Tuscon AZ: Fourth Ave

Day 136

Phoenix traffic isn't so bad. Hauling ass east we hit this tunnel that was about a 1/2 mile long. Now I don't know about you, but when I drive a vehicle in a tunnel I have to floor it for a few seconds. Roo is no different. The acoustical echo of the turbo spooling up and the nearly straight piped exhaust sounds great bouncing off all that concrete. Katie gives me her obligatory eye roll of disapproval. At least by now she knows it's going to happen. 

After only 2 hours on the road we end up in Tuscon. Casino Del Sol is the only spot in or near town that we could find a place to park for free. Turns out this joint is well known to the RV crowd. Scanning across the parking lot there were 20 or so others who came here to park as well. We have had relatively good luck at casinos and have become our go to spot if we need to do some blacktop boondocking. They usually have plenty of space, fairly quiet, and security cruising the lot. This one even had a dumpster in the parking lot for all of us to toss our trash into. Classy touch. This will become home base for the next two days as we explore the area. Today it's off for a little sightseeing. 

Mission San Xavier church on the south side of town is one of the oldest structures around. Originally built in 1797, this magnificent piece of architecture still holds services today. We happened to be there right after Church had let out.

On the outskirts of the property were some food stands and a couple of landmarks to walk to. What really caught our eye on the way in was the cemetery. It was completely fenced off and had signs telling the casual observer that this place was meant for the congregation, and not for tourists.

From here we turned North and headed towards downtown. The shopping district with flair that is known as 4th Avenue. It's a few blocks long and has a real punk vibe to it. Half of the people walking the streets were covered in tats with pieces of hardware hanging off their face. It felt safe and there were definitely other tourists walking along.

Even the trash cans were cool

Goodwill was done up with a unique flair. It's not very often you are able to find corporate businesses that stray from the traditional form.  

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We went in and out of some vintage stores looking for a denim jacket. Don't even get me started... I can't explain. Anywho, one of the cool things we found was a small pinball arcade. This is a good place to burn some time and revert back to having fun like a child.

With a couple bucks spent we were back on our way. A few blocks off the side streets was Crooked tooth brewery. A small local pub with the suds made on sight. We stopped in for a beer to give it a try. It was good, and would definitely recommend if you're ever in the area.

With the afternoon weening away it was time to head home. Walking down the other side of the street back to Shirley yielded the final surprise of the day. A lonesome street piano asking to be played. Now typically Katie wouldn't just sit down and play the piano in the middle of the sidewalk. She's not one who likes to have attention drawn to her. But you must realize, she just drank a 9.5% beer on an empty stomach and here judgement is a little loose. PLAY ON!