Tanya's Daily Scoop
CURRENTLY TRAVELING IN: TUCSON, AZ
A Day well spent in Tucson
HEY HEY HEY!
How's everyone doin? I'm losing track of the days and now of the time too (since Cali and most of the rest of the USA just had their fall back - and Arizona refuses to celebrate in the silliness).
While I've only been to Tucson once before and that was back in 2014 when we were wrapping up the Cousins trip to New Mexico and I took the kids to visit Saguaro National Park (in Tucson, AZ) - Read About it HERE
Yesterday was my second visit to this South Western town, 73 miles to the Mexican border.
We all admitted just yesterday that during our first visit, we really knew nothing about the sights that we went to go and spend the day exploring at yesterday.
In fact we knew so little, that we didn't even realize that these places existed.
1. Mission San Xavier del Bac - listed as one of the most endangered monuments in the world!
2. Pima Air and Space Museum - is one of the world's largest non-government funded aerospace museums.
Our first stop was to visit the mission. And upon our first approach and exiting the vehicle we had been hit by the warm (HOT) Arizona heat - this was the first time on this trip!
As we walked to grab a few good shots of this Mission set against the brilliant blue sky we had spotted a few absolutely adorable wee little (possibly baby) Prairie Dogs.
How's everyone doin? I'm losing track of the days and now of the time too (since Cali and most of the rest of the USA just had their fall back - and Arizona refuses to celebrate in the silliness).
While I've only been to Tucson once before and that was back in 2014 when we were wrapping up the Cousins trip to New Mexico and I took the kids to visit Saguaro National Park (in Tucson, AZ) - Read About it HERE
Yesterday was my second visit to this South Western town, 73 miles to the Mexican border.
We all admitted just yesterday that during our first visit, we really knew nothing about the sights that we went to go and spend the day exploring at yesterday.
In fact we knew so little, that we didn't even realize that these places existed.
1. Mission San Xavier del Bac - listed as one of the most endangered monuments in the world!
2. Pima Air and Space Museum - is one of the world's largest non-government funded aerospace museums.
Our first stop was to visit the mission. And upon our first approach and exiting the vehicle we had been hit by the warm (HOT) Arizona heat - this was the first time on this trip!
As we walked to grab a few good shots of this Mission set against the brilliant blue sky we had spotted a few absolutely adorable wee little (possibly baby) Prairie Dogs.
What a cutie! (c)travelincousins.com
 Awww (c)travelincousins.com |  We couldn't get enough of these littles (c)travelincousins.com |
Oh my gosh they were so cute! It was difficult to step away and focus on the reason we were there in the first place.
Mission San Xavier del Bac in Tucson, AZ (c)travelincousins.com
The Mission San Xavier del Bac is 1 of only 2 such structures in the USA on this endangered “watch list” and is the oldest building in Arizona.
Standing in front of the oldest building in Arizona (c)travelincousins.com
Known as the White Dove of the Desert (c)travelincousins.com
 Paul Schwartzbaum, who helped restore Michelangelo’s masterwork in Rome, supervised Tohono O’odham artisans in the restoration of the mission’s artwork (c)travelincousins.com |  Filled with brightly painted carvings of apostles and saints and ornate décor statues that are actually draped in real clothing. (c)travelincousins.com |
Great Angel (c)travelincousins.com
The front centre is covered with beautiful scroll work, having also the coat of arms of the Franciscan monks, which is a cross, with a rope coil above (c)travelincousins.com
Prayer candles (c)travelincousins.com
A hot day in Tucson (c)travelincousins.com
Pretty pink cactus (c)travelincousins.com
Now truth be told, this day was filled with attractions that Dave had interest in seeing and the "real" reason he wanted to come out to see this mission was all because of a stamp!
Back in 1971 unveiling ceremonies were staged in as many cities on Aug. 6 of four Historic Preservation stamps that will ‘be issued October 29 at San Diego, Calif., during the conference of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The block of four 8‐cent stamps will depict the Decatur House, Washington, the whaling ship Charles W. Morgan, berthed at Mystic, Conn.; a cable car still in use in San Francisco;‐and the San Xavier del Bac Mission in Tucson, Ariz. The stamps will be in tones of beige and brown, produced in panes of 32 stamps, on light beige paper.
The block of four 8‐cent stamps will depict the Decatur House, Washington, the whaling ship Charles W. Morgan, berthed at Mystic, Conn.; a cable car still in use in San Francisco;‐and the San Xavier del Bac Mission in Tucson, Ariz. The stamps will be in tones of beige and brown, produced in panes of 32 stamps, on light beige paper.
Tucson, J. Edwin Kerr of the United States Postal Service's western regional office, unveiled the design of the San Xavier del Bac Mission, which was consecrated in 1797, and which is regarded as the finest surviving colonial mission in the United States. The Arizona Philatelic Rangers sponsored the ceremony.
Without surprise my dear Dave even used the said stamp on his postcard (sent to us) from the Mission San Xavier del Bac!
So of course you also realize that it goes without saying that Dave wants to go and visit the other 3 locations.
Next on Dave's list was going to see Pima Air and Space Museum...
Without surprise my dear Dave even used the said stamp on his postcard (sent to us) from the Mission San Xavier del Bac!
So of course you also realize that it goes without saying that Dave wants to go and visit the other 3 locations.
Next on Dave's list was going to see Pima Air and Space Museum...
Information galore (c)travelincousins.com
Every type of plane you could think of (c)travelincousins.com
Enjoying our visit (c)travelincousins.com
Giving ourselves about 3 hours to tour the indoor hanger museums and 80 acre grounds.
We were delighted and enthralled by some of the displays. Some on permanent loan from the National Air and Space Museum in Nations Capitol in Washington DC.
Some one of a kind as the rest have been destroyed in war. Some very odd looking designs and one of those being the "Super Guppy" (see below) and the draw that originally attracted Dave to add this to our itinerary.
On the boneyard tram tour (c)travelincousins.com
Planes (c)travelincousins.com
Planes (c)travelincousins.com
And more....Planes (c)travelincousins.com
In addition to wanting to see the "Super Guppy", Dave was on the look out for planes that his dad flew in the Air Force and I was on the lookout for planes that my dad worked on in the Marines.
Although I gotta say seeing the Dream Liner just sitting there was the most astonishing to me!
We took the tram tour and had a guide for about an hour. During that period we found out that there are 3 Dream Liner Jets that the FAA would not allow for commercial use and were only used for test flights. So although everything came back A-OK they had to be donated and could not be used! The absolute Madness!
The tour let us out at the 390th Memorial Museum that holds the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.
Although I gotta say seeing the Dream Liner just sitting there was the most astonishing to me!
We took the tram tour and had a guide for about an hour. During that period we found out that there are 3 Dream Liner Jets that the FAA would not allow for commercial use and were only used for test flights. So although everything came back A-OK they had to be donated and could not be used! The absolute Madness!
The tour let us out at the 390th Memorial Museum that holds the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.
Outside of the Memorial Museum (c)travelincousins.com
The B-17 (c)travelincousins.com
Standing under the wing (c)travelincousins.com
After checking this out, we made a beeline to finally see the "Super Guppy"...
In front of the Super Guppy (c)travelincousins.com
Dave, the kids and the weird looking Super Guppy behind them (c)travelincousins.com
And by now it was closing time and our almost 3 hours had been spent! I'm sure we could've stayed longer, as there is so much more to see. I'm just not too sure how much more information on aircraft I could handle in one afternoon!
Pretend Pilots (c)travelincousins.com
On the way out (c)travelincousins.com
Dinner plans were for Lovin' Spoonfuls and then we'd end up back in Phoenix for one last tSoynami for the trip and the LONG HAUL back to Orange County.
Let's see where Dave's stamps take us next!
-T
Let's see where Dave's stamps take us next!
-T
