Tuscon - Tubac Az

On Tuesday, Jan 31 we took the RV in to Carl's RV service to see what's going to have to be done about the bedroom slide.  It's been sticking and we've got to get it fixed.  They say they can fix it and we're looking for the parts across the country, but if we can't get the parts, they can make the part needed (a roller) and fix it, so we have an excuse to stay here longer.

The ladies in the office mentioned a great place for arts in crafts, a small town about 34 miles South, Tubac, Az.  It turned out to be quite the place, with lots (and I do mean lots) of shops. But before walking around the town, we visited a highly recommended restaurant, where they are famous for their dessert, a fried burrito filled with fruit.  I'm afraid we may have to go back again.  It was fantastic.

And, I'm afraid Clara is going to want to go to an upcoming crafts fair in town.  We'll see.

The best dessert I've ever had, a fried burrito filled with apple.

Metal sculptured flowers

One of the streets.  There were many.

Tuscon Pima Air and Space Museum

Sunday, Jan 29 was catch-up day, laundry, some shopping, relaxing and swimming at the Base Fitness Club.

It's still hard to believe that we are sitting here within a short distance of moth balled B-52's.

Monday, Jan 30 we went to the Pima Air and Space Museum for a great day of looking at airplanes and tours of the place.  I think Clara actually enjoyed it.

We only covered about half the museum today, so I think this is going to call for a return trip (at least by me).

This is the third largest air museum in the country, following the Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC and the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Oh. (both of which we have visited).

The smallest bi wing airplane ever built and flown

Dreaming of another lifetime

All kinds of airplanes

A lot of propellers.  It's actually a two engine airplane.

The "pregnant guppy"

As we were taking a tour of a B-36, an elderly gentleman joined the tour and he had flown as the Navigator in this very airplane in WWII.  The docent who was leading the tour pretty much turned the talking over to him for a while as he told stories of his days flying.

Tuscon Sabino Canyon

Saturday, January 28, after getting our assigned site, we headed out to pick up Kent and Betty to go to the Sabino Canyon Recreation area. 



Once again, we find ourselves amazed at what we find.  This canyon in the Catalina Mountains just North of Tucson is a spectacularly beautiful mountain desert.  Not at all what I expected.

These cacti can do some damage.

We took a tram about 5 miles up in the canyon, and then hiked on a beautiful 1 1/2 mile trail on the side of the mountain.  It was probably one of the more beautiful hikes I've taken.  The scenery certainly exceeded expectations.



Saguaro Cactus have a relatively long life span. They take up to 75 years to develop a side arm. The arms themselves are grown to increase the plant's reproductive capacity . The growth rate of saguaros is strongly dependent on precipitation; saguaros in drier western Arizona grow only half as fast as those in and around Tuscon. Some specimens may live for more than 150 years;  the largest known saguaro is the Champion Saguaro. It grows in Maricopa County, Az and is 45 feet tall with a girth 10 ft. These cacti can grow anywhere from 15 to 50 feet. They grow slowly from seed, and not at all from cuttings. Whenever it rains, saguaros soak up the rainwater. The cactus will visibly expand, holding in the rainwater. It conserves the water and slowly consumes it.

  

A rose among the thorns

The trails we traveled

After our hike, we came back to the base and moved the motorhome out of overflow parking.  Our site is only a couple hundred feed from the "boneyard" where retired aircraft are stored.  Interestingly, the closest airplanes are B-52's like I once flew.

Saturday evening we went out with Kent and Betty to a great steak restaurant.  They fly back to cold, beautiful Estes Park tomorrow.  We've really enjoyed getting with them and are going to miss the companionship.

Tucson - San Xavier Mission

Friday Jan 27, having made contact with Kent and Betty on Thursday evening, we picked them up and went to the San Xavier Mission South of Town. 

MISSION SAN XAVIER DEL BAC was founded in 1692 by a Jesuit missionary, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino. It was then that he became the first non-Indian to visit the village of Wa:k, or “Bac,” as he wrote it, and it was he who bestowed the patronage of San Francisco Xavier on this large village of O’odham or, as he called the natives, “Sobaipuris.”

The mission is a constant state of restoration to preserve it.  It was a beautiful structure and the artwork and statues are incedible.

From there, at Kent's suggestion, we visited 4th Avenue in downtown Tucson.  This was a trip back to the hippie culture of the 1960's in San Francisco (and maybe today for all I know).  It seemed that the "dress of the day" for the kids there is black.  Some interesting shops, but we had a sense that we were in a drug culture.

We had a great lunch at a Mexican Restaurant, came out to the RV for drinks, the supper at Five Guys.  The hamburgers are as good here as they are in NC.