Tucson, Arizona

We stayed for a few weeks in western Tucson so that we could explore Saguaro National Park, Tucson Mountain Park, and the Arizona Desert Museum. We were also close to Freightliner and Freedom RV for service work.

Tucson Mountain Park

Tucson Mountain Park covers approximately 20,000 acres and was established in 1929. There are over 60 miles of trails in the beautiful Sonoran desert. Phainopepla is a bird that eats desert mistletoe berries. By spreading its seeds, the bird establishs parasitic mistletoe in mesquite trees throughout the desert ensuring a food source.

Shooting Range

Its open for a few hours every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and is only about a 5 minute drive from where we were staying. The range is well managed and has nice views of the desert. It was a treat to go weekly and meet different Park staff who oversee it and give shooting tips. We strongly believe in knowledge, safety, and skill when owning a firearm. Michael and our neighbor Ken went to the Tucson Trap and Skeet Club to Skeet shoot. It is a huge modern facility with 200 RV sites, an air conditioned clubhouse and restaurant, amazing!

Arizona Desert Museum

Not much is flowering in January, but there is always the exception.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is like no other. Its kind of a zoo, restaurant, aviary, botanical garden, aquarium, and art gallery.

We could walk the 98 acres and see something different every day.

Its a perfect means of learning about the Sonoran Desert, making hiking the innumerable miles of trails in the area so much more enjoyable.

The Desert Museum opened in 1952 and improves every year.

Geronimo III

He was an apache indian and had a hut made of ocotillo near the entrance of Tucson Mountain Park next to the rock shop near this dinosaur. He died at 91 in 1995. For a small donation he would tell stories and pose for pictures. He claimed to be the grandson of Geronimo, but his lineage was questioned. Nevertheless, on past trips to Arizona, Michael enjoyed seeing him sitting by the roadside waiting for someone to stop and have a talk.

International Wildlife Museum

Its located on the east side of Gates Pass. The International Wildlife Museum was founded in 1988 and has over 400 species of mammals, birds, and insects from around the world. Overall, the museum is very well done. All the animals found at the museum were donated by various government agencies, wildlife rehabilitation centers, captive breeding programs, zoos and individuals.

Saguaro National Park

Saguaro National Park has both a western and eastern park. We stayed close to the western district of the park, which is adjacent to the Tucson Mountain Park. Saguaro National Monument was created in 1933,  became a National Park in 1994 and encompasses over 91,000 acres.

Tucson Mountain District-West

The western part of the park is beautiful and Michael’s favorite.

Rincon Mountain District-East

The Rincon section of Saguaro National Park rises to over 8000 foot elevation and has over 128 miles of trails. It has a lower density of saguaros compared to the western park. We drove the Cactus Forest Drive, which was stunning. We found a dog friendly trail that gave Jake a chance to explore too.

Saguaro Corners

Its been around for ever and near the entrance to the Rincon Saguaro National Park. They had a shaded dog friendly outdoor patio and a good beer selection.

Crested Saguaros

They are rare, only about 25 in Saguaro National Park, maybe 75 in the Tucson area. We’ve come across a half dozen driving around Tucson. A crested saguaro occurs when the tip grows in a fan-like form. Some postulate its the result of a genetic mutation, lightning strike or freeze damage.

Mount Lemmon

Mount Lemmon’s summit is at 9,159 feet and located in the Santa Catalina Mountains, the north-eastern boundary of Tucson. At the summit, there is an observatory. At one time it was the Air Defense Command radar base that tracked the Space Shuttle landing at White Sands Missile Range. The military eventually gave the station up to the Forest Service.

The Catalina Highway is a beautiful curving road from Tucson to the town of Summerhaven, which is at about 8000 feet in elevation. One way drive is about 28 miles. The transition of ecosystems/zones from desert to montain was amazing, let alone a 30 degree temperature difference.

Ski Valley is the southernmost ski area in the United States. Usually there is enough snow to ski from late December to March. They average 200 inches of snow a year, but so far, they only had 6 inches this season. The lifts still operate for anyone wanting a scenic ride.

Tucson is amazing. The surrounding mountains and desert never cease to impress.