"Καλημέρα" (Kalimera means “good morning”) Mani Peninsula!

The scenic drive through medieval towns on the morning of October 22 is magical on roads the width of a typical driveway in the States. The town of Limeni with its blue skies and aqua waters begs for a stroll and we oblige with a walk along the rocks and a visit with sea turtles and Australian sun bathers. It’s postcard perfect. Worth a stop - and even a few days’ stay? YES, indeed – maybe next time.

The ride continues and we arrive in Areopoli where the Greek fight for independence began on March 17, 1821, when the Maniot leaders declared war on the Ottoman Empire marking the start of the revolution.
​
Warm cookies from the bakery and a few jolts of caffeine accompany a long stint of people watching on the square while we soak up the sun – with sunscreen protection, of course.

Who can resist a cave tour? Not us. Next stop the Caves of Diros. There’s a short wait for two strangers to bring us to the minimum party of 6 for the trek down a dark tunnel to a tiny boat for an underworld adventure dotted with stalactites and stalagmites and a few eels. The cave tour finishes on foot before we step back into the warm sunshine. Off season travel has its advantages!

We pile back into the car for another stretch of driving. Balancing the driving with short sightseeing breaks creates a pace that feels just right for us. With sailboats to keep us company, we enjoy a simple midday meal in the seaside town of Gytheio. We share a salad with walnuts and figs – chicken with a honeyed olive oil sauce and one dish that they do brilliantly here – sauteed mushrooms. We then split up for a tour of the town – Stacy and Rick along the harbor while Nancy and Richard meander through the winding streets and up the hills and back. Nancy peeked into an ancient home that was in the very early stages of a gut renovation. High ceiling with wide wooden beams spanned the space. It’s fun to imagine what will emerge at this location and in the other properties that are being brought back to life throughout the town. It’s encouraging to see.

Tuning into a local radio station makes for a pleasant drive out of town until it cuts off as we drive further into the mountains towards our final stop of the day -- the town of Monemvasia. . As we approach it’s impossible to ignore the huge rock just off shore in the distance. Richard remembers reading about the Castle Rock – known as the “Gibraltar of Greece”. Our GPS is set for our accommodations for the next two nights and – wait a minute -- it takes us over the causeway right to the rock! As instructed by a message from our host,  we drive right up to castle gate. Richard drops us off along with our luggage and heads back to find a parking space along the road that hugs the rock. Minutes later, we are greeted by our host Chrysoula and Mr. Dionisis – a seasoned porter who loads everything onto a push cart -- and we’re on our way. 

When we awake, its agrotourism day and soon we are dirt roading it to Kinsterna Hotel for a day of wine tasting, a hike through the five star property, and a honey tasting. Our only regret? We didn’t book a massage at the spa!
​
The “terroir” makes the wine and a brilliant sommelier introduces us to regional varieties that the Hotel has been producting for centuries:

• A fresh white with citrus and pineapple notes using a blend of grapes: Monemvasia, Kydonitsa –“Fruit of the Queen” – named for its distinctive quince flavors, and Assyrtiko – a white grape from Santorini.
• An easy-drinking red made from Agiorgitiko and Mavroudi, featuring notes of red fruit and plum.
• Malvasia – the star of the show -an excellent fortified wine similar to Port or Madeira

During the tasting, we learn to distinguish colors, breath deep to sense the nose, and sip in three distinct stages while we tasted the magic in each glass. Using a point system, we rate the wines from 0 to 4 and we found that we’re actually pretty good at that! It was a fun surprise to see that they use ink drawings of the animals living on property to label the wines – a fluffy sheep for the whites, a crimson rooster for the reds, and for the rose’, a donkey. We rank this tasting experience a 12 out of 10 so,  if you are anywhere in the vicinity, make this wine tasting your destination - why not splurge on a luxurious stay while you’re here?

After the tasting we got to tour the cavernous underground cistern that gives the hotel its name and where the wine is stored for aging.

Before the honey tasting, we’re off for a hike through the property. We return to meet Costas, a passionate and gentle beekeeper with a thousand stories to tell and a dozen different honeys to taste. A few fun facts about honey:

• Beekeepers move their hives – forests and groves where the bees gather nectar from the trees, herbs, and flowers
• They harvest 3 kilos of honey from each frame
• 50K bees can coexist in a spring hive with a clear definition of duties: the queen, nurses, guards, and workers
• Queens survive for 2 – 3 years before being destroyed by the bees
• To replace the queen, 30 baby bees are chosen and fed royal jelly. Only one survives and she flies out a single time to mate with a drone
• Bees communicate by dancing
• Every 8 years, honey wax is replaced
• Sun, heat, and oxygen kill the honey
• Colors range from white to dark amber
• Bees do the flavor blending, naturally
• Honey has medicinal effects: Milk thistle keeps livers healthy; carob, heather, and blueberry add iron to your blood and boost energy
• On average, people in Greece consume 2 spoonfuls of honey a day and 50 kilos a year for a family

Each one of us had our favorite: Fir honey for Nancy and, for Richard, Carob. Stacy has two: thistle and thyme. Rick agreed with her choices but added Carob to his list. Stay on the lookout for distinctive honeys since exports are severely limited!
​
After gorging  on honey, what we needed was a long walk so we wrapped up the day with a leisurely tour of the grounds before heading back to the castle for a simple meal and a quiet night under the stars.

While the dark clouds and a few sprinkles won’t dissuade us from a hike to the upper town, a sudden downpour drives us back down the hill where we settle into a cozy restaurant for breakfast. The cruise ships are docking and that’s our cue to make our exit. We leave with happy memories of a truly magical place. When you find you way here – and we really hope you do – be sure you bring a camera, your best walking shoes, and a very healthy appetite.
​
The adventure continues – next stop Nafplio

On the misty early Monday morning of October 20 the crunch of gravel beneath our feet welcomed us to one of the most sacred sites of Greece – Ancient Olympia.  ​

Did you know? 

• Olympia was not a city; it was one of the holiest sanctuaries where Greek tribes gathered to offer sacrifices to the gods and reinforce their Panhellenic identity 
• More than athletic competitions, the Olympic Games played a crucial part in Greek culture where spirits, religion, and society were woven together 
• The Olympic Games were held to honor Zeus at the sanctuary in Olympia every four years from 776 BC until they were discontinued in the 4th century, CE 
• Fires, floods, and earthquakes buried Olympia for centuries until it was discovered in 1766 by English antiquarian, Richard Chandler 
• Significant scientific excavation started with a French team in 1829, uncovering the Temple of Zeus 
• German digs from 1875 onwards revealed the entire sacred precinct and stadium, bringing the birthplace of the Olympic Games back to light 
• Most interesting was the "hall of shame" -- a row of pedestals that once held bronze statues of Zeus called Zanes. They were funded by fines paid by cheating athletes, inscribed with their names and misdeeds, and placed at the stadium entrance as a public humiliation to remind everyone that victory must come from skill and honor, not deceit.  
  

A rainbow was our reward for dodging raindrops all morning. At the museum, it’s astounding how many artifacts and statues remain. ​

• It’s a tradition to plant a tree when a baby is born. It takes 6 years before it yields any fruit.
  
• Greek parents often don’t name their babies right away – sometimes for up to a year. They even get passports without a declared name.  
• Oil flavors vary based on the time of harvest. Early harvests yield robust oil with special health benefits. Middle harvest yields the mild flavored oil that’s most popular. Late harvests yield dark oil that is used for making soap and other purposes. 
• In the villages, families bring their olive harvest to a local press that runs 24 hours a day. They’re assigned a time slot and whether it is 3 AM or PM – it’s party time with food, wine, and of course, ouzo. 

​Our reward for touring the olive groves and press was a chance to taste various oils and then enjoy a delicious farm-to-table lunch prepared by a villager that featured multiple varieties of olive oil in each dish.  ​

Curiosity got the better of Nancy when she recognized the logo on the cans of oil, and she asked the owner:

• Do you export to the US? Yes!
• Do you export to Belmont, Massachusetts? YES!
• Do you export to Sofia’s Greek Pantry in Belmont? YES!! Not only that, but this is Sofia’s hometown, and we press all the oil for her family. There, in the picture on the wall – the child in the middle? That’s Sofia’s uncle.

YAY – we don’t have to lug olive oil for the remainder of our vacation – we have our local source only 10 minutes from home.  

​If we’re this close . . . let’s follow the advice of our tour guide in Athens and visit the ancient city of Messene. It’s a magical place that stretches on for as far as the eye can see and, thanks to our training in Athens, we could appreciate the crumbled remains of a once bustling city.

​After roaming the ruins, we enjoyed a panoramic view of the site while we sipped our tea and Greek coffee from our perch in a hillside café,.  

It's Saturday, October 18; our last morning in Athens before our road trip around the Peloponnese. And what's a road trip without snacks? In Athens the go-to bakery is 72 Hours -- named for the time it takes for the sourdough starter to proof. The line at the take-out window  is long but moving fast and we have the pleasure of watching the bakers ply their craft through the windows as we wait. 

We pick up our tiny Nissan Micra and enjoy the adventures in chaos that is Athens' traffic; heading west to a destination we successfully kept secret from Rick. We somehow convinced him that Delphi -- the one place he wanted to visit most -- would be too far out of the way to include on our already crowded itinerary.

​About 2 hours into the drive, it was hard to avoid seeing the road signs...though they cryptically read "ΔΕΛΦΟΙ / DELFI". When Richard called Rick's attention to them, the psych was spiked. We'll blame it on Rick's enthusiasm that we had to remind him he was going 30 KPH over the speed limit as we  climbed up the serpentine switchbacks past a shepherd with his flock. We finally reached the archaeological site of the Oracle of Delphi where we met our tour guide sporting a Yankees cap. The site and museum were fascinating, but much more so were the stories of the history-changing prophecies delivered by a priestess of Apollo --who most likely pretended be in a trance induced by fumes that happened to naturally spew from a chasm in the rock. People, including some of the most powerful in the world, traveled from far and wide to what was thought to be the center of the earth to seek her guidance. What did Rick ask the Oracle -- he'll never tell.

A soggy Sunday morning didn't deter Nancy & Richard from one of their favorite travel activities -- exploring the neighborhood grocery store a short walk from our apartment. With Google translate in hand we aimed at the packages. Is this butter? Spinach? We grabbed some eggs, sold loose from a basket, and bacon too. We manage a conversation with the checkout clerk to figure out how to turn this frozen spiral disk into a crusty spanakopita. Back at the apartment we prepared a delightful breakfast of bacon and spinach omelettes alongside Greek yogurt with fresh peaches just as Rick & Stacy emerged from their room. 

Soon we are back into our Micra -- with a back seat that lived up to its name -- heading west for the coastal town of Missolonghi -- a last-minute addition to our itinerary at the strong advice of our Greek travel consultant, Alexia. The winding, cliff-hugging roads that ran along the coast were dotted with small roadside shrines -- tiny chapels that contained photos, candles, and mementos of people who didn't make it to their destination -- a stark reminder to heed the speed limits.

Once in Messolonghi, a long causeway delivers us to the Salt Museum. It's obvious that few folks make this trek, and we hope to change that. Stacy climbs the salt dune after we rummage through the gift shop for our "fleur de sel".

It's now lunchtime and we head to Tourlida Fish Restaurant, right on the fish pier. A blazing wood fire greets us and we enjoy a grilled whole fish caught that day. We also sampled the local delicacy - called Avgotaraho by the Greeks, but also known as Bottarga of Messolonghi -- the roe sac of a mullet, salted, dried, and wrapped in wax. Like most delicacies, it's an acquired taste.

After lunch, we are back on the road and crossing the Gulf of Corinth on the  Rio-Antirrio Bridge -- the world's longest multi-span cable-stayed bridge that opened just in time to transport the Olympic flame from ancient Olympia (our current destination) to Athens for the 2004 summer games. Rick -- a bonafide transportation technology geek -- was in awe of its magnificent 4 towers that resembled tall ships in full sail over the gulf.

Once on the Peloponnese Peninsula, it was one long tunnel after another drilled through the mountains. Stretching in all directions were miles of hills and valleys dotted with cypress trees. Finally we reach Olympia and check into Irene's Place before enjoying a home-style meal just outside of town at Taverna Thea, hosted by a Scandinavian ex-patriot and her Greek husband and wisely recommended by Rick Steves for its quality and value.

Like the athletes in the ancient games, we'll be up early, rain or shine to visit Ancient Olympia. However, UN-like the athletes in the ancient games, we plan to keep our clothes on.

As most European vacations begin, we flew through the night, arrived at our hotel -- L'Avventura Athens -- by mid-afternoon, and crashed for a quick nap before setting out for dinner. At the advice of our fabulous Greek travel consultant, Alexia Hatziiliades (more on her in a later post), we had a reservation at a funky, modern restaurant called Pharaoh. In the midst of run-down, graffiti-scarred neighborhood was this gem of a place with eclectic decor, an interesting menu, a most attentive sommelier, and a DJ spinning tunes that had us wishing there were a dance floor.  We shared a collection of plates including: charcoal grilled lamb chops served with grilled veggies, a paprika spread, and spicy cheese dip; a yummy salad made from roasted pumpkin, beets, cabbage, and "rocket" (arugula); a chestnut & onion stew; and grilled wild greens with Manouri Cheese , 

With a full day of sightseeing planned for the next day, we wrapped up dinner and headed back to our hotel.  At Alexia's urging, we arranged with Alternative Athens for an all-day tour of the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum, and the Ancient Agora. We hit the jackpot with our tour guide Antonia -- she is a working archaeologist with deep knowledge of Greek history and culture who happens to also be a jewelry artist and a most attentive guide. 

The Acropolis (Greek for "high city") was amazing, especially the two major temples that honor the goddess Athena, after whom Athens is named. The Parthenon is the most famous, but  the lesser-known Erechtheion has the beautiful "Porch of the Maidens", and also contains references to the rivalry between Poseidon and Athena over who would become the patron of the city.

Between the Acropolis and the Agora, we stopped at a lovely sidewalk cafe called Sycophant where we enjoyed an amazingly beautiful fruit salad plate, the prettiest presentation of yogurt and fruit, an herbal "Mountain Tea", Greek coffee, and a delightful pair of lemonade drinks -- one with ginger and mint, the other with hibiscus & mint. Gotta try these "mocktails" at home!

While noshing we took the opportunity to chat with Antonia about Greek holiday traditions -- she recounted how the aroma of spit roasted lamb permeated her neighborhood on Easter,  that Christmas is focused on church, and gift exchange happens on New Year's day.  

The final stop of our all-day tour was the Acropolis Museum. Antonia prepared us for the fact that the building itself is a main attraction.  Opened in June 2009 it is an architectural wonder. Because it is only 300 meters from the Acropolis monuments, the site was filled with important archaeological discoveries, so they carefully constructed the foundation in a way that exposes them through openings and glass floors. 

A full day of touring antiquities deserved a second cafe break, and what better place than the Museum cafe that has the finest view of the Acropolis anywhere. As we enjoyed our tea and coffee, Nancy asked Antonia an interesting question: What are the main misconceptions Americans have of Greek food? She answered without the slightest hesitation: 1) There should never be lettuce in a Greek Salad - only tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, peppers, and red onion, 2) The feta cheese should never be crumbled - only presented as a whole slab on top of the salad to ensure its quality, 3) Gyro is never made of lamb -- only chicken or pork.

We set off for our next stop - a night at a port winery in the Douro valley. Along the way we passed through the Marão Tunnel - the longest one we've ever travelled at 3.5 miles. After driving about an hour and a half we reached the town of Peso da Régua and the start of a stretch of the N-222 that has earned the reputation as "the road that offers the best driving experience in the world". It did not disappoint as it wound its way along the bank of the Douro river and offered amazing views of mountains in the background, rolling hills dotted with red-tiled roof villages that hug the hilltops, and carefully terraced vineyards that ripple down the hillsides.

Finally we reached our destination - Quinta do Tedo - a port winery situated at the confluence of the Douro and Tedo rivers in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Alto Douro. Nancy was immediately taken with their logo that features a black bird - a special McCabe family symbol. We checked into the nicely-appointed "Ruby" room overlooking the Tedo river, made arrangements for a Port Wine tasting in the late afternoon and, at the hostess' recommendation, headed back to Peso da Régua to enjoy lunch at Limonete, much more than a pizzeria. We were for sure the only tourists in this local favorite - one table had at least ten guys sampling a collection of local ports - talk about a liquid lunch. Nancy had a grilled salmon filet that was moist and crispy in all the right places. Richard had an enormous lamb chop accompanied by freshly fried potato chips and topped with an egg, sunny-side-up.

For dinner we decided to have one of our "Duvet Picnics"...a nice bottle of wine with some local cheeses and olives, with some fresh fruit and GF crackers or bread, spread out on a towel on the bed while we watched an episode of "Silent Witness" - our new favorite British crime drama - on Richard's laptop. Traveller tip: you'll likely need to invest in a VPN app, like ExpressVPN, when outside the US. Streaming services will often detect that you are out of the country and won't allow you to use them. The VPN software allows you to choose where you are "virtually" located.

On the last day of February, 2023, the blast of cold air as we roll our bags down the jetway reminds us that we are leaving a cold Boston winter behind. The TAP Air Portugal pre-flight announcements in Portuguese are music to our ears.

It's too early to check-in to our hotel, so we leave our bags and set out to explore the river-front on foot. It's sunny and in the mid 50's -- a great day for walking. Lunch doesn't start until later at the recommended tavernas along the river, so we head up the winding cobble-stoned streets of the hilly city center. Richard scores a cool tee-shirt at a shop called Typographia that features all original designs by local artists. 

Nancy's recently-discovered gluten allergy complicates finding a quick bite to eat. She couldn't believe her eyes when we came upon the Club Life Cafe with a sandwich board out front boasting an all gluten-free menu. We each had one of their breakfast specials -- the GF toast with avocado cream and sautéed mushrooms was excellent along side the scrambled eggs with fresh-cut herbs. We washed it down with "Green Juice" made from pineapple, green apple, red apple, kiwi, cucumber, ginger, spinach, basil, mint, and kale.

At the recommendation of our Brazilian hotel receptionist, we reserve a table for dinner at RC Restaurante, just across the street from the hotel. Shortly after we order and begin digging into some local cheeses and olives, the lights are dimmed and we are treated to a set of Fado - a hauntingly mournful genre of Portuguese music, performed by a female singer accompanied by two guitars - a standard 6 -string, and a pear-shaped 12-string Portuguese guitar that is iconic to Fado. We enjoy a delightful seafood meal: For Richard, a sea bass filet on a bed of green beans and sautéed potatoes; for Nancy, a croaker filet with broccoli and garlic potatoes. The second set features two additional singers, one of whom plays the accordion. While we enjoyed dessert -- and of course some port -- the music devolved into the accordionist trying to play songs from each country represented in the audience. It was a really great evening to cap a really great first day.

After almost exactly 3 years, we are headed back to Europe for a bit of adventure. We will be starting and ending this 17-day trip in the country we were "pushed out of" by the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020 -- PORTUGAL. We land in Porto on March 1, rent a car, and follow the Atlantic coastline through northern Spain and western France. Along the way we'll sample Port in the Duoro Valley, visit the Celtic Nation of Galicia (Spain). travel through Basque Country, and sample the wines of Bordeaux and the Loire Valley. After dropping our car off at Orly Airport and spending a night in Paris, we plan to hop a train to Amsterdam for a few days, before flying to Lisbon -- where we escaped from in 2020. Then it's back home on March 17.

If anyone has suggestions or ideas along our route, please comment on this post. See you on the other side!

A long and winding road through the Joshua Tree National Park on Monday, January 18, took us back to US 10, heading west to Palm Springs CA - just about an hour away. Palm Springs' main street, S. Palm Canyon Drive, has lovely shops, lots of sweet-smelling vines and flowers, and a picturesque mountain backdrop. But this MLK Day, the downtown was eerily quiet due to COVID restrictions and all of the restaurants were strictly take-out. We ordered a pizza to-go from Brickworks Bistro and found a park bench to sit at. Not our idea of fine dining. We stayed at probably the nicest Extended Stay America in the chain (we've sadly seen some awful ones and have sworn off them for good). It was one of the few hotels that didn't tack on a California Resort Fee of over $20. We settled down early, with plans to visit Painted Canyon in the morning - thanks to the recommendation of our good friend Laura.

The hour-long drive to Painted Canyon took us by the Cochella Valley National Wildlife Reserve and then past desert farms with their high pressure irrigation systems creating bright undulating arches of white water. Vineyards to the left, palm trees to the right; then fields of lettuce alongside freshly plowed rows of newly planted future crops; then groves of fruit trees and more vineyards bordered by tidy neighborhoods with that gorgeous mountain background. Approaching our destination, we appreciated our all-wheel drive and the bright sunshine as we made our way slowly along a jaw-jarring "road" of soft sand and gravel.  We finally reached an open area where a couple of cars were parked - I guess this is it? We bundled up for the cool 50's temperature, packed some water bottles, and started the slightly up-hill trek through soft sand, pebbles, and stones - imagine a summer hike across a Cape Cod sand dune to that coveted spot on the beach - only here your reward is one of California's best slot canyon hikes. 

About 1/4 of a mile from the parking lot there is an arrow made of stones on the valley floor pointing to the left. When you look at where the arrow points, you will not believe there is really a trail there - it looks just like the remnants of countless rock slides. But it truly is the way to go - if you want to take the "Ladder Canyon Loop". But we had done some reading before-hand - the loop takes 3-4 hours and is a "difficult hike that should only be attempted if you are in very good shape, and you are properly prepared with the right equipment, water, and other hiking necessities." That really didn't describe us...but we were curious enough to at least take a peek at the beginning of the trail. 

They call it "Ladder Canyon" because in order to reach it you need to navigate several ladders that ​are "maintained by volunteers, and can be a little treacherous especially if they have broken rungs". We gave the first one a try, but it was clear that we weren't up to it this day. Instead, we headed back to the main "Big Painted Canyon" trail - which was plenty adventurous for us. It was very scenic and Richard got lots of opportunity for his "abstract" photos of up-close rock faces.

There were storm clouds gathering in the distance and the wind was picking up, so we headed back to the car. It was fun to watch other vehicles approaching us, doing the sand dance in the washboard of a road leading out. We hit pavement just as the drizzle began. We planned to revisit Palm Springs on our return trip, but for now we were washing off the dust and packing up for San Diego.​

Another early morning departure from Tucson on January 17 for a 6-hour drive to Twentynine Palms California - so-named because there were 29 Washingtonia Palm trees growing in an oasis when the place was first surveyed in 1855. The town is home to the north entrance of the Joshua Tree National Park. We arrived just in time to head into the park for a peek at the rugged desert landscape at sunset before settling in for the night. 

On the morning of the 18th, Nancy had some coaching calls while Richard did some blogging before we packed up and headed back into the park for a closer look. We started at the Oasis of Mara Trail, with its lush vegetation, before strolling through our first stand of Joshua Trees. Richard wandered around trying to find the ones with the most majestic poses. They look like they were taken from a Dr. Seuss book! 

Amazing rock formations look like dump-truck debris in shifting shades from dark cocoa to milk chocolate. Tenacious trees defy the odds and find root amidst the arid boulders. The warmth of the mid-day sun is welcome on this cool January afternoon.

As we drove towards the south exit it was clear that Joshua Tree is the clash of two ecosystems where the Mojave and Colorado Deserts collide. The terrain was stark and flat and the vegetation was sparse, so we pushed on towards Palm Springs for our next stop of our Southern California trek.

Friday, January 15, was the final day of our three-month stay in Austin TX. It was a day filled with packing the car and unloading what wouldn't fit at Goodwill. On our last evening with the Watsons we celebrated by introducing the boys to "Sundees" - ice-cream sundaes adapted with plant-based ice "cream", chocolate sauce, fresh berries, whipped "cream" made from coconut, and "magic sprinkles". "More whipped cream please?" kept the sundaes going for quite a while. After long tearful hugs, we walked back to our AirBnB and were in bed early enough that we were on the road by 4:00 AM. The downtown Austin lights slipped away and we were well past the Texas hill country as the sun rose behind us, Soon, dry brown scrub brush and cactus dotted the landscape and mesas rose up in the distance. Four hours in, we spotted small oil rigs bobbing in the fields and beyond them acres of mesa-top wind turbines spinning in the breeze. After more than nine hours on the road we finally reached Las Cruces, New Mexico, in the late afternoon.

After the long drive, our first order of business was to get something to eat! We headed into the old neighborhood of Mesilla and found Don Félix Café that served up excellent Margaritas and the best loaded Nachos we'd ever had. The restaurant was at the corner of Mesilla Plaza, a small park lined with shops and cafés. We enjoyed a stroll around the neighborhood before heading back to the hotel for some much-needed rest.

Another pre-dawn departure on Sunday morning had us on on Interstate 10 headed for Tucson AZ. We stopped to catch the sunrise behind us as the desert stretched to the mountains in the distance. On the way we crossed the "continental divide" - where water begins to flow west to the Pacific. Route 10 took us along the north side of the Whetstone Mountains and the temperature climbed into the balmy 60's - from only the high 20's when we left Las Cruces.

We pulled into Tucson just before 11:00 and headed to Prep & Pastry for brunch. The waiting time was an hour - we knew this place must be good! We decided to order to-go instead and, at the host's suggestion, headed 2 miles north to the Rillito River Park. There we found a picnic table in the shade and chowed down on our "Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Hash" and "Poblano Verde Beni" - heavenly.

Right next to the park was the Tucson Village Farm operated by the University of Arizona to teach kids agriculture. We strolled their beautiful botanical garden filled with dozens of varieties of cactus. We planned to return to Tucson on our way back when our friends Theresa and John are in town, so we jumped back in the car another 6-hour run to Joshua Tree National Park in California...but we'll cover that in the next post.