Bikes, Trains, and Autos...

Corona de Tucson

August 18, 2024

Barrel Cacti are a member of the genus Ferocactus  meaning "fierce or wild cactus".   These thick barrel-shaped body cactus with long hooked spines and prominent ribs are fiercely armed with heavy, strong spines.  Some species, like the ones we see here in the Sonoran Desert have curved spines like a fishhook which gives them the common name fishhook barrel cactus.  They can grow to be 6-10 feet tall with a life span of 50 to 100 years old.  Barrel cactus grow along washes, gravely slopes, and beneath canyon walls.  Thursday, Joe and I enjoyed an adventure at Saguaro NP East to find these blooming beauties.  

The flowers always grow at the top of the plant which I refer to as a crown.  Native Americans boiled young flowers in water to eat like cabbage and mashed the older boiled flowers for a drink.   

Native Americans used the fishhook spines as needles, awls, and for tattooing. They also used the cactus as a cooking pot by cutting off the top, scooping out the pulp and inserting hot stones.

Once the buds unfold, the cactus flower lasts from a few hours to several days.  But each plant has lots of buds so the bloom season can last for a couple of months.  

These blooms range in colors from yellow, orange and red and usually appear in September thru October.

These gorgeous flowers are not only visually appealing but also serve an important purpose....They attract pollinators like bees and birds that transfer pollen from one flower to another enabling the cactus to produce fruit.

Saturday mid-morning, Jamie, Andra and Ozzie came to visit.   

We had a great time catching up with lots of laughs, lunch (toasted bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches with cheese, macaroni salad and fruit) playing, and sitting on the patio watching the birds and an awesome storm complete with rain, thunder and lightening rolling by.  

Thank goodness the skies cleared as we had Saturday night plans for a double date.  Tucson Botanical Gardens had an event hosted by the gardens and Truly Nolen Pest Control.  There was a display of lowrider bikes which are highly customized bicycles with styling inspired by lowrider cars.   Lots of chrome, overspoked wheels, long curved banana seats and ape handlebars are common.

Complete with a spare tire, and blue dice tire valve stem caps...

Back in the 1920s, Old Pueblo, was coined by the locals as a name for Tucson to bring tourists, snowbirds, health seekers, and retirees to the area.  It represents the location with its Spanish-Indian past and was first used publicly in a 1937 issue of Arizona Highways Magazine.  Also on exhibit were Old Pueblo lowrider cars.  The bikes were cool, but the cars were way more cooler !  These unique vehicles which are an expression of identity...social, cultural, and aesthetic...feature extended bodies and a "low to the road roll".  They have been a popular choice for cruising and a popular pastime in many American communities...Tucson is no exception !  Lowriding puts both the cars and their riders on display.  Beautiful colors...

The suspension can raise and lower rapidly causing the car to hop and jump.... sometimes completely off the ground !  We saw one entering the event last night doing just that!

...artisitc designs...

Low and Slow is the lowrider motto.  This phenomenon had its origins in the 1940s when Mexican American communities in California began customizing their vehicles... a contrast to the muscle cars built for speed that also began in the 40s.   

...and unique and one of a kind vehicles invite conversations and interest. 

Also on display were vintage VWs. I do have a soft spot for VW Beetles.  When I was 15 and got my learners permit to drive, my grandfather had a Beetle...a 1965. It was a baby blue color with chrome bumpers and a stick shift.  Back in those days our state had tax collectors and my grandfather was one of them. He had a route he traveled monthly to collect payments.  During the the summer when I was 15, I would go with him at least one day during the week and drive him to his stops.  We traversed the backroads of Troup, Meriweather, and Harris Counties.  I loved it !  Country stores and out of the way full-service gas stations were my favorite stops ...fresh hoop cheeses and crackers and homemade summer sausages, and salted peanuts dropped in bottles of coke were always on the lunch menu for the two of us.  Such wonderful memories.  

The last exhibit is actually a permanent exhibit at the gardens.  The Great Garden Express brings classic model trains to life while featuring landmarks from national parks/monuments and southwest missions nestled in high desert plantings and also structures that mimic the picturesque, rocky landscape of the Southwest and Arizona.  We walked under elevated tracks with engines pulling passenger cars...

and along the path we watched as engines pulled freight thru tunnels and around points of interest.

There are six G scale model trains winding their way thru the exhibit.

Taos Pueblo in Taos, NM dating back between 1000 and 1450 AD.

As we meandered thru the exhibit it was fun looking for structures like Tucson's own Mission San Xavier, the Canyon Diablo elevated bridge near Flagstaff, Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon Depot.  I wish we had been given a check list of the structures.  After doing a wee bit of research, I know I want to return to see them all.  

Grand Canmyon Depot was completed in 1910 and the last passenger train passed thru the station in 1968.

The Great Garden Express was custom designed and made for Tucson Botanical Gardens by Laura Busse Dolan and the team at Applied Imaginations...nationally-recognized for garden railways using only natural materials.  Everything they design and build is made with plant materials that these artists select to hand-sculpt each unique architectural element...pods, barks, cones, branches, leaves, and even fungus.  With the proper coatings, these models can "live" for decades.  The Great Garden Express is the only Busse railroad in Arizona and the first to debut west of the Mississippi.  

Simple designs...

very elaborate designs...

The crepe myrtles were blooming...a reminder of our Georgia home.

Huge evergreen bushes of Cape Leadwort were full of gorgeous blue blooms.

I had to look up to the sunflowers...

and we saw signs that maybe fall is just around the corner...

It was a fun date night with the kiddos topped off with dinner at Edna's Cafe located inside the gardens before heading home.   

 

Back at the oasis, we had wind, rain, and hail on Thursday.  That was exciting !  

Sometimes we just get a nice rain shower...we love rain in the desert !

I made a veggie quiche...it was yummy !

The skies never disappoint...

The birds are entertaining...

Busy little hummers...

Still molting...

The first hawk to stop by in awhile...

It's always important to take time to smell the flowers...

And that's a wrap on the week.  Until next time...

Coral Vine at TBG...

Sunset from the patio at Edna's Cafe when we had dinner...

HAPPY TRAILS !

The Street Fair, Friends, and Saguaro NP - West

Corona de Tucson  

March 29, 2024

Last Saturday was the 4th Avenue Spring Street Fair.  This 55 year old bi-annual event has become a Tucson tradition.  Artists from all over the world gather here along with local entertainment.  It's a little over a 2 mile walk...well maybe a stroll...to see everything.  Meeting Jamie and Andra there makes for a really fun time!      

We all enjoyed lunch at Caruso's.  This quaint little restaurant located in an old adobe home on 4th Avenue began back in 1938 and is still in the same family today.   

The manicotti I had was yummy and smothered in the best ever tomato sauce.  Of course, the best part of the day was sharing it with Jamie and Andra.  

Sunday dawned cloudy, wet and windy. Monday and Tuesday followed with on/off again showers and winds.  No complaints here !  The desert needs the rain and it's nice to have a lazy day or two. 

Jeff and Fran were in town on Wednesday.  They are headed to Ohio for the solar eclipse and are taking their time to explore and see a few sites along the way.  We were thrilled to hear from them and share lunch at El Charro.   

Jeff's favorite is the Carne Seca Poblano...and I am pretty sure I heard him say it was the best he had ever had.  We definitely think that is reason enough for Jeff and Fran to visit more often ! It was so good to see them and spend a couple of hours catching up.  Thank you for the photo Jeff and thank you both for taking the time for a visit !  Safe travels.  Until next time...

With the rain gone, the days warming up, and calm breezes in the forecast, we decided some fresh air was in order for Thursday.  My choice was Saguaro NP - West (Tucson Mountain District).  It's a bit of a drive to get there at about 30 miles one way, but once on Kinney Road I definitely have a big smile on my face!

We haven't hiked at this beautiful park since living in the MH and staying at Lazydays.   But we have driven the Bajada Loop several  times as it is a great place to find Saguaro blooms and other cacti blooms.  The loop is an unpaved 5 mile road suitable for most passenger cars.  

Since the saguaros are not yet blooming and neither are the cholla or stag horn cacti, our plan for the day was a couple of hikes on the loop we have not done...the Valley View Overlook Trail and the Signal Hill Trail.  Both are short, easy trails.   

Valley View Overlook Trail : 

Right from the get go, Joe and I loved this trail.  The trail is lined with huge saguaros... 

 

with interpretive signs along the way.  We had not heard of a Pencil Cholla. 

 

 

The Brittlebush and Globe Mallow add lots of color.

Did you know that the leaves on the brittlebush are covered with soft, white, matted hairs that reflect the sun's heat?  

 

We crossed several washes before gradually ascending to the ridge.  Along the way, we caught glimpses of the valley. 

 

There are several benches at the top of the ridge...

with vistas as far as the eye can see.  

We spotted one gorgeous red cholla bloom at the top of the ridge...

and spotted a stunning bloom on a tiny hedgehog cactus hiding behind a saguaro on the way down the trail.

Did you know that the Hedgehog Cactus is the first cactus to bloom in the spring?  

The down trail back to the parking lot was just as showy as the up trail to the ridge.  This easy trail just shy of 1 mile round trip might be short, but it sure packs a lot of bang for the buck.  Definitely a trail we would do again !

Signal Hill Trail : 

The access for Signal Hill Trail is at the Signal Hill Picnic Area.  There is a short road that turns off Bajada Loop Road that goes to the picnic area.  It was almost a bust as the access road was completely blocked and closes to traffic due to repairs and improvements being made at the picnic area.  Vehicles were parked along side the road and after spotting several walkers, we decided to give it a try too.  I'm so glad we did.  

From 1933 to 1941, members of the CCC improved the recreational possibilities of the Tucson Mountains.  They built five picnic sites that consisted of ramadas,  tables, benches, fireplaces, and bathrooms.  The Signal Hill picnic area was constructed in 1934 and the largest picnic area they built. There was fencing around the tables, benches and ramadas, but not around the fireplaces.  

Signage at the trail head stated that for more than 10,000 years the Tucson Basin has been inhabited by many people.  The Hohokam people lived here between 200 AD - 1400 AD.  Rock art found within the NP was created by them more than a thousand years ago and the reason for us choosing this trail.  

The trail is well maintained with switchbacks that make a sort climb to the top of a ridge much easier.   

The views were impressive...

At the top of the ridge is a "garden" of boulders covered in desert varnish which is the largest petroglyph site in the Tucson Mountain District.  Although small in size, it consists of over 200 Native American images...some can be viewed from the visitor trail.  It is believed these writings were left during hunting expeditions and there is no definitive meaning to them.  Were they made for religious purposes,  do they tell a story, do they mark a trail, or possibly commemorate a special event?  Today, when we examine these images carved centuries ago, we can only speculate what their significance was. And, stand in awe at the people who made them.  

It was hard to get photos...I didn't have the big zoom lens and the railing prevents visitors from getting too close.  A big thank you to the folks who think it is fun to inscribe modern day writings on ancient and special sites like this...I say facetiously!  It only takes a few of them to spoil it for the rest of us who really care.  

After our hikes we made a stop at the Visitor Center.  It's one of our favorite VCs we have ever visited.  I love how it blends in with its desert landscape...

has benches for "sitting a spell" just because...

has beautiful views...

and we always learn something new...

After it rains, the fragrance from the creosote bush is often called "the smell of rain" in the desert.  Did you know that the creosote fruit is a small wooly ball which separates into five segments when mature?   

We always enjoy our visits there.

We made one last stop on Kinney Road heading home...I love lupines !

Back at the oasis, things were pretty quiet.  The clouds were heavy and dark.

Mrs. C made morning visits...rain or shine.  We were happy to finally see her too.

Mr C watches her from the bush.  One morning, I saw him at the feeder and when she perched on the fence, he shelled a seed at the feeder and took it to her.  

Sally had her spring makeover.  It's a little too short, but she has to take anti anxiety meds to go to the groomers and we don't like giving it to her too often.  The shorter the better...her hair grows really fast !

Sally and I love the early morning glow.

 Until next time..

HAPPY TRAILS!