JANUARY - MARCH 2014

THE SLABS, ARIZONA, NEW MEXICO and TEXAS

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2014 Home

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TRAVELOGUE #4

January 25 - 27, 2014 - Still in Arizona: Suguaro National Monument, Collosal Cave Park, Tombstone AZ, Chiricahua National Monument

After Casa Grande, our next stop was the Saguaro National Park. These are the very tall signature cacti of the southwest (think Taco Time). They are really stunning and I got some pics with the setting sun lighting them up. I was trying to find a fairgrounds to camp that night, but missed it and ended up at Collosal Cave Mountain Park, a county park that is home to a large limestone cave. I got to the campground about 4:40pm and they informed me that (a) they lock the parks gates at 5pm and don't open them again until 9am, and (b) I was the ONLY person camping in the park. Well, I didn't plan to leave before 9am and if they locked the gates, I'd be perfectly safe because no one could come in! It was actually a great park, we watched the sunset and then enjoyed the next morning's sunrise. Took a long walk before the park reopened and was surprised to see and hear people running and bicycling on trails that ran through the park. Apparently a very popular location. I let Sunna run free except when runners/bikers were close by. I had to pass on touring the cave because it had 365 steps - too much for my knees.

Our next destination was Chiracahua National Monument, but I took the long way around in order to go thru Tombstone, AZ. How many westerns were set in Tombstone? The old western storefronts and boardwalk are closed off to modern traffic, just horse drawn wagons, and there are lots of people in costumes creating the sense of the old west and doing some street theater to entertain the tourists.

We got to the Chiricahua National Monument kind of late in the day. People at Quartzsite had said that I shouldn't miss this - it's like Bryce Canyon, but not nearly so well known. We arrived around 4pm and drove the loop road to see the setting sun on the rock formations. In the campground, I spotted another Toyota motorhome, so of course I had to go say hi. This was Lisa, who is from Hawaii, and flies over periodically to Phoenix to take trips in the RV. Boy, that is dedication! In the morning, I got to watch a Coatimundi who was hiding behind a fence. I saw another one later walk right behind my RV! Then i drove the loop road again to get the morning light. It was truly beautiful.

Saguaro cacti bathed in late afternoon sun

I noticed the one on the left - this is what happens when they die.

Majestic

Above and below: a striking purple cactus.

Sunna with little barrel cactus.

This dead one made a great fan!

Like snowflakes, no two of them are alike...

And they have lot of little funny bumps in addition to big arms...

Another view in late afternoon sun

A colorful interloper (not a cactus).

 

I tried all kinds of different locations in the campground and this was as level as I could get.

This is higher than I've ever jacked it up.

Sun setting (above and below)

Next morning, sun rising (above and below)

Tombstone, AZ

Actors in a saloon setting, about to conduct a shotgun wedding (note the bride in the photo below).

I think this is an Eastern Meadowlark

I just realized the final "A" is missing from Chiricahua

The loop road

The view from the top of the canyon

Coatimundi - bigger than a raccoon

In the morning, Sunna and I took a walk. This was what was left of some old residences.

Toyota Motorhome owners are attracted to each other. Lisa's is in the foreground, mine is in the rear.

The morning view of the canyon. That yellow patch in the upper left is the valley waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy below.

I did look at some rocks up close, the green color is some kind of algae.

Lookout

Do you see the face?

This sure does look like Bryce Canyon - just a different color.

This formation was called "Organ Pipes"