We spent part of a day exploring the El Presidio Historic District, the oldest part of Tucson. The city began as a small cluster of buildings near the Santa Cruz River, a reliable water source in the harsh desert climate. A number of these buildings have been restored to their original conditions and they provide a glimpse into how Tucson might have looked a hundred years ago or more. Nearby, some residences have been “gentrified” and have transformed parts of El Presidio into a desirable place to live. We had lunch at one of our old favorites, El Charro Cafe, in business since 1922.
The Tucson Museum of Art is at the edge of El Presidio so we spent some time there. We are members of the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento and we get free admission to many museums across the country through a reciprocal agreement. The Tucson Museum features southwestern art. We were fortunate to be there during a special exhibit of hand-woven rugs from Sonora. There were many beautiful pieces, along with descriptions of the techniques used by the weavers. The rugs came from the collection of Gloria Giffords, mother of the former congresswoman from Tucson, Gabby Giffords. When Gabby was a girl the family would take roadtrips to Sonora, searching out new weavers and new pieces.
