February 22, 2007

February 22, 2007

Tiger wasn’t too happy about the rain delays during previous Accenture Match Play Tournaments in California, so he suggested they tee it up in Tucson this year. They did. We had some friends visiting from Chicago this weekend so we all decided to attend today’s second round. Mother Nature hit a hole-in-one by scheduling perfect weather. The switch to this locale must have been a scramble because the transportation logistics weren’t up to par. Our drive to the course was uneventful until we were a chip shot away. There our foursome hit the first of four long lines to and from the course. In all we spent five hours getting transported so we could be part of the gallery for a few hours.

Despite this major whiff by the organizers, the fairways were immaculate and uncrowded, and we had a great time puttering around the links and getting close to the best golfers from around the world. Hopefully the planners will go to school on this attempt, address the problems, and not shank it again next year.

February 17, 2007

February 17, 2007

Our apartment is on the southern edge of the Catalina Mountains. Every other week we have seen snow on the tallest peaks. It has been very warm the last few days so Aimee and I decided it was safe enough to drive up without a four-wheel. Mt. Lemmon (altitude 9200 ft) is probably only 5-10 miles away as the crow flies, but to get there we first have to drive south and then east before we can begin the 25-mile drive up to the top. The drive up is very pretty going up a rocky canyon. Along the way we stop and get some good vistas of Tucson. Some of the rock pinnacles up here are vaguely similar to the balancing rocks at Chiricahua.

Eventually we drive up far enough to get into pine tree country and we see snow piled up on the roadside. At the summit we head towards the ski area. Since this is the southernmost ski area in the US, I was expecting just a bunny hill. I was pleasantly surprised to see a real-live ski resort, albeit tiny, covered with snow. The ski area has a couple dozen runs of varying skill levels. Some of them look very steep from the road.

Aimee and I decide to have lunch outside at the restaurant overlooking the main ski lift. The temperature is 53^o and sunny. We are sorry we didn’t bring our ski equipment. It would be nice skiing in just a sweater.

Just off the summit there is also the small town of Summerhaven nestled in the trees that provides locals with relief from the summer heat of Tucson. Unfortunately they also had a severe forest fire a few years ago that is forcing them to rebuild most of the houses.

After lunch we head home. The nicest part of the Mt Lemmon ski area is that we can return downhill to our apartment and enjoy 82^o sunshine by our pool.

February 10, 2007

February 10, 2007

We hit the jackpot today. For a while now I have wanted to stop at Chiricahua National Monument. It is a couple hours east of Tucson. We have passed the I10 exit for it several times but never stopped because of the park’s lack of name recognition. Aimee and I are both glad we made time today as it ranks among our favorite national parks. It is a real gem.

In recent history the Apache Indians inhabited the park locale. Their constant raiding prevented inroads by Spanish missionaries and later US settlers. After a series of Apache Wars with Cochise and Geronimo, the Indians were driven out in 1876 opening the area for settlement. The ruins of the Cavalry’s Fort Bowie are nearby.

Chiricahua is an isolated mountainous area in the middle of the surrounding desert. Park biologists refer to it as a “sky island”. As we drive up into the park it is like we have left Arizona and we are visiting the Appalachians. We leave the cacti behind and enter a pine forest. Even though it is 70 degrees out, there are still remnants of snow on the side of the road. What makes Chiricahua unique though is the rocks that line the mountain tops. We first stop at the Visitors Center and learn the area was near an ancient volcanic eruption. The resulting ash plumes settled here and solidified into rocks that cracked vertically and then eroded into weird shapes. From the visitors center we drive further into the park to Massai Point, which gives 360-degree views of the terrain. At the crest of the surrounding canyons are thousands of strange rock formations, pinnacles, spires and balancing rocks. The scenery is quite unique.

From Massai Point, we backtrack to Echo Canyon Parking Lot to begin a two-hour circular hike. We first trudge thru some snow and then descend down and around the rocks of Echo Canyon. It seems every rock here is balancing a larger rock on top. Continuing on we descend down into a pine forest and across a small stream. From there it is up another canyon lined with more strange rocks. The trail is wide and marked with great signs. This is definitely one of the best hikes we have ever taken. An early settler called the area a “Wonderland of Rocks” and that is an understatement.

February 2, 2007

February 2, 2007

Since coming to Tucson, we have taken quite a few hikes in the area. I have yet to see any of the typical denizens of the desert: mountain lions, tarantulas, rattlesnakes, or scorpions. All we have seen is a few birds and a couple chipmunks. So I was pretty surprised this morning, after investigating my wife’s blood-curdling scream, to find a scorpion in our storage room. The creature is pretty small (about an inch and half) but still scary looking. Our paradise has a few thorns.

Scorpions glow in the dark when exposed to a black light. So I bought a UV lamp at the hardware store and used it to check out the apartment. I didn’t find any more scorpions; but I found that fuzz also glows and I jumped a little when I saw all the fuzz particles glowing on the carpet.

January 29, 2007

January 29, 2007

The Tucson Gem, Mineral and Fossil Showcase is in town for the next two weeks. We went to a smaller version in Chicago last year, and both of us enjoyed it, so we made a point to watch out for it here in Tucson. The show in Chicago had something for both of us, jewelry for Aimee and fossils for me. The Tucson Show is supposed to be the granddaddy of US events.

The Tucson Show seems to be a little confusing though as the paper says it is held in 30 different locations around the area. The Tucson Convention Center must not be big enough to hold it all. On the way back from hitting a few golf balls at the driving range, we stop at a small nearby hotel hosting part of the show. Every room in the hotel has a different vendor with a small display of items for sale. Even the parking lot and courtyard have display tents setup. What is interesting is that seemingly every country from around the world is represented here. I had no idea there was this big a market for rocks.

After breezing thru this site, we head towards another. The next one is a series of circus-size tents near the Baseball Spring Training stadium. This location has vendors with some seriously large rock inventories. I am astounded how big this show is and we have 28 more locations to visit!

The next day we take Aimee’s mom with us and visit a couple more of the locations. I get to see a lot of fossils. Beside the usual collector-size samples, many of the vendors have beautiful rock samples meant for artistic display in upscale homes along with plates, vases, sinks and tables made from fossil rock. The girls though are bored and dragging.

Surprisingly the next day the girls want to go again. I need to stop at my broker so I agree. Big mistake. The next locations are mostly about jewelry. Now I am bored and I can’t get the girls to budge from the first display table. Fortunately, after a few hours a vendor rescues me and invites me to test-drive his equipment. This kilt-wearing Scotsman gives me about an hour hands-on lesson in fine art of making gems. I practice cutting the facets on a 25-carat amethyst gemstone. Pretty Neat! Maybe I can get a part-time job as a master gem cutter. Afterwards I help Aimee get a deal on some opal jewelry and then we all walk across the parking lot to the Learning Center for a demonstration on rock carving. An artist is demonstrating his techniques for turning a lump of rock into sculpture using modern tools. I am thinking I could be a Michelangelo in retirement.

A couple days later we hit a gem show held at a local resort. On display in thirty hotel rooms are mostly high quality rock specimens. Between the price tags and the way the upscale guests are ogling these rocks, you would think they were old-world masterpieces of art. Amazing!