Arturito has enjoyed his time hanging out with us for some travel and once again asked if he could join me on a visit down south. Today’s destination after my detour through Tucson is Tubac.

Tubac is looking more and more like an alternative to Sedona and Bisbee as a serious art colony. This is a nice place to visit, though, here in the middle of June; I guess with the snowbirds all having returned to Minnesota and other points back east and the threat of Arizona’s scorching heat, it’s a bit quiet down here right now.

Wow, this is the printing press that published Arizona’s first-ever newspaper. The Tubac Presidio State Historic Park is a treasure well worth a visit, and it’s where I found the press.

Welcome to the Tumacácori National Historical Park which’s just a few miles south of Tubac. This old mission was gutted over time, but it’s still interesting to visit.

Not sure what happened to the altar. I’ll need to bring Caroline back so we can investigate this together and learn what is to be known beyond simply taking photos of this spot on the map of history.

Nothing is quite as nice as an oasis in the desert for offering a respite from the hostility of the larger desert that surrounds us. No wonder Tubac is an up-and-coming destination.