Apr 30-May 3, 2002

Apr 30-May 3, 2002

Aimee and I have talked about retiring soon to Arizona. Tucson has been our default location because both of us have pleasant memories there. Aimee went to college in Tucson at the University of Arizona, and I traveled to Tucson for a business meeting every cold January. But we felt before moving there, we ought to take a serious look at the state. We flew into Phoenix, rented a car and drove the two hours southeast to Tucson staying at the La Quinta Hotel off the interstate.

We started our exploration of Tucson with some tourist activities. We visited the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. It is supposed to be Arizona’s second most visited sight after the Grand Canyon. More than a museum, it is a combination zoo, botanical garden and natural history museum, all designed to help people appreciate the desert. We are intrigued but a little intimidated by the scorpion collection. They have a black light button that makes the scorpions glow in the dark! The site also has a hummingbird enclosure. We loved watching them buzzing around the flowers.

We also strolled the campus of the U of A so Aimee could reminisce. Unfortunately she said the campus has had many changes making it difficult to remember. I am thinking she has just gotten old and forgetful. While on campus we ran through the Arizona State Museum, which describes the various Indian tribes that inhabited the state. We have lunch on campus at the Frog-n-Firkin. I tell the young waitress we are grad students; but she thinks we are a little old to still be in college.

We also spend a couple afternoons playing golf, at El Conquistador and later at El Rio golf course. After golf at El Conquistador, we spent some time looking at new construction model homes. The housing looks very reasonable and we are very tempted to buy a home. Maybe doing that would encourage Aimee to let me retire sooner rather than later.

On our last day we visited the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area and hiked the four-mile Phoneline Trail up the canyon paralleling the Tram Road. Surprisingly there is water in the stream running down the canyon. It is the first water we have seen here. All the rivers we crossed while driving around the city have been bone dry!