Trip Observations

It is not fun to be about a third of the way down Sabino Canyon (which is quite pretty when the stream is running, and quite austere when it is in the middle of an 'extreme fire hazard' drought), and discover that the tram has mysteriously stopped running. Armed with snacks and water, we still did a passable imitation of famished settlers when the relief tram finally showed up. We'd never have made it in the old days. Classic tenderfeet. We spent most of that time looking at this --

and this --
Tucson drivers tend to be pretty courteous, up to a point -- and that point is when they want to get in front of you. Their attitude seemed to be Hey, Plant It Right There! and if you were startled by them suddenly showing up in front of you, well, then, you just weren't paying enojugh attention. On the other hand, they like long blocks with plenty of U Turn lanes, and thats cool.

Why exactly we don't have a Trader Joe's Food Mart around here mystifies me. Well, no, it doesn't really -- what mystifies me is why they do. Its a nice, classy food operation -- no place to go if you happen to be hungry on the way in -- but it doesn't exactly mesh with the prevailing ethic of the city. I think the city is changing as the damn Easterners move out there, picking up city ways.

What I saw of the desert was pretty nice. Hot, of course, but with a certain sere beauty. The docents at the Sonoran Desert Museum and the Tohono Chul Museum (both outdoor, mostly, though in covered patios) did an excellent job talking about the geography of the area, how the ecosystem works, and all of that. The people at the Creepy Crawlies exhibit at Tohono Chut brought their snakes, and my daughter was delighted by that, as she got to handle them and ask a lot of questions (many of which I actually understood). And there was one actually and totally lovely park called Agua Caliente which boasted palm trees, gurgling water, and the whole bit.



By all means, go out to Kitt Peak and visit the working astronomers -- its a long drive but the view from the top of the mountain is awesome -- but if they put up a sign warning of Major Delays due to road work, believe them. We spent about an hour 0n the way up and again on the way down, waiting for the crew that was drilling holes in the rock to let us through. The view was worth it, though.