Today, sadly enough, marks the last "official" day of our trip. As we left Chiricahua this morning we headed for our almost final destination (Vegas) via Saguaro National Park (east district), AZ. The park is located on the fringe of Tuscon. It's amazing that a place so wild can exist just miles from one of the fastest growing cities in the southwest.
We started our day with a stop at the Visitor's Center to pick up Jr. Ranger books, information, etc. The main attraction in the east district is the Cactus Forest Drive - an 8-mile drive through one of the most remarkable landscapes in the Southwest: a forest of giant saguaro cacti. The most amazing thing we learned about the saguaro cactus is that it grows very slowly. After 5 years, a saguaro may reach 1" tall; after 15 years it may reach 1 foot! It doesn't bloom until it reaches 35 years AND less than 1 percent survives to reach one year of age, at which point a seedling may only be 1/4 inch tall! Amazing.
We visited all four North American deserts on this trip, but liked the Chihuahan the most!
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