It's back to Tucson for Winter 2015

"Easy" hike scenery in the Rincon Mountains

It’s been an interesting few days around here in Tucson. Most of the activities are pretty normal, the hikes (more on those later) and Joan’s aquasize, Tuesday night potluck and a gathering of “seasonal RVers” for the announcement of next year’s rates.

The long and short of it is that we will be coming back to Voyager again next winter. It’s hard to beat the weather and it’s especially hard to beat all the activities that are offered here. As I mentioned previously, we will not be buying an annual membership as it makes no sense for people only staying here three months.

The "Easy" hike trail is actually a road

By reserving early we are guaranteed our same spot next year. We like our location as we are close to both the shower rooms and trash compactor and within walking distance of all the activities.

My ‘easy’ hike Monday was in the Rincon Mountains. The hike was on a dirt road that had some gentle rolling hills (except one). The scenery along the hike was both attractive and interesting, including a large cow that was grazing near the road.

We had about 8 folks on the Monday hike and we covered about five miles in about 2 ½ hours.

"A cow"

After attending the “seasonal rate announcement” I suggested that we head to the cheap movie theater to see “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” The theater, as I have described before, is a very nice 12-screen movie house and on Monday the cost to see a movie for senior citizens is only $2 each.

I’m sure they are hoping we will buy popcorn and soda, but we don’t so it is a very cheap date.

The movie was funny and very loosely based on the Thurber book by the same name.

We arrived home in time to eat some of Joan’s really fine chicken salad (which was made from the Fry’s chicken we bought last Thursday) and then spent the rest of the night watching the Olympics.

Heading into Ventana Canyon

On Tuesday, I was up early to meet the Tuesday hiking group for a 6-mile hike up Ventana Canyon. I did this very hike alone last year and it has truly stunning views, especially as you climb up 1,100-feet to Maiden Pools.

Once again we had more than two dozen people on the hike and we had to split into two groups so as not to hog the trail. The trail winds gently up the canyon for about a mile and a half and then sharply heads up for the last part of the hike. Most of the ascent comes in the last mile of the hike, which was a challenge as temperatures rose into the 80s today.

We ate our lunch on some huge granite rocks at Maiden Pools, which had just a trickle of water in them unlike last year when I was there.

The game & fish guy is in center/right of photo

The most interesting part of this hike was running into a young man with a backpack and binoculars and a very official looking hat. When he passed by us we asked if he was camping out.

Not exactly, he said. An employee of the Game and Fish department he was on his way up the mountain to check on three of those Bighorn Sheep that I have been writing about and that have been much in the news since we arrived here.

About 20 miles from the original release site, three of the Bighorn Sheep have traveled to Ventana Canyon where they apparently have decided to live. The young man was armed with binoculars (really, really big binoculars) and a GPS device to help him locate the sheep and make some observations.

Heading up the switchbacks

About 20 minutes later we saw the man climbing off the trail almost straight up the side of the canyon to a remote rock near the top. We lost sight of him as we continued on the trail, but ran into him again a couple hours later when we were coming down.

He was friendly and answered our questions about the sheep and said that from his high perch he had seen two of the sheep grazing high up on the other side of the canyon. While he was sure the other sheep was alive and well he said he never was able to put eyes on it.

“I admit I have a pretty good job,” he said. “I get paid to hike.”

Jim giving his usual "Thumbs Up"

We agreed that he had a wonderful job.

I arrived home from the hike to find that Joan had spent her day resting in the morning and then cleaning the trailer while I was gone. When I suggested I felt badly that she is working while I was gone, she made it clear she enjoys the quiet and uninterrupted time she has when I’m away.

So I guess that’s good.

While I was off conquering Ventana Canyon again, she also whipped up a tasty beef stew in the crockpot which we took and shared at tonight’s potluck supper. We have met a number of nice folks through this activity.

Unfortunately we returned home with an empty crockpot so no leftovers for me.

Another Wednesday, another workout and Joan’s aquasize class. After my workout I got cleaned up and headed to the wood carving shop where I am putting the finishing touches on my first project – an Eagle.

Me at the lunch stop rock

I find it increasingly interesting how much the discussion here focus on the weather back home. Sometimes I want to stop people and say, you came all the way here to escape winter weather and yet while you are here it is all you talk about.

Not to mention the obsession the television weather folks have about the snow back east. They do about 30 seconds on the local weather and then five minutes of clips and news on the weather back east.

Now a little update on the Girl Scout cookies we bought almost two weeks ago. We have stuck to the plan to eat one thin mint and one dos-i-do each night and we still have a little less than half the cookies left. I don’t care who you are two people hanging on to two boxes of Girl Scout cookies for two weeks is an unprecedented feat of willpower.

Looking down into Ventana Canyon

“December 63” was the concert at the resort on Wednesday night and boy was it a good one. The concert, a TAD Management Production, was a tribute group and band of Frankie Valle and the Four Seasons.

They covered on the great songs from “Jersey Boys” and the Frankie Valle singer was top drawer. The band was engaging, friendly and really got the audience into the program.

We have seen some very good entertainment at the resort for very little money. Another reason we will come back here next year.

Joan hiking with Picacho Peak in the background

On Thursday I went to my Bible study in the morning and a lecture in the afternoon. A professor from the University of Arizona came to the resort and led a discussion of the ongoing issues in Iran. He helped clear up a number of misconceptions I had about the controversy and also reminded me of the storied and controversial history of relations between Iran and the United States. A very worthwhile hour.

Next week I’ll be leading the Bible study again.

We left the resort about 3 p.m. and paid a visit to an historic spot that I have been hoping to see for more than three years.

One of the battle memorials

Each time we come to Tucson we pass by a very distinctive mountain just off I-10. It is called Picacho Peak and after a little research a couple years ago I found out it was the site of the only Civil War “battle” in Arizona. The Battle of Picacho Peak would be more accurately described as a skirmish, but three Union soldiers were killed in an encounter with a small Confederate detail (the Confederates briefly claimed the Arizona Territory as part of the Confederacy) almost where I-10 passes by the peak today.

In my study of the battle it was a miscalculation by the Union officer, who was not supposed to engage the enemy until a larger Union force arrived from California, who made the decision to attack the small Confederate force at a stage coach depot.

It was a brief encounter that resulted in the deaths of the three Union soldiers and the capture of three Confederate soldiers. The remainder of the 10-man Confederate force retreated to Tucson and when the larger California force arrived they ended up withdrawing from there back to New Mexico.

Me and the replica cannon Picacho Peak is behind me

For the Union it was one of those “lost the battle, but won the wars” kind of thing.

There are several small monuments from both sides of the battle on the site. We also took a little hike on an easy trail which Joan negotiated quite well in shoes not really designed for hiking. Before we left she asked me if she needed hiking shoes and I said, “no,” so she was a good sport about it.

The 1,500-foot Picacho Peak is luring me into a hike. This would be a very difficult hike as the last mile is nearly straight up and uses cable lines for hikers to pull themselves up. This one I won’t do alone so I’m looking for one of my hiking buddies who wants to make the hike with me sometime in the next month.

Joan at the end of the short trail

It is a six-mile round trip, but the last mile up is a killer. Some of the reviews say the hike down is probably harder than the hike up.

I’ll keep you posted on the hike.

Then the real purpose of our trip Thursday night was to have dinner with our friend in Michigan’s daughter. We met them twice last year in Casa Grande at Mimi’s Restaurant, but they suggested that Olive Garden would be a better place as Mimi’s has changed its menu and not for the good.

Chelsea, Ryan and you know who

We had a great dinner catching up with Chelsea’s teaching job in Tempe, Arizona and Ryan’s job as a Border Patrol Agent. Arizona is a hot bed for illegal immigration and Ryan has been busy hiking into the desert looking for those trying to enter illegally and dodging rattlesnakes.

Chelsea and Ryan, who are engaged, are wonderful folks and we always enjoy catching up with our Arizona “niece.”

We lingered over dinner and then said our good-byes with plans to get together again before we head back to the frozen north.

Me "up on the roof"

Friday was a very full day. It started with a fitness room workout at 6:15 a.m. for me and then for the rest of the daylight hours it was all about cleaning and waxing the trailer. Last year I had to rent a ladder to get on the roof, but this year I was able to borrow a good ladder from one of the men in my Bible study.

Getting on the roof of the trailer has its perils. Last year a guy fell off a wet RV roof and killed himself and everyone who passed by me today as I was cleaning the roof of the trailer felt a need to remind me of that.

  

Me: “Yes, I know a guy fell off a roof last year and died. Thank you for your concern, I will be very careful.”

My view from the roof (Near Pebble Beach)

Joan was at her aquacise class (no matter how I spell that word the spell check says its wrong) and although I semi-promised to wait until she got back to get on the roof I was burning daylight so I took a chance and made it on top without killing myself.

I did wait for her to come home before I came down as I needed her guidance to make sure I had my feet firmly on the ladder which I could not see as I back over the edge onto it. It took me about two hours to clean and soften the caulk on the joints and mop and clean the roof.

The annual maintenance has kept the roof in pretty good shape. We made a pretty major investment in our trailer and we want it to last for many years to come.

Joan on the Arizona Trail

After coming down from the roof I washed the trailer and then spent most of the rest of the day waxing our 33-foot winter home.

We had dinner, something called boudin, which we have wanted to try. Not really all that good in my opinion, but passable for dinner. Joan liked it better than I. It looks like a sausage, but is made with pork and way too much rice for my liking.

Joan by the sign

Tonight’s resort concert featured Mark Preston, a one-time member of The Letterman, who put on a fantastic show singing a lot of standards. Lots of great songs, jokes and he was truly a polished entertainer who knows how to sing and perform. Judging by his schedule on his website he does a lot of cruises in the summer and then visits all the haunts of old folks in the winter. Next winter he is pretty well booked up through Florida. This winter is pretty much all about the Southwest.

As is the case for most of these concerts, the main entertainer plays off the age of the audience so there is usually a Viagra joke. After the concert Preston stayed around to take pictures and sign copies of his CDs, but we forgot our camera and decided to head home.

On Saturday we lingered in bed and then headed off for a hike together. This is a real treat as Joan’s knee pretty much prevented any such activity last year. I took her on a small section of the 800-mile long Arizona Trail which runs from the border of Mexico to Utah through the state.

Fairy duster flowers on the trail

The section we did is a relatively flat section with a few rolling hills and some very nice trails. From the trailhead on Highway 83 you quickly leave behind any signs of civilization and can enjoy some beautiful cactus and blooming flowers along the very nice trail.

We did about a 2-mile hike in two hours, so it was pretty much a stroll, but Joan finished with very little discomfort and excited about her improved knee. The new hiking boots we bought her were perfect for this trail. She also tried my trekking poles which she seemed to like.

Back at the resort we had a leisurely day and plan to attend tonight’s resort dance. I’ll let you know how that went in the next post.

Joan with the Ricon Mtns in the background

Now here’s a few odds and ends:

The short term RV lot here at the resort is pretty open. The spaces are gravel and close together. We have almost double the room in our space. But the entire short term area, which holds hundreds of RVs is affectionately referred to as “Pebble Beach.”

One of the hikers I went with this week related a call he got from a friend who was sitting at one of the four pools here at the resort. The man suggested his friend hustle over to the pool area as there was a “WOW” woman sunbathing by the pool.

“What is a ‘WOW’ woman,” I asked.

“Oh, that’s what we call a woman “With Out Wrinkles.” 

Any evidence of last week’s Gem and Mineral Show is pretty much gone and the digital signs on most of the area motels reflect a sudden lowering of nightly and weekly rates. We have been watching one motel sign in particular and it jumped from $59 a night to $89 a night when the gem show was in town and it dropped back to $59 this week.

And that, as they say, is all he wrote.