A Turista in Arizona

We have lived in Arizona a full year now--July 2nd was our anniversary. We have been so busy settling in and traveling back and forth to California to get my husband's mother established after her move from Texas that we have had little time to do much local sightseeing. The two week visit of my niece and nephew gave us the perfect opportunity to visit some nearby sites of interest and we took full advantage of their willingness to get the flavor of our area.

We went to Tombstone, The Town Too Tough To Die, on July 4th. We had visited there about 11 years ago on our first trip to southeastern Arizona and were not too impressed, but efforts of local civic groups have greatly improved the town and it is well-worth the trip now. We toured the historical section by foot and trolley, but could also have gotten a ride on a stagecoach. The Butterfield Stage used to stop here. Not a method of travel I would have favored, but it was the Greyhound bus of its time.

Tombstone is perhaps best remembered as the site of the Gunfight at the OK Corral which involved the Earps, Doc Holliday, and the Clantons. We watched an outdoor presentation of the famous fight and then had a delicious dinner in the Longhorn Restaurant.

Another day, we traveled to Sabino Canyon near Tucson. The area is in the Sonoran Desert and gives visitors a close encounter with the flora and fauna that live in this challenging environment. My favorite plant in the Sonoran Desert is the saguara cactus, pictured below.

Climbing up from the 2800 foot elevation of Sabino Canyon, to the almost 9000 foot elevation of Mt. Lemmon provided breathtaking scenery as well as a breath of cool air. We picnicked in a delightful roadside park on our way up.

My husband and I were a bit disappointed in the Tucson Zoo, but the kids seemed to enjoy it very much. It is the middle of summer and so not surprising, I guess, to have so many animals hiding in their cooler lairs, but it all seemed a bit run down. After visiting the San Diego Zoo, however, most zoos seem to suffer in our estimation.

For my nephew's birthday, we went to Patagonia Lake. It is a scenic, leisurely drive about an hour from our home. They have boating, fishing, swimming, and picnicking. A cool, serene get-away for the hot desert summers. We will definitely return another time.

Mining was and still is a big part of the economy in southeastern Arizona. We went on a tour of an open-pit copper mine to see first hand what was involved and what it did to the environment. The Asarco Mission mine in Sahuarita, Arizona is currently owned by a Mexican firm, Grupo Mexico. It is in bankruptcy and an Indian company is trying to negotiate a buy out. The tour was very interesting and gave us a lot to think about. It contributes heavily to the local economy in both jobs and money to local retailers. Supposedly, environmentally friendly methods are now employed in extracting the copper, but as interesting as the pit is, I wouldn't want it in my back yard.

Finally, we went rock climbing in Texas Canyon, a fantastic area of giant boulders and very near the Amerind Foundation, a private museum of Native American history, archaeology, art, and culture.

As much as we were able to see in these two weeks, we have scarcely scratched the surface of all that is available to us in our fascinating new home state.