More Adventures with Dennis and Laurie

It was so much fun exploring Tucson with Dennis and Laurie.  It was exciting to be trying different restaurants.  I'll never forget Tucson Tamales!  Surprisingly delicious.  We also spent some time around the pool at Lodge on the Desert, where Dennis and Laurie were staying

Anyway, the next excursion we enjoyed was a trip south to the Titan Missile Museum.  Titan ll missiles provided the nuclear deterrent to nuclear war from the 1960's to 1984 when they were decommissioned after Reagan signed the Salt ll treaty.  Having lived through that time, it was amazing to see upon what a thin thread our world was hanging.  They blew up all the other silos, but kept this one intact and as a living history exhibit.

If you are 6 ft or taller you had to wear a hard hat. 

Stairs going down to the control room

Our tour guide and the control panel

I got picked to respond to an attack from the USSR

The tunnel between the control room and the missile silo

looking up

and looking down

Dennis rocks the hard hat

looking down from outside.  Sobering

The next day was sunny and warm and we decided to try the drive up to 10,000 foot altitude at Mt. Lemmon.  This peak is part of the Santa Catalina Mts. that rise sharply to the north of Tucson.  We were absolutely Not prepared for what we saw.  And unfortunately pictures cannot capture the expanse of amazing scenery that was arrayed before us.  Laurie found a wonderful travelogue that explained the history, geology and biology of the region as we drove along.

view of Tucson from up above

Dennis, our intrepid driver

The explorers (in the background, restrooms locked because of the government shutdown)

Driving even higher

Willing to die for a selfie.

Road to the sky

So many interesting rock formations

Opinions varied about what this rock formation looked like

view from almost the top.

we found snow

Sadly it was time for Dennis and Laurie to go home to Michigan.  We had one last dinner together and hope to see each other again soon.

Back in time to Bisbee

 After Dennis and Laurie left, we were on our own again.  It's fun having guests, but it's also nice to go at your own pace.  Jeff and I wanted to see Tombstone and Bisbee in the south east, but didn't want to drive it in one day.  So we packed our backpacks and headed down I-10 for an overnight stay.

Our first stop was Tombstone AZ, an old mining town that was famous for the gunfight at the OK Corral.  They have turned it into the ultimate tourist trap.  Jeff and I agreed that about 30 minutes walking around was all we could take. 

National historic site:  Tombstone courthouse

At $10 a pop, we skipped the gunfight

Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday and the gang drumming up business

Two stagecoaches went up and down the dusty street.

Looking down the street

Our next stop, about 30 miles south of Tombstone, was the old copper mining town of Bisbee.  Through the years as the mining petered out, the old buildings were taken over by artists and hippies who fixed them up (kind of) and made this really cool community.  We stayed at the Bisbee Grand Hotel.  You had to go to the bar and talk to the bartender to rent your room.  It was pretty rustic, but cute.  In the evening, we enjoyed live music, dinner and beverages at the bar/restaurant below our room.  Everyone was friendly and we had a great time.

The Grand Bisbee

The stairs to the 2nd floor

Big Brass Bed

The next day we explored more of Bisbee.  I really loved the architecture and funky houses.

Old Miner's cabin

One man's junk......

Statue for the copper miners

No pissing on the wall

Downtown and the Bisbee "B" on the hill