Sam And Saundra's Year Long Adventure - Part 18

Sam And Saundra’s Year Long Adventure – Part 18

12/13/08-01/16/09  Tucson  - Saguaro National Park – West and East

Sam And Saguaro

Cactus Forest

Follow Old Spanish Trail Road and you will reach the Saguaro National Park East.  Of course, if you do that you’ll go the long way.  Sam and I have gone several times since Grace and Wayne first took us. Sam has gone there alone a couple of times to bike through it. He has announced that it is the most beautiful biking trail he has ever pedaled.  (I believe him!) When we go straight out of the RV park, we turn right on Houghton and turn right again into the Saguaro Park.  But doesn’t Spanish Trail Road sound exciting?  Anyway, the East Park is by us and the West is on the other side of Tucson.  We love them both.  For ten dollars a vehicle, you get ten days of passage into the parks.  The Saguaro Cactus and the ‘forests’ they create, are the focus of the parks.  Beauty reigns. Along with the Saguaro, many, many other types of cactus can be seen, including the Cholla (Jumping cactus).  Both of the parks have drive through loops for easy views of much of the vegetation and some of the animals.  We never saw the Javelina in these areas, although we saw many birds and rabbits.  The loop road in the East Park is great for street bikes and the hiking trails in both are fabulous.  Several picnic areas and paved nature paths are also available.  I give the East Park a very high rating for accessibility, while maintaining the ‘nature’ of the experience, for all types and ages of ‘kids’.  If you have never seen or been in a desert before, these areas have a little of everything, including cougar, bobcat, other types of cat-like animals and they say the jaguar is making a comeback here.  These deserts are green, but not the heavy moist laden dark, luscious greens of the northwest.  Instead the greens are a variety of greens tinged with browns, grays, yellows, oranges and purples.  My, I do love it! 

Snow Covered

Dusk

The only scary part was when Sam and I were on a natural trail and he almost dislocated my arm when a bird moved from under a bush.  He still won’t tell me what he thought it was or where he was planning to put me. Well, there was also the warning about killer bees and what to do if caught in a swarm.  The warning was around Javelina Rocks, so we did not climb them.  I have hundreds of pictures of this area, with the mountains (even once after the ‘snow storm’ at Christmas).  Another A-One place in our Adventure. 

Critter