Titan Missile Museum & Sabino Canyon

Obviously we have taken a little break from the blog 

because there are always a lot of activities 

in our park that we have been involved in.

We were thrilled to have our friends Duane & Sue 

visit us in January!

We went to the

Titan Missile Museum in Green Valley, Arizona

Our tour took us through the section on the right.

You can ride an elevator down on the left side or

climb down the stairs to see the missile and control room.

You are so close you can only get a section in a picture.

View from the top.

It was a fascinating place to visit. 

Another day we drove to Sabino Canyon in Tucson

and experienced the sunrise over the canyon.

It was chilly riding the tram to the trailhead, 

but it warmed up just perfect for a hike.

Duane and Scott climbed to the top!

A Roadrunner greeted us back at the Visitor Center. 

Lots of arms on this Saguaro.
This is a favorite spot for hikers because there are lots of trails.
More next time! 

Organ Pipe National Monument

We also enjoyed going to Organ Pipe 

National Monument with Duane & Sue in January.

Yes, that is the border fence.

Organ Pipe shares 31 miles of international border with Mexico. 

I suggest you sign up for the Ranger led three hour van tour.

They provide so much information and the roads were rough! 

That way you don't have wear and tear on your own vehicle.

 We walked around Quitobaquito Springs for an hour.
That is Mexico on the left. 

Not what you expected in the desert! 

Another view of the border.

 Then we went on a self guided loop tour.

Ajo Mountain Drive is 21 miles winding along 

the Ajo Range foothills. 

Beautiful Sonoran Desert.

 The organ pipe is a large cactus rarely found in the

United States but is common in Mexico.

When you get closer you can see the mutated section in the middle.

Arch Canyon has stunning landscape.

A long day in the car, but it was worth the trip!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

  Scott and I walked around Tubac with another
couple on Luminary night.

We went to Tucson for a Christmas play at
The Gaslight Theatre and later in the month we went
on a wagon ride around Winterhaven in Tucson
to see all the houses decked out for Christmas.

You can see the heads of people at the bottom of the
photo which shows you the height of this tree. Stunning!

Classic Charlie Brown characters ...

to a TARDIS from Dr. Who. 

This is just a small sample of what we experienced.

From our house we can see the
Fred L. Whipple Observatory on top of Mt. Hopkins
so we went to a Stargazing Party. Local astronomers set up
their telescopes in the parking lot and we could view Uranus,
double stars, nebula's, and Pleiades. There was about
120 people who attended. Click on the link to
find out what that thing is in the photo above.

Saguaro Santa

We wish you a Merry Christmas and God bless your New Year!

Green Valley, Arizona Attractions

The first thing we saw as we entered the Sahuarita Pecan

 Festival was this 1939 Chevy Sedan Limo. 

Originally built for airports and hotels, this car was used during 

WWII to transport University of Arizona athletes to 

and from games and activities. 

We enjoyed the live music as we walked around to see the 

harvest equipment, antique tractors, engines, 

tractor pulls and food vendors.

Shaker

This machine removes nuts from the trees
with an off set cam assembly.

Harvester

Picks nuts up off the ground.

We enjoyed a hay ride through the pecan orchard as they

shared the history and harvesting process.

Here is a Shaker in action.

An antique tractor powers two old fashion ice cream makers.

Yummy homemade ice cream with pecans! 

Nothing is wasted here. They use the pecan shells
 in the parking lots and walkways. 

Another local attraction is the Canoa Ranch.

Video about the Canoa Ranch

Howell Manning Sr. residence is a 4,700 sq. ft. adobe 

home which is still waiting to be restored.

Beautiful view from the house looking onto
 the Santa Cruz Valley.

We had an excellent guide who was extremely knowledgeable.

She is standing in front of a canal gate. 

Foreman's Home

Grijalva Home

Constructed in 1915

Retaque Corral

It is considered one of the finest remaining examples in
Arizona and one of the ranch's most unique feature.

Derived from the Spanish work "retakar" meaning "stack-up".

Each wall is approximately 24 inches wide 

and five to six feet high.

The ranch was known as one of the most progressive

ranches in the Southwest with extensive holdings,

purebred cattle and horses.

 They recycled old pipes and used them for fences.

 

Besides some local attractions,

I have been busy participating in water aerobics, 

learning something new at the Forum Club every Wednesday, 

visiting neighbors, cooking turkey, dressing, and gravy 

for 50 people. Scott delivered a few meals to those who 

couldn’t attend Thanksgiving dinner at the clubhouse, 

helped a neighbor replace his deck floor, 

and has been watching lots of football.

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. 
Anyone who keeps learning stays young.” 

Henry Ford