Kartchner Caverns State Park Revisited

If you recall, Bill and I visited Kartchner Caverns State Park back in January.   We did not tour the caverns, but instead we hiked the Foothills Loop Trail.  We had planned to return to visit the caverns.  Well, we did return, but the weather was so beautiful, we saw no reason to be inside a cave, so we opted for another hike:  the Guindani Trail.

 

The Guindani Trail is a 4 mile loop that begins within the state park, but soon enters the Coronado National Forest.

 

By all accounts, this has been a cold & wet winter in southeast Arizona.  We were thrilled to be hiking under beautiful blue skies with temperatures in the mid-60s.

 

We hadn't been long on the trail when we heard something we had never heard in the desert...rushing water.  We left the trail and followed the sound, and much to our surprise we found ourselves at a creek with a good amount of water flowing.  We were unable to determine if this is a year round or seasonal creek that was full due to the recent rains.

 

We returned to the trail and continued into Guindani Canyon.  Pretty soon the trail was following alongside the creek.  I bet we had to cross the creek at least a dozen times...something I never would have imagined.

After following the creek awhile, the trail began to climb...and climb...and climb.  Pretty soon we found ourselves at the top of the ridge overlooking the San Pedro Valley.

As the trail descended, we began to see this sign....

These signs were posted at open mines that are remains of a tungsten mining operation that operated here in the 1930s through the 1950s.

In addition to the ever-present cholla and agave, we saw this pretty little cactus.  I love the rainbow of colors.

So we had another fun day at nearby Kartchner Caverns State Park, and we still haven't even toured the caverns...maybe the third time will be the charm!

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument - Part 3

Today was an easy day.  We did a couple of short hikes out of the campground.  The first one was the Palo Verde Trail, a 1.5 mile trail that leads to the Visitor Center.

  

Although we were too early for the spring wildflowers, we did see this one plant in bloom at the Visitor Center.  So, spring can't be far behind.

 

The second trail was the Desert View Trail, a 2.5 mile loop trail.  We saw lots of healthy organ pipe cactus, along with the saguaros.

 

 And here's the popular Fish Hook Cactus which is seen throughout the Sonoran desert.

 

Last, but not least, here's a bird's eye view of the campground.  The building in the center is one of the restrooms, and our rig in on the far side of the building.  The sites in front of us were for tents only, so we had an unobstructed view of the desert.

  

 

 Well, our trip came to an end and we headed back to Benson.  After experiencing three warm & sunny days, we were greeted with clouds, rain, and temperatures in the mid 40s.  But the forecast looks great.  We're keeping our fingers crossed.  : )

  

  

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument - Part 2

We awoke to a beautiful sunrise.  I must say, there is just something about a desert sunrise.  It was so quiet, then we heard our Curve Billed Thrasher start her song.  

I say she is "our" thrasher because she was sitting on top of the Organ Pipe Cactus on our site when we pulled in.  We finally discovered why she was always around...she has a nest in the nearby chollo cactus.  The nest was so protected by the chollo that I was unable to get a picture.  But I could see her tail sticking up out of the nest.

 

Today we drove one of the park's scenic drives, the 21-mile Ajo Mountain Drive.  We were continually impressed with the beauty of this park.

 
 

  

And Bill spotted this fellow.  We decided he was waiting for lunch to come by.

 

We learned that there are a few arches in the Park.  These arches are found in the Ajo Mountains.  This one in particular can be seen from the road.

 

 

The road guide that we picked up in the Visitor Center said this arch is 36 feet high, 90 feet wide, and over 720 feet from the road.  After seeing this arch, Bill and I looked at one another and agreed it is time for another trip to Arches National Park...perhaps on our way north.

 

We were hoping to see wildflowers during our visit, but we soon learned we were too early.  However, the ocotillo were putting on a brilliant show for us.

 

After the Ajo Mountain Drive, we went back to the rig and hung out for the remainder of the day.  It was sunny & warm...a perfect afternoon to sit outside and read a good book.  Soon it was supper time.  Bill grilled a delicious steak for us, which went perfectly with a baked potato and asparagus.

After dinner we took a stroll through the campground and watched the sun set on another beautiful desert day. 

 

 

 

 

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument - Part 1

For those of you who guessed Organ Pipe...you are correct!  You all get gold stars!


And what a beautiful park this is!  The campground is arranged very nicely.  There is an RV section that does not allow generators, which is right up our alley.  

Even in the section that does have generators, the hours of use are limited to 8:00-10:00 in the morning & 4:00-6:00 in the evening.  And believe it or not, everyone abides by the rules.  This makes for a very quiet campground in the middle of the desert.

Since this area of Arizona is a few thousand feet lower than Benson, it was quiet a bit warmer.  Ahhhh!  Just what the doctor ordered.  We are spending as much time as we can outside in the sunshine.   We were so happy to see the ocotillo in bloom!

But just like in Benson, when the sun starts to set, the temperature begins to fall.  

Today we hiked the Victoria Mine Trail which is accessed from the campground.  It is about a 5 mile round trip hike that leads to an old silver mine.

The first thing that got our attention was how green this desert is. 

I was expecting it to be more barren, but there is green everywhere.   We saw quiet a few Organ Pipe Cactus (which are found only in this area of the US and in Mexico).

And we also saw some of the tallest saguaros we have ever seen.

The trail climbs up and down rolling hills before reaching the mine, where the remains of a rock building can be seen.

There are still a number of open mine shafts.  Of course they have been fenced off and covered for safety reasons.

 

Here's a closer view where you can see the wooden ladder leading down into the mine shaft.

 

After exploring the mine remnants, we found a nice shady spot under an Organ Pipe cactus and had lunch.  

During the hike, we didn't see much in the way of wildlife, except for a few lizards.  While we were eating lunch, however, this fellow kept circling overhead. 

I think he was trying to figure out if we were on his menu.  I am happy to say that this turkey vulture flew away disappointed.  : )

Can You Guess Where We Are?

When Bill and I realized we had a few free days ahead of us, we decided to get out of town.  Plus, we thought it would be a good idea to exercise the 5er.  

See if you can figure out where we are....

 

For those of you who have traveled the southwest, this picture should give it away.  We are about 4 hours from Benson.

Here's another picture taken at the same place.  I'm sure most of you have seen the movie, "Terminator."  Well, this place reminded of the last scene in that movie.  Remember when Sarah Conner is sitting her jeep at some sort of gas station near the Mexican border?  Well, this could have been the place.  Bill said all I needed was the jeep and a bandanna around my head, and I would look just like her.  (Between you & me, I think I would need a few more muscles and a mullet to look like Terminator's adversary.)  

  

We arrived yesterday afternoon.  Today we plan to get out & explore the area.  I'll be posting more pictures soon.  But between now & then, who can tell me where we are???

 

 

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Well, we finally got to cross something off of our to-do list.  Bill and I had been wanting to visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and finally had the opportunity.  The museum is located just west of Tucson, in a beautiful area adjacent to Saguaro National Park.


From the museum's web page:

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a world-renowned zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden, all in one place! Exhibits re-create the natural landscape of the Sonoran Desert Region so realistically you find yourself eye-to-eye with mountain lions, prairie dogs, Gila monsters, and more. Within the Museum grounds, you will see more than 300 animal species and 1,200 kinds of plants. There are almost 2 miles of paths traversing 21 acres of beautiful desert.

We began our self-guided tour with a visit to the gift shop.  Those of you who read regularly know that I collect patches.  Bill has learned to lead me to the gift shop first so I can be done with it and not worry about it the entire time. 

OK - got that out of the way.  Next, we took out the map we received upon entry and plotted our course.  We first saw this beautiful barn owl.

 

Next on the map was the reptile house.  There were so many different kinds of snakes & lizards.  I learned that I must be more careful when hiking in the desert.  Many of the snakes blend right in with their surroundings, and it would be very hard to see them...until it was too late!

  

One of our favorites was the Mountain Lion.  We have never seen one in the wild so for now, I'll have to be content with this one.  Isn't it beautiful?

  

And who would every think there were black bears in the desert?  Well, in southeast Arizona there are areas called "Sky Islands."  Sky Islands are forested mountains surrounded by desert.  Because of the altitude, many different ecosystems exist on these mountains, and this is where black bears can be found.

  

And then we came upon this Mexican Wolf, the most endangered wolf, with about 200 in captivity.  In March 1998, 32 Mexican Wolves were released into southeastern Arizona through a reintroduction program.  The program's goal was to have 100 wolves in the wild by 2008.  The reintroduction wasn't as successful as everyone had hoped, as there were just 50 wolves in the wild by the end of the program.

  

Our last stop on the tour was the Hummingbird Aviary.  I wasn't sure what to expect.  What an amazing place!  The hummingbirds were just flying about.  I took lots of pictures, but let me tell you, trying to get a good picture of a hummingbird proved quiet challenging.  However, one of the little birds finally stopped long enough so I could get a picture. 

  

  

And this one was amazing.  Here is a mama hummingbird sitting on her nest.  

 

 
In addition to the animals, there were many displays with desert flora.  In fact, we saw our first Organ Pipe cactus, and then we came upon this strange-looking one...Totem Pole Cactus.

The folks at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum do a great job at creating a real desert experience in a manageable area.  Bill and I both agree this is the perfect place to bring visitors and to give them a real taste of the Arizona desert.  So, if you're in the neighborhood, come on by!

Friends

Often, when people are contemplating the fulltime RVing lifestyle, many are concerned about leaving their family and friends and worry about making friends on the road.  I always tell folks that we have more friends now on the road than we ever did living in a sticks & bricks house and working a normal, 40 hours a week, job.

This weekend is a perfect example.  If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know I have mentioned our friends, Gene & Joyce, quiet often.  We met them in 2006 working in Yellowstone and have remained good friends since then.  Well, Gene & Joyce are taking a caravan down to Mexico.  They are leaving from Tucson, so they stopped by Benson for a couple of nights.

So, on Friday night Bill cooked a big lasagna, and we had dinner with Gene & Joyce and Art & Connie, full-timing friends we have met this winter.  The lasagna was delicious and the conversation was stimulating.  (The funny thing is we all own Arctic Fox fifth wheels.  We keep saying we could have our own rally.. : )

On Saturday, we received a phone call that our friends, Michelle & Shannon, were coming through Benson.  We, along with Gene & Joyce, worked with them in 2008 at Yellowstone.  They are now truck drivers....yes, truck drivers...as in an 18-wheeler.  

Their route along I-10 was bringing them through Benson, so they stopped at the nearby truck stop.  We all met them there, and the six of us went to dinner at a nearby restaurant.  What a fun evening we had catching up with each other.


Gene & Joyce are now on their way to Mexico; Michelle & Shannon are taking their load to Abilene, and Art & Connie are leaving Benson this week.  Although everyone is going in a different direction, I have no doubt we will meet up with each of them somewhere down the road.

So, as you can see, one of the benefits of fulltiming is making friends and meeting up with them wherever our roads cross.  That's why we never say "good-bye," but instead "see ya later."