Leaving Tucson...but I'll Be Back

Day 215 on the road.

I came back to Tucson for a couple of days to check on my mail and say goodbye to some friends. I've enjoyed my stay here through the Winter, and I can't think of a better spot to wait for Spring while most of the country suffers from bitterly cold temperatures and snow.

I'm leaving Tucson on Tuesday morning and won't be back for a few months. My plan is return in October to once again spend the Winter here. I love the area, and I especially like Scottsdale and the Phoenician valley. Tucson lacks the shopping and sophistication of Scottsdale, but I still enjoy being here. If I had a choice, Scottsdale wins hands down. But Tucson is smaller, has less traffic headaches (except for the construction woes), and seems to be a bit more intimate. It's cheaper to live in Tucson, I think, based on gas prices and motel rates I experienced in both places.

On Tuesday I'll make it to Surprise for a Rangers game and will remain in the area until the end of March. Then I'll be driving north to Prescott. From there, my plan is to spend some days in the Grand Canyon area. I'm not sure what April weather is like along the Colorado River in northern Arizona. It still may be a little cool. So my plans depend a lot on the weather--I don't want to run into any April snows at the higher elevations.

Time to Move On, For Now

It's been a fun time here in the desert, but it's time to move on. I'll be driving to Scottsdale tomorrow. My plans are to remain in the Phoenix area through the month of March. I've got tickets to see the Texas Rangers play some Spring ball in Surprise, Arizona. I'll also be studying art and will continue to visit artists and galleries in the area.

I've been in Tucson since October 29 (you can read my blog entry on that day: http://2vegas.blogspot.com/2007/10/i-made-it-to-tucson-today-monday-after.html ). I love it here, and I can't think of a better place to spend the Winter. I'll be back, guaranteed.

To Britta, Kasie Jo, and Lettie: thanks for keeping me out of trouble...don't work too hard.

To the dealers at the del Sol: thanks for making me feel comfortable and easy and part of the family in your poker room. Keep up the friendly atmosphere and "down home" approach...and let me hit a nut-flush once in a while, OK?

To Linda, Don, Two-Pair, Dave, Fast Eddie, and other players: spend my money wisely. And Linda, keep in touch...we'll meet up again. Have fun in Hawaii.

It's a beautiful morning in Tucson. Yesterday it rained all day, so I knew today would be a nice day. It rains just enough here to clear the air and make the sky so blue you can almost touch it, like a pastel painting.

I'm sitting on the patio of my favorite hangout near the University of Arizona campus drinking a "grande skinny cinnamon dolce latte", noted on my cup as a "SCDL". The air is crisp, the temperature is perfect for a sunny morning, and I'm doing nothing. What a life.


The view from here provides a glimpse of a major college campus on a school day. Bike riders pass me scooting along like wheeled snakes, darting in and out of traffic. Signs remind cars to park "Backwards Only for Bikers", so along University Drive every car is parked with headlights facing toward the street. Students walk past the patio where I've set up temporary camp, most with backpacks, pierced ears and noses. Flip-flops are the shoe of choice for many. I see one particular guy almost every morning walking to class, and I silently giggle at his dress code: big brown shoes and brown socks to the knee, Hawaiian shorts with a floral theme, white T-shirt (always a white T-shirt). He's a bulky human, not unlike a local Sasquatch, with dark hairy arms and unshaven beard. Of course, every Sasquatch you see must have an iPod, so this one is no exception.

The Marriott Hotel is in the distance across from me, and so is the La Salsa Mexican restaurant. A Pei Wei restaurant is next to the La Salsa, providing students with an international variety of foods. Local bars make up the remainder of University Drive, along with a donut shop, a few clothing stores and a student book store.

I took this picture to remind me of location. University Drive leads to the main entrance of the University of Arizona. The "Downtown Centro" sign is one of hundreds you see around town telling tourists where downtown is located. Actually, the city of Tucson is user-friendly and I've had no problem learning how to get around town. The colored banner hanging from the light post is a nice design highlighting the "Main Gate Square", the name given to this shopping development.

This tree reflects the time of year. It is winter. I noticed the one leaf, dead, hanging on, until the next wind gust blows it away. The tree is right in front of me as I sit here, and I took the picture to remind me that I'm alot like that leaf. Although I'm not dead, I sometimes feel like I'm hanging on, trying to avoid a gust of wind, so I might continue to enjoy the nice weather and blue sky above me.

A Snapshot Update, Christmas to January 20

Time to update my blog and get back on my regular schedule after a month of goofing off. I've not updated my blog since the middle of December...so, it's time to get back on track. Here we go...A Snapshot Update in Pictures.

Tombstone, Arizona Territory

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, 2007

I thought about flying back to Texas for the Holidays, but decided I didn't want to fight the crowds at the airport. So, instead, I went back to the Old West and drove to Tombstone in the "Arizona Territory."

In the early days of the Arizona/New Mexico territory, Tombstone was a thriving mining town and center of government for the expanding territory. The capital was later relocated to Phoenix after Tombstone fell on hard times, having suffered two devistating fires that nearly destroyed every building in town. In addition, the mines played out and the town was all but abandoned. Then the Earp brothers came to town. The fight at the OK Corral became a celebrated duel in the streets of Tombstone and Boot Hill Cemetery became a tourist attraction. Tombstone now survives soley on tourism. The "town too tough to die" lives on for those of us who treasure the Old West and want to feel what it must have been like to live in the days of Doc Holiday and Wyatt Earp.

I stayed in a hotel on Fremont Street two blocks south of the OK Corral. I checked in on Christmas Eve and stayed two nights. On Christmas Day, the town was quiet except for me and few other tourists. We had the streets of Tombstone to ourselves. The ghosts of dead cowboys and Apaches were present as we walked the streets.

Here's an exerpt from my personal journal:

"I left Tucson yesterday morning, drove to Benson, then on to Tombstone and arrived before noon. My first stop was Boot Hill Cemetery just north of town. The cemetery is on a hill, overlooking a beautiful view of the mountains to the east and a valley below.

I then drove on to Tombstone and walked around the old western town before deciding to get a room at the Adobe Lodge on Fremont, a block east of the famous Allen Street where all the saloons gunfights took place in the 1880s. It’s a great location to stay, with all the attractions within easy walking distance. I ate lunch at the Longhorn Restaurant, walked the town, attended a reenactment of the shootout at the OK Corral, and bought some jewelry. The weather was cool, but very pleasant with a warm sun. I ate a light supper, just a “Tombstone Club” sandwich at the Cashman Café, a historic site across from the old mine, on Toughtnut Street. The old lady who runs the place was a character, with a deep German accent, and a very friendly and funny demeanor.

This morning, being Christmas Day, I wasn’t sure if any place would be open. Luckily, the Circle K gas station on the edge of town was open, so I bought some cereal, milk, and donuts for breakfast. I also bought a sandwich from Cashman’s last night and have it yet to eat.

I just walked for about an hour and half through the deserted streets of Tombstone. A few tourists joined me in walking around the town unmolested by the usual tourists you see here on a daily basis. No businesses were open, but for the old mine. Remarkably, they were offering tours of the mine today. While sitting on a bench resting myself, a Mexican gentleman rode up on his bike passing out flyers. He said he opened his Mexican restaurant today because he knew everyone else was going to be closed. I wished him luck, and will pass on the opportunity to eat there.

My impressions? The OK Corral is all about western myth and history. It is fun to think about what happened on that October day in 1881. More than 25 shots fired in less than 30 seconds, ending up in the death of three men and the wounding of a couple more. Wyatt Earp was the only one who came away without a scratch. The stage play/reenactment was like something you would find at a Six Flags or other tourist park: a mixture of bad acting, humor, playing with the audience, and cheesy entertainment. Walking through the corral where the actual fight took place was rather eerie. I enjoyed the Fly’s Photo Shop, located next to the corral. Doc Holiday was staying in a room provided by the Fly’s when the fight broke out just outside his window in the corral. The “HIstorama”, a cheesy and outdated multimedia presentation on the history of Tombstone was a little silly. Narrated by Vincent Price, you’d thing they would have updated the presentation by now. The show is in a small theater and is included in the $7.50 price you pay for the shootout reenactment and tour of the OK Corral.

Tombstone itself, is the real attraction. The three or four blocks of Allen Street running north and south look like an old western town. You can take a stage ride tour, eat in historic locations like the Longhorn Restaurant or Big Nose Kate’s Saloon. Numerous retail stores selling everything from jewelry to Stetson hats line both sides of the street. Plaques located throughout the town designate the places where historic events took place."

Boot Hill (or is it Boothill?) Cemetery was my first stop just north of Tombstone. I walked among the graves of various Apache indians, criminals, children, and of course those who died at the O.K. Corral.

I took this photo of a painting that was hanging in the window of an art gallery in downtown Tombstone. Handlebar mustaches were common, I guess.

Christmas Eve day in Tombstone. The horses evidently don't like working on holidays. The hotel is the famous "Crystal Palace" where an Earp brother (I can't remember which one) was shot weeks after the OK Corral gunfight.

Looking east from Allen Street toward the mountains on Christmas Eve day.

I attended the last show of the day that was a reenactment of the famous OK Corral gunfight. I took this photo just as Doc Holiday takes aim at one of the Clantons. Doc was grazed by a bullet in the hip; Wyatt Earp was the only one to come out of the fight without a scratch.

The entrance to the Good Enough Mine, the large and prosperous silver mine that made Tombstone one of the most thriving mining towns of the late 1880s. Unfortunately, the mine gave out due to technical problems (something to do with water pumps and other mining stuff I really don't understand). Tombstone was all but dead after most people abandoned the place. At one time there were more than 18 mines operating in the area.

A view of the boardwalk looking north in downtown, on Allen Street. Tombstone was rather quiet on Christmas Eve day. Normally, these sidewalks would be full of tourists.

Christmas Day, Tombstone. The town is totally abandoned except for me and a handful of tourists. I walked alone down Allen Street and tried to imagine what it was like during the day when the Earps and Clantons were in town.

The Oriental Saloon, home of Wyatt Earp and his clan. Wyatt ran a card game and spent most of his time here.

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Around Town in Tucson
Bringing in the New Year, early January

The Cowboys had just clinched the playoffs and home-field advantage, so I was a happy guy when I took this photo. I had just left the Fox and Hound Sports Grille and tossed my hat on the seat next to me. Why did I take this photo? I have no idea.

Showing off my new sunglasses bought at the local Goodwill Store for 79 cents. They are Ohio State glasses and are very cool.

My favorite hangout is the Starbucks on University Drive, one block west of the University of Arizona main campus. The building used to be someone's home: wooden floors still intact.

The fireplace (there are two) in the Starbucks back room. Back in the day, this was someone's bedroom. It's a very nice place to hang out, relax, and visit with UA students.

A mural on the wall in the Starbucks...reminds me of a girl I once dated. She also was flat, cold, and expressionless.

The Casino del Sol, located west and south of downtown Tucson on the Pascua Yaqui indian reservation.

The east entrance to the Casino del Sol. The poker room is located just inside those doors beyond the trees. I spend 20-30 hours a week here, trying to become a card player like Doc Holiday, who was known as a real card shark and was regularly threatened by gun-toting losers who couldn't play very well. Luckily, guns are no longer allowed inside the poker room (at least not this one!)

A "Moment of Zin" at a Motel 6. As you can tell, I sometimes get bored.

My supplies for a stay at the motel: cell phone, plastic utensils, fresh fruit, and junk food. Living in motels can be ruiness to one's diet, so I've learned to buy fruit instead of Hostess Twinkies. I rarely eat junk food any more, choosing to eat from a grocery store or at a restaurant.

I have a beautiful drive to work, traveling along the foothills of the mountains on Sunset Road. I took this photo on the morning after a cold and rainy day...the sky was blue and the air was crisp and very clear. I never tire of the scenery here.

Homes along the foothills. One day I would like to own a home in this area of Tucson (we can only dream, of course.)

Inside the Fox and Hound Sports Grille on the day the Cowboys lost to the New York Giants. I was sick for days. This room in the Fox has huge TV screens along the wall.

My Two-Day Trip to Phoenix/Scottsdale

Carefree Arts Festival, weekend of January 18-20

These bikers were headed north on Hwy. 51 toward the little town of Carefree. There is a six mile "scenic route" from Scottsdale.

These mountains overlook Carefree. If you look hard, you can see a house on the very top of the mountain.

Looking north toward downtown Carefree.

The views around Carefree are just beautiful. I took this photo looking northeast just outside of town.

Downtown square, Carefree, Arizona. The downtown area is imaculate, landscaped, with brick streets, quaint offices, retail shops and a very cool atmosphere.

Early morning view of the Arts Festival, featuring artists from around the nation. The crowds began to slowly arrive and by noon the streets were packed. I was early, so I had breakfast at a cafe called "The Sundial."

After three hours of walking around looking at art, I sat on a bench for a break. This was my view looking west.

Some art pieces via my Nikon digital camera. A rather artistic shot, I must say.

This artisan makes indian clothing, blankets, quilts. She was working on a piece outside her booth at the festival. Some of the artists were demonstrating their techniques at their booths.

The wine tasting pavilion was a popular hangout at the festival. I was a little tipsy when I took this shot.

The Wild Holly Gallery. I took this photo primarily because I liked the art piece; the girl looking at the woman in the brown shirt as if to say, "why don't you take me home with you?".

The wine tasting pavillion also featured live music. A guitarist, Patrick Ki, played while I was there.

The art festival in Carefree is offered by a group of artists called The Thunderbird Artists, and they set up their booths here four times a year. The Thunderbirds offer festivals throughout Arizona, providing one way the artists can sell and promote their works.

I took this self-portrait looking at some mirrors encased in glass and ceramic. Moments after I left, the mirror was sold for hundreds of dollars.

McDonald's Car Show, Scottsdale

I was headed for my motel on Saturday after leaving Carefree and I ran into a car show in Scottsdale. The car show was sponsored by McDonald's, and there were hundreds of vintage cars strewn across acres of a shopping center parking lot.

I love the palm trees sticking up in the air like paint brushes overlooking hundreds of very expensive cars.

This is a red 1952 Corvette with only 15,000 original miles. It can be yours for only $150,000.

This 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air two-door sedan is canary yellow and decorated with enough chrome to make your eyes hurt.

Check out this paint job.

The coldest night of the season hit us this week when temps dipped below freezing. Snows hit the upper elevations and the mountains, but here in the valley it was just cold. When I awoke and drove for breakfast into the city, fog was so thick that visibility was down to about 30 yards. As the morning sun melted away the fog, the skies cleared and I was startled to see the snow-capped mountains surround Tucson.

I took this picture from the parking lot of the shopping center where I work. What a beautiful scene.
The snow melted within a day or so and the mountains were back to normal. Temps are beginning to warm back up and we'll see a normal sunny day with little or no rain.

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The Philadelphia Eagles slammed the Cowboys today, giving the Pokes their second defeat of the season. If they continue to play this bad, forget any success in the playoffs.

I was driving down Broadway after work yesterday and saw this car in front of me. I had to take the photo...Cowboy fans are everywhere. They'll need to update their window, however, now that Dallas is 12-2.

The Cowboys and The Lady of Guadalupe

I was scheduled to work today, but business was a little slow so I found myself with the day off. I spent the first part of my day watching the Dallas Cowboys come from behind and beat the Detroit Lions. I viewed the game at the Fox and Hound Sports Bar and Grill near the Foothills Mall. The game was a squeaker, with Dallas lucky to pull it out at the end with a touchdown from Tony Romo to Jason Witten with 18 seconds remaining. Dallas clinched the Eastern Division Championship and a first-round playoff bye.

After the game I had time to make it for the last two hours of the La Fiesta de Guadalupe on the grounds of the adobe gallery and chapel built by foremost Southwestern painter, the late Ted De Grazia. DeGrazia's Gallery in the Sun was host to spirited outdoor performances by mariachi groups, folklorico dancers, traditional Yaqui deer dances, ethnic foods, La Posada procession, and arts and crafts. The Fiesta celebrates the Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico's patron saint.

I stayed until the last remaining event, which was a "las posadas procession" to the Mission of the Sun (the chapel built by DeGrazia) by students of the Carrillo Elementary Magnet School. "La Posadas," the remarkable buildup to Christmas Eve, is perhaps the most delightful and unique Mexican tradition.

The procession commemorates the events in the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Children carry a small pine-decorated platform bearing replicas of Joseph and Mary riding a burro. Other members of the company, all with lighted long slender candles, sing the "Litany of the Virgin" as they approach the door of the house assigned to the first "Posada." Together they chant an old traditional song and awaken the mast of the house to ask lodging for Mary. Those within the house threaten the company with beatings unless they move on. Again, the company pleads for admittance. When the owner of the house finally learns who his guests are, he jubilantly throws open the doors and bids them welcome. All kneel around the manger scene or "Nacimiento" and offer songs of welcome, Ave Marias and a prayer.

I took these photos of the children leading the "la posada procession" to the Mission of the Sun.


These children were among the dancing groups who performed throughout the day.