time I went there. They are about 80% done, 

I was going to scan the photo I had taken at Madame Mustache's in Tombstone, but the matte is 11 x 17", too big for the scanning table. So I photographed it and have it below:

Today In Tucson

Above, a gunfight show at the Old Tucson town square. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Tombstone, Arizona clampout for the Lost Dutchman Chapter of E Clampus Vitus is now history.

Early this morning, I departed Tombstone and headed to Tucson to visit Old Tucson Movie Studio. 

Above, a saguaro cactus at Saguaro National Park West. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since I got there a bit early, I took a driving tour of West Saguaro National Park as it was practically next door to Old Tucson. After I was done with that, I headed over to the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum. It wasn't open yet, but I decided that their $29.95 admission price was a bit steep. There were no senior discounts.

I went over to Old Tucson and relaxed in their parking lot for about an hour. They open at 10:30. 

I had a good time wandering around the movie sets in Old Tucson. I also took a train ride that circles around the property. The engineer gave good descriptions of different sets and what movies and televions shows they appeared in. This was my first visit there, but it was very familiar. enough so that it seemed like I'd been there before. I watched a gunfight show that was entertaining. I just missed by minutes a dance hall girl show. 

Above, the Beast at Old Tucson Studios with Golden Gate Mountain in the background. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After Old Tucson, I went to an In-N-Out Burger for a late lunch/early dinner. It was nice to have an In-N-Out cheeseburger!

When I finished lunch, went over to the Tucson/Lazydays KOA Resort to spend the night. I will be heading on home tomorrow morning. I'll be taking a more direct route home than the one I took to Willcox and Tombstone on Wednesday.

Above, yours truly at Old Tucson.

I haven't been to Tucson since 1993 when my ex-sister-in-law lived there. I don't remember how to get around town as I did back then. The place has grown in 30 years! 

Above, at the Tucson/Lazydays KOA Resort. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Tucson/Lazydays KOA Resort is big. It is situated next to a Lazydays RV dealership and has everything one would expect to find at a resort: pools, game room, putting green, restaurant and other amenities. 

Old Tucson Studios Has New Operator

A post in the Facebook Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Fan Group caught my attention.

It was about Old Tucson Studios outside of Tucson, Arizona and that it would be celebrating 80 years since its creation.

It has been closed down for the past two years due to the pandemic. 

But the Facebook post got me to to do some checking around and I found that a new operator has signed on to run it.

According to TucsonLocalMedia.com:

Old Tucson Studios, Tucson’s iconic movie filming location in Tucson Mountain Park, will be managed by a new operator.

The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on April 5 to approve American Heritage Railways as the new park operator.

Old Tucson Studios was the backdrop for multiple feature films and television shows after Columbia Pictures chose to build an 1860s replica of Tucson in 1939. Old Tucson Studios was built just before the Western movie era in the 1950s, making it the perfect location for new productions. Iconic films like Winchester 73, The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold, Arizona, Tombstone, and Three Amigos were filmed at Old Tucson Studios.

Pima County Attractions and Tourism Director Diane Frisch wrote in an email that Old Tucson Studios has hosted concerts and recreational events in the past, and “these tourism dollars are important to the region as hotels, restaurants and local attractions welcome our visitors.”

The County began looking for a new operator after the previous operator, Old Tucson Company, notified the county it would be terminating its lease due to the impact of COVID-19 restrictions.

One of the companies to show interest in the site was American Heritage Railways (AHR). Established in 1998, AHR has experience in the entertainment, filming, and hospitality industries. Frisch said AHR has ties with film studios that are shooting at other properties. The County wants AHR to bring those relationships to Old Tucson Studios.

American Heritage Railways operates the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in southwest Colorado.

The Old Tucson website has it listed as "temporarily closed". I will have to plan a trip there when it reopens. The plan is to reopen starting with the "Nightfall" Halloween attraction around September-October. This is certainly good news!

To read more, go here.

Noel Neill's Birthday Media Coverage

Above, Noel with Jack Larson at her 85th birthday celebration. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is nice to see that actress Noel Neill received some well-deserved salutes on some television stations on the occasion of her 95th birthday. This is especially so since there are very few remaining stars of the golden age of television that are still with us.

Two stations in Tucson, Arizona broadcast tributes to Noel yesterday.

Here's one of them:

Noel Neill To Make First Public Appearance In Over A Year

Above, Jack Larson and Noel Neill in 2005. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Fans of the original Lois Lane can rejoice!

Jim Nolt of The Adventures Continue reported:

Here's the latest news from Noel Neill: For the first time in over a year, Noel is about to make her first public appearance. She will appear at the Heroes & Villains Comic book store in Tucson on Saturday, July 2th, for only one hour, from 3 pm - 4 pm. She is excited about the prospect of once again greeting fans and well-wishers.

Noel spent most of last year recovering from a fractured hip that she sustained in a fall at her home.

It is great news that Noel feels well enough to meet and greet her fans!

Mike Ramirez On The Journalistically Challenged

Political cartoonist Michael Ramirez hit a slam-dunk with his cartoon on the media's handling of the massacre in Tucson (click on image to view larger):

Sarah Palin Fights Back; Invokes Reagan

After days of enduring smears by the political Left over the tragedy in Tucson, Arizona last weekend, Sarah Palin has issued a video and posted the text on her Facebook page in response:

Like millions of Americans I learned of the tragic events in Arizona on Saturday, and my heart broke for the innocent victims. No words can fill the hole left by the death of an innocent, but we do mourn for the victims’ families as we express our sympathy.

I agree with the sentiments shared yesterday at the beautiful Catholic mass held in honor of the victims. The mass will hopefully help begin a healing process for the families touched by this tragedy and for our country.

Our exceptional nation, so vibrant with ideas and the passionate exchange and debate of ideas, is a light to the rest of the world. Congresswoman Giffords and her constituents were exercising their right to exchange ideas that day, to celebrate our Republic’s core values and peacefully assemble to petition our government. It’s inexcusable and incomprehensible why a single evil man took the lives of peaceful citizens that day.

There is a bittersweet irony that the strength of the American spirit shines brightest in times of tragedy. We saw that in Arizona. We saw the tenacity of those clinging to life, the compassion of those who kept the victims alive, and the heroism of those who overpowered a deranged gunman.

Like many, I’ve spent the past few days reflecting on what happened and praying for guidance. After this shocking tragedy, I listened at first puzzled, then with concern, and now with sadness, to the irresponsible statements from people attempting to apportion blame for this terrible event.

President Reagan said, “We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own. They begin and end with the criminals who commit them, not collectively with all the citizens of a state, not with those who listen to talk radio, not with maps of swing districts used by both sides of the aisle, not with law-abiding citizens who respectfully exercise their First Amendment rights at campaign rallies, not with those who proudly voted in the last election.

The last election was all about taking responsibility for our country’s future. President Obama and I may not agree on everything, but I know he would join me in affirming the health of our democratic process. Two years ago his party was victorious. Last November, the other party won. In both elections the will of the American people was heard, and the peaceful transition of power proved yet again the enduring strength of our Republic.

Vigorous and spirited public debates during elections are among our most cherished traditions. And after the election, we shake hands and get back to work, and often both sides find common ground back in D.C. and elsewhere. If you don’t like a person’s vision for the country, you’re free to debate that vision. If you don’t like their ideas, you’re free to propose better ideas. But, especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible.

There are those who claim political rhetoric is to blame for the despicable act of this deranged, apparently apolitical criminal. And they claim political debate has somehow gotten more heated just recently. But when was it less heated? Back in those “calm days” when political figures literally settled their differences with dueling pistols? In an ideal world all discourse would be civil and all disagreements cordial. But our Founding Fathers knew they weren’t designing a system for perfect men and women. If men and women were angels, there would be no need for government. Our Founders’ genius was to design a system that helped settle the inevitable conflicts caused by our imperfect passions in civil ways. So, we must condemn violence if our Republic is to endure.

As I said while campaigning for others last March in Arizona during a very heated primary race, “We know violence isn’t the answer. When we ‘take up our arms’, we’re talking about our vote.” Yes, our debates are full of passion, but we settle our political differences respectfully at the ballot box – as we did just two months ago, and as our Republic enables us to do again in the next election, and the next. That’s who we are as Americans and how we were meant to be. Public discourse and debate isn’t a sign of crisis, but of our enduring strength. It is part of why America is exceptional.

No one should be deterred from speaking up and speaking out in peaceful dissent, and we certainly must not be deterred by those who embrace evil and call it good. And we will not be stopped from celebrating the greatness of our country and our foundational freedoms by those who mock its greatness by being intolerant of differing opinion and seeking to muzzle dissent with shrill cries of imagined insults.

Just days before she was shot, Congresswoman Giffords read the First Amendment on the floor of the House. It was a beautiful moment and more than simply “symbolic,” as some claim, to have the Constitution read by our Congress. I am confident she knew that reading our sacred charter of liberty was more than just “symbolic.” But less than a week after Congresswoman Giffords reaffirmed our protected freedoms, another member of Congress announced that he would propose a law that would criminalize speech he found offensive.

It is in the hour when our values are challenged that we must remain resolved to protect those values. Recall how the events of 9-11 challenged our values and we had to fight the tendency to trade our freedoms for perceived security. And so it is today.

Let us honor those precious lives cut short in Tucson by praying for them and their families and by cherishing their memories. Let us pray for the full recovery of the wounded. And let us pray for our country. In times like this we need God’s guidance and the peace He provides. We need strength to not let the random acts of a criminal turn us against ourselves, or weaken our solid foundation, or provide a pretext to stifle debate.

America must be stronger than the evil we saw displayed last week. We are better than the mindless finger-pointing we endured in the wake of the tragedy. We will come out of this stronger and more united in our desire to peacefully engage in the great debates of our time, to respectfully embrace our differences in a positive manner, and to unite in the knowledge that, though our ideas may be different, we must all strive for a better future for our country. May God bless America.

- Sarah Palin

Incredibly, after Palin posted her video response and the text, ABC News said, "Sarah Palin, once again, has found a way to become part of the story." I wonder how ABC could state this with a straight face as Palin was the first one blamed by the Looney Left, and it went on for days following the murders. In the same article, ABC even stated that Palin's video was a "rebuttal" to all the smears by the Left. ABC News speaks out of both sides of its mouth.

Bizarre Sicko's Mugshot

This is the mugshot of the killer of several innocent people and would-be assassin of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords:

Above, Jared Loughner.

Absolutely bizarre sicko!

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Reported Shot In Head

Breaking news this morning reports that Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, D-AZ, was shot in the head in an assassination attempt at a townhall meeting at a Safeway market in Tucson, Arizona.

As many as 13 people were also reportedly wounded by a lone gunman. It has been reported that the gunman was arrested.

According to the Tucson Citizen:

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords "shot point blank in the head ... No word on if she survived."

UPDATE: National Public Radio (NPR) reports that Giffords is dead.

UPDATE: The Washington Post reports:

----------------------------------------
Breaking News Alert: Reports: Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords killed at public event
January 8, 2011 2:25:07 PM
----------------------------------------

Arizona Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has died after being shot while hosting an event on Saturday morning outside a Tucson grocery store, according to National Public Radio and CNN.

NPR reported that Giffords, who in November narrowly won reelection to a third term, was hosting her first "Congress on Your Corner" event when a gunman ran up and began shooting. Giffords and six others died, the Pima County Sheriff's Office confirmed to NPR.

UPDATE: According to the Bluegrass Pundit blog:

The Congresswoman was in favor of border enforcement and second amendment rights. She was also pro-life. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was very much outside the Democrat mainstream. Previously, Giffords was a Republican. Several other people were also shot. The gunman is reportedly in custody.

The gunman is reportly a male in his teens or 20s.

She leaves behind her husband, astronaut Mark Kelley and two children. Prayers go out to the victims and their families.

UPDATE: Despite earlier reports, Rep. Giffords is still alive and responded following surgery. Doctors are "optimistic." She is in intensive care and listed in "critical" condition.

Noel Neill News

Above, Noel Neill and George Reeves.

Larry Thomas Ward, Noel Neill's biographer/manager, provided an update on her health:

Dear Friends,

As an update regarding Noel's health, I am happy to report that her hip fracture has healed. She can now gingerly walk with assistance - mostly with a walker - but continues to be in constant danger of falling. She does walk with a noticeable limp. She has, however, developed other serious health concerns - most notably severe arthritis in both hips - that will not be healed as quickly, if at all.

Just so you know, Noel's personal appearance days are now over. At this time, Noel remains in her Tucson home, enjoys the 85 degree Fall weather, and seems to take pleasure in watching television, reading the newspaper, and reading mail from fans and friends. She has 24-hour supervision and is receiving superior care and attention.

Attached, please find a pic of Noel and her cow, a life-size fiberglass dairy cow that she took a liking to and purchased a few months ago. It took two of us to both load and unload this little gal out of my pickup. The photo was taken earlier this year. Noel loves her cow, which is now "lounging" in her dining room, of all places.

Noel continues to be smilingly unpredictable.

Larry

As some of Noel's fans don't have Facebook accounts, here's the photo of Noel and her cow:



Special thanks to Steve Brant for passing along the good news!