Cathey Visits with Eileen Fitzpatrick

Friday March 8th

It was overcast this morning and rain showers began about 11am.  Cathey did the laundry in the morning and then took the Suburban to meet Eileen Fitzpatrick (Terye's mom) at the DeGrazia museum and gallery.  They got turned out at 4pm, when they closed, then they went to a Starbucks for coffee.  

Cold and rainy by evening and temps are supposed to be down in the 30s tonight.

The DeGrazia Gallery/Museum

Thursday March 7th

I wanted to go to the DeGrazia Museum and Gallery today but Cathey was waiting to get a phone call, so told me to go by myself.  The museum is on the N side of Tucson, about 20 miles from where we are setup.  I toured the gallery and store but didn't spend much time outdoors, but there are extensive grounds with desert plants and shelters which simulate those constructed by various Indian tribes.  DeGrazia was a famous Southwestern artist who resided in Tucson for much of his life; he died in 1976.  

After the gallery I adjourned to AJ's grocery store and deli a few miles away; one of my favorite places in Tucson.  Had a nice lunch with a WSJ, but it was a little breezy outdoors to read the paper.  Bought a few groceries and then headed home via surface streets.  Tucson is much less laced with freeways than Phoenix.  That makes getting from one side to the other much more laborious but more normal from my perspective.

A Visit to Mt. Lemmon

Wednesday March 6th

We decided to drive up to Mount Lemmon today; Mount Lemmon is the big mountain N of Tucson that is high enough to have a ski area and other attractions.  It's about 28 miles to the area known as Summerhaven, which is a small town with a few stores and a couple of restaurants.  It's an interesting ride watching the plants change from desert to alpine.  The road is of course very curvy and without much traffic it was very enjoyable because I could drive at my own speed and enjoy some of the scenery.  We had lunch at one of the restaurants on top; I knew it would be pricey but even I was surprised at the cost of a meal!

Coming back I offered Cathey the option of going down the north side, which is unpaved but she declined.  That route would take you to Oracle on the NW side of Tucson.  

Day of Rest

Tuesday March 5th

Quiet day today, sat outside and read for quite awhile.

Apache Junction to Tucson

Monday March 4th

Left Apache Junction today to go to Tucson.  I had called my cousin, John Elias, in Casa Grande, yesterday and we met at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant for lunch.  He has been retired for about ten years; when he retired, they bought a motorhome and toured all 48 states and since have gone to Alaska and Hawaii on cruises.  They also made a trip to China but John said that that was the last long flight for him.  Joanne is going to London and then cruising to St. Petersberg this May, but she will travel with a friend.  

They took us to see their trailer park/resort; it has over 2000 sites so it is like a small town (bigger than Cleveland!) with its own golf course - which is why John selected the place.

We got to the Cactus Country RV Park by a little after 4pm, got setup and then went to the grocery store for a few items.  

Laundry Day

Sunday March 3rd

Laundry day this morning and a pretty quiet day after that.  Highlight of the day was supper at a restaurant named Los Gringos.

Day Trip to Superior and Globe

Saturday March 2nd

The warm weather finally got here today; it got up to 82.  We went for a drive to Superior and Globe and all the little towns in between.  They are all old copper mining towns with some mining still going on.  Superior was pretty interesting; it was a pretty good sized town yet after WWII but gradually diminished as the underground mines closed and the technology of copper mining changed.  Most of the downtown buildings are still in fair condition but empty.  Globe is in better shape because they still have an active open pit operation there, but there are still a lot of old buildings standing empty.  But the town is still a lot busier than it was when I drove through while I was living in Safford, in 1977.