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Mission and missile!!!
Today we left Tucson to begin the second leg of our trip in Ajo. It worked out really well because we needed a rest day after yesterday’s hike, and because it was Sunday. Let me explain. We had planned to stop, as we did the last time we were in the area, at the San Xavier del Bac Mission. Last time we were there during the week and aside from the tourists roaming around everything was quiet. Rich had been there before on a Sunday, though so he knew what to expect and he suggested avoiding breakfast in Tucson and just going to the mission. Well he was onto something. We arrived after 8 and there were already some food stands operating and a few more opening up to catch the group leaving the 8:00 mass. They are all Indian run and offer fry bread and a variety of chilis and burritos. We stopped at the first stand which was run by really friendly people and ordered a fry bread with cinnamon sugar and green chili burrito. We shared the single table with another couple, and Rich and I shared the fry bread and burrito as we usually do. They were beyond fantastic! The fry bread was light and puffy with just a hint of sweetness from the cinnamon sugar. The green chili burrito was succulent and delicious with the barest hint of spice.
Full and satisfied we next walked the circular path around the small knoll with the cross on top next to the mission, which just happens to be an ngs landmark station. The trail would make a great running track, said Rich! There are some remnants of old benches built into the side of the hill as well as a grotto/shrine with candles placed in front.
Next we took a wall through the various rooms of the mission. I bought Rich a t-shirt but we didn’t see much else of interest. In the church a service was going on so we watched for a few minutes and then went back out to view the cactus gardens. (Remember the holy water container and people filling up their water bottles there! )
By now we were ready for more food so we bought a red chili burrito this time to split. It was great! We both agreed that we liked the green just a little bit better.
After getting stuffed yet again we wandered across from the mission to the small craft fair area. There are two shops one of which had some really nice desert scene watercolors by Michael Chiago. We really liked the ones showing picking of Saguaro fruits and prickly pear harvest but were too big to bring home.
Next in our plan was to go to the Titan Missile museum. We arrived a few minutes before the 11:50 tour. The tour was a very interesting look into part of our history that I knew nothing about. We started by watching a short video about the history of the missile program and then went outside and down the 55 steps to the control room. I was picked to be the one to turn the key for the simulated launch! So cool. I kept teasing Rich later that he had paid someone off, especially since when we heard at the beginning of the tour that someone would help launch, Rich poked me and pointed to me saying You, you! We find out during the tour though that he picked me because women were often the commanders for the missiles (once women were allowed in the military in the late 70s it was decide that that would be a perfect position for them). I was fascinated by the 50s/60s technology as I always am. We did the launch where the codes came in and the guide explained how the commander and second in command would have noted the codes, then swapped to check, and used the authentication system to ensure they were coming from Washington, then entered the butterfly valve code, then turned the keys simultaneously. Lights lit up enable launch, batteries activated, and then a series of indicators that control was passing to various systems and finally when the missile was launched and the reentry vehicle went off on its own.
After viewing the missile itself in its 130 foot underground silo, we came back topside and had some time to poke around on our own. The outdoor exhibits have placards with some information and qr codes that led to YouTube videos with more in depth information, which was a really interesting use of the codes.
Next was the 2.5 hour drive to Ajo. We had the Ajo Highway (route 86) mostly to ourselves and had the chance to look around a little. We saw many cool Saguaros, some organ pipes and roadrunner. We made it to Ajo by 4:30 and checked in. Innkeeper mike very nice and helpful and just a little bit strange and you would expect, I guess, from an innkeeper in basically the middle of nowhere. Nice old house with hallways/enclosed porches outside the rooms a style I love.
There are very few restaurants in Ajo and only 3 open on Sundays - Marcelas, Pizza Hut, and something new, the Agave Grill, supposedly an Asian inspired place. We decided to try that. It was definitely a weird place! The food was OK but nothing great. We had chicken and shrimp skewers with different dipping sauces and two spring rolls. I think the best thing was the mango sauce for the spring rolls. Veggies were good too.
We passed on dessert and made a quick trip to the local IGA (the Quinn’s at the End of the Universe, but at least they have beer) end then found the bm at the school and one at the old railroad station, which is now a visitors center.
Came back to the hotel and started to bring the groceries out of the car when Mike appeared, pushing his mother in a wheelchair. “Have you guys ever seen javelinas?” he asked. We have but I had only seen one, in a botanical garden, so it doesn’t quite count. Rich had seen a family of javelinas one time alongside the highway. Mike pointed across the street toward where a pack of at least a dozen javelinas, including babies!, were snacking on prickly pears! Rich started to take some photos; they were curious but didn’t seem to mind. They moved along gradually beneath a large tree with light pink low hanging flowers that they really seemed to like. A few more joined the original group, and we watched until it became too dark to see them.