Back from the Tucson

I took some time off over the Christmas holiday for a road trip from Seattle to Tucson, AZ, to visit my mother.  We decided to drive, which was much cheaper than flying and renting a car when we arrived. We also enjoyed the adventure of it all.

I didn't mention the trip here on my blog because it would only invite a home burglary from folks like my old friend Bezzle.  Never turn your back on a libertarian, or he'll be all over you with force and fraud, always looking to steal your Max Stirner:

We drove 3,660 miles round-trip, some serious Happy Motoring.  My wife and I drove in three shifts, with me taking the morning and evening legs each day.

On the way down, we skirted Siskiyou Summit in southern Oregon and took 101 through Redwood country down the California coast.  Gorgeous country, and it was fun driving over the Golden Gate bridge and through San Francisco before connecting back to I-5, the mother road, once again.

One night we had a herd of 11 javelinas eating leftover birdseed on my mom's patio.

The next day we visited the Pima Air and Space museum in Tucson.  The highlight -- in my opinion -- is the old B-52 that was customized to carry the X-15 space plane back when America still kicked ass in the 1960s.  Here's where the late Neil Armstrong used to hang out:

America, fuck yeah!

We then took the tour of the AMARC "boneyard", definitely worth doing.

F-16s

Navy/Marines trainer, fun planes

B-1 bombers

A-10s scrapped for parts

B-52s, some with the wings cut off for SALT

No trip to Tucson is complete without loading up on tasty Poblano sauce.  I visited a couple Food City stores and, like a complete asshole, I just emptied the shelves of the green sauce:

We also visited a Tucson rock shop near the Desert Museum, where I found a most excellent trilobite, a 520-million y-o specimen from North Africa.  Here it is back in Seattle.

We made it back to Seattle in about 2 days, stopping to visit the splendid Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch, between Tucson and Phoenix.  This is possibly the world's best petting zoo and the best entertainment $5 can buy.

Also, now that I have memorized the menu at Denny's, I can recommend the new "value" options to you.  Look for the $8 breakfast on the back that includes juice and coffee.  It will not let you down.  I am also happy to report that the bacon at Denny's is no longer the thickness of onionskin or prosciutto.  May God bless the return of real bacon!