The Town Too Tough to Die

We made our way from New Mexico back into Arizona with a stop in Tombstone. The whole town is a bit of a tourist trap, but its still essential for anyone who appreciates history. Apparently the real gem in the area is the old mining town Bisbee. After putting over 1500 miles on my rental car, I was ready to get back to Tucson to lay by the pool for our last day. It was 84 degrees with a light breeze, book, pool... perfect end to a fantastic trip!

Gold, Glory, and God

The San Xavier Mission was founded by the Jesuit Father Kino in 1692. Its the oldest intact European structure in Arizona, and its the oldest Catholic church still servicing the original community for which it was built...the Tohono O'odham of Wa:k. The Mission was around 150 years before the area was even part of the United States! The Baroque facade beautifully pays homage to 4 female saints and to the mother country, Spain. The main alter inside has two huge gold lions that were restored by Gloria Giffords, Congresswoman Gabby Giffords mother (TOAST!). The surrounding area had an amazing variety of cacti and scenic mountain backdrops from every angle. This is a must stop for anyone visiting the Southwest.

What Would Dillinger Do?

Tucson, Arizona is a city with a lot more history than I realized. The historic Hotel Congress is where we found ourselves for the first night of our Southwest road trip. It was built in 1919, but in January of 1934 John Dillinger and his gang were captured here. Its rumored that many ghosts frequent the building, which is probably why they have a table that is a giant ouija board in the lobby! It was pretty fun to sit there and attempt to communicate with spirit world while I drank my morning coffee. The vibe of the hotel is massively cool, but the windows are single pane glass and its located in a pretty busy part of town so its quite loud at all hours of the night...I must be getting old.