Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Our route to Tucson had a few stops...

Not that we need an excuse to overnight in Ajo... This casual little town in the heart of the Sonoran Desert, with its relaxed charm and rich traditions, has a hold on our hearts.  We boondocked out on Darby Wells Road last year for a most beautiful month of complete immersion in the area.  This day we parked at Belly Acres RV Park in town for $25 a night, and took a morning drive out to Darby Wells to take some photos and reminisce....


Just off the top of my head...

Darby Wells Cemetery

Mud hills or elephants' knees?

It's a forest of Saguaros!

We had timed our morning drive to coincide with a lunch stop at the Desert Rain Cafe.  Located in Sells at the Tohono Plaza, half way between Ajo and Tucson, this little cafe more than lives up to its motto of:  "Every dish is...Traditional, Healthy, and Delicious".  Whether using cholla buds, tepary beans or saguaro fruit syrup, in new or old family recipes, the daily specials and standard offerings feature the rich flavors of the Tohono O'odham nation prepared in palette pleasing ways.  As luck would have it, this day's special was Prickly Pear Glazed Pork Ribs, with a side of tepary beans and salad topped with the most delicious prickly pear vinaigrette.


Glazed pork ribs with tepary beans & salad...

I bought a bag of white tepary beans to make hummus..

We arrived at our new home for the next 2 weeks plus or minus a month or three; the Bar J RV Park, located in the Tucson Mt. area, at 4206 S. Palant Dr.  Our friends live nearby in Tucson Mt. Estates and thought we would like it, and like it we do.  It is small, clean, and very accommodating with friendly, helpful onsite owners. And affordable; the monthly rate is $375, and we can leave our motorhome here on our site, unplugged, for $1 a day.  Did I mention eclectic?  There is a Tiki Hut with an 18 ft. wet bar, water fountain, and barbecue, with tables for dining and dominoes. And the washing machines are free with drying provided by clotheslines and sunshine.  Though we do have our own drying system made of chain and hooks suspended from awnings.


Our site with Tucson Mt. in the background

We have our own saguaro, and patio...notice that shiny MH

And Tiki Hut for entertaining...

With wet bar!

Free washers and our built-in drying system

So the plan is...We fly out of Tucson on January 31st for Roatan, Honduras, the largest of the Bay Islands, in the western Caribbean.  Here we will stay a month in a rented studio apartment in West Bay Beach, near the town of West End, returning to Tucson and staying at the Bar J for the month of March....Before we leave yet again!  Stay tuned as the countdown is on!

8 comments:

Donna K said...

That lunch looks delicious. What are tepary beans?

Leaving your rig parked for $1 a day is a pretty good deal. Have fun in your more "exotic" travels!!

Gaelyn said...

I LOVE prickly pear fruit and syrup on almost anything. Ribs sounds divine. I thought hummus was made from chickpeas. The Tiki hut looks like a great place for a party. Maybe when you get back. You Scored! Have an awesome time. Try to post once in a while at least to tease us.

Texas Yellow Rose said...

Nice! Looking forward to the day we can explore Arizona and such parts. Enjoy!

Life's a Beach! said...

Can't wait to see your photos of Roatan and hear about it! That may be on our list for a future trip. We're headed down towards Tucson today to check it out. We're contemplating a move. : ) And Ajo's on my list to see! Love that little cemetery.

stillhowlyn said...

The tepary bean is a drought-resistant bean grown in the southwest by native people since pre-Colombian times. It also has a low glycemic effect which helps the high incidence of diabetes.

stillhowlyn said...

Hummus as we know it is made from chickpeas. This is the Tohono version and quite delicious. Gaelyn, I'm not sure who will be teasing who, as your trip sounds awesome+. But we will try to post as often as possible.

stillhowlyn said...

I hope you can soon, and get out of the cold northeast!

stillhowlyn said...

Well, Isla Mujeres is hard to beat, but I think you would enjoy Roatan. For some reason I thought you lived in Tucson! Ajo is a great little town and very artistic...