Phoenix and Tucson area National Parks

Here is our Phoenix/Tucson area travels, we were able to get the bike intercom fixed meets some friends, colleagues, clients and 2 national parks! All while staying in our favorite cheap hotel ever!  For some reason we always get the Sheraton Four Points for around $60 everytime we are in Tucson.  We'll take it! But for the record, mexican food is awesome, but the traffic sucks!

Phoenix sunrise...en route to meet up with Lanny for Breakfast #1. 

We later met with a client for Breakfast #2

We spotted this from over 30miles away.  Turned out to be a scheduled burn.



Celtic cross on a hillside...did not appear to be affiliated with a church.

Coronado National Memorial has new facilities as of December 2015. There was not much to do here nor a video to watch to learn more.  We left a bit confused on the purpose of the park really was. Below are a few artifacts from the visitor's center. Day of the Dead (or Dia del Muerto) was a big talking point on the wall signs.  Later I read up on the significance...they had decided that there was no real commemoration to the efforts of Coronado's discoveries so they added this park as a "reflection" on his efforts.  Also, because it straddles the Mexico border - there is a view of the border wall.



The dark object in the middle of the picture running from side to side is the wall between the US and Mexico.  I really wanted to leave out of the back of the park, but they said it was 17miles of unpaved road.  This usually spells regret for us when it involves park entrance or exit, so we took the boring paved way.

Guess which way I wanted to go, but the way we ended up going.  I'm sure my route would have been more fun,,,  Darn them unpaved roads... Grrr.

Not a flavor I've ever heard of...must be a Mexican thing since we are straddling the border. Even written in Spanish.

Interesting cloud formations.



A neat little town near the Tumacacori NHP.

Here is our second park visit.  Vey neat mission with an amazing orchard and garden area.  The early settlers did an amazing job with life in this region.

Another month or so and these will be in full bloom

 

View from the highway

Tumacacori Mission

The mission is currently under renovations

Bell Tower

The altar

What the church looked like and is being restored to.

Under construction. Putting the 3rd roof on the church since it's original build. I was also amazed how cool it was inside.  Temp felt like high 60's while it was in mid 80's outside. 

Many carvings inside the walls from 1800s

The choir loft (behind the pillar) could fit 3 small women and 2 men.

Stairs to the choir loft

A very busy bee!

Monkeys jumping on the bed will get thorns in their heads!

I was quite perplexed when I saw this plaque. There were 6 statues in the exhibit area. Multiple saints including St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua and others. I was caught off guard with a statue of Jesus that has to describe who he is in 3rd person.  Having been raised as a Catholic and Christian, it is assumed that everyone knows who JC is in the US. Quite a startling and eye opening to see it in this fashion.

Behind the visitor's center this is a beautiful terrace with Pear trees.  There were thousands of bees swarming around pollinating the flowers.  Pretty cool...and the air smelled amazing!

This guy stayed upside down forever!  Quite fun to watch them...like kids on a playground!

 

 



We were 31 miles north of the Mexico border, yet the road was marked in both miles and kilometers. I tried to catch the signs as we rode and was fortunate to catch this point - where miles and km were within view at the same point. A bonus meter sign.  Notice the miles were sideways, km appear dominant???  I had to check...we are in the USA, right??!!

This is the reason for our success, thank you Intuit and all your team members that help us to help the QB users.

Why yes, we'd like to take a sip of the cup of success, we are Blessed. Thank you God and thank you Intuit family!