Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park consists of an east and west section. Since we ended up staying in Sierra Vista rather than Tucson, we opted to take in only the west section on this trip. We expect to be back in the area within the year for a longer period of time. The drive through Tucson Mountain Park on the way is a fun, scenic drive too, RVs not recommended. 

The park service described the landscape as a cactus forest. We think that's a pretty apt description. The Saguaro (sa Wah ro) is a beast of a cactus. They can get around 50 ft tall and weigh over a ton. They typically don't get branches until they are around 50 years old. They live around 150 years. The pleats in the cactus store water and the spines provide shade. 

Tucson Mountain Park

Various types of cactus

Where Are We Going Next?

Ft Huachuca

 I was a little nervous about getting in the famcamp at Davis Monthan AFB in Tucson, AZ. They are a first come, first serve campground. So I made a reservation for Ft. Huachuca (Wa chew ka) in Sierra Vista, AZ. The base was much larger than expected and very scenic. The historic part of the fort included a couple of museums and sat high on the hills. The picnic area sat on the mountainside. The base has a corral and we grabbed tickets to the college rodeo event taking place while we were there. Again, we were impressed with what it takes to be a rodeo athlete. When was the last time you flipped a 600 pound calf and tied his feet together in a matter of seconds or tried to ride a bucking bronc?

Well, you don't see explosives warnings at many campgrounds

Buffalo soldiers history at Ft Huachuca

Drones, part of military intelligence

Picnic area

Wild turkeys

Rain is coming

Colors at the rodeo

Going down

Where Are We Going Next?