I have long wanted to go birding in Southeastern Arizona. They have a wonderful variety of birds that can’t be found anywhere else in the US. Many birds are residents of Mexico. So when my husband suggested we plan a long weekend trip to SE Arizona, I was thrilled!
It takes over 7 hours to get there from our house. The day we left, a front was blowing through and we were driving with a headwind that was 50 mph+. Terrible conditions for traveling. At one point, we lost quite a bit of visibility.
Dust storm we traveled through on I10.
By the time we got to Tucson, the sun was starting to set. Thankfully the wind had died down considerably. We had just enough time to stop in at a beautiful historic mission located just south of Tucson. It’s called the Mission San Xavier Del Bac and was completed in 1797. When we arrived, it had just closed for the day. Too bad….I would have loved to see the inside. But the outside is just stunning!
The mission is undergoing restoration. You can see the left side is all new and white. The right side is now being restored. They have removed the dome and will restore it at a later time.
Mission San Xavier Del Bac
Kelly at the entrance.
I loved all the many details of the mission. It was fun to explore.
Several statues adorn the mission.
Very detailed flourishes.
Rustic window decor.
Rattlesnake door handle
The desert gardens around the building were very nice.
Beautiful desert gardens
There were a few birds around the mission. I managed to get a few pics in the low light.
Northern Cardinal
Gila Woodpecker
Cactus Wren
There’s a hill next to the mission with a shrine to Virgin Mary. It had a gate with interesting lion statues.
Lion statue on the hill. The clouds look like lion’s breath.
Grotto of Lourdes
Virgin Mary
As we hiked to the top of the hill, the views got more expansive.
View of the mission
View looking north toward Tucson
As we were leaving I took this last shot of the property. I thought it looked like God shining from the heavens.
Ya’ll go on some great trips. The mission is Beautiful! Thanks
Thanks Ed! I love exploring and seeing new things!
Beautiful shots of interesting and intricate buildings! The Cactus Wren and the Gila Woodpecker were completely new to me!
Thank you! Southwestern architecture is so much fun to photograph. You would love the cactus wren. They are pretty big and so colorful and fun personalities.