We live in the foothills of the Tucson Mountains. While walking their dogs or hiking nearby, many of our neighbors have seen, if not the actual big cat, then its impressive paw prints in the sand or mud.

New baby Mountain Lion at Desert Museum.

And while most of us have hiked Sabino Canyon, a relative few claim to have actually seen one of its resident Mountain Lions, although we all know they are there. The problem is quite simple. If a Mountain Lion doesn’t want you to see it, chances are you won’t.

Masters of ambush, these magnificent predators can bring down prey much larger than themselves, including moose, big horn sheep and … humans. Adult females can weigh 140 pounds; the males 220. An adult mountain lion in good health can run 40-50 MPH; leap 18 feet vertically and 45 feet horizontally. And they kill with amazing efficiency. Of those mountain lion attacks on humans that I am aware of, a pattern emerges. The human tried to run. Within seconds, said human had her skull crushed by powerful jaws and dagger-like fangs.

If you think rattlesnakes are dangerous, ….

On SouthernArizonaGuide.com we have more than 50 original videos about some of the most interesting people and places in Southern Arizona. One shows a naturalist talking about the wonders of Sabino Canyon. Toward the end, he explains how to keep from becoming a mountain lion’s dinner.

“Here Kitty, Kitty.”
I mention all this because we have a new Mountain Lion in our midst. He doesn’t yet have a name, so I will just refer to him as Kitty. When he grows up, he will be an awesome killing machine. But, unlike his cousins in the wild, we will not fear him. We’ll even encourage our young children or grandchildren to get within a few feet of him.

Kitty had been abandoned and was rescued by California Fish & Wildlife when he was about 2 months old and weighed 15 pounds. Three months later, after a lot of highly specialized care, he weighs 50 pounds and has assumed the honored position of resident male mountain lion of our Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

By tradition, all of the Desert Museum’s male lions have been named George L. Mountainlion. Of course, the original George L. is long deceased, but we have had the privilege of knowing the brother & sister residents these past many years. That George L. and his sister were recently retired. Like old humans, both suffer from arthritis and needed a home that requires less agility. Both have now surpassed the typical lifespan of mountain lions in the wild: 13 years.

One interesting fact I learned on a recent Behind-The-Scenes tour of our Desert Museum is that all of the animals they acquire are guaranteed cradle-to-grave care. When they become too old to exhibit, they are transferred to a special retirement home on the DM’s property to live out their lives in comfort and security. Talk about entitlements!

Kitty made his public debut yesterday (May 20, 2013) and the media, me included, were invited to record the event. To view my brief video, click HERE.

The experts at the Desert Museum have been working these past many weeks to habituate him to humanoids, but he’s clearly still shy and elusive. Except during infrequent breeding episodes, these are solitary creatures. So Kitty will have the entire enclosure to himself.  (Which raises the question: will Kitty’s handlers permit the occasional conjugal visitation when he matures? It seems only right, at least from a male perspective.)

According to his handlers, his favorite food is goat milk. His favorite activity: chasing rock squirrels and lazing in the shade. When I saw him, his favorite pastime seemed to be hiding behind a big rock.

Name This Lion
All of this actually leads somewhere. Since the current George L. Mountainlion is still living in comfortable retirement, Kitty needs a permanent name, and it can’t be George L. Thus, the staff of the Desert Museum created a “NAMING” contest.

If the name you submit is picked by the DMMLNC (Desert Museum Mountain Lion Naming Committee), you will win a personalized gift from the Mountain Lion Club and a complimentary annual family membership to the Desert Museum.  Entry forms can be found at the Desert Museum’s website. Deadline for entries is 11:59 PM on June 21^st.  The top finalists will be invited to a special celebration on July 6^th when the winning name will be announced. One thing of which I am fairly certain; the winning name won’t be “KITTY”.

Soldiers at the Tucson Presidio fire the cannon during a ceremonial reenactment.

In my video interview with a Spanish woman living with her family in a poorly guarded fort on the northern frontier of New Spain, she tells of her terrifying experience when hundreds of Apache warriors launch a surprise attack and nearly wipe out Tucson. Their only hope of survival is if one of the soldiers can get to the cannon, like the one in the picture above, and light the fuse.

To watch the interview, click HERE.

Southern Arizona Guide has more than 50 original videos of some of the most interesting people and places in Southern Arizona. Among these is an interview with a Spanish soldier at the Presidio San Agustin de Tucson talking about life on the frontier and war with the Apaches. To watch this interview, click HERE.

For a list of all of our videos and slideshows, go to SouthernArizonaGuide.com > Main Menu > Home.

In our continuing quest to rank the top burger places in Tucson, this week several of us went to Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar at Campbell & Skyline.

Yes, we were well aware of Fleming’s variable reputation. Some folks claim they serve the best steak in Tucson. Others say Fleming’s is over-priced and over-rated.

However, when my friend Tom heard I was on a mission to find the best burger in town, he suggested Fleming’s happy hour. Tom explained that during happy hour Fleming’s offers their $12 burger for only 6 bucks.

Except on Sundays, Fleming’s opens at 5 PM and we were right on time.

The hostess seated us in the bar area immediately and for the first few minutes ours was one of only 3 occupied tables. That changed quickly and by 5:15, the bar area was packed. Lesson learned: if you’re going for happy hour, go early. The $6 burger is served only in the bar area, and it’s obviously very popular.

My dining companions on this occasion were: Judy, my mother-in-law-visiting-from Oregon, Ms. Karen, Neighbor Roy, and Friend Tom. First, we ordered drinks. We all ordered a glass of wine, except Tom, who ordered a strange blue martini. Once the drinks were served, Ms. Karen ordered an appetizer: calamari.

When the calamari arrived at our table, she graciously shared it with the rest of us. As fate would have it, the calamari turned out to be the best dish served that evening.

We had all come to judge Fleming’s hamburger so we all ordered their Prime Burger with Wisconsin cheddar cheese and peppered bacon. It comes with fries but some of us ordered a side of onion rings. As their steaks are all USDA aged prime beef, I assume, but do not know for sure, that the meat patty in the Prime Burger is also from a prime cut.

Prime beef is almost twice as expensive as USDA choice. I have learned through trial & error that some choice cuts can be as tender and delicious as a prime cut and a lot less expensive. A few days earlier Judy & I had dined at Daisy Mae’s Steakhouse where she shared her Kansas City-style beef ribs and I shared my 9 oz filet.

The filet was so tender and incredibly tasty that I had to ask Dan, the manager, if it was “prime” or “choice”. Dan explained where they get their meats, how the meats are selected & prepared, but … no … my filet was UDSA choice Angus beef. Yet, judged on tenderness, texture, and taste, it was one of the very finest steaks I have ever enjoyed.

Except at happy hour, the Prime Burger is now $14. It used to be $12 but Fleming’s recently raised their prices. Nevertheless, the happy hour Prime Burger was still only $6. It should have been one of Tucson’s best bargains. We could easily see why Fleming’s makes such a generous offer. In order to get the $6 burger, one has to order at least one drink. And the drinks are a tad pricy.

Judgment
We all had the same thing to eat and we all came to the same conclusions. The onion rings were OK. The fries were terrible. The meat of the burger was very good, but the buns were stale. What’s up with that?

As Neighbor Roy & I have learned in recent weeks, if you want a very good burger AND outstanding fries, go to Monkey Burger downtown. And say “Hi” to Pete The Manager for us.  Tell him we’ll be back.

For more dining reviews and recommendations, go to SouthernArizonaGuide.com > Dining > List of the Best Restaurants in Tucsson and Southern Arizona.

One of the features on Southern Arizona Guide is The 7 Best Picnic Areas In Southern Arizona. Last Sunday, we “discovered” yet another one near the top of Carr Canyon. And yesterday we enjoyed an old favorite among the boulders of Texas Canyon.

One reason this is a favorite picnic spot is the Amerind is here. Not only can we picnic among the boulders, we can also visit both the museum & art gallery. The collections of American Indian artifacts & western art are excellent. This is a particularly good place to bring school age children.

I know a lot of Tucson locals who say they have never been to the Amerind because it’s just too far for a day trip. Just FYI: from downtown Tucson, it took us 57 minute to arrive here.

Last Sunday, Ms. Karen, my mother-in-law Judy, and I traveled from Tucson to Carr & Ramsey Canyons south of Sierra Vista. Our principle goal was to attend a 2 PM performance by Dolan Ellis, the Official Arizona State Balladeer at the Arizona Folklore Preserve. Along the way we enjoyed several beautiful places  that most folks don’t even know about.

Carr House in Carr Canyon south of Sierra Vista.

Carr Canyon is just south of Ramsey Canyon at the southern tip of the Huachuca Mountains. At the Carr House we met Mike Foster, who is the resident expert in these parts. Birds, wildlife, plants, history: Mike knows them all well. Better yet, Mike is a talented videographer. We already have one of his videos about the Carr House and another about the San Pedro River on our Southern Arizona Guide. He will soon be sharing more of his videos about local wildlife on our website. While we were here, we viewed one showing a local black bear climbing a tree. Amazing! This critter climbed a big tree faster than most people can run on level ground.

After chatting with Mike for a while, we headed up the mountain on a rough dirt road to our intended picnic area at Reef Townsite Campgound five miles beyond the Carr House. If you go, you won’t need a 4-wheel drive vehicle, but we do recommend one with fairly high clearance. The road is steep and has many switchbacks. But the awesome views make the journey worthwhile.

One of many views from Carr Canyon Road.

Between the late 1800′s and 1950, there was a mining town here. The town was named for the Carr Reef, a tall band of quartzite-bearing cliffs that form the Huachuca Mountains’ dramatic eastern front. Mr. Carr was a local mining entrepreneur. Now the former townsite serves as a fine camping & picnicking area, but do bring your own water.

Picnic at Reef Townsite Campground in Carr Canyon.

For future reference, campsites 9 & 12 seemed to us to be the best. Each campsite had a table, a fire pit, and a flat area for tents. Fee: $10 per day.  Also, there is one day-use picnic site for a large group with many picnic tables under a ramada and several fire pits with grates.

Campsite #12 at Reef Townsite Campground high in Carr Canyon.

We are nothing if not picnic people. Love a good picnic. Which is why Southern Arizona Guide offers our viewers a list of the Best Picnic Areas. Here in the woods near the top of Carr Canyon is another of Southern Arizona’s many Sky Islands, a unique ecosystem completely different than the Sonoran Desert below.

In our picnic basket this time was summer sausage, roast beef, Grey Poupon, jalapena cheddar cheese, several varieties of crackers, apple, orange, a couple of Coronas, and a bottle of Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc 2012.

After our picnic and a short walkabout, we headed down Carr Canyon to Highway 92 at the base of the Huachuca Mountains. Turning north, it is only a mile or so to Ramsey Canyon Road. Heading up Ramsey Canyon Road the Folklore Preserve is about 3 miles on the left. If you get to the Nature Conservancy’s Visitors Center at the end of the road, you missed it.

Yours truly, Ms. Karen, mother-in-law Judy, and Dolan Ellis, Arizona’s Official State Balladeer.

The Folklore Preserve is a small, rustic venue staffed mostly with volunteers. Mr. Ellis is the founder and artist-in-residence at the Arizona Folklore Preserve in Ramsey Canyon, where he performs one weekend a month. Guest country, Western, & folk artists perform on the other three weekends. For upcoming schedule, click HERE.

Balladeers tell stories through their music and Dolan Ellis is an excellent storyteller, songwriter, singer, and guitarist. His one-man show was totally worth the drive from Tucson for the hour and a half performance.  Reservations for upcoming performances are highly recommended: (520)378-6165 or email reservations@arizonafolklore.com.

The trail along Ramsey Creek.

Of course, there is another good reason to visit Ramsey Canyon. Anyone who has been here knows the natural beauty of the Canyon itself. 170 species of birds, including 14 varieties of hummers, have been spotted in Ramsey Canyon, where temperatures are typically 10-15 degrees cooler than Tucson. A trail parallels Ramsey Creek and further up the mountain are more trails into the Coronado National Forest. Keep an eye out for black bear, coati, wild turkey, white-tail deer, mountain lion, bobcat, and other wildlife.

Liz Sockness recently retired as manager of the bookstore here. Last year she shared many of her photographs with us and you can view the slideshow by clicking HERE. On this trip we meet Debbie, the new bookstore manager.

The Nature Conservancy’s Visitors Center is open 9 AM to 5 PM, but closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays.

It’s been a while since I ventured down to 4^th Avenue. Because of the (eventual) arrival of our Modern Streetcar, the place has been a construction nightmare. Nevertheless, I was anxious to see the progress.

This week I was scheduled to meet my friend Jeffrey for lunch. My criteria for the choice of restaurant were fourfold. (1) It had to be near downtown where Jeff works. (2) It had to be one I had not yet reviewed. (3) It had to have received generally positive reviews over a long period of time because I hate writing negative reviews. (When I go into a restaurant to do a review, I expect a good dining experience because I’ve done my homework.) And (4) it had to be open for lunch. Delectables seemed to meet my demanding criteria.

I had never been to Delectables and was most pleased to see such a large patio for outdoor dining. A sign indicated that on Friday & Saturday nights they have live entertainment. Once inside, I was equally delighted. The place is much larger than it appears from the street and exhibits a warm, inviting interior space. The large windows in front along the sidewalk seem ideal for people watching, which I understand is the sport-of-choice along 4^th Avenue.

I was seated by “MOM”. She took my drink order and said she’d be right back. I mean, I assumed “MOM” is her name because the word was tattooed large and in living color on her partially exposed chest.

Soon, Jeff joined me at my window table. It turns out that he knew the man and woman seated at the table nearest ours. This is not unusual. Jeff knows just about everyone who is anyone in Tucson. We all had a pleasant semi-business conversation for several minutes before returning to the business at hand: lunch.

“MOM” returned to take our order. Jeff ordered “Tucson’s Best Chef” salad ($10). I ordered the “Corned Beef Reuben on Rye” with a side of potato salad ($9).

Jeff & I have enjoyed lunch together every month or two for many years and always have a lot of catching up to do. We continued chatting amicably through lunch, talking mostly about work and family. Eventually I remembered that I was here to do a dining review and asked Jeff his opinion of his meal. “Excellent! Best chef salad in Tucson.” High praise indeed.

My Reuben was also excellent, as was the potato salad. To the extent I have a quibble, the scoop of potato salad was a bit miserly. If there had been two scoops I would have devoured both.

Delectables has an extensive menu, including vegan & gluten-free, and a full bar. In a refrigerated windowed display case they also exhibit a variety of desserts. Jeff & I decided to split a berry & pear tart, but could have had anything from a chocolate éclair to a crème brulee to a slice of cheesecake. The tart was very good. Perhaps next time I’ll try the cheesecake. Or maybe ….

Delectables has been here since 1973. I can’t believe Jeff has been coming here for years and never told me.

“MOM” turned out to be Gabrielle and a cheerful, efficient waitress. Good meals. Fine desserts. Excellent service. Pleasant atmosphere. And weird people to watch. What’s not to like about Delectables?

As we were leaving, Gabrielle handed us each a coupon for 15% off our next entree. My mother-in-law is visiting this week. Perhaps Ms. Karen and I will show her the real Tucson and stop in at Delectables for another fine meal.

Next week I will put Delectables on our SouthernArizonaGuide.com 2013 List of The Best Restaurants in Tucson & Southern Arizona. Highly recommended.

I should mention that the Modern Streetcar construction on 4th Avenue has been completed and street parking was a breeze. Also, Delectables has a parking lot in back of the restaurant. You can access it via 6th Street.

This is our dog. We got him from the pound on Silverbell Road about 9 years ago.  He goes by “Buddy” in the same way Superman goes by Clark Kent. Bud is a genuine Sonoran Devil Dog, the rarest of rare breeds. But the packrat and rabbit population know him for who he really is: The Great Beast.

If you would like to know Buddy’s story, go to SouthernArizonaGuide.com > Tail of the Devil Dog.

A Monkey Burger

I do not know why, but there has been a rash of burger joints opening around Tucson recently. I mean, even the Ritz Carlton opened a specialty burger bar. With their usual pretentiousness, they named it Cayton’s Burger Bistro at The Golf Club at Dove Mountain.

So, Neighbor Roy & I have set ourselves upon a mission to once again select the best burger in Tucson. Last year the winner of the coveted #1 ranking on Southern Arizona Guide was Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar. And it may be again, but we thought we should now review the entire spectrum of wannabes.

Our first candidate was Monkey Burger Downtown on 6^th Avenue. Roy’s an old-time Tucsonan and knows the location was, at one time, one of several seedy dive bars in this area. But the area is getting cleaned up even if the buildings are showing their advanced age.

Whatever the owners spent to get this place operational, they certainly didn’t overspend on interior decorating. The interior makes McDonald’s look upscale. The most notable feature is stuck in a corner by a front window. It’s a three and a half foot tall sculpture of a chimp … which seems odd since a chimpanzee is not a monkey.

It was only 11:20 AM when we arrived and the lunch crowd was still hard at work wedged in their cubicles in nearby office buildings. So we seated ourselves right away. Soon thereafter, our waitress arrived to take our drink orders. When she returned, I inquired as to her name. “Valerie,” she said, “What would you gentlemen like for lunch?”

Initially, I inquired as to the characteristics of monkey meat. I mean, is it mostly white or dark? Valerie assured me that monkey meat is mostly dark, but a bit chewy if not well-smoked first. Valerie turned out to be, not only cute, but a quick wit. Good for you, girl!

Valerie

Roy ordered the True Blue: blue cheese; caramelized onions; romaine lettuce & grilled tomatoes. I asked Valerie if I could have one custom-made to my specs. She said, “Sure, here you’re the boss.” Really? Life is good!

I ordered my burger with caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, smoked cheddar cheese, with a side of mayo. No pickle, please. Hate dill.

Valerie then advised us that we could order a side of fries for an additional $1 each. Sure, why not?

There was a good reason for Roy to order the Monkey Burger blue cheese special. We had something with which to compare it. Last year we thoroughly enjoyed the Willcox Wine Festival. The food truck at this event was the Dragoon Market & Café. Roy ordered a blue cheese burger and spent the next few months raving about how good it was.

Then earlier this year, we attended a festival at Fairbank, the ghost town on the San Pedro River near Tombstone. Again, there was Dragoon catering up a storm. This time I ordered the blue cheese burger. Roy was right. How something this delicious comes out of the back of a truck is an amazement.

Glancing around Monkey Burger Downtown, we noted the full bar; and above the bar, color photos of Monkey Burger’s specials: humongous wads of sizzling cow flesh with a ton of various toppings. Each had to be at least 12 inches tall.

Both Roy & I subscribe to the school of “Bigger is not necessarily better”. Typical of old men, I suppose. But we imagine these monsters are good for conversation and publicity. “Did you hear? So-&-so ate a whole Monkey Burger ($9.50) at one sitting.” Catch the update on Twitter.

In no time, Valerie arrived back at our table with our burgers & fries. The two meals together weighed about as much as Valerie soaking wet.

Now, I have dined out with Roy on many occasions and never known him to order fries, let alone eat one. Monkey Burger fries come in a large tin cup … a generous portion, to say the least. And here was my neighbor, friend, and honorary Southern Arizona guide munching happily on Monkey fries. What’s up with that?

While we were dining at Monkey Burger downtown, a guy came in, sat at the bar, and ordered a Meltie. Before we had left, he had devoured the whole thing. Amazing!!!

Half way through our meal I asked Roy what he thought about his True Blue. He had already devoured half and was scrapping the caramelized onions off the other half. He explained. “The caramelized onions neutralize the taste of the blue cheese. Without the onions, I can now taste the blue cheese and the burger is much more to my liking.” Roy is a gourmet in such complex matters as burger garnishments.

As to my “special order” burger … very good. Fresh bun; cooked to order: medium. But as good as our burgers were, it was the fries that stole the show. Fantastic!!! Crisp. Not soggy and limp like those awful fries I reviewed at Five Guys last year.

But there was something else. I called over Pete, the manager, and inquired as to the seasoning on the fries. “Zesty Ranch seasoning salt,” said Pete. OK. Somehow, some way, these guys have discovered the secret of making “Fries of the Gods”. Roy & I agreed. Best fries we have ever had … period … full stop. Yes, even better than Zinburger fries. I know what you’re thinking. That’s not actually possible. But there you have it.

By now the lunch crowd had arrived in mass. I noticed something had changed. People were lining up to the cash register to place their order. Remember, we merely sat down and Valerie came over and took our order.

I finally got Valerie’s attention. She came over to our table and Roy started to hand her his credit card. “Oh,” she said, “you have to pay at the register.”

Roy looked at me. I looked at Roy. We both looked at the line that was now 10 deep. After standing in line for at least 12 minutes, Roy got the job done and we headed outside. As magnificent as the fries were, we won’t be back. We don’t go to restaurants for the privilege of standing in lines.

Conclusion: is a Monkey Burger better than a Zinburger? No. Very good burgers, to be sure. But if you don’t mind standing in lines, go for the fries.

Now it’s on to the other contenders, which we will showcase over the coming weeks. Bon Appetit! May the best burger in Tucson win.

For our List of the Best Restaurants in Tucson & Southern Arizona by cuisine, click HERE.

So many customers and restaurant critics have praised Ghinis French Caffe’ that we had to check it out. So one Sunday morning a few weeks ago we stopped in for brunch.

The first impression is straight-forward. Ghinis is located in a typical Tucson strip mall. The second impression is that Ghinis patio diners have a lovely view of the busy parking lot. The delightful aroma of gasoline fumes is apparently complimentary.

But once inside, everything changes … and not necessarily for the better. A pathetic little crystal chandelier with two failed bulbs hangs from a ‘70’s-style acoustical tile ceiling. With tables and chairs that appear to have come from a thrift store, this place had all the ambiance of an old high school cafeteria.  Whatever else Ghinis is doing, they’re not plowing their profits back into interior decorating.

Ghinis advertises their “Frenchness”. I’ve dined in a few real French restaurants and Ghinis just does not evoke “French”, unless … unless, they’re hiding it in their food.

Sunday brunch is obviously a busy time for Ghinis, but we were seated fairly quickly. A waitress, who did not bother to introduce herself, took our drink orders. I inquired as to the proper pronunciation of the restaurant’s name. “It’s Italian, so it’s pronounced “Ghini” as in Lombro-GINI,” came her quick answer … as if everyone asks the same stupid question.

Ghinis patio dining with a view of the parking lot.

Ms. Karen ordered crepes. And a $5 Bloody Mary. Neighbor Roy ordered French onion soup. It’s been a couple of weeks and I can’t recall what I had. Whatever it was left no impression one way or another. The crepes were light and thin, topped with butter and powdered sugar. Ms. Karen pronounced them “OK”. And the Bloody Mary? “Very good!”

I inquired as to Neighbor Roy’s French onion soup. It took a while to get an answer. But once he finished licking the bowl and came up for air, he declared the soup “Excellent!”

I placed my credit card on the corner of our table and waited for our waitress to take it and return with the receipt. But when she brought the bill, she informed me that I had to stand in line and pay at the cash register. I started to say that if I didn’t want service I would have made breakfast at home, but didn’t.

It was obvious that many of the diners that morning were regulars. And I am certain that if we spoke with them they would regale us with exquisite descriptions of their favorite Ghinis dishes and French bakery goods. But for us, Ghinis evoked about as much “Frenchness” as an IHOP.

For our List of the Best Southern Arizona Restaurants (by cuisine), click HERE. If we had felt that we had experienced a French caffe’, Ghinis would be on the List.

Yesterday, Neighbor Roy & I once again enjoyed our favorite Tucson outdoor party, the annual Tucson Folk Festival. Over the past weekend, more than a hundred singer/songwriters and their bands performed for happy, foot-stomping, hand clapping, dancing-in-the-aisles audiences. Each May for the past 28 years, over a hundred members of the Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association have shared their enthusiasm for folk music of all sorts, including Irish, Russian, and American. Here are a few images from Sunday’s events.

Holy Water & Whiskey were our favorites. A superb blend of songwriting/story telling, vocals, & instrumentals.

This audience at the La Cocina Cantina stage really enjoyed the performance of Dan Weber.

Singer/songwriter Dan Weber performing on the La Cocina stage.

Irish folk music was well-represented by Out Of Kilter.

Listening to the Out Of Kilter Irish band, this fellow was inspired to dance a little jig.

Given the intense energy of many of the performances, it was not unusual for people in the audience to spontaneously get up and start dancing in the aisles.

The young ones in the audience seemed to enjoy the music as much as the adults.

For more Things To See & Do in Tucson and Southern Arizona, see our Events Calendar at SouthernArizonaGuide.com.