On our last day in Big Bend it got quite cold and a long cold snap was forecasted with lows around 21 - 23 degrees, a bit nippy for RVilla, so we drove several 250 mile days from Big Bend to Alpine, TX to El Paso to Tucson to find some sun and warmth. Phew! The first couple of days were beautiful, but do you see what's on the mountains and on RVilla? Snow!! The high today was only 39 degrees but it is beautiful with the snow on the cactus, what a combo.
We are staying at Gilbert Ray Campground in Tucson Mountain Park. Miles of trails, lush desert landscaping and saguaros, quiet, lots of birds. It is exactly the kind of place we like and only 25 minutes from downtown Tucson. Just had a coyote walk by as calm as can be.
We are staying at Gilbert Ray Campground in Tucson Mountain Park. Miles of trails, lush desert landscaping and saguaros, quiet, lots of birds. It is exactly the kind of place we like and only 25 minutes from downtown Tucson. Just had a coyote walk by as calm as can be.
Friends Old and New
One of our favorite parts of this RV journey is to meet new people or visit with friends all around the country. This week in Tucson we got to have dinner with high school chum Casey and his wife Amy who we haven't seen in a very long time. I caught up with Casey at my reunion in Sylvania this past August and told him we would get together when we got to Tucson. We had a terrific dinner at their home and got to spend an evening with them. Thank you Casey and Amy, the Tucson Tamales were delicious!
We also got to have dinner with Kevin and his wife Denise, old biking friends from Cottonwood, who moved to the Tucson area last year. It was really wonderful catching up with them and we had a great dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, Miss Saigon. It was so nice of them to take time out of their holiday to have a meal with us. Miss you guys!
One of our favorite parts of this RV journey is to meet new people or visit with friends all around the country. This week in Tucson we got to have dinner with high school chum Casey and his wife Amy who we haven't seen in a very long time. I caught up with Casey at my reunion in Sylvania this past August and told him we would get together when we got to Tucson. We had a terrific dinner at their home and got to spend an evening with them. Thank you Casey and Amy, the Tucson Tamales were delicious!
We also got to have dinner with Kevin and his wife Denise, old biking friends from Cottonwood, who moved to the Tucson area last year. It was really wonderful catching up with them and we had a great dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant, Miss Saigon. It was so nice of them to take time out of their holiday to have a meal with us. Miss you guys!
On New Year's Eve eve the weather started to close in so we chose to do something inside. Biosphere 2 was just the ticket. Wow! If you're a science person this is a fascinating place. Some of us remember when this originally came on line in 1991. Intended as a prototype for a space colony, eight people were sealed inside for two years and lived off of what they grew, the air the plants produced and water from condensation. During the first two year mission the internal oxygen level dropped dangerously low and oxygen had to be sent in. It took years before the reason behind this was discovered. Turns out microbes in the soil were also consuming available oxygen depriving the "Biosperians" of what they needed. Did they see this as a failure? No, it was considered a learning experience. The facility is now owned by the University of Arizona and is a major climate research center hosting scientists from around the world. This is a must see if you're ever in the Tucson area.
We also got to experience Saguaro National Park. The giant saguaro is supremely adapted to its environment and an iconic southwest feature. In the park they stretch for as far as the eye can see - desert soldiers on guard. We couldn't help but compare them to China's terracotta warriors, each one unique and thousands upon thousands of them. They bloom at night in the spring and are pollinated by bats, bugs and even birds. They don't sprout arms till they're at least 75 years old and normally don't live past 200 or so. They can grow up to 40 feet tall and weigh up to 14,000 pounds! They are beautiful and tough, thriving in the heat and dry conditions of the Sonoran desert.
We're really enjoying the city and will most likely be here for a couple of weeks as there is plenty to do and there are a few things we need to get done, like an oil change on the truck. If you're ever this way, Visit Tucson is a great resource for things to do in the city. We purchased a coupon book for $18 that gets us into many great venues (like the Biosphere) around Tucson and southern AZ and it has already more than paid for itself.
Even though we're having all this fun, duty calls - laundry and shopping are on the list for today....ugh, goodbye for now and more to follow.
Even though we're having all this fun, duty calls - laundry and shopping are on the list for today....ugh, goodbye for now and more to follow.