Ability Realty

A new town … almost.When you live in the high desert, elevation counts especially during the summer. With this in mind, more and more people are looking to the southeast part of the valley at what used to be a tiny wide spot in the road known as Vail. Over 800 feet higher than Tucson, the Vail temperatures are cooler.The actual “center” of Vail is about 20 miles southeast of Tucson. Less than 15 years ago Vail was one of those places that was considered (if considered at all) as one of the ways to get to Colossal Cave. And, if you passed through from I-10 which is 2 miles to the south, you might want to stop by the little Catholic Church located in the “center of town” which is between the two Southern Pacific railroad tracks. In truth, both places have their place in the history of the area. If you turn off I-10 at exit 279 and go north on Colossal Cave Road (yes, it’s a real cave and you can visit), you will go through the town. Oops!! Don’t go too fast as you’ll be past before you know it. But don’t be fooled by what you see. Vail is a community that is growing by leaps and bounds. Faster than the schools can be built, homes in the Vail area are popping up like mushrooms. What is vacant land today may very well be a new subdivision within a few months. Just before crossing the first set of tracks, you will pass some of Vail’s businesses. It’s a great place to stop for a cold drink and a bite to eat or even enjoy a hearty breakfast or dinner. Great food!! And a 10 minute drive takes you to two large shopping centers with major supermarkets and all the other smaller stores you usually associate with a shopping center. Another supermarket is soon to be built even closer. Then on to St. Rita in the Desert which is on the east side of the road as you cross the first set of tracks. This tiny Catholic chapel was dedicated to a Japanese chemist named Jokichi Takamine in 1935 by his wife. He had converted to Catholicism after marrying Caroline Field who moved to Tucson after his death in 1922. The church had agreed with the family that there would never be any alterations to the chapel. More buildings have been added to the grounds as the need arose but the chapel is as it was when built. The goal was to offer services to the miners who brought their ore to the railroad siding in Vail. As you go on north, following the signs toward Colossal Cave, you will pass some of the many subdivisions that have been built in the past few years. And then you will come to some of the magnificent scenery that draws people to the area. The gigantic saguaros with their tenuous hold on the sides of rocky cliffs are an amazement to see. The deep canyons where javelina, deer and even occasional bear and cougar reign over the lesser animals of the area. Vail is very fortunate to have one of the best school districts in Arizona. Vail Unified School District. The schools are forward looking and entered the computer age far ahead of most schools throughout the country. The District was featured on several major television networks on shows such a 60 minutes and 20/20. There is excellent interaction between the teachers and parents and, in many cases, they have even made it possible to eliminate the need for those heavy backpacks.

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