ARIZONA IN AUGUST 2018 - #1

FRIDAY, 3 AUGUST:

This was an adventure with our dear friends Pat and Janeane.
Afterwards we all agreed that we will not plan to visit Arizona again in August. It is just too hot! Even so we all enjoyed our experiences.

We left San Diego at a reasonable hour, 0840! We were not fighting the commute and the main traffic was heading into San Diego while we were headed in the opposite direction. The traffic picked up when we connected with the I-10 just South of Casa Grande, AZ. We found our accommodations at the DoubleTree Hotel very easily, with George driving and I using my iPhone to give him directions.

After checking in we went out to our car to unpack. As the temperature at 1600 was about 105˚F we brought everything into our room including wine and chocolate. While outside we met our friends, Marie and John Plakos. We came to Tucson to support Marie in the opening of her show, OUR SISTER’S KEEPER
 (http://www.oursisterskeeper.org).
Marie is an accomplished photographer and textile artist. Her show is of photographs of women in third world countries that she uses to tell the tale of their plight, and give them dignity.

Soon Janeane and Pat arrived and we agreed to meet for dinner. From the Hotel, they got the recommendation of the Guadalajara Grill which was not far from our accommodations. The food was very good, but the noise was overpowering. We will look for a quieter setting tomorrow night. 


SATURDAY, 4 AUGUST: 

As we regularly walk early in the morning we did that today as well. It did not take long to work up a sweat, but we completed a 2 mile walk before breakfast. It was already heating up as we finished. 

After a nice breakfast and visiting with the Plakos we were off to The Mission San Xavier del Bac. The Mission was built between 1783 and 1797, and is the oldest European structure in Arizona.

Mission San Xavier del Bac

Mission San Xavier del Bac

The labor was provided by the O'odham. The mission is widely considered to be the finest example of Spanish Colonial architecture in the United States. The mission has an elegant white stucco, Moorish-inspired exterior, with an ornately decorated entrance. Visitors entering the massive, carved mequite-wood doors are often struck both by the coolness of the interior and the dazzling colors of the paintings, carvings, frescoes,and statues.  

The last time I visited this mission was about 12 years ago. Then the Mission was being restored and there was scaffolding on at least one of the towers. There was also scaffolding inside the church as they were cleaning up and repainting the art work in the alter area. I enjoyed walking around the outside of the Mission and seeing and photographing it from different angles.

Mission San Xavier del Bac

Mission San Xavier del Bac

We were then off to the Tucson Botanical Garden for a quick visit before calling it a day with the heat.

BUSY BUTTERFLY

MOJAVE YUCCA

HIBISCUS SUN

Back at the Hotel, we enjoyed the air conditioning while we read, and napped. 

Dinner tonight was in house at the Javelena Cantina. The  cuisine was Southwest, but not too hot for any of us. The staff was friendly and accommodating. The ambiance was quieter which made it much easier to carry on a conversation.

SUNDAY, 5 AUGUST:

Today was the opening of Marie Plakos photo show, OUR SISTER’S KEEPER .

The display will be at the Saint Philip's Episcopal Church in The Hills, Tucson,  from Sunday August 5, 2018 to October 21, 2018, in the Murphey Gallery. 

The show was very well received and Marie did a nice short talk on what it is all about, and some of her experiences capturing the ladies on "film".

This evening we once again ate at the Javelina Cantina.