San Diego, CA - Settling In

We made it safe and sound to San Diego by around 1pm (Pacific Time) today. We got an earlier start than planned because rain clouds were rolling in at Gila Bend when we woke up. So we hustled to pack up the Dolphin and hook-up the car before the rain started.

We decided to go as far as El Centro before stopping for gas. Turns out there aren't any gas stations off the interstate in El Centro (weird) and so we kept going, planning to stop in Ocatillo or Jacumba to fill up. We sailed right past Ocatillo because the one and only gas station there (Chevron) was charging $3.80 a gallon. Hell no! Well, when we got to Jacumba both the Chevron and the Shell were also charging $3.80 a gallon. We sucked up our indignation and pumped $195 worth of gas into the Dolphin - after paying an average of $2.45/gallon for the past several weeks, this stung a little. We got back on the road and passed a Casino about 10 miles west of Jacumba was selling gas for "only" $3.30; oh well, who knew?

Aside from gas prices, this drive proved to be really beautiful. A few minutes outside of Yuma, we found
ourselves driving through the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. These are the largest mass of sand dunes in California and they were formed by windblown sands of ancient Lake Cahuilla. This dune system extends for more than 40 miles in a band averaging about 5 miles wide. We saw LOTS of RVs, dirt bikes, ATVs, and dune buggies - people definitely enjoy this area.

As we approached Ocatillo, we came upon a wind farm  - there must be around 100 turbines clustered on the hillsides.

Continuing westward, we drove up and over several mountainous areas, including parts of the Laguna mountains, the Cuyamaca mountains, and the Jacumba mountains. It was beautiful, with long inclines going up the mountain sides, and 6% grades coming down the other side.

What was not so lovely was the gusting wind that was doing its best to push us off the mountain roads. There was
also dense fog in some places and wind-driven rain.

Shortly after getting gas in Jacumba, we were toodling along and suddenly heard a loud BANG! I pulled over on the shoulder, got out and checked the motor home, the car, the bikes, and the towing gear. Everything looked fine. I also checked the tire pressure in all 10 tires and that was fine. Hmmm..? the only thing I can figure out is that the gusting wind sucked the window awning out on the driver side of the Dolphin, and then the awning snapped back into place.

Then the rain stopped, the sun came out, and the wind died down as we drove through the rolling mountain hills of the Cleveland National Forest, Alpine, and down to El Cajon. Very pretty areas.

Once we got into San Diego, I was relieved to find that the Saturday traffic was not that bad. We found the Mission Bay RV Park easily enough and check-in was very efficient. This RV park is nice... luxurious even, compared to the Gila Bend FamCamp!

We are settled in and ready to begin our San Diego visit.

Gila Bend, AZ - FamCamp & Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Our drive from Tuscon to the Gila Bend FamCamp at the Luke AFB auxiliary field (this serves as an emergency landing field for the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range) was only 140 miles. We filled up with gas at Davis-Monthan AFB, had a couple chips in the windshield fixed while we were hooking up the car, and got on the road before 9:30am.

We arrived at the Gila Bend FamCamp around 1pm. This is the most "barebones" military campground we've stayed at so far. It's dusty, the faucet water is not potable, and not much effort has been expended on making this campground squared away, much less attractive. BUT, it costs a walloping $10 a night for full hookups so I guess its a pretty good deal.

Regarding the faucet water: apparently the arsenic content is above acceptable levels and so we were told to only use the water for showering... not for drinking or cooking. On the bright side, the Air Force installed reverse-osmosis units at each site which produce about 2 gallons of drinking water every 12 hours; 4 gallons of drinking water a day is enough for us and our fur-friends. We were also told that the faucet water smells bad and leaves rust stains on everything. This turned out not to be true: we ran the faucet water through our run-of-the-mill Camco water filter and neither of us can detect any odor or color.

We packed a picnic lunch this morning and drove about 1.5 hours south to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, passing through the bigger-than-expected town of Ajo and the blink-of-a-eye town of Why.

The first thing we did when we got to the Monument, was to check out

the Twin Peaks Campground. Wow - wish we had stayed there rather than the Gila Bend FamCamp!

Twin Peaks Campground

Despite the unfortunate name, this is one of the nicest (maybe the nicest) National Park campground we've ever seen. Although there are no hook-ups, the dump station and potable water are conveniently located, and generators are allowed in most of the campground. The sites are level concrete pads, the restrooms have running water, and there are warm showers (!!) in three of the bathrooms. Cost is $12/night. And Yes, this campground can accommodate larger motor homes.

After checking out the campground, we went over to the Visitor's Center. We watched the park video and then sat through a presentation about archeological research into ancient trading routes through areas of the park. We are usually impressed by the quality of presentations by our National Park Service... but I have to say this presentation was poorly delivered by an intern who, I think, is in a Masters Program. I would expect someone with that level of education not to deliver unorganized information with a Valley Girl lilt. Seriously.

Organ Pipe Cactus

As we were driving south on AZ-85 to the monument, and even when we entered the monument area, we noticed that Saguaro cacti dominate the landscape. We had to look closely to see any Organ Pipe cacti. I joked to Lynda that they named this Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument because Saguaro National Park was already taken. We soon learned that the Monument area is as far north as Organ Pipe Cactus are found growing naturally in the US - they are much more prevalent south of the border, in the Mexican part of the Sonoran Desert. We also learned that an Organ Pipe cactus does not produce its first flowers until around 35 years old, that these cacti reach an average height of 15 feet, and that they can live as long as 150 years.

Organ Pipe Cactus

After spending time at the Visitors Center, we went on the scenic Ajo Mountain drive. According to the park pamphlet this 21-mile drive takes about 2 hours, and that is almost exactly how long it took us to complete the loop. At first it was a bit ho-hum... we've now been in the Sonoran Desert for 2+ weeks and, aside from the occasional Organ Pipe cactus, we had seen it all before. But after about 25 minutes, the road led us up into the Ajo Mountain area and it was beautiful! As we went along, we saw more and more Organ Pipe cacti, and we ended up really enjoying that drive.

Approaching the Ajo Mountains

We got back to the Gila Bend FamCamp a little after 4pm and took Sydney and Barley for a nice long walk. Of course, they enjoyed this tremendously and had earned it by being such well-behaved doggies.

Tomorrow we're off to San Diego - stay tuned!

Tuscon, AZ - Titan II Missile Museum

Today was our last day of sightseeing in the Tuscon area. There is a LOT more to see and do but we're leaving on Thursday and must take care of some chores before we leave. Lynda and I have both enjoyed this area very much, and hope to be back sometime for a longer period of time.

After touring the Copper Mine in the morning, we had a quick lunch and then drove over to the Titan Missile Museum. There were originally 54 Titan II missiles sites - 18 each at Little Rock, Arkansas; Witchita, Kansas; and Tuson, Arizona. This preserved Titan II missile site, officially known as complex 571-7, is all that remains of the 54 Titan II missile sites that were on alert across the United States from 1963 to 1987.

Titan II in sile, taken through silo door hatch

We began by watching a short video that provided some Cold War context and history of the Titan II program. The US intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program started in the 1940s, as a key element in the Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) national security policy in which a full-scale use of high-yield weapons of mass destruction by two or more opposing sides would cause the complete annihilation of both the attacker and the defender.

MAD is based on the theory of deterrence where the threat of using strong weapons against the enemy prevents the enemy's use of those same weapons. Thankfully, this strategy worked and neither side had to launch any missiles.

Delivery system

After the video, we went on a one-hour guided tour of the missile silo. The 103-foot Titan II missile inside the silo has neither warhead nor has it ever been fueled, allowing it to be safely displayed to visitors. The tour was fascinating. I joined the Air Force five years before the Titan II missile program ended, and met a few airmen over the course of my career who had served as Titan II crew. So this was very real to me.

The Titan II missile program began in 1963 and ended in 1987. This missile offered significantly reduced response times to a launch command. Previous ICBMs, such as Titan I, required that liquid oxygen rocket fuel be loaded after the launch command, delaying missile launch by as much as 40 minutes. Titan II was fueled by two chemicals that were stable at around 60°F, allowing the missile to be fully loaded at all times - as a result, the Titan II could be ready to launch in less than 1 minute after the launch command. This missile could also be launched from within its protective silo - it took only a few seconds to open the 700 ton reinforced concrete silo door.

Missile Launch Control Center, 250-ft from missile silo

The Titan II silos were designed to withstand nearby hits by enemy nuclear missiles. Nothing built at that time could withstand a direct hit, but the Titan II silos were constructed to allow movement of about 20 inches in all directions and survive a shockwave. Blast door were 8-ft thick to protect the missile crew when the Titan II missile launched.

Titan II was the largest and most powerful ICBM every built by the United States. The missile's 9-megaton warhead could be delivered to targets more than 6,000 miles away in about 35 minutes, and was capable of devastating an area of about 900 square miles. Tital II packed a punch, to put it mildly, far greater than the atomic bombs the US dropped on Hiroshima (Little Boy) and Nagasaki (Fat Man).  

Peace through strength.

Titan II in silo

250-ft corridor from Control Center to silo

Butyl refueling suits

The only entry into or out of the underground facility

Air Force Security Police jeep, circa late '60s to early '70s

Tuscon, AZ - Copper Mine Tour

This morning, we toured the nearby ASARCO Copper Mine. This is an open-pit mine located about 20 miles south of Tuscon. It was quite interesting. The tour guide took us up to the pit in a bus and then inside the mill where the ore is broken into smaller pieces as part of the extraction process.

Everything here is on a VERY BIG SCALE. The open pit is huge. Massive trucks transport rock from the pits to the crushers. Each of these trucks cost millions of dollars, and their 11-foot tires cost about $80,000 each.

After the copper mine tour, we had lunch in nearby Sahuarita and then drove just a few miles to the Titan II Missile site in Green Valley, AZ.

Tuscon, AZ - Saguaro National Park (West)

Saguaro National Park is situated around the 500 square miles that make up Tucson, and its two districts are separated by the city's 1 million residents. The Tucson Mountain District on the west and the Rincon Mountain District to the east are approximately 30 miles apart. The west side is home to large stands of Saguaro cactus creating an amazing saguaro forest, whereas the east side hosts a sky island, where you can find bears, cougars and the ever elusive coati (kudamundi).

We visited the Tuscon Mountain District (west) side of Saguaro National Park today, and it was everything we hoped for! This beautiful area is bursting with all kinds of desert flora, with the Saguaro cactus towing above all else.

Ranger Interpreter

We started our visit by watching a short video at the Red Hills Visitors Center, and then attending a Ranger program. The Interpreter presented an excellent 45-minute overview of the Saguaro cactus and other cacti species found in the area, taking us around the natural garden that surrounds the visitor center.

The Saguaro cactus is native to the Sonoran Desert; this is the only region in which it grows naturally. The Sonoran Desert covers large parts of the Southwestern US in Arizona and California, and of Northwestern Mexico in Sonora, Baja California and Baja California Sur. It is the hottest desert in North America and encompasses more than 110,000 square miles.

5 arms, about 40 feet tall

It is generally accepted the Saguaro cactus has a lifespan of 175-200 years, barring destruction by windstorms, lightening, or mankind. Although a scientific test for determining the age of a particular Saguaro cactus is not available, there are ways to arrive at reasonable estimates of age. For example, it has been repeatedly documented that a Saguaro cactus does not grow its first arm until it is 50 or more years old. It is also known that Saguaros are exceptionally slow-growing plants, particularly in the first 25-30 years: a seedling at the end of its first year is only about 1/4" tall and very fragile, and a 20 year-old Saguaro is typically less than 18" tall. Fortunately, one Sagauro cactus can produce as many as 40 million seeds in its lifetime, thus helping to ensure the survival of the species. Other ways to derive the age of Sagauro cactus include examining photographs of known date origin, and through anecdotal information such as an 80-year old Native American saying, "my father said this one was here when he was a young man." Although slow-growing at first, a mature Saguaro can reach a height in excess of 60 feet.

Avra Valley and distant mountain ranges

After the Ranger program, we went on the scenic Bajada Loop drive, with a stop at the Valley View
Overlook trail for a short hike into the desert, culminating with a gorgeous view of the Avra Valley and distant mountain ranges. The Tuscon Mountain District side of Saguaro National Park is FULL of majestic Sagauro cacti. There must be thousands upon thousands of them throughout the area, forming a "forest" of Sagauros. It is really something to see! (but hard to capture with a cell phone camera)

I am really taken with this desert area. I love the trees and waterways of Appalachia, but the Sonoran Desert is also a beautiful, spiritual place.

Could not fit it all in the pic

Some flora and fawna

A "stand" of Saguaro cacti

No two Sagauros are alike

A Saguaro "skeleton"

Tuscon Area, AZ - Coronado National Memorial

Another great day in Arizona! We drove to the Coronado National Memorial, stopping in Sierra Vista to have an amazing breakfast at Cafe O-Le... it was heart-stoppin' good!

We were surprised at how well-developed Sierra Vista is; this town is much bigger and far nicer than I expected. Fort Huachuca is located there but there seems to be more to the area than just the Army base.

After breakfast, we continued on to the Coronado National Memorial and were surprised to see very definite change in the desert flora... about 10 miles south of Sierra Vista, the Sonoran Desert gives way to what I can only describe as a Desert Grassland. This may not be the correct terminology, but it aptly describes what we saw. This ecology change may be because this area gets more rain than the Tuscon area and is not as hot in the summer months.

The Coronado National Memorial commemorates the first organized expedition into the Southwest by conquistador Francisco Vásquez de Coronado. Coronado would go on to lead other expeditions resulting in the discovery of many physical landmarks, including the Grand Canyon, but he failed to find the treasure-laden cities he sought. The Memorial is located on the international border between the US and Mexico, on the southeast flank of the Huachuca Mountains south of Sierra Vista.

The Memorial has a small but friendly visitor center that offers a video about Coronado along with the usual collection of pamphlets, trail maps, naturalist guides, and a small gift shop. The ranger on duty was very outgoing and helpful. Visitors can enjoy their choice of numerous hiking trails of various lengths and also a very nice picnic area. And there is also a scenic drive on an unpaved road up the mountain side to Montezuma Pass - this is perhaps the most outstanding physical feature found in the Memorial.

At an elevation of 6,575 feet, the the Montezuma Pass offers sweeping views to the east of the San Pedro River Valley and to the west over the San Rafael Valley. The Montezuma Pass also marks the boundary between the Memorial and the Coronado National Forest. With a suitable vehicle, visitors can continue eastward to explore the area on forest roads. We enjoyed the scenic drive very much and took photos that barely do the scenery justice... see pics below.

I was interested to see that the US Border Patrol has what appears to be a tactical radar system positioned at Montezuma Pass, constantly scanning the the San Rafael Valley toward Mexico. The US Border Patrol has a strong presence through southwest Texas, and southern New Mexico and Arizona. Your tax dollars at work.

On our way back to Tuscon, we checked out the RV park at Fort Huachuca: it is nice enough, but not as big or as well set-up as Agave Gulch here at Davis-Monthan AFB.

Once we got back "home" to Davis-Monthan AFB, we gave Sydney and Barley a bath. Boy, they sure needed it!  As I write this post, the inside of the motor home looks like 20 pillows stuffed with dog hair have exploded. Sigh. We will vacuum and clean tomorrow. But at least our fur-friends smell nice now!

Tuscon, AZ - Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures

After visiting the Boneyard and Pima Air & Space Museum this morning, we had lunch at the Baja Cafe. The food was fine but not particulary noteworthy - their specialty seems to be breakfast, rather than lunch.

After lunch, we made our way to the Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures. We enjoyed it well enough but an hour or so of looking at tiny things was enough for me. I admired the craftsmanship but much of the subject matter was not to my taste: fairies, fantastical creatures, etc.

The exhibits I really liked are the 1/12 (and smaller) scale models of old homes, taverns, blacksmith shops, etc.  The attention to detail is extraordinary on some of the pieces. Here are some pics of my favorites: