Downtown Tucson
Posted: Thu Nov 19, 2009 7:48 pmHere I am positively WALLOWING in a depression and Beth keeps dragging me out and making me enjoy myself, dammit! I LOVE Tucson, have I mentioned that before? The city itself is clean, colorful, well maintained and yet within minutes you can be out in the wilds with no city in sight. This was the Visitors Center. It was in a plaza with many cafes with outdoor eating areas, trees, flowers, birds and brown squirrels which are different from any we've seen before. No pics yet though.
There are Plazas all over where you are encouraged to set a spell. Fountains, statues, venders with food and crafts.
There were Murals, both painted and tiled.
This is Pima County Courthouse with a tiled mosaic dome
A view from the back, the pillars are actually a fountain, but I don't think you can see the water
These adobe row houses were built in the late 1800's. One of the oldest parts of Tucson. They were painted with different color-saturated paints.
When we went behind one of them to check out the courtyards we found these trees. The fruit is the size of a very large grapefruit, but they were very light, and really didn't have a grapefruity smell. Could have been though.
St. Augustine Catholic Cathedral, built in 1896. It was undergoing renovations so we couldn't go in.
In the courtyard was this colorful metal flowered arch over a stage. It didn't say what it was used for, but a priest at one time started what became a world famous Mariachi Band, and they still play, so maybe this is what it is used for?
Lastly, The Wishing Shrine. In the late 1800's a husband killed his wife's lover and the priests would not allow the body to buried in the concecrated cemetary, so the local people lit candles to pray for the mans soul on this spot. Now this is Prime Real Estate, amd it's still here!
There are Plazas all over where you are encouraged to set a spell. Fountains, statues, venders with food and crafts.
There were Murals, both painted and tiled.
This is Pima County Courthouse with a tiled mosaic dome
A view from the back, the pillars are actually a fountain, but I don't think you can see the water
These adobe row houses were built in the late 1800's. One of the oldest parts of Tucson. They were painted with different color-saturated paints.
When we went behind one of them to check out the courtyards we found these trees. The fruit is the size of a very large grapefruit, but they were very light, and really didn't have a grapefruity smell. Could have been though.
St. Augustine Catholic Cathedral, built in 1896. It was undergoing renovations so we couldn't go in.
In the courtyard was this colorful metal flowered arch over a stage. It didn't say what it was used for, but a priest at one time started what became a world famous Mariachi Band, and they still play, so maybe this is what it is used for?
Lastly, The Wishing Shrine. In the late 1800's a husband killed his wife's lover and the priests would not allow the body to buried in the concecrated cemetary, so the local people lit candles to pray for the mans soul on this spot. Now this is Prime Real Estate, amd it's still here!
