Tucson and a New RV!

While in Tucson, we continued to look at larger RVs, although we still debated whether or not to buy one. Our 22-foot Catalina is great, and it would be perfect for a trip of just a few weeks, but it's feeling tighter and tighter as we think about the six months of travel to come! We narrowed our search down to RVs with two slides for extra room, a rear living area with two comfortable chairs for relaxing, a separate table and chairs (instead of a dinette with fixed benches), and a shower stall. Nestor Diaz, at Beaudry RV, helped us find the Forest River Sabre 30RLDS, which fit the bill to a T. The Sabre threw a monkey wrench into our discussions, as it's a fifth wheel, which is much different than a travel trailer. After four more days of debate, we bought it!

The switch from the Catalina to the Sabre took nine days, during which we stayed in Beaudry's transitional park. It took several days for Don, a very thorough mechanic, to prepare the Sabre and for us to prepare the truck by selling the cap and having a fifth wheel hitch mounted in it. Don then spent two hours with us, explaining how to operate and care for the Sabre. It took another day and a half to move everything from the Catalina to the Sabre and another two days to actually live in the Sabre and list the flaws we found. By then, it was the weekend, so fixes had to wait until Monday.

The Sabre sitting next to the Catalina in Beaudry's transitional park:


We hadn't even finished moving everything out of the Catalina when it was sold!


We had some free time during the big transition, so we took a few little trips. The first was to Tucson Mountain Park.

Ocotillo in bloom:


Porcupine prickly pear:


Another type of prickly pear:


Spring Beauties (?)


Another type of prickly pear (this one outside Old Tucson Studios, where lots of old western movies and TV shows were filmed):

Tombstone and Mt. Lemmon

Our next stop was Tombstone, where we enjoyed the Tombstone Western Heritage Museum, a private museum owned by Stephen and Marge Elliott. When we told him we were from Pennsylvania, Stephen said that Steve Reed was his best customer ever, spending over $1,000,000 at once. (While Mr. Elliott didn't know it, that purchase was probably one of the reasons Steve Reed was voted out last fall as the mayor of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's capital.) The museum was loaded with artifacts, including pictures, letters, newspapers, guns, jewelry, and even rocks from Wyatt Earp's last mining camp. Pictures are not allowed to be taken in the museum, but these signs provide a taste of what can be seen there:




Stephen and Marge Elliott also own the Silver Lady Antiques shop:


This street is closed to automotive traffic:






The Tombstone Courthouse is now a state park. It was built in 1882 and was the Cochise County courthouse for a few years until the county seat was moved to Bisbee.




Tombstone welcomes dogs:


Inside the Tombstone Epitaph, a newspaper which has been published continuously since the 1880s. Just an old softy?


Think again!


The Boothill Cemetery grave of a man mistakenly convicted and hanged in Tombstone:


The graves of Billy Clanton, Frank McLaury and Tom McLaury, who were killed at the OK Corral on October 26, 1881:


Mt. Lemmon looms over Tucson. In the time it takes to drive the 22 miles to its peak, the landscape changes from scorching desert to snow-covered pine forest!

Overlooking Tucson from a low point on Mt. Lemmon:


The Seven Cataracts (waterfalls) on Mt. Lemmon:


The top two waterfalls:


Sometime in the past, a van went over the side and into the canyon at the Seven Cataracts:


Hoodoos on Mt. Lemmon:






A Mexican jay on Mt. Lemmon:






A Beaudry neighbor climbing to his roof to photograph the March 29th sunset:




The Beaudry RV Resort is beautifully landscaped with cacti, yellow noisette roses, oleander, bottle brush trees, and citrus trees. Everyone is urged to collect as much fruit as they can use, so we froze lots of lemon juice!

Tucson - Desert Trails RV Park

We arrived at Desert Trails RV Park on the outskirts of Tucson on Saint Patrick's Day and were greeted by a Gila Woodpecker calling from the Giant Saguaro on the site next to ours.




Desert Trails is a converted 60s-era water park and retains some of the water park features.






Sites are very tight, so we were thankful to have wonderful neighbors all around.




The dog park was located about 30 feet behind our RV site. Barkley and his friend Monty from British Columbia:


One ride, two flats - thanks to cactus spines and Puncture Vine:


Taking a break from the grueling sun:


We enjoyed the RV park's wonderful network of trails. A neat Giant Saguaro with winding arms near the beginning of the trails:


A (California?) barrel cactus:


A bird's nest from inside a Giant Saguaro:


Nearly symmetrical Giant Saguaro and a teddybear cholla:


A young saguaro with a prickly pear companion:


Fishhook barrel cactus:




Rain fruit cholla:


Barkley, Karen, and a Giant Saguaro:


The Buddweiser Clydesdales and Dalmation in a Walmart parking lot on March 19th:






Barkley says good-bye to his friends Luna and Dick, as we leave Desert Trails on March 23d: