I took a little trip this weekend to a place I have always wanted to visit, but it was always just too far out of the way. Not this weekend!

A view to the west from the viewpoint on Gates Pass.

I don't have the energy to hike up these steep trails anymore....but I wanted to.

For me, all hills in the desert look like they have a mystery to reveal.

Another National Park for my list. There is also a Saguaro National Monument on the other side of town.

For Sherm, it's not often you can capture a Road Runner and a Gila Monster.

A tired old Hombre

Teenagers...........all the same. lol

The root system is more substantial than I thought.

Kitt Peak from the east side. You can just see some of the scopes on the left peaks.

They search you going both directions at the Sasabe crossing.

Back when, Mexico promised to pave the road to El Sasabe which would have led to it's being one of the busier crossings.

So naturally America spent millions up
grading the facility. Mexico didn't pave the road and this is now the nicest and least used border crossing in America. However, every car is searched.....all 40 or so a day.

This is still one of the most prolific crossings areas for illegals in spite of the high fence.

No signs, but doesn't quite look like a house either.

Sasabe skyline. Pronounced Sas-a-be according to a local.

The everything store. Hardware, clothing, groceries, gasoline. Only 9 people live in Sasabe. Across the border in El Sasabe are 4000 residents. Quite a few of them shop here.

I stopped by the Buenos Aires Nat'l Wildlife Refuge.

A beautiful blooming Yucca. Too bad they die after blooming.

Nice Headquarters for the refuge. However it is closed due to lack of funding for personel.

These were the only wildlife I saw other than a brief glance in the mirror.

My Proof

Part of the town of Arivaca is run down, and part of it is being very nicely renewed.

I took a picture of this butterfly and almost deleted it because of the blur......then I saw the bee!

There were two choices of where to eat in town. One was nicely remodeled much like the general store.

......but I chose this place.

Set among the ruins of an old adobe building

It was a neat setting.....

.....and the food was fantastic

Not to mention.......

..........very reasonable.

She cooks everything on this old outdoor grill.

Muchos Arroyos........made for some great roads.

Hard to beat the desert vistas

One after another

It made it hard to keep my eyes on the road.

And a great road it was. In fact it was fantastic!

If you ride it, be careful, there are a few technical sections.

When you get to the end, this will be waiting for you. No longer open.

Nice Catholic church in Amado

Part of the border surveillance system.

Glad I stopped by here.

The church garden.....

fountain area.

 Constructed between 1770 and 1828

These ladies are making corn tortillas.

They were starting with the corn, 

Grinding it to flour on these rocks and turning it into tortillas. Served to us with beans and salsa. Very good.

Time is taking it toll on the church walls both inside and out.

What it looks like today.

What it looked like when new.

The cemetary

These were the storage rooms. Everything was kept here from meat to fruit.

They had several acres of orchards.

They built these canals to bring water from 1.5 miles upriver.

I didn't see what this little building was.

Viewed from the SE side.

The mission was to bring Christianity to the Pima Indians.

Some of the locals

So Cute

So Industrious

and the end of a really fun three days!