Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Tucson/Lazydays KOA
Tucson, AZ
February 21, 2015

Each time Joe and I have visited Tucson, we have tried to visit the Desert Museum. A parking lot full of school and tour buses each time have been an excuse to not stop. We got lucky last Saturday as there were lots of empty spaces! As mentioned in my last post, Mary Ellen and Jim stopped by Lazydays for a 3 night stop over on their way to San Diego. I was thrilled that we finally made it to the museum and even more excited to share it with friends. 

On the "About Us" page in the museum's pamphlet, they proudly boast it is ranked on TripAdvisor.com as one of the top 10 Museums in the country. What I really liked is that about 85% of the museum is outdoors! It is nestled in the desert on 98 acres that include walking paths through various habitats and gardens.

Today's post is all about the birds I enjoyed...

 The State Bird of Arizona...

The Cactus Wren is the largest wren in North America. It is a true bird of the desert and can survive without free standing water. 





They eat mostly spiders and insects, and will occasionally enjoy fruit and scraps at picnic tables. 

White-crowned Sparrows are very common in the Sonora Desert during October - March. They mostly eat seeds from grasses.  

A Gila Woodpecker...what a beautiful wing design...

 Their most common nest hole in the desert is the Saguaro. After the hole is made, the cactus forms a tough callous making the hole durable and dry. Years after the Saguaro dies, the hole remains and are known as "Saguaro Boots" because the resemble the footware. 

This is a Phainopepla...a crested songbird of the desert. These are the most northerly representative of the Central American silky flycatcher. 

male...

female

 Mary Ellen loves birds as much as I do...we had a fun time "oohing" and "aahing". Our cameras got a good workout!

A Costa's Hummingbird

 The Hummingbird Aviary was a highlight of my day. I have wanted to see a hummingbird nest for quite a long time and even though these were not in "the wild", it was still a thrill.  






A flip book is available to identify the variety of hummingbirds in the desert...

  This Steller's Jay sure caught my eye...

Hope you are having a great week-end. Until next time, take care, and...

happy trails!

Back in the Land of Saguaros

Tucson/Lazydays KOA
Tucson, AZ
February 21, 2015

Since our last post, we have been busy having fun and getting things done. First off, I had my days and dates all mixed up and we didn't check out of San Diego on the 17th as we were suppose to. I had it locked in my mind that the 17th was on a Wednesday...so on Tuesday, the 17th about 1:00 pm, I realized I had made a huge OOPS! It was too late to finish packing and head out so a decision was made to leave early the next morning and go the whole way to Tucson. Thank goodness our site was not reserved! 

 The Monday before we left we planned to visit Cabrillo NM. I had wanted to play in the tide pools. It was a cool, cloudy day, but that didn't deter us one little bit. It also didn't deter the many other folks with the same agenda. When we arrived at the park, we discovered admission was free as it was Presidents Day. Yikes...there were thousands of people with cameras in hand already exploring the pools and thousands of others looking for a parking place. None to be found and finally the road down to the tide pools was closed. Next visit, we will make this a priority and visit sooner. 

Instead of going home totally disappointed, we took the short walk to the historic lighthouse there...something we didn't do 2 years ago. There is also a 2.5 miles walking path to enjoy. 

 The main reason for a return to Tucson is doctor visits. I am happy to report, Sally is A OK. She had a 3 month blood work up done at Ajo Veterinary Clinic to check her thyroid function. We feel very blessed to have found the best vets all over our country and Ajo is no exception. If you travel with pups and need a vet, we highly recommend Dr. Christensen and her vet tech. Belle also has an appointment for service the first week in March and I need glasses. There are also a couple of DIY projects we want to check off the list before we head north for the spring and summer. 

Friday, the 20th, we had a nice surprise. Jim and Mary Ellen and their two Scotties pulled into Lazydays for the week-end on their way to San Diego. It was a busy fun-filled weekend...more on that next time.

On our walk at Cabrillo, a gentleman was very eager to share a find...there were several families around and he repeatedly said, "Anyone want to see an alligator lizard?" I was the only person who responded. How sad is that?




Until next time, take care and...

happy trails!

Winding Down...

San Diego Metro KOA
Chula Vista, CA
February 7, February 13, 2015

What a treat it is to meet up with friends for dinner. Lynn and Dave have been stomping around these parts for quite some time now and one of their favorite places to visit is Cafe Coyote in Old Town San Diego. 


  Cafe Coyote has been serving up award winning Mexican for over 25 years. Dave made reservations (The line was long...reservations are recommended for the week-ends.) for 5:00pm on the upstairs outdoor patio.

How nice it was to visit with Dave, Lynn and their son Richard as the sun's setting glow lit up the hillside across the street.. And yes, if you see a frozen concoction on the table, it would be mine. Absolutely the best Margarita made with the best Tequila I have ever had! In fact, Cafe Coyote has Tequila Ambassadors to educate and entertain guests. Over 100 tequilas are on the list that are served there. Did you know that...

More tequila is sold in Old Town San Diego than anywhere else in the world...

And, Cafe Coyote is a certified "Tequila House" by the Academia del tequila, Mexico City and is one of only two in the United States. 

This was our first visit to Historic Old Town at night. What a difference the night makes. It is way more festive and alive! 

Last Friday, we all decided to take a bike ride from the Bernado Shores RV Park where The Perkin's have lived for the past few weeks after a stay at Mission Bay Resort. The bikepath to Coronado is just down the street...how convenient is that? Well, we didnt make it all the way to Coronado, but we did ride to Silver Strand Public Beach area.

 Meet Allie...Dave and Lynn's 15 yr old Yorkie. What a cutie and a trooper she is. She is loving life with her family after two bouts of cancer and  with kidney issues that require dialysis.  

Bayshore Bikeway lined with bright yellow California Sunflowers...

We worked up a good appetite so it was off to Imperial Beach for lunch and a walk on the beach...once again, Dave and Lynn hit the jackpot. Their choice was Barrels Wine and Beer. It hasn't been open very long, but has become a popular spot to gather for a glass of wine with a view of the pier and beautiful sunsets.  

We all had way too much food with homemade chips and fries...but that didn't stop some of us from cleaning our plates!

Imperial Beach park just next door to Barrels was a flurry of activity...

We did drive to the south end of the beach...

There is a boardwalk and watershed where we parked along the Tijuana River.

Tijuana River with Tijuana on the hill in the far distance.

Imperial Beach Pier from the south end of the beach...

A beautiful sight, sound, feel and smell...

 Until next time, take care, and...

...happy trails!