Papa and I left home before 8 this morning, embarking on a day trip to the San Rafael Valley. It was a beautiful morning! We drove south on Highway 83 toward Sonoita, through the rolling foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains.
We passed through Sonoita and on toward the Canelo Hills. We missed a turn and stopped at an old one room school house to get our bearings.
We got on a dirt road headed in the right direction, straight south toward Mexico, and after a few miles, we came over a hill to "Oh my God" point, with a view of the grasslands of the San Rafael Valley and a backdrop of mountains all the way around. Stunning!
We drove across the San Rafael Valley, south to Lochiel on the border, passing through beautiful winter grassland with grazing cattle, and past the historic San Rafael Ranch headquarters, now an Arizona State Park. The San Rafael Ranch was the filming location for the movie Oklahoma in the 1950's.
We stopped at the Fray Marcos De Niza Monument, with it's plaque stating, "By this Valley of San Rafael, Fray Marcos De Niza, Vice Commissary of the Franciscan Order and Delegate of the Viceroy in Mexico, entered Arizona, the first European west of the Rockies, April 12, 1539."
Soon we were winding our way in the foothills of the Patagonia Mountains and toward Nogales, where we ate lunch at Zula's. Papa ate at Zula's with his family, as a little boy. We ate there many times over the years when we visited our vacation house in Patagonia. It was a treat to make a return visit.
Our next stop was at Tumacacori National Historic Park. Mission San Jose de Tumacacori was established in 1691 by Jesuit padre Father Kino, and declared a National Historic Park by Theodore Roosevelt in 1908.
Our next stop was at Tumacacori National Historic Park. Mission San Jose de Tumacacori was established in 1691 by Jesuit padre Father Kino, and declared a National Historic Park by Theodore Roosevelt in 1908.
