Adventure 330: Catalina State Park/Post L

Hot tubbing between NFL games. Yea!

Senior Monday means an early movie for cheap, but I get ahead of myself. Yesterday, we enjoyed a nice day with Ginny and David Kral. We boys watched football. The girls looked at knitting websites. We all commiserated when David's beloved Steelers fell to the more dominant Patriots. This morning we hiked about fives miles on the fifty year trail. The desert is so stunning, so beautiful, so harsh. The sand is gritty. Every bush has fangs. The rocks, even those rounded by fifty years of abrasion can trip the unwary, or stub the toe of the inattentive. Woe to the hiker who gets caught gazing upward. After our hike, we moved sites, and drove a few miles north to enjoy a yummy lunch at the Taste of India buffet. (Thank you Kathleen Friesen) We then drove even further north to investigate the town of Catalina, which is a pretty rugged set of roadside businesses, a maze of unimproved roads leading to low cost houses, single wides, and more than an occasional pile of trash. It held no promise for us. As we begin our last week here in Tucson, we've still many things on our to do list, and we may be forced to leave a few unchecked. This trip, the weather has been quite unsettled, which is why we decided to hike rather than ride this morning. By this afternoon, the winds are predicted to be above 25 mph and the rain is supposed to start by evening and continue through tomorrow. However, there is no snow, the temperatures are well above freezing, and there is great promise of sunny weather tomorrow. For example, a welcome ridge of high pressure will enter the valley just in time for our visit to the Kitt Peak observatory on Thursday. So, we'll just enjoy a little celluloid fantasy this afternoon with a few hundred "seniors" just like us. It will help distract us from the "alternative facts" being disseminated by our President's surrogates. Thankfully, our money still bears the phrase, "In God We Trust", which clearly means, life is still good, especially today.

Judy and Ginny surfing for knitting patterns.


(Author's note: Pictures provided with alternative facts just for the blurry clarity of it)

 Fact: 50 year trail. Alternative Fact: Interstate Five

 Fact: Cholla Cactus. Alternative Fact:  Spaghetti and Meatballs.

 Fact: Barrel Cactus. Alternative Fact: Tuna Fish.

 Fact: Saguaro Cactus. Alternative Fact: Cans of Sprite.

Fact: Mount Lemmon covered in snow. Alternative Fact: Pacific Ocean.

 Fact: Ocotillo and Prickly Pear cactus. Alternative Fact: Broomstick. 

 Fact: Catalina State Park RV Campground. Alternative Fact: Banana.

 Fact: Taste of India Buffet. Alternative Fact: Indianapolis 5oo.

Fact: Taste of India Buffet Plate/$7.95. Alternative Fact: Oatmeal.