Many of my dearest friends live in distant towns and cities – the result of moving from state to state for career advancement.  Although I missed the day to day interactions with them throughout the years, now that I (and my husband) have more time for recreation, these long distant friendships have become a bonus for new, wonderful and low-cost travel experiences.  Our friends are welcoming hosts and are often tour guides.  We, in turn, reciprocate when they want a Lowcountry experience.

My post, A Threshold Birthday (https://lowcountryfelicitylife.com/2015/06/20/a-threshold-birthday/), was written while on a flight to visit friends in Tucson, Arizona.  This post is an update.  The trip was remarkable.  The Sonoran Desert was ablaze in yellow and red blossoms (a must see is the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, http://www.desertmuseum.org), the Santa Catalina mountains were formidable, the food was delicious (especially The Tamale Company, http://www.tucsontamalecompany.com) and our friends pushed us out of our cozy, comfort zone with a l-o-n-g hike up the Sabino Canyon (http://www.sabinocanyon.com).  Here are some of the photos from our visit.