Yesterday’s adventure took us 112 miles south to the Whitewater Draw, a wildlife refuge where Sandhill Cranes roost and feed from November through February. Some migrate from as far away as Siberia. This refuge is part of the Sulphur Springs Valley, a unique ecosystem in the otherwise arid desert of southern Arizona. Snow geese share this small wetland.
Dozens of bipeds like us gathered along the berm surrounding the marsh, many with tripods and serious cameras with long lenses. The sky shimmered as hundreds of wings fluttered through the air. While the geese honked, the trills and trumpeting of the cranes announced their arrival as they searched for an optimal area to land. Even with just an iPhone, we captured some beautiful images. Here’s a link to learn more about these Sandhill Cranes.
Wanting to make the most of our day off (no SOWER work on Fridays), we pressed on to the town of Bisbee, just 11 miles north of the Mexican border. Bisbee is a cute, artsy town. A sign painted on the side of a large building claims “Bisbee has the best year round climate in the entire world.” That sounds a bit overstated, but we certainly enjoyed a lovely couple of hours in the seventies as we strolled along hilly streets, popping in and out of shops. A side street was flanked on both sides with cars from the forties and fifties, as if frozen in time. A Presbyterian church sure caught my eye, as did the local Royale theater.
Finally, we headed to Tombstone, Arizona – home to the OK Corral. Tombstone is a total tourist town with a main street filled with ol’ western shops. Many movies have used Tombstone as the set to film shoot-outs or to portray legends like Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp. We stepped into a western bar with a one-man guitar band who sounded a lot like Willie Nelson. A burger and fries hit the spot for me; Skip enjoyed a club sandwich.
New adventures await us next weekend. In the meantime, I’ll continue to hike daily along the Pusch Ridge. Tucson is magnificent!
Happy Valentine’s Day. I live on a bird sanctuary and love seeing the swooping birds coming in for a landing. Often quite riotously. Your writing brings nature to life. Stay well and keep on trucking! Hugs.
Thx! Love the adventures and the pics! Keep ‘em coming!
i’m so enjoying “traveling” with you!
We love your pictures and descriptions as you share your fun and beautiful travelogue!
Enjoying every new posting – thanks for sharing your adventures!
You had me at hamburger and fries!❤️
Sometimes I forget how different parts of the US look from the Midwest. Thank you for sharing.
So glad you two are enjoying retirement and the RV lifestyle!
We are indeed, Kev. We know we are so very blessed to have this opportunity!