Saguaro National Park in Two Parts

We headed for Tucson and Saguaro National Park around 8:30 a.m.  Found it easily, visited the Visitor's Center, and took the loop around the park.

The saguaro can be up to four-stories tall (we did not see any that tall) and live up to 200 years.

A field of saguaro.

This is a Teddy Bear Cholla.  At other places we saw fields of these.

This is a barrel cactus in the final stages of bloom.

This saguaro is probably 12-15 feet tall.

We have seen more snakes this trip than we have in all of our travels.  This is a gopher snake (another name for a bull snake) that was laying along the side of the road.  We stopped and took a picture and the snake just laid there.  I think it is bigger than the one we saw at Pecos Historic Park in New Mexico.

This is a road runner.  We saw it run across the road in front of the car and fly into this tree.  He wouldn't turn his face toward me so I took a back shot.

This is the entrance to the Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro National Park.  We had been in this part of the park many years before with the kids.

This is the entrance to the Tucson Mountain District of Saguaro National Park.  It is located about 25 miles west of the other part.  It is more remote but had more saguaros.  The loop road is not paved.

This saguaro is dead and the interior of the cactus is visible.

 .

About 3:00 p.m. we headed back to Benson.  I looked up on the internet places to eat in Benson and found this place had good reviews so we ate lunch/supper here at Mi Case Restaurant.  It really doesn't look like much but I am so glad that we did not let first impressions determine where we would eat.  The food was delicious.  We both had Chimichangs, mine was chicken and Carol's was beef.  Before the meal we were served salsa and chips.   Both were freshly made that day.  The salsa was green and the more you ate the hotter it got.  I had read that their carrot cake was "to die for" so we ordered a take home of carrot cake but we haven't eaten it yet.

This sunset was very pretty.  I think a nice sunset needs a few clouds.  The campground has eight in it tonight.

Tomorrow we will go to Chiricahua National Monument.  We are close to Tombstone so if we have time, we may stop by there.  It was hot today.  The temperature in the car got up to 101 but by evening, it is very pleasant outside.  We sat outside and enjoyed the sunset and cool temps.