I loved waking up this sight in the mornings and eating most of our meals out of doors. I planned a trip to Tucson during spring break to escape the snow, which we did, but I also fell in love with the place. I've heard about the Sonoran desert my entire life, but being in the middle of it truly made it magical. I've decided Saguaros are the neatest plant ever and that if the dust didn't bother N's asthma so much, I would totally snow bird in AZ (if snow birding was actually an option at this stage of my life).
The 2 bedroom house I found to stay in was at the end of multiple gravel roads. Getting there was quite an adventure in and of itself. The great part was, it was an excellent place to explore without even having to get back in the mini van we drove so far. Our first morning there we got on good shoes and grabbed walking sticks and set off. We were only hiking for a few minutes when some jumping cactus got on M's shoe and Grandpa had to get the needles out with his knife and pliers. We had a good chuckle over how far we made it without an encounter with a cactus. In the process of getting it off M's foot it flew onto N's shoe. The kids were very careful where they stepped after that!
N by a wild flower and K near the house we stayed in.
D soaked up all this information about the new plants he was encountering. My dad poured out the knowledge and my boy was a sponge. I realized when D and M were filling out the Jr. Ranger booklets at Saguaro National Park that I really had no idea about how old a saguaro was when it grew arms and ended up purchasing 2 books at the visitor's center just to get the answers. (Made for great souvenirs too.)
Grandpa's first aid kit came in handy in Box Canyon too when D fell and scrapped his wrist and hand. Thanks for coming along, Dad, and thanks for helping with the dog while we were gone, Mom!
The next day when we were all ready to go to Old Tucson and the Sonoran Desert Museum, the mini van wouldn't start. Long story short, pack rats had eaten some of the wiring overnight and it had to be towed. After a couple guys getting lost and us going about 2mph on those gravel roads at times, my mini van was towed and repaired. We had already spent all morning hanging out at the house and the children were very grateful the kind next door neighbor let them play with the playground they had set up for their grandchildren at his house (of course my father stayed too) while I drove with the tow truck to Precision Toyota. I was grateful to get the car in there and they rented me a 2018 Sienna for only $35/day. Everyone was so nice and apologetic, especially when the cause was probably a native species that we don't have back at home. The house was the best place to get stranded, though. We had gone to the grocery store the day before so had plenty to eat and there was lots to do: another hike, watercolors and playing tug of war with a rope we found hanging up. K is so strong -- she beat me every time! And even with Grandpa coaching him, D could never beat her either. I'm impressed!
When I came back with the rental car, we didn't have much time before we would need to make dinner so we took a quick trip to the Tucson temple grounds per my mother's request. Both of my parents joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints while they were students at the University of Arizona and through the church later met each other. After looking up where the temple was located my father said he thought he knew where it was and sure enough, we could see the temple from the house we were staying in. That was pretty neat!
Having a campfire during spring break was a big hit for these CO kids!
The next day we put some miles on that rental car by driving to Tombstone -- the tow truck driver said it was a must. I must say, it's very memorable! Sarsaparilla, Prickly Pear Cactus suckers and old time rock candy were fun treats. We also tried Prickly Pear Cactus licorice and gummy bears and the bears were definitely our favorite. One of the things we did was watch the shootout at the OK Corral and take a old time style picture. K thought it was too weird so opted out but I thought it was hilarious to watch the whole thing get set up for my other 3 children. D was super happy with his shot gun and when the woman asked N if she wanted a pretty fan like M had, she said she wanted a gun like her brother. See those adorable little ones the lady found? Omg, this is the only place my children are allowed to be this gun happy. Well, and Cub Scout camp. Before heading back to Tucson, we girls went in to see the largest rose tree in the world (reportedly). Oh, the smell was wonderful!
The next day the Sonoran Desert Museum did not disappoint! That place was amazing -- I can't say enough good things about it. From raptors flying right over our heads to seeing things like a road runner that convinces you his ancestors were dinosaurs the way he moves around his cage to all sorts of things you can't leave the desert without seeing like javelinas and coyotes. We were there for 5 solid hours and enjoyed all of it. If you only had one day in Tucson, we would say go to the National Park and there.
After leaving the Desert Museum, we went to Old Tucson to see the building that had my grandfather's office was in when he worked there as an accountant. We had watched Rio Bravo in preparation for this moment but when my father couldn't find the building he asked some employees what happened to it. Turns out it burned down in the '90s. I just looked at him and said, "Another dead koala." We had a good time but that was really the entire reason I was willing to be overcharged to enter a place with a really bad stunt show (that my son loved and told everyone about when we got home) and a neat haunted mine. I felt like Old Tucson needed saving and when I saw they had pony and trail rides for half the price of ones at home, we jumped on the opportunity. K says it was her favorite part of the trip to go horseback riding in the desert. While my dad stayed with N to ride a pony, the older 3 and I had a great time with our trail guide who was dressed like Abe Lincoln that day. And since we were the last riders of the day, we even got to spend some extra time on the horses and were the very last car out of the visitor lot. We thought it was the perfect way to end the day and are so grateful we went.
Comments