Tombstone, Arizona

I have heard of Tombstone for many years and knowing that I was somewhat close I couldn't miss the opportunity to see it.  The drive was about eighty miles south of Tucson so I took off for my adventure around ten. The first town of any size I arrived at was Benson. A small scenic town that already has a Wendy's and Subway on the main road!

I love seeing older homes that have character but these seemed to me to be homes where hard working people barely make it. 

About twenty five miles outside of Benson is Tombstone. I knew it was a tourist destination and so I tried to capture its history and beauty in all the characters hanging around. 

This one stopped me in my tracks from across the street. He saw me and this is what I got. Love it!

They do have gunfight shows in a couple of spots including the OK Corral. 

But they can also have modern day drama when the likes of Sons Of Anarchy ride into town!

I did go on a trolley tour of the town and in several spots they ride through a couple of streets where the current local residents live and they have their own character. 

I highly recommend a visit to one of Americas old towns if you are in Southern Arizona. My day had great weather even though the clouds looked like they were going to open up but at least it wasn't hot. 

I saw this beautiful little yellow van up in the distance on my way back home. Even though I was going about seventy five miles an hour I had to take a picture. I started wondering that this is how I see myself on this trip, mind you I'm in my 2006 Suburban, taking my time on my journey with no hurry to get anywhere and just enjoying life and seeing all that I've been missing. 

Arizona Sonoran Desert Living Museum

This is definitely a must see if you are in the Tucson area. I had no idea of the diversity in animal life the Sonoran Desert hides so well. The raptor free flight show is probably the best I have ever seen. The birds are flown right over the audience heads that you feel their wing tips grace your face.

I took my time in the walk through aviary because I knew I would have to be patient if I wanted to see the variety of birds in it and it didn't dissap me. In this next picture I tried to capture an Inca Dove that had just landed on its nest and a just hatched baby popped it's head up to be fed. This was the highlight of my day!

Another first for me was seeing a Red Cardinal in person. 

The hummingbird flight is one of a kind. They had lots of them on exhibit and you could practically touch them. 

The Butterflies were abundant around the gardens. 

The drive to the ASDLM is a very scenic route that tkes you through an incredible mountain pass.  I'm sure that if you get out of your car you might run into some of these!

Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Farm

On Sunday morning I left Phoenix to come down and meet my good friends Mickey and Kim who had been camping in Tucson for a few days and were to leave for Sedona on Monday. We had a good dinner and then I left them to continue onto Tucson and my stay with my friend Jason.

On the way down I had seen an ostrich farm that was open to the public and I told myself that I had to stop and check it out, so I did!

It's called Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Farm located about 30 miles north of Tucson. 

I did their Monster Truck tour. It was so much fun but make sure you bring a back brace!

They had about 300 ostrich along with miniature donkeys,Fallow Deer, Prairie dogs and a lorikeets flight that one can go in and feed them. 

2nd visit to Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium

I was really excited for today's adventure because Mikkie Olson, owner of the zoo, called me a couple of days ago and had invited me to come over for a visit. I have known about Mikkie for decades but our paths had never crossed. So Bonnie and I met her daughter Lara and grand-daughter Celeste at the entrance to the zoo. We were a couple of hours early and walked around for a while looking at the exhibits before we were to meet up with Mikkie. 

He was so kind and gave us a tour of the new addition to the park called Safari Park in his golf cart. The enclosures are huge and there is even a tram ride that takes you into the exhibits and you're literally in with the animals. 

The aquarium is a new addition within the last couple of years. 

There were a couple of new baby Porcupines. 

This picture of the Chilean Flamingo demonstrates the way in which they eat by sieving through the mud and water. 

Did you know that Military Macaws can blush? 

A Coscoroba Swan shows how it relaxes it's legs in the water. 

Thank you Mikkie for your generosity and time to show us one of the best collections I've ever seen. 

Phoenix Zoo

Tuesday, November 25 I visited the Phoenix Zoo by myself. The entrance was grand, and judging by all the school children there, it was well planned.

As you go through the entry they have a bridge over a fairly large lake. What caught my attention were the sculptures floating in the water. 

The animal collection was diverse and I really enjoyed the children's zoo area which included a farm with goats, cows, horses, poultry and even the red barn. 

In the horse area they have a full size riding arena and some beautiful southwest sculptures. 

I happened to be right on time for feeding Maribou Storks. 

This was the first time for me being this close to the symbol of our great country the Bald Eagle

Barn owls are not often seen. 

Crested Screamers are known for the spur they have on the bend of their wing but it's not often seen. This picture below shows off the spur real good.  This is used for protection. 

Overall I really enjoyed myself and got a real good walk out of it. The walkways and pathways take you up and down the hilly terrain and just make sure to wear comfortable shoes.