Tucson!

 Had a fun week in Tucson, Arizona. Not as busy of a time as we had in Vegas, so that was nice to rest up a bit. We stayed at the Tucson/Lazydays KOA and it was really nice. It had two swimming pools, areas to practice putting, a fitness center and a restaurant. That is where we ate last Sunday after we were done setting up. We also had a patio site that had a play area for Gus. In over a year and a half, this was the longest Gus had been off his leash. Took him a few days to understand what was happening. I was glad that he had his own place, there were a lot of dogs there. His spot was shaded by a lemon tree. We were able to get some ripe ones and enjoyed them in our ice teas. On the other side, looking out hubby's work window was an olive tree. As we walked around, we also saw a few grapefruit trees. I would love to stay there again.

Gus' area

One of the lemons we were able to enjoy.

Olive

Very interesting clouds in Tucson.

I loved this rainbow with all its colors.

The opposite view of the sunset. They were beautiful pinks 

and blues, camera doesn't do it justice.

"When you see that sunset or that panoramic view to God's finest 

expressed in nature, and the beauty just takes your breath away, remember it

 is just a glimpse of the real thing that awaits you in heaven." Greg Laurie.

"And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb." Revelation 21:23 (NASB)

We have history with Tucson, when we would travel to California for Christmas or summer, we would leave Houston around 3:00 pm and drive through the night and then check into a hotel in Tucson. The kids were able to play in the pool, we would go out to eat for dinner and then sleep in a bed before heading out the next day to see my family. We always ate at the same Mexican restaurant; hubby and I were able to find it again, after all these years and enjoyed dinner again. One thing we would always order was their cheese crisp. It is like a cheese pizza but on a tortilla. YUM! It was also a Road Food book recommendation, so that was cool. 

El Charro was the culinary creation of Monica Flin, born and raised in Tucson. 

Married life took Monica to Mexico, where she resided until her second husband passed

 before returning home. Her love of cooking and desire to share it with 

others forged a dream to open a restaurant; however, times were rough, 

and money was tight. Her sister's financial assistance would afford Monica

 just enough money to open a one-room restaurant, named El Charro after 

the “gentlemen horsemen" better known as Los Charros in Mexico.

Cheese Crisp

Didn't know these still existed.

Fun fact: El Charro was on the 18th season of Top Chef. The contestants had to cook featuring cactus while the owner, Carlotta and Padma (Top Chef host) watched and then judged. Chef Maria Mazon, the owner of Boca Tacos, won. She also has a restaurant in Tucson which is also a Road Food book pick. Hubby and I also ate there. In the Road Food book, there are 18 restaurants to choose from. We only had time for two.

Date night!

In looking up things to do in Tucson, one cocktail lounge was pointed out as a place you must see. They claimed it was an old fallout shelter. So, we decided to check it out. It opened at 3:00 pm, we were the first to arrive and were able to have a conversation with the bar tender. Turns out, The Shelter, was built in 1961 and nothing has really changed since then. It has JFK decor, some aliens and other '60 memorabilia. Well, it turns out that it wasn't ever a fallout shelter, it was just built during the time when they were popular. It was fun to hear about the building and we enjoyed our time there.

Built in 1961.

Pretty sure this is a newer sign.

JFK and Halloween decorations.

The bathrooms were up to date.

Driving back to the rig, we saw interesting clouds. Had to take a picture and text it to Cody. He loves sharks. To hubby and I the cloud looked like a big shark trying to eat a fish. 

Can you see it??

I was interested in Tucson's history, so I did some searching.  Tucson is located in Southern Arizona and founded on August 20, 1776. In fact, the area called Tucson is one of the oldest continually inhabited areas in North America.

Hohokam Indians lived and farmed here for 4,000 years before Spanish missionaries and soldiers arrived in the late 1600s and established local landmarks such as the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson and the Mission San Xavier del Bac—the two most iconic and historic structures in the region. "The Old Pueblo," as the adobe-walled Presidio became known, remains one of Tucson's nicknames to this day.

All of Arizona, south of the Gila River was legally bought from Mexico as part of the Gadsden Purchase on June 8, 1854, and Tucson officially became a part of the United States of America. During what is commonly referred to as the "Old West" era (1860 to 1880) Tucson was the battleground of many clashes between cattle ranchers, settlers, miners, and the Apache Indians.

In 1877, Tucson was incorporated as a city, making it the oldest city in Arizona, and with the arrival of the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1880, Tucson's multicultural roots expanded and deepened as new residents adopted customs of both the Tohono O'odham Indians, Mexicans and early settlers that were already living here.

We were able to visit the San Xavier del Bac Mission. It was very beautiful and is located on the Tohono O'odham Nation San Xavier Indian Reservation. It was founded in 1692 by Padre Eusebio Kino. The mission was named for Francis Xavier, a Christian missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order) in Europe. The original church was built to the north of the present Franciscan church. This northern church served the mission until it was destroyed during an Apache raid in 1770. The mission that survives today was built between 1783 and 1797, which makes it the oldest European structure in Arizona. Labor was provided by the O'odham. An outstanding example of Spanish Colonial architecture in the United States, the mission hosts some 200,000 visitors each year. This also a well-known pilgrimage site, with thousands visiting each year on foot and on horseback.

The Mission

Inside the church.

Father Eusabio Francisco Kino spent 24 years and in the Pimeria Alta 

exploring, drawing maps and interacting with the native tribes he encountered.

 A little chapel where you can light candles and pray.

You can't believe how much heat these candles can put out.

It was a nice visit.

"Keeping it real", you may have noticed in our pictures that my hair is shorter than it has ever been. Well, there are two reasons for that, one, it is not as easy as I thought to receive a haircut driving around America, and two, my hair has always been thin, but there was a lot of it, not so much these days. Hoping to get in to see a dermatologist when we are back in the Houston area.

If there is something special you would like me to take a picture of, please let me know!

 
Drop a comment for me and let me know your thoughts on the blog.

God, the RV & me...