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!

January 27, 2007

January 27, 2007

Today we drove straight south towards the border with Mexico. In Nogales, AZ, we parked a block from the border and walked across to Nogales, Mexico to do some shopping. No immigration authorities were there to stop us, only a one-way revolving door. Once thru, uh-oh, we see a huge line for the return trip.

Nogales is in a very hilly area. Houses cover the hillside on the Mexican side. What looks like a border wall climbs up the hill along the edge of the houses. The US side is clear. A long line of mostly tourist shops runs the length of the valley. After an hour of browsing the stores, we head back for the crossing. We are not looking forward to standing in the return line. Fortunately it moves along and after only thirty minutes we show our passports. Most people just flash something that looks like a drivers license and are waved thru. This is totally different than flying back into the US where most people are studied and questioned. If I was an illegal immigrant, this is where I would cross. Once back in the US in Nogales, AZ we still feel like we are in Mexico.

Back in the car we head towards Tucson. Halfway along we stop and visit the Tumacacori National Historical Park. Tumacacori is the site of one of many missions that the Spanish built throughout New World to Christianize the local Indians. The church ruins and small museum are mostly uninteresting. The highlight for Aimee is the volunteer making tortillas by hand. We both enjoy tasting them as we missed lunch.

January 25, 2007

January 25, 2007

With the weather warming up we drive three hours west to a fairly isolated section of southwestern Arizona to visit Organ Pipe National Monument. Along the way we pass a steady stream of RV’s heading in the opposite direction. Aimee and I keep wondering where they are coming from. Once at the national park, a ranger suggests we take their twenty-mile scenic loop. This unpaved drive takes us up into the Ajo Mountain foothills where there is a large concentration of Organ Pipe cacti. Along the way we learn that Organ Pipes are even more rare in the US than Saguaros. Organ Pipes are very sensitive to cold and only grow within 80 miles of this park and then mostly on the southern exposures of the local mountains. Like saguaros and barrels, they are large columnar cacti too, but instead of a single shoot, they grow in a large cluster, hence the name Pipe Organ. The park is very pretty and is a cactus lover’s paradise with huge stands of organ pipes, saguaros and chollas. Part way along the driving loop, we stop to view a large natural rock arch that lies at the top of the mountain. We hike the steep rocky trail up to the backside of the arch but stop short of our goal because of lack of time. We have a long drive back.

The Mexican border is only a few miles south of the park visitors’ center. Southwestern Arizona must be a common point of illegal crossing as one hiking trail in the park was closed due to smuggling activity and we saw lots of border patrol agents on the drive back. There has to be easier ways to get in the US than walking thirty miles thru this very arid, rocky desert where every piece of vegetation has huge thorns. I would hitch a ride on one of the numerous RVs traveling thru here if they are not already doing so.

January 22, 2007

January 22, 2007

Paradise Lost: For over a week now we have had snow. I can see it out our window on top of the mountains. A safe distance to enjoy the snow. Mt. Lemmon, the tallest of the Catalinas, I have been told even has skiing. Before we leave we want to drive up and see it for ourselves.

Yesterday afternoon it clouded up and started to rain. The temperature never got too warm. Good weather to stay inside and watch the Bears win the NFC Championship. The last time Aimee and I watched a Bears Championship game, we were on one of our very first dates. She had gotten tickets and invited me to Soldier Field with her. She was in love.

Mother Nature must have enjoyed the Bears victory too for as soon as the game was over, she started her own ticker tape parade by mixing a few snowflakes in with the rain. That is the closest Tucson gets to snow. Wrong! This morning we woke up to an inch of snow. It is strange to see snow atop cacti. With the mountains to our north now completely covered with snow, it looks like we are in Aspen, deep in the Colorado Rockies. By noon though, the sun is out in force and the snow is now a memory. Paradise Regained.

Jauary 17, 2007

January 17, 2007

Aimee and I want to hike down into the Grand Canyon this spring. Halfway back out of the Grand Canyon is not the place to find we are not in good-enough shape, so we need to do some serious preparatory training. The nearby Catalina mountains have trailheads all along the range. This afternoon we decide to hike up the Ventana Canyon trail. It starts in the parking lot of the Loew’s resort, passes the golf course, and up the canyon. We pass a few really big Saguaros. One is so big its arms have arms. From what I have read it has to be well over 200 years old.

The Ventana Canyon trail is very pretty. And steep, especially when I make a wrong turn and we scramble up what looks like the trail. Good practice for the Grand Canyon! Aimee is not impressed and makes us turn around. On the way back down I see where we went wrong but by now Aimee is aggravated and we head home.

January 11, 2007

January 11, 2007

There is a lot to see and do in the Arizona area so we are thinking we need to step up our tourist activities while we are out here. Last week we stopped at the local visitor’s center and picked up a Tucson passport that gives two for one admission to most sites.

Late this morning we head north of Tucson towards Oracle and the site of Biosphere II. This facility, hidden in the desert, became famous in 1991 when it locked up four men and four women in a giant sealed terrarium for two years. The experiment was supposed to mimic a self-sufficient space station where plants were grown to supply food but more importantly keep the atmosphere in balance by converting carbon dioxide into oxygen for the crew. The facility became infamous when it was discovered that fresh air was secretly leaked into the building to reduce carbon dioxide levels.

After paying our admission, we are told to meet our guide at noon for a tour under the glass. Since it is only 11am, we have time to first watch their film (mediocre) and also peruse their exhibits on global warming (interesting). Once we meet up with our tour guide he explains during his introduction that Biosphere I is planet earth, hence the number “2” for this one. We then proceed inside the glass through an airlock for a quick walk through the five biomes within: rainforest, savanna, desert, marsh and ocean reef. As soon as we enter we are hit with high humidity which fogs up our camera lens and prevents any picture taking. So far this is just a fancy greenhouse, albeit one that can be sealed airtight. The difference lies underneath on the next part of the tour. Our guide shows us the mechanical systems for air-conditioning and water recycling. In addition, there are two giant balloons (the lungs) connected to it that allow the inside air to expand and contract with temperature change.

I have to admit my expectations today were low, so I wasn’t disappointed. I assumed this place was built to lure tourists and would be hokey, it wasn’t. The facility is actually quite impressive and well designed. Unfortunately it is now a rusting, expensive, white elephant that is barely used by a few scientists for environmental experiments. Aimee found it boring. I thought it was somewhat interesting. It needs better tour guides to make it more appealing.

January 9, 2007

January 9, 2007

We stopped at the driving range this afternoon to try to recover our golf game. The range is about a half hour away thru the middle of Tucson. On the way back while stopped at a traffic light we were rear-ended by a local fumbling for his cell phone. I detest cell phone drivers! Fortunately we weren’t hurt but my poor car that I have babied for the last few years now has a huge scar in the rear. Aimee and I frequently comment how lousy Arizona drivers are. Now we have proof.

January 6, 2007

January 6, 2007

Our return trip was done in two very long 12-hour driving days with a convenient midway stop in Amarillo. In Amarillo we decompressed by playing several competitive rounds of “Sorry” with our nephew Sean.

Back in Tucson, we are anxious to get back to our outdoor activities. After all this driving lately, we decide to stay close and visit the western half of Saguaro National Park. We head to the west side of Tucson and drive on Gates Pass road over the Tucson Mountains stopping at the turnout on the crest to take some scenic pictures. We head down towards Saguaro Park. Between Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro National, this whole area west of Tucson is undeveloped, putting us quickly in the middle of the desert surrounded by thousands of saguaro cacti. We stop at the park visitor’s center to watch their film and get some recommendations on hiking trails. We play tourist first and drive their 6-mile scenic loop. Unfortunately it is unpaved making the drive very bumpy. Along the way we stop and make the quarter-mile hike up to Signal Hill to see some Hohokam Indian petroglyphs (ancient graffiti Aimee calls it). Saguaro West is similar to East, but the concentration of saguaros is noticeably thicker here.

We decide to stretch our legs and hike the King Canyon trail up to Wasson Peak. After hiking uphill for 70 minutes on this generally uninteresting trail, we turn around before reaching the summit. We want to make it back to Gates Pass for its famous sunsets and we are running out of time. At Gates Pass we watch the sun set behind the mountains in the distance. We are disappointed. It is nothing special. Perhaps we need to come back when there are wisps of clouds or dust in the air to provide some color.

December 28, 2006

December 28, 2006

Despite visiting the St. Louis area frequently my whole adult life, playing tourist was always low priority. Aimee and I now have the time to explore. After lunch today we drive downtown and park near the Gateway Arch. I have always enjoyed standing at the base of the Arch and looking up, especially at night when the polished stainless steel legs reflect the city lights. Aimee is not nearly so enamored with it.

While taking a picture of the Arch, we see the Old Courthouse building across the street. Never having been in it, we decide to investigate. Housed in two wings are some St. Louis history exhibits run by the National Park Service. The displays are mostly worthless but they do have a short movie that I find interesting. It tells the story of how St. Louis was the gateway to the West. First in the early 1800’s as the center of the booming beaver fur trade in the new Louisiana territory and later as the jumping off point for the millions heading west to seek their fortunes. By luck we happen to walk upstairs and find some interesting exhibits on wartime social unrest, and another on the pivotal Dred Scott court case that was first tried in this building. Dred Scot was a Missouri slave who sued for his freedom because of all the time he had spent in “free” states. He initially won but lost on appeal to the Supreme Court. This surprising landmark decision in 1857 probably helped make the Civil War inevitable.

Walking back to the Arch we stop underneath and enter the Jefferson National Expansion Museum. It is mostly about Lewis and Clark’s expedition and I have seen better. Just north of the Arch is Laclede's Landing and Eads Bridge, the oldest one spanning the Mississippi River. Completed in 1874, this engineering marvel was the first major bridge built using Steel instead of Cast Iron.

December 15-27, 2006

December 15-27, 2006

This weekend we started the long drive back to the Midwest for our Christmas vacation. It is a 27-hour 1730-mile drive to Chicago that we made in four legs stopping in Amarillo, Tulsa, and St. Louis. Next year we are definitely flying.

While in Chicago, we make our required visitation to our storage units and retrieve a few more things. We need to start throwing more stuff away but we don’t yet feel like taking the time.

We spend Christmas Eve with Aimee’s family. Her cousin Katie was nice enough to host us at her apartment on Chicago’s north side. On Christmas morning we drive to Alton, IL to spend some time with my family. With five siblings and their spouses, nineteen nephews and nieces, plus a new generation just starting, our Christmas gathering probably looks like a madhouse to newcomers, but is just family to us. It is nice to catch up with the news of family and friends during the holidays. Fortunately all are in good spirit and health.

December 9, 2006

December 9, 2006

With our golf game in a tailspin, we figured we needed to get some real exercise today; so we drove to the eastern side of the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area and found the remote trailhead of the Bear Canyon Trail. This hike starts out in the desert foothills and winds its way north up this canyon following a large rocky wash. Surprisingly there is a trickle of water running down the middle. This is the first natural water flow I have seen out here. The hike is very pretty with Saguaros growing everywhere along the canyon walls. Two hours later we arrive at an area called Seven Falls where the tiny creek cascades out of the mountain in a series of small waterfalls.

After eating a snack lunch beside the waterfalls, we retrace our steps back to the car. This almost-empty river wash is huge. It is amazing to think that in the rainy season this creek turns into a raging river. I hope I get the chance to see the difference.

December 2, 2006

December 2, 2006

We spent the day with the Tucson Illini Club watching a doubleheader of basketball in Phoenix. Illinois played Arizona in a revenge match of their meeting in the 2005 NCAA tournament. On the bus ride up we watched a video replay of that Elite Eight game, where the Illini came back from a 15-point deficit with less than four minutes to go. That has to be the most exciting four minutes ever of college basketball.

With Arizona ranked 15th this year, I was expecting a trouncing. I can tell you I was pretty pleased when I found Illinois up by 16 early in the first half. Unfortunately with two starters on the bench with injuries, it didn’t last and eventually Arizona wore us down. My voice is pretty hoarse from cheering on the Illini.

December 1, 2006

December 1, 2006

Our apartment complex finally caught up to us and wanted to know when we were moving the RV out of the parking lot. We had it parked out of the way next to the maintenance shed and I was hoping we would be able to keep it close at hand. We finished emptying it, winterized the water system with antifreeze and drove it to an RV storage area Aimee found in the desert south of Tucson.

Since embarking on our southwestern chapter, we have logged another 1600 miles. The mileage though was a pretty poor 9.25 mpg, probably because of the fierce prairie winds we ran into along the way. Our grand total is now over 10,000 miles.

In the afternoon we get the bikes out and ride the one-mile to Sabino Canyon which heads up into the Catalina Mountains. It is a beautiful area and we are there to take some Christmas pictures of the desert scenery.

November 25, 2006

November 25, 2006

We don’t want the weekend rush of golfers slowing down our golf game so we have decided to do one-day road trips every Saturday instead. We chose to start close to home by making the short drive to nearby Saguaro National Park. One of the reasons I like Tucson (besides the great winter weather) is the abundance of Saguaro cacti that grow up the slopes of the mountain foothills in this area. These green giants are beautiful and majestic. Even though they are the symbol of the whole desert southwest, they only grow in the Sonoran desert that stretches south from Tucson. We first walk thru the visitor’s center of Saguaro East. (The other half of the park is 30 miles away on the other side of Tucson and will have to wait for another day.) The visitor’s center is pretty poor with almost no information on the Saguaro itself. Fortunately, the National Park Service brochure we get later has some tidbits. From the park office, we do the eight-mile loop driving tour. Despite being a desert the terrain is covered with vegetation, including mesquite trees, creosote bushes, prickly pear cacti, and of course saguaro. A hundred years ago, this area was literally forested with saguaro. Since then a couple killer frosts hit the area and the saguaros are fewer and farther between. The saguaro is making a comeback but they grow so slowly it takes about 75 years before young saguaros first sprout their famous branches or side-arms.

Halfway along the loop drive, we stop to make an easy one-hour circular hike thru the cacti. By the time we finish, the sun is starting to set and the temperature is dropping. On the drive out of the park, I catch a great shot of the sun setting next to a saguaro.

November 16, 2006

November 16, 2006

We hope to restart blogging in the spring. Send us an email at mgroshans@gmail.com with ‘blog’ in the title if you would like to be notified when it happens. In the interim, you may see an occasional day trip in the blog.

We rented a three-bedroom apartment today with a pool and great view of the Catalina Mountains north of Tucson. It has a guest room so feel free to visit over the winter.

Thanks to all our faithful readers.

November 11, 2006

November 11, 2006

I want to make the cut on the Senior Tour in the spring so we are going to forgo traveling for a while in favor of honing my golf swing. I started this morning and apparently I will need months of practice.

While I was away, Aimee locked herself out of the house. Fortunately for her an RV service center is next door and they helped her with their set of master keys. I am not sure I like the fact that there are a lot of people running around with these master keys. On the bright side Aimee will finally stop bringing up how I locked myself out when we started this Big Adventure.