AZ
After big bend, we continued on to Marfa, Texas. This is a wacky little town with very expensive real estate and a lot of modern art thanks to the Chinati Foundation who set up here back in the 80's to be a beacon of modern art installations. Most of this type of thing...I don't get, but it was an interesting place to visit. We spent the night in El Paso, where although we didn't get to explore too much, but I did learn just how big this city is and how it is a stones throw away from Juarez City, Mexico.
We had a quick stop in New Mexico- just long enough to say we had been there and didn't get bitten by any rattlesnakes.
We drove on to Arizona, and Tuscon, our final destination. As an east coast girl, I have to say I was entranced by this area. The rocks, the dust, the mountains. It was all so foreign to me, and I loved it. In Tuscon we visited Saguaro national park which just struck me. These towering miracles just hanging out in the desert like they have for hundreds of years. It is truly amazing. The west side of Tuscon has even more Saguaros, and one of the best museums I have ever been in, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. If you've never been, just go. All of the natural history of the southwest is here, from Gila monsters to hummingbirds. There are rescued wolves in an enclosure so in situ that it feels like you are face to face to them with no barrier. They had demonstrations of birds of prey, and a demonstration of snakes and lizards that I found fascinating.
Also in Arizona, I traveled to the Chiricahua National Monument (cheer-cow-ah). This was one of the most unusual drives I have ever taken, the terrain seemed to change every few minutes, from rolling farm land, to sharp craggy mountains. Chiricahua itself is known for these natural rock towers dotting the landscape. From there, I drove and stayed in Tombstone. Once a bustling town full of dreams built on gold and gems, it's a bit less than it was before. Mined to death, burned down twice, but still famous for the shootout at the OK coral (or, near it, as it turns out). This is still a cool attraction with period houses museum, and awesome diorama narrated by Victor Price.
The next day I drove south to Bisbee, AZ, a cute town near an abandoned quarry that shows the true wonders that lay beneath our feet, as well as the greed of man.
The rest of the trip was exploring some areas of Tuscon, eating amazing food (including some of the best tacos I've ever had) and relaxing in the strange feeling that is warm sunlight in December.
We had a quick stop in New Mexico- just long enough to say we had been there and didn't get bitten by any rattlesnakes.
We drove on to Arizona, and Tuscon, our final destination. As an east coast girl, I have to say I was entranced by this area. The rocks, the dust, the mountains. It was all so foreign to me, and I loved it. In Tuscon we visited Saguaro national park which just struck me. These towering miracles just hanging out in the desert like they have for hundreds of years. It is truly amazing. The west side of Tuscon has even more Saguaros, and one of the best museums I have ever been in, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. If you've never been, just go. All of the natural history of the southwest is here, from Gila monsters to hummingbirds. There are rescued wolves in an enclosure so in situ that it feels like you are face to face to them with no barrier. They had demonstrations of birds of prey, and a demonstration of snakes and lizards that I found fascinating.
Also in Arizona, I traveled to the Chiricahua National Monument (cheer-cow-ah). This was one of the most unusual drives I have ever taken, the terrain seemed to change every few minutes, from rolling farm land, to sharp craggy mountains. Chiricahua itself is known for these natural rock towers dotting the landscape. From there, I drove and stayed in Tombstone. Once a bustling town full of dreams built on gold and gems, it's a bit less than it was before. Mined to death, burned down twice, but still famous for the shootout at the OK coral (or, near it, as it turns out). This is still a cool attraction with period houses museum, and awesome diorama narrated by Victor Price.
The next day I drove south to Bisbee, AZ, a cute town near an abandoned quarry that shows the true wonders that lay beneath our feet, as well as the greed of man.
The rest of the trip was exploring some areas of Tuscon, eating amazing food (including some of the best tacos I've ever had) and relaxing in the strange feeling that is warm sunlight in December.
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