This was our ride from The Coyote Howls RV Park in Why, Arizona to the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area near Sonoita, Arizona. This is the day we said goodbye to the Saguaros until next year. So fair warning there may be an overload of pictures. Not sure if the collages are in the right place but then Saguaros are Saguaros and these are all on AZ-86.
Sunday, March 14, 2021
Leaving Coyote Howls East.
The Organ Pipe Cactus, upper left was in the park.
Heading East on AZ-86
I saw this crested Saguaro as we were going by and was
not sure I snapped the picture fast enough to capture it.
When I looked at the picture there it was. Yeah!
You had to know there would be some Ocotillos.
The west end of AZ-86 is disintegrating
except where there are washes.
Then in the distance Kitt Peak
The Kitt Peak National Observatory is a United States astronomical observatory located on Kitt Peak of the Quinlan Mountains in the Arizona-Sonoran Desert on the Tohono O'odham Nation, 56 miles west-southwest of Tucson, Arizona.
Kitt Peak National Observatory is operated by the NSF’s National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory and is the national center for ground-based nighttime astronomy in the United States. Kitt Peak is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.
You can actually visit this Observatory for more information click here.
(FYI: as of this date it is closed to the public because of Covid-19)
There was a section of the drive
when we saw very few Saguaros.
Though we did see prickly pears
and different types of chollas.
Also, there were yellow
wildflowers along the edge of the road.
In the distance
then up close the Saguaros covered the mountain.
This Border Patrol Check Point heading East was
still open when we came through on the 14th.
Stopped briefly he asked if it was just the two of us
and are we citizens. Pretty much the standard questions
we are asked if stopped when we are in the motorhome.
BLM Land and we are coming into Tucson.
I wonder if those are the Santa Catalina Mountains
with snow on the top in the distance?
It seems like hardly any time has passed since we were
driving by here heading West and seeing these
Saguaros for the first time this Adventure.
It was at this point in our drive today I knew we were pretty much saying goodbye to the Saguaros for this adventure. I knew we would see a few more until we merged onto I -10 but for the most part they are behind us now. I always feel a little sad when we leave them behind with their beauty and majesty Saguaros are a sight to be cherished. So we wave goodbye as we continue the ride to our next destination with the hope we will be back again in the not to distance future parked among them out in the Sonoran Desert.
Our exit and entrance onto I-10.
Arizona does a nice job with there
over passes and exit areas.
Now we will see these as we drive along.
Different types of Yucca plants and Agaves.
We are now on AZ-83 headed South.
I believe those are the Santa Rita Mountains.
If I am correct those are the Mustang Mountains.
This Border Patrol Check Point heading north on
AZ-83 is shut down.
We have turned into the
Las Cienegas National Conservation Area.
The Whetstone Mountains are ahead of us.
Doug and Yuma, Miss Adventure Travels, came out to the
Empire Ranch Road to direct us to this area that
we will call home for the next week.
We are parked.
As I mentioned in the post I did about our arrival I missed
the sunset but I did get this pretty golden glow.
It was a long day but worth the trip and we are happy to
be in this place parked by a friend.
We are glad you stopped by!
If you have time to leave a comment we would enjoy hearing from you!