Tuesday 3/1/11

Relaxing for a moment in the front yard with Hank (he's the one with 4 legs) before starting our adventures for the day.

This morning we took the short 3 mile drive from Gary's and Karen's house to the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center, then caught the shuttle to the start of the 7 Falls Hike up Bear Canyon.  The weather we were expecting in Arizona finally arrived, and the temperatures remained in the high 70's throughout the day.  We were surrounded by saguaro, ocotillo, agave, cholla, and palo verde as we crossed the stream bisecting the canyon 7 times on our way to the 7 waterfalls at the summit.  From almost any place we stopped along the trail, we could look behind ourselves through the thousands of saguaros for a commanding view of Tucson below us.  The waterfalls left us speechless.  We took a lot of photographs, but none did justice to the stair-stepping cascades, so we had to etch the vision into our memories and abandon the inadequate camera images.

This little friend paid us a visit in the parking lot as we were preparing to catch the shuttle.

When saguaros die, they leave behind a hard skeleton that is used in Arizona to make furniture, fences, and various decorations around homes.

Karen dips her feet in the water at one of the pools below the 7 falls.

We were amazed at watching this deer eat the buds off the various thorny cacti which we couldn't imagine touching with our hands, much less our tongues.

The bright green of the palo verde trees is stunning.

After some toe-dipping in the cool stream, snacks, naps, and some time to simply reflect, we retreated down the canyon and returned to the car hungry, thirsty, and a little sunburned 4 hours after our boots first raised dust on the trail this morning.

I will let you write your own caption for this picture - use your imagination!



 
Hank was anxious for a quick walk and a chance to "do his business", so we swung by the house, Hank had recess, we ate yummy left-overs from last night for a late lunch-on-the-run, then raced to Tohono Chul Park to beat closing time.

Named one of the World’s Great Botanical Gardens by Travel + Leisure and listed by National Geographic Traveler as one of the top 22 Secret Gardens in the U.S. and Canada, Tohono Chul Park gives a comprehensive history of desert flora, fauna, and local culture.  Although we had all received more than enough sun and exercise already, we spent an hour rambling through the gardens, before escaping to the relative coolness of the shaded patio cafe for prickly pear lemonade.

True to form, we sprinted home for quick showers so that we could rush to meet our 7p dinner reservations at Vivace.  Fortunately, once we reached the restaurant it was all about relaxation and letting ourselves be pampered.  Vivache originated in Patterson, NJ, and was moved to Tucson later by subsequent generations of the same family.  The New Jersey connection made this Italian restaurant almost as authentic as if we were actually in Tuscany!  Despite the Italian cuisine, we decided to eat Asian style.  Each of us ordered different entres, then freely helped ourselves to one another's meals. We were treated to Sauvignon Blanc, fresh bread baked on-site and served straight out of the oven, pear and walnut salad, spinach and prosciutto and grilled aparagus salad, lasagnito ("the pasta is too light to be called lasagna"), veal piccata, risotto with asparagus and rock shrimp, crispy crab-stuffed chicken and rice, and creme brûlée with fresh fruit.  The servings were enormous.  When the food arrived, we each looked at our plates and declared there was no way any of us could complete our portions.  We lied. A feeding frenzy ensued that can only be tempered by the fact that at least we didn't know any of the people watching us, and are unlikely to ever encounter any of them again. This was the last night for Karen and me with Gary and Karen C., so we lingered a while at the table, and though we were very tired, we were reluctant to leave and have to admit that this chapter of our trip was ending.  Gary and Karen C. offered their hospitality to us again in the future, and we hope to hold them to their invitation.

We waddled back to the car, returned to the house, and were unconscious almost before our heads touched the pillows.