Day 17 - Guided tour to Patagonia, AZ

Our tour guides picked us up in a short bodied crew cab type pickup truck and took us to visit the Empire Ranch, a living history museum, although it looked pretty deserted when we were there today. Apparently they have free range cattle. 

In Patagonia, AZ, our guides took MIL & DH on a stroll down to the river lined by cottonwood trees at a bird sanctuary off of Pennsylvania Avenue. I stayed at the pavilion and watched the humming birds, took photos and a video. We had lunch at the Wild Horse Restaurant, in Patagonia, AZ. 

Then we went to Madera Canyon, which is a box canyon, however the road winds around the top of the canyon midway up the mountains, so that one can see down into the box part of the canyon. Since the road goes further than the box canyon, it gives the illusion that it is not a box canyon. 

As I said before we were riding in the back seat of a pick-up truck which was very cramped. Anytime we stopped, we had to extricate ourselves out of it. I sat in the middle to keep from getting motion sickness, but on the canyon winding road, I ended taking a pill to prevent the sickness before it occurred. 

We went through a Border Patrol check point Charlie once going and once coming back. 

Tomorrow we leave for Sedona, AZ which is forecast to be cooler, although last time I looked at the weather at 10 PM there was a Red Flag Warning tomorrow in the Phoenix area as it was predicted to be windy and conditions would be ripe for wild fires. Since I missed the news tonight, I have no idea if it holds true or not. 

Tonight we went to dinner at a local restaurant in Tucson. Dinner was delicious. I had a shared Caesar salad with DH and a NY strip steak, whipped potatoes and grilled asparagus in a Demi glacé. For dessert I had vanilla & chocolate homemade ice cream.  Back to peasant food tomorrow night. 

A weird thing just occurred on the TV here in Tucson: An Emergency Broadcast alert test for Bland County, Virginia. 

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