Just Beyond Tucson
Some well-known places in and around Tucson, Arizona, area are Saguaro National Park, University of Arizona, and of course Tombstone. My sister and brother-in-law live in the area, and they introduced me to local places that are less-known to non-Tucsonians. These 5 places are doable within one-day trip (round-trip) of Tucson. The sites are real gems, and I highly recommend you try at least one that interests you.
1. Mission San Xavier del Bac. A National Historic Landmark, San Xavier Mission was constructed from 1783 to 1797, at a time when Mexico was New Spain and occupied what today we call Arizona. The mission is widely considered to be the finest intact example of Spanish Colonial architecture in the United States. The mission continues to serve the religious needs of the community, and includes the Xavier Mission School which educates K-8 students, primarily from the Tohono O'odham Nation. The Mission is 9 miles south of downtown Tucson, just off of Interstate 19. I was very impressed with the ongoing mission restoration and preservation toward the state of 18th century authenticity.
2. Kartchner Caverns State Park. Located 55 miles southeast of downtown Tucson, Kartchner caverns are living ecosystems where numerous distinct cave features sparkle and grow, and large bat colonies nest. The caverns system has 2.5 miles of pristine passages. The state park service does a great job with conservation, since cave viewing must be on guided tour (reserve in advance) by park ranger/docent, and humans enter the cave system through vault-like hermetically sealed doors.
This cavern system is a gem because, although it not as huge as other National Park System caverns, it is as beautiful as them, including Carlsbad Caverns and Oregon Caves, both of which I have visited. One of my favorite cave formations is named Kubla Kan because it is the tallest and most massive column in Arizona (58 feet tall). The state park also has an extensive hiking trail system for exploring the Whetstone Mountains.
3. Cochise Stronghold - Campground and Hiking. As the name suggests, this is where a Chiricahua band of Apaches fiercely defended the heart of their homeland territory. Here, 80 miles southeast of Tuscon, beauty and history combine in the Dragoon mountains of granite domes and dragon-backed ridges, cut by deep canyons and rugged cliffs, and cradling hidden springs and streams. Go here to place yourself in a theatre of Southwest history. Sometime in the 1500's, Apache bands migrated to the region and lived from the resources provided by the land. By the 1800's, settlement by European-American was inevitable, and the Chiricahua band lead by Cochise were fleeing from and resisting extermination/re-settlement by Mexican and US military forces. When I was visiting, I sensed that this was a special place. I found this description by a reporter who exactly expressed what I sensed that I quote it.
"Cavalry troops who rode into this place back in the 1860s must have been tortured every hoofbeat of the way by one nagging thought: Ambush. • A wooded canyon hemmed by craggy cliffs, the site was a hideout and natural fortress for Apache leader Cochise and his warriors during a long conflict with U.S. forces. • Today, with the bloody battles long over, the Stronghold east of Benson is a prime destination for outdoor recreation. Hikers, rock climbers, bird-watchers, history buffs and people who just want to bask in a serene setting find a modern-day refuge in the Stronghold." - Doug Kreutz, Arizona Daily Star reporter 2009
The Dragoon area is a gem, accessible from metro Tucson as a one-day trip, and just far enough to keep it from being overrun by crowds. Very doable, one can combine a trip to Cochise Stronghold with a visit to the Amerind Museum. View an impressive collection of artifacts of Native Peoples of the Americas. The museum organization actively conducts research, education, and conservation. The museum is located on the north end of the Dragoon Mountains, very close to the I-10 exit that also leads to Cochise Stronghold.
4. Titan Missile Museum. This is a Cold War era site of a nuclear missile (ICBM) delivery system that has been de-commissioned and refurbished for safe and public display and guided tours. A one-hour guided-tour brings you into all 8 levels of the underground control and maintenance rooms/passages and the silo containing a real but de-activated Titan missile (nuclear warhead and liquid rocket fuel removed). I was fascinated as I explored the underground compound. The site is a 30 minute drive from central Tucson south on I-19. Note that Titan systems are no longer in use, having been replaced by current day Minuteman nuclear ICBM systems.
5. Pima Air & Space Museum - AMARG Airplane Boneyard. Climate of the area is optimal for preservation of mothball-ed military and commercial aircraft, and so here more than 4,000 used aircraft, functional and non-functional, are parked and stored outdoors for historical preservation and spare parts supply. The Boneyard is so big that you have to take a bus tour to see the vast expanse of aircraft, orderly arranged with tall mountains as a backdrop. The property is located just outside the southeast corner of metro Tucson, just off I-10. This is a must-see for aircraft history buffs. Another good source of information is at airplaneboneyards.com.
6. Challenge: The Dragoon's will give you a taste of an even more unusual and beautiful scenic area. Name this place below, a geological delight due east from the Dragoon mountain range.
MORE POSTS
CALIFORNIA CHALLENGE
PT LOBOS
 |
| Whestone Mountains and San Pedro Valley |
 |
| Contrasting facade of Mission San Xavier del Bac |
2. Kartchner Caverns State Park. Located 55 miles southeast of downtown Tucson, Kartchner caverns are living ecosystems where numerous distinct cave features sparkle and grow, and large bat colonies nest. The caverns system has 2.5 miles of pristine passages. The state park service does a great job with conservation, since cave viewing must be on guided tour (reserve in advance) by park ranger/docent, and humans enter the cave system through vault-like hermetically sealed doors.
This cavern system is a gem because, although it not as huge as other National Park System caverns, it is as beautiful as them, including Carlsbad Caverns and Oregon Caves, both of which I have visited. One of my favorite cave formations is named Kubla Kan because it is the tallest and most massive column in Arizona (58 feet tall). The state park also has an extensive hiking trail system for exploring the Whetstone Mountains.
 |
| Kubla Khan artist depiction |
"Cavalry troops who rode into this place back in the 1860s must have been tortured every hoofbeat of the way by one nagging thought: Ambush. • A wooded canyon hemmed by craggy cliffs, the site was a hideout and natural fortress for Apache leader Cochise and his warriors during a long conflict with U.S. forces. • Today, with the bloody battles long over, the Stronghold east of Benson is a prime destination for outdoor recreation. Hikers, rock climbers, bird-watchers, history buffs and people who just want to bask in a serene setting find a modern-day refuge in the Stronghold." - Doug Kreutz, Arizona Daily Star reporter 2009
The Dragoon area is a gem, accessible from metro Tucson as a one-day trip, and just far enough to keep it from being overrun by crowds. Very doable, one can combine a trip to Cochise Stronghold with a visit to the Amerind Museum. View an impressive collection of artifacts of Native Peoples of the Americas. The museum organization actively conducts research, education, and conservation. The museum is located on the north end of the Dragoon Mountains, very close to the I-10 exit that also leads to Cochise Stronghold.
4. Titan Missile Museum. This is a Cold War era site of a nuclear missile (ICBM) delivery system that has been de-commissioned and refurbished for safe and public display and guided tours. A one-hour guided-tour brings you into all 8 levels of the underground control and maintenance rooms/passages and the silo containing a real but de-activated Titan missile (nuclear warhead and liquid rocket fuel removed). I was fascinated as I explored the underground compound. The site is a 30 minute drive from central Tucson south on I-19. Note that Titan systems are no longer in use, having been replaced by current day Minuteman nuclear ICBM systems.
 |
| Titan intercontinental ballistic missle (ICBM) |
5. Pima Air & Space Museum - AMARG Airplane Boneyard. Climate of the area is optimal for preservation of mothball-ed military and commercial aircraft, and so here more than 4,000 used aircraft, functional and non-functional, are parked and stored outdoors for historical preservation and spare parts supply. The Boneyard is so big that you have to take a bus tour to see the vast expanse of aircraft, orderly arranged with tall mountains as a backdrop. The property is located just outside the southeast corner of metro Tucson, just off I-10. This is a must-see for aircraft history buffs. Another good source of information is at airplaneboneyards.com.
 |
AMARG Airplane Boneyard
|
6. Challenge: The Dragoon's will give you a taste of an even more unusual and beautiful scenic area. Name this place below, a geological delight due east from the Dragoon mountain range.
MORE POSTS
CALIFORNIA CHALLENGE
PT LOBOS
The sky in each of those photos is so bright and clear blue. Terrible!
ReplyDelete