Another Day on the Road

I rearranged and straightened my car - finally. i had been waiting for it to be warm enough to stand outside to do this... phoenix is the answer. it is still a mess, but better organized.

kelley, huy, and i went to cracker barrel for breakfast. we had the worst waiter who thought kelley asked for dr pepper when she asked for chocolate milk. after breakfast, kelley and i both hit the road in opposite directions.

casa grande ruins national monument was my first stop. this a unique dwelling bc it was three stories high (on flat land) with holes in specific places to document the passing of the sun, indicating these people (the tohono o'odham i think) had a calendar.

i took the back road down into tuscon and passed a thousand or so motorcycles rallying for a prison break run in florence. i passed through quickly so not to get stuck behind any roadblocks. every police officer in the state was there i think, which was great when i needed directions. you have to wonder though when there are so many officers around the state prison what could be going on.

i went to biosphere II to have a look around. it is a little disappointing bc now it is pretty much just a building. they aren't doing any missions (mostly bc the two they did both failed bc bacteria were stealing all the oxygen) and the building is no longer airtight, they have removed all the animals and insects, and it looks a little unkempt. it was interesting to see how it was set up and all the engineering marvels that went into making it airtight and maintaining an active ecosystem. the coolest thing was the giant lung built to keep the biosphere from exploding when the sun heated all the air inside. it's a round room with a membrane top that rises and falls with the pressure (a veritable chemistry gas law model). apparently william shatner filmed the worst movie here ever about a roswell love triangle - i need to look that up.

i met richard, my couchsurfing host, in sierra vista for dinner at the mexican seafood restaurant. i tried shrimp ceviche - ceviche is seafood 'cooked' using only acidic lime or lemon juice and then the meat is mixed with tomatoes and onions and things. it was really good. i also had a fish dish in green sauce that i cannot pronounce or remember how to spell that was also delicious.

plans for tomorrow are a hike up a mountain you can see out richard's back window. there may be snow on the top. :( also going to chiricahua (chir-i-cow-wa) and bisbee before heading north to hike with my retired friends on thursday.