Lowes Travels

But first…

The slide toppers that Steve ordered arrived and our friendly installation team members John and Dave arrived to help with the installation.  The whole operation went smoothly, thanks to the fact that the three of them had installed new toppers on John’s coach just a few days before.  Thanks, guys!  Our beautiful new toppers are currently being tested by some fairly high winds in the area, and they’re doing just fine so far.

While the boys were busy outside I cooked up a storm inside to feed everybody.  I prepared another favorite Filipino dish – Pancit Guisado – a noodle dish with chicken, pork, shrimp and vegetables.  Judging by the empty skillet and smiles all around a little while later, I think it was a hit!

And now back to the main story…

While in Tucson back in Jan. 2013, we managed to make rounds to several area attractions. We knew back then there’d be several other places we’d want to check out upon our inevitable return this year.

Our new friends Carla and Len, whom we met at Black Canyon City this past November, gave us some tips on what to explore beyond Tucson.  They mentioned a drive to Tubac just 45 miles south, and tempted us to check out their property in the area that they have up for sale.

We drove down and viewed the 10-acre parcel that sits on a hill with fantastic views of the surrounding mountain ranges, a place for a peaceful getaway.  We liked the location, but we just weren’t ready to commit, as we have no idea yet when we may want to end our mobile lifestyle.  The possibility of living on that nice piece of land will just have to go on our back burner for now.

With that stop completed we began our sightseeing in and around Tubac.  Our first stop was the Tumacácori National Historic Park, which preserves the ruins of three early Spanish colonial missions.  The area was originally visited by Jesuit Father Eusebio Francisco Kino in 1691, and Tumacácori became the first mission established in what became Arizona.  We took a self-guided tour of the mission site and checked out the church ruins.

The Tumacácori mission church and outbuildings sat abandoned and deteriorating for 60 years beginning in 1889.  President Theodore Roosevelt created  the Tumacácori National Monument in 1908 to preserve the ruins.

The majority of the church, with the exception of the roof and the floor, is original. Unfortunately the interior was mostly gutted by souvenir hunters, which meant that little of it was left by the time preservation began.

The building blocks of the mission are sun-dried mud bricks known as adobes, and they make up most of its structures.

Other highlights of the tour took us through the gardens, the cemetery behind the church, and the unfinished mortuary chapel.

The mission and church were abandoned in 1848 due to relentless attacks by the Apaches, diseases and continued turmoil during the U.S. / Mexican war.

Next we drove toward old-town Tubac, where from the freeway we could see flags of all the governments that have ruled this little village during the past 250 years.  Tubac is Arizona’s oldest European community and home to the oldest Spanish presidio (fort) in Arizona.  It was once the largest town for miles, then it became a ghost town, then a mining town, then a ghost town again – whew!  For the past 60 years it has been the artist’s colony that we saw today.

We walked through the artsy town where dozens of galleries filled the streets.

By now our tummies were growling, spawned by exquisite aromas coming from nearby Elvira’s Mexican Resturant.  This place was originally located in Nogales, Mexico, and moved to Tubac at some point – lucky for us.  As we entered the cool darkness of the interior, the decor immediately caught our attention.  Blown glass everywhere – colorful, original, whimsical, and all sparkling from the ceiling and walls.

We were pleased not only with our food but also with the server who was friendly and attentive, educating me a bit about the dish I ordered – Chile Enogada.  It consisted of poblano chilis filled with picadillo (a mixture containing shredded meat, aromatics, fruits and spices), topped with a walnut-based cream sauce called nogada, and fresh pomegranate seeds.  Holy cow, it was so yummy!

This place was pricey, but it served amazing food that was memorable for both of us.

We walked off our sumptuous meal while visiting the Tubac Presidio Historic State Park.  It was founded in 1752, and by 1854 when the U.S. acquired Tubac through the Gadsden Purchase, it lay in ruins.

On this self-guided tour we entered an underground display to view excavated portions of the original adobe foundations.  It showed sections of walls and plaza floors from the commanders quarters, circa 1752, as well as artifacts discovered during the presidio’s excavation.  Encased in glass was a cross-section showing layers of ash and debris that delineated the different phases of the violent history here.

The park also featured a museum which displayed the timeline of human settlement in the Santa Cruz River Valley, dating back to the Pima Indian settlement in the 1500’s, and a display of Arizona’s first printing press.  It preserves three significant buildings on the National Register of Historic Places: Arizona’s second oldest Territorial School House, the Otero Hall and the Rojas House.

After a full day of looking and learning Tubac’s history, we were ready to head back home. Since this town is only 26 miles north of the Mexican border, we had to stop at an interior border patrol checkpoint to answer one simple question, “Are you both U.S. citizens?” One quick nod as the drug dog circled our car and we were on our way!

As we headed off I looked back and saw pink clouds hovering over the Santa Rita Mountains, bringing a beautiful close to a pleasant day of sightseeing.

 

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