Wandering around the Southwest usually means a stop in Tucson, one of our favorite destinations. This time, our stay was longer than usual and we’re so happy we had extra time to explore.

Day one was a bit of a stress bomb after a busy drive between Cottonwood, Ariz., and Catalina State Park in the foothills north of Tucson. Once we arrived at that beautiful spot, it was instantly relaxing, with the craggy peaks of the Catalina mountains washing over us like a tonic.

Next day, following a hike, we headed into town. First, though, a stocking-up stop at Trader Joe’s and then, a fantastic Sonoran dog at El Kora #2. This Tucson wonder pup is seared on a flat top grill and topped with pinto beans, onions, tomatoes, mayo, mustard and jalapeño salsa. Heck, yum, and pass the Tums!

Then it was on to KOA Tucson Lazydays, where we’ve stayed before. We’ve enjoyed the community feel of this expansive park, which has two pools, a pickleball court and an on-site restaurant with regular entertainment. It’s also adjacent to Tucson’s excellent Loop recreation path, which we rode into the city center the following day.

Among the essential stops: the retro cool Hotel Congress, the historic Fourth Avenue district for thrifting and tacos and, finally, the Downtown Dispensary. This extremely busy cannabis store was popping on Black Friday, making the non-weed user on the team giggle a bit. (Yes, Leslie stood outside while John checked out the merchandise inside. The state legalized recreational cannabis in 2021.)

On the way back to our tiny home on wheels, we made a detour to say hi to one of our Going Mobile readers. So nice to meet you, Bob Fisher! Your beautiful class A rig made us a little jealous. Bob, a retired nurse from Spokane, is a big fan of the bicycling in the area and is spending the winter in Tucson.

After four days at the KOA, we rolled west to Tucson Mountain Park, a Pima County park with a large number of RV-friendly sites offering electrical hookups. This gorgeous spot sits just down the road from Saguaro National Park.

For three-action packed days, we took hikes in the national park and in the county park, and  learned about the statuesque Saguaro. Did you know this huge cacti can live hundreds of years? We also visited a vintage movie location called Old Tucson Studios, where hundreds of Westerns were made.

There were moonlight walks into the desert as the coyotes yipped and several meals enjoyed under the stars next to our Outland Firebowl. While savoring everything the Sonoran Desert has to offer, we talked about what we’d do differently when we return.

The consensus? More time in the state and regional parks. Maybe we’ll even look into volunteering as camp hosts. Now we’re off to SoCal, looking forward to a stop in Joshua Tree National Park and then onto the coast.

Connect online

Follow along with our adventures through the Southwest on Facebook and Instagram. Leslie’s also been writing Google reviews of the RV parks we visit. And check out the spokesman.com for all of our stories, along with travel stories from our buddy Dan Webster. Go to: spokesman.com/goingmobile.

 

 

 

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