Touring Tucson

Our Davis Monthan AFB campsites.

One full day in Tucson and too many things to see.  We were going to split up boys/girls and tour separately, but decided to stay together in the morning and the boys could go to the Pima Air & Space Museum in the afternoon.

The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum first before it got too hot. This museum is a zoo and arboretum of Sonoran Desert flora and fauna.  Our guide Pat has been volunteering as a docent for 30 years.  She was excellent.

 

Next it was on to the Titan Missile Museum.  Here you tour the last remaining Titan Missile silo.  As a result of the arms agreement with the USSR, all the Titan silos were destroyed except this one which was permanently disarmed and disabled.  The Titan rockets, you may remember, were used in the Gemini flights. 

The tour at ground-level explained fuel, rocket engines, and security.  Below the tour took us to the control room where a mock firing took place.  We also toured the silo where an actual Titan rocket was in place.

  Titan rocket in the silo.

The guys had a good time at the Pima Air & Space Museum but the heat got to them.  There were hangers for some displays but much of it was outside.  The tram stopped at 1 p.m. so they had to walk to most of the displays.