New Years Day I drove to Tucson. The drive was fast and relatively scenic. I love the 75 mph speedlimit. Why is Canada lame and have a 100 km limit? Perhaps that's one of the reasons Americans have a higher productivity rate than Canadians ;) I found a great radio station to pass the time during my journey, Star 97.5 FM. They play a wide variety of jazz and no commercials. (I have no clue what their business model would be.)
Cattleranching, mining and IBM
My girlfriend Tiffany, and her family live in a charming, somewhat remote, community 20 minutes southeast of Tucson, called Vail. Yes, Vail, ARIZONA. I had never heard of it either, but mapquest did a great job at helping me find their lovely new home. Located at the base of the Rincon Mountains, the area was named after the Vail brothers. Who in the late 1800s used their profits from ranching and mining to expand their Empire Ranch -- stretching from the Santa Rita Mountains to the Mexican Border. As a result of a land donation for laying train tracks in 1880, the stop in Vail was named in their honor.
The area's heydey was in the early 1900s thanks to cattle ranching and and the nearby Helvetia Copper Mine. Located just southeast of what is now Corona de Tucson, the Helvetia Mine produced over 42,000 tons of ore. This ore was transported to Vail by wagons pulled by teams of mules. In subsequent years with decreased mining activity, the population gradually declined to just 10. It resurged in 1980 with the opening of a large IBM facility in southeast Tucson and a new Science and Technology Park, and now boasts a population of 6500. I loved the lack of commercialization in the community, though this will likely not last given the incredible growth taking place. Presently, the town consists of the historic Santa Rita church, a gas station, a couple schools, and naturally the requisite golf course!
My first evening there, Rod (Tiffany's husband) made us all perfectly barbequed steaks while Tiffany and I sat on their large veranda admiring the breathtaking sunset. Afterwards I went with Tiffany, Rod, and their two cute kids Zane and Lily to a concert nearby. The Peasall Sisters were performing at the local high school. I was not familiar with the band, and was delighted by the incredible talent of these young women performing lovely gospel and lively bluegrass tunes.
Monarch of the Desert
Vail borders the vast Saguaro National Monument, where Tiffany and I went hiking the second day of my visit. I had forgotten how majestic these fantastical plants are. Described as the monarch of the desert, saguaros grow only in the Sonoran Desert. These stately cactus can become massive - a mature saguaro may grow 50 feet high and weigh more than 10 tons. Ay Carumba! Despite it being January, and early morning, it was pretty warm. We had worked up a sweat by the end of our 2.5 hour hike. In checking the thermostat in Tiff and Rod's backyard, we discovered it was 85 degrees!
After showering we went into Tucson for lunch and some shopping. My desire for a large, yummy salad was satisified at an excellent cafe called Beyond Bread. I had a salad with chicken, salsa verde, avocado, and green chiles drizzled in a roasted jalapeno dressing. Tiffany had a salad with turkey, spiced cinnamon pecans, dried cranberries, and gorgonzola with a ranch dressing. Both meals were delicious. NOTE: if you go, grab a table first and then line up to order. The place is quite popular and it can be hard to find a seat.
That evening Rod made a huge platter of prawns with spicy cocktail sauce which we consumed by their outdoor fireplace that he continually replenished with local mesquite wood. I was impressed by the ingeniuty of the fireplace hearth, he's connected it to a natural gas starter and just flicks a switch to spark a fire. Infinitely easier than my pile on lots of newspaper method.
Canyon Ranch
The next morning I arose early so to get a full day in at the Canyon Ranch spa. I regretably got totally lost on the way there and somehow wound up heading for Phoenix. After several calls to the ranch, I finally arrived 1 hour and 45 minutes later :( The ranch is located in the northeast foothills of Tucson and offers day spa treatments. NOTE: Their website makes no mention of this, so if you want to take advantage of their limited day passes (they allow only 10 a day) you need to book a month in advance. I took in a yoga class, went swimming in one of their huge outdoor pools (which I had to myself), got a pedicure and a massage, and enjoyed the hot tub and steamroom.
I must admit one of my favorite activities there was lunch ;) They offer a choice of a regular sit down meal or a cooking class, where you get to watch the chef make the food and then have it served to you. I took the class and both the food and instructor were excellent. The chef made Ajiaco Soup (with diced yucca root, coconut milk, chicken and much more), and Santa Fe Chicken with Roasted Corn Sauce. I'd like to try them myself at home though I don't know how hard it will be to find yucca root in Vancouver.
Something that struck me in the literature they provided was a large bulletin requesting guests to not pet the javelinas. I would have liked to have seen some, though apparently they don't smell very good. I can't recall if I ever have seen any growing up. In all the time we used to spend in the desert 4x4ing, I've come across several rattlesnakes, scorpions, a gila monster, a tarantula, roadrunners, quail, and wild mustangs. In any event, it's amazing they would have to warn people not to do this. Though I guess that's no different than having to warn people to not try to pet the bears in Banff National Park.
Overall, the day was fun, but would have been infinitely better with a girlfriend. Plus I found the place a bit new age for my tastes. I hear there's another spa nearby, called Miraval, that is equally good if not better than Canyon Ranch. I'd love to check it out with Tiffany sometime. Or with a partner, they apparently offer a sexuality and vitality program ;)
Other activities close by that I'd like to do in my next visit: Mt. Lemmon (believe it or not they have downhill skiing in the winter!) Charron Vineyards, known for it's white Merlot wine (something I've never heard of but am curious to try). And, Colossal Cave Mountain Park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. One of the largest dry caves in North America, it was officially "discovered" in 1879, but artifacts and soot-blackened ceilings show it was used by prehistoric cultures.
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