Nogales, AZ ( Shhh...Don't tell Jon)

We took a little drive to Nogales, AZ on the Arizona / Mexico border.  We drove to Rte 83 to Rte 82 to see new mountains and the grassland that support Arizona's cattle industry.  It was a lovely drive with more surprising mountains and rolling very tall hills.  We left the cactus behind and saw green trees and plenty of grass for the cattle.

Patagonia State Park was tucked in between lots of these folded hills that lead down to a canyon.  The road wound around and down for 4 miles.

We stopped at Patagonia( Spanish for Large Foot named for the Indians that lived there) State Park to see the man made lake. It was really amazing to see a large lake complete with canoes, paddle boats and lots of fishing.

It was a very steep bridge, but we wanted to see if the Irish Mist mast would fit under it.  Jim said it would.   So there IS a lake in AZ that we could sail on!!!!

A giggling family of canoe ers passed under the bridge


Looking back at the Marina

 The other side of the bridge.

 

There are many very large rocks on either side. 

The lake winds around.

The average depth of the lake is 90 feet.  There are picnic tables and hiking trails as well as water activities.

 And, there is a black cow over there where the range meets the State Park.

 The road to Nogales.  We had a wonderful Mexican lunch of enchiladas, rice and refried beans. I am even eating salsa ( the coward level of spice though)

This is a picture of the border wall separating the US from Mexico.  The girls standing there are talking to someone on the other side of the wall.  I could not get a good picture of the brown metal and barb wire wall that extends up and over the hills.  It is so sad that we have to wall up the countryside.  The Border Patrol is very visible here in Nogales and along the road between the border all the way to Tucson.  How to keep the drug dealers out and monitor migrant workers is a difficult task.  And then we also have to worry about terrorists.  If you haven't crossed into Canada or come to southern AZ, you haven't experienced the strangeness of the strict, no nonsense military ness of keeping the border safe.        

We were back in Green Valley by 3:30, safe and sound.