Friday, April 8th, was a day of transition for us. We checked out of The Tuxon and went to the nearby Waffle House for breakfast. I had never eaten in a Waffle House before and wanted to experience it. Despite knowing there were probably much better breakfast places around, Nancy went along with my wish. It was smaller than I expected inside and the menu wasn’t as long as other breakfast places. I had eggs, grits and toast which were just ok. I don’t need to return to a Waffle House again.
After breakfast, I dropped Nancy off at the airport for her morning return flight to Seattle. Although many Alaska Airlines flights had been canceled over the previous week due to a pilot shortage and labor problems, hers was a “go.” Then I drove to a Tucson park called Sweetwater Wetlands which is a wastewater reclamation and recharge site. The wetlands cleanse the water and host many birds in the cattails, reeds and trees that grow there. It was a pleasant place to walk around and there were several other birders there. But the air temperature was climbing fast and by 10:30 a.m. I wanted to go someplace cooler.
I returned to the airport and turned in the rental car. Then I took my luggage, walked to the arrivals area and summoned an Uber to take me to my next hotel, the Doubletree at Reid Park in Tucson. An older gentleman was driving the Uber and he arrived quickly, but prolonged the 10-minute drive somewhat when he missed the turn to the hotel. All turned out alright, however. The Doubletree had my room ready eve though it was only 11 a.m. when I arrived, plus they gave me water and a warm chocolate chip cookie. 🙂
I hung out at the hotel’s restaurant, bar, and my room for the rest of the day, avoiding the 93-degree heat outside. Thanks to my brother gifting me Hilton Diamond status, I enjoyed an upgraded room with a view of the pool. (Thank you, Gary!) Saturday will be the beginning of the next leg of my journey, traveling to Texas.
Lori's Travels 