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I was really looking forward to Saturday, March 28th. Not only was I signed up for a free, in-depth tour of Romero Ruins at Catalina State Park (near where I grew up) but I also had family from Ohio flying in to town. Now, you may be wondering where Lance has been during the last couple adventures, don’t worry he is alive and well. He has been quite busy with client work, something we are thankful for in this troubled economy.

On Saturday morning I dropped Lance off at a French bakery, for breakfast with his good friend Boubacar, on my way out to the park. It was a clear, sunny day—a bit on the warm side though a mere hint of what’s to come in the summer months. Driving north on Oracle Road brought back memories of horseback riding along the Cañada del Oro Wash and the long bus ride from Catalina to both middle school and high school. Before the strip malls and fancy houses there were cattle ranches and historic adobe homes, and in the mountains, Bighorn Sheep. At least some sections, like Catalina State Park, were preserved.

It was a nice surprise that the park waived the entrance fee for tour participants—in spite of budget issues. The tour was one of the last free events offered statewide during March as part of Arizona Archaeology & Heritage Awareness Month. Arizona contains some impressive historic and prehistoric treasures which the state figures people will be more willing to protect and preserve if they are more informed about them. At the trailhead parking lot I joined an eclectic group of twenty five or so. Bill Gillespie, an archeaologist with the Santa Catalina Ranger District of the immense Coronado National Forest, began with the usual desert cautions and a quick introduction.

The rather flat hilltop we were touring had evidence of human habitation that extended back to 300 CE. The residents that left the most behind were the Hohokam, a prehistoric culture group that is believed to be the ancestral link to Tucson’s modern day Tohono O’odham tribe. From the rubbish and crumbled walls of the 15-acre site archaeologists have ascertained that the Hohokam lived in rather large groups (the Romero Ruin site had over 100 pithouses and two ballcourts), practiced various types of agriculture, and traded extensively throughout the region. This village was lived in for almost a thousand years before the Hohokam faded from the archeaological record.

Around the time of the Hohokam dispersion two new groups arrived in the Tucson area: the Apaches were first, shortly followed by the Spanish. The most recent residents tolerated each other with a wary eye and skirmishes were not infrequent. In the mid-1850s, about the time the area became part of the United States, Francisco Romero built a small home on the same hilltop. In an early example of recycling, the walls of his house were built from the same rocks that the Hohokam had used for their walls a thousand years earlier. Unfortunately, Romero’s habitation of the spot was short lived, most likely he was chased off by the local Apaches that did not tolerate encroachment on what they considered to be their territory.

Overall, the tour was quite thorough and interesting with Bill making sure to point out recent discoveries such as the extensive agave propagation fields. Overlooked for years archaeologists now understand the function of the small rock piles and low rows of terracing that cover many of the foothills in the region. While much of the information was familiar to me I did pick up a few new tidbits. I was surprised to learn that the 5,493-acre park is actually owned by the Forest Service which has an agreement with the state to run it. That was news to me. The other bit was disturbing: in southern Arizona archaeologists call February “Pot Hunting Month.” They aren’t sure why but looting of prehistoric sites by treasure seekers increases dramatically during the short month. Some wonder if there is a possible link to the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, which also has a large Native American artifact marketplace. I hate to think so but any time there is the opportunity to make a quick buck, some people will.

It was mid-afternoon by the time I returned home. Since my relatives weren’t due in until the evening I threw myself into cleaning and tidying up our little home. Nothing like waiting ‘til the last minute, eh? Lance and I drove down to the airport ten minutes early to wait for their plane to come in and good thing we did. When we walked into the baggage claim area the Ohio clan was already grabbing their luggage off the conveyor belt. Apparently their plane landed 20 minutes early—unheard of these days! We were thrilled to see them and I think they were relieved to see us as we supplied four extra hands and they had a lot of luggage! My Uncle Lanny and Aunt Sharon packed for their three week stay while my cousin Shane and her husband Steve had two little girls that still needed car seats and they were staying eight days. Whew.

Quickly we helped them load everything into their rental van and then we whisked them to dinner (Mexican food, of course) at El Charro downtown. By the end of the meal, our travelers were fading fast so we rushed over to the hotel where I am sure they quickly flopped into bed, exhausted by a long day. The following morning we met up for breakfast. It was wonderful to catch up with them! Though Lance and I have been back to Ohio to visit multiple times (and I was back there last summer) it’d been eight years since my aunt and uncle were last out here and four for my cousin’s family.

To be sure, they didn’t come all the way out here just to visit us though we were fortunate to still be in Arizona at the time. Instead the primary reason for their trip was our family matriarch, Eileen, who just turned 93 the month before. There is also my parents and my other aunt to spend time with, all of whom live in the far southeastern corner of Arizona near Portal. So, after a leisurely lunch the Ohioans clambered into their rental van and drove south on I-10. While neither Lance nor I could go down for the entire week, I did manage to get down there for a couple days.

It was heartwarming to watch Grandma interact with Frankie and Gracie, her great granddaughters. Since Grandma stopped traveling a few years back she had not met tiny, little Gracie before. It was amusing to see the similarities between the two—they are both delicate, yet not fragile, creatures. I don’t think Grandma ever weighed more than 100 pounds, even when pregnant, and she currently tops the scales at a mere 85 when dripping wet. Steve and Shane have been so worried about Gracie because she barely makes the bottom of her pediatrician’s weight chart. If Gracie shares any more of Grandma’s other characteristics she will be in good stead.

My cousin and her family drove back up to Tucson the day before their return flight so that we could spend more time together. It was another of Tucson’s signature spring days, warm and sunny. A picnic in the park, a trip to the zoo, a late afternoon swim, and a pizza party for dinner made for a long, fun day. Though everyone was exhausted it was hard to tear ourselves away, nobody likes to say goodbye. I think it was one of those trips that was too busy to be considered a vacation, yet we are so glad they came.

So, April was off to a good start. Wonder what the rest of the month will bring…

Photos: View our photographs from And So March Ended, April Began.