Simple Pleasures: Vacations, Part Two
The previous article dealt with the vacation strategy that my husband and I use most frequently. There are others as well. It's common knowledge that camping is a simple way to vacation, but I won't even go into that in this article since I can add nothing new. However, I will discuss two other types of vacations that have been rewarding for us because they fit so well with our concept of simple living.
We love being outdoors, surrounded by magnificent trees and bird songs of all sorts. Being outdoors is one of our priorities, and so is spending time with friends as well as with each other. Another priority for us is learning new skills, things that we can enjoy doing together. This Spring, we decided that birding might be fun. For the past few years, back patio has been a bird haven that feeds and shelters hummingbirds, towhees, house finches, sparrows, doves, and the occasional oriole or green back heron or mallard couple. We had purchased bird guides so that we could identify the different species visiting us. So when we learned that our friends were also interested in birding, and had even gone to southeastern Arizona to do so last Spring, we jumped at their invitation to go with them this year.
Southeastern Arizona is known for its myriad bird species and is a hot spot for birders who come from all over the world to seek out certain species that can be found only in that corner of our beautiful State. Our friends, having had a season's experience, knew exactly where to go.
So we loaded up the car with four people and one Maltese dog named Peanut, and we set out for Sierra Vista. We shared gas expenses, and stayed at the Motel 6 in Sierra Vista. Since the other couple are both over 50 and my husband is over 50, we got senior rates (lower rates) on the already reasonably priced rooms. This particular Motel 6 allows dogs, so Peanut was right at home. Also, for three dollars more, we could get rooms that included a microwave oven and mini-refrigerator. So we packed along our own breakfasts and dinners, eating only lunch in restaurants.
We spent a pleasant weekend of bird watching, learning from more experienced birders (many of whom had come all the way from England or Germany). They told us about places we had never heard of and helped us in our attempts to identify birds. We saw birds that were new to us, such as the elegant trogon (who has a most inelegant call), violet-crowned hummingbird (a rare beauty), Gila woodpecker, and hepatic tanager, among others.
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