SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK
We visited Saguaro National Park in February. It was a beautiful day for a drive around the loop with several look out points. We parked at one point and walked to a picnic area. We plan to go back and try some of their hiking trails. There are actually 2 Saguaro National Parks in Tucson, one on the east and one on the west side of Tucson. We visited the east on this day. Guess what we saw a LOT of…Saguaro Cactus! The Saguaro blossom is the state flower of Arizona. The tallest Saguaro cactus ever measured was 78 feet tall. Saguaro grow very slowly. It can take 10 years for one to grow 1 1/2 inches tall and they can live to be 150-200 years old. Arizona has very strict laws preventing the destruction of these cactus.
SNOW
Snow arrived in Tucson Friday, Feb. 22nd. Snow in the forecast usually means northern Tucson or up in the mountains surrounding Tucson. Imagine our surprise when we looked out the window Friday morning and saw this!
It’s ok – the cold, white stuff melted the next day and just a few short days later it was 80 degrees and we were wearing shorts.
On March 1st we took a day trip to Tombstone, AZ. Tombstone is an old silver mining town but it is best known for the OK Corral gunfight (which didn’t actually take place in a corral- but on Fremont Street.) Tombstone is known as “The Town Too Tough to Die.” Some famous Tombstone past residents include Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp.
Courthouse 
Stage Coach 
Newspaper 
While in Tombstone we were able to see some friends. Viv is a friend and co-worker from our Wegmans Days in Maryland. She was in Arizona visiting a friend and we met them in Tombstone to view a gunfight, take a trolley ride and have lunch. The gun fight was comedic and the gunslingers encouraged our participation. We were to boo for the bad guys and, of course, cheer for the good guys. As should always be the case, the good guys won. We hopped on a trolley and enjoyed a very informative tour of the town. According to our Trolley driver, Tombstone was given its name by one of the original silver miners who settled there. When he announced where he was going to mine for “stones” his detractors told him that the only stone he would find there would be his own tombstone.
BISBEE
After strolling around Tombstone a bit we parted ways and Mark and I drove a little farther south to the little town of Bisbee, Arizona.
Bisbee is a historic copper mining town in the Mule Mountains of Southern Arizona. It is known for the Queen Copper Mine (now closed but tours are given) and the historic architecture and artsy shops.
We have several more Arizona sites on our bucket list: Mt. Lemmon, Sabino Canyon, and as we leave we plan to stop and see the Grand Canyon. Our next blog posts will detail our plans for an Amazon CamperForce experience later this year and our visit to the flight line on Davis-Monthan AFB to see the Heritage Flight.
I feel like you’re giving me a history lesson. Thank you! Enjoy Spring in AZ. ☘️