La Quinta Inn West Tucson

We got up at 4:45am to leave for the airport. I think I only slept 4 hours. I was tired on the flight to Denver. I then had a 2 1/2 hour layover that was long.

I am so grateful to have had this oppurtunity to share my passion for donation. Hopefully, this will be a start to other bike trips to ...

We started our bike trip at the community college at 9:00 am and rode through steep hills, passes, we even had to carry our bikes through a wash.(a new term for me) A wash is a sandy area where water only is there when flooded. But this wash was a 1/3 mile trek through sand and cacti. for us. The start temp was 45 and it continued to get warmer and warmer as the day progressed. This was the 27th Tour de Tucson- so there were hundreds of volunteers and many stops to ...

... earth that keep out the intense desert sun.
It's quiet streets and vibrant colors present a dichotomy though. The one, neglect--the other, a fiesta.
Don't expect tourist heaven if you go there. They couldn't care less if there's a tourist in sight. It's a calm, quiet residential area of private homes with a smattering of businesses--an architect, an artist, and on the corner nearest Tucson's central business ...

... these two older people who (I believe) did not speak English. The food was great and quite spicy.

we then went out to investigate the National landmarks around Tucson, We went to the State park and I saw cactus like I have never seen before. We also stopped at the St Xavier Chapel- built in the 1620s. The contrast of the large white chapel and the very deep blue of the sky was......wow.
we are gearing up for the ride tomorrow-

my flights were quite fun! I think we had the oldest male flight attendant in the history of flight on the trip from Denver(no snow) to Tucson.

being up at 4:00 am to go anywhere is a challenge to me. anyway, Nancy(Denver RN) and I arrived in Tucson at the same time. We were met by the host mom Kathy Bell and she took us to our beautiful condo at the foot of the mountains. Nancy and I walked on the riverwalk, which is really a sandy walk ...

Only 9 miles south of Tuscon, the San Xavier mission commands the eye. This is not a blend-into-the-surroundings kind of building. It sits starkly white against the drab desert like nothing else. It's Baroque. It's Mexican Renaissance. It's Moorish. And it's Byzantine.
But seeing it THERE, with no water around, makes you really scratch your head. WHY HERE? Why build this gorgeous mission building ...

We found a nice park for an overnight stay. It has nice showers, wi-fi, cable TV, a heated pool and a hot tub. All for only $16.46 a night including tax. This is the cheapest park so far and definitely one of the best. It is getting warmer. Last night we swam in the outdoor heated pool.

... sent avec un très grand intérêt si on en juge par le nombre de questions qui arrivent après chaque expérience racontée. Il nous a gardé au moins une heure à nous raconter ce qu'il a fait avec son avion avant de nous parler de l'avion lui-même. Ric***********g a piloté pendant 32 ans, 43 différents types d'avions du A 20 au F 4, jusqu'en 1974. Il a écrit un livre, MY WARS que j'ai acheté, si nos amis sont intéressés à le lire laissez-le moi savoir et je le ferai circuler.

... getting home on our around the 31st of December. A fair bit earlier than we had planned, but I'm getting really excited to be home and see Denise!

Thanks again everbody for reading and keeping up! I have quite a few pictures and will be putting together a slide show soon!

Take care, and have a happy holiday season!
Doug

... Back from casino. All they had was video everything; blackjack, *****, and slots. No tables, no dealers. We don't trust the computer so we bounced. Me and Keith did a solo rap song on the way to the casino. We ruled! Our plan now is to get a six-pack and go back to the camp and do laundry. Keith found another low price meal for breakfast at another place. Maybe everywhere in Arizona is cheap.