Tucson


This is the view from the trails adjacent to the Diamond J
We are back in Tucson. This is our 4th winter visit here and will be the longest stay we have had here. Our plan is to stay until the end of March. I haven't been in much of a blogging mood but lately I have been doing some pondering on my walks about what to write. We did stay a couple places on our way here that I didn't blog about. Spent a week at Jojoba Hills Escapees co-op park and had a chance to spend time with Lu and Terry. We enjoy them so much and it had been much to long between visits. They are the type of friends that when we meet up it feels like picking up where we left off.  Jojoba hills is a beautiful park in the mountains of Southern California. It is a place we would consider trying to get onto when we are done wandering.
A short but fun visit with Lu and Terry at Jojoba Hills

Then it was on to Yuma where we spent a week. It was during Christmas and we were able to spend some time with Brad and Martha that we met last year. We had a fun day in Mexico with them and their son Chris who just returned from a trip to Australia. It was a great visit with them and a chance to go to the pharmacy and liquor store in Algodones. We also had the opportunity to see the house they bought last spring. It is beautiful and now Brad has a space for all his woodworking tools. He is quite the craftsman. We got to see some of the pieces he was working on and they were beautiful. Next year we may spend a couple months at Fortuna de Oro like we did last year. Taking advantage of their fall special rate.
A Christmas open house at Brad and Martha's new home


Fun in Algodones with Brad, Martha and their son Chris!


That brings us to Tucson and the longest stay of the winter. We love this area of Tucson for a lot of reasons but the one that keeps us coming back are the trails to hike and bike right here out the back of the Diamond J park. There are two park systems we have access to. The first is the Cedarlund Trail system. The hikes here are relatively flat and take you to the entry of the Tucson Mountain Park where your hikes can continue on for miles. If you go far enough that park blends into the Saguaro  National Parks West section. This is our 4th visit here and we have barely scratched the surface of all the hikes in our area as well as abundant hiking in other areas surrounding the city. The park we stay in is laid back with very few amenities other than its location and the sites are large by RV park/resort standards.When we first arrived our site was not great. We were tucked in among some very large motor coaches and they were our view. Friends of ours noticed a desert view site (backs right up to the desert) opened up so I went in and asked if we could move into it, so now we have a wonderful site right off the desert. This year the SW has been cool and rainy in January and since they really need the rain it's hard to complain. This week though it is warming up and we are delighted.


The beautiful Sonoran Desert in Tucson

We are trying to do a few new things this year and hit some of the attractions we have missed. The biggest two will be the Tucson Gem Show and the Tucson Rodeo, both of which are in February. The gem show actually started last week but goes almost 3 weeks. It is spread out all over the city and is actually a collection of gem, fossil, bead and jewelry shows. Today I am going to the 22nd Street Gem and Fossil Show with my friend Cheryl. We plan on going to a couple of the bead shows too. Cheryl is a wonderful beader so it's a must. I would like to find some rocks etc, to make a few shawl pins out of and a few beads to add to my knitting. Should be fun.

Happy Trails.........................................

So I wrote this blog almost 2 weeks ago and then got distracted and never posted it. . We did make it to the several of the venues for the gem show, not sure we will make it to the Rodeo. Tomorrow John and Sharon Hinton arrive in the park for awhile. Always enjoy time with them! As I have said so many times it is the people we have met and become friends with that has made the journey so special. So once again...

Happy Trails.................................



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