Picacho Peak S.P. is between Phoenix and Tuscon and we stopped here for two nights to climb the peak. We managed to get three quarters of the way up. Didn’t get to where the ‘pull your self up’ cables are installed as the trail got too rough and steep for this old girl.
We stopped at a steep mass of smooth rock that I thought I might get up but was uncomfortable about the thought of negotiating back down. We turned around at that point. The trail was 3.1 miles (one way) so I figure we did a total of about 4.5 miles return. On our R & R day following the hike we saw a cactus wren and black throated sparrow.
We have decided to make our way slowly east to Florida and take Father out for his birthday supper in March.
TUBAC
Last time we came through the west, we missed the Tubac area so this time we wanted to make a stop. We had feared it was nothing but a tourist trap but wanted to see it as it does have a history, being established as a fort in 1752. It is now an artisan’s village with high quality native and contemporary art work, including, pottery, painting, basket weaving, bronze and copper sculpture and of course lots of jewellery. I had one and half days of shopping. Marty did a hike along a river trail and through one of the newer subdivisions and got some architectural ideas.
There is a resident red tailed hawk that flies from telephone pole to telephone pole at the entrance to the village. He adds a nice touch to the setting.
We stayed in a nooky little trailer park for two nights, (The Trailer Tether) right in the village centre and were pleasantly surprised at the reasonable rate. The trailer park seemed to be a haven for geriatric hippies from the ‘60s and has some ‘tripping’ landscaping and decor. This fit quite well with the village’s artsy motif. Even found one or two items of interest in the town that were reasonable. Of course, there was a beautiful pot for $5,000 and bronze sculptures up to $148,000 but we enjoyed looking without touching. This is a place where you tell your kids, “You see with your eyes, not your hands” but there is a tremendous variety of really interesting pieces. Well worth a stay.
OLA, SI SENOR!
Left Tubac behind and drove south for a walk across the border into Nogales, Mexico. The shopping was nothing like it was four year ago. We didn’t feel comfortable walking the streets and the vendors were so desperate for sales, they would try to drag you into their shops. The number of visitors is greatly reduced this year due to the US economy and news stories about gang wars and shootings in border towns over control of the drug trade. The town was also very dirty and we left after only a couple of hours. Unfortunately, the line up to return to USA was nearly an hour long, mainly Mexicans going into the US. My back teeth were near floating by the time we got back to the RV and a washroom I knew was clean. After lunch, we headed for Lake Patagonia State Park which is about 30km to the northeast.
Fortunately, the next day we had warm weather, favourable winds and we paddled the canoe around the lake. Of course, we saw lots of coots, but we had one from Nogales that was quite tame and he came right up to the boat. These birds are usually very skittish and do a combination run/ fly off across the water when you get within 25 feet or so of them. We knew this one had to be from Mexico because of his persistence in following us, looking for handouts (which he got).
After lunch we went for a hike into the wetlands where the river joins the lake. We saw the brown headed Gila Woodpecker, Teal Winged Duck and later came across the very rare Elegant Trogan. The Trogan is from Mexico and Lake Patagonia is the northern most point of its range. It has very colourful and unusual plumage; emerald green back and head, grey wings, a white V-band on the upper chest with orange below. For colour, he is at least a rival to the brilliant painted bunting which we saw in Florida last year.
Next day was cold and rainy and we made it a travel day and Casino night by the Airport in Tucson. Another really good meal. The dining room offered prime rib for $9.95, but the buffet also included prime rib carved to your liking, together with a multitude of other dishes and of course desserts. We chose the buffet at $8.55 and shuffled back to the rig with our shoulders well to the rear of our centre of gravity, to balance the load. This is a Native Casino on Reserve land. It is our experience that their culinary presentations far outshine most of the Pale Face Casino presentations and you don’t get scalped on the price. Far from it actually.
The next day took us to Kartchner Caverns east of Tuscon, another spot we missed four year ago. They are very significant in the fact that they are “live” meaning they are wet and the water is still dripping and forming the stalagmites and stalactites. There are straw shapes as long as 25 feet which are also unique. The caves had been kept secret by their discoverers for years until they could be prepared for tours with a minimum amount of contamination. Due to the amount of rain this year, the amount of water in the cave was very high and the dripping was way faster than other years so it was a good time to visit. There are no pictures of the cave as cameras are not allowed.
We have probably had our fill of caves for awhile as we have now seen caves in Barbados, Gibraltar, Mammoth Cave in Tennessee, Colossal Cave in Arizona, and the best of the bunch, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. Hanging out in caves too much can drive you batty.
