Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park

We drove west along Gates Pass which took us up and over the Tucson Mountains, heading towards the Saguaro National Park. We had our kids and the cousins and all 6 worked on earning their Junior Ranger Badges. After studying and hiking the Sonoran Desert, we drove along a dirt loop road that took us further in to the park. We made a short hike up to petroglyphs left by the Hohokam Indians a thousand years ago. The Park Ranger reiterated the ‘leave no trace’ motto so the kids understood that while we could observe the ancient Indians rock drawings, we were not allowed to leave our own. ‘Why not?’ Ben asked me later when we were hiking the trail. ‘A thousand years from now’, he continued, ‘people who hike this trail can learn more about us.’ We feasted that night on Sonoran Dogs (grilled hot dogs wrapped in bacon, eaten on a Bolillo roll topped with beans, cheese, salsa, jalapenos, avocado, mustard and whatever other fixins could be crammed on). That and an ice cold Corona. Nice.

Hiking Mt. Lemmon Tucson

James’ dad missed his flight from London so we had to change our plans a bit for today (we had planned to travel to Phoenix to hit the science museum and pick him up). Instead, we had a leisurely morning at home and then a hike up Mt. Lemmon. We headed North through the city and reached the base of the mountain in about 20 minutes. The ride up was amazing. Dense cacti growth at the bottom (mostly saguaro and cholla) which changed to smaller shrubs and eventually tall pines towards the top. The views over the mountains were great and the kids had fun scrambling on the rocks along the top. It was neat to track a rain storm as it worked its way across the city and on to the mountains.

Carlsbad Photos....

The Beautiful Carlsbad Caverns of New Mexico

If you have not been to Carlsbad Caverns, tell your boss you need a few days off, lock up the house, hop on a plane and head on out to New Mexico. It’s like another world down there in the caverns of Carlsbad, some 750 feet below the surface of the Chihuahuan Desert. We journeyed in on a self-guided tour through the natural entrance which carried us along winding paths down in to the darkness. The caverns seem to stretch on for miles and at times, the grade is steep so make sure you do some stretching before you leave the surface. Touring the caverns is not only a workout on your legs, it’s a workout on your eyes and neck as you look not just in front, but above and behind you as well at all the amazing rock formations. The formations or ‘decorations’ are comprised of several elegant and sometimes bold formations - stalagtite, stalagmites, columns, popcorn formations (a new one to me) and drapes. We walked for about 4 hours in the caves and never lost interest in what we were seeing (until we realized the time and had to hurry out so that we could get back to the cabin for dinner and a swim before returning to the caverns in the evening to see the 200,000+ bats fly out for their nightly feed. Luckily the paths through the cavern did not take us directly through their digs. You won't get any photos of their flight. No electronic devices as the noise bothers them. Pretty cool to see though.). The tour was free with our NPS yearly membership pass - aahhh I love the National Parks. We could have bought a tour, but honestly you just don’t need to (this confirmed by our campsite neighbors from Maine who took the King’s Palace tour and told us we really didn’t miss anything). I could go on and on about the caverns – the best we’ve ever seen – and really not do them any justice. It's magical down there, breathtaking and otherworldly. Ansel Adams photos taken as part of the Mural Project he did in the 30s were on display in the ranger station along with a magnificent quote which sums up my Carlsbad experience: “…something that should not exist in relation to human beings. Something that is as remote as the galaxy, incomprehensible as a nightmare and beautiful in spite of everything.”

Traveling I-10 through Texas

We all enjoyed watching the landscape change as we cruised swiftly along I-10 towards Carlsbad, New Mexico (the speed limit is 80 on much of I-10, which is about our max in the packed out Suburban. No risk of a speeding ticket here!) Before we knew it we were driving between the rocky hills that had been carved out to create the long, smooth highway that would carry us across Texas. The grassy hills we left in San Antonio were traded in for mesas and buttes covered in sand, gravel and rock. Instead of tall, wispy palm trees we saw prickly pear cactus and low-lying shrubs and trees. We stopped for a late lunch and when I stepped out of the car, the sweet, distinctive smell of the desert hit me and a smile crept across my face. It feels so good to be back in this part of the United States. We arrived at Carlsbad at 5:30 (saved an hour as we crossed in to the Mountain Time Zone). We pulled in next to a family from Maine who are traveling with their 4 boys. Playmates – check. When we were booking the trip, I had visions of popping up the tents in the middle of nowhere on the dry, cracked ground of New Mexico with nothing but us, the dirt and rocks on the ground and perhaps a few scrubby little bushes under the great, big desert sky. I thought of all the snakes, scorpions and spiders who might be wandering around with us as we slept in the middle of nowhere. I needn’t have worried. Carlsbad RV park has a lot to offer, and is nestled between ‘HAPPYS’ Restaurant and an RV dealer next door along a somewhat busy stretch in this little city in the desert. At first, I was kicking myself for shelling out the extra cash for the cabins but then I thought, at least it saved us popping up all the tents (and saved us time in taking them down too – we’re going to need to get a real early start on the 9-hour haul to Tucson tomorrow). So much for the protection against critters too. We met up with a tarantula the size of a tennis ball as we headed out to wash up before bed. Harry hung out with us for awhile, just poking around the campsite looking for some mates. We’ve already rolled up the rug to cover the gap under the cabin door. Sweet as Harry is, we don’t want to have any uninvited guests this evening while we sleep. The owners/managers of Carlsbad RV Park are very friendly and helpful. The kids are enjoying brushing and petting their miniature ponies and even got some time with their Chihuahuas (Ben keeps asking for one). What a joy it is to be able to sit out on our little cabin porch in the evening and enjoy a beer and not have to worry about getting eaten by mosquitoes, or blown away by the wind. As James and I sit out here on the porch, the dry air is just perfect right now and so is the company.

Last few pics from San An

San Jose Mission

July 21 - Deep in the Heart of Texas

We hopped on the Mission Trail at the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park, beginning with a tour of the San Jose Mission. San Jose is one of 5 missions that were established by the Franciscans in the 1700s to Christianize the native people and make them Spanish citizens. Such beauty surrounded us – billowing bushes of flowers growing next to sprawling mesquite trees near the remarkable ancient structures built almost 300 years ago. The kids each earned another Junior Ranger badge. We all toured the museum and learned that with the arrival of the Europeans, the native populations of Indian tribes were decimated. Our next stop was the Alamo. We toured the grounds and went into the main building where we looked at artifacts which belonged to the soldiers who fought to gain Texas' freedom (including several used by David Crockett). By 1:00, we were all feeling a bit peckish, so we headed for the River Walk located downtown. River Walk was built in 1929. It incorporates and expands upon the San Antonio River which flows through the city. Today it is a beautiful area to shop, dine or just stop and have a drink while enjoying the architecture (there are little bridges that cross the water here and there) and lush greenery. We settled in to Casa Rio for a tremendous Mexican feast – quesadillas, tamales, tacos, enchiladas and so much more. Delicious, generous portions at decent prices – perfect! After Casa Rio, we took a river boat tour of the district. We took a rest and a relaxing swim back at the hotel before heading out for a night on the town, sans children ;). Following the recommendation of our good friend Paulette, we went to Howl at the Moon, a dueling piano bar located down along the River Walk. Not sure what to have, I ordered the Pama-Rita – 1800 Silver Tequila, PAMA Pomegranate Liquor and Cranberry juice all mixed up in my very own 24 oz., foot-tall drinking glass. When I ordered, the barmaid remarked how they had these great new drinks on the menu but were not given the recipes, then proceeded to hoist the bottles skyward for what seemed like an eternity. Pama-Rita=tasty. Music and entertainment at Howl at the Moon=fantastic. At times the pianists, who sang along to tunes requested by the crowd were joined by a bass guitarist, drummer, saxophonist and electric guitarist. These guys were talented (hopping around from instrument to instrument and playing each equally well) and funny (jokes too naughty to write here) and had both James and I singing along (is that a good thing or a bad thing?). Anyway, by the time we left Howl at the Moon, James and I had decided San Antonio was one fun city with a lot more for us to see – perhaps without the children next time…. After collapsing back at the hotel, I began to drift off to sleep, but so many questions were running through my head. Why are we driving Mexican people out of the country when they inhabited this land before us? How did 200 men defend themselves against thousands of Mexican troops in order to gain ‘Texian’ freedom? How did I manage to choke down all those tortilla chips, salsa, tamales, enchiladas, beans and rice without getting sick? Why didn’t the city planners in Boston have the foresight to make a River Walk out of the Charles? Will I ever learn to play the piano so well that I can jam to any tune I please like the guys at Howl at the Moon? Is Ruby who works down at the front desk a man or a woman? I digress. It really makes no difference to me…. Got to get to sleep now. Long drive to Carlsbad tomorrow.

July 20 - San Antonio bound

Packed up the camping gear and headed off to San Antonio today. Had a little fender-bender on I-45 just before we hit Houston (James was concerned that I had written 'first' before changing it to 'little', saying "First? How many more are we going to have?"). It was really just a little bump from a smaller car that just didn't brake fast enough in some heavy traffic. Luckily our cargo rack took the brunt of the force and honestly, as it happened, I had to ask James "Did we just get hit?". The guy who hit us was very kind and even offered some advice on sights to see when we arrived in San Antonio. It's always fun standing in the middle of an 8-lane highway getting travel advice from the locals but all good things must end and we parted ways with our new friend Kevin about 20 minutes after the collision. We stopped at a Chevy dealer just to make sure the chassis was o.k. and everything checked out all right. The cargo rack will have to be replaced at some point, but now that it's twisted to the side a little bit, unpacking the back of the car is actually a whole lot easier with a few more inches of space behind the bumper! We checked in to the Antonian at about 5:30, took the kids for a swim, ordered some pizza and did a little updating on the blog before slipping on to what has to be the most comfortable mattress I've ever experienced. Maybe that's my neck/back after 6 nights camping talking but it was pretty darn comfy. Tomorrow, we're off to see the Alamo, cruise the Riverwalk and visit the Witte Museum (looks like a good museum and another freebie with our MOS membership). It will be a busy day!

July 19 - Houston/Galveston

So on our way back last night we stopped off at our neighborhood Wal-Mart for some ice and milk. Every time we walk out of one of the Wal-Marts down here, I feel a real sense of accomplishment. I mean really, these stores should have their own zip codes. Since we started on this trip (actually, it was well before that) my mother-in-law has been generously offering, sometimes to the point of insisting that we trade in our 10-year old tent for a new one. Sure our tent has a few leaks, the zippers on both doors are broken (which means we climb in the window – no big deal, right?) and the screens show evidence of a hole or two which have been carefully stitched up over the years but even given all of that, it’s still a roof (albeit a leaky one) over my head. Well I finally broke down and accepted the kind offer and we left with a monster 10-person, 3-room ‘lodge’. James and I agreed we would not try out the new tent until Lake Powell because we have just one more night in Galveston (and we’ve got a hotel in San Antonio, a cabin in Carlsbad, and family to stay with in Tucson). I’m not so sure the waiting idea was a good one. We were awoken in the middle of the night by a wild wind and rain storm and spent a portion of the night standing up bracing the poles with our bodies. Needless to say, I started the next day with a pounding headache. No problem, popped a couple of ibuprofen and headed off to the Houston Children’s Museum (what better place to be when you have a headache, right? Headache + Screaming Children = Perfect). Built in 2009, the museum was beautiful and bright, and had amazing hands-on exhibits and activities for the kids. A highlight of the day was ‘Kidtopia’ where the kids were issued ATM cards and then went in search of jobs so they could make some cash which they could deposit in to their accounts via ATM machines dotted around the ‘city’. Very cool. Emmett became an EMT, Abby a veterinarian, and Ben a news anchor (even Aidan got involved ‘policing’ the town as a crime fighter). The icing on the cake was that we all got in free with our Boston Science Museum membership card. And while we’re on the topic of big savings, I’d just like to put it out there that the 3 nights camping in Galveston came to a grand total of $15. Our stay should’ve cost us $45, still pretty cheap, but the ranger was having ‘computer issues’. The way I figure it, those three nights in Galveston cost about 70 cents a night for each of the 7 of us (eat it up Dave Baker). Well, I started this post moaning about last night’s weather but really I shouldn’t have because tonight the wind was so bad, one of our main poles broke (which we didn’t realize until we got up in the morning). We spent the majority of the night tucked in under the tent which lay on top of us like a blanket. Ah, camping. You’ve just got to love it! One last thing I almost forgot to mention. We had another jellyfish encounter when we all took a late afternoon swim today. This time, Emmett was the victim but this time the jellyfish were about 6 to 8 inches in diameter -ewww. After some vinegar and meat tenderizer from the Park Ranger, he was as good as new.