Retirement Travels: Tucson Phase III

Monday, Feb 18

Bill is getting to see another side of motorhome ownership - equipping it. Wal Mart and Camping World are starting to see more of the B's as they prepare to take possession of "The Big House", the affectionate name that has been hung on their new motorhome because it's a little bigger than ours. It appears that they will take possession this Thursday (maybe Wednesday) after all the cleaning and mechanical checks have been completed.

After checking on some dimensions on their motorhome and a visit to Camping World today, we headed to the Titan Missile Museum Historic Site.

We visited the Titan Missile Museum last year and came away with memories of a time in our lives when we all lived under the threat of "Mutually Assured Destruction". Many of the signs and procedures that were apart of the missile crew's
life were very similar to those we used when we were on alert with nuclear weapons on the B-52.

The two man policy was standard policy whenever anyone was in the area of nuclear weapons . This was to insure that no single individual could ever tamper with or launch a nuclear weapon

This key, along with another one similar to it had to be turned at the same time in order to launch a nuclear missile. There was no physical way that one person could turn both keys.

This year was the same - a time for deep reflection on a part of our history that we hopefully never see again.

For Evan and Anna: Anna, you and I have had some discussions about what Papa did when he flew airplanes. It has been very difficult to explain to you what I did and why I was doing it. Visiting this museum today and seeing many of the symbols of the times when I was involved in the military reminded me of the difficulty I have in explaining what it was like in the 1960's and 1970's - a time that is vastly different from today. Hopefully, the following will help you understand.

For over forty years the world's International relations were defined by the ideological conflict between the United States and Soviet Union (Russia). Most nations were pushed into choosing between Capitalist and Communist economic theories creating a bi-polar world in which the two superpowers held sway over the destiny of virtually the entire planet. Conflicts that had raged for centuries were redefined in terms of the worldwide conflict as the United States and the Soviet Unions provided support to one side or the other. This low-level war in which the proxies of the major powers fought each other while the larger nations remained in the background quickly came to be called the Cold War.

In an earlier age two nations as bitterly opposed to each other as the United States and the Soviet Union would have inevitably gone to war. The new element that prevented a full-blown conflict was the development at the end of World War II of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

Once both sides had the ability to exterminate not only each other, but the entire human race as we know it, a direct conflict between the two became virtually unthinkable.

Each side soon sought other means of confronting the other. This resulted in the innumerable civil wars that wracked Africa, Asia , and Latin America through the middle part of the Twentieth Century. Supported by floods of weapons from from both sides, old grievances flared up into small regional wars that allowed the superpowers to try to extend their influence without fighting each other directly (the Vietnam Conflict, in which I participated in 94 combat missions in the B-52 is an example of regional conflicts that supported by the two superpowers, the United States and Soviet Union).

The Titan II is the largest ballistic missile developed by the the United States. It can carry a warhead of over nine megatons, or the equivalent of nine million tons of TNT and deliver it anywhere within 5,500 miles in less than a half hour.

The Titan II and the other missiles that sat waiting in their silos, along with B-52's and other bombers and Nuclear Submarines, represented humanity's ability to destroy itself.

The Soviet Union had the same capability with its missiles, bombers and submarines.

This resulted in a "Mutually Assured Destruction" (MAD), and "Peace through Deterrence". No one was willing to start a war which would result in the end of the world as we know it.

The Cold War as we defined it ended in the 1980's.

The Titan II Missile in its silo.

Tuesday, Feb 19

We didn't have any specific plans for today. After Bill checked on progress of the preparation of the "Big House", we decided to go to a Copper Mine that we had visited last year, or at least we had visited their Visitor Center. They offered tours, but the day we were there last year we couldn't get on one of the tours. This time we called ahead and made reservations.

The Asarco open pit mine is just South of Tucson. It is over 2 miles across and 1/4 mile deep. It produces 132 million pounds of copper each year, along with over 1 million ounces of silver.

Evan, can you find the big trucks in the picture? The trucks have tires that are 11 feet tall and the trucks weigh nearly 500,000 pounds (for comparison, our motorhome only weighs 30,000 pounds).

On the way, we had some time to kill, so we stopped by San Xavier del Bac Mission. We had been last year and wanted to share it with Bill and Jan.

San Xavier del Bac Mission

The mission was completed in 1797 is the oldest intact structure in Arizona.

Wed, Feb 20

A very unusual day for Tucson - it snowed.

It snowed hard off and on all day. From conversations with locals, this hasn't happened in over 10 years. Occasionally, it would snow hard enough for some accumulation, but as soon as it stopped it started melting. The mountains received several inches.

I had new tires installed on the motorhome today. The tires we had installed in Albuquerque had some problems, so we got 6 new ones. That should be good for 6-7 years.

Tonight we went to a small restaurant, Poco and Moms, that Clara had found on the Internet. It was definitely local. Some great Mexican food, and another hit with the sopapillas. Poco and Moms joins Sadie's and Wisdom's at the top of list.

Thursday, Feb 21

Bill and Jan take delivery of their "Big House" today. It's exciting for Clara and I to see the excitement of our friends taking possession of their first motorhome.

Orientation to the "Big House"

Bill brings the "Big House" home (or at least to the Agave Gulch Campground at Davis Monthan AFB) for their first night aboard.

The B's move from the Little House to the Big House

Friday, Feb 22

Bill needed a couple of things checked on the "Big House" which we quickly got done this morning. Then we were off to the Arizona-Sonara Natural Museum.

Clara had wanted to come back here since we visited last year. There is a hummingbird aviary which is fascinating. She got to spend as much time as she wanted there.

Saturday, Feb 23

We're off on the B's first real trip on their new motorhome.

The B's in the rearview mirror

Why Senior Citizens? 'Cause I am one!

We head toward the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. After about 4 hours we arrive at Why, Az. We had initially thought we'd stay in the Monument campground, but found an interesting campground in Why.

Cayote Howling Campground. We didn't hear any Cayote howl.

It advertised 600 spaces. It turns out to be a "park where you want to" open space, with a mixture of winter residents, monthly, weekly and daily campers. It was quite interesting riding around on bikes looking at all the set ups. Probably about 1/5 of the area is filled. There is lots of open space.

Why, Arizona is a real small place and it's claim to fame is its name. It was originally called "the Y" because of the Y intersection in the middle of the settlement. Somehow, the Arizona Department of Transportation got involved and required that all towns in Arizona had to have at least 3 letters in their name. So, the inhabitants got together and decided they would change their name to "Why". Local supplies come from "Why-Not Travel Store".

After settling in (with no hookups - we're in a desert), we take off to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. It is located adjacent to the Mexican border and it's about a 20 mile drive through it to the border.

For Evan and Anna: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is a showcase for the Sonoran Desert and its many plants and animals. Desert dwellers here must live in extreme temperatures, intense sun, and little rainfall. Cacti are the most recognizable plants; 28 cactus species live here, including saguaro and organ pipe.

Organ Pipe Cactus

The organ pipe is a large cactus rarely found in the United States, although it is common in Mexico. The monument protects the bulk of its U S range. Like its fellow cacti and other desert inhabitants, the organ pipe it attuned to rhythms of the sun and infrequent rains. A glutton for heat and light, it grows on warmer slopes where it can absorb the most sun. This is critical in winter months when severe frosts can kill the cactus. It blooms in the heat of May, June, and July, opening lavender-white flowers after the sun sets. Other cacti bloom at night, too, but many also bloom during the day, exposing their flowers to the sun.

Saguaro Cactus

Day or night, the summer display of cactus blooms is one of the desert's flashiest spectacles, as yellow, red, white, and pink flowers color the landscape.

As a protected area, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument allows the Sonaran Desert life to flourish under nearly ideals wilderness conditions. In this outstanding natural preserve one of the Earth's major ecosystems survives almost unspoiled. Recognizing its significance, in 1976 the United Nations designated the monument as an International Biosphere Reserve.

We found that the saguaro cactus come in some rather interesting shapes here in the monument.