3/21/2020 Trip/Plans Cancelled

Due to the Corona Virus Sandy and I decided to cancel our trip/plans for the next 6 months and headed back home.  It took a 4 day drive from Tucson Arizona, but we are home.

We will quarantine ourselves for the next 2 weeks to make sure we didn’t pick-up the virus on our way home.  We would not want to pass along the virus to our neighbors.

I suspect that after the 2 week quarantine we will remain isolated as suggested by our governor.

STAY HEALTHY

We hope to be back on the road in November.

3/12/2020 Mirrors for the Giant Magellan Telescope

Who would have thought that the University of Arizona here in Tucson  manufactures some of the largest telescope mirrors in the world?

The Manufacturing Lab is actually located underneath the bleachers of their football stadium and for $20 you can tour the lab and see the Giant Mirrors in production.

Currently they are manufacturing seven giant mirrors 27.5’ (8.4 meters) in diameter for the 82’ (25 meters) long Giant Magellan Telescope that will be located on a mountain top in Chile.

8.4 meters is the largest mirror they can produce.  The limitation to going larger is the fact that  8.4 meters is the largest size they can ship over the U.S. road system.  The mirrors ship via truck or barge only.  They do not ship via air due to the size and weight of the mirrors.

Interesting that they are completely open about their design, testing, production cycle, delivery methods and more.  Nothing is proprietary since they are a publicly funded University.

If you get to Tucson we recommend you take this tour.  Well worth the price.

Here are some of our pictures.

3/6/2020. OOPs. Went a little to far. Snow and Ice

Yesterday Sandy and I drove the Equinox up to the top of Mount Lemmon.  Mount Lemmon is 9171 ft in elevation.  Although it is only a 50 mile drive, it takes 1 1/2 hours to get to the top as the speed limit varies from 25 - 35 MPH.

At the top is Ironwood Restaurant where we purchased their famous Ironwood Chili with corn bread and topped it off with pie alamode for desert.  Actually Sandy and I split one entire meal because the portions were big enough for both of us.  The restaurant sits directly across the road from the ski lifts.  Believe it or not there is Snow Skiing in Arizona.  It was 70 degrees at the bottom of the mountain and snow/ice at the top.

Well as we exited the restaurant we noticed another road going further up the mountain, the gate was open, but the sign read “Road not maintained by County”.  

Hmmm, should we try it??  Sure lets give it a shot.

OOPS.  Should not have tried it.  Our Front Wheel Drive Equinox with good tires was no match for the ice/snow we came across 1/2 way up.  The Equinox stopped dead in its tracks.  I gave it a little more gas and we started sliding sideways.  No guard rails.  Sandy has a hold of the passenger door ready to bail.  I put the car in neutral and let us slowly roll back 20’.  Stopped and then slowly pushed down on the gas to see if we had anymore traction.  NOPE!  After a couple more failed attempts it was obvious to me that I now had to back 300 yards down hill down an ice, snow covered road.  What happen to my “All Weather” tires.  They failed me!!  Any how in reverse slowly we creep down the windy road until we cleared the Snow/Ice.  Then 3 point turn.  Well another lesson learned.  “Do Not get tempted by an open gate that references “Road not maintained by County”.

Geez.  Don’t the Arizonian’s realize that an open gate with such a warning my turn back a southerner, but us snow/ice drivers from the North view such a warning as a challenge.  “BRING IT ON”.  That is, until we get in trouble :-0

Hmmm I wonder if I had a 4WD Jeep, would we have made it or just got ourselves into more trouble??

Here are the pictures of Mount Lemmon.

3/5/2020. Sonoran Dog

No, its not a 4 legged animal.  It is a must have Hot Dog that Tucson is famous for creating.  

Now do you think Sandy would give it a go???  No-o-o

She said I was on my own.  Well I did it. 

It is a meal in a bun.  You have to open your mouth as wide as tackling a Big Mac.

It consists of:

• Beef Hot Dog
• Slice of bacon
• Mexican Bolillo bun
• Mustard
• Refried beans
• Guacamole
• Mexican Shredded Cheese
• Chopped and seeded tomatoes
• Diced White Onion
• Salsa Verde
• Mayonnaise with lemon juice

The ingredients alone cost $2.26 at Walmart and I got the real thing for $4.  Such a deal.

It was good the first time going down.

Now PASS the Alka-Seltzer please :-)