Museum Day in Tucson - Southwest USA 2018 - 5
Monday, 2018-04-30 - Museum Day in Tucson
Today is museum day. As the first one, the desert museum, is opening already at 7:30 I'm getting up early again. The Best Western I'm staying at is offering a selection of warm breakfast menus at the restaurant next door. I'm there at 6:20 and even it takes longer than the usual buffet it's worthwhile the time to wait.
I've been to the Desert Museum 18 years ago and in my memories, it was so nice that it was a kind of "must-have" on this year's agenda. The museum is a mixture of garden and zoo and there is so much to see that I'm here for nearly 4 hours. They have hummingbirds (including two sitting on their tiny nests), a mountain lion, many blooming cacti and, and, and.
It's definitely a good idea to be here early, not only because of the temperature (just 70°F, 21°C this morning) but also because the museum is so popular. In the beginning, very, very few visitors were walking along, but latest at 9:30 the families with their kids and the school classes pop up.
So finally, I'm leaving and drive to the next museum. It's the Pima Air and Space Museum. This is a huge complex as well. They have 300 aircraft in several buildings and on a huge outdoor area. They cover everything from World War II and earlier to a Boeing Dreamliner, from small one-person aircraft to fighters, from helicopters to a Mars Explorer. But even if some plane lovers might now shake the heads in disbelieve: Most photogenic are the planes that had been painted by artists.
Even if you just want to get a brief overview you will need here at least two hours. If you want to go into details or listen to the staff who is always happy to tell a story, you will obviously need (much) more time.
You can also book a tour to the airplane boneyard on the airbase nearby. This is a kind of parking lot for military planes which are not in use anymore but may be of help in case of a war. There is another place for non-military planes that you can see on the way from Phoenix to Tucson.
I've read that you have to stay on the bus with all windows closed. So, I skip the tour. Instead, I just drive along the border of that base. Of course, I did not even try to take pictures, but you would have been able to walk between the planes anyhow to get an interesting perspective.
Final topic of today's agenda is Mission San Xavier del Bac. We visited this Basilica when we had been in Tucson 18 years ago, but at that time it was under renovation. So, as I'm in the south of Tucson anyhow I will take a look. I'm lucky, no tour buses around and very few people who want to visit the church. So, I get some nice pictures and leave for the hotel. Ready to get a shower.
