Labour Day Sunday
Interesting fact: the Apache and Navajo both descend from a language group called "Athapaskan". Yes, you read that right, the same Athapaskan/Athabaskan who are in Canada's Pacific Northwest. They migrated down from there centuries ago. So this really, truly is the Canadian part of the Southwest.
Steve and I felt like going someplace in our new home today. We planned to go to Old Tucson, which is where almost all Westerns are filmed. However, it appears to be seasonal, which the AAA guide failed to mention. We ended up driving to the Saguaro National Park and, well, looking at some saguaro. I personally never get tired of them. Also, the opuntia cacti are fruiting right now.
After that we drove back to Ina Road, which involved twisty roads through gorgeous saguaro-covered hills. Back in town, Steve wanted barbecue and hit on the idea of going to Chuy's Mesquite Grilled Chicken, where we'd never been before.
We went in and...we were in San Diego. Chuy must be from Ensenada or something, because the place was full of colourful graffiti and decorated with surfboards. Besides chicken, they specialize in grilled mahi-mahi and fish tacos. Our meal had its ups and downs; Steve's sampler platter of different meats and fish was good when it came to the meat, but the rice and beans were meh. I had chicken enchiladas and was pretty happy with them, though in retrospect I should have ordered the 1/4 chicken to see how that was. We also sat at the bar for a little bit to have a couple of drinks. They had a wheat beer flavoured with pineapple, so I really had to try that. Steve thought the pineapple taste was pronounced, but it just tasted like a citrus wheat beer to me.
After that we hit the hardware store for some random things and now we're home again. I'm reading a history of Arizona that I got from the library and still plugging along at the first volume of the Wheel of Time series. I also felt the urge to read some of the Hugo nominees from Loncon, and ended up getting "The Lady Astronaut of Mars" which won the Hugo for best novelette. I have to stop adding to my never-ending reading pile, but there are just so many books and so little time.
Steve and I felt like going someplace in our new home today. We planned to go to Old Tucson, which is where almost all Westerns are filmed. However, it appears to be seasonal, which the AAA guide failed to mention. We ended up driving to the Saguaro National Park and, well, looking at some saguaro. I personally never get tired of them. Also, the opuntia cacti are fruiting right now.
After that we drove back to Ina Road, which involved twisty roads through gorgeous saguaro-covered hills. Back in town, Steve wanted barbecue and hit on the idea of going to Chuy's Mesquite Grilled Chicken, where we'd never been before.
We went in and...we were in San Diego. Chuy must be from Ensenada or something, because the place was full of colourful graffiti and decorated with surfboards. Besides chicken, they specialize in grilled mahi-mahi and fish tacos. Our meal had its ups and downs; Steve's sampler platter of different meats and fish was good when it came to the meat, but the rice and beans were meh. I had chicken enchiladas and was pretty happy with them, though in retrospect I should have ordered the 1/4 chicken to see how that was. We also sat at the bar for a little bit to have a couple of drinks. They had a wheat beer flavoured with pineapple, so I really had to try that. Steve thought the pineapple taste was pronounced, but it just tasted like a citrus wheat beer to me.
After that we hit the hardware store for some random things and now we're home again. I'm reading a history of Arizona that I got from the library and still plugging along at the first volume of the Wheel of Time series. I also felt the urge to read some of the Hugo nominees from Loncon, and ended up getting "The Lady Astronaut of Mars" which won the Hugo for best novelette. I have to stop adding to my never-ending reading pile, but there are just so many books and so little time.