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.

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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.

We Are in Arizona

We took our time packing up because we hated to leave this wonderful park and our campsite.  Just as we got started, our neighbor from a few sites down stopped to talk.  He talked to me for a long time when I walked Sandy by his site and now he was talking to Carol.  He is a nice man but Carol and I aren't into lots of long conversations.  Anyway, after about a half of an hour, he left and we packed up.  On the road at 10:00 a.m.  We can't check into our KOA site in Arizona until 3:00 p.m. and Arizona isn't on Day Light Saving Time so we had to keep track of their time as we traveled.

Heading out of our site.  Caballo was a great place to camp.

I love the way the mountain ridges layer themselves in the distance.

I thought the way this water container was painted was in keeping with the flavor of the Las Cruces western style.  

Another border patrol check-point.  This one was on I-10.  We heard tonight on the news here in Bensen that the border patrol had picked up two different groups of people who had crossed the border illegally.  One of the groups had over 100 people in it.  

There was a lot of water standing along the interstate; however, this part of the state is prone to dust storms.  I don't think that will be a problem at this time.  Below are the signs posted along the interstate.  This same series was posted every two-three miles as aid to people who may be traveling on the interstate and experience a dust storm.

Driving from Las Cruces the terrain was desert-like...lost of flat land covered with cactus.  As we neared the Arizona border, the landscape began to change as shown in the pictures below.

We made it...we are in Arizona.

 We pulled into Benson KOA around 3:00 p.m..   It is an older KOA that needs some TLC but it is the first place we have stayed that we didn't have to level the motorhome.  There are only five other campers here so it will be quiet and it is far enough off the interstate that we do not h interstate traffic noise.  Carol reported that the showers are hot.  What more could we ask for?  We will be here for three nights while we explore the area.

There is a hurricane headed for the Mexican coast named Rosa.  It is expected to bring torrential rains and wind in this part of Arizona.  The weathermen are saying that Tucson and Phoenix areas may be affected.  Right now the forecast is for the ugly weather to hit Sunday evening.  We will be driving from Benson through Tuscon and Phoenix Sunday morning.  Hopefully, we will be ahead of the nasty stuff that may be coming this way.  Motorhome and wind don't go well together.  It would be great to be set up in a campsite in Flagstaff when it begins the rain and winds.

It was hot when we set up this afternoon but by evening it was very pleasant outside. Tomorrow we plan to drive into Tucson and visit Saguaro National Park.