Monday we visited Colossal Cave Mountain Park, about 15 miles from the Air Force Base where we’re staying. It feature a cave (of course), riding stables, a Civilian Conservation Corps Museum, and hiking trails.  We’re not much on caves or horses, but we took advantage of hiking and the museum.

And yesterday we celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary with dinner at the steak and wine restaurant Flemings (with help from a gift certificate from a coworker before I retired). Very nice.  

Bev at Colossal Cave Mountain Park with "The Cowboy," a bronze tribute to the cowboy.  The park includes a ranch called La Posta Quemada, a working ranch since the mid 1870;s. La Posta Quemada roughly translates as "burned up mail" or "burned up post office" -- had I known that at the time I might not have stood there with the ranch's cowboy.  

Jim and Coop on the trail.

Still on the trail.

 

Jim and Cooper near a rare crested saguaro we saw at Colossal Cave Mountain Park. A 2007 article I read said 641 crested saguaro had been discovered as of that year.  No one seems to know what triggers the growth of the crests, although the article speculated exposure to frost might be the cause.

The Civilian Conservation Corps developed the park's cave tour route,  built picnic areas, roads and more in a project that began in 1934 and last almost 4 years.  They also built this building which houses the CCC museum.