Last Sunday evening we journeyed over the hill and through the woods–not quite–we journeyed about 30 minutes from our house over the highway and then the rocky road to the ranch belonging to friends Robbie and Pam. We never tire of the scenic drive to their house nor of the side by side ride we always take around the ranch before dinner–creates an appetite! The lingering mountain snows are still causing the creek to flow and it’s always awesome to see water in the desert! Pam served us beef fajitas with seared vegetables and it was awesome! But before we dined the four of us consumed a ton of chips and Pam’s homemade salsa–it was so, so good!
Monday it felt as if I spent the entire day in the kitchen. I was cooking for our upcoming journey to parts north and for the next round of company arriving on Tuesday. Spaghetti sauce, a lemon meringue pie and refried beans for the Cowboy. He used the beans to pre-make bean burritos which he freezes then reheats on the exhaust of the Can-Am when we are out riding.
Tuesday morning I was on the road very early as in just after 6am! The next round of visitors arrived in Tucson at 8:35am!! So, you know how early they had to rise in order to make their flight in Arkansas!
Not the greatest photo but cool nonetheless! This nest is huge and located over in the small town we can see from our house. Kelly and I spotted the mama owl then on Friday evening the Cowboy and I spotted one baby in the nest but he/she was camera shy. On our way home from a fabulous dinner at Dan and Louanne’s on Friday evening Niki captured this photo of one of the babies in the nest.
It’s been a fabulous week with my Mom, sister Ann and niece Niki. Eating, hiking, eating, sightseeing, hiking, eating–it’s been a busy, awesome time spent with people who are near and dear to my heart.
After retrieving the family from the airport we headed to Cup Cafe in the Hotel Congress in downtown Tucson for a delicious breakfast. The Botanical Garden was a big hit–lots of blooming cactus, butterflies and a “trash from the ocean” exhibit. On the way home we drove through Saguaro National Park where we saw more blooming cactus–even a few saguaro were blooming.
Wednesday morning we were out the door (except for the Cowboy–no surprise there!) heading to the Chiricahua National Monument. Mom stayed home and knitted. Lucia, my friend from the book club suggested the Echo Canyon trail as a good one and it did not disappoint! The Monument is an amazing place! The hike was almost 5 miles with an elevation gain of 500 feet. The hike took us four hours because we stopped often to gawk and take so, so many photos–
The Cowboy and I don’t eat a huge breakfast every day but the family usually eats a cooked breakfast–so we made breakfast every morning and I even made biscuits!! After breakfast on Thursday everyone with the exception of the Cowboy was in the truck heading out for a day of sightseeing. First stop was Douglas to see the Gadsden Hotel and the border wall. We stopped at Walmart to purchase jalapenos which the Tucson Walmart I used for grocery pickup on Tuesday did not have! Again, no jalapenos! Oh MY–it’s a jalapeno shortage!! When I questioned a fellow Douglas Walmart shopper about the hotness of jalapeno versus serrano peppers, he sent me to the Douglas Meat Market for jalapeno peppers. Score!
On to Bisbee and lunch at the Bisbee Breakfast Club which is always so good! Jodee recommended a favorite Mexican restaurant but a Mexican casserole was on our menu for dinner Thursday night–so Bisbee Breakfast Club it was. We drove some of the streets of Bisbee–Mom doesn’t walk well and Bisbee sidewalks are not wheelchair friendly.
Tombstone was our last stop on Thursday and Mom walked on the boardwalk for a bit then the two of us sat and people watched while Ann and Niki wandered into the shops.
Friday Ann decided she had had enough hiking and sent Niki and me out on our own. Our destination was the Cochise Stronghold just a few miles from our home. We were searching for pictographs and were successful using Louanne and Linda’s directions. The hike was steep but short and we were both so thrilled to find the drawings. There are more pictographs but the trail became very steep and we decided to be glad we saw the ones we did find!
Friday evening we enjoyed a fabulous meal (as usual) at Dan and Louanne’s. They had met Mom but not Ann and Niki. It was a great evening with the best of food and best of friends!
Saturday we were to have left for Tucson and the airport by noon but American Airlines had other ideas! GRRRRR!!! They delayed their flight by just enough time for them to miss their Little Rock connection. The next flight was too soon for me to get them to Tucson so—-we were up and out of the house by 2am Sunday for their 5am flight. UGH!! And the saga continued! Their early morning flight departed Tucson but their next flight from Dallas to Little Rock was cancelled! They spent the day sitting in the Dallas airport exhausted from their early, early flight and finally were boarding a flight at about 5pm their time. I’m guessing the delays were caused by weather.
It’s almost time for our wheels to be rolling. Life is good!
Restoration Cowboy Style 
great pictures. Your pie looks like a work of art.
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Thanks Sandi–the meringue comes out of the oven fluffy and tall then usually sinks a few inches–can’t figure out why!
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That you could create such a monumental meringue is awesome!āMy meringue is notable too…for its unmonumental peaks.ā
And I too think your photography is grand. Beautiful scenes in all the pictures.
Emjay
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You made me laugh! My meringue sunk a couple inches as it cooled! Thanks for your photo praise!
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Good morning Jannaā¦I love going for brunch at Hotel Congress.āItās so pretty and so historic and even haunted!āAnd the Botanical Gardens is always a favorite.āI so enjoyed reading all bout your visit and the fun hikes you did together and seeing those big smiles!ā.āI laughed about Michael heating his lunch on the exhaustā¦when we were in Moab lots of folks heated burritos on their engines.āAnd I agree with Sandiā¦your pie is a work of art!āgay
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It was such a great visit, they loved everything we did! Geri and Larry are the ones who taught us to warm our lunch on the exhaust, following them was always torture right before lunch.šš
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What a wonderful gift you were able to give your family members – such a great visit!āToo bad about the trip home being disrupted – we had a series of flights home last week from a trip and everything went so smoothly, we were amazed as this particular route seems to be prone to weather disruptions.āIts too bad US airports don’t have those short stay hotels so delayed travelers can rest somewhere other than terminal waiting areas.
And I am very impressed with the owls’ nest, I’ve never seen anything like it.
Ceci
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The family made it home and slept very well as did I after our early trip to the airport! Weāve never seen a nest like that one and itās been there for several years.
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I Agree with everyone, that pie is beautiful and I’m sure it tasted as good as it looked – always a bonus!
Great pictures of your hikes, made me exhausted just looking at them!
Safe travels north!
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Thanks Sue, I think the pie recipe I used was one of Pamās. That Chiricahua hike was exhausting!
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What a wonderful week with your mom, sister, and niece. You showed them all the best places! The puffin made of beach trash is so cool. It reminds me of the sculptures made by an artist in Bandon, Oregon at a place called “Washed Ashore.” Makes me think that some of the sculptures are now traveling or finding homes around the country? Your hike in Echo Canyon was one of our favorites in the Chirichauas. Loved seeing your photos.
Michael cooking on the exhaust reminded me of my family cross-country camping trips in the 60s. My mom made dinners wrapped in many layers of newspaper and foil and cooked on the manifold. They were delicious, and we always got surprised looks when we pulled up to the gas station and delicious smells were wafting from under the hood. šš
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Thatās a wonderful ācooking on the exhaustā story!! The washed ashore sculptures are a traveling exhibit. I love that youāve hiked Echo Canyon! Wish you guys would one day come back this way.
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Wow, you certainly covered a lot of territory with your company.āWhat wonderful times to share.āAll those flight delays are so incredibly tiresome.āAnd yes…that meringue pie looks like a mountain.āI never have perfected that particular bit of baking, possibly because I am not particularly fond of meringue.āNow the lemon part definitely is a winner.
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We were busy! I donāt make meringue often, itās a lot of work and eggs!
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Love those rock formations from your hike! Also love that pie and the owl pictures. We are headed up your way in a couple weeks ourselves as we pass enter Canada through the Sweetwater crossing.
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I knew what crossing you were referring to! Will you be coming through Big Timber?
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As of right now we are passing through Billings to Great Falls on May 24th. So, we will be going right through Big Timber!
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Opps, I meant Sweetgrass crossing.
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What a wonderful visit – you definitely got to all the best spots!! You’ll have to try the cantina when not having Mexican food the same day – always good to have places still on the list :-)) I agree the pie is a work of art. Bet it was as good as it looks! My boys still ask for “roping burritos” that originated when we lived on the ranch in California and would take foil wrapped deliciousness to the weekly calf-ropings and keep them warm on the truck engine – they stay warm in the oven these days. Bummer the wonderful visit ended with travel drama, and glad all arrived – eventually – home safely.
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We did hit all the high spots and my family had a great visit! Lots of folks have talked about heating food on the vehicle engines–seems to be the thing! We will try the Cantina in Bisbee although it’s hard to steer the Cowboy away from the Bisbee Breakfast Club!
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