Our Day trip to Tucson,AZ

A long, overdue trip was deserved to my Uncle Larry, Peggy and cousin Roxanne. We had a great visit and enjoyed our time immensely with them. We were treated to a little drive across the landscape that included the San Xaxier Del Bac Mission, completed in 1797 under the leadership of the men of the Order of the Friars Minors, Franciscans. The mission has withstood the test of time: an earthquake, lightning strikes, revolt, flash flooding and the like. It is a quite a spectacle to behold.

We also enjoyed driving by acres and acres of airplanes, what the locals call "The Boneyard". Old military fleets sit abandoned in every size, shape and color.

We enjoyed a night of dining..., feasting on some true, southwest Mexican Dining; so good!

They spoiled Whitley rotten with gifts and even gave her a little camcorder. She has been making videos left and right and said it was one of the nicest gifts she has ever been given! Hopefully we will post some little clips on here in the future.


"Milagro" means "miracle in Spanish. Here, people pin their milagros to the silk coverlet of the statue of St. Xavier. Surely, from this picture, a loved ones leg is in need of divine healing...a Miracle!

Candles warm the already sultry desert air. They illuminate the church in a gauze of yellow light and fill the air with incence, prayers and hope.

Every inch of the Mission is emersed in sculptures, paintings, carvings, etc. Murals are painted in fresco on the walls. In light of Easter, the Last Supper seemed fitting to post.

Mouths fall open in awe at all the craftsmanship devoted to God. Men remove their hats, children are hushed and reverence can not help but fall upon the place. Rugged doors greet daily visitors and parishoners. They are weathered and have been held together for centuries by forged iron spikes. The door handle depicts the lowly serpent of the desert, still roaming about on its belly.

Sitting on 14 acres, 9 miles south of Tucson, AZ, the San Xavier del Bac Mission dominates the landscape and seeming arises up out of nowhere. It is surrounded by 2.84 million acre papago Indian Reservation, the land of the Tohono O'odham...which means the Desert People.