Random Observations of Tucson

We arrived in Tucson in Spring, and three days later it was mid-August.  We are currently experiencing a "dry heat" of 97F.  That said, this is a very interesting place.  A few thoughts...

One of the coolest, ha ha, things we learned is that, according to the clerk a the Circle K, it is illegal to charge for water and ice in Arizona.  You just have to provide the cup.  I assume you can't feel up a cooler, so this applies to individual cups/mugs, etc.  Given the desert heat, this makes sense, but this is a great benefit.  My dad set both of us up with a 40 oz, or so, Yeti cooler for the trip.  Now, when out and about, we can stop in to any gas station or convenience store and tell them we are getting ice, and there you go. 

Tucson has about 140 miles of mixed us recreational trails.  The trails are amazing, and are used by cyclists, runners, skateboarders, walkers, and equestrians.  The trails are maintained, and generally follow the dry river beds.  At least the river beds are dry most of the time.  You can easily get through and across the city on these trails.  They have bathrooms and even repair stations with tools along the route.  We have seen hundreds and hundreds of folks out using the trails.  The city is busy building more as I type.  It is such a change from a state such as Alabama, and a town such as Huntsville, that has so little to offer in the way of infrastructure that contributes to public health, recreation and traffic reduction.  Huntsville is not a poor town, but it feels like one compared to Tucson.

Speaking of cycling, I rode up Mount Lemmon yesterday.  The road to the top is 28.5 miles and the elevation changes by over 6000 feet.  You start off in the heat at 3000 feet, surrounded by Saguaro cactus.  At about 4000 feet the cactus disappear.  Apparently it gets too cold for them at that altitude.  At about 5000 feet, you enter a riparian forest with fit, oak, sycamore and other unexpected flora.  The temperature continues to drop as you climb, and is 20-30 degrees cooler up top.  It was about 100F in Tucson and when a couple up top wanted to have a picnic, they found it too cold to sit outside at a table in the shade.  I was pleased and surprised to make the climb on the bike.  This was a longer climb than the climbs I have done in the Pyrenees.  It also finished at an altitude that is higher than most of the climbs I do there.  The descent was thrilling, at about 35-40 MPH for most of the trip.

I finally picked up the solar panels that I was looking for.  Frost RV in Tucson ordered them for me.  They generate 120W and have  controller that applies a different type of charge based upon the condition of the battery.  I'm running the Teardrop on the panel all day today to ensure that we will be able to sustain 24 hours operations without AC power.  Looking good so far.

I have encountered my first needed repair.  The faucet has been leaking.  I got under the sink and eventually discovered that it was cracked at the base.  This could have happened due to some loose item impacting it during towing.  Apparently, despite being in RV Heaven, no one has the part in stock.  My new friends at Frost RV ordered my one.  In a sign of the times, they could not find it from the cadre of dealers that they normally use, so they ordered it from Amazon.  Of course, I could have done this myself, except I don't think Campsite 71, Catalina State Park is an address that UPS can work with.  The new part should be here tomorrow.  In the process, I learned about a new type of clamp, the Oetiker Pinch Clamp.  Unlike the hose clamps I most know, you don't tighten this with a screwdriver.  They are single use clamps that are pinched with a type of plier.  I assume they have some advantage, but for now, they are just a type of specialty tooling that I have to work with.  Seems like they are commonly used in RVs.

Our next stop is the Mojave National Preserve and then Death Valley National Park.  We have decided to leave Tucson a day early due to a cold front that is moving in.  We hope to be able to have our stay in Death Valley coincide with the cooler temps.  We've been in Tucson a while, and feel that we can move on with no unfinished business.  Fortunately, I've convinced Frances to go to Daisy Mae's for dinner tonight, so that will cover all my bases.  Daisy Mae's is a local steakhouse that I used to frequent when I traveled her on business a few years back.