Old Tucson

Nonie and Grande took us to Old Tucson for the day. Very fun place! It's been a movie/TV set for almost every Western show or movie made in modern times. (Too numerous to mention!) I was surprised to find Little House on the Prairie was filmed there too! I guess with carefully disguised cacti Arizona will pass for Wisconsin?! The buildings in the "town" area would be very familiar to anyone who has seen the show. It was very fun to turn a corner and exclaim "Oh my gosh, that building is from The Three Amigos!".

In between filming, it is like a mini-amusement park with costumed actors wandering the streets playing out famous gun battles of the Old West. As seen below....

Will was cranky. He perked up a bit when we bought him his own Sheriff's badge and pistol. Not that you can tell from this photo.

I wanted to take my pictures of the buildings and play "guess the show this has been in" but my camera batteries died unexpectedly.

Arizona at last!

Sunshine, warmth, and Nonie and Grande! Hurrah!

Santa Fe, New Mexico

This year for our annual trip down to Tucson, we decided to try something different. We drove to Santa Fe and stayed there for a night. The kids did so much better than we expected in the hotel, which was a huge relief! Santa Fe is beautiful and so fun! We would love to go back for a longer stay. We happened to be there on a Sunday and many stores and most of the restaurants closed after lunch. It made finding dinner quite a challenge, but Trader Joe's to the rescue! Love that place! Here are some random scenery shots from the city.

Wood carving of Saint Joseph, who built the miraculous circular stairway in the Loretto Chapel.

The top of the steeple on the Loretto Chapel.

Beautiful statue outside of The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi.

(Sorry, a bit out of order! Relief from the door of the Basilica above. Statue atop the Loretto Chapel below.)

The front of the Basilica above. And a statue of a conquistador below. That's a parking ramp behind the statue by the way. Much more picturesque than the usual.

Gorgeous carvings from a fountain outside the basilica (above and below).

Loved, loved, loved all the turquoise woodwork in Santa Fe. One of my favorite colors!

Sorry, no pictures of the kids! They were there too I assure you. But they were running non-stop after having been cooped up in the car for the 6 hour drive down here. Imagine a little blur of child running through the photos if you must!

Gorgeous city I would highly recommend. The kids had fun, but it would be a great place for an adult weekend too- cute stores and restaurants. Maybe don't go on a Sunday though :)