The Popeye Express: Tucson, AZ

Meet Maggie MacDonald, not the greatest picture, but still, cute as a bug, or in this case, a Yorkie. Her "Parents", Ron & Sandi drove down from the Phoenix area to meet with us in Tucson. I'll introduce Maggie's parents a little later.

So how did we get from San Antonio to Tucson? Well, if you've ever driven on I-10 through Texas, you will know there isn't much reason to stop. It's pretty barren out there. After 7 months on the road, a little R&R sounded pretty good. We drove from San Antonio in one day to El Paso.

The Welcome Center on the Texas side of the New Mexico border in Anthony, allow RVer's to park for 24 hours, has excellent lighting and even an armed guard. Of course, the prison located not far away (incidentally it is the most picturesque prison you will ever see!) may be the reason for the armed guard. In any event, there are lots of trucks that park overnight as well as other RVer's so we don't feel at all "at risk."

From Tucson AZ

From El Paso, it's an easy drive into Tucson. Of course this time of year is the beginning of high season. So rather than pay outrageous prices in cramped campgrounds for a few days, we opt for the Desert Diamond Casino, pictured above.

Although there are no hookups, if you enter off Highway 19, which goes to Nogales, and then take exit 80, you can easily pull into the drive for delivery trucks and go around the back of the casino coming around far enough to park along the edge of I-19.

From Tucson AZ

It is my practice to go into the casino to the security desk and ask for permission. They are very accomodating, asking only for the license on the RV and signing a statement which is pretty basic about not littering, and making noise, etc. They allow us to stay for an entire week!

As you can see from the picture, there is plenty of room, we are in no one's way, and this was taken at the height of the "crowds." I might add the buffet in the casino is slightly above average, and the ventilation system is good. I hate coming out of a casino smelling like an ash tray.

From Tucson AZ

We are blessed to have many friends in this area. Here we are with the Mac Donalds, (Maggie had to stay in the car) Ron on the left rear, and Sandi on the right rear, and friends Gloria, on the left, and Jack on the right, also RVers who live in Green Valley. The red hatted guy on the right is, of course, Bob.

We met at the La Placita in Green Valley for what was an outstanding lunch. As we all have RVing and many other things in common, it was a great get-together. The next time you happen to visit Green Valley, check out the La Placita. Your stomach will be happy!

And speaking of restaurants, those of you unfamaliar with Tucson will be blown away. Tucson, a destination city for resorts, ranches, and spas, has many killer restaurants.

From Tucson AZ

The one place we miss the most, both while in San Marcos and in our travels, is Beyond Bread. This photo shows the exterior at the Speedway & Wilmot location in east Tucson. The original location is on Campbell on the west side. The Speedway location is where all the baking takes place. Several years ago I asked just how much bread they bake on a daily basis. The answer? 1,800 loaves on weekdays, and about 2,500 on weekends. There are no preservatives, colors, or artificial leavening in any of their breads. The crusts are really crunchy and the inside is simply, well, divine. Open early for breakfast, they close around 8:00 PM at night. In addition to breads, they have soups, salads, the best sandwiches on the planet, and I won't even go into the desserts!

To avoid lines that literally can go out the front door, it's a good idea to arrive by 11:30 AM or after 2:00 PM for lunch. They also have free WIFI during the off-rush hours.

From Tucson AZ

And just in case you're wondering, no I don't get paid for anything I say or write about. These are just our findings about the places we visit and stay. There are other really great places to eat in Tucson, but since I don't have pictures from this trip, I'll pass for now. I am, however, thinking of adding campgrounds we stay at and restaurants that are outstanding at the end of each blog for our upcoming trip. I should add that when it comes to eating, Bob & I strive for fresh, organic, and minimally processed foods. A vegetarian restaurant is always a bonus. If you've come across some good ones, please leave your comments below. I've also added a gadget poll to the right. Please let us know if you're interested in my adding campgrounds & restaurants with the above criteria!

From Tucson AZ

Arizona sunsets are world famous. All that dust in the air! As we were sitting inside Popeye one night, I noticed the sky turning red. I grabbed our camera, crouched down in front of Popeye, and took this photo, right where we parked along the freeway. In dim light & without a tripod, & especially with no great vantage point, it turned out fairly well.

From Tucson AZ

Then I turned around 180 degrees, and took this picture of the casino. And lastly, I snapped this last picture. Hope you enjoy it. Our trip to Tucson was for 5 short days. Mostly we rested and were able to meet with really good friends. We are so fortunate to be able to Go RVing, see interesting places, meet good friends we've found along the way, and stay in touch. That's what life is all about.