We climbed that peak!
The hike was short so we could pack up camp and head south to Tucson Mountain Park early enough in the day to guarantee a spot in Gilbert Ray Campsite. By the time we finished setting up camp, it was too hot to go for a hike so we headed off to see the excellent slideshow at Saguaro National Park Visitor Center. We stayed to hear a ranger talk on kangaroo rats.
Then we hung about in the cool, breezy, shady back veranda of the center, taking in the desert view until they kicked us out at 5 pm.
We topped the day off by dining at a restaurant recommended by our Roadfood book, which lists diners and casual eateries that serve regional dishes across the US. This book has sent us to great meals, especially in the Southern States, but I was suspicious of its worth in the Southwest.
After all, Arizona is jam-packed with Mexican restaurants on every business strip. How could you top our tried and true method of finding great mexican food by driving down the main street and stopping at the restaurant with the most cars parked in front of it? If we're lucky the place is filled with Latinos eating delicious authentic Mexican food. If we're slightly less lucky, the place is filled with white-haired white people, eating less spicy, slightly less authentic "Tex-Mex" food, still delicious.
But our instincts would never have led us to Teresa's Mosaic Cafe because it was slightly hidden behind a carwash and had a sign that was so small it was only legible if you were standing right in front of it. The parking lot was full, though.
The place was somewhat upscale for a Roadfood recommendation and the customers were mostly white (probably due to its location on the West side of Tucson), but the food was authentically Oaxacan, and the tortillas were authentically handmade. Delicious!
Capirotada!
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