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| Sunset in Arizona |
GOODBY BESSIE....ROLLING WITH BERT
We pulled into our first gas station in Arizona (a Costco…
we’re getting good at finding them and Flying J’s) and when we got out the heat
hit us!! Dave said, “Welcome to
Arizona!” It was somewhere around
104!! And its been like that until just
as I write this a storm is brewing into Tucson. (It turned out to be all wind, and a few clouds, but it at least brought the temperature down to the 80s!) Nights have been somewhat
cooler - high 70’s to 80. Our campground in Phoenix had no shade (and just 3 or 4 campers) and
packing and cleaning was cruel. Dave and I both cleaned and packed in our
bathing suits. We would jump in the pool
which was right across from our site and work until we dried off, and then
repeat the process!! But somehow we got everything into Bert! Thank goodness David is a master packer.
Bert update: he is
getting a B-! Every now and then his AC
will cut off but so far for less than 5 miles at a time and then he
miraculously cuts back on! Dave ordered
one last part that MAY solve our problem before getting into his “spaghetti
inards”… But so far, just the threat of installing it has been enough to make
him behave. (Dave also “adjusted” some
of the connections.) I figure as soon as
we reinstall the glove box, he’ll give us a bad time!! What will really be ironic is when the $35
part fixes Bert after THREE $169 diagnostics!!
Friday we arrived in Tucson and began a new routine of
arriving at a Holiday Inn and instead of connecting water, sewer and power,
hauling in a shared suitcase and cooler (and grocery box, computer brief case,
and, and, and,…..). “Myrtle”, our GPS
called this stop, “HI Tucson!” (Holiday Inn, Tucson)… I guess we’ll have HI El
Paso, HI San Antonio, etc. etc.) Advantages: reliable TV and internet and great hot tub! Plus there's always coffee in the lobby and someone else cooks breakfast!
BORDERLANDS
Borderlands is a brewery David invested in 4 years ago in
Tucson. He has bought blocks of stock
twice to help them expand their production.
So far he (and Russell) have been “silent partners.” But they have questions about their
production levels, and why they are not turning a profit. So Dave’s intent was to scope out the place
and ask a lot of questions (He told Russell he didn’t plan to go in “Trump
style”.. lol), but he wasn’t going to be silent. When they started 4 years ago, they had only
nano breweries as competition, now they obviously have more.
Friday night we went
to Born and Brewed, Tucson's 2015 Beer Cup , a craft beer festival in
an historic Hotel courtyard.
Borderlands, and 7 other craft breweries were showcasing their
beers. It was Octoberfest –light, very light!! (Same idea - $35 bought you a taster and food
tickets, the courtyard and a great cowboy blues band.) We were really impressed with Borderland’s
offerings compared to their competition, though they did not win this year
after winning 3 years in a row. One had
some good IPA’s and a few had decent red ales.
I was really impressed with Borderland’s Citrana, a sour of course. (Clay, we’re bringing home a growler and
we’ll “have to” drink it next week before it fizzles!) Folks voted for best
specialty and best overall and then there was a judges ballot.
Saturday we took the segways
down to the brewery and used it as a base to see their progress and production,
and to explore Tucson. They have
improved their downtown warehouse location, adding a courtyard with a bocce
ball court, and place for tables and a food truck. They have also expanded their tasting
room. While we were there they had a
good bit going on: a pub crawl tour came
through, the food truck was busy, and they had a chili cook off. And in Arizona that means chili peppers.
Keith... these are for you....Chili Fest!
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| Chili Smoker... it had a hand crank and the cylinders were attached to a propane tank |
Between scoping out the
activity at the brewery, and meeting with the owners, Dave and I took out the
segways and followed a gallery “crawl” we found in a brochure at the
hotel. We went to a terrific glass
gallery, and a gallery featuring interesting western photographs, and some
wonderful nudes. Deb bought some pottery
and a small rock sculpture that reminded her of the many mountain scenes
outside our window. We also rode on a “green”way…
more like cactus-and-gravel-way, along a “river” that was a big wash. While not the magnificent mile in Chicago, it
had its own kind of beauty.
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