Southwest Driving Trip, Wednesday, March 4, 2026

Morning in Oro Valley was bright and sunny. Tom and Kevin’s home faces east towards the Santa Catalina Mountains, and as the pale blue light begins to outline the mountain peaks, the day holds. Lot of promise. As usual, Kevin laid out a complete breakfast bar with fruit, cereal, bagels, bread and jams, together with coffee and juice. After a long morning visit to catch up on life, we loaded into Kevin’s Lexus to do some shopping for the afternoon.  We landed at a yard covered in pots, Mexican crafts and metal sculptures. Unfortunately, nothing grabbed the eye nor found the way into the vehicle for the long trek to Nebraska.

Next on to the Apple Store for Deb’s 3:45 appointment to sort out the problems she was encountering while trying to text people, especially those who didn’t also have an iPhone device. Turns out that a 3:45 appointment was more of just a suggestion, but eventually one of the Apple Geniuses called her to the Genius Bar and diagnosed the problem. It was straightened out forthwith, although during the wait, she determined that, when the new iPhone 17 is introduced next week, she is going to order one!  Great sales job!!

We then wandered upstairs in the shopping center to have an early dinner at the Encanto Blanco Taco Mexican restaurant, dining on tacos, a chimichanga and some wine. We returned to Oro Valley and sat in the poolside chairs on the patio watching the mountains turn pink from the setting sun and enjoying wine and a Dirty Martini cocktail. After sundown, we chatted and visited until nearly 9:30 PM and then headed to bed. A quiet day that found us in bed by10:00.

Wednesday morning we again enjoyed the breakfast bar that would make Hampton Inn’s blush from its inadequacy. Just after noon, we loaded into Tom’s Lexus SUV and drove the 26 mile trip to the top of Mount Lemmon, the tallest peak in the Santa Catalina Mountain range with an elevation of 9.171 feet. The temperature difference from base to top can be 20-30º F. The mountain is named for botanist Sara Plummer Lemon, who with her husband trekked to the top of the mountain in 1881. Mount Lemmon is also known as Baba Do’ag or Frog Mountain to the indigenous Tohono O’Odham.

At the top of the mountain is the village of Summerhaven, home to many summer residents and a few year-round residents. There are no fuel stations nor auto repair facilities n the village, and only a small village grocery store (closed unfortunately) but it stocks mostly basic staples and camping goods. We lunched on great sandwiches at the Mt. Lemmon Hotel Cafe operated by the Beyond Bread chain. Lovely atmosphere but the high point was the great, clean bathroom!

We left around 4:00 PM and headed back to Oro Valley, arriving back around 5:00.  The “as the crow flies” distanced is only 13 miles, but the road distance is closer to 30 miles.  Well worth the visit; we can recommend it.  After again watching the reflected sunset on the Santa Catalina mountains we ordered in pizza and then binge watched the first three episodes of the reboot of Scrubs on TV. Just as humorous in the new season as in the original.  We were in bed by 10:00, boring, predictable.

Southwest Driving, Monday, March 2, 2026

Sunday is Dell’s actual birthday, together with the date of the State of Nebraska joining the United States. Dell’s anniversary is arguably the more important, at least to those of us gathered in Anthem, AZ. Most of the morning was taken up by text and phone calls to the Birthday Boy from friends and relatives offering congratulations or expressing amazement that he was still hanging in there! We showered, snacked, and eventually loaded into Dell’s new car for a trip towards Cave Creek and some shopping. Deb found a number of items that were candidates for hauling back to Nebraska, including a tall blue porcelain cat, a large outdoor metal collage depicting a thunderbird symbol, and some smaller pots. Alas, nothing found its way into the car.

At 4:30 we headed to the Kiki Rae’s Restaurant to meet our friends Jan and Frank Hrasky for dinner. Dell picked this as he is very partial to the creamy clam chowder. We started with a cocktail and then placed an order for a cup of the chowder all around. Dell had a chef’s salad; Deb ordered a beet and arugula salad, the Hrasky’s split a huge French dip style sandwich, and Mark picked something called a “loco moco” which turned out to be an excellent hamburger patty over a bowl of white rice, then drizzled with a brown gravy and a fried egg on top. We ended the meal with a “birthday” wedge cake of deep chocolate drenched with chocolate sauce and a huge dollop of whipped cream, stabbed with a gigantic sparkler shooting flames out of the top.  A great tribute to a wonderful guy and ending to a wonderful meal.

On the return trip we were subjected to awesome sunsets, which, for the passengers, took the edge off the Sunday night traffic. We finished the evening with some television and reading. A quiet night in the end.

Monday Morning, we packed our bags and loaded up the RAV 4 for the trip south to Tucson. We left Casa Sennentz by 10:30 and jumped onto the freeway parking lots that surround Phoenix for the 150 mile trip south to Tucson. Although Dell admonished us to be sure and take a bathroom break before leaving, which we heeded, we still needed to stop at a McDonald’s for a rest. While there, since it was the noon hour, we ordered a snack of a Big Mac, fries and a hot fudge sundae for the road.

We arrived in Oro Valley at Tom & Kevin’s home around 1:00 PM for a warm but pleasant afternoon. After such a “hard” drive some of us rested our eyes in a prone position while others tried to keep their eyes open while sitting up. Although Tom & Kevin are now teetotalers, eschewing alcohol, that didn’t stop the Nebraska contingent from its evening dirty martini and scotch on the rocks. Following cocktails, we took a drive to our evening dinner reservation, Trueland Burgers and Greens. Again, lovely, low-key affair. Mark enjoyed a huge burger topped with bacon and a fried egg (a pattern is developing), Deb a classic Burger, Kevin a Buffalo Chicken sandwich and Tom a salad topped with Ahi tuna.

Again, home early for some relaxation. We had determined earlier to watch the movie Hamilton, as Tom & Kevin had never seen it. This started a hilarious attempt by old people to sign into Disney+ on the television. Multiple attempts and we kept getting thrown out for wrong password or fat fingers on the keypad. Deb finally was able to get it up and running by logging in with her passwords from Omaha. Unfortunately, it timed out before the intermission, but the boys are significantly intrigued to try and finish this show at a later date.

We retired around 10:00; an enjoyable and relaxing day with friends, even though the daytime weather had reached 90ºF.

Southwest Driving Trip, Friday, February 27, 2026

Friday, we awoke to a chilly morning, cool, with frost still on the windshield. The LaQuinta Inn breakfast included scrambled eggs, mystery (sausage?) patties and biscuits & gravy, we loaded up and were on the road around 9:30, onto I-40 headed toward Winslow, Arizona. Just a few miles past the Arizona - New Mexico border we stopped at the Petrified Forest National Park; this seeming as good a reason as any for why we remembered to bring our Lifetime U.S. Parks pass and passbook for adding stamps. 

The Petrified Forest National Park is about 340 square miles in the center of the Painted Desert area which encompasses some 7,500 square miles. The National Park itself covers 340 square miles and straddles the I-40. The historic Route 66 once ran through the park and was a major route bringing visitors. Inside the park there is a 26 mile driving loop with pull-outs offering some of the most stunning scenery in the entire southwest U.S. There are two visitor centers and a High Desert Museum. On our visit, there was very little traffic and few visitors. We drove the loop, browsed the visitors centers, utilized the restrooms, and stopped at a picnic area for a lunch on our stash of sandwiches and chips. The weather was perfect, clear, a comfortable 70º F and sunny. We can enthusiastically recommend taking a few hours, at a minimum, to drive the loop if one is in this neighborhood. The area was originally a huge forested area with water and rivers, likened to the Amazon Basin in size and scope. The petrified logs scattered all over the grounds are stunning; only the threat of arrest and prison time kept us from throwing a few logs into the back of the RAV 4 to take home and plant in our own rock garden. When you first drive through the entry and present your park pass, the Ranger tells you to enjoy your visit, then stares you in the eye and says, “Don’t pick up the rocks!” We are law abiding citizens, although the temptation was great. After leaving the park, one of the first things you see is a huge store and yard selling huge pieces of petrified logs. Evidently, petrified logs are not uncommon.

We continued back onto the Interstate towards our short term destination of Winslow, AZ. The goal was to use this stop as a jumping off point to get on the picturesque drive following the Mogollon Rim area, skipping the heavy semi-truck traffic and enjoying the wonderful scenery. We climbed along this two-lane highway, again with light traffic, up to 6,600 feet in altitude, then down through the Coconino National Forest, eventually arriving at Camp Verde and rejoining the I-17 for our final punch down south towards our goal of Anthem Arizona and our friend Dell.

We arrived in Anthem around 4:30 to spend a few days in rest. A primary purpose of this trip was to visit Dell, who we missed last fall; at the time, as we were readying ourselves last fall to leave Tucson and hop the Greyhound to Phoenix, Dell phoned us to say that Karen had collapsed and was being rushed to the hospital. We elected to short circuit our visit and reschedule our flight home. Karen died less than a week later - a loss we are still processing.

The current weekend is also Dell’s birthday, so we are here to visit with our friend, reminisce and to celebrate his 79th! As always, the accommodations are wonderful and on our first night Dell ordered in some of the best pizza we have ever devoured. We enjoyed a cocktail, visited for a bit, watched the news, and then retired for the evening. Next morning, we awoke to WAR! The “supreme leader” of the U.S.via a video at 2:30 AM, announced that we bombed Iran and by the end of the morning it was announced that Ayatollah Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader was killed. 

As the purpose of this blog is not politics, we will try to avoid a lot of comment, although most of our readers well know our views.  Enough on this.  We will continue our visit and try to stick our heads under the southwest sand.

Saturday we spent watching the news until Dell finally convinced us to get off our fat asses and do something so we went to a Rock and Gem Show here in Anthem, hoping someone was selling some largish petrified wood but apparently that is not too popular in hot, rocky areas.  We drove around the Anthem area, which is really quite beautiful and diverse, looking at possible smaller homes for Dell as he loves the area but wants to downsize.  When we returned to his current casa, we sat on the patio enjoying the weather with our cocktails.  Dell then outdid himself with grilled steaks, baked potatoes and salad which he managed to conjure up within 30 minutes!  And it was so good.  And the perfect end to a relaxing day.

Southwest Road Trip, September 27 - October 10, 2025

Saturday, September 27, 2025 we left Omaha on a Southwest flight, scheduled for 9:50 AM takeoff, only 25 minutes late. We were transported to LasVegas for what was to have been a one-stop, non plane change flight en route to Burbank, California. Southwest Airlines had other ideas. After every other passenger was off the plane, we mentioned to the flight attendant that we must be the only people headed to California.  That’s when he said, no, this plane was next headed to El Paso. Whoops! An equipment change that Southwest Airlines neglected to notify.

We hustled off, and luckily, only had to hobble from gate C1 to gate C11, within the same terminal. They were expecting us and allowed us to pre-board, and so we settled in for our 45 minute hop over to Burbank. Deb took an immediate nap, and Mark dozed in and out. Landing in Burbank, we texted Ed for pick-up and then went to baggage claim, fully doubting our bags would have made the change. We were pleasantly surprised when they dropped onto the spinning baggage carousel and we were off to the pick-up point.

A short 20 minute drive and we arrived at Ed & Meg’s new condo in Sherman Oaks on Sylmar Avenue. A 4-storey unit on the corner of the building with a 2-car garage under. We were welcomed by Meg and the newest member of the family, Cooper, the 8-month old Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

We put our luggage into the guest bedroom and settled into the living room for a glass of wine and some talk. Meg left for a work function of about an hour and a half, and Ed prepped hors d’oeuvres for dinner. Ed’s high school chum Matt Rysavy, now a freelance editor in LA, and his girlfriend Kara Harschberger joined us for dinner: a wonderful homemade butternut squash soup, salad greens and chocolate treats as a dessert.

As Deb and Mark had been up since 5:30 Omaha time, they retired early at 9:30 after a full travel day. Mike and Kara stayed on until a little past 11:00 and then headed back home. A long but enjoyable day.

Sunday morning, Mark rolled out at 4:30, showered and went down to drink some coffee, catch up on the latest Orange Felonies being perpetrated on America, and work his morning NYT puzzles. Meg and Cooper eventually joined and went for a morning walk, Ed came down to make more coffee and Deb, after showering and doing battle with Millie the cat, came down for coffee around 9:00.

The schedule for the day was to depart around 10:15 for West Hollywood and Hamburger Mary’s Restaurant for brunch.  Not just any brunch, but a live Drag Queen show with brunch and lunch available. What an experience.  Ed seemed to be a Queen magnet, ending the 2 hour show with three separate lipstick kisses on his forehead and the rest of us running out of $1.00 bills! We finally rolled out of the show around 2:00PM, made a short stop for Salt & Straw Ice Cream for Deb and Meg (excellent) and then home for a nap and rest up before our dinner reservations scheduled for 6:00.

Dinner this evening was at an Italian place, Osteria La Buca. Wonderful food, with some nice cocktails, Negroni, a Succo di Puma (vodka, wild elderberry, lemon) and a nice Pinot Noir wine. Meg and Ed shared an appetizer of melon salad. Dinners included Nero Spaghetti which featured a black homemade spaghetti, clams, squid, shrimp, tomatoes and bread crumbs; spaghetti caccio pepe; and bucatini carbonara; plus and order of bread to sop up all the wonderful sauces. No room left for dessert, however.

Back home, we opened a delicious bottle of California Red wine from the Temecula area and talked bout the next day’s plans.  Some who arose early crept up the stairs for an early 9:00 bedtime, and others struggled upwards a bit later.  A wonderful, food filled Sunday in sunny Southern California.

 

March 1-3, 2024 Phoenix to Burbank

A cool morning in Anthem, and a lazy one at that. Friday, we decided to be slightly more active today. Our intent was to spend some time in the hot tub and then head out for a meal. Unfortunately, the hot tub decided to go on strike. It wouldn‘t heat, nor would the jets stay on for any length of time. Possible diagnosis is either a faulty igniter or pack rats nesting in the system. Either way we are out of luck. We regrouped and decided on a drive to downtown Phoenix for a tour of the Japanese Friendship Garden.

The garden features more than 1,500 tons of hand picked rock, stone footbridges, lanterns and more than 50 varieties of plants. It includes streams, a 12-foot waterfall, and a Koi pond with over 300 Koi fish. One of the main attractions at the Japanese Friendship Garden is the Japanese Tea House. 3.5 total acres with a koi pond that is 5/8 of an acre.The Koi pond holds 550,000 gallons of water and some of the Koi have been in the pond since the opening of the garden in 1996.

The Garden showcases more than 50 varieties of plants including two varieties of bamboo. The designers chose plant species that can withstand the rigors of a desert environment while still reflecting the serenity of a Japanese Garden. 1,500 tons of rock handpicked from quarries in Arizona near Jerome, Superior, Congress and Florence line the stream beds, walking paths, lake shore and main lake waterfall. It is a soothing and relaxing Garden and is designed for contemplation and rest. 

We left the garden and then drove back towards Anthem, arriving at a First Watch restaurant at 1:00 for our noon lunch. We dined on eggs, sausage, hash browns and a sausage and biscuit plate that was as good as ever encountered. We were back at the old homestead by 3:00 and ready for some nap time or some reading time. As cocktail hour proceeded, Dell produced some huge steaks and fired up his grill. Karen prepped a salad and some boiled potatoes and we dined quietly as the sun set over the western mountains.

Saturday morning we cleaned our bodies and packed our bags. We departed Anthem around noon and drove to Cave Creek for our annual meal at The Horny Toad, a notorious burger place that we hit every time we are in the Phoenix area. We arrived at Sky Harbor Airport around three and bid goodbye to our friends and hosts. Another calming few days in the Phoenix area.

We boarded our flight to Burbank at 5:30 and settled in for the quick hop over the mountains and into the LA area. Ed, our eldest son, was there to meet us and we made the 20 minute drive to the apartment where Meg greeted us warmly with a ready cocktail and a home cooked meal in the oven. We petted Addison the dog, and fought off the constant attention from  Millicent the cat. We caught up on life in general and dined on roast lamb, home fried potatoes and a wonderful arugula salad. Relaxed, we chatted into the night, watched the movie “American Fiction” which is up for some Academy awards then falling into our newest and third bed of the trip.

Sunday morning we arose to coffee and some reading time as we perused our Omaha World Herald (not much to read) and our Sunday New York Times.In the early evening, we headed into downtown Hollywood to meet Ed & Meg’s good friends Katie and Wayne at the legendary Musso & Frank Grill. This iconic restaurant was established at this location in 1919 and is dubbed the oldest restaurant in Hollywood. It is famous for its decor, its waiters dressed in their red cats white shirts and black bow ties and its food. Dubbed a “New York style” restaurant, it serves steaks, Welsh Rarebit, Lobster Thermidorian and other old style cuisine. It is famous for its Martinis and has an excellent wine list.   It lived up to its reputation.

We enjoyed the Martinis, and dined on several steaks and  grilled Branzini over rice. Dessert included some cheesecake and a strawberry tort that was enough for two. Many of you have seen Musso & Frank’s as it is featured in many movies and television shows. We remembered it as almost another character in the TV show, “The Kaminsky Method” starring Michael Douglas and Allan Arken. Also it is a frequent feature in the Harry Bosch series. We returned home and fell into bed, with true Hollywood memories. 

Monday morning, we lazed around, read our newspapers and completed our daily puzzles while Ed and Meg worked (both from home.)  At noon, Ed took us to lunch at the “Front Yard” restaurant, a part of the Garland Hotel, just around the corner from Universal Studios. No famous sightings but great food.

We returned and helped Ed pack his bags, as he had to leave at 4:00 to handle his teaching gig as an adjunct professor at Cal State LA, and then on to LAX for a “red eye” flight to New York where he is spending the rest of the week. With Meg, we walked a few blocks to the Idle Hour pub for some wine, burgers, flatbread and fried chicken fingers. A walk back, an attempt (only Deb did not fall asleep) to watch the new TV series “The Regime” with Kate Winslet and then crawled into bed to end the evening.

February 28 & 29, Tucson to Phoenix

Wednesday morning was a bit cloudy but otherwise typical Tucson weather. We picked at the remains of the breakfast bar this morning, made use of our hosts washer and dryer, and packed up our bags. Del and Karen had spent the previous night in a Comfort Inn near Mt. Lemmon here in Tucson after driving down yesterday from Phoenix. They arrived at Potosi Point Drive just before lunch, bringing along the second half of the huge sandwiches they had dined on the night before. Mark and Karen split her muffuletta sandwich and we also finished off some of Kevin’s remaining tortilla and rice dish.

As rain showers started, we said our goodbyes and our heartfelt thanks to Tom, Kevin and Liam the Scotty dog for their wonderful hospitality and headed north to the Phoenix area for the second leg of our annual free-loading sojourn in the Southwest. The rain became heavy for a short distance as we initially headed west but as we turned north on I-10, the rain dissipated and traffic was not too bad. We arrived in Anthem, north of Phoenix around 5:00.

We unpacked the Ford and then enjoyed a cocktail and glass of wine. After calling in our order, Del jumped into his Mustang convertible and drove to a nearby Asian restaurant to pick up our take-out, returning with the warm and satisfying meal in about 20 minutes. We dined, talked, and then sat watching the antics of the talk show hosts on You Tube for a few hours, turning in after another “tough” day as travelers.

Thursday we leapt out of bed to meet the day (wouldn’t that be a sight to see!) Deb did a little remote travel work, Del puttered around the house cleaning the deck and skimming the pool, and Mark sat on his anatomy reading all day. Deb and Karen checked out restaurants and finally settled on a place the Sennentz team was unfamiliar with - Kiki & Rae’s Seafood Bar in nearby Cave Creek.We arrived a few minutes late for our 6:00 reservation, but were seated promptly on the patio under a  portable gas heater. We enjoyed great clam chowder, deep fried cod sandwiches, scallops on rice medley and shared a bottle of Pinot Noir. A relaxing and delicious  meal.

Arriving back in Anthem we watched part of a movie, read for a awhile and retired around 10:00. A quiet and relaxing day.

February 26 & 27, Arizona 2024

Another stellar day in the American Southwest. Monday was a leisurely day of reading, writing, and grazing through the breakfast buffet that Kevin set out for us. In the afternoon we loaded into the Avalon sedan and headed out for a late lunch with Tom’s cousin, Jan Buckingham and her husband Lauren Ronald at Vivace Restaurant. Jan and Lauren are transplanted Omahans who live in Tucson year-round. Jan is a retired Interior designer and Lauren is a retired attorney, formerly with Kutak Rock in Omaha. The lunch was well presented Italian fare and most delicious. The setting provides a view of the entire valley and downtown Tucson. We then drove to Chicos and Costco to replenish some supplies and find a blouse and slackers to complete a wardrobe for Deb.

We returned in the early evening and enjoyed cocktails and wine around the pool. We dined on leftovers and then settled in for a movie that Tom had recommended: “Leave the World Behind.” The stars were Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali, Myha’la, and Kevin Bacon. This was a thriller and a very thought provoking movie that we can recommend to anyone over the age of 13. Lots of foul language and some violence. The ending leaves you wondering. It is available on Netflix.

Tuesday we were up at the crack of dawn (7:00) and again grazed the breakfast bar. After cleaning up and chatting for a while, we left for a late lunch at Harvest Restaurant. We enjoyed a glass of wine, some burgers, a salad and a turkey sandwich. All the food was delicious. Next we traveled to the DeGrazia Art Gallery and toured the art. Ted DeGrazia was a native Tucson artist (1909 - 1982) born to Italian immigrant parents in Morenci, Arizona Territory. He eventually attended University of Arizona earning a Master’s Degree in Art and established the Gallery for living and painting in the 1950’s.

We made a grocery stop and then returned to Oro Valley for martinis and wine around the pool. Tom fired up the jacuzzi spa and when the temperature hit 94ºF, we slipped into our suits, transferred our drinks to plastic glasses, and dipped into the spa for an hours soak and chatter.  Some of us watched “Barbie” while the other two dozed while pretending to watch.  I will let you figure out who the dozers were.

We finally crawled into bed at 10:30, having enjoyed a hospitable day of relaxation, witty repartee, friendship and food.

2024 Arizona Spring Fling

Saturday, February 24, 2024 and our “Uber” driver, Abigail picks us up promptly at 10:00 AM to transport us to Eppley Airfield for the beginning of our spring trek to the great Southwest. Our Southwest Airlines flight to Denver departed and arrived on time. We lunched on a Caesar Salad and a Ham and Swiss sandwich plus a pair of cans of Pinot Noir for the princely sum of $68.00, this from a stand-up sandwich purveyor. We found our way to our gate and sat at a computer hook-up station / desk to eat our meal. Surprisingly good food, with one of the best ham and Swiss sandwiches ever encountered. (Topped off with a huge Rice Krispy & marshmallow treat for dessert.) 

The flight to Tucson was delayed due to late arrival of the equipment, but we landed safely in Tucson at 5:45, met by our host Tom. Our bags arrived on time and intact and we spent the next 45 minute drive catching up enjoying the sights as we headed for home in the suburb of Oro Valley. Kevin and Liam the Scotty Terrier met us at their home and we rested on the patio, looking at the Catalina mountain range, enjoying a dirty martini and dined on a taco bowl dish Kevin had been preparing in his Ninja pot. We notified Abby that we had arrived safely. Darcy was on a flight returning from Denver after a drive out from Omaha with her friend Erin and her son Sam. Ed & Meg were also in Arizona, Scottsdale, and were busy touring the Biltmore Hotel and enjoying a cocktail in this Frank Lloyd Wright designed structure. We will meet them in Burbank next weekend. 

Sunday morning we awoke fairly refreshed and enjoyed a breakfast buffet of pastry, chopped fruit, cereal, juice, toast and jam and the all important coffee. The morning was beautiful, the mountains gleamed and we sat on the deck admiring the day. There is a huge bicycle road race occurring here in Oro Valley today.

The traffic is diverted and there are hundreds of bikers racing around a 4 mile stretch of the town. We walked about a block up to the highway area of the race and watched the pelotons racing by and then, later in the afternoon, watched the professional racers as they tore around the route at a torrid pace. This event began at 8:00 this morning and went to 4:00 in the afternoon. Exciting to watch although it was quite a disruption to traffic and caused us a bit of circumnavigation when we returned later in the afternoon.

Shortly after the noon hour, we hopped in the car and headed out for our day’s adventure. We drove to the nearby town of Oracle to Biosphere 2. This 3.14 acre facility was originally a ranch, then a hotel conference center and  in 1984 construction began for the Biosphere as a simulation for exploring human living possibilities in space.

The original 8  Biospherians were locked into the facility for a two year period, raising their own food, cooking and living together to test the possibility and life activities away from Earth.  After the initial two year period, a second set of 7 Biosherians entered the facility for and additional period. The facility is now owned by the University of Arizona and continues into research of life science. There are five Biomes under glass at the facilit. These biomes, ocean, mangrove wetlands, tropical rainforest, savannah grasslands and fog desert, are all huge structures under glass similar to enormous greenhouses.The walking tour takes approximately 90 minutes and is truly amazing.

Biosphere 2 is meant to replicate Biosphere 1 (Earth) and is undertaking all kinds of research that is fascinating and basic to life. As an example, There are three huge, under glass “hillsides” that are constructed on steel frameworks under glass. These are each approximately 33 feet wide and 100 feet long, at a 10º slope and will be planted with a variety of plants and grasslands. The object is to find how water is purified as it percolates through various layers of growth and soil. There are nearly 1,000 sensors in each area of soil, and, as it is all under glass, the temperature, humidity, and sunlight can be controlled and measured.

The object is to find the effect of each input on the plants and the resulting water that percolates through the soils. To me, as a building guy, two of the most interesting structures were the Lung buildings. Since all the structures are sealed under glass, the temperature and humidity combine to continually change the pressure inside the structures. If not properly vented the structures could explode or crush under the atmospheric changes. These huge lungs are designed to breathe via huge floating aluminium floors that rise and lower as to maintain an even pressure with in the building structures. The facility is open from 9:00 to 4:00 every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Tickets are $27.00 for adults, $25,00 for seniors and $15.00 for those 17 and under. There are a limited number of tickets available for each day and hour so are best purchased in advance from Biosphere 2.org.  Anyone planning a visit to Tucson should add this to their agenda - it is not to be missed.

We returned to the house for the rest of the afternoon for cocktails and visiting. We snaked on cheese, crackers, and some cookies and ice cream. As we were still in travelling mode and under the influence of toile changes, we retired at 10:00 having enjoyed our first day of learning about our world and resting by the pool with cocktails and good friends and hosts.

Phoenix, AZ, Saturday February 27, 2022

It is Saturday already and time to pack up and head back to the chilly northern climate zone. Deb pulled up our flight plan after we received a notice of a time change. The flight delay out of Phoenix made our connection in Denver impossible. Although United Airlines was required to book an alternate flight, it appeared there were no other seats, so Deb went to work. She eventually secured two seats on the last flight from Denver to Omaha, arriving at 11:39 PM. Not great but at least avoiding an overnight in the Denver Airport!

We lunched on sandwiches and loaded up Dell’s Silver Ford Taurus for the drive to the Phoenix airport. We arrived at 1:45 PM, plenty of time to clear TSA and head to our gate. During our visit earlier in the week in Tucson to the Tucson Cactus and Koi store, Deb found an Aloe type succulent that she really liked, She paired it with a smart little pot and the staff there planted it up. We had carried it to Phoenix and then put it in a box, surrounded by plastics and settled into Deb’s carry-on bag, one that was really a long handled tote. Mark was nervous that TSA would confiscate the plant and not allow us on the flight. This wasn’t just paranoia; on a previous trip, he had placed his travel canister of Metamucil in his carry-on bag. TSA saw it on x-ray, pulled the canister, even though it was a factory container, albeit opened. They opened it, called a supervisor over and delayed our departure from the TSA spot for a good 30 minutes before confiscating the Metamucil as possible explosive material. I tried to tell them that they would only explode if they consumed the entire can, but they did not appreciate my humor! In any event, we were afraid the plant with its gravel like soil would trip the trigger.

Not a single comment. It flew through the X-ray machine without a whimper. We, with our replacement hip and replacement knee were a bit slower, requiring we enter the “moose” scan to ensure we weren’t  concealing illicit hardware. Takeoff was late, so we were glad we had booked the later flight.

An uneventful run to Denver, arriving on time. There were a lot of close connections on this flight, and as we knew we had about three and one-half hours layover, we sat back and let others get off first. Once off the plane, we stopped for a quick pit stop and then headed towards our next flight, expecting to settle into a restaurant for dinner before taking off. Denver was a real cluster, every flight seemed late and every traveler running up and down the concourse trying to get to their soon to be missed flight. Three gates down from our arrival gate, we spotted our original Omaha flight, evidently delayed and not yet boarding. We stepped up to the counter, and the kind gate lady found us two seats together towards the rear of the plane. We took them.

It has been along time since we sat in the “cheap seats” back in the steerage section. We normally book “Economy Plus” for the increased legroom afforded. Back in row 32, it was crowded. When pulling the tray table down, we found that our girth wedged the table in tightly. Not comfortable. However, for an hour and four minutes we could endure most anything. We arrived in Omaha at 9:20 PM, a full two hours before our earlier schedule, although some 2 hours later than our originally booked flights.   

Abigail was there to meet us; we tossed the baggage and the succulent plant in her Prius and hurried home, glad to be back in our own beds and happy to hold our long suffering cat Cleo for comfort. Our house sitters, Darcy and Bud had the place spic and span, nothing was broken or out of place, and the only complaint was from Cleo, who had suffered through the week with her arch-enemies, Norman the Australian Shepherd and Weenie the miniature Dachshund forcing her to hide in the basement and only come up to eat when the dogs were asleep. There was a reason she was glad to see us.

We had a very enjoyable week in Arizona, although it seemed uncharacteristically cool. Since the temperatures dropped to subzero here in Omaha while we were gone, it seemed warm. However, forecast temps for the coming week in Omaha in the upper 60’s to lower 70’s were strange home-coming!

Phoenix, AZ, Friday, February 2022

Today began significantly warmer, 37ºF but still cool enough to require cover for tender plants to avoid any frostbite.In a futile attempt to restrict our caloric intake, we tucked in this morning to a bowl of Cheerios with milk and blueberries, and a banana (which, given its size, must have been raised with steroids!) 

As Fridays in February are a time for Master Gardener training and the Douglas/Sarpy County program is still holding classes under the Zoom model, Mark logged in this morning for a two hour scintillating session on Soils and Turf. As usual, he always picks up something that he found new, or that he had forgotten since the sessions from previous years. For readers who don‘t know, the material you garden in is Soil, not dirt. Dirt is something you wash off your hands or sweep from the floor.

For the noon meal, we finished up the leftover Asian cuisine from the previous night and sliced up the leftover beef filet from Wednesday‘s evening meal for sandwiches. Old people are frugal you know! As we were beginning to suffer from house fever, Dell backed the Ford out of the garage and we went for an afternoon tour.  We journeyed to nearby Cave Creek (a neighboring suburb) for a visit to the Rare Earth Gem Store. This is not your normal rock shop - $60,000 carved onyx bathtubs, six foot tall amethyst geodes on display stands that rotate for a mere $40,000, $10,000 slabs of  four inch thick polished marble for your dining room table, and then for the tourists, bins of shiny polished rocks to take home a a memory of Arizona. Or, if you have a big enough truck to drive you home, whole logs of petrified wood to spread around your lawn as a decoration.

Next stop was the Kiwanis Marketplace - an atypical thrift store of cast-offs. Mark scored a $2.00 hardcover book to read on the flight home. Better than an overpriced paperback James Patterson throwaway from the airport shop! 

We drove along the ridge top overlooking the suburbs of Phoenix, admiring the homes nestled in the hills among the saguaro, and then ended our driving tour at a local Anthem restaurant - Plaza Bonita Family Mexican Restaurant. This is an exceedingly popular local place, with a line extending out the door. We added our name on the list and settled in for a 20 minute wait for our table. We dined on some margaritas, tacos, and huge burritos. Excellent food and excellent company. We wisely did not notify the staff of Deb‘s birthday earlier in the week nor Dell‘s coming 75th birth anniversary on March 1. This decision became easy when an adjoining table was suddenly surrounded by employees who placed a huge ceremonial sombrero on an elderly lady‘s head, sang the Happy Birthday song (with the entire room of diners joining the chorus) and then chanting “Drink, Drink, Drink,“ as she was encouraged to down a shot of tequila. As we had watched her slowly being assisted to her table earlier, due to her apparent age, we were surprised that she was able to get the liquor down. When they offered up a second round, we were convinced against any further discussion with the staff regarding happy events.

Back at Casa Sennentz by 7:30, we settled in for a night of You Tube videos around the television. Again, by 10:30 we were bedded down, pleased with our day and thinking of the coming day of travel. Not once during our Arizona adventure did we stick a toe in the hot tub spas available at both homes, Tucson and Anthem. Our swimming togs stayed high and dry, hidden in our luggage. This of course was for the visual safety of our hosts. You are all welcome!

Phoenix, AZ, Thursday, February 24, 2022

Our first full day in Phoenix and we awoke to the potential beginnings of WW III. By the time we had rolled out of bed and started the coffee, Trump’s hero, Putin had delivered his false speech and launched his 120,000 troops into Ukraine. We spent the morning, glued to the television, learning of the coming horrors of the Ukrainian public and the reaction around the world. 

The morning here was very cool; the overnight low was 31 and there was some frost on uncovered plants. After watching the news all morning, we broke for lunch of sandwiches and chips. We turned the video feed back on to hear President Biden’s message to the nation regarding the invasion, and listened to a bit of the press conference. Becoming somewhat depressed, we turned off the feed and repaired to the warming outside for some reading time or napping. At cocktail hour we started a small fire in the outdoor kiva and enjoyed a cocktail.

Our daughter Darcy was today scheduled to testify at the Nebraska Legislature against the proposed Abortion ban bill # 933. Although the hearing was to be six hours of testimony, the crowd was so large that they ran out of time just before her turn at the microphone. As all testimony had to be submitted in writing, she did get her testimony entered and it will be a part of the record. We were so proud of her activism in this important area.

We finished the afternoon by adjourning to the television for the latest update from PBS Newshour, again hearing of all the goings on in Europe. We made a decision to dine this evening on Asian cuisine so called in our order the the neighborhood restaurant. Dell and Mark drove to pick it up, returned and we all enjoyed the result.

We ended the evening  with another 3 hour binge of the Jack Reacher series, finishing the entire season. Into bed by 10:45 for another lazy vacation day. Maybe we will leave the house tomorrow for some adventure, or maybe not!

Tucson to Phoenix Arizona, Wednesday, February 23, 2022

We arise this morning to a cool, cloudy and blustery day in Tucson. Well rested, we breakfast on the remains of last night’s pizza, some fruit and yogurt and the ever present coffee. By 10:00 we are saying goodbye to the pink painted Santa Catalina mountain scenery.

Shortly we are all packed and we load into the white, smooth riding Avalon and head north along I-10 towards Casa Grande and our luncheon appointment. The winds were howling crosswise against the car and the semi-trailers were swaying as they stormed past our vehicle. Tom, our designated driver, held steady and the rain held off. We arrived right on time in Casa Grande and located our destination, Creative Cafe, reputedly the best restaurant in Casa Grande.

The Creative Cafe has an interesting story; according to its menu, it was founded in 1987 and provides work and learning opportunities for mentally and physically disabled adults. This was quickly apparent when we had been seated: we were approached by a young lady, obviously disabled and so thin she would have fallen over if she ventured outside in the winds we encountered on the way to the restaurant. She ably attended to our drink requests. On the other side of our table, an attentive young Down syndrome man was quick with refills, napkins and an apron filled with straws to hand out.

Our Phoenix connection friends were only 30 minutes behind schedule, although with a ready set of excuses; it was raining heavily on the way south, the traffic along the I-10 corridor was horrific, and most importantly, neither had remembered their cellphones with the name of the restaurant they were headed towards, nor any method of contacting us to receive directions. Even if they had located a pay phone(?) they wouldn’t have had the foggiest idea of our phone numbers as that information too was stored in these devilishly ubiquitous electronic devices. It was miraculous that they were able to find us at all.

Once the six of us were gathered around our table, introductions were made (our two sets of hosts had not met previously) we ordered our sandwiches and then launched into conversation. The Nebraskans, four of them desert transplants and the two of us freeloading visitors, quickly found commonality, shared background, politics, and interests. The sandwiches we had ordered were excellent and the single lunch hour stretched to two. By the time we were ready to transfer the luggage from one car trunk to another, it was pouring rain.  At least the rain was able to hide the tears as we offered heartfelt thanks and said our goodbyes to our Tucson hosts. Tom and Kevin headed back south in the rain and we headed north with Dell and Karen to our next few days of adventure. The rain finally stopped some 20 miles south of Phoenix and we coasted into Anthem, after a stop at Costco to load up on wine and soda water, now in the sunshine.

It has been two years since we were here in Phoenix; during the pandemic, we had cancelled plans in 2021 for a southern excursion. Many changes around the Sennentz homestead, new plantings, dirty Mesquite tree removal, but the pool and hot tub spa were still beckoning. We loaded our bags into our designated bedroom and settled in for some talk and rest.

Suddenly, we heard a strange noise and looked out the window. Hail was pouring down, splashing in the pool, bouncing on the patio deck and piling up! A strange phenomenon in the desert. The temperature was dropping and Dell went out with sheets and blankets to throw some protection over the more tender plants in anticipation of a predicted overnight frost.

Dell threw some steaks on the barbecue, Karen prepared some Yukon Gold potatoes and steamed broccoli, and we had a leisurely dinner. We settled in to watch the PBS Newshour, then fell into binge watching a Jack Reacher television series. After three episodes, we finally called a halt and trundled off to bed at a reasonable 10:30 PM. Sleep was quick and deep.

Tucson, AZ, Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Twosday the twenty second day of the second month of the twenty second year of the second millennia following the alleged birth of Jesus of Nazareth. As the Europeans write the date - 22/02/2022. We in Tucson decided it should be a day of rest so confined ourselves to Casa Nielsen/Rose for the entire day. 

We started the day with the normal breakfast bar, but Chef Kevin added a cheesy egg scramble which included the remains of Saturday’s chopped pieces of filet and asparagus. We also polished off the remainder of the au gratin potatoes and the small pastry bites. Yogurt and fresh fruit again completed the meal. As it was a late brunch, we skipped the noon meal. 

We lazed around in the afternoon; Deb had some travel work to clean up, Mark worked on reading the novel he had begun on the flight down, Kevin attended to laundry for all of us, and Tom spent an hour or two in his home office, handling correspondence, paying bills, surfing the internet for something? We did spend a few hours waiting for and then watching President Biden’s address on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. None of us hold out any hope that the sanctions announced will deter the Putin Push, but all the effort the administration has put into organizing our Allies into a united front against this international crime is very refreshing.

 It was sunny to partly cloudy today, relatively warm at 65º F, but breezy. We were able to sit on the patio for a bit during cocktail hour, but eventually were pushed back inside. Not, however before we were able to polish off a plate of cream cheese covered by red pepper jelly, a chunk of Muenster cheese and a large collection of crackers as appetizers.

Earlier in the day we had decided on purchased pizza for our evening meal, so Tom headed out for a pair of Rosati’s thin crust pizzas; a large hamburger and mushroom, and a large “everything.” Kevin prepared a quick salad, and we enjoyed every bite, some having more bites than others! We topped this off with some delicious chocolate cookies that Kevin conjured from his pantry.

Afterward, we sat around watching You Tube videos of singer performances, notably Karen Carpenter and then a bunch of Andrea Bocelli videos. We talked and read well into the evening, finally falling into our beds around 10:30 PM. Tomorrow we will pack up and head towards our rendezvous with Dell and Karen midway between Tucson and Phoenix as we launch into the second half of our Arizona Adventure week.

 

Tucson, AZ, Monday, February 21, 2022

 

Today is an especially auspicious day - February 21 is the birthday of both Deb and Kevin Rose. As such we will call it their special day and try hard to put up with their constant  comment of “but it’s my Birthday!” This morning’s sunrise was not quite so spectacular but still pretty darn nice coming up over the mountains. At breakfast this morning, birthday cards were handed around; Tom and I both got the same card for Deb - crazy coincidence, especially as they were purchased at different stores 1,500 miles apart at different times.

 

 

First stop of the morning was to the Pima County Extension office.The University of Arizona is located in Tucson and the Extension Office is directly across the highway. In Omaha, the Master Gardener program encompasses 14 different demonstration gardens spread around Douglas and Sarpy counties. Here in Tucson, all of the Demonstration Gardens are here at the Extension office and they are open to the public, even though today is the President’s Day holiday. The greenhouses and the Propagation Nursery were closed but all the other gardens were open and available to walk through. One of the most interesting was the Xeriscape demonstration garden for low water level plantings. They utilize a drip system at each of the major plants.

Tucson averages 12” of precipitation a year, as we are in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. Here they had a demonstration of a “water harvesting” system where they collect all rainwater from the metal roof of one of the outbuildings, perhaps 1200 square feet, and via guttering, direct the water to a storage tank that in turn uses timers and gravity to feed the drip irrigation system.

Next up was a trip to another nursery, Green Things. This one was reminiscent of Mulhall’s in Omaha, acres and acres of plants on display, greenhouses as far as the eye can see, and a huge indoor tropical plant set up. This entire facility was originally a ranch, so the area is huge and flat. The other intriguing thing was that, as a working ranch there was a large main home, which is now a showroom and gallery of some very high end art, both Mexican and Native American. There are numerous bunk houses spread around the main home that are now indoor showrooms for pots, wood furniture and sundry other goods for sale. A huge enterprise.

Final stop of the afternoon was the Copenhagen Furniture store. Copenhagen specializes in Scandinavian and modern furniture design. There are stores in Phoenix, Tucson, San Antonio and Austin. We have visited the one in Phoenix almost every visit previously. Tom and Kevin had ordered a new set of dining chairs for their dining table and the ostensible purpose of this stop was to check on delivery status. Like everything else in the country, supply issues have delayed the arrival of the chairs. We were assured that they can expect them prior to the end of March, which was exciting news.

We then journeyed back to Casa Nielsen/Rose for a rest prior to changing for our dinner reservation at the Vivace Restaurant. This is a large, upscale Italian restaurant that is in the foothills overlooking the entire valley of the Tucson metro area. After dark the site of the lights of the city is quite something. The food was absolutely delicious. The Italian bread, fresh and hot from the oven, was accompanied by a very loose pesto sauce rather than butter - scrumptious. Salads were excellent, one a shared  Caesar and the other a oil & vinegar over fresh greens. With the crunchiest potato sticks ever encountered. Deb ordered the soup of the day which was the highlight of the appetizers, a cream of asparagus soup with an indescribable flavor. Main courses included a linguine topped by a perfectly grilled piece of salmon, a seafood “soup” with scallops, shrimp and cod, floating in a red sauce over fettuccine, a pork parmigano accompanied by pasta tossed with vegetables, and finally a large piece of grilled salmon over risotto.  Glasses of wine were consumed, and the evening was capped off by a pair of complimentary “birthday” brûlée’s, complete with a candle. Midway through the meal, we looked out on the patio of our dining area to witness a young couple just as he proposed to his date/girlfriend. She evidently said “yes” as tears flowed and hugs ands kisses ensued. They returned to the dining room to applause and rejoined what appeared to be her parents, they also now in tears. Very romantic!

We journeyed back to our abode for a nightcap and again into bed at the sensible hour of 10:00 PM.   A wonderful birthday for both the celebrants and their attending partners. 

Tucson AZ, Sunday, February 20, 2022

Up for a glorious sunrise over the Santa Catalina Mountain range,

which is the view out of the windows at the Nielsen-Rose abode this morning. We have an entire week stretching ahead of us and so much to do, yet so restful to sit poolside in the sunshine doing absolutely nothing! This morning Chef Kevin offered an amazing choice of repast with which to break our overnight fast. After discussing our plans for the day, we opted for a lighter meal of fresh fruit, raspberry pastries, yogurt and cereal. We enjoyed an orange juice Prosecco smoothie to go with our coffee.

Promptly at 11:00, the doorbell rang with a delivery of flowers for Deb. Abigail had arranged for the arrangement to be delivered in anticipation of Deb’s birthday tomorrow. When your children do something thoughtful and kind, such as this, you realize that maybe your attempts at parenthood were not such a failure after all. Next thing you know, they will offer forgiveness for all the times we refused to let them join their buddies at the mall or to purchase the newest piece of plastic plaything on offer.

Early afternoon, we climbed into Kevin’s white Avalon to drive the area. First stop was Tucson Cactus and Koi, the cactus nursery at which Kevin spends way too much time and money (according to Tom,) and where all the salespeople seem to know his name, Kevin’s Cheers. Never have we seen such a display or variety of cactus. Tall ones, short ones, flowering ones, dead looking ones! Kevin, a Master Gardener with Douglas County Extension when he lived in Omaha, has embraced the desert flora. He has spent countless hours restoring his small piece of the desert. His yard now encompasses 95 cactus and 16 pots of annual flowers for color and diversity. He is after a low water, xeriscape, style planting and his efforts are evident. During this stop, Deb acquired a small potted cactus, which she intends to wrap up and smuggle onto our plane home in her carry-on!

Next stop is an upscale open air mall where we spent too much time in Crate and Barrel. This shopping excursion was spurred on as a number of items on Meg and Ed’s wedding list were available at his store. Since we will be coming back out to the great southwest in another 60 days to celebrate their wedding, we used this excuse to wander the store and ponder all the wonderful goods available and decide what we might want to contribute to their happiness. 

Next onward to our evening dinner location, the Original Guadalajara Cafe for some Mexican cuisine and a large pitcher of Margaritas. Mark chose a more sensible 20 ounce beaker of Modell Negra beer. The food was excellent - the only downfall was the table-side preparation salsa, guacamole and chips as appetizers. We enjoyed a taco salad, a plate of three sauce soaked enchiladas, a molcajetes (which is a scalding cauldron of seafood and meats to be wrapped in accompanying tortillas,) and  Tom’s choice of tamales and enchiladas and a Gordita. All in all too much food. We should have skipped the hors d’oerves. 

Just as the sun was setting, we returned to Casa Nielsen-Rose for evening cocktails and conversation under the stars. Amid a brace of dirty Martinis and a bottle of red wine, we tried to solve all the world’s, or at least just our own troubles. Luckily, the combination of activities, walking and good food tired us and kept our activities to a minimum. We were into our boudoir and bed at a responsible 10:00 PM.

Tucson AZ, Saturday, February 19, 2022

We head out this morning for our week in Arizona, first visiting our friends Tom Nielsen and Kevin Rose in Tucson, and then midweek, headed toward Phoenix to spent the balance of our week with our friends Karen and George (Dell) Sennentz. Abigail picked us up from home at 7:30 A.M.; she is always on time! She inherited that trait from one of her parents. We arrived at Eppley Airfield by 7:50 and were masked up and checked in moments later. This is our first trip together under COVID rules, although Deb and Abigail did take a flight to up-state New York last fall for a wool, sheep and knitting festival. The prospect of wearing a mask for 6-8 hours was not something we were looking forward to.

Our route from Omaha to Denver, a short layover, and then on to Tucson was uneventful. No one was thrown off the plane for rowdy behavior; it wouldn’t have been too bad as both flights were 100% full. The only respite was a cup of coffee and soda on the second leg which allowed for momentary mask removal. Both flights arrived early, and we set foot in Tucson at 1:30 in the afternoon. Tom and Kevin arrived to pick us up in the baggage area and we headed to their home in Oro Valley, some 50 minutes drive away. They have now been in Tucson for three years and have created quite a life for themselves. Their home is beautifully decorated, the pool and spa very inviting and their “son” Liam the Scotty well behaved.

We settled in, headed straight for the patio, and found cocktails to our liking. As we had not eaten all day, Kevin broke out some cheese, crackers, red pepper jelly, nuts and sausage rounds. We sated our appetite and then continued our cocktail hour and caught up on life in general. At dinner hour, Kevin produced a salad, au gratin potatoes, asparagus spears, stuffed mushroom caps and marinated filet steaks. Mark performed the grilling duties. It was a late meal for all involved. Kevin retired first, having spent a lot of effort on the meal. Tom, Deb and Mark stayed up chatting for a while and then as the traveling pair retired for the night, Tom handled kitchen clean-up duties.

We are happy to have arrived; we are looking forward to our week’s vacation in the warmth of Arizona. However, when we left on Saturday, the temps in Omaha were headed towards the 60’s. But snow is also

in the forecast so wed won’t miss that.