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Polaroid of the week: San Xavier del Bac – a Spanish colonial mission in Southern Arizona

Polaroid of the week: San Xavier del Bac – a Spanish colonial mission in Southern Arizona

Last Updated on March 23, 2021

polaroid of the week usa arizona san xavier del bac missionReturning to Arizona felt as glorious as ever! As usual, I am housesitting here – but this time, for different homeowners. I’m enjoying the company of a different dog and a different pool, but I am in the same neighborhood in the Catalina foothills which I love, and funnily enough it is just as hot as it is when I’m here in May. Tucson is experiencing unseasonably warm weather at the moment, I’ve been told.

I usually come to Arizona for a month of peace and quiet, and to catch up on work projects that I don’t get around to when I’m on the road, but this year, I’ve been busier than usual. I’ve been more social than I was on previous visits, making more of an effort to make new friends here, and have them show me some cool spots around town, because Tucson’s restaurant scene keeps growing. I also got to catch up with old friends over wine and cheese and have been taking advantage of my well equipped and spacious kitchen which almost makes me want to stop traveling and set up a home base. Almost.

The highlight of the week? Katie came to visit me for a few days and I introduced her to some of my favorite spots around here: we hiked in Sabino Canyon and in Saguaro National Park (and after finding a website listing all the hikes around Tucson I think I’ll never get bored here – so many hikes I haven’t done yet!), and we visited the beautiful San Xavier Del Bac Mission, pictured above, which is the oldest European structure in Arizona, filled with striking original 18th century statuary and mural paintings.

Katie and I even made it to the famous western town of Tombstone (Boothill Graveyard visit included, of course!) as well as Bisbee, a former mining town close to the Mexican border that reinvented itself as an artist commune, which I love to visit, not only for the little town itself, but also for what can be best described as ghost town: Lowell, where you find an entire street with empty store fronts and vintage cars parked out front. I wouldn’t have gone all the way down there by myself, so yay for visitors!

And especially fun visitors like Katie, who is up for hiking even when it’s over 90°F (32°C) out, who loves craft beer even more than I do (maaaaybe!) and who insisted we visit a county fair. Both of us not being from the U.S. meant this was our first introduction to deep-fried everything (deep-fried Oreos or cheesecake I might be able to get behind, but deep-fried butter.. really?) and other not-so-healthy fair snacks (funnel cake!), but which also turned out to be a fascinating anthropological study. I didn’t go on any of the rides, but I tried a deep-fried Snickers bar (so not worth $6, if you ask me), and it was a fun way to end our time here in Arizona together.

Trav Hodo

Thursday 28th of April 2016

Didn't know there are great hiking places in Arizona. Will check them out when I visit. The fried stuff sounds yummy too!

Dani

Sunday 1st of May 2016

Yes, there are actually tons of great hiking places here in the south and even more so around the canyons in the north. Arizona's paradise for hikers!

Linda March

Monday 25th of April 2016

Sounds like you have a fun week. I was surprised to find out that you can hike in a lot of places in Tucson. I've always imagined this to be a flat area, but apparently I was wrong.

Dani

Monday 25th of April 2016

There are sooo many hikes around here, Linda - unbelievable! And yes, quite a few mountains, as well :)