25th Feb Desert Trails RV Park.
We checked out “Coffee & Donuts” first thing Monday
morning to discover this camp site had lots going on - and the Donuts had all
gone! The camp site is almost full - 95%
occupancy with many from Canada avoiding their cold winter. With the range of activities in the RV Park,
and so many things to see around the area of Tucson, we decide to have some
down-time from travelling and to stay here for a month.
Saguaro National Park
Our first afternoon we spent at the Saguaro National Park;
our initial reason for coming here.
The
Sonora Desert is just one big cacti garden, and everywhere hundreds of the
enormous Saguaro cacti stand like trees.
They are the largest cacti in the USA and can grow up to 50ft.
The seeds start life under another plant and
can live as long as 200 years as the nurse plant dies from old age.
All Saguaro are protected and I was really
surprised at how many there are; not just in the park but all around.
Many of them have perfectly round holes made
by Gila Woodpeckers.
The birds make a
new nest each year but the old nest is then often used by others birds such as
Elf Owls.
They had snow here a week ago and there is greenness to the
dessert. The Ocotillo, which looked like
sticks-with-nasty-spikes in Texas, have gown leaves within just a few days of
the moisture.
26th Feb
OK Corral
Shoot-out
This close to Tombstone …. well it has to be done doesn’t it
.... so we watch a shoot-out re-enactment at the OK Corral. The town of Tombstone initially grew up due
to the mining activity in the local area, but it now exists purely for the
Tourists. They have kept the centre
fairly close to the 1800s original town with wooden boardwalks and the old
signs on the buildings. People walk
around in period costume and the atmosphere is friendly.
We even paid a visit to Boot Hill Cemetery on
the way out of town.
27th Feb Old Tucson Film Studios
After having had lunch with another couple from the camp site, Tami and
Duane, we left them we and drove over to the Old Tucson Film Studio Museum. It is set up like an old 1800s town and has
many Film sets which were used in a variety of old Westerns such as Bonanza and
High Chaparral to name but a few.
28th Feb Sabino Canyon
We joined the Camp Hiking Group and walked a trail up into
Sabino Canyon, on the north east side of Tucson.
It was a sunny day and a very scenic walk of
around 10 miles.
There were yellow
poppies flowering and the Ocotillo were coming into bud.
It seemed strange to be walking in a desert with
snow melt gushing down the river at the base of the canyon.
1st Mar
We needed a rest day.
There are numerous activities within the camp site. We have been out every evening at the various
entertainments; creative writing stories, musical bands, games nights etc. We played pool, sat in on the photography
group, and best of all – used the hot tub every night!
Spring is in the air and all the birds are going around in
pairs. This included the Great Horned
Owls who have made a nest in the palm trees nearby. We listened to them hooting every evening and
through the night.
2nd Mar Sonora Desert Museum
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Tucson is surrounded by Mountains.
To the north are the Santa Catalina Mts, to
the east the Ricon Mts and on the west side are the Tucson Mts and Park; and
our camp site which is on the southern edge of the park.
The Desert Museum was more of a wildlife park
for native creatures in their natural habitat.
There was a flying demonstration of Raptors including Red-shouldered
Hawks, Horned Owls and Grey Desert Hawks.
We spent nearly 5hrs wandering around.
The most delightful experience was sitting in the Humming Bird Aviary
with the tiny birds whizzing all around us – they were making tiny nests using
spider’s cobweb which allows the nest to expand as the chicks grow.
3rd Mar Down-Town
Tucson
We drove into Down-Town Tucson for the Ford Mustang Car Show
and saw some lovely (and expensive) Mustang cars. Leaving the town we then drove up over the
Tucson Mountains stopping to admire the views.
Clouds had developed over the afternoon and there was a lovely sunset
that evening.
Although common in Mexico, this part of the Sonoran Desert
is the furthest north that Organ Pipe Cacti are found. There were still many Saguaro cacti here as
well but they grow slower than the ones near Tucson because there is a little
more water there.
We set off on the scenic Ajo Mountain Drive Loop. At the mid-point we parked up and hiked the
Estes Canyon Trail up to Bull Pasture viewpoint where we had lunch looking
across to Ajo Mountain at 4808ft. We
contemplated continuing the hike up to the Peak but did not have enough water
and it was very hot. The hike down was
pretty with so many Brittle Bushes in full bloom. We saw our first cacti in flower too as many
are still at the budding stage.
