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When I left Tombstone, I got in the car and headed for Tucson. After checking in to the motel, had a huge dinner at the Silver Saddle Steakhouse (If I had not resisted the wafer-thin mint I would have exploded). This morning headed out to the Saguaro National Park, named for the Saguaro cactus. This is the kind of cactus I imagine when I think of the Wild West.
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Actually this type of cactus is limited to certain areas of southwest desert, but there's a whole lot of 'em around Tucson! The Park is actually split in two parts. The part east of Tucson has a loop drive to see the desert and the cactus. Great scenery.
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When I crossed the border from New Mexico into Arizona, I was surprised by all the colors in the landscape. Maybe I was driving through New Mexico during the height of the sun and Arizona benefited from the afternoon light, but Arizona actually looked lush and green (for a desert, I mean). This Sonoran-type desert has two rainy seasons (winter AND summer) which explains the extra vegetation, but I was surprised to hear they've had drought conditions for the past several years. During the rainy season I guess this dry wash would be a small river.
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The road winds around and gains some altitude looking out over the Tucson valley. I got out of the car and hiked out on a trail to an outcrop of rock. What a view! But when I got back in the car and later that night, I found cactus needles in my shoes, socks and on my jeans. Good thing I wore long pants.
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Not that I think the world revolves around me, but... I seem to be followed by natural disaster, none of which really affects me. Tornados in Memphis, flooding in Florida... Of course, I'm sure you've all heard about the wildfires in Tucson on the news. It started the night before I got there. When I checked in to my motel, I could actually see bright orange flames at the top of the ridge. Can you imagine how high the fire had to be for me to see FLAMES from this distance?!!
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In the afternoon I went to the west part of the park, which is on the other side of Tucson. Hiking down a trail I ducked into a cave to explore. As I was coming out, this cougar was sitting in the entrance. JUST KIDDING!! This is from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum which has a zoo of native animals and displays of plants, geology and weather of the area.
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