We’re like that scene from Monty Python’s The Life of Brian, in which John Cleese’s character, Reg, peevishly asks the members of the People’s Front of Judea what the Romans ever did for them (Answer: medicine, irrigation, health, roads, cheese, education, baths, Circus Maximus, and peace). We kept adding to our long list of things we wanted to discover on this year-long journey, and this time we’re diving into our desire to experience some areas like a local.
We’re also far behind on our blogs, although quite a bit of our time in Mesa was spent just poodling around, sorting out a new mattress, taking Fati in for an oil change and other basic services, and visiting with friends old and new.
To kick off “living like a local,” we took advantage of the excellent dining options nearby – feeling unbelievably spoiled by the sheer variety of restaurants – with a visit to Queen Creek Olive Mill, a farm-to-table agritourism spot with olive trees, a lovely outdoor café, shop, and informative tour.
Susan had the Queen Creek Chopped salad, Simon had the Kalamata salami and cheese sandwich, and we split a side of warmed olives in garlic and rosemary, and it was all so luscious we came back a week later and ordered the same entrees.
We were surprised to find out Susan’s second cousin lives not far from Mesa, so we met up with her and her husband twice during our stay, reliving family memories, looking at family photos, and enjoying their company. Heidi has a letter Susan’s mom (Kathy) wrote to Heidi’s mom in celebration of a milestone birthday, and tears flowed while reading it, hearing Kathy’s “voice” again. What joy, what grief, and what gratitude for Heidi sharing that letter!
With Halloween practically knocking on the door, we spent two evenings taking in the local festivals. First, the Vetuchio Farms Fall Festival, as wonderfully homespun and nostalgic as it gets.
With pony rides, a petting farm, a giant slide, fairground rides, a tractor-pulled train ride, and a corn maze, it takes you right back to happy childhood memories when times were simpler and kids still played outdoors.
We had a big lunch that day, so we didn’t try any of the food. Instead, here’s a photo of a hapless pedestrian who tried to cross any road in Montana or Wyoming, where speed limits are just vague suggestions.
The next night we went to the Schnepf Farms Pumpkin & Chili Festival, where the pig races were high on our must-see list. Bigger and flashier than Vetuchio Farms, there was a lot more to do, but with less pull of the nostalgic. We’re pretty sure the same families we saw the night before were there, and we could understand why they’d want to do both.
We had time to watch some of the dog agility show before the pig races started, and while Ruthie assured us she has no interest whatsoever in that much exercise, it would turn out to be a real highlight for us.
The pig races? Well, they were cute, but short. Five kids were chosen for each race, and they stood along the railing in front of a color that was assigned to each pig. The kid whose pig won the race was awarded a strap-on pig nose. Hilarious for some, humiliating for others, mainly depending on their age. We’ll just leave it there, because it was all in good fun.
We split a plate of succotash (which, to us, was more like grilled vegetables) and a bowl of chili, and the chili was so good we forgot to take a photo of it before we gobbled it down. Ruthie approved, too, when we let her lick the bowl.
On Halloween night we drove through a nearby neighborhood to see the decorations and the trick-or-treaters. It was the right decision, and made us feel less like we’re so far away from home. Susan especially is trying not to think too much about Thanksgiving and Christmas, the first time she will have been away from Young Son, ever, over the holidays.
But the experience that made us feel most like we were living like locals were the nights when we crossed the road between Fati and the next row of rigs and spent time around Rocky and Ronda’s campfire, sharing stories, eating popcorn, having a barbeque, and feeling like we were part of a community.
Those of you who know our backs have been in agony for the last few months due to our Sleep Number bed whose air bladders never inflated, leaving us sleeping in deep canyons, will be glad to know we finally have a new mattress, after much trying.
We’d been sleeping on a thick foam pad for a few weeks while waiting for our new mattress to be made and delivered, and when it was delivered to some unknown location rather than the mattress store in Mesa, we had to wait another week for a second one to be made and delivered to our new location in Goodyear. Long story short, we slept well on our new mattress for the first time last night. Yay!
Our time in Mesa was the most social time we’ve had so far, and it was very, very hard to leave. Perhaps a season-long visit is in our future?
Veness Travel Media 
After all the experiences you have had over the last few months , sometimes it’s the simple things that you crave. Relaxing in the local community and a comfortable mattress 😀 priceless
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Indeed, priceless!
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The succotash I grew up with always had Lima beens, with out them its just grilled veggies.
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Us, too. And okra. The grilled veggies were really tasty, but we wouldn’t call that succotash.
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Glad the veggfies werre tsty, definately not succotash
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