Flandrau Science Center

Two times last week we attempted to visit the University of Arizona's Flandrau Science Center and Gem Museum but were unable to find a place to park. As is typical of many universities, if there is a ball game or other event going on, parking is in extremely limited supply. We took no chances on Monday. I called to make sure the museum was open, and we took the trolley. It was an excellent way to travel.

We did have a little glitch with the trolley. We purchased 1-day passes so that we could hop on and off at will. But Bob's pass and Mike's pass did not scan when we checked in. A ticket-checker who hopped on the trolley replaced the defective tickets and we were good to go.

We arrived at the UA Science Center in good time.

We had a membership plan and card for Carnegie Museum that was reciprocal so we got in free. Love those!

In the museum we learned that Franklin, NJ is the Fluorescent Mineral Capital of the World. Who knew? Looks like we need to bring the grandkids to Franklin one of these days! See how the minerals lit up with fluorescent light.

Downstairs in the Gem and Mineral Museum are over 19,000 gems, including meteorites and cut gems. One of the student docents told us there was upwards of $35,000,000 worth of gems in this museum.

My favorite was this 13.29ct Oval Yellow-Orange Sapphire and Diamond Ring set in 18ct yellow gold. Bob, buy me one of these!!

After the museum we stopped for lunch at the Frog & Firkin where we enjoyed a glass of beer and a sandwich. This is the life!

Sonora Desert Museum

It was really difficult choosing which photographs would make it into today's blog post about our visit yesterday to Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. Everywhere I turned I saw something else to photograph, so I took a lot of pictures.

We arrived at the Museum via a twisty mountain road with breathtaking scenery. Bob and I had purchased a coupon book at the campground office for $20 and we were able to break even using it at this place.  Entrance fees were about $20 per person and we had a two for one coupon.  The Yankee in me loves a bargain!

This is an outdoor museum, so visitors are told to wear a hat and sunscreen, walking shoes, and to carry water. Fortunately, sunscreen is offered free from a dispenser in all rest rooms, and water fountains abound. We had lunch, then began wandering about the grounds. The views were breathtaking.

Along the paths were native plants that were identified with labels and animals typical of the area.  We came across bee condos, shown above. I never knew there was a real estate market for this kind of housing. The bees live in the little holes drilled into these posts.

Looks a bit cramped to me.

We came at a great time because there were a lot of blooming plants. Gorgeous!

I think my favorite area was the hummingbird sanctuary. It turns out that hummingbirds are very difficult to photograph, especially with an iPhone. Above is a female sitting on her eggs.

And this little one, above, was fascinated with the underside of this bench.

We saw tarantulas...

...bighorn sheep...

...a river otter who posed for photos..

...and a family of prairie dogs. They were very cute.

This is a Crested, or Cristate Saguaro.  Occurring only once in every 10,000 Saguaro cacti, no one knows why they grow like this. Specimens are very rare and are implanted with a microchip so that they may be found if stolen.  Apparently there is a large Black Market business for Crested Saguaro.

Throughout the museum grounds are docents who answer questions and talk about specific animals and plants.  What a wonderful resource for people in the Tucson area who want to learn more about the native plants and animals. We thoroughly enjoyed our day.

Sentinel Peak Park

This morning, Retha, Mike, Bob, and I (with Auggie and one of the Japanese Chins, Elwood) took a drive up to Sentinel Peak. The Peak has also been known as "A" Mountain since the early 1900s when students of the University of Arizona whitewashed rocks on the top of the mountain after a football game in the shape of a giant "A." The "A" is now painted annually in red, white and blue and may be seen for miles.

The name "Sentinel Peak" is much older and refers to the mountain being a lookout for the Spanish. We drove to the top and had a panoramic view of the city of Tucson.

 There was a gazebo-like structure that we walked to from the parking area as well. Seeing Tucson this way was quite breathtaking.

The park also featured a wide variety of cacti that were representative of the plants in the area. The hills around Tucson are covered with the handsome Saguaro Cactus, and we also saw examples of Barrel Cactus and some that were beautiful in a weird sort of way but we couldn't identify.

Later in the day we drove out to the University of Arizona to see the Mineral Museum, but were unable to find a place to park. We settled for visiting Coldstone Creamery to make sure the quality of the ice cream in Arizona was up to par. 

It was.

We Make it to Tucson

We did it! We finally made it to Tucson today. It was a rather uneventful drive; we left at 9:00 am and arrived at 12:20 in the afternoon, having made no stops along the way. It helped that it was only 220 miles, of course. The scenery changed from soft sloping hills to craggy mountains with huge boulders.

When we arrived at our campground we were greeted by our good friends, Retha and Mike, who stopped to see us in Williamsburg, NM earlier in the year. Together we went out to lunch at Lerua, a local favorite where we enjoyed some great Mexican food.

Retha and Mike, being seasoned travelers themselves, realized how difficult it is to put together a meal when you have spent much of the day driving. So they made us dinner, serving up some yummy grilled chicken and salads. We sat outside and enjoyed the evening with a glass of wine. Temperatures were in the 70s and it was just lovely, just the four of us and thirteen dogs.

Auggie got along very well with Mike and Retha's twelve Japanese Chins who travel in the motorhome together. It was an amazing sight to see all of the dogs as a group. They were very quiet and enjoyed meeting Auggie--he had been recuperating from oral surgery when our friends stopped to see us last month so the dogs didn't get the chance to play together. Mike and Retha travel with a huge play yard that keeps the dogs safe and encircles the seating area outside their coach, and it was nice to sit and get to know these little fur-kids.

We will be here for the next month and can't wait to see the sights of Tucson. There is certainly a lot to see and do!

Blowout

We got up nice and early Wednesday morning in anticipation of our trip to Tucson. I baked bread so we'd have some for lunch on the way, and we said our goodbyes to our friends.

You may recall that a week before Thanksgiving this past fall we were headed to Benson, AZ, about 45 miles outside of Tucson. Our fan belt broke in Anthony, NM, we had to be towed to Las Cruces, and we spent the next five days in a hotel room. While we were waiting for the repairs to be made we visited Desert Haven Animal Refuge and ended up in Williamsburg for three months as workampers there. This was ultimately a very good thing, for we have really enjoyed the last three months.

Still, it was with just a tinge of trepidation that we headed off to Arizona.  It was a beautiful sunny day and we were enjoying being on the road again.

Within the first half mile KC pooped and peed in his crate. This was his usual reminder to us that he dislikes travel. I prepare for this by covering his nice, cushy crate pillow with a Chux pad, which I remove as soon as he has finished displaying his displeasure. He then rides comfortably, if not happily, the rest of the way.

One hour into the trip we heard a BOOM and immediately the tire sensor alarmed. We had blown out the inside rear passenger tire. Bob did everything right: he did not brake, but stayed in control and gradually brought the coach to a stop on the shoulder of the road. We called Coachnet (our roadside assistance plan) and just five short hours and over $1300 later we were back on the road.

Ok, maybe those hours weren't that short! What did we do? We watched a train go by...

...we read our Kindles...surfed the web...sent and received texts from our friends Retha and Mike (who were waiting for us in Tucson)...and listened to podcasts. Truth be told, it was a very long day. 

Because we were so tired at this point, and because the wind had picked up and was now gusting pretty hard, we decided to call it a day and spend the night in Deming at a campground. We will start out again on Thursday morning for Tucson. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Last Day at DHAR

Our last day here at Desert Haven went smoothly. We spent much of the day storing things away and getting ready for Wednesday's trip to Tucson. I made a pan of Japanese Milk Bread Rolls to share at our last potluck luncheon, and we were happy to see one of the Shelter's dogs get adopted.

Susie-Q had been here a long time, despite her lovely temperament and attractive looks, so it was a thrill to see her chosen by a very nice couple. Eliana hugged her one last time, and she was off to her new adventure!

Back at the motorhome, KC was starting to get the idea that something was up. He really dislikes traveling but deals with it as best he can.

We sat outside as the sun went down with our friends. It was a nice evening. We will miss this place and the good people here.

Out with Friends and Seeing Dentist in Palomas, Mexico

The last few days have been very pleasant, winding down our duties here at the animal rescue and saying good-bye to friends. On Sunday Bob and I returned to the Passion Pie Cafe in T or C to meet up with Linda and Chuck. I met Linda when she came to see me and had a weaving lesson; since then we have become good friends. This was our first time meeting Chuck, and we all got along very well. We even returned back to their home to see it and for Bob to check out the boat that Chuck is restoring. While the guys were looking at the boat, I saw Linda's new loom and her lovely scarf she recently wove.  We had a very pleasant time and hope to see them again when we pass through the area.

We realized that this is probably about the closest we will be to Mexico on this year's loop around the US so Bob and I drove into Palomas, in Chihuahua, Mexico on Monday to get our teeth cleaned. It was an easy two hour drive, through Deming and south on route 11 to the border. Puerto Palomas de Villa (as it is formally called) is a little town that thrives on the dental and eyecare business, as well as offering inexpensive liquor and pharmaceuticals. We parked in the free parking lot just before the border and walked into Mexico. Ahead and to the left was The Pink Store, where you can have a very nice lunch with great Margueritas and buy handcrafted Mexican-made items. 

When we arrived we were able to meet up with our Las Cruces friends, Joan and John, and two of their friends for lunch. Bob and I enjoyed the company and our meal very much.

After we ate, Bob and I said goodbye to our friends who had to head home, and we walked around to kill some time before our dentist appointment.  We were amused to see a Donald Trump pinata.  I wondered, would a Trump supporter purchase this out of respect for the man, or would it be purchased so that someone who was not a fan could enjoy giving the likeness a few whacks? I guess we will never know.

We kept our money and just snapped the photo.

The store was also filled with lovely hand carved furniture and statues, pottery, figurines, handwoven blankets, jewelry, and more.

We had a nice time, despite the serious look on Bob's face here.

Our dental cleanings went very smoothly and we loved the price--$35 apiece for cash or check, $40 each if you used a credit card. When done, we walked back across the border, told Customs that we had nothing to declare, and returned home. An easy and fun trip.