(Benson, Whitewater Draw, Chiricahua, Sierra Vista, Bisbee, Douglas, Saguaro National Park, Tubac, Green Valley, Desert Museum)

1/27/20 – 2/29/20

Before crossing into the state of Arizona we made a quick stop in Hatch, NM to pick up some chili peppers. Known as the “chile capital of the world” with 18,000 acres of peppers growing in the valley. We picked up some dried red chili peppers that were beautifully displayed in bunches and a bag of green chili powder then continued along our way.

Benson

We arrived in Benson, AZ at the SKP Saguaro Co-op, which is part of the Escapees RV Club. Two years ago we loved staying here and wanted to reconnect with friends. As expected, when we pulled in there was only dry camping available. It’s first come, first serve when they are full, so we grabbed a space in the parking area and got set up. Within a few minutes, we recognized several people.  First was Dar and her dog who we met 2 years ago; next was Cherie and Chris (from Technomadia.com) who we’ve followed their travel blog for years; then parked next to us (again) was Brad and Maggie (Wanderland Travelers) that we recently saw in New Mexico! What a great welcome party!  Later that evening, we met up with our friends Anne and Neil who were already staying there for the week. And, a bonus surprise was that they were camping across the street from Sandy, who we became good friends with the last time we were here.

My cousin, Linda and I took a drive around to explore the area and stopped by the Amerind Museum to ask about another birding area and have a picnic. That night we went to dinner at Mi Casa with Anne and Neil. The restaurant owners, Santa and Andy, team up to cook/serve amazingly delicious Baja-style Mexican food.  It’s a tiny, rustic home that seats only 24 but we were lucky enough to get a table for 5 and sat down immediately.  The Chili Relanos are a specialty which 3 of us enjoyed. The desserts were pretty great too with the carrot cake being my favorite.

Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area

On the morning of January 29, we saw our neighbors Maggie and Brad packing up so we said farewell for now, then drove with our friend Sandy to the Whitewater Draw Wildlife Area to see if the sandhill cranes were there. Sure enough, at 11:00, hundreds were there and within an hour, hundreds more flew into the shallow water. Bird watchers and others had binoculars, zoom lens cameras, and cell phones to witness the daily routine of these birds.

A phone call from SKP Saguaro let us know that a lot opened up and we could move from dry camping. Yipeee! It was a bonus to learn that we got Cherie and Chris’ site (from Technomadia) while they are away boating.

We had an encore dinner at Mi Casa with 6 people this time. Even though we needed to wait a bit for a large table, we still had fun and enjoyed the delicious food. This time the little garnish tortilla chips were donkey shaped. Linda was presented with a tiny to-go container, with the top stem from her chili relano, that Andy (the owner) gave her. Too funny!

Chiricahua National Monument

The next day we said goodbye to Anne and Neil who were continuing their travels to see Joshua Tree National Park. We will miss them and are very grateful that we had such fun times on our month+ journey together. Until next time! Onward to explore and hike at Chiricahua National Monument with Sandy and Linda. One of our all-time favorite places, we excitedly hiked the Echo Canyon Trail with a side trip to Maasai Point. The amazing rock formations (stone columns and balancing rocks), were brightly covered in green, orange, and yellow lichen. Bob was climbing up and around the rocks through every turn. We’ve named one “Bob’s Rock” which he climbed up 2 years ago and couldn’t get down. However, that day, he conquered the challenge with ease and found a few other columns and crevices to explore. 

At some point, Linda and Sandy picked up their pace and Bob and I fell behind. But near the end of the trail we reconnected and all went up to Maasai Point together. What a breathtaking view! The mountains in the distance were snow-capped and the rock columns (hoodoos) were all lined up to say hello.  Heading down the mountain, we stopped at the Visitor Center to use the restrooms and when we came out we noticed a strange-looking animal along the creek. We realized there were a bunch of them in the area, scratching the ground looking for food. They looked like a cross between a raccoon and a lemur. A nearby sign described them as “coati” (coatimundi), and are common in the park. It was so fun to watch them scurry around with their pig-like snout digging the earth and their ringed tail standing upright like a cat. Great find!

On our way back, the sunset was glowing so we stopped for dinner in the town of Wilcox at Adolfo’s Taco Shop to enjoy the beautiful sky and yummy tacos.

Phoenix Airport

On January 31, we headed to the Phoenix airport to pick up Bob’s sister Karina and for Linda and I to fly back together to Boston. I was heading home for 10 days to visit with my parents and family. Karina arrived, then we all had dinner together at The Bread and Honey House then Linda and I took the redeye (11:50 pm) home.

During the next 10 days, I had quality time with my parents, Alyssa, Kim, Uncle Brad, Cliff, Luke, Aunty Edna, Dolores and Mary. It went by too fast, it always does, but it was wonderful to see everyone again.

Bob and Karina explored the Tucson Gem Show together, went to Bisbee, Tubac, Chiricahua, and many gatherings/events at the SKP Saguaro clubhouse.   

On February 8, I returned to Benson and Karina went back to Boston … passing planes in the night! Bob and I continued to enjoy more SKP park clubhouse activities (karaoke, movies, dances, yoga, and band music). We spent one day washing the car and the RV inside and out which was long overdue!

Sierra Vista

Bob is always looking for nearby disc golf courses and he found one in Sierra Vista. We started on the first few holes and then met a father and daughter team playing at the next tee. They asked if we wanted to join them, we agreed and walked with Amanda and Jodie and their adorable dog named Gandolf. They were very good and as we continued playing, more locals (Dave, AJ, CJ, TJ, and dogs fluffy and Blue) joined the group. Everyone was super-friendly, encouraging, and gave me throwing tips along the way. A few of them designed the course and named one hole “circle of doom” which was very challenging.  By the 18th hole, our group was about 10 people. Everyone in the park, including the dogs, knew each other. Such a fun community!

Bisbee

On Feb 20, we went to Bisbee with Sandy and walked around the eclectic town. Historically a copper mining town, now a tourist destination and home to the Bisbee 1000 which is a stair climbing race held annually in October. The homes in town were built along the hillside with hundreds of stairs being the only way to access them. We had a 3:00 Queen Mine tour of the largest copper mine in the United States in 1877. Prepared with our helmets, reflective vests, and flashlights, we entered the mine on an original train car. Our tour guides worked in the mines and showed us tunnels, copper veins, drilling equipment, blasting holes, underground elevators, and told us stories of the past.

For dinner we had pizza at the Screaming Banshee that was highly recommended from someone we met in Tombstone. The garlic knots were so delicious that we saved the extra oil and garlic to dip our pizza crust into. We ordered a margarita pizza and a veggie pizza, which were both tasty.

Douglas

We signed up to take a group trip to Douglas and traveled with Wally and Darcie in our car. Douglas is a border town to Mexico with many workers “building the wall” and historically was a “smelter” town, which processed the copper from nearby areas. We met a tour guide at City Hall then headed to the historic Gadsden Hotel. Established in 1907, the majestic lobby featured a grand marble staircase that led up to an amazing stained glass mural depicting the southwest desert. The 42’ long and 6’ tall mural was designed and crafted by Ralph Baker who studied under Louis Comfort Tiffany. Other highlights were the original elevator car that we got to ride on, the room key cabinet behind the front desk, and a museum room honoring all the local heroes that served.

Next up was the Border Air Museum which opened in 1911 and was home of the Douglas Bomber. This facility was declared “The First International Airport of the Americas” and built Trojan airplanes, trained pilots during WWII, and was a pit-stop during the 1929 Women’s Air Derby in which Amelia Earhart participated. When leaving, we followed the Border Wall and saw the Douglas Port of Entry which was pretty quiet.

My favorite stop was the Art Car World, which wasn’t open to the public yet and currently under construction, but our tour guide got us in. The outside of the building had pillars of recycled metal objects like rakes, chains, hub caps, and wrenches that had a gothic feel to it. Inside there were 20 or more Art Cars. Do you know what an Art Car is? We didn’t, but it is a vehicle that has been modified into an expressive piece of art. Each car has it’s own story and unique style. Tiny Tim named his car “Miss Vicky” in honor of his first wife. The camera van (my favorite and most famous), has over 2,750 cameras mounted to the van, the functioning cameras capture photos and video to the live TV monitors on the side of the vehicle. AMAZING!! Check out harrodblank.com for more info about the artist and van.

The “Colt Mobile” had thousands of plastic horses decorating it and the original owner built it as he recovered from alcoholism. A Portland window artist, Scott Campbell, created “Dark Ride Now,” covering a Chevy Astro van with creatures that were handmade from rubber, resin, or clay.  All of the Art Cars were unique and it was amazing to see all the effort and materials used to create these incredible masterpieces.

After a quick stop at the Douglas-Williams House, we returned to the Gadsden Hotel for lunch at the Saddle & Spur Tavern then headed back to Benson with Wally and Darcie. Back in the clubhouse, there was a Mardi Gras party going on so we joined in and had some king cake and did some dancing.

Saguaro National Park East

On February 24, we headed towards Tucson to pick up Bob’s sister Mary to visit with us for a while. Nearby was Saguaro National Park East so we took an easy walk along the Freeman Homestead Trail then switched to the beginning section of the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail to catch the sunset. Back in Tucson, we had a quick dinner at Salsa Verde then enjoyed dessert at the Screamery. Their flavor names were fun and creative and Bob decided to sample the “little piggy,” that he liked and got a cone of it. However, while eating it, he couldn’t figure out what the little chewy bits were. After a couple of minutes, and his ice cream almost finished, he said, “I think there’s bacon in this!” Sure enough, on the board, it listed bacon as an ingredient. Of course, little piggy! Oh well, so much for his vegetarian diet! Went to the Tucson airport and Mary’s flight came in around midnight.

Tucson

We had scheduled an oil change for the motorhome so we packed away everything, dropped it at Mescal RV Service in Benson, then drove the car to Tucson for breakfast at The Bread and Butter Café. We were in the area, so we headed to Saguaro NP East since Mary had never been to this National Park. It was a beautiful day and we walked along the trail which was narrow and in certain places the walls were high. Unfortunately, Mary stumbled onto a prickly pear cactus getting needles stuck along her side and hand. Ouch! On our way out, Mary purchased the National Park Lifetime Pass, then we picked up our RV, and settled in at Benson SKP Saguaro.

Bisbee

Bisbee was our next destination with Mary and she loved the town. We explored the shops and climbed a few of the steep stairways to check out the unique houses and yards. Each place is creatively decorated with repurposed items. Sculptures, garden gates, paintings, and street murals adorn the town.

Mary’s also an ice cream lover, so of course, we had to check out the Pussycat Gelato. Bob continued walking around avoiding the temptation. Other fun stops were at the Killer Bee Honey Guy, Belleza Gallery, Post Office and Bookstore. Another great day in Bisbee! Back in Benson we had movie night in the clubhouse and saw “Blinded by the Light” which was entertaining.

Chiricahua National Monument

We went back to our favorite hiking place to show Mary. At Chiricahua we drove up to Maasai Point first, then hiked Echo Canyon Trail for another loop among the fun rock formations. Mary really enjoyed the park and called it “enchanting!”

Tubac and Green Valley

Another couple of towns we visited nearby was Tubac and Green Valley. We went to the Tubac Center of the Arts then looked through some of the shops and galleries. There was a fun project called “Javelinas de Tubac” where community artists painted over 40 Javelina sculptures and placed them in different destinations throughout Tubac and Southern Arizona.

Next, we headed to Green Valley and discovered the Desert Meadows Park that was a community service project of the local garden club. What a delightful place with walking trails, community gardens, sitting areas, sculptures, and beautiful plants. We walked a section of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail which extends 1,800 miles from San Francisco, CA to Nogales, AZ. There was a beautiful mountain range to our left and a stone chair that was built along the trail.  For dinner, we went to Saigon Flavor for delicious Vietnamese food.

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum

On February 29, we took a trip to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, which is a combination zoo, botanical garden, art gallery, natural history exhibit, and aquarium. Each section was fun to explore and the cactus were just starting to bloom in the gardens. The art gallery had an exhibit entitled “Artists for Conservation” where 500 artists from 30 countries created pieces to celebrate nature in art. They were totally amazing and so beautiful! Outside the gallery, we even saw one of the Javelinas de Tubac on display.

Back at the SKP park, there was a country band playing in the clubhouse, we danced and said goodbye to all our Benson friends since we were leaving in the morning. It’s always hard to leave knowing that it will be 2-years until we return again. Happy for the month we had together and will stay in touch!