The Musical Instruments Museum
Probably the only time Ken will ever pluck a harp string. Experience Gsllery of the Musical Instruments Museum. Photo by Jonathan
--February 15, 2025 at 11:43 AM.
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Tucson
Pink Hills Area
Our first, but probably not last, hike in the Pink Hills area.
About 2.3 miles into our loop hike. There are many ways to enlarge or shrink the loop since the trails are numerous and interconnected. Our hike would span 5.6 miles. Vistas of desert brush, 4 horses with their riders, and at least a dozen hikers mostly seen in the later portion of the hike, added spice to a lightly hazy but eventually near 80 F day.
--February 16, 2025 at 11:21 AM.
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The Bowen Stone House
Parking at the Camino de Oeste Trailhead we could go as far along this trail as we wished. There are several trails in this area so options for a variety of hikes abound. Today we expected we would keep it short and easy with Sherry and Ruby Bowen’s stone house remains as the goal.
An animated map view of what we did is here.
The trail lays next to a wash that I think could be easier to walk than these short sets of rocky steps we find now and then.
--February 17, 2025 at 9:21 AM.
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Sherry and Ruby Bowen lived here from 1931 to 1943. Their homestead grew to cover 2,000 acres. I’ve no idea where they got water for the house.
--February 17, 2025 at 9:54 AM.
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Mom is feeling less than perfect so a chance to sit down at what turns out was the entrance to the house was welcome. Photo by Jonathan
--February 17, 2025 at 10:00 AM.
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Ken. Inside the just over 1,000 square foot home. Photo by Jonathan
--February 17, 2025 at 10:04 AM.
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Painted Hills Trails Park
This city park is very close, especially considering how things sprawl here,to where we are staying. We didn’t know of this park until now. We wanted a short hike and we achieved that goal. However, we ended up not doing what we had planned doing. But this little park is still a nice place to visit.
The animated map view is here.
Hiking along a wash in Painted Hills Trails Park. It’s greener, which is not saying much, here than the other places we have been this trip.
--February 18, 2025 at 9:21 AM.
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We definitely missed the trail intersection and followed this deep sandy wash for 0.3 to 0.5 miles. This view is on our return journey just after it began.
--February 18, 2025 at 9:43 AM.
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Agua Caliente
We have been here before but I don’t recall the place. The stand-out feature is the not-quite-hot spring-fed pond that flows into two other ponds. The spring is reportedly 87 °F. Back at the start of the 1900s people came here to soak in the warm waters for their health. Today just fish, ducks, and turtles use the ponds. Other fauna, including venomous creatures some signs warn about, make this 101-acre park home.
Agua Caliente is a 101-acre park. The spring pups out warm water, about 87 °F I believe, into Pond One. There is water flow to the two other ponds: Pond Two and Pond Three.
--February 18, 2025 at 2:31 PM.
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I am fairly sure this bird drying its wings is a duck of some type. Besides several ducks Pond One hosts turtles and fish. I am pretty sure everything is non-native.
--February 18, 2025 at 2:34 PM.
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There are a few logs placed in the ponds. Clearly a perfect place to warm yourself under clear blue skies especially if you happen to be a turtle.
--February 18, 2025 at 2:51 PM.
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The fuzzy parts of this palm tree are, I believe, mistletoe. Apparently mistletoe grows into the bark of the tree, causing stress and eventually killing the tree according to the horseback lady we met a couple days ago because it has been so dry there’s actually been more mistletoe growingon trees causing damage.
--February 18, 2025 at 2:56 PM.
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