Texas to Tucson


Monday, March 12 - Made It!

A week after I started from Poolesville, I finally arrived late afternoon in Tucson, where I will stay for 10 days trying to get fit, eat right and generally "chill."  First I need to learn what "chill" means, however.  I guess that's the point.

I left Sonora on Sunday morning and, happily, the skies eventually cleared as I approached West Texas and I could finally experience the Lone Star State.  It also finally felt like I was in the West, and began to understand why Texas seems so big.  Texas is big, it was the widening vistas begin to surround the car on all sides with thrust-up spiky hills and small mountains as I gained altitude heading west.  This scene from a rest stop is indicative of what began to dominate the view out the car window.

By now I was also growing tired of the Ancient Greek History lectures I had downloaded (free), essentially an entire semester's worth from an eminent professor at Yale.  Unfortunately, the professor was more interested in historiography (the study of the field of history) than in history.  He had some interesting things to say about the nature of the Greek development of the polis, which was a moderately democratic form of government and the tension that exists between forms of government that emphasis individual rights over collective rights.  But he became repetitive and superficial so, in the middle of his discussion of Sparta, I switched to another Yale course about European history, which was more interesting.  It is amazing, I have to say, how self-involved these guys were, even they were at opposite ends of the modern political spectrum.  Today I heard lectures on Robspierre, who seemed fascinating (until he lost his head at the guillotine), and Napolean, who was less so, if a huge factor in the development of modern France.

But enough of that.  Several hours brought me to El Paso, at the far western edge of Texas (and just across the border from Cuidad Juarez.  El Paso was gritty and did not seem to have the benefit of the thriving economic boon that Dallas, Houston and San Antonio have had in the last quarter century.  A massive Asarco plant, now largely in shambles (reminiscent of Detroit), borders the northern side of town.  By the time I reached Las Cruces, New Mexico, 45 minutes north, however, the vistas broadened even more, with mountains kissing the horizon.  Thus this sunset:

Las Cruces seemed like a nice town, nestled up against a mountain range, and is home to New Mexico State, which coincidently is picked by some to go on to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA men's basketball final.

And finally today, I got going but called an audible (switching sports), deciding I had time to swing south through Bisbee and Tombstone before heading into Tucson.  I veered off I-10 (my route of some 900 miles since New Orleans) onto Route 80, due south toward the Mexican border.  Route 80 is a deserted road that rises and falls along ever steeper mountain ranges.  Some of the hills were entirely covered with luscious yellow spring desert flowers.  This view down Route 80 gives some sense of the terrain, which was a delight.

After an 90 minutes or so (made shorter by some bursts of speed that tested, but hardly topped out, the available speed of my Audi), I reached Bisbee, an old mining town that I had heard good things about.  Approach the town from the south (and at about 5,800 feet), you go past the now played-out copper mine that was the town's reason for being from about the 1880's until the 1950's.  It is an amazing site, which this photo gives only some limited feel for.

I can only image the composition of the black pond that remains at the bottom.

A bit further up the hill is Bisbee, which has actually been charmingly restored.  Many buildings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries remain.  These have been converted into museums, dozens of shops, restaurants and art galleries.  There are some very quaint but well-cared for old hotels and the place was bustling with tourists.  I sampled a Cubano coffee at the fine local coffee shop and, were I not driving, would have considered sampling the assorted beers made at the Bisbee brewery, housed in a century old warehouse.  I recommend it!  Did not take many photos, but here is one of the old hotels on a side street.

Far less attractive was Tombstone, about 20 miles north of Bisbee.  It is a hodge-podge of sketchy tourist traps, with a paucity of parking and a few actors in costume.  The OK Corral is enclosed behind a wall (see below) and I did not pay for entrance.  The best thing about the town was the handsome 1881 county courthouse, now a museum, which is pictured below.

I left Tombstone quickly and, after my second Border Patrol inspection of the day (they stop every vehicle), I was en route to Tucson and my home for the next 10 days.  There may not be much posting, although I hope to go a a few hikes and biking tours, which may yield photos of the Saguaro mountains that cusp the city to the north and west.  After Tucson, I will be in Phoenix/Scottsdale for some baseball and more hiking, followed by my more serious four day hike down into the Grand Canyon and back.  I have a lot of training to squeeze into the next two weeks to be in some semblance of shape for that.  With over 2500 miles under my belt, I will be happy to be in one place for a while.