Tucson, Arizona

As we wind down for the winter hibernation, our touring dwindles to a much slower pace so by the time we arrived in Tucson we were all but marching in place.  This was our third visit to Tucson so we’d already seen the major attractions.  Given our faulty memories, we could have revisited them and been impressed all over again!  But we didn’t.  Our campground, Rincon Country West, had so many activities that we stuck pretty close to home for the entire week we were in Tucson.  Everyone we met was extremely friendly and welcoming.

On Veterans Day the resort had a “tea dance” from 4:00 to 6:oo and we took advantage of the nice big dance floor.  It doesn’t take more than a song or two to show us how out of shape we are.  Our tablemates, who spend their summers at 7000 feet in Colorado, had a good laugh over us trying to blame our breathlessness on the altitude in Tucson.  They weren’t buying it.

Intrigued by the idea of a “beading group”, I ventured to attend a session on Monday morning in the pottery room.  A delightful group of ladies were working on various projects and it soon became evident that their emphasis is actually on making beads, not just stringing or weaving them.  Which explains why they meet in the pottery room.  I’m so jealous that they all will be attending the big bead and gem show in February.

Our lone attempt at touring was to revisit Mission San Xavier del Bac,  known as The White Dove of the Desert.   The mission was established in 1692 by Father Kino and the structure completed in 1783.  As you might imagine, it has undergone many restorations over the centuries and is still being worked on as funds become available.   On our first visit in 2005, the building was partially obscured by scaffolding on one bell tower.  The results of that work are obvious in the photo.

The mission is on land which is part of the Tohono O’odham reservation.  Originally known as Papagos, the tribe is thought to be related to the Pimas, both descendants of the ancient Hohokam peoples who inhabited the Sonoran Desert for centuries. 

And now it’s on to Casa Grande for two weeks before heading to Apache Junction for the winter months.  We are looking forward to seeing many old friends in The Valley of the Sun.