Tucson, AZ – A chilly, calm, and clear early morning in the hills of Tucson. The car’s packed and ready.
Staying in Tucson these last couple days has been a treat. The weather has been awesome and I’ve recharged my batteries at Jimena’s sweet condo.
On Tuesday, after relating the whole Coachella experience, Jimena came home and we went out to Ziggy’s for dinner. It was really cool to reconnect with my old San Mateo roommie. She’s been missed in SF.
Having the half-day off, Jimena was free to show me a little of Tucson. We got up early and went to the Tucson Desert Laboratory. I’m not exactly sure what
these folks DO there, but I do know that they have these great paved trails up and down the Tucson hills, featuring gorgeous flowering cacti. At 7am, the air is really comfortable. Along the narrow road, there are various “Laboratory” buildings and transmission towers. It was cool to get a workout in. We rewarded ourselves with bagels and coffee afterwards.Later on, I got a chance to meet Jimena’s beau Sam. We drove downtown and I had a chance to roam a little bit to get some pictures. We got lunch at this nice Milan-themed restaurant that has tasty panini sandwiches. Sam’s an attorney in Tucson and struck me as a pretty cool guy.
Jimena took off for work in Phoenix and I took
my car to a self-serve carwash to scrub two-plus weeks of roadtrip crap off my car. The car ran better immediately afterwards. Back at Jimena’s, I reorganized all the gear in the Integra, clearing space for a big box of firewood I’d pick up later. Then I spent a few hours brainstorming about what my itinerary would be as I explored America’s underbelly. Here is the revised schedule for the next couple weeks:Thursday, May 3 – Guadalupe Mountains NP, TX
Monday, May 7 – Austin, TX
Wednesday, May 9 – Sam Houston Jones SP, LA
Thursday, May 10 – New Orleans, LA
Saturday, May 12 – Ochlockonee River SP, FL
Monday, May 14 – Tampa, FL
Tuesday, May 15 – Miami, FL
Thursday, May 17 – Camping somewhere in Ocala National Forest, FL
Friday, May 18 – Atlanta, GA
Sunday, May 20 – N. Carolina beach house
The biggest change I made was cutting out Big Bend NP. Weather.com says that Big Bend will have highs in the triple digits during the days I would be there. Guadalupe Mts. NP will have highs in the seventies. It’s a no-brainer. I’ve already booked rooms in Austin and New Orleans, so those dates are fixed.
Last night, while I was taking out the trash, I spotted a pack of javelinas wandering the condo
grounds. They're squat little pig/boar type creatures, about a foot and half tall. A face only a mother could love. I scurried to get my camera and managed to get a shot.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javelina
To see all the pictures:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AcMnLVq3aN2EP
Today I’ll get back on the 10 and shoot over to Texas. The next time I post will be on Austin time. YE-AAH Integra! YE-AAH!
More soon.
Andy
3 comments:
You are having so much fun, you lucky man! The bears in Sequoia remind me of my trip with Jay. If you can get to Commanders Palace in the Garden District of New Orleans, do it. You might have to buy something fancy to wear. I love the blog, great job! Look forward to seeing more - Rachel
Andrew,
It looks like you're having fun! Good luck on that I-10 drive across Texas. It goes on forever!
I've picked up with your hospice patient. I'm having to brush up on my Yahtzee! skills. I don't think I've played it since I was 10.
Curt E.
Don't give me that guff, Chazzy.
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