Tumacacori Mission

The settlement of Tumacacori was of Pima indians to the area.

The Jesuits in 1691 founded the mission San Cayetano de Tumacacori.

Today Tumacacori is a National Monument and there are no plans for restoration.

The mission originally was supported by the Mission San Xavier to the north.

The priest originally did not reside at Tumacacori until a later time.

Tumacacori Mission frontal view. The bell
tower to the upper right was never capped with a dome.

Tumacacori side and partial rear view. By 1823
the church building was in its final construction phase.
Between 1691 and 1823 history explains the interruptions and reasons
for the delays in the mission's completion.

Mission San Xavier del Bac

Mission San Xavier founded by a Jesuit Priest
in 1692. The church above was built by the
Franciscans in 1783 and completed in 1797.
The Mission is 9 miles South of Tucson.
The church continues to serve the Tohono O'Odham
native people.

Mission interior view facing the altar.

Mission Center altar view.

This is a courtyard at the rear of the Mission
San Xavier

Judy in the Mission Garden Area

Unknown Proud Dad with a recently baptized
daughter at the Mission talking with another
Proud Dad

Young couple awaiting their Marriage ceremony
at the Mission as soon as all the Baptisms
are completed



Air Museum

The Pima Air & Space Museum is located east of Tuscon across from the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

The SR-71 "Blackbird" It is no longer in service.

The U-2 aircraft piloted by Gary Powers is. Cost comparision of the SR-71

and the U-2 favor the U-2 overall.

This is a twin engine heavy lift Sikorsky CH54. Originally

designed and built in 1958, it was upgraded to turbo platform

in 1962. It was used effectively in the Vietnam War to transport

and recover downed aircraft. Today it used  primarily as a firefighting

platform as a water dropping vehicle.

B-36J Bomber. A general once compared the B-36

to like flying your house around due to its size.

C-121A Constellation or better known

as Air Force One, formerly used by

President Kennedy.

A-10 "Warthog"











Desert Museum Tuscon

The Desert Museum can be at least a two day visit. It covers over 21 acres with everthing from snakes, owls, and just so much more. It's a zoo, gardens and museum all rolled into one. Amazing place!

Desert Museum view

Desert Coyote

Western Screech Owl

Yes, Pink cactus

Looking close you can see a fox on top of the
boulder resting at the Desert Museum



Confident Prarie Dog

Prarie Dogs

East Coast Tourist, often seen in
daylight hours!





Biosphere 2 - Tuscon

September 1991 Biosphere 2 (8) crewmembers enter the sealed habitat.

By Winter 1991 carbon dioxide levels are unacceptable. Oxygen had to

be added and Biosphere 2 was no longer a sealed unit.

By Septemeber 1993 the crew exited hungary and depressed.

Many of the crew claimed victory.

The general purpose of the Habitat was to survive with

own-grown food, plants and while some success was measured

the project overall was less than successful.



Biosphere 2 Entrance

Plant growth inside Biosphere

Mount Lemmon view from Biosphere 2. Lemmon is over

9100 ft elevation

Biosphere 2 Exterior

Biosphere 2 Visitors

Biosphere 2 ocean

Chiricahua Mountains - Wonderland of Rocks

The volcanic activity millions of years ago pushed up

and created the Chiricahua mountan range. It's here that

many Apache Indians hid out in the 1880's when

Geronimo surrendered

Looking out from the Massai Point of the Chiricahuas

you can see off in the distance the Dragoon Mountains.

On the other side of the Dragoons is Tombstone Arizona

and our RV Park.

 

The formations are all different with some rocks remaining

attached but look like they will topple over.

Travelling up to Massai Point

which is has an elevation of about 7800 feet

 

Notice the rock wedged on the right
It will remain there for a long time and may only become
loose due to erosion and rain/water flow

Rex Allen and Willcox Arizona

A few of us may remember a movie star cowboy named Rex Allen. I did because I used to go to Saturday matinees and he would star in cowboy flix with his horse KoKo. He, like Roy Rogers and Gene Autry were matinee idols of many in the 1950's and singing was always a part of those Westerns. Rex Allen's voice was great. You have to take my word for it! The town of Willcox Arizona was his home as a child and below are some pictures of where he grew up.

A real life statue of Rex Allen in

Willcox Arizona across from his museum. Rex

Allen's horse KoKo was buried in this square and later

Rex Allen's ashes were sprinkled over his horse.

Rex Allen died at age 79 in 1999.

The Rex Allen Museum is located in Willcox AZ.

It's full of mementos and displays even though

the front looks unassuming.

Carter's Drive in at Willcox AZ. We stopped

for a late lunch on excellent hamburgers!

Carter's Coffee Policy

A train passes thru Willcox AZ with one

windmill turbo blade on each flatbed car. These

blades are extremely large. You can make out

the size by clicking the pix as it passes throught town.

Another view of the wind turbo blades on

train passing thru Willcox AZ. Click

to enlarge.