How has Tucson contributed to the future colonization of Mars?
Read on to find out!
After leaving the very memorable and historic town of Tombstone, and the even more unforgettable (sadly so) campground of Stampede (where the "memories" just kept flowing), we drove an hour and a half through the arid Arizona desert to our next stop, the oasis city of Tucson.
We visited here in March of 2019 and really enjoyed our time. The city is filled with many great hikes along with many fascinating local attractions.
Our RV Park was Tra-Tel Tucson RV Park which turned out to be a very pleasant RV park with level sites, full amenities, and friendly staff. We rated it 4.5 out of 5 stars.
It is conveniently located close to the downtown area, making it easy to get around. There is a bike path just outside the park that leads directly into the heart of the city.
WELCOME TO TUCSON:
With a population of only half a million people, Tucson is the second largest city in the Grand Canyon State. It was founded by the Spanish way back in 1775 as a military fort, later ceded to Mexico in 1821, and eventually acquired by the United States under the Gadsden Purchase (1853).
Judging by the time we spent here, this city ranks very high on our "We-Could-Live-Here" list. It is clean, there's not a lot of congestion, and its many adobe, earth-toned buildings give it a warmth and a "homey" feel we found very appealing.
HERE ARE FEW INTERESTING TID-BITS WE LEARNED WHILE IN TUCSON:
It served as the capital of the Arizona Territory from 1867 - 1877.
Because of its diverse food scene, it was designated as the world's first "City of Gastronomy" by UNESCO in 2015.
No building in the city is taller than 255'.
It is home to the "Sonoran Hotdog", which is a hotdog wrapped in bacon and topped with minced onion, green-chile sauce, diced tomato, pinto beans, mustard, and mayonnaise. It's a local delicacy.
In 1862, Confederate forces held the city for 80 days until Union troops arrived. The Confederates withdrew without firing a shot.
Revenge of the Nerds, Death Wish, Tin Cup and Stir Crazy were filmed in and around the area.
It is home to El Charro, the country's oldest single-family run Mexican restaurant (founded in 1922). The original owner, Monica Flin, is said to have invented the chimichanga.
Here are a few of the interesting attractions we visited while here:
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM:
Being new to the southwestern desert environment, I didn't expect much. I thought it would be filled with a plethora of unexciting green cacti of various shapes and sizes. Boy, was I wrong. This renowned museum exposed us to a fascinating, desert experience filled with desert flora and fauna of diverse colors, textures, sizes and shapes spread out over a beautiful 98-acre campus.
This outdoor botanical garden was remarkable. I had no idea the desert could produce such beauty.
This was a rewarding stop and very glad we visited. They also have a zoo area with a limited selection of desert animals that is also a fascinating attraction.
Put this on your itinerary if you're in town (last I checked, admission was $30/person).
ONE OF THE COOLEST CULTURAL EXPERIENCES WE HAVE HAD TO DATE!
SAN XAVIER del BAC MISSION:
Yes, this was a beautiful and religiously-ornate Catholic mission with a history dating back to 1692, but what we found even more fascinating was the happenings going on outside the structure. We unexpectedly had stumbled upon the Wa:k (yes I spelled it correctly) Annual Pow Wow! And was it ever a WOW event.
Wa:k (pronounced Wauk) is the another name for the Tohono O’odham Nation. Their reservation lands extends like a thumb from the border of Mexico up into southern Tucson. It was officially created (on paper, at least) in 1874, by President Ulysses S. Grant.
The Pow Wow is a cultural celebration that includes dancing, singing, socializing, crafts, arts, and food.
It was an incredible experience to observe this celebration of accomplishments. Each dance, each song, each drum circle, signifies some reverential aspect or event in the tribe's life and/or history. Sadly, I was a fish-out-of-water, unable to understand or appreciate the sacred significance of each event. Once or twice during the event, as I was moving throughout the crowd with camera in hand [it was permissible to take still pictures but not videos], I would encounter a tribal member who would look at me and slowly shake his/her head, letting me know I was in an off-limits (albeit unmarked) area. Without asking why, and not knowing why, I would nod apologetically and retreat to a different location. The message is clear, I am only an outside observer.
One thing that made a lasting impression on me were the speeches given by the elders. Even though they are a nation operating within another nation, they spoke of how they can't forget the indignities of the past, but that is not where they choose to live. They dwell in the present, drawing strength from each scar. It greatly increased my admiration for the character and courage of these noble people.
The pow-wow also paid homage to the veterans in the tribe. It is evidence to how intertwined the Native American culture is with the American experience. Having a father who served in the military, I was touched by the reverence shown to their veterans.
This was a very impactful and memorable experience and all the more because it came about in a totally unexpected way. To be allowed a glimpse behind the curtain of a sensitive culture, which probably wants nothing more than to be left alone, is something we will never forget.
IS MARS COLONIZATION IN OUR NEAR FUTURE? MAYBE NOT..
If the results from the two experiments held at the Biosphere II are any indication, colonization of distant planets are not in our near future. But for reasons you might not expect.
If you're willing to travel about an hour north to the aptly named town of Oracle, which we would highly recommend, you can tour a self contained bio-dome.
It is the largest closed ecological system ever created.
Here is a brief description of its history as told by Wikipedia:
"Constructed between 1987 and 1991, Biosphere 2 was originally meant to demonstrate the viability of closed ecological systems to support and maintain human life in outer space as a substitute for Earth's biosphere. It was designed to explore the web of interactions within life systems in a structure with different areas based on various biological biomes. In addition to the several biomes and living quarters for people, there was an agricultural area and work space to study the interactions between humans, farming, technology and the rest of nature as a new kind of laboratory for the study of the global ecology."
In 1991, a hand-selected crew of eight pioneers made up of five Americans, two Brits and one Belgian enter the biosphere for a two year experiment to see if humans could live sustainably within the self-contained structure. Excitement ran high as the crew (four men and four women) entered the structure and the doors were sealed behind them.
The crew was made up of a botanist, a marine biologist and a physician.
Our tour guide provided a fascinating perspective on the experiment. Although the project had many technical successes, which hopefully NASA will learn from, they also had a few life-threatening failures. The first being a bad stroke of luck. Arizona, which is sunny just about every day of the year, had one of it's cloudiest years in its recorded history. The decreased sunlight affected plant growth within the structure which adversely affected oxygen levels. Next, trying to stay completely "organic", cockroaches where brought aboard to eat plant decay. They, along with the ants, multiplied faster than expected and ended up getting into the food storage areas. The crew members said that hunger became a constant companion.
And the last problem, which I find the most fascinating, were the inherit flaws in human nature.
If you recon back to the road trips of your youth where you and your siblings would quarrel over who was on who's side of the car's backseat, you'll have some idea of what the inhabitants went through. The eight inhabitants fractured into two "tribes" and the tribes did not like each other. The friction between personalities, along with a low calorie intake, created a whole lot of "hangry"!
In the end, extra oxygen had to be pumped in along with additional food supplies.
The Biosphere was almost torn down a few years ago to make way for luxury homes but fortunately, the University of Arizona stepped in to preserve this unique terrarium.
In case you're wondering why the project was named Biosphere II, that's because we are all living in Biosphere I !
ONE LAST STORY:
I was going to talk about some of the scenic trails we hiked while here, but I've reached the bottom of my coffee cup, so I'm going to close with one last story. I like to think of it as "overlapping pieces of history".
As we were strolling around the historic downtown area, we came across a beautiful, old hotel.
The hotel was celebrating its 100th anniversary.
When originally opened in 1919, the hotel catered to the passengers that came and went from the railroad station across the street.
But what makes this hotel truly unique was a fire that consumed the entire third floor of the building on January 23, 1934.
But that's just the beginning of this strange saga. When firefighters began evacuating residents and their luggage from the third floor, they noticed that the three guests in room 322 had particularly heavy baggage. One of the firefighter thought he recognized one of the guests from his True Detective Mysteries magazine. He alerted a Tucson police officer who searched the heavy luggage finding Tommy guns and a large amount of cash.
Two days after fire, the city police officers arrested three members of the John Dillinger gang at different locations throughout the city. John Dillinger, the FBI's Public Enemy Number One, was the last to be captured. He was picked up at the home located at 927 N. Second Avenue.
A week prior, the Dillinger Gang had arrived here in Tucson after a string of bank robberies and murders throughout Indiana and Illinois. Every local and state police department was on the lookout for them, and even the newly formed Federal Bureau of Investigation had joined the manhunt.
And what better place to hideout than the sleepy pueblo town of Tucson. It seemed like the perfect place to lay-low until things blew over; or so they thought. A defective oil furnace and the keen eye of a local fireman led to their arrest (although Dillinger did later escape from their "escape-proof" prison. He was only to live another five and a half months before being gunned down by FBI agents).
Dillinger even congratulated the Tucson Police on their intelligence and acumen!
While Dillinger's visit to Tucson was short-lived, his impact has lasted 90 years as the city keeps the spirit of the gangster's historic capture alive through bars, murals and even an annual "Dillinger Days" event.
Our path has crossed Dillinger's three times along our journey. And at each intersection we learn more about his criminal career and his impact on 1930's Midwestern history. Our first point of contact was in Chicago, where we visited the Biograph Theater. Awaiting FBI agents, gunned down Dillinger as he exited the theater after watching a Clark Gable flick.
The next time our paths crossed was in Mason City, Iowa where we came across the First National Bank. As it turns out, Dillinger and his gang (which included "Baby-Face" Nelson) stole $53,000 from here on March 13, 1934. To avoid a shoot-out, the gang had bank employees stand on the running boards of their car.
And lastly, at the Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, IN, where he is buried.
Not that I want to glorify the exploits of a murderous, egotistical criminal, but coming across another piece of his story especially here in the far-away, dusty town of Tucson, was just another fascinating overlap of Americana meets RV travels, and we loved the experience. By the way, Tucson also celebrates "Dillinger Days" on the anniversary of his capture.
Tucson, while maybe not a destination location, is still a very enjoyable place to vacation. The terrain is uniquely beautiful even in its harshness, there are many nice eateries, and with many hiking and biking trails, it has something to offer both young and old alike. Lots to do, lots of good food, and lots of history; what's not to love?
SHOUT OUT:
We love the flexibility of our travel plans to allow us to meet up with friends we've met along our way. We were able to meet up with Rob and Cathleen, who we first met at a campground in South Dakota, then again in northern Washington and later in Virginia. When we found out they were in our area, we jumped at the chance to visit again. We were fortunate to meet their friend Bill as well!
Fun times!
From here, we head north to the red rocks of Sedona. See you on down the road!
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