Emily and Linda’s Travel Blog

Thursday we met up with our friend Maxine and her college roommate Carol, who lives in Tucson.  Carol had suggested that we meet for brunch at Tohono Chul (the name means desert corner) and then explore the grounds and galleries there.   The site was formerly the home of Richard and Jean Wilson.  They deeded it to a non-profit foundation in order to “keep something natural in the middle of all the (surrounding) development so that people could come easily for a few hours and get out of the traffic and learn something at the same time” 

We had a really tasty and interesting brunch in the bistrot located in the former Wilson home.  I’m sorry I didn’t take any pictures of the food or the space, which was lovely with indoor, courtyard, and verandah seating.  Again we were too wrapped up in conversation for pictures.  

After brunch, we strolled around the grounds which feature many of the local plants and cacti as well as sculpture and other installations. 

Carol, on the left in the picture below, generously guided us along, explaining the history, naming the plants and answering our questions.  The depth of her knowledge was impressive and much appreciated. 

Here’s a panoramic view of one section of the walk

There is also an outdoor concert space and a couple of small art galleries back by the main house. Here are a few pieces that caught my fancy:

[In order: 1)Tumbleweed, Sandario Road, Tucon by Kate Breakey 2&3) Shrines to Botanical Relics #10 and #23 by Barbara Rogers 3) Tumbleweed, Avra Road, Tucson by Breakey

Wednesday Chris’ sister Julie joined us after making it safely through the crazy windy and rainy weather (Arizona got snow on the mountains, but only rain and high winds here in the valley).. She was game for a bit of adventure so we went over to the Saguaro National Park which is very close to where we’re staying.  It’s a magical place with miles of the majestic saguaros and other cacti and desert plants.  

These giants can live to be 150 years old and don’t sprout their first side arms at about 75-100 years old.  They have a small taproot, but t sends out roots in every direction absorbing what water is available.  The cactus itself can expand and store the water and then contract as it’s used.  We didn’t see any of the birds who make their homes inside the Saguaros, but here’s a picture of one I cribbed from the National Geographic:

And some pictures of our walk around the area near the Visitor Center

Monday we had a day of “going about our business” separately.  I had some teaching obligations, Linda, Chris, and Margaret went off on a hike in the Saguaro National Park - marked as “Easy”, but the consensus was that it was actually more challenging than advertised.  

That evening Linda and I had dinner with our old friend Jill who’s been living in Tucson for some years Sadly, We were so involved in conversation that I forgot to take pictures so there’s not much to show.  We ate at a place called Seis Kitchen that served really good Mexican food and had Tequila and Margarita flights.  

Tuesday, we had a special morning, gifted to Margaret for her birthday (by our friend, Maxine) - a class at the Romero House Potters in the Presidio Historic District of Tucson.  We were very much beginners, but welcomed by the lovely teachers, members of the staff and other potters. Our teacher, Janet, talked us through the process of making “pinch pots”, slab pottery, and coil pots.  

Margaret even took a turn at throwing a pot on the wheel (they told us it was probably too advanced for a first lesson, but she was courageous and tried anyway) 

The results were less than stellar, but we had a really good time.  Lots of fun and we really appreciated  the supportiveness and friendliness of the Romero House community of potters.  

Sunday’s main event was a concert at the nearby St. Mark’s Church.  We had noticed in passing that the Univ. of Arizona Choir was going to be performing there and the program looked interesting so we decided to check it out.  

Described as “a compelling program on themes of war and peace,” it included pop music, a selection from Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, American Civil War Songs, Spirituals, and some music written by the doctoral students at UA.  Intertwined with the music was personal testimony of war refugees from Afghanistan and Syria living in the Tucson area.   

I’m not sure what I expected, but I have rarely been so moved by a performance.  I cried through the whole performance (and I saw many wiping their eyes too).  

They began with this 1969 video by Edwin Starr 

As it played, the choir marched in while dancers did a sort of Kendo dance with sticks. The lyrics begin with “War, Huh, Good God y’all.  What is it good for? Absolutely nothing”

Next came an old Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam song - Peace Train 

This was followed by selections from Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms.  I couldn’t find a recording of the UA choir doing it, but if you have a moment, click on the link below and go to minute 4:30 for the movement they sang.  You wont be sorry. I’ve rarely heard a more eloquent expression of the longing for Peace when war is mounting around us.  [The text is taken from the 23rd Psalm - “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want, He maketh me to lie down in green pastures….” And Psalm 2 “Why do the nations rage and the people imagine a vain thing?…. The last bit is from Psalm 133 “ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for people to dwell together in unity!”  The soprano who sang the solo had a pure, true voice that was heartbreaking.  

 (minute 4:30)

I’m going to end with the text of the Afghani song they performed after an Afgahani woman told her story of facing war and escaping to the US.  According to the program, this is a song that all Afghanis know and that brings them to tears. 

Sarzamine Man (Dari lyrics by Dawood Sarkhosh)

And one last footnote - a link to a video I found while looking for something else.  It’s another recent rendition of Yusuf/Cat Stevens’ Peace Train 

Saturday we were planning an evening outing so we spent the early part of the day relaxing and enjoying the house and its views of the mountains and sky. 

After our visit to the Visitor Center and the Etherton, we hopped on the downtown Sunlink tram.  Tucson, like some other cities has made the tram free - keeping the number of cars down and allowing UA students free transport to and from the school.  We were happy to hop on and take it to Fourth Avenue, a district known for quirky shops, galleries and restaurants.  It reminded me of the East Village in the old days , but with a Western twist.  

Our goal was Boca Tacos, where Top Chef contestant Maria Mazon says she’s blending Sonoran and Arizonan cuisine.  The outside dining area was pleasant (helped by overhead heaters on a chilly day). 

The bathroom offers a crash course on essential Spanish vocabulary and cuisine:

Friday we headed into downtown Tucson and stopped at the Visitor Center there to get some info and meet the super helpful guide, Ann, that Chris and Marg had met earlier in the week.  She gave us some good tips, especially to check out the Etherton Photography Gallery which Linda really enjoyed .  For those of you who know Linda’s work, you’ll see why she was taken with Ellen McMahonn’s photos especially:

The Visitor Center is located in the Pima County Courthouse, built in 1868 

It’s famous as a the place where John Dillinger, “Public Enemy No. 1” was held after being arrested in Tucson.  You can also tour the courtroom where he and his gang were arraigned in 1834

Outside is a reminder of more recent history - a monument to the 6 people killed on January 8, 2011 during an attempt to assassinate Congresswoman Gabby Giffords at a local shopping mall. The monument with its sweeping lines and reflecting pools is a peaceful place, but reminds us of our persistent unwillingness to end gun violence. The video had some trouble loading to this site, but if you click on the link you should be able to see it.  

There’s also a smaller monument outside the Safeway where the shootings occurred:

We’ve been in Tucson, AZ since last week, but somehow I haven’t found the time to blog about it yet.  We flew into Phoenix and rented a car to drive down to visit our friends Marg and Chris who have taken a house just outside Tucson proper for a month and invited us to stay with them for part of that time.  

Our overnight motel in Phoenix was very forgettable, but it was right next door to a Denny’s, which brought back memories from college days of late night breakfast runs - cheap and reliable with big booths that a bunch of us could crowd into.  Changed a bit over the decades, but still recognizable (not sure I’ve had that kind of hash browns in decades).  In a nod to the times, there’s an option for a gluten free english muffin now.  

Arrived in Tucson later that day and checked out the pretty grand house C&M rented.  

Today we were in Elizabeth, NJ famous for Ikea and the Sopranos intro. We were there for a different purpose, perhaps best not discussed online, but let’s just say it had to do with being seniors with joint pain and sleep issues. 

For lunch though we headed to the Columbian District 

Where we ate at Sabor y Arte since it had appealing looking sidewalk tables. 

It ended up being a bit noisy - a lot of passing trucks. But the food was good. Linda had Arroz con Pollo and I had a Cazuela de Mariscos. Both accompanied by salad and tostones. The service was excellent and I was grateful our server didn’t immediately switch to English when faced with my patchy Spanish  

Took this shot on the way back to the car. 

Wednesday we headed out to Brighton Beach - off the tourist track and again a perfect day for an outing by the shore. 

First we wandered along Brighton Beach Ave. - the shopping street under the elevated train line. This area is sometimes called Little Odessa. Fabulous produce markets and specialty shops with Ukrainian and Russian goods. It can feel like you’re in a different part of the world. Caleb was able to find some piroshki's which he remembered from San Francisco's Russian bakeries.