Blogs from Tucson, Arizona, United States, North America
May 20th 2012
Day 42……12/05/2012 After yesterday’s fine end to a rather damp start, we were more than a little disappointed to see low clouds and mist clinging to the mountains that were definitely visible last night. Today we plan to ride a 275 mile loop around the region, including the Big Bend National Park, and the Rio Grande river road, as with all trips where beautiful scenery is involved the sun is a definite prerequisite, but things did not look good so far. We decided to go with what we had and set off to get fuel in the small town of Marathon some thirty miles away, once there we were more than pleased to see a ribbon of blue over the mountains to the south, exactly the direction in which we were heading. With each mile we ... read more
January 31st 2012
Hello again! Sorry I haven't been able to write sooner--with 3 different journals to keep up in addition to other classwork and my schedule, there's a lot to balance! I'm still able to find some down time, though, and have managed to get plenty of sleep, so it's definitely a healthier routine than when I'm at school! I can't believe I've been here almost 2 weeks now--in part I've gotten used to a lot here and feel like I've been here a long time, and yet I look back and the time has gone so quickly! I had my first full week of classes and eveything last week, so I'm getting settled into a routine now. I finally started work at Ochoa elementary school last Friday, after spending much of my allotted field study time earlier ... read more
January 23rd 2012
Hi Everyone! Sorry it's taken so long to get in contact--we really hit the ground running here! I can't believe it hasn't even been a week yet--we've already seen and done so much in that little time! I arrived last Tuesday, and was in orientation with the rest of the group (there are 14 of us) until Saturday. We stayed at BorderLinks, an organization close to downtown Tucson, that works with different groups that come in and then sets them up with speakers and prominent community members to educate them on what's going on here at the border and give them a better understanding of all the different aspects at play. Anyway, we did all sorts of things in that time--got oriented to Tucson, to one another, to the specifics of classes, trips, and other details, ... read more
Day 13-14-15 Tucson Arizona
Published: October 22nd 2011North America » United States » Arizona » Tucson
October 22nd 2011
On the road again!!! Ok, we made it across Texas State. As they say, “Everything is big in Texas”, even the State. We drove across desolate New Mexico, it seemed endless and we watched the gas gage closely!! Finally, civilization again! We made it without any car trouble… Tucson is hot and dry. The temperature was mid to high 90s and we LOVED it. Yes it’s hot, but early mornings are great, and late afternoon into the evening is awesome. The next day, we traveled 40 minutes southeast of Tucson to visit “Kartchner Caverns”. We had a tour of a living cave. What an awesome experience. This cavern was discovered in the 1970s by 2 guys, Gary and Randy, who loved to explore caves. What’s amazing is when you are outside looking at the mountain, it ... read more
Home sweet home...and baseball!
Published: October 12th 2011North America » United States » Arizona » Tucson
October 1st 2011
We got off the ship around 10:15 am in a cloudy NYC. Took a taxi to LGA. Our flight leaves at 1:15. The flight was full. We were able to upgrade to First Class from Dallas to Tucson. This gives us 3 bags checked free which makes the upgrade almost a 'break even' since AA charges for the bags. We slept most of the way to Dallas. When we arrive in Dallas, they announce we are 1 hour 10 minutes early! We quickly check to see if there is a sooner flight and one leaves in 15 minutes. We hurry to the gate and they can get us on and there are 2 seats left in First Class. Our bags won't be with us, but we will work that out later. Gosh, First Class is so ... read more
Day 65: Dying of heat in Tucson
Published: July 4th 2011North America » United States » Arizona » Tucson
July 3rd 2011
We arrived in Tucson last night at about 11pm and checked into the ctest lil hostel ever! Its a little house that has been made into a hostel. We were stoked cos there was only one other lady in our female dorm of 6. She proved to be a very "interesting" character and we thought my goodness what r we in ffor?! And boy what were we in for!!!! We settled into our bunks absolutely exhausted from a full days driving and within seconds "jan" had started snoring! And when I say snoring I mean SNORING!! Like nothing I have ever heard in my life before. there were snores, there were snorts, there was choking...my goodess and the volume of it all was unbelievable! So, needless to say, even with ear plugs neither of us got ... read more
February 27th 2011
We awoke to light snow on the ground this morning at the Voyager RV Resort. Amazing! A freeze is predicted for tonight. Tomorrow, we hitch up and head north to Mesa where we will stay one month at the Val Vista Village. Stay tuned, Paddy ... read more
February 26th 2011
The Voyager RV Resort in Tuscon, Arizona features many activities for its winter time guests. My favorite is the Bocce courts; count ‘em – 4 top grade bowling venues. The courts are available for open play seven days a week, except when scheduled events are held during week days. There are scheduled events every weekday when folk staying at the Voyager can participate in organized bocce competition. Bocce has become so popular at the Voyager, that on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, two sessions are scheduled to accommodate all the folk interested in playing. The competition is friendly, and a lot of camaraderie is built among the participants. Oh sure, there is some baiting and cat calls here tossed around during play. February 2011 is my second year in a row to visit the Voyager for a ... read more
Hiking Lorma Verde Trail at Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona
Published: February 19th 2011North America » United States » Arizona » Tucson
February 19th 2011
My family and I, went hiking at Saguaro National Park. We have hiked the Saguaro Park before, but each time, a different trail. The trails are not too long, the longest we have hiked (my daughter and I,) has been 8 miles round trip. The one thing that makes this park of particular interest, it the panorama. With the Rincon mountains and the town of Tucson in the surrounding distance, the views are breath-taking. The various types of cacti and the protected giant Saguaro provide for curiosity. We hiked the Lorma Verde trail for a total of 3 miles round trip. It was midday when we started, so the heat did not show us mercy. Mark and Desire, had assured me they had enough water in their hiking bags, turns out enough was one 16.9 Fl ... read more
