I left there and boondocked at a Cracker Barrel restaurant just north of Tuscon. From there I visited the PIMA Air and Space Museum
Hundreds of planes including the small "Starr Bumble Bee" 1984 which was the smallest
aircraft ever flown until then.
9'4"long by 6'6" wingspan.
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| Bumblebee |
And this 52 bomber.
Most of the museum consisted of planes used during the war .
The "Glory"?? of war
I much preferred the bumble bee!
The "Glory"?? of war
I much preferred the bumble bee!
After leaving there it was a fun drive up the steep and curvy mountain road (getting used to that now!) to the Sonora desert.
What an awe inspiring area!
On the way to the campground, I stopped at the Old Tuscon movie theatre. It was fun to see the sets where so many westerns and TV series have been filmed including several episodes of Bonanza and Ponderosa.
We were given a performance of various stunts at this old mission
A re-enactment of a shoot-out.
After a fun few hours, I continued just down the road to the Gilbert Ray State Park where I would spend a few days. It was wonderful to be camping next to some Saguaro cacti (pronounced sawaro). These grow only in the Sonoran desert which extends to the Baja peninsula. They grow to about 75-80 yrs old before they begin to grow arms for balance.
I met a very nice man camped next to me who was from Alaska and wanted to hike as well so I was happy not go on my own
4hrs into the mountains.
What is it about the desert that is so appealing??
It is a little bit like the arctic (except for the temperature!) in that there are vast distances where you can see no signs of human habitation. A result of that is it's deep stillness. It is so magnificent, I sometimes find I hold my breath, not wanting to disturb the silence.
Because of the lack of light pollution, the night sky is filled with more visible stars than many other places and I am often filled with awe.
There are no distractions from being completely with yourself and that feels safe and relaxing. The troubles of the world are far away. It is a place of peace.
The desert is an incredible gift.
During my time at the campground, I spent a day visiting the nearby Sonoran Desert Museum, one of the top 10 museums in the US. The 98 acre museum is mostly outside with 2 miles of walking paths through various desert habitats.
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| My friend Janice told me I couldn't properly see the west unless I went horse back riding. This one's for you, Janice! |
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A re-enactment of a shoot-out.
After a fun few hours, I continued just down the road to the Gilbert Ray State Park where I would spend a few days. It was wonderful to be camping next to some Saguaro cacti (pronounced sawaro). These grow only in the Sonoran desert which extends to the Baja peninsula. They grow to about 75-80 yrs old before they begin to grow arms for balance.
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| A invigorating mountain hike |
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4hrs into the mountains.
What is it about the desert that is so appealing??
It is a little bit like the arctic (except for the temperature!) in that there are vast distances where you can see no signs of human habitation. A result of that is it's deep stillness. It is so magnificent, I sometimes find I hold my breath, not wanting to disturb the silence.
Because of the lack of light pollution, the night sky is filled with more visible stars than many other places and I am often filled with awe.
There are no distractions from being completely with yourself and that feels safe and relaxing. The troubles of the world are far away. It is a place of peace.
The desert is an incredible gift.
During my time at the campground, I spent a day visiting the nearby Sonoran Desert Museum, one of the top 10 museums in the US. The 98 acre museum is mostly outside with 2 miles of walking paths through various desert habitats.
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| Stroking a king coral snake |
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| Barrel cactus in bloom |
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| Organ pipe cactus On Jan 17 I left the campground to drive to the Biosphere 2 which was a bit out of the way but I wanted to see it as have been curious about it for years.It is considered to be "one of the 50 must see wonders of the world" (Time Life books) Construction began in 1986 to "research and develop self-sustaining space-colonization technology". In 1991, 8 scientists entered the biosphere and were sealed in to live there for 2 years, totally self sufficient. They grew crops for food, recycled the air and waste and did research. Electricity was supplied by solar panels. Another group entered in 1993 but could stay only a few months because the research funds ran out. A lot was learned from that experiment and research continues today. Oh Dear, the internet is acting up (I'm at McDonald's) . I'm actually in Yuma now but have a few more things to write about until now. A couple of quotes: "Someday all you'll have to light your way will be a single ray of hope- and that will be enough" (Kobi Yamada) "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways , chocolate in one hand, milkshake in the other, body thoroughly used up , totally worn out and screaming WOOHOO, what a ride!" (source unknown) Please excuse if the layout doesn't print the right way. A computer whiz I'm not! |
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