Travel South For A Taste Of History

I almost forgot to tell you about the south trip of I-17. I have been so busy doing absolutely nada today! That happens to retirees, we often forget what day it is, what month. I can't tell you how much that sometimes frustrates me and other times makes my life so simple. I can always put off yardwork, or work at Debi's house. Those things will be there. But the couch might move if I am not on it... Hey! It's a job, some one has to protect the old homestead.

Anyway, Let's hypothetically talk about if I moved off the couch and went on a trip and took I-17 south, then I-10 east.

Once we get out of the spaghetti that is the highways around Phoenix (the US 60, I-10, 101, 202, I-17) and hit the cozy 4 lane towards Tucson, there are many sights to see depending on which you go. I-17 offers a quick trip as the speed limit is 75 (You can go 82 easily) but the back trip through Florence is more scenic.



The Florence trip has multiple prisons, the Tom Mix memorial, and a verisimilitude of flora and fauna. (And don't forget the antique shops.) I-17 gives you speed, plenty of stops and some historic landmarks. Picacho Peak is the highlight of the trip historically. Picacho Peak is the farthest west battle of the Civil War, and the marker is hidden just off the entry road to the state park. It was here that the Confederacy became complacent after a win over a Union scouting party and retreated to Tucson, only to find that there was a large contingent of Union soldiers close behind. The Union took control of the territory then.

Further down the road, on the south side of the road, you will see tails of airplanes rise out of the desert. This is not a mirage, but a storage area for airlines (particularly Northwest Airline) to store unneeded airliners. There are many different ones that are not used anymore. The airport there used to be a base for CIA operations in Southeast Asia, and is still used by the Arizona Air National Guard for training. Other countries send their helicopter pilots out there to train in the desert. This is nothing, though, when compared to Davis-Monthan Air Base in Tucson.

Davis Monthan is home to the group that trains pilots and mechanics and groundspeople for the Air Force. There are literally HUNDREDS of planes and helicopters of all types and sizes mothballed out there for practice; some will be taken apart and shredded and the recycled metal wil be used for other planes, etc. This is quite a sight to see, and if you go to the Pima Air and Space Museum, there are tours of the facility available.

Just west and south of Tucson towards Nogales on I-19 is the Titan Missile Museum. This Cold War Era Titan Missile base is the only one left in the US with an actual Titan Missile still in the silo. It is bone chilling to think that there were 18 of these in the Tucson area that could have been launched on a moment's notice. This attraction is a DON'T MISS. Everyone should see the base and hear the thrilling descriptions of the guides, some whom served in Titan silos.

"The Town To Tough To Die" is about a half hour to 45 minutes down I-10 from Tucson. Tombstone offers a look back into the faded era of cowboy towns and mining communities. It was here that Wyatt Earp and his brothers and Doc Holliday killed the Clanton gang at the OK Corral. Cowboys walk the streets and readily tell visitors the town's history, Big Nose Kate's Saloon is still in operation and serves some of the best sandwiches around. Visitors should not miss the shoot out. A final visit to Boot Hill Graveyard is a must. Just reading the old epitaphs is worth the visit. If you like ghosts, Tombstone has those too. The Birdcage Theatre is full of spooky feelings and changes in temperature as things have been left untouched for a century. There is also a night time tour where they turn out the lights and let you sit there in the dark. If you are lucky, you may feel a touch, or hear the eerie sounds of pleasure emanating from the basement in the rooms once used by prostitutes to please their johns.

On your way back to Tucson, you will be stopped by Border Patrol agents and asked if you are an American Citizens. A few may be asked to show a drivers license as proof, or the car may be searched.

After all, it is Arizona. Happy Travels!

Doughnut

The Sedentary Man

Being stiff is not new to me. I mean, I get stiff sometimes just watching movies that have a lot of action. STOP! Get your mind out of the gutter.

My age is beginning to show. All I have to do these days to find my self board like is to work in the yard for a few minutes. If I spend time doing any kind of physical activity, then rest, I have trouble getting restarted. My doctor tells me it is arthritis. There is nothing right about it, though.

When I was younger, let's say twenty-five years younger, I could go up and down the court fine with no problems the next day. I even ran two miles a night. Stiffness never occurred the next day. I was in shape; not the body that men craved and women feared, but a slimmer version of the one that plops down in front of the TV each night now. What happened?

Kids.

That's right, my downfall was children. My wife lost all her pregnancy weight and then some and is a beautiful woman. While she dropped all that weight, I went behind her and picked it up. While she was pregnant, I gained sympathy weight, too, but I never lost mine. Suddenly, when the kids ate, I ate. When the TV was on in the evening, I ate. I ate instead of jogged, I ate instead of played... you get the picture. I became sedentary, the typical American. I watched the kids play and ate a sack of fries instead of playing games myself. They loved potato chips, I did too, and I ate a whole bag at a sitting. The body that men craved and women feared suddenly did not have a six pack, but rather developed a keg. I went from Hands Solo to Jabba the Hut.

As I sat around more, my muscles became shorter, and so did I. My kids suddenly were taller than me. Soon, when they move out of my house and take their dog, I will have no one to blame. They won't buy those sugary soft drinks that I can't resist, those mounds of Oreos that I cannot keep my hands off. I will have no excuse for not exercising, for not eating right.

My brother recently lost about forty pounds, about a three year old. I applaud him. I wish I had his drive, his fortitude. But me, I love a good bag of Doritos and Tombstone Pizza.

That will be my epitaph.