Tucson - Arizona (2) 2015

2-9-15

We are back at the Tucson Moose Lodge.

In the afternoon we went to the Saguaro National Park West. At the Visitor Center we saw a slide show about the desert.

The center is in a beautiful setting.

Signs inform about the saguaro.

We went on a ranger talk.

Then we drove a dirt road to the Signal Hill picnic area where we took a short hike to the petroglyphs, which are located on a large pile of rocks.

From the top of the hill we could see our car.

2-10-15

This morning we went to J.C. Penny where Doris had her hair done. We were there when the store opened and when we went to the Salon they had already a full schedule. One of the women needed only a hair touch up. When Doris told them that she also needed only a touch up they squeezed her in.

I called my friend Susanne and told her that we would be a little late for lunch.

Doris had her mail sent to Susanne and we picked up the mail and took Susanne out for lunch.

It is always nice to see old friends from my time in Chicago.

We still have summer weather. The temperature is about 83 degrees F., fifteen degrees above average for this time of the year.

2-11-15

We are now at the Twin Peaks Campground in the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

After setting up the motorhome we ate lunch, took a rest and then went to the Visitor Center. There we watched a short video about the park and its animals and plants.

The Organ Pipe Cactus is at its northern range here in the park. It does not like cold weather and therefore prefers areas south of here, in Mexico.

Doris is reading the memorial of a park ranger who got shot in the line of duty. The park is used by the drug cartels as a route to the U.S.

Thirty miles of the parks border are also the border with Mexico. There is a strong presence of the Border Patrol in this area. We see them on dirt bikes, jeeps and trucks.

We hiked part of the Red Tanks Tinaja Trail. The variety of plants in the Sonoran Desert is amazing. It was a wonderful walk.

2-12-15

This morning I showed Doris how my over the burner toaster works, and she showed me how to make poached eggs in a frying pan.

After breakfast we drove the South Puerto Blanco Drive. It is a bad dirt road partially following the border with Mexico. We saw Border Patrol Agents sitting in their vehicles between the bushes. The steel fence is visible from a distance.

After a while the dirt road runs parallel with Mexican highway 2.

There is first a people barrier and then one for vehicles. It is made with solid steel beams.

After lunch we did the 4.5 mile hike to the Victoria Mine.

After a while the motorhomes were barely visible.

This little cactus was very cute.

Organ Pipe cactus and Saguaro grow side by side.

At the mine we saw the ruin of a building with a bath tub in it.

There are several covered mine shafts.

The landscape at the park is beautiful.

It was windy today, which did not interfere with our activities.

In the evening we went to the amphitheater for the Ranger Talk. We learned about spiders, snakes, lizards, bees, mountain lion and other creatures which could sting or bite us.