Trolleys and Forts

We had planned to go to the Bluegrass Festival in Benson on Friday for Mike’s birthday, but it was sooooooo cold we passed on that. Instead we went over to Tombstone for dinner, which was delicious!

Saturday, we rode the Old Pueblo Trolley

from the historic Pie Allen District

Pie Allen is a very artsy area, full of bars, galleries and tattoo parlours it also has some very interesting rubbish bins.

The end of the line is by Gentle Bens Brewery near the University of Arizona.

We visited Gentle Ben's a few years ago and Mike was tempted to try a couple of brews, but has not yet learnt to share his Big Black Texas Truck! Although, back in the dim and distant past I was once allowed to drive it on a practically deserted road in Big Bend!!!

After a stroll around, we headed off to Fort Lowell Museum and Park.

There is very little left of the original Fort, just some adobe walls from the hospital. To prevent further erosion a shelter has been erected over the site.

The museum is housed in a replica of an officer’s quarters. The exhibits also list the names and occupations of people of lived at the fort. One of those named was Martha Summerhayes who was married to a Captain in the US army, she wrote about her experiences living at Fort Lowell in the 1880’s in her book, Vanished Arizona.

The original officer’s quarters were situated along a shady cottonwood lane, after the fort was abandoned the cottonwoods were neglected and dying, but they have been replanted and once again provide a shady avenue on hot days. Of which there are plenty!

We had a great day.

Have fun, we are!