Movies in Tucson

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

On highway 79 in Arizona

Caroline and I tried for an early morning start for a visit to Tucson today and were finally underway shortly before 9:00. After nearly a half-hour, we began to leave civilization and enter the natural desert.

Along the way, we pass a few gas stations, an ostrich farm, a nut farm, Picacho Peak State Park which was the site of the furthest west Civil War battle, and quite a few cacti. On the outskirts of Tucson, we pass some lush desert landscapes that are soon to disappear, making way for progress. A nearby sign announces the coming of a new grocery store – goodbye, cactus!

The Silvas in Tucson, Arizona

Our first stop of the day is in Oro Valley, just outside of Tucson, to visit the Silvas. Arturo and his family have been friends now for many years. In the photo, Arturo is on the right, his son Arturito (Artoodeetoo) is behind him, and on the left is Arturo’s mother. We pass Guadalupe, Arturo’s wife, as we approach their house, stopping long enough to say hello as she is on her way to take daughters Melissa and Sophia to Sunday School and Church. Our visit was short as Arturito was on his way back to Flagstaff for University after having come down to see a concert featuring Molotov and El Gran Silencio, Arturo needed to join his family at Church, and Caroline and I had primarily come down to catch a couple of movies.

Loft Cinema Lobby in Tucson, Arizona

This is the lobby of the Loft Cinema in Tucson, Arizona. We have visited before to see ‘What is it?” by Crispin Glover, but today we were here for a double feature, including the Chinese film 2046 and the Korean film Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. Both films were excellent, although Caroline and I both agreed that we enjoyed 2046 just a bit more. Be careful seeing Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, it is a demanding, violent, even a little slapsticky film that should not be seen by the timid.

Tucson, Arizona

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Sophia Silva losing her teeth in Tucson, Arizona

This was a surprise trip down to Tucson, as Arturito, who had been gone a couple of months for his first year in college up in Flagstaff, Arizona, was able to get a ride as far south as Phoenix. I took him the rest of the way to see his parents. Guadalupe, in particular, was missing her son quite badly, so this seemed like the right thing to do. His sisters were happy to see him, and so was his father. Sophia, his youngest sister, pictured left, was losing teeth rapidly but scoring just as quickly with the Tooth Fairy. Our visit was short but long enough to get fed and fed well. I received plenty of hugs of appreciation, although not as many as Arturito, it was a brave parting.

Tucson, Arizona

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

The Barn Owl seen at the Sonora Desert Museum near Tucson, Arizona

Today is my 41st Birthday, and to make a simple note of it, we took a day trip south towards Tucson, Arizona. There is no better time to visit the wild desert than now, in springtime, and so our first stop was the Saguaro National Park. Flowers and cactus were blooming white, hot pink, and yellow.

The Sonora Desert Museum was stop number two, where we were treated to the sight of this Barn Owl, a Harris Hawk, and some confined wildlife. The Tucson Botanical Garden was almost our last stop; a birthday cake awaited me at the Silva’s home, and then it was back into the car for the drive home.

Tucson, Arizona

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Guadalupe, Arturo, Tyson the Dog, Arturito, Caroline and John Wise in Tucson, Arizona

Meet the Silvas: On the left is Arturo’s wife Guadalupe, then Arturo, holding Tyson, the little dog, is their son Arturito, while their daughters Sophia and Melissa are too short and stand below Caroline’s chin and so cannot be seen in this photo – just kidding. We don’t get down often enough to visit the Silva Family in Tucson.

Sunset near Picacho Peak in Arizona

And, of course, there was this sunset near Picacho Peak on the way home.

Tucson to Tombstone

JWise Photo of the Day, Travels

Saguaro Cactus in the Arizona Desert

Another mega-one-day trip into Arizona. We started by speeding south down Interstate 10, zipping past Picacho Peak State Park before stopping to take at least one roadside photo to prove that we were heading somewhere. Blam, there are saguaros, so you now know we are out in the desert and not by the pool.

San Xavier del Bac in Tucson, Arizona

Just south of Tucson, we created quite the commotion as we skidded into the gravel parking lot of Mission San Xavier del Bac, said a couple of Hail Marys, and were once again on the move.

Titan Missile Museum in Green Valley, Arizona

Nothing like some nuclear violence and missiles to go with God, and so it was ordained that we should stop at the Titan Missile Museum in Green Valley and look death in the face.

Longhorn Grill in Amado, Arizona

It only gets better when you throw slabs of a dead grilled cow on a plate and dig into the rare warm flesh of a mammal to celebrate that though God, war, and pestilence are all around, we are going out celebrating life while the stars still shine, the sun burns brightly, and God has not smitten me for my nearly blasphemous musing at his expense. Sadly, we did not eat here at the Longhorn Grill in Amado, even though it was our second time through.

Southern Arizona

Across the desert landscape, we search for more debauchery or water, whatever we find first.

Patagonia Lake, Arizona

Drats, we found water first here in Patagonia, which I thought was in Chile, but that’s what the sign said.

Dirt trail through a stream bed in southern Arizona

No road or creek will be missed on this trip that plans to take in all of Arizona today. This is the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, and I can assure you that no fish were killed in this river crossing, though the frog I hadn’t seen crossing the stream at the same time we were now has a crippled leg.

Bisbee, Arizona

Ahhh, Bisbee! An old favorite we’ve been to with my parents back in 1995, then again with Jutta just last year, and now here we are again, probably starting to annoy the people of this mining town with our near-constant presence.

Bisbee, Arizona

Then again, there is nobody here to bother, so why worry?

Bisbee, Arizona

I’ll tell you why you worry because this crazy town of Bisbee has shark cars, and anywhere a shark car is street legal; it must mean one thing, violators of the rules or unwanted vermin are quickly eaten and pooped out the tailpipe; end of the story.

Tombstone, Arizona

Next door to the O.K. Corral in Tombstone is the phone booth that Clark Kent used to become Superman. Yep, we are driving north again after having bumped into Mexico by Bisbee, but we’re good now as we slingshot upwards, certain to hit the Grand Canyon before sunset.

Tombstone, Arizona

Damn, we got caught up at the Bird Cage Theatre watching some old-timey burlesque, though I’m not sure poles were part of the act way back when. After all that hot dancing action, I had to visit the local Tombstone brothel, which turned out to be a bummer because the last bordello closed in 1946, which is so unfair! See if I ever come back.

Quarter Horse Motel in Benson, Arizona

I didn’t even get to tell you about exploring the rest of Bisbee, walking around Tombstone and checking out Boothill Graveyard, visiting the town of Patagonia, or some of the other stuff we saw at the Titan Missile Museum or in the Wildlife Refuge. And now it’s 7:30 p.m., and we’re only passing through Benson (but had to stop to take a photo of this great neon sign in front of a dramatic sky) and won’t even be back in the Phoenix area before 10:30 p.m. Next time, we’ll have to leave around 4:00 in the morning or not dawdle as much along the way. By the way, this is how we spend a random Wednesday. I wonder what we’ll do for an encore on the weekend?