When walking around Bisbee, we noticed Patisserie Jacqui and decided we would stop by there Friday morning before heading to Tucson (they are only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). We had some extra time after our car was packed and we checked out of Letson Loft, so we decided to walk to the bakery to check out the goodies in the window before they opened. It was fortunate we did this because apparently Patisserie Jacqui is a thing and not long after we got there a long line formed. And after eating the delicious croissants and pastries, I understand why - this was definitely the best food we had on our trip. If you are in Bisbee when they are open, this is a must stop!

Coronado National Memorial is only 30 minutes from Bisbee and commemorates the Coronado Expedition and the impact on the indigenous people here in the 1540s. There is a small visitor's center and after looking at the exhibits we drove up to Montezuma Pass. The road is gravel and winds up the mountain and is suitable for passenger cars. There were nice views at the pass and we decided to go just a little further and hiked up to Coronado Peak (6864 feet). It is only 0.4 miles and 300 feet up to the top and definitely worthwhile to do. There are benches at the summit for a nice place to sit and take in the views of Sonora, Mexico and the San Pedro River and San Rafael Valleys. There are also interpretive signs along the way to learn about the expedition, the native peoples that lived in the area, and the flora and fauna.

Upon returning to our car we heard a familiar voice and saw our friend Shannon. We live a few blocks from one another at the Grand Canyon, but this is where we ran into each other. We sat and chatted for a while and made plans to meet up for dinner in Tucson later that evening. Shannon and a friend had visited the cave in the park and said it was a really cool spot, but in the end we decided to continue to Tucson. After a week of hiking and the outdoors, I had promised Norah we could visit a few thrift shops in Tucson. We passed through Sierra Vista on our way and I had noted that 143 Street Tacos was a good spot for lunch, but after the pastries we weren't too hungry and just got some bubble tea at JV's Boba instead.

I now realize that I didn't take any pictures of our hotel in Tucson, which is a shame because Hotel McCoy was such a cool place to stay. Hotel McCoy opened in the past few years after a developer purchased a dive motel and renovated it into a "Retro meets contemporary at our 1960’s mid-century modern art hotel." The staff was friendly, the rooms comfortable, and we loved the funky, whimsical touches. We stayed here two nights and I would definitely return!

We spent our last full day of spring break in Tucson. We visited The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, billed as a world-renowned zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden, all in one place. There is a reason this is a top attraction in Tucson and we spent over three hours enjoying the exhibits and grounds. One of my highlights was seeing a grasshopper mouse. I fell in love with this cute little package of ferociousness before even seeing one when I learned about it last year - impervious to scorpion venom, it will fight and eat a scorpion, then howl into the night sky. Little howls! So cute.

In the afternoon we had tacos at Los Tacos Apson and checked out the shops on 4th Avenue (Pop Cycle and Antigone Books were two favorites). I had booked an escape room at Fox in a Box and we headed there in the early evening. It was fun to do an escape room again - it had been a long time since we had done one (it was just the two of us, so it was Covid compliant). And we made it out with time to spare!

And that was all she wrote! We had an uneventful drive back home the next day and it was a successful spring break!