We drove on to the lakes and the Sandhill Cranes were already there, hanging around on the ground close to the lakes. So we parked our car, walked to a good vantage point and then we stood around for a while to see what was going to happen. As it got later, we saw groups of cranes sometimes just lift up and take off. Some of the groups were amazing to watch and we just loved the whole spectacle. We walked around the whole lake with two other people and that was interesting. When we felt like it was over, we drove back into Willcox, the police situation was over and we got our room at Days Inn.
The next day, Saturday, we left Willcox and drove around the lake areas, trying out a trail or two. We didn't see much, but we did see a Great Horned Owl on a huge nest. That was exciting. Our plan was to see the cranes coming in at 11am from a different vantage point - which was a platform by a power plant but that turned out to be disappointing. Simply because the cranes flew in very very high, and they didn't stop at the lakes by the power plant.
So, we left there, drove to Tombstone, where we had lunch. Then we drove towards Sonoita and decided to drive to Parker Canyon Lake because Guillermo's brother Charlie had said he would be there. When we got to the lake, we couldn't find Charlie's truck anywhere so we just headed back to Tucson. Charlie later told us he WAS there, but even if we had found his truck, we wouldn't have seen him because he was on a boat out on the lake at the time we were there.
Drive #1 was to the Chiricahua mountains, and we went on Feb. 14th.
That weekend Guillermo and I planned to give Rebeca and Jason a little time without us being around so we decided to take a drive out to the Chiricahua Mountains, following the same route Fernando and I had taken on a drive back from Tucson back in about 2004 or so. We exited I-10 on Dragoon Rd. and drove through Sunsites, looking for the same place for lunch that Fernando and I had eaten at. We couldn't find it so we drove on past Sunizona until we saw a sign that said no services from that point. So we thought we better turn around and find a place to eat in Sunizona. We had lunch at a very typical country cafe called Sandy's.
Then we drove on into the Chiricahuas. We stopped first at the visitor center and bought a few things there before walking a little on a trail right by the center.
Then we got back in the car and drove to the end of the road where we walked along the Massai Nature Trail and saw the Balanced Rock. Then we walked Echo Canyon Trail to Echo Canyon Grotto.
This is on the Massai Nature Trail
And now we're on the Echo Canyon Trail and in the Grotto section of the trail
Then we left there and drove past the trail called Natural Bridge Trail which we had taken back in 1979 when Rebeca was 7 months old. That is one hike we will NEVER forget because it was such a beautiful cloudless day to be taking a hike up the trail with her. We stopped up high on the trail somewhere to give Rebeca a little snack and as we snacked up there, we saw this little speck of a little white cloud coming over the ridge. We quickly became alarmed when that little white cloud seemingly within minutes blew up into this HUGE dark menacing cloud and the next thing we knew it was starting to rain with thunder and lightning. We were stunned at how quickly it all unfolded. Anyway, since Guillermo was carrying Rebeca on his back in a backpack type thing, our only choice was for him to run back down the trail as fast as he could with her and get her inside the car. That left me lagging behind them,. I tell you, I was terrified. Not only because it was raining, thundering and lightning lall around us ike crazy, but I was just worried sick at how Rebeca must be feeling and that she must be just screaming in that little backpack as her daddy was running down in the storm with her. Guillermo told me later that Rebeca did not make one sound the entire way down, We figured she must have perceived that this was a very serious thing and so she hunkered down against his back and just trusted her daddy to get her to safety. Thinking about it now, that was a very dangerous situation for us to be in and we realized it then, but it just seemed the best thing to do was to get her off that trail as quickly as possible. There was no place to hide.
As we drove past that trail, we felt grateful that things turned out ok so many years ago. We also drove by the campground we stayed at that year.
Then we left the Chiricahuas and found the road that Fernando and I had taken so many years ago. He and I were headed back to San Antonio so we took a little road that was part dirt, but it seemed to be a shortcut. I remember back then how horrible that road was but how interesting it was at one point to be driving through what felt like an Ocotillo Forest. When we got to that part of the road this year, it was a little disappointing because the ocotillos were barren and brown and the whole area didn't look anywhere near as impressive as it did back then.
Sure doesn't look like anything close to an Ocotillo Forest. But my memory of how pretty it was when we drove through there in July many years ago reminds me that it certainly CAN look pretty foresty around here!
We then drove back to Willcox and got to the lake area in time to see the Sandhill Cranes coming in. We were planning on staying the night in Willcox but texting with Rebeca made us realize we should get back to Tucson. Turns out that Scotty was having a high fever and Rebeca was also starting to feel sick again. So, without question, we drove back to Tucson. The drive this day was so enjoyable and Guillermo and I had such a good time.
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