Total Lunar Eclipse

On April 15, 2014 there was a total lunar eclipse.  As we were conveniently located at a RV park in northeastern Kansas, away from city lights, Kathy made plans to observe the event.  Weather folks and meteorologists on TV predicted approximate viewing times for our area...before going to bed a look out the window showed a bright full moon and no clouds.  Perfect!
    Kathy set an alarm for the assigned event time, but managed to wake up before it sounded...through the motorhome front window she was able to watch as the moon passed through the Earth's shadow; the moon finally became completely in shadow, then the colors began...indirect sunlight, filtered and refracted by Earth's atmosphere caused the moon to flicker with a reddish-orange-gold hue.  It was very neat to see!!
   (Note: to our more scientific followers...hope this is an accurate explanation of how a total lunar eclipse occurs!)

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is located south of Ajo, Arizona and extends to the border with Mexico. This section of the Sonoran Desert was established as a national park in 1937, primarily to preserve this environment from land use development.  In 1976, this area was declared an International Biosphere Reserve site by the United Nations because of it's plant diversity; rare and endangered species; and delicate ecosystems. Sonoran pronghorn deer, a tiny fish called a pupfish, and the Sonoyta mud turtle are a few of the vanishing species who call this region home.
    The Organ Pipe Cactus is common to Mexico, but is rarely found in the United States.  In fact the National Monument site is one of the few places in the US where large stands of these cacti exist.  The organ pipe cactus can live up to 150 years; it produces it's first flowers at age 35.  The flowers blossom at night, so they can be pollinated by bats, then close by mid-morning the next day.  
    Two scenic drives on winding, graded dirt roads take you into the desert valleys and canyons.  Hiking trails lead to the remains of historic ranch and mining sites.  Campsites and picnic areas are also available.

Tubac Presidio State Park

Final stop on our road trip south of Tucson on I-19 was the town of Tubac.  Established in 1752 as a Spanish presidio (fort), the archeological remains of the fort are now a state park.  One of the oldest European settlements in present day Arizona, the military fort was established to serve as a base for further exploration of the southwest and to protect colonists. The church established missions nearby.  From this site in 1776 military leader Juan Bautista de Anza organized an expedition that resulted in the founding of present day San Francisco.  The fort was abandoned and reestablished by the Spanish several times in history...it was deserted when the 49er's were lured to California to search for gold.  During the Gadsen Purchase of 1853, Tubac again was resettled and developed by mining companies; the population grew.  In 1859 the first newspaper was printed. But, during the Civil War the settlement failed again...eventually mining in the Tombstone area and railroads in Tucson pulled settlers from Tubac.
  
Today only the foundation of the original fort remains.  An extensive museum contains artifacts and historical memorabilia from Tubac's past, including the printing press used to print the first newspaper.   This historic village on the Santa Cruz River now attracts artists, writers, and history buffs...shoppers come to enjoy the arts, crafts, pottery, and jewelry found in small shops in present day Tubac.

Madera Canyon

While on a recent drive south of Tucson along I-19 we turned off to explore Madera Canyon.  Madera Canyon is part of the Santa Rita Mountains, located within Coronado National Forest.  One enters the canyon at the desert floor and reaches the peak turnabout at an elevation of slightly over 5000 feet.   As one ascends,the scenery changes from cactus to pine trees! Picnic areas and hiking trails are common. There is even a Bed and Breakfast, and a few private homes located within the forest area.

   One feature that caught our attention were what appeared to be "ghost trees".  Located along a creek bed at one of the picnic areas were a number of these unusual trees...they were tall, the bark was smooth and white, and they had no leaves.  From a park sign we learned they were sycamore trees...riparian, deciduous hardwoods that grow to 60-100 feet tall; found along river banks, creeks and streams; the smooth white bark is characteristic. These trees were just starting to form leaf buds in the early spring...

Titan Missile Museum

The Titan II missile is the largest missile built by the United States.  During the Cold War period in the 1960's as many as 54 of these missiles were built and placed in underground silos (18 each near Wichita, Kansas, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Tucson, Arizona); missiles were active and ready to launch if state of war was declared.  In 1982 Titan Missile sites were decommissioned and all operational silos were demolished, except one...located south of Tucson this site has been preserved as a National Historic Landmark.  Public tours are now available.
   We visited the site, starting out with a video presentation about the Titan Missile Program. After that we walked into the yard and descended 55 steps to the control room doors...massive amounts of steel and cement protected the control room.  Walls at least 4 feet thick and 3-ton, 2 feet thick blast doors sealed various areas of the site from the surface. Huge springs and shock absorbers were built into the underground structures to help them withstand explosions from above ground.  Along the way were three stations where persons entering the site would have stopped to call from a wall mounted phone and give their security information in order to proceed further into the tunnels.

   Once in the control room we watched as our guide took us through the steps involved for a missile launch: Two-person teams worked together if the call to launch was received. It came in secret code; both persons took their key and opened the double locked file cabinet to remove the secret files used to interpret the code.  The code told which of three pre-programed sites was the intended target. Once the target was chosen, again two keys were turned in separate areas of the control room and a red button flashed...at this point there was no turning back!

   From the control room we walked through one cableway, or tunnel, to the silo where a Titan II Missile stands; no fuel remains in the rockets and the warhead is absent, allowing it to be safely displayed to visitors.  Huge concrete doors above the silo are partially open, so from outside you can look down into the 150 foot deep silo.  Also outside were various antenna towers for communication and motion detecting devices used for security.

   During the tour one was reminded of how much technology changes...secret codes, double turn keys, locked file cabinets, computer programs on reels of tape, data hard drives the size of refrigerators...what a different time it was!

Gallery in the Sun

Gallery in the Sun is a 10 acre historic landmark located in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson.  The Gallery is a complex of hand-made buildings and structures designed and built by Arizona artist Ettore "Ted" DeGrazia.  DeGrazia is well known for his paintings of native cultures of the Southwest, many of which are on display in the Gallery.

Also on the grounds is Mission in the Sun, built in 1952 of native adobe, and dedicated to Father Kino (early missionary) and Our Lady of Guadalupe (patron saint of Mexico). DeGrazia's original home and his gravesite are located near the mission church.

Likely most well known of DeGrazia's paintings is "Los Ninos", which was chosen in 1960 as the artwork for a UNICEF greeting card.

Sabino Canyon

 We recently visited Sabino Canyon, located in the Coronado National Forest northeast of Tucson.  The park features shuttle buses that provide narrated tours through the canyon.  The buses follow about 4 miles of dirt road and cross 9 bridges on the way up into the Santa Catalina Mountains.  The road and bridges were built by CCC workers during the 1930's.  Along the way are 9 stops where one can depart the bus and enjoy hiking trails, picnic areas, and even swimming holes (but the water is pretty cold!).
 
Original inhabitants of this canyon area included the Hohokam Indians, who lived near the creek about 1200 AD and used the water to irrigate crops.  Rocks along the creek still have indentations and holes worn in them, formed by grinding stones as grains were prepared for food. The swimming holes are known to have been used back in the 1870's by soldiers from nearby Fort Lowell.  And today the canyon is popular with hikers of all abilities, as the trails are graded according to ease of climb and distance.