Our B&B owner, John, definitely has a second career as a breakfast chef. On the menu this morning were blueberry pancakes and sausage, homemade lemon curd, cantaloupe and pineapple. Yes, please! At the table at 8am were the Montreal couple we met yesterday, and a new couple from Los Angeles. After awhile, we met a family of three (Dave, Lauren and Hannah). The little girl, Hannah, specifically shared with Michele when asked that she is 6 1/2 years old. She showed Michele her Valentines gift bag from her parents that included a glow in the dark pink lizard named Glow, a cube game, and a little squeeze toy.
After breakfast, we talked with the owner about hummingbirds and visiting scenic Mt. Lemmon. He told us about the University of Arizona science tour app that narrates scientific facts along the 29 mile drive up the mountain. Rob downloaded it so we'd be ready to go.
Michele sat at the picture window in the dining room and took pictures and videos of the visiting hummingbirds. The broad billed male showed off his iridescent colors.
John showed us a hummingbird nest he found around the property. The nests are so tiny!!
The unexpected overnight rains left the car dirty and the windows water spotted. Rob cleaned off the windows so we would have clear views while taking our scenic drive.
When we left the inn in Tucson the weather was 56 degrees, very sunny, and no wind. Rob looked at the temps at the top of Mt. Lemmon and they were a chilly 40 degrees.
County Road 39 that winds its way up to Mt. Lemmon within the Santa Catalina mountain range was just a few minutes from our inn. We learned the mountain's name comes from Sarah Lemmon who came here with her new husband on her honeymoon in 1880. They were botanists, saw green forest at the top of the mountain, and were intrigued. These green forests that sit atop mountains in southeastern Arizona and northern Mexico are now known as Sky Islands. In a time without roads or hiking trails, they eventually succeeded in climbing to the top (9000+ feet) after three previously failed attempts.
The grassland life zone up to 5,000 feet. We turned a bend, suddenly the Saguaros disappeared, and the landscape turned grassy and slightly greenish.
The Woodland life zone up to 7,000 feet.
Finally, the forest life zone above 7,000 feet.
Yes, that is snow on the ground. The overnight rains we experienced last night at 2,800 feet fell as snow up at 7,000 feet. Good thing we were in the car because there were icy spots in the shade in some of the turns.
We also saw the hoodoo rocks, which are eroded by wind, rain, and snow over millions of years.
This is a rare place in the world where four different cat species naturally coexist: the bobcat, ocelot, jaguar, and mountain lion. No pictures of those today, unfortunately, but Michele tried to find them using her binoculars.
We did see this little guy. A Yellow-eyed Junco.
At 1pm we arrived at the end of the open road at the Sky Mountain ski resort. Due to the snow fall overnight, the very top portion of the mountain, the last 700 feet of elevation, was closed. The Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter Observatory operated by the University of Arizona sits at the very end of the road.
We had a delicious lunch at the Iron Door Restaurant at 8,300 feet. The outside temp there was 38 degrees.
Rob chose the most delicious mountain berry pie for our dessert. After lunch, we headed down the same way we came up. At Windy Point viewpoint, one of the largest viewpoint areas, we stopped to take a look. A man had a very large telescope out and offered visitors to look at the sun. We both looked and it was so amazing! Because of the filters he had on, the sun was bright red, filled the entire viewer, and we could see the solar flares coming off the sun!
Back down to our 2,800-foot elevation in Tucson, Michele wanted to stop at a yarn shop close by. It is Grandma’s Spinning Wheel. The lady said her in-laws live in Leesburg! She couldn't remember their street name, but we think we surprised her. Small world.
We came back to our inn for an hour. Michele practiced piano and Rob took pictures of the birds on the back patio.
A male Black Chinned hummingbird.
A female Gila woodpecker.
A male Broad-billed hummingbird.
We drove over to the Eclectic Cafe for dinner. We shared a salad and fajitas that Michele said were nearly on par with her favorite from home at Del Rio. We got a triple chocolate cake to go. Here's a picture of our spacious room at the Desert Trails Inn.
Tomorrow we will venture back into Saguaro NP, but on the Western side this time.
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