Major Delys launches Titan Missile

Well today was a big day for me, I was made a Major in the USA military and turned the key that launched the a Titan II missile at target location 2. As everyone knows, this was just a mock launch located at the National Historic Landmark Titan Missile Museum south of Tucson. At one time it was a real site and the missile was a live missile sitting in it's silo underground, surrounded by steel and concrete 8 feet thick. It is sobering to think that at one time during the height of the cold war there were 54 of these missiles with the potential to destroy a massive amount of life. The Titan II was 650 time stronger than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII and this is the last site and no longer functional, new countries are now producing and entering the arena revising the fear again.

Special thanks to Wynn and Paula for inviting us into their AZ home and giving us two passes to the Titan Missile Museum, it was an experience I will not forget. With all the interesting things to see in the area and a beautiful RV park, we are hanging out here for a week.

Tubac

The area near Tubac is unexpected with beautiful rolling hills, the Santa Cruz River and the historic town. We lucked out hitting the Luminaria, a holiday lights display throughout the town. Merchants light up their sidewalks and roof tops with lights and bags filled with sand and tiny candles that light the way into their shops. After walking the nearby mission hosting the annual Fiesta de Tumacacori, we enjoyed dinner with Wynn and Paula at Elvira's in Tubac, a local favorite.

Patagonia Lake State Park

Our first time at Patagonia and for sure, not our last. This park is beautiful and has just about everything you could want. There's water for swimming, boating, kayaking, trails for hiking and birds for Blue and I to enjoy. We drove the short distance today and had enough daylight to walk the park, see the marina and take one of the birding trails. And, Gary found this little guy along the shorline, so it is a great fishing lake too!

Kartchner Caverns State Park

We've been to Kartchner Caverns State Park on our last visit but did not have a chance to go into the caves, this time, we did. They are much smaller than the Carlsbad Caverns but full of active formations. The caves were discovered in 1974. The cave's existence became public knowledge in 1988 when its purchase was approved as an Arizona State Park. The caves were untouched by man prior to there discovery so extraordinary precautions were taken during its development to conserve the cave's near-pristine condition. They turn the lights on as you go into areas of the cave and turn off the lights behind as you pass. The only way to experience the caves is on the guided tour and photos are not allowed. This is a far cry from Carlsbad, good and bad can be said about the differences.
The campground is possibly the cleanest we have ever seen. We had a lot of space between us and the other 2 campers giving Blue several opportunities for long walks with some great dirt to flop down on and do the kitty swim in the sand. He also enjoyed several grass hopper catches and a few small tree climbs, lots of fun was had by all.

Rock Hound State Park, New Mexico

This is our second time in Rock Hound State Park. This is always a great time with nice hiking, some good rocks for the taking and this year, we drove the short distance and hiked the Spring Canyon trail for a beautiful view of the valley below. We enjoy Rock Hound with it's spacious sites and great views from every window. It was our place to celebrate Thanksgiving with a turkey breast, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. Blue loved the walks up and down the trail just behind our site. On our second evening a lone coyote sang his best song much to Blues dismay.