1. Mark L. Morelli ADVENTURE IN THE DESERT 2. DAY 1 28 APRIL
2015 3. HEADING TO ARIZONA Southwest Flight # 1785 (BDL BWI SAT
PHX) View of downtown Phoenix and Chase Field (baseball stadium)
while landing at Sky Harbor airport (late afternoon) 4. DAY 2 29
APRIL 2015 5. DRIVE FROM PHOENIX TO TUCSON (AM) A dark desert
highway (I-10 East) 6. CATALINA STATE PARK 20 miles north of Tucson
is Catalina State Park 7. CATALINA STATE PARK Hike # 1 50-Year
Trail (5.38 mi, 2:10:07, 2517 to 3583) Trailhead and view uphill 8.
CATALINA STATE PARK Hike # 1 (cont.) 50-Year Trail Views form the
trail (Catalina Mountains) 9. CATALINA STATE PARK Hike # 2 Canyon
LoopTrail (2.27 mi, 00:56:22, 2700 to 2909) Trailhead (and wildlife
on the trail) 10. CATALINA STATE PARK Post-Hike Overnight at Ramada
Inn Tucson Foothills 11. DAY 3 30 APRIL 2015 12. SAGUARO NATIONAL
PARK EAST Short drive east from hotel on Speedway Blvd. X
--------------- 13. SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK EAST Hike # 3 Douglas
Springs/Garwood/Carrillo Trails (6.48 mi, 3:09:59, 2700 to 4128)
Trailhead and view of Rincon Mountains to the east 14. SAGUARO
NATIONAL PARK EAST Hike # 3 (cont.) Views of giant saguaro cactus
and trail 15. SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK EAST Hike # 3 (cont.) Views of
Catalina Mountains to the north from trail 16. DAY 4 1 MAY 2015 17.
SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK EAST (AM) Back for a quick morning hike X
--------------- 18. SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK EAST Hike # 4
Garwood/Wildhorse/StockTrails (2.92 mi, 1:09:51 2700 to 2906) Left:
View of Catalina Mountains from the trail Right: More giant saguaro
cactus 19. CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST (PM) Drive to Mt. Lemmon
(Catalina Hwy) Drive north in the Catalina Mountains (Mt. Lemmon is
the highest summit) X--------------- 20. CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST
Drive to Mt. Lemmon (2500 to 9800) Stop along the way at Windy
Point Vista (6000) 21. CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST Drive to Mt. Lemmon
(2500 to 9800) Left: Windy Point Vista (6000) Right: Side of the
road at 8000 22. CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST Drive to Mt. Lemmon (2500
to 9800) Ski area near the summit (still snow on the slopes) 23.
CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST Hike # 5 Butterfly Trail (2.03 mi, 1:09:54
6877 to 7641) Trailhead and view from the trail 24. CORONADO
NATIONAL FOREST Hike # 5 (cont.) Views east from the trail (New
Mexico in the distance) 25. DAY 5 2 MAY 2015 26. PIMA AIR MUSEUM
(AM) Right: About 10 mi south of Tucson (adjacent to Tucson airport
and Davis-Monthan AFB) Left: SR-71A Blackbird (CIA spy plane) 27.
PIMA AIR MUSEUM (AM) Left: F/A-18 Hornet in Blue Angels paint
scheme Right: Marine Vietnam Vet standing next to his plane (F-4B
Phantom) 28. PIMA AIR MUSEUM (AM) 787-8 Dreamliner on loan from
Boeing (this is second unit built) 29. PIMA AIR MUSEUM (AM) Left:
One of the 787 subsystems I worked on at UTC Right: One of the 787
Rolls-Royce engines 30. PIMA AIR MUSEUM (AM) B-52 (long-range heavy
bomber; still in service today) 31. PIMA AIR MUSEUM (AM) Vintage
WWII aircraft on display 32. PIMA AIR MUSEUM (AM) Even some
Soviet-era aircraft (Mig-29, Mi-24D) 33. DAY 6 3 MAY 2015 34.
CORONADO NATIONAL FOREST Hike # 6: Ski Valley to Mt. Lemmon summit
(3.87 mi, 1:23:44, 8000 to 9800) My quote to another hiker: I
either added a year onto my life or took one away 35. CORONADO
NATIONAL FOREST View from Mt. Lemmon 36. DAY 7-8 4-5 MAY 2015 37.
TUCSON MOUNTAIN PARK 20 mi west of Tucson 38. TUCSON MOUNTAIN PARK
Hike # 7: Yetman West Trail (4.29 mi, 1:51;57, 2500 to 3456) Yetman
Trail meanders in a canyon between two mountains west of Tucson 39.
TUCSON MOUNTAIN PARK Hike # 7: (cont.) View from the trail 40.
TUCSON MOUNTAIN PARK Hike # 7: (cont.) Military aircraft (A-10)
flying out of nearby Davis-Monthan AFB 41. DAY 9 6 MAY 2015 42.
RETURN HOME Southwest Flights # 3385/2525 (PHX MCO BDL) Flight #
2525 actually flies directly over Stony Creek, CT
(http://fr24.com/SWA2525/6396475) 43. Hope you enjoyed it
