Trip to Tubac

On Sunday, remembering the old saw, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” we took a day off from putting our casita in order. Instead we drove south on I-19 to Tubac to hear some live music and spend time with our new friend Judy. We sat on the patio at Dos!, a taqueria located in a cluster of specialty shops, basked in the 79º fresh air, and listened to Amber Norgaard sing her own songs along with a few old favorites such as “Bobby McGee.”

Before we left Tucson I asked our new granddaughter, a Tucson native, what she could tell me about Tubac. She said she has never been there because it attracts  an older crowd, meaning retirees. Indeed, when we arrived in Tubac the dominant demographic was definitely we old folks, humming along to Amber’s excellent rendition of “Bobby MeGee.”

When Amber packed up her guitar and keyboard, Dennis and I decided to visit a few of the artisans' shops before setting off for home. One was Tubac Territory, the showcase for 10 local artisans. The store was crammed with massive hand-built mesquite furniture. Many of the tabletops and serving trays were inlaid with turquoise chips, but my eye was drawn to the inlaid spalted maple bowls.

We soon concluded that Tubac is a micro Taos. Tubac has far fewer shops than Taos, but both are high-end tourist towns. No wonder the colony is located in proximity to both Sierra Vista and Green Valley, two retirement communities for well-to-do retirees.

The most interesting (not to say entertaining) part of our trip to Tubac was the drive down and back I-19. On the way south I was amazed to see copper mine tailings, piled as high as some of the surrounding foothills and miles long.

On the return trip the ever-changing view of a nearby mountain and the rising moon held me captive.

I-17 is an anomaly amongst highways in that the distance markers are in kilometers. (Sorry about the dirty windshield.)

The border check station provides shade for the border agents and for cars waiting in line to be cleared for passage north.

It was an easy pass for two Caucasian codgers, but I doubt it would have been so simple for our browner-skinned neighbors. Life near the border gives us a different perspective. Despite the almost entirely white-faced Tubac scene, southern Arizona is a refreshing mix of ethnicities, skin colors, and cultures. We welcome the change.

Copyright 2015 by Shirley Domer