Tucson, AZ

Tucson, AZ - June 15 - 20

Lazy Days and our stay here was really a treat. The Lazy Days Campground is on the same property as a Camping World and the Lazy Days RV Service Center. I think there are just over 400 lots, and I am sure in the winter months there isn't a spot available. However, because now it is the middle of the summer we had no problem finding a spot. It is a beautiful facility with a restaurant, pool, and fitness center. It also had the most friendly staff and was gated 24/7 so we always felt safe. We spent 5 nights here and ate at the Waffle House every morning. YUM!

Big pull through spots. We should have brought at TN flag to fly.

Truth.

A life long friend from Maryville, Jennifer McAmis, lives out here because she is getting her PhD in political science.  We have been able to spend some time together which has been really wonderful. It is so great to have friends all over the country. Since it is summer and university classes are not in session, she has been busy teaching ZUMBA all over the Tucson area. Friday evening Dad took us out to dinner at a restaurant Jennifer picked called Sauces. We all had delicious pizza and caught up on what's been going on in our lives. Although college has separated many of my friends since high school, it really is such a joy to realize that we can still pick up as friends immediately. Since she is teaching so much, I thought it would be so fun to take an Aqua ZUMBA class from her so Saturday morning I went to one of the Y's and took her class. She did such a stellar job teaching, and I really had a fun time! We spent the rest of the day visiting and catching up at the pool before a small storm came up. Fun fact for that day - that was the most it had rained in one day since 1908 - .29 inches!!!

Jennifer and I at this great Mexican place.. So happy to see her doing so well!  I'm so proud of her and so thankful we were able to meet up! Love love love!

Our Newell next to the 2011 Newell at the Lazy Days Campground. We met the owners, Ron and Debbie of Tucson. They gave us a gold mine of great information on campgrounds to visit and day trips to take in the Jeep. Maybe we will be able to meet up with them down the road as they are planning some time in the West this summer.

Dad and I thought it would fun to do some touristy things since we were not going anywhere for a few days.  He choose the Titan Missile Museum south of Tucson on the way to Mexico. The museum is home to the Titan II which was one of many nuclear ballistic rockets that had the power to reach Russia during the Cold War. It is the only totally preserved silo, and we took a very informative tour. The  best part was that it was 90% underground so we didn't spend too much time in the sun.



On the way to the museum. I-19 south uses kilometers to measure the interstate distance the closer we got to Mexico. Jennifer had told us this was going to happen, and it definitely felt like we weren't in America.

This museum had a gift shop and displays about the Titan II.

A very good overview of what the Cold War was about.

This is what we toured underground. The far module to the left is the control center where there were 4 military personnel working at all times. The middle module is the entrance, and the module on the right is where the missile is housed. All of the structures in the silos had these huge springs so that if the missile had been launched, the structures would have been able to move to be able to absorb the force of the missile launching. The springs also assisted in the safety of the personnel from possible earthquakes, and even incoming missiles.

The cover of the silo is opened half way and inside that glass dome is the Titan II.

A  good view of what the facility looked like topside. The vehicle was for security and you can see the top of the glass dome and the cover opened.



This is looking down through the glass dome from outside. I got a tad woozie when I looked in because it was so far down. I think the heat might have attributed to the wooziness, but it sure seemed like the hole went on forever.

The entrance to the silos. There were 55 steps down to the visitors level and there was an incredible safety sequence that had to be performed every single day with all of the military personnel as they entered the silos.



This is a picture of the HUGE springs I mentioned earlier. This station is also where the commander sat. This seat had to be filled 24/7. 



The Titan II is at the 571-7 Missile Site.



Control Center. If the missile had been ordered (by the President) to be launched there was a six character code that had to be entered. The tour guide showed us that each of the six dials had sixteen possible characters. So there were 6 to the 16th possible codes and only one could launch the missile.



Looking up into the missile module at the Titan II.

Dad snapped this of me probably taking the picture above.

This is a picture of the hallways that connected the different modules together. Dad has on a hard hat. Everyone over 5'10'' had to wear one so I was spared.

So what else did we do in Tucson? Well, I spent some time at the pool with tons of sunscreen and tried to get onto the time zone, ate at the Waffle House, and got a new phone. The GPS on my Droid hasn't been working for a while and we finally remembered that I have insurance (yay!).  We spent a good 45 minutes on the phone with the Verizon tech guy and he finally concluded that, duh, it wasn't working.  He would send a phone to me in Tucson. It's always exciting to have something new to play with so that has kept me very entertained. It's not even the same style of phone! Exactly two years ago, I had to have a Blackberry sent out here when we were getting the Newell. What are the chances of that? So we spent quite a while working with my new smarty phone and trying to get it all set up. It's practically a little computer in your hands these days. 

Early in the morning on the 20th, we hit the road and arrived safely at Usery Mountain Recreation Area in Mesa, AZ (only 200 miles, so a short and easy trip). The trip to Usery was without a doubt the best drive we have taken on this adventure. It was straight interstate and then a four lane highway around and major roads to Usery. We will stay here 4 nights as well.

I think I just saw a rattlesnake. More later!