Vacation: Tanque Verde Guest Ranch, Tucson AZ

Corralled horses await riders on trails throughout the resort

We visited TanqueVerde Guest Ranch today and stayed for lunch in their beautiful dining room.  Our daughter and granddaughter are visiting with us this week so we get to show them the sights.  Tucson has so many hidden treasures and it truly has taken us a long time to dig out the places we know about. 

I always fall in love again with the 'wild west' when I visit this lovely resort.  Horse are corralled close to the center of the resort so visitors can greet and meet with the beautiful creatures.  This particular horse was taken with my daughter's jacket and kept trying to eat the buttons off the front.  How can you not love a horse with such a lovely personality?

The cowboy hat was purchased in the gift shop!  No adventure is complete without a little shopping.

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Breakfast in the Sun...Park Model Living

My husband and I ate breakfast in the sun this morning. While our small park model does get the morning sun through the windows, lawn chairs on that side of the house are protected from the breeze so we eat there. You really cannot imagine how quiet it is here at that time of day. The air is cool (mid 50's) but the sun is very warm.

We are located on one of the large washes here in Tucson. Pantano Wash runs for miles through the city and we are told it can be a raging torrent in the summer . Wild life is a very real part of our life and we live in peace with Road Runners, Rattle Snakes, Humming Birds, Cactus Wrens and Javalinas (Peccaries). Desert rats are a problem for vacant houses so we make sure they stay on the outside where they belong. Taking a kinder approach to those things that are dangerous or dirty is not easy for us. But we do try!

The weather is getting cooler everyday. In spite of what those that live in colder climates believe, we do dress in blue jeans or long slacks most of the winter months. There is just enough of a chill in the air and the temperature lingers in the low to mid 60 in the day light hours. As soon as the sun falls lower in the sky our desert chills returns immediately. The only people you will see in shorts are tourist or snow birds that are new to this experience. Our nod to warmer weather is the absence of coats in our closets. Light jackets are enough most of the time. If it gets too cold, we just wear everything we own!!!

We grow flowers here in the winter. My front flower bed has petunias and melon sage interspersed with agave and cactus. Most things that grow naturally here have thorns so we love plants that don't bite back. Our flowers are a great source of enjoyment for us. My husband even has a tomato plant that is blooming. The plant tried blooming when we first bought it 5 weeks ago but the Javelina's dined on it one night while we were sleeping! That plant has gone through more than is necessary to provide us with patio tomatoes!

We will eat fish at the Elk's Club tonight. It is almost expected here in Tucson that you will eat fish on Friday nights. Seniors vacated the park at supper time to head out for their favorite restaurant. I smile at the quirky things we do just because everyone else does. In Oregon we would never do the fish thing on just one night of the week. But when in Rome....

So life goes here in our RV park...The Waiting Room for Heaven! Have a lovely day and do come down to visit sometime!

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Tucson, AZ....a day in the life of a retiree!

Life in the RV resort continues to be an adventure. We play Bocce Ball once a week with another couple. We love it because it is fun but all too often others take it very seriously. I love the look of the balls on the court in the late after noon. The shadows and colors appeal to my eye. The benches set at the side and believe it or not people do come and watch.

We laugh and joke...probably too loudly for the neighbors. We CANNOT sit in the shade across the street because the gentleman that owns the park model does not want anyone to sit there. We found that out the hard way!

The historic neighborhood near Fort Lowell Park here in Tucson provides some wonderful picture taking opportunities. A small collection of connected adobe dwelling are being used even though they are almost hidden behind cacti and wild flowers. Stones line the gravel entrance and pots sit on courtyard walls.

Performers in airshows around the country come to Tucson to practice their aerial acrobatics. We always enjoy the show. This picture was taken as I stood on the west side of my park model. There was no talking with the neighbors outside on this day. The noise is deafening...and the show is spectacular!

We frequently eat out with friends. The Trident Grill is located near to Tucson Medical Center. A retired Navy Seal owns the restaurant and the decor is a real departure from what you normally seen in Tucson. The food was about *** but the atmosphere and friendly college age waitresses made it a fun lunch place.

Aren't vacations wonderful?

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