Welcome to Arizona

In southeast Arizona, the Chiricahua National Monument is a sky island rising above the surrounding grasslands. Its unusual rock columns, “totem poles” and balanced rocks are a result of continuing erosion of fine-grained rock of volcanic origin.

   

   

We did a 3 mile hike in Echo Canyon through the Grotto Rocks.

Beginning in the 1500’s the Chiricahua Mountains were home to the Apaches.  Encroachment by emigrants and miners led to a lengthy state of war with the Apaches led by Cochise and later Geronimo. This situation, of course, has also led to a great number of western movies that we have enjoyed growing up.

 

Cochise Mountain

The Faraway Ranch, aptly named, in the Bonita Canyon was settled in 1888.  In the 1930’s it was both a cattle and dude ranch.

   

Tucson and the Sonoran Desert

The monarch of the Sonoran Desert, the saguaro cactus, has been protected since 1933 within the huge Saguaro National Park. Although this giant cactus is only ¼ inch high after one year’s growth and after 15 years maybe only 12 inches tall, by 100 years it may reach 25 feet.  Those that live 150 years may attain a towering 50 feet and weigh 16,000 pounds. This huge bulk is supported by a strong but flexible cylinder-shaped framework of long woody ribs. After the saguaro dies, these woody ribs are used locally for construction of patio roofs.

   

From April through June, as many as 100 flowers bloom on each saguaro. In the few hours that the flowers are open, flying animals pollinate them.  Saguaro fruit ripens in June and July when the desert birds and animals feast on them.

 Many other beautiful cacti are present in the Sonoran Desert

   

   

   

More Roadrunners for Jim

   

   

Today at El Guero Canelo’s, we enjoyed a Tucson specialty, the Sonoran hot dog.  The hot dog is wrapped in bacon and fried, then topped with salsa, browned onions and sour cream, placed in a steamed roll and served with a jalapeno pepper on the side.  You are then free to add more jalapeno peppers, boiled onions, and habanera salsa to make it even more spicy and tasty. To complete this meal we added corn chips and delicious guacamole.

Check back again for more Tucson adventures

Return to HOME page