Friends, Family and Food tour begins

Friends - We had a delightful outdoor Easter Dinner at MonaLiza and Steve' home.  Later that week we met them for an outdoor lunch at Nicols West, before we hit the road for our 5-6 month summer trip.    

wonderful grilled salmon

 

my flourless Easter bunny cake

First stop was one of our favorite places - Catalina State Park, north of Tucson.    It's a difficult park to get reservations at and I was able to score three mid week nights so we were happy campers.

still some color along the roadside near Picacho Peak

campsite view at Catalina

Friends?    We had an unusual visitor at second cup one morning.     He stayed for about 10 minutes before continuing on his way.

 It was a curious guy, stopping to check things out along the way.....not us, just "things" that evidently interest a snake.

He (in the effort to not discriminate - it may have been a she) checked out Beluga's headlight and finding nothing interesting there, he (it) continued along beneath and out alongside the Jeep, stopping to check out a rear tire.

Dave let his coffee get cold so he could watch it pass by under Beluga

It was surprisingly (to me) beautiful and very non-threatening.    I guess as long as a snake doesn't startle me, touch me or rattle at me I'm ok with them.       So much for our morning entertainment.

Since we were so busy preparing for a 5 or 6 month Motorhome trip, we're taking it easy (in the exploration department) for these first few stops.      One of our reasons to stop in the Tucson area was for Food.     

Food - Vivace's Fish Soup was calling Dave.    And a sweet little baby boutique across the street enticed me to make a first grandma purchase.....

happy man with Fish Soup

can you say "cowgirl"?

We missed having a Sonoran Hot Dog in Wickenburg this year, so we headed to one of the best places to have one in north Tucson.....El Guero Canelo.

out of focus because I had to be quick....someone was tapping his fingers.

nom nom nom

In the interest of taking it easy in the beginning of this trip (and possibly walking off those Sonoran dogs...) we drove to Madera Canyon and took a little stroll along the stream.    

We were on alert for birds but only saw Acorn Woodpeckers, Mexican Jays, Turkeys, Nuthatch, and some Broad billed hummingbirds at the Santa Rita Lodge feeder stations.     My little camera couldn't capture any photos and heaven forbid we step in front of one of the big honking cameras wielded by several gentlemen.   Instead, we just enjoyed watching them flit from feeder to flower to feeder.    Later on we noticed a single Coatimundi walking around under the feeders, it was limping and didn't look well.

Mostly, we just strolled and enjoyed the sounds of the stream and birds overhead.    Can your body get too much trytophan from a hot dog ????

my favorite lizard

Friday morning we continued on to Las Cruces, NM where we have a beautiful sight at the KOA.

From Beluga's windshield we look out over the city and the distant Organ Mountains.   Stunning, day or night.

Food - Last night we were planning on going into the old town of Mesilla to visit a favorite restaurant, La Posta (in a national historic landmark building) I was feeling a bit under the weather.   Instead we drove in and got take out so Dave could still enjoy a wonderful New Mexican burrito and sopaipilla for desert.   No photos were taken, take out containers are not photogenic.    Note to self, sopaipilla lose their appeal when "taken out".....

Today I was feeling a bit better so we drove around a bit and enjoyed the area.

  

 We enjoyed brunch/linner at A Bite of Belgium.  We sat outside in the warm sun until a table opened on the small outdoor patio.  

Oh Dave.....he couldn't resist

 Food and service were exceptional, including the Mimosas!    Dave enjoyed a Southwestern Florentine Benedict and I had a Liege Waffle, Bacon and Fresh Fruit (pretty prickly pear mimosa too!)   

Tomorrow morning we head out again, into the wide state of Texas.    Stay tuned.