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Published: March 26th 2016
This year, I’ve decided to make a couple of changes to my documentation of
The Great Adventure. First, in an effort to shorten the post, I plan to pass along information about the attraction itself and to leave the research of the background information to those whose interest level so dictates. Second, I am going to post the hyperlink travelblog.org provides me after I publish each blog to my facebook.com account. Last, I hope (with the shorter format) to get the posts published in a timelier fashion.
I departed the Countryside RV Resort in Apache Junction AZ on Wednesday, March 16, 2016 – a beautiful southwestern winter day with brilliant blue skies, mild temperatures and only a slight breeze. The drive to Whispering Palms RV Park in Tucson AZ was uneventful; however, my space was a bit of a challenge. This park has spaces that are perpendicular to the roadway while many RV parks are laid out with angles spaces. Fortunately, the attendant helped me back into the space as I was two or three inches from a megabucks motorcoach (across from my space) with my truck bumper, an adjacent megabucks motorcoach on one side of my space and the
utility pedestal on the opposite side of my space. After I had made the cut into the space and had gotten off the roadway, I had only a foot or so between the back of the Pilgrim and another megabucks motorcoach. I nailed it the first shot. When I got out of the Ram, she commented, “You obviously have done this before.” I smiled. I’d rather be lucky than good any day!
My research indicated the
Sky Island Scenic Byway north of Tucson had an exit route via a forest service road which would lead down the north side of the mountain to Oracle AZ. The plan was to find a Mexican restaurant in Oracle for a tasty early afternoon delight. The best laid plans of mice and men…. The road was there alright, but the literature made no mention of the locked gate! Given the north slope gets no sun, there might have been too much residual snow. The literature claims Sky Island Scenic Byway, one of the only paved roads leading to the top of Mount Lemmon, is one of the most scenic highways in the Southwest. The Byway begins in the Lower Sonoran region and climbs up to the
Color in The Desert
Sky Island Scenic Byway AZforests of the Canadian zone at the 8,000-foot level and provides a unique chance to experience four biologically diverse ecosystems in one day. Numerous pullouts along the Byway offer nice vistas of the nearby rock formations and the desert far below and, at the higher elevations, the forested canyons and mountain slopes.
On the day of my visit, a Friday, there were literally hundreds of road bicyclists, dozens of motorcyclists and a handful of runners. For the most part, the other travelers were courteous; however, a few bicyclists with suicidal ideations placed their tires on the white line when there was 1 1/2 to 2 feet of bike lane available – generally not a problem except on one of the hundred or so blind curves. Sky Island Scenic Byway is described as breathtaking, panoramic and majestic. Those writers have never been to Colorado, Idaho or Wyoming (among other states). The drive is nice and, for those with plenty of time, is worth the drive but many other attractions in Tucson probably hold much more appeal.
On a “schoolless Saturday,” I took a drive to the
Kitt Peak National Observatory in Sells AZ. Even though the observatory is located 56 miles west-southwest
of Tucson, “things space” have always intrigued me, and I’m always up for a drive through some unexplored geography. Kitt Peak National Observatory is unlike any other “National” attraction I have visited. First, there is lots of fine print – read the WEB SITE thoroughly, and don’t take any summary information from other web sites – i.e., I had the “tour times” listed as 10:00, 11:30 and 1:30. That is true, sorta – the tour of the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope is at 10:00, the tour of the 2.1-meter night-optical telescope is at 11:30 and the tour of the 4-meter Mayall telescope is at 1:30. The tours are “led by trained docents who know the history of each telescope and many interesting facts about them,” but “are subject to change necessitated by staffing, maintenance, and safety issues.” Given the remoteness, I would suggest the enthusiast call first. In that regard, the telescopes are open for self-guided tours.
Other tidbits include: 1) Kitt Peak is just shy of the 7,000-foot level at the summit, and tourists should take any health issues they might have into account. 2) Photography is welcome on Kitt Peak but cell phone use is prohibited for calls
and data transfers. Turning off the phone or placing it in airplane mode is suggested – I learned (after my arrival) I
can take pictures in the airplane mode! 3) Although the Visitor Center is open to all, the U.S. Government requires passports for visitors from other countries when driving through the Border Control check point on AZ 86. 4) Even though three after dark programs are offered on a regular basis, signs posted on the Kitt Peak Highway, AZ Highway 386, declare the road closed from 6 PMish until 8 AMish (I don’t remember the exact hours).
Again, the attraction, a “
National Observatory,” is unlike other National somethings I have encountered. There is no introductory movie but a series of subtitled slide shows about a variety of space topics from the Hubble Space Telescope to the discovery of “Giant Stars” which may help scientists understand how the largest stars in the universe die. Numerous visitors entered the theater, sat for a minute or two and left. This might be the nature of having to work (read) to harvest the information or might be the nature of the closed captioning – first, the font was so small I could
only read it from the first row and second, it is difficult to enjoy the slide show if one’s visual input devices are busy reading the captions. There is no visitor desk per se, but the folks at the gift shop were extremely helpful. Oh, yes, I had to buy some astronaut (dehydrated) mint chocolate chip ice cream – very different and not bad. I can only recommend Kitt Peak National Observatory to the true enthusiast or to those who might stop in as they travel from Tucson to points southwest. On my return to Tucson, I stopped at
Tiny's Saloon & Steakhouse on AZ 86 southwest of Tucson. I had discovered the eatery when I was staying at a different RV park in rural Tucson in 2014. It’s well worth the drive from Tucson for the atmosphere, a great burger and a cold brew.
I visited the
Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson in the early 1990s. Man, has it grown! I arrived about twenty minutes after the 9 AM opening and opted to purchase the tram tour in addition to the general admission; however, the first tram tour was sold out so I was assigned an 11:30 slot which allowed me to visit
the exhibits in the main hangar, grab a bite for lunch and then sit for the well-narrated, interesting tour of the outside displays. The main hangar hosts a variety of aircraft engines and the Joyce M. Corrigan Women in Flight Gallery as well as dozens of aircraft, including sea planes, reconnaissance planes, (including the SR-71 Blackbird), submarine hunting planes, aircraft carrier operations and a section featuring the Vietnam air war. Very interesting, enjoyable and well done.
After lunch, I boarded the tram. While on the tour, we were treated to the departure of several aircraft from the adjacent Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. About 90% of the aircraft on outdoor display (10% were in varying stages of restoration) were offered commentary by the docent. Oh, yes, he related that the museum has grown from one small building and 35 aircraft to five buildings and about 325 aircraft and that the museum is the third largest aircraft museum behind the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC and the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton OH. After the tram tour, I visited the other aircraft hangars and the Dorothy Finley
Space Gallery. The space gallery focuses on the “pre-space” era of the X-15 and the unsung heroes who set the stage for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. Some coverage is given to planetary exploration as well. Oh, yes, my camera (smartphone) battery croaked in the last aircraft hangar – sorry, no pictures of the space gallery.
Somewhere along the way, I was exposed to a two-day pass offer but didn’t explore the details. For the aviation enthusiast, it might be worthwhile, and, for the local enthusiast, a membership might be advantageous. One FULL day should suffice for the average tourist. The Pima Air & Space Museum is well done and is highly recommended for all and is, indeed, a must see for those not planning to travel east of the Mississippi River in the foreseeable future.
For my “last supper” in Tucson, I selected a Mexican restaurant that was noted on 6-8 “top ten” lists I checked –
Guadalajara Original Grill. I made my way to the bar for dining, found an empty stool next to a middle aged Hispanic man and struck up a conversation. He told me he had grown up in the State of Sinaloa, I
told him of plans I entertained in the early 1990s to retire to Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico for the winters but to drive up the mountain to Durango for the warmer summer season. He advised that is a good thing I had not pursued those plans as the climate half way up the mountain between Mazatlán and Durango is perfect marijuana-growing climate and that the area is now completely ruled by the drug lords.
We chatted for 30 minutes or so as I mostly conversed and periodically scanned the menu. Eventually, I asked what had brought him to the United States. He responded that he had been offered a fellowship in New Mexico – go figure! Somewhere in there, I placed my order, and, shortly after the barkeep had submitted the order, a server appeared with a cart to prepare my salsa. Yes, a server comes tableside (or “barstoolside” as the case might be) to make the salsa for your homemade tortilla chips fresh and to your personal specifications. As our conversation continued, my inquiry to his field of study led me to learn that he is a neurologist. After some more conversation, I learned that his wife is an
attorney. Both had been educated in Mexico, and we agreed that passing the New Mexico (and Arizona) bar exams was more difficult than passing the medical boards. As he put it, “Medicine doesn’t change from one country to the next or from one state to the next.” We swapped phone numbers and agreed to get together when I get back to Tucson. Oh yes, his recommendation for the lobster enchiladas was spot on. They’re delicious. The Guadalajara Original Grill is highly recommended, and I plan to return.
Much of my time in Tucson was spent wrapping up loose ends. When I lived in Silver City NM, Tucson was one of the favorite getaways for the ex and me, so I have already seen several attractions while other attractions were relegated to a future visit. Because of the weather and other features, Tucson is one of my favorite cities and I plan to make another stop while travelling to and from Phoenix metro. In some year yet to be determined, I imagine my RV park relocation schedule will decrease from weekly to something less vigorous. Then I can spend an entire month in this great city. Regardless, I will recommend
Tucson to all.
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Gerry Gurney
non-member comment
Came across your blog today and enjoyed reading about your travels. Glad to hear you are doing good. Will look forward to more.