Municipal Golf Courses + Tubac Festival

Been a little slow on the blog lately due to extremely slow internet service - especially after 5 pm.

Life at Desert Trails RV (backing onto Tuscon Mt Park) still occupies us after three weeks here.  About 3 times a week we see gorgeous sunsets and the more time we spend playing on the trails, the more we see.  Dawn & dusk bring out the majority of the wildlife and apparently even more so after a rain (which we are supposed to get this Sunday).   After having a few days of 75+ temperatures, it will be welcome.

 

Every night the coyotes hold a conference about midnight behind our RV in the wash & start of the trails.   It sounds like there are about 30.  Saw one out back the other morning and I finally saw a roadrunner.   Have seen three now - one today running across the road & finally taking flight.  They do not fly far as it takes huge effort due to their short wingspan.  The coyote above, Marc saw pouncing at the edge of the golf course. 

EL RIO Golf Course has an interesting history.   A flat course but challenging as the fairways are narrow and the greens small.   First grass course built in Arizona in 1929.  The Tucson Open was played at El Rio from 1945 through 1962. It was the original site of that PGA Tour event. Many of the legendary greats of that era played at El Rio; In his first appearance in the Tucson Open at El Rio in 1946, Ben Hogan won $186. Ken Venturi won $75 in his first appearance (1959). Sam Snead won $55 in 1948. There was a 7-way tie for 25th place in 1953, when only the top 25 finishers were in the money, and each won $7. Arnold Palmer won $0 in his first appearance at El Rio in 1955. The town of Tubac was established as a Spanish presidio in 1752.   It was one of the stops on the "Royal Road" from Mexico to Spanish settlements in California.   Today the remains of the town (Tubac was the site of a seige in 1861 between militia and apache warriors) are preserved by the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park.

Tubac

Today, Tubac is known as Arizona's only true artist colony with 90 galleries & studios and only 40 miles south of Tucson.  Tubac's Center of the Arts (held every Feb) offers exhibits, jewellry, clothing, mexican arts, food and music from across the country, including Canada.

Mexican garden art (metal works & pottery)

Marc's relatives came down for the day from Mesa for the Tubac Center of the Arts.  Had an enjoyable sushi dinner & met a 2nd cousin (& husband) of Marcs for the first time. residents of Tucson.

Pit House

The hohokam built pit houses, using only sticks and baskets to scoop dirt; heavy mesquite and pine support the roof and the walls are intertwined ocotillo and saguaro ribs.  

Native Dancers playing conch shells