Desert Trails- Dispatch 1

We’ve moved out of one of our favorite state parks and into a private RV park where we can stay for awhile. While our new site is not as scenic as the one in the state park it does have its charms.

About those charms. We are a short walk to a nice private shower and a laundry room. Very convenient. Our site comes with water, electric and a sewer hookup. In addition, our monthly fee works out to be less per day than the state park. The other residents (?!) are friendly and many enjoy organizing activities in the park. The music committee brings in a band twice a month. The first band this month was the Hot Club of Tucson and they were terrific.

The real charm of the park comes from its proximity to Tucson Mountain Park. This Pima county park is 20,000 acres and has 62 miles of non-motorized shared use trails. A short walk or bike ride will put you on the trails.

What causes this rare mutation remains a mystery. Speculation points to freezing as a trigger which may initiate the process. Regardless of the cause they are a treat to behold.

Whenever we find ourselves in Tucson we make a point to visit the Center for Creative Photography (CCP) located on the campus of the University of Arizona.

The CCP was established in 1975 and houses the full archives of some of our favorite photographers, W. Eugene Smith, Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Harry Callahan, and Gerry Winogrand. The current exhibits featured the work of W. Eugene Smith.

There was also a large exhibit of work by contemporary Korean photographers.

We joined a group of fellow RVers that hikes Tumamoc Hill every Wednesday morning and then eats lunch together. The 1 1/2 mile hike up the hill is a steep and grueling walk to the top.

But in the final analysis being here is all about the desert.