Summer 2016 Pt 10

Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch

We found this little gem by accident.
I was looking for something to do on the way either to of from Phoenix.
This popped up on my search page.

Despite the fact it was 111 degrees F the day we went it was soooo worth it.

 We got to feed....
The donkeys

the deer

the Budgies (or as the Americans like to call them - Parakeets)

The goats up high

the goats down low

and the ostrich.

Vicious things that they are.

It seems we had an ostrich whisperer with us!

There were ducks to be fed

and pretty sheep

and our favourite of all
the Lorakeets

We were given a little pot of nectar each

and told to keep the lid on, hold it out at arms length

and wait!!

Once they had finished the nectar they like to lick your skin!!

If it hadn't been so hot and we hadn't got a flight to catch I could have stayed a while longer.

♥♥♥ I love, love, loved it ♥♥♥

Summer 2016 Pt 9

Titan Missile Museum

The last surviving Titan missile in the world

(de-activated of course!)

103 feet of  Cold War weaponry.

Able to launch in 58 seconds

and deliver a 9 mega-ton nuclear warhead to a target 6300 miles away 

in 30 minutes.

It doesn't bear thinking about.

The silo is located underground in the middle of Green Valley, AZ.

The underground base it's self is not very big and, for some not very high so for those over 6ft tall

hard hats were the order of the day.

They look something out of the Village People!!

It was a really great place to visit and interesting to discover what was happening 

in the 1980s when we were all totally oblivious as to what was really going on.

Summer 2016 Pt 8

Mission San Xavier del Bac

White Dove of the Desert

This little gem is literally in the middle of nowhere.

9 miles outside Tucson to be exact. 

Founded in 1692 the construction of the current church was started in 1783 and finished in 1797.

It still has that old world charm about it.

It is still used as a church every week.

They don't rent it out

and they won't let it be used in movies or commercials.

You can read all about the Mission and it's history here.

San Xavier Mission

Hubby wasn't overly impressed by it.  Heathen that he is.

His favourite thing about it?

Prairie Dogs!!

Summer 2016 Pt 7

Sabino Canyon

at the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains

in the Coronado National Forest

We took the 45 minute, 3.8 mile educational tram tour up through Sabino Canyon.

It is exactly like the cowboy movies of old.

You half expect the Indians to be looking down on you from Turtle Mountain.

Apologies that should be Native Americans.

The scenery is amazing and it was really interesting to find out that the

Saguaro cactus don't grow anywhere above 3000 feet.

We decided to walk the last mile down the canyon and stop for a few photos.

We dodged a few prickly bushes and put someone on 

Rattle snake watch but managed to get a few pictures.

The last half mile really did me in and when we got back to the visitors centre it was a dark, air conditioned room for me with two bottles of ice cold water shoved down my shirt.

It did the trick and I was right as rain in no time.

Summer 2016 Pt 6

Next stop on the whistle stop tour of Tucson

was Pima Air and Space Museum

The best way to describe this place is

"A HUGE Parking Lot of Aircraft"

Nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres on a 127 acre campus.

That's a lot of planes!

Here are a few of my favourite.

The Shackleton

The Lightning

The B17

SR-71 Blackbird

and The Bumblebee

It was another extremely hot day and I may have gotten a bit grumpy with some of the people on the tour.  Especially the lady who hijacked the tram and proceeded to take a very loud  phone call whilst the driver was giving his talk. The cheek of the woman!  We'd paid for that tour and her family had just jumped on later as it was hot and they didn't want to walk.

I was fine after a cold drink and something to eat.

I'm not sure if she finished her phone call!!

Summer 2016 Pt 5

Boothill

Boot Hill, or Boothill, is the name for any number of cemeteries, chiefly in the American West. During the 19th century it was a common name for the burial grounds of gunfighters, or those who "died with their boots on"

We found this Boothill just outside of Tombstone.

Without a doubt a desolate place to be buried.

As you pass by remember.  That as you are, so once was I

and as I am you soon will be.

Remember me.