The Road Trip, part 18

Day 17 -- Tucson

Ah, a down day, no long travels -- Tucson is out last major stop, and we've set up camp, as it were. The dogs (four of them) have accepted us as house guests -- Amalie feeding them dog biscuits generously has no doubt sped up the process -- and our schedule is all our own.

But there are things we want to do in Tucson, so we cannot kick back for too long. Eventually fed and showered, we set out to visit Old Tucson Studios, east of the city (past the Tucson Mountains, which aren't a patch on the Coloradan Rockies). Built decades ago for movie making, the place took root as an attraction in its own right, and even though it burned down a few years ago, it has been rebuilt, a testament to its success.

A few miles west of Tucson, the road climbs up Gates Pass, a tiny and very twisty climb but nowhere near the steep, towering challenges we met in Colorado. Plus, the mountainsides are peppered with saguaros, so the view is quite scenic. Once over the crest, the Sonoran Desert spreads out broadly before the viewer, which is just lovely. This is no land of barren dunes -- the desert is quite alive, green from the bounty of rain this year, the plant life fulsome and tenacious. And, as noted, the prickly pear cacti alone are laden, almost overburdened, with dark, red fruits. The desert has had a very good year.

Old Tucson Studios is easy to find -- it's one of only two points of interest in the desert valley -- and we arrived about 11:00 in the morning, the heat mounting but not yet withering. The flies were the toughest challenge, just everywhere, almost constantly. Val and Amie took a horse ride (additional fee) first thing, and enjoyed it -- but mercy, the flies near the corral were the worst! I couldn't get away fast enough. The studio buildings are a bit shabby, though it seems suiting to an old west simulacrum, and overall the place is agreeable fun. There's a few live performances -- Carson and I saw a "magic elixir" (snake oil) show, which was mostly predictable but delivered with enthusiasm by the players, and later we all caught a stunt show with shotgun blanks and an explosion (I had to explain to the kids that, while the bangs were real, there were no bullets -- the actors pretended to dodge the ricochets, it's all part of the fun). Later we panned for gold (didn't find any, but the sluice was plenty full with iron pyrite, fool's gold, and the kids brought home many pieces), and finally had to leave as we had committed to picking up Mary's younger girl, Kylene, after school.

The drive back over the pass was quick, Carson fell asleep, and I stayed at the house with him as Val and Amie went to pick up Kylene. Carson ended up napping for almost five hours -- desert air and heat can really drain a little guy.