Weekend in Chiricahua, Part 1: A Scenic Drive

Friday, August 15, 2014

Just like that, school is right around the corner again, and we are trying to fill our last bit free time with more adventures! Not that we're going to stop when school starts, we just like having excuses to go have fun. :) For last weekend, we weren't sure what we'd be doing right up until the day before we left. We had a couple options for a weekend getaway, and normally the weather might be the deciding factor, but the weather in both areas looked identical: 80-90 degree temperatures with a 40% chance of storms. Wherever we went, we would leave Friday, camp overnight, and come back on Saturday. We finally made up our mind on Thursday night: We were going to Chiricahua National Monument!

We had been there once before last November, but unfortunately we weren't able to see very much because there was freezing rain that day and most of the park's roads were closed. It was predicted to rain on Friday night and a smaller chance on Saturday, which worried me a bit that we might not get to enjoy it as much as we wanted to. But we decided the adventure was worth the risk - and as you can see in these pictures, the sky alone was a magnificent sight to behold!

We left around 11 on Friday morning. Curtis had an eye appointment earlier that morning, then we killed time to let his eyes adjust before beginning our trip. Enjoying a 6 pack and a pound at Taco Johns was the best way to kill time! After that, he just had to wear these super attractive glasses with the unibrow. ;)

Instead of taking the easiest route to Chiricahua off the I-10, we drove further East into New Mexico before exiting almost right away on Highway 80. We drove South right along the Arizona border, until we finally reentered Arizona around Portal. 

As you can tell, as we were nearing the Chiricahuas, the clouds started to get darker, and we started to see lightning flashes in the distance. It wasn't going to scare us now!

What we learned from Portal, Arizona: while we were under the impression that it would be maybe more of a farming town, we learned that there are actually more retired folks living here, and a park ranger told us that there are more people there with PHD's than those without!

Above, a quick drive by picture in Portal

We stopped at the ranger's station on the East side of the National Monument to ask about the conditions of the roads we were about to drive in through the rain. The ranger told us about all that we could see on this side, which only made us wish we had more time to enjoy everything out there! 

We attempted a letterbox, but unfortunately didn't have the entire clue…also, there was a thunderstorm going on! We gave up, deciding that this meant we just had to come back here someday!

After that, we began our 24 mile scenic drive on Pinery Canyon Road to the national monument. It was a little concerning to be driving on the dirt road during the storm, but the ranger assured us we'd be alright and there were just a couple potential areas where the road might be "washed out" but they would take care of it quickly.

Just like most storms in AZ, this one passed by quickly, and soon we were enjoying a cooler drive with amazing views - of both the mountains and the sky!

The Horseshoe 2 fire happened here in 2011, which is why parts like the picture above aren't as colorful. You can also see the road through there that we had just driven on.

After about an hour driving up, down, and around the mountains, the road ended right at the entrance to the national monument.

…And we have paved roads again! During the summer, the park is waiving all entrance and camping fees, in case you're interested. ;)

We picked out a camping spot and set up our cute little tent. Just big enough for 2 married people. :)

It started to thunderstorm again, and we decided there weren't enough hours of sunlight left to go on a hike, so instead we did a drive to the end of the road that goes through the whole monument - something we weren't able to do last November!

It proved to be so worth the drive, because we found this rainbow at the end of the road! You can't tell in the picture as well, but this rainbow actually is a double rainbow - its twin is to the right. ;)

As soon as we got back to our campsite, the rain had stopped so we were able to cook a little dinner of kielbasa and veggies. We were so proud of our little meal. :) Thank the Lord that it didn't rain any more that night and we were able to get a good enough rest for what was coming the next day!

One Year in Arizona

Hello lovely readers, it's been a while since I've updated, but I have an exciting new adventure to share with you this week. I'll get to that later. Last weekend, Curtis and I attended a wedding of one of Curtis' first friends and hiking buddies when he moved here 3 years ago. It was a beautiful ceremony followed by an awesome party and the best DJ we've ever experienced in all our years of going to school dances together. Throughout the past few weeks, we have been working hard on our 3000 piece puzzle that has taken over our table (but don't worry, we're still eating!) :)

Before beginning our journey to our new home - August 2013

Last year today was the day that I officially moved to Arizona. Curtis and I have had our own home together for one year now. This was the first time I wasn't living with my family, and my first time living outside of the city I was born and raised in. Today, I'm reflecting over the things I've learned over the past year while living together in Arizona.

Marveling at the mountains as we approached Tucson a year ago today! 8/17/13

-The dry heat is a real thing. It's like you're being baked in an oven. But the more time you spend outside, the more you'll come to love it. Don't try to hide from it!
-We travel a lot, but we've found that out of everywhere we've gone, the 2 gas stations nearest to our home have always consistently been the cheapest!
-Tucson, as well as the rest of AZ, makes national news when we get any amount of rain. You might see pictures or hear of flooded or washed out roads - I'm pretty sure we aren't actually getting more rain than anywhere else might, it's just that we don't have the infrastructure to handle it. No sewers=big puddles in the road.
-We still have rivers down here, they're just empty most of the year. Right now, there's a little water in the river!
-When it rains, everyone drives 10 below the speed limit. If the road looks wet, everyone drives 10 below the speed limit. Well okay, some roads, it really is that everyone is driving 10 miles below the speed limit - we think that most traffic problems can be solved by people just driving the speed limit!
-Arizona: the state where your driver's license doesn't expire from when you're 18 till you're 65. But you need a new picture every 12 years. And as of last month, you need to have a horizontal ID to purchase alcohol. So even though our licenses didn't expire until 2057, we still needed to get new ones after less than a year.
-Don't throw away your sweaters and coats before moving here - this place thins your blood and before you know it, 70 degrees feels a little nippy to you!
-Want to take a cold shower to cool off in the summer? Well, you're out of luck! Warm is the best you're going to get. (Learned this the hard way with all my sunburns!)
-Road maintenance seems to be optional, but if they decide to do it, it's inconvenient. Also, Tucson can't seem to grasp how a helpful interstate frontage road would work - In order to really exit the interstate and turn right on your road, you must cut off 2 lanes of traffic.
-Yes, there are lots of scary creatures that live around here…but we really don't see the most harmful all that much. We just see lots and lots and lots of lizards!
-It's really possible to miss cornfields sometimes.

Me with all of my kingdom in the background!

When you picture Arizona, what do you think of? Before moving here, to me it was just desert, Grand Canyon, Phoenix, and Tucson. What I've found is that AZ probably has the most variety in climates. The desert, grasslands, wastelands, wetlands, forests, rocky monuments, mountains, canyons, valleys, farmlands, and more. The temperatures also vary, and we've enjoyed finding the cooler spots in the summer, and visiting other areas in their different seasons. I thought that by moving here, I had to give up seeing the beautiful colors of fall, but was delighted to find that just a drive up Mt. Lemmon would bring much cooler temps, pine trees, and trees with red, yellow, and orange leaves in the fall. Oh, I guess if you want snow, you can find it there as well, but I'm fine without. ;)

My 4th tarantula sighting - September 2013

Animals seen in the wild:

Tarantulas - 4

Javelina - 2

Rattlesnake - 1

Coyote - 1

Countless lizards, deer, rabbits

The day before Curtis left for AZ for the first time - 8/16/11

I'm also remembering how I was feeling 3 years ago today. The night before was the last time that I would see Curtis until December 15 of that year. He left early the next morning for his first year of college in Arizona. That day was one of the saddest I had known. The future seemed to have so many uncertainties, and I had no idea what would happen with us over the next 4 months. Of course, God uses every situation for His glory, and so much good came out of these circumstances. God is so good to us - not only did He bring us together, He has given us so much time to enjoy together in our 2 years here! Here's to 1 more year of Adventures in Arizona. :)

Letter To My Parents:

To the people who taught me about love,

When I was a child growing up in your home, you were my favorite people in the world. You were my role models, you were my first and most important example of what love is. While I watched Disney movies and heard about fairy tales every day, I knew those were just stories, and your example of what true love looks like was real life. You told me about how you met, showed me pictures from your wedding day, and expressed love toward each other every day. I took all this in and started dreaming of what my love story might look like - and what I pictured was exactly like what I saw. Even as a child, I knew you two were perfect together, you worked together well, you made the cutest couple. I once had a friend say to me, "I really hope my parents never get divorced." While sympathizing with her, I realized that I had not a single doubt that my parents would love each other forever. I never had to worry about the future, because my parents created a strong, lasting impression on me, that the home they had established was built on such a strong love and commitment that would never fall apart.

As I grew older, you became more open with me about struggles that can happen within a marriage. You told me about how you disagreed, and how you handled the inevitable trials. But because of the strong foundation you had built, I still knew I had nothing to worry about. Watching how you fought for each other in difficult times gave me a more realistic perspective on love. You showed me that even when you find the one you're meant to be with, you still aren't perfect, you don't transform into a perfect couple. I saw day by day how a marriage helps to make two imperfect people more like Christ. I watched a beautiful commitment and love between two imperfect people grow to model the love described in 1 Corinthians 13. I learned that giving up was never an option, and I prayed that God would let me have a love like yours someday.

When the "fairy tale" I always dreamed of became a reality to me, I never had any concern that it wouldn't work out. From the day we started dating, I knew it would last - first, because I had your blessing and approval, and that told me you believed in us too, and second, because I had watched a real and perfect example of how a godly marriage works. You had taught me about how important communication is, and I took that to heart and implemented it into my own relationship. You showed love to each other in every circumstance, you prayed together and grew together in your faith, you took time to be alone together, and you forgave each other and kept on loving each other, knowing that you were both still imperfect. Because I knew of all of these things, I was able to build a relationship and now a marriage on a strong foundation, just as you both had. I knew marriage wouldn't always feel like a fairy tale, but because of you, I knew that it would be worth it.

Thank you for giving me this perfect example of a godly marriage. Thank you for teaching me that through lots of effort, forgiveness, prayer, and God's help, we could work through any obstacle. Thank you for being my real example of a real life fairy tale. I love you both, and I am thankful that we have your support as we are still beginning this journey of marriage! Here's to many, many more happy years for you.

Oh, also, you guys made some really attractive kids. ;)

Happy 25th Anniversary!! Hey, look how great you guys look in Arizona. Hint hint. ;)

Playing Tourists in Tucson

We go lots of places and see so many exciting things. This past weekend, we decided it was time to stay home and gain a new appreciation for our own hometown - and we were not left disappointed!

I don't think that many people planning a vacation think, "hey, let's go see Tucson, Arizona!" If you're planning to go to Arizona, you're probably either going to the Grand Canyon, or to Phoenix to enjoy a warm winter. To that we say, you're missing out! While Tucson is a big city - much bigger than the one we grew up in - it still isn't over the 1 million in population mark. However, it's big enough to have just about all the restaurants and shopping options that Phoenix has, and they're all closer together. Wherever you are in the city, you can always see at least one of the 4 mountain ranges that surround us - one in every direction! Hiking varies from trails that are in desert settings (cacti and saguaros all around) to lush, forest areas - you can find waterfalls, pine trees, and green all around! We have a wide variety of fascinating museums, including one of the top 10 in the country - the Desert Animal Museum, which is a lot more like a zoo. We haven't been bored once in the year (almost!) that we've lived here.

Oh well, maybe the fact that Tucson is so awesome is meant to be the best kept secret in Arizona. ;) Today, I'm sharing about our adventure going downtown Tucson. Thanks to the great bus system in our city, we were able to walk to a bus stop and take public transportation rather than driving. Curtis has also been able to ride the bus to school every day for the past 2 years. It's a great thing!

Random graffiti… No Mas Burritos!

We started off by doing a quick errand for Curtis, then went to visit our courthouse.

The Tucson/Pima County Courthouse! I had no idea it was so colorful!

Check out that awesome dome!

There wasn't much we could see inside, (and we hope to not have to!) but we loved walking through and checking out the park behind it.

Inside the courthouse courtyard.

There were memorials, statues, and historical facts all around. Here's Curtis in his happy place. :)

It's such a beautiful spot right in the middle of the downtown area!

After this, we stopped at the library for a map, and walked over to the old Presidio. We knew it had gotten torn down, but we were thrilled to find that they had made a smaller scaled replica in the 1970's, and it's just out there, ready for people to walk through, learn and enjoy!

As you can see, it's still right in the middle of downtown, as there are buildings and such in the background. We were the only ones here at the time, and it really was peaceful just walking through and reading about what went on here in the past.

Here is a map of how big the Presidio used to be. As we were walking through the courthouse, we spotted markings in the cement of where the walls used to be. We hoped to find a wall or sign telling us more about it, and we were more than satisfied with what we found.

After the Presidio, we walked through an artsy district searching for some letterboxes. As you can see, it was pretty cloudy, but it was perfect temperature for just walking all around. I love how the colors pop out against the grey skies.

We passed through here, and headed for the Tucson Mission next.

Outside the Mission - I was admiring the flowers on this dome.

Bam! The Mission! It's still in use as a Catholic church here.

The inside - we're sitting in the middle of the sanctuary, there's even more behind us. I only took one picture to be respectful since my camera makes too much noise. ;)

Walking along the side of the building

Here's a better picture of the front. It's so grand, and the palm trees make it even better!

This is Toby. He helped us find a letterbox!

"A Mountain", or Sentinel Peak in the background while we boxed.

After this, we tried out the new Sun Tran tram system that was just finished in the downtown and university area. We were doubtful about it when it was under construction, but today we thoroughly enjoyed riding it! 

Photo found on the internet, sorry it isn't the greatest quality, I just wanted to show off this cute thing!

We took it to the University where we got off and ate lunch at The Fix, our favorite place around campus. It serves gourmet mac & cheese, among other comfort foods, and we totally recommend it if you're in town!

After this, we walked across campus and took a bus home. A shorter adventure, but totally worth it. As I mentioned before, the 17th of this month marks 1 year of living in Tucson. What a wonderful year it's been! I hope that no matter where we live in the future, we will always have time to learn and enjoy the city as much as we have here. Adventure is out there! :)