Just a little south

When I find a week-end that neither of us have any commitments I try to come up with a jaunt plan so that is the occasion for us heading south. First to the Casino Del Sol in Tucson. I have posted about this casino before and it is indeed the most beautiful one I have ever been in. They won't allow you to take pictures inside the casino but you can see some on their web site. This is owned by  the Indian tribe, Pascua Yagui, a small tribe and unusual in the fact that they are very friendly and always busy cleaning and etc. We had never stayed here before and although it was a bit expensive we decided we would. I must say the room was beautiful....

 How about this cleaver couch to lounge on and looking out of that curtain and off the 9th floor was our pretty mountain view....

See that arch looking thing? That is the entrance to the casino and all those clouds gathered up and produced a early morning rain....a treat in the desert.

 

 The easily spotted copper dome from our room.

 

 One of the many domed ceilings throughout the facility.

 

 Hotel entrance and the dome  from ground level.

 

 Although this facility is a feast for ones eyes we found that it did not make the grade for comfort. The pillows were those kind you fight all night to keep punched down and that cleaver couch was hard as a rock. Even the fancy restaurant did not make the grade with the food being just okay. I will say that I did have a great breakfast in their little 60's cafe....scrambled egg, cheese and ham quesadilla! It was delicious.

 

 The next morning we headed further south to a landmark.......The Titan Missle Museum in Sahaurita, Arizona. I wasn't sure this was going to be too good but as it turned out we both enjoyed it immensely.

 

During the cold war era there were 54 missile launch sites and they have all been destroyed with the exception of this one as a landmark. Although built in the 1960's the engineering and security was amazing.

This is a post card I scanned of the underground site we viewed. We started in the middle section down 55 steps to the domed crew area. The walls were sometimes 18 inches thick with doors that sealed and locked to protect them from attack. So in other words our country could be bombed but this crew could still launch this missile in retaliation. It was know as "the safety through deterrent program". They did not hide these missile sites from our enemies view.

The docent was a older man and he was really good..keep things moving and made it simple to understand. Upon entering the control room he asked if I would like to sit in the Combat Crew Commanders chair in front of all the controls...trust me, I am always ready to sit down.

 

There were so many details that had to coincide in order to follow the Presidents order, if it came, to launch the missile that mistakes were impossible.

The crew worked 24 hour shifts and when a new crew came on board they did a check off  list of the whole facility as well as during their shift. The crew area was suspended on huge springs to be able to withstand the blast of an attack from a incoming missile.  There were so many fascinating details that I can't begin to re-tell them. I wished I would have gotten a picture of the key on the control center. In order to launch the missile that key and one that was across this picture has to be turned at exactly the same time. The docent asked me give a count down and we both turned the key to demonstrate...no, nothing blew up but I did hold my breath:) Upon leaving the crew center I was given this card....

 

 

 looking up through a window at the missile....funny you can see the reflection of my camera and this was another view more eye level....

 

  

It was then time to climb those 55 stairs back up to the top and then over to the area right above the missile where we were able to look down at it.....

 Is this amazing or what! Can't believe I got such a good picture of it.

 

This Titan II missile is 103 feet tall and weighed 165 tons. It carried a nine-megaton warhead and had a top speed of 16,000 mph.....a range of 6,000 miles with the time to target: 30 minutes. Upon impact it destroyed everything within a 30 mile radius.

 

 

 

 

 The war head

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This is what I brought home....

Freeze-dried Ice Cream sandwich

 

Just had to give it a try and bring one to the the grand kids. Not bad but not what I expected either.
Just a little south to be cont.