Tubac to Tumacacori

Sunday, before the soccer game, I loaded up my camera gear, threw on my cowboy boots, and hit the road to Tubac, Arizona to the annual Tubac Festival of the Arts. My route took me on Highway 82 through the Whetstone Mountains (so named because they look like, well...whetstones!) and out onto the cienga that is home to the famous Elgin wine country. The highway passes through Sonoita (where I nearly got into a wreck in January due to my inattention to the fact it's NOT a four way stop), then down the valley through Patagonia and into the border town of Nogales. From Nogales I looped onto Interstate 19, which is interestingly signed in kilometers rather than miles. A few miles north I passed Tumacacori and headed on to Tubac.

I've been to Tubac Festival of the Arts before, some 10 years ago. These days there is a new "Barrio de Tubac" housing development south of the tiny town. As for the festival, one has to park far away and walk into the town as the streets are blocked off. I decided I didn't really feel like hoofing around all morning looking at high-priced art so I turned around and went back to Tumacacori to learn what the Tumacacori National Historical Monument is all about.

Tumacacori is home to one of the many missions that dotted the southwest in the 1800s. The mission was started in 1800 and is really worth the $3 admission. I'll post photos at a later date, but I'm sure they will all turn out fantastic as the sky was clear and sunny and good lighting. Being the sort of fellow who crawls around old buildings to shoot photos, this place was clearly marked "Please stay on the trails" so I did just that. Near the entrance to one of the out buildings (mind you this is an adobe and brick affair) was a camera tripod and bag but no camera or photographer nearby. So I stepped into the building and came face to face with one interesting character. After he finished his shot with his camera, he stepped outside with me and we struck up a conversation. Long story short, he and his somewhat younger relative were both men who shoot with Nikon cameras and both have just made the leap into digital photography with the Nikon D70. The D70 is the camera I plan to buy, so I spent some time talking with these gentlemen about the merits of the D70 versus other cameras.

For this story to have any impact, you have to imagine these two guys (I did not take a photo of them, but wish now that I had). The older of the two wore a windbreaker and khaki pants and sported a wide-brimmed straw hat with an Army aviation pin on the band. He had long hair that may have been red and light complexion and even before he joked about "needing a fix", I knew that he smoked. The younger of the two had a wide smile and played the same tune when it came to the D70: best bang for the buck. I assumed from their speech they were southern but hail now from Tucson. The elder of the two turned me on to a site called www.nikonians.com. After all pleasantries were dispensed with and conversation grew to a close, I headed off to shoot the rest of the 15 photos I took there.

Near the museum, I had a free hot tortilla with refried beans and salsa fired up by a Native woman I assume to be from the Tohono O'Daham tribe. Another woman of similar background was inside the museum bookshop doing basket weaving out of bear grass...as tradition of the O'Daham people. As I left the museum portion I made sure to show my National Park Pass so as not to have them think I'd skated out without paying. The lady at the register handed me a brochure for the monument just as I was holding the door for a couple to pass through the entrance...so I got a good stretch and a good chuckle from all in the bookshop. The lady asked me if I knew where I was going next. I said "Yes, home to Sierra Vista" and got another good laugh. I wasn't the only comedian there as a 60 year old fellow was chatting her up and also got the tortilla lady to pose for him beside her brick oven. He must be a salesman or a retired ladies man. Quite impressive.

After Tumacacori, returned home, indeed and then proceeded to abuse my body on the soccer field. All in all, a good day.