Sabino Canyon was one of the really great outings we went on while in Tucson. Frank, Carol, Jim, Naomi and I went for this adventure while Ron was on an 8 mile hike. This amazing riparian area is right in the outskirts of Tucson and is so different from the other Sonora Desert areas we were used to. Of course we saw saguaro cacti...
But a big difference in this landscape is WATER.
The park has trams (no personal cars are allowed in the canyon) which take passengers up to the top, following Rattlesnake Creek. There are multiple stops along the way so it's easy to jump off and jump back on.
Spring comes early in the desert!
The park is in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains.
There are many, many trails and lots of people were out hiking. We hopped off the tram on the way down and hiked a ways. Here are Carol and Naomi.
I loved this sign we saw on the road.
What a difference a creek can make in the desert. We found the scenery very restful.
Sabino Canyon is definitely a return-to place. Next time we will hike all the way down and maybe try some other trails.
Our next outing was Jim, Ron and I to the Sonora Desert Museum. This is an outdoor park - a sort of cross between a museum and a zoo. Jim and I first came to this museum 30 years ago and have been in love with it ever since so we were eager to show it to Ron. The Desert Museum is only a few miles away from Tucson Estates and just past Old Tucson, which is the movie set where many a Western has been filmed.
One of the things I love about this park is that they have labelled all the local plants so you can positively identify them.
I was excited to see this one because it is the very agave we had bloom in our front yard in Santa Rosa last year. I never knew what kind of agave it was; it was in a bucket in the backyard when we moved in to that house.
In the wild desert one only gets to see the flowers bloom if there has been rain. At the Desert Museum they do water so we got to see more things in bloom than would be outside the park.
But the Sonora Desert Museum is far from just a botanical garden. There are many opportunities to see the wildlife that populates the Sonora Desert. Here we got to see a Curved Bill Thrasher tending her nest high up in this cholla cactus.
And I was thrilled to go into the Hummingbird House, where we saw this little beauty sitting on her tiny nest.
As we wandered around the grounds we had this visitor come for a little drink right in front of us.
Some of the many animals on view include javelinas (wild pigs), bobcats, foxes, coatimundi (relative of raccoons), various reptiles, big horn sheep...
and otters!
The day was quite hot but Ron and I decided we wanted to see the Raptor show. We didn't realize this meant standing for 1/2 hour in the beating down sun. (Jim was smarter and found the cafe where he could see the show from the shaded terrace while sipping a cool drink). The show was worth it, though, and Ron and I got to hear the narration which Jim couldn't hear from his location. Here are some of the Harris Hawks which swooped right over top of our heads. They are so majestic (and huge!) and hunt in groups, with the alpha female in charge (and she gets to eat first, too).
We had a lovely outing in spite of the heat. Here is Ron and Jim and a rare photo of yours truly.
Next time you are in Tucson you MUST stop at the Sonora Desert Museum. It is an experience unlike any other.
Next - more in and around Tucson.
Audrey
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