Arizona had special surprises for us

A 3 hour drive lands us in Tucson AZ and the first RV Park with a functioning pool. It was nice to finally soak up some sun for the first time this summer. This is also the first location on our trip where the temps went past 100. But its a dry heat - Yeah, I like it like that.



Unless you are a science nerd (enthusiast) you may have never heard of Biosphere 2. It is listed as one of the 50 must see wonders of the world. What it was built to be is a mini earth (Biosphere 1). It is a 3 acre glass enclosed environment complete with a coral reef ocean, desert, rain forest and living quarters for 8 crew members. These scientists were sealed inside the “dome” for 2 years (pretty science-fictiony). The objective was to see if humans could build livable and sustainable conditions on other planets. Everyone survived that mission and said they learned a lot. The second go around failed for several reasons; which could have been any or all of; funding, management or jealousy and sabotage from the first crew. Guides didn’t really want to cover this during the tour. Now Biosphere 2 is in the hands of the University of Arizona and is used for a variety of environmental research. One that stands out in my mind is exploring organisms that will eat plastic shopping bags. Yes, the ones that last forever and are covering many landscapes and floating in our water. We were also taken through the mechanical rooms that converted solar to power, and the lungs (expandable baffles) that kept the windows from blowing out from heat expansion. This really is a one of a kind spot.

*Biosphere 2 Grounds Map

*The Stats

*Earth on Earth

*The Biosphere 2 Crew Kitchen

*Ocean Complete with a Austrailian Coral Reef

*Rain Forest

*Desert Life

*The Mechanical Rooms

*Black Baffles Flex to Maintain Correct Internal Pressure

*Glass Windows Give Side Views of the Ocean

 

Pima Air and SpaceMuseum is where you board the bus to tour the 2500 acres of 3600 grounded military air craft on the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The Boneyard care takes for our retired aircraft as well as many allied craft. There is row upon row of grounded warriors, big and small. I was happy to find out the white covers preserve the instrument panels from the heat and all of these aircraft can be either be made flight worthy or become donors for another plane. The aerial photos I have seen are quite impressive. During a ground viewing it is difficult to grasp the enormity of this working storage operation. So glad we had seen the overhead pictures ahead of time. “Thanks for the Suggestion Glenn!”

*Rows and Acres of Aircraft

 

 

After a highly anticipated lunch at In-N-Out Burger (Just trust me, the best fast food burgers and fries). We drove to Saguaro (swore o) National Park. This desert park is home to the cacti that are often the scenic backdrop in many westerns. They will live about 150 years and can be up to 50 high. What I founds surprising is they have a wooden skeleton. Being from a cold climate it never occurred to me that parts of a cactus would be wooden. I thought they were just filled with water. The ribs also are used in many ways as building materials. It was educational to go through the welcome center. However, had I known there were so many Saguaros all over Arizona; I would not have trudged through the park as far to get pictures. It is a beautiful drive and the park is full of a variety of cacti. Many were blooming.  

*Saguaro Skeleton - Who Knew?

*After We Tiptoed through the Cacti - We found out Saguro are everywhere in AZ -                        they are still Pretty Awesome

 

 

A visit to Tombstoneis a bunch of fun. Any day that can be filled with Cowboys, Harlots. Horses and shootouts is just a recipe for a good time, Visiting Tombstone is free. You do have to pay for most everything else. The OK Corral is preserved with animatronics replicas of Doc Holliday, Virgil, Morgan and Wyatt Earp and the bad guys. Just push the button and the shoot out is replayed for you pleasure. Surrounding buildings have been more or less preserved to reflect the day of Oct 26, 1881. But wait there’s more. Don’t miss the live shoot out at noon, 2 and 3:30. There are plenty of horse drawn vehicles and guides available, you can take a guided trolley or walk. There are plenty of shops, saloons, and eating places to choose from. Parts of mainstreet do get closed for plays and a variety of western encounters. We went on Sunday. All of the actors seemed very engaged and out to have a good time. The Tombstone Epitaph is still in production. It is a free to tour complete with the printing presses from the 1800’s. If you paid the see the OK Corral you get a free copy of the newspaper reporting the shoot out yesterday. When you leave town stop at the cemetery. If you have a big mustache, you too can get a job at Tombstone.

*The OK Corral

*Shoot out are three times a day

*There may have been Norwegian Fjord in the Wild West

 

Highly recommended that we visit Old Tucson, a replica of Old Tucson. It is used as a screen set for movies, TV productions commercials and music videos. It also is a family amusement park and is open for parties, business meetings and receptions. I only know this because of the flyer I picked up at the “We are closed sign” (too hot and this is the off season). The sweet and lonely clerk in the gift shop (yes that was open) did direct us to our next destination.

*We tried Alice - We will have to make this on our next trip

Built by Spanish Franciscans in 1783 Mission San Xavier has functioned under Spanish, Mexican and American governments. She is considered to be Americasfinest surviving Baroque Spanish Colonial architecture. She has been repaired through lighting strikes, earthquakes and floods. It is now a National Landmark and is still a functioning Catholic Church. Much of the mission has been restored, however many of the plaster murals are waiting for their turn.

*Mission San Xavier

*Portico Ceilling supported with Saguaro Ribs

 

We have been so excited to go to Tempe/Phoenix.Our little neighbor from Delton is all grown up, happily married and having a great life in Tempe.We are looking forward to seeing Bethany and her husband Mike tonight.

To fill our day we drove out to Queens Creek Olive Farm and Mill.This tour is to find out how olive oil is made.Adding to our surprise when we found out Queens Creek and our guide had been on Mike Rowes Dirty Jobs.This is the only olive mill in Arizona.Trees are hand ranked to remove olives.Olives are then pressed and processed through the “Olive Max 33” (that just sounds impressive doesn’t it?) to make oil.QCOM and F has a beautiful shop with many varieties and flavors of Olive Oil.You can have lunch, dessert, coffee or a glass of wine.This would be a shop I would visit often.

We were welcomed to Bethanyand Mikes house.Bethany did apologize by letting us know she was also having another guest for dinner. Which would have been just fine. Then around the corner pops my best wine drinking buddy and neighbor from Michigan SHARON!!!!!!For the first time ever in my life I burst into happy tears!It was a wonderful evening of flying corks and wonderful food, conversation and plans for tomorrow.

*Bradys first grass sighting in over a month

 

*Queen Creek Olive Mill has a wonderful picnic quality

 

*Tour Guide and QC Manager Dave with Les

*Baby Olives

*Mashing and mushing the oil out of the olive

 

The next day Les, Sharon and I headed to Tonto National Monument.This cliff / cave dwelling is easily seen from the parking lot.It is a nice and exhilarating walk up the mountain to tour the dwelling.This structure dates from the 13^thcentury and was occupied until the 15^th century by the Salado culture. Gotta hand it to these folks, they had a great view.

The drive through the Mazatzal and Superstition Mountains to Tortilla Flats was an interesting combination of active and dormant gold and silver mines, prosperous and forgotten mining towns all this with an amazing rugged mountain back drop.Sharon steered us through the Apache Trail, Salt River Canyon to a great restaurant (The only restaurant) in Tortilla Flats.Dollar bill covered walls, western saddle bar stools and very artistic restroom décor.So cute!! A cute restaurant is only as good as its food. No worries here, with great burritos and burgers.This was a supper fun day.“Thank you so much Sharon for turning this special stop on our trip into something so much more memorable.”

 

*Sharon and Me

 

 

*Dwelling View from Half way up the Hill

 

*Roof Replication

*Us

*What a view!!

 

*Salt Canyon water way

*Tortilla Flat Diner - We were all happy to get here!

 

*Dollars Dollars Everywhere

 

*Saddle on up to the bar

*Ladies room art looks just like us

*Mike Bethany and Sharon - Thank You so much for the Hospitality and Surpirse!!

 

The next day we followed Sharon’s advice. We returned to Superstition Mountains. First stop was to the Museum. This is a tiny building very nicely filled with animal exhibits, native history and the story and lore behind the Lost Dutchman Gold mine. A nice surprise was a nice display of originals by one of my favorite artist DeGrazia. (a missed opportunity; his main gallery is in Tucson).

Apacheland was a production studio for films and episodes of TV shows like Bonanza, DeathValley Days, Have Gun will travel, and Charro to name a few. The studio survived one fire but after its recovery it couldn’t battle a second. Two buildings had been saved and relocated to the Museum Grounds, The Stable and “The Elvis Chapel”. Both have memorabilia from the studios glory days.

Down the street is a great family western mining reenactment town called “The Dutchman’s Hide Out”. Here you can take a mine tour, have lunch, and spend a day absorbing the atmosphere. The Superstition Mountainsmakes all directions a scenic photo opportunity.

 

*Elvis' Chapel from Apacheland Studios at Supersition Mountain Museum

*Local Critters

*Navajo Loom

*One of the treasure maps to The Lost Dutchmans Gold Mine

 

 

 

 

*DeGrazia

 

 

*On the Back Lot of the Museum

*You may Reconise this barn from many old westerns

 

*Original 20 Stamp Mill - Used to grind rock to make it easier to identify gold

 

 

We are leaving the Cities behind and are heading to the wide open spaces. We found a great park in Salome. Other then a Family Dollar Store we are an hour from any real town and grocery stores. It is a bit of heaven filled with desert and mountain trails. This area is just fabulous for your mind and soul.

*Wild Saguaros - They are Everywhere -

 

*Brady and Desert Turtle

*I saw this - Brady did not -

*Food and Shelter for Desert Critters

*The Salome Arch

*Sunsets reflection to East

*Sunset

 

One day was spent going to Wickenburg. This is a nice town known for its gold history and annual Cowboy Festival. Not during festival it is a very nice quiet town.

*Desert Caballeros has got a wonderful Western lifestyle art collection - (No pictures inside) -

*No Jail - No Problem

 

After an amazing week hiking we head to Lake Havasu City. It is pretty great to see a lake; manmade or not in the desert. It was pretty interesting to see how the lake was manipulated to accommodate the London Bridge.

Built in 1831 the bridge was moved in 1971 at a total purchase, relocation and assembly cost of $5.1 million. This vision by city founder Robert P. McCulloch was a great marketing plan to encourage hotels, shops and aquatic entrepreneurs. Lake Havasu City is a boaters paradise. It is a great town but, for us after we had seen the bridge and taken a couple of walks we were ready to hit the road and get to Las Vegasa couple days early.

 

*Lake Havasu City and London Bridge Welcomes you

*Each Brick was Numbered Before Shipment - In this picture you can see how there was no lake when the bridge was being reassembled

*London Bridge  - Just add water

*1/3 Size Light Houses are scattered around the area - This is a great Lakes Model

*For My NC Family

*It is a dogs life

Our daily discoveries in Arizona are just another perfect example of why not planning can make your travels better. Sharon I love you.

11 SEP 14

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