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Tuesday, November 05 2019
 The saguaro flower is Arizona's state flower and means American cactus. It's pronounced "suh-wah-roe." You don't pronounce the word with a hard "G". We definitely enjoyed our time in Seguaro National Park. The Park has two sections (East and West) and are on either side of the city of Tucson. The park is named for the large saguaro cactus, native to its desert environment. There are two scenic drives in Saguaro National Park. In the Tucson Mountain District (west), the park is open to vehicles from sunrise to sunset daily (times may vary so check before you go) and the drive in the Western part of the park has several routes. The West park is lower in elevation and boasts a denser saguaro forest. The Signal Hill Trail leads to petroglyphs of the ancient Hohokam people. The west is the better choice if time is short. In the eastern Rincon Mountain District, Cactus Forest Drive is a loop road with striking views of the desert landscape. The drive in Saguaro National Park East is a paved eight mile one way loop. The eastern section is larger and more mountainous. The east has more hiking trails and is the only region where backpacking is allowed. In the Rincon Mountain District (east), the park is open to vehicles from 5:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the summer, and 5:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. in the winter. If you are traveling with pets, please note that pets are only allowed in certain areas and not on any of the trails. There are many threats within the park that can cause injury to them but they are also consider predators by wildlife. So please see the link reference below on the pet guide. East and West Comparison
Seguaro National Park Pet guide – https://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/pets.htm Seguaro National Park Hiking - https://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/saguaro_hiking.htm Phone: (520) 733-5153. Address: Friday, November 01 2019
 Tucson Arizona was surprisingly a fun place to visit. We went late October – early November and the weather was absolutely perfect. We stayed at the Voyager RV Resort (see review) which was a very nice and large resort. There were quite a few attractions worth exploring in Tuscan. They include Seguaro National Park (East and West), Titan Missile Museum, Biosphere 2 (one of the top 50 wonders of the world), Mission San Xavier, Mt. Lemmon and Pima Air & Space Museum. There was definitely a lot to do in Tucson and a few places we didn’t get to see was Reid Park Zoo, Tucson Botanical Gardens and Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Farm. The Biosphere 2 (https://biosphere2.org/) is about 45 minutes North of Tucson and could easily spend a half day or more visiting. This was a guided tour and there are several habitats to explore. They include seven biome areas with a rainforest, ocean with a coral reef, mangrove wetlands, savannah grassland, fog desert, and two anthropogenic biomes. A very unique experience and a must see. The Titan Missile Museum (https://titanmissilemuseum.org/) is the only remaining Titan II site open to the public, allowing you to re-live a time when the threat of nuclear war between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union was a reality. The guided tour of the facility includes the Control Center Launch area as well as the silo for storage of the Missile. This is a 45 minute tour and will take you underground. You should book in advance but you can show up and if there is availability on a tour they will accommodate you. San Xavior Mission (https://sanxaviermission.org/) was built in the 1700s. This recently restored white adobe church represents a wonderful example of Spanish colonial architecture. It is unbelievably beautiful inside and out, with colorful frescoes, sculptures and carvings with an amazing architecture on the interior. It is worth the visit and probably need about an hour to see everything and take pictures. The Pima Air & Space Museum (https://pimaair.org/) is one of the world's largest non-government funded aerospace museums. The museum features a display of nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres on a campus occupying 127 acres. It has also been the home to the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame since 1991. Mount Lemmon - (https://mtlemmon.com) is located in the Santa Catalina Range and about an hour away from Tuscon. It is surrounded by the Coronado National Forest. On your way to the Mount Lemmon's Peak, you'll drive along the 27-mile sky islands scenic byway, which is more than just a way to get to the top. It takes around 2 hours to drive up Mt Lemmon with stops. Coming down takes about 45 minutes (without stops). There are a few Vista points along the way with some that you can definitely spend some time at and enjoy the view or hike various trails. We stopped at the Mt. Lemmon General Store and Gift Shop at the peak to check out some of the goodies and supplies they carried. A great retreat in the summer and approximately 30 degrees cooler than nearby Tucson.
Monday, July 29 2019
 Bryce Canyon is a series of large natural amphitheaters with thousands of multi-colored rock pinnacles called “hoodoos.” These formations shine brilliantly under sunny skies, but glow most exquisitely under the soft light of the sunrise or sunset. You’ll be astonished by the contrast of the pillars of red, white, and orange rock formations and vibrant blue sky. Our first "real" trip out was to Bryce Canyon National Park in July 2019. The weather was perfect and we stayed at Ruby's Inn RV Park & Campground (see review) which is located about one mile from the entrance to Bryce Canyon. We definitely enjoyed all that Bryce Canyon had to offer. The views are breathtaking and pictures will never really do it justice. The scenic drive inside Bryce Canyon offers easy access to a number of viewpoints (Sunrise, Sunset, Bryce Point, Inspiration, Farview and the natural bridge). And most within walking distance from the parking area. The amphitheater views from the viewpoints were amazing as well. We did a couple of hikes which also offer spectacular views. We started with a few easy hikes which were on the Rim Trail and Bristlecone loop. We also did a moderate hike of the Queen’s/Navajo Combination Loop Trail. We also attempted a more strenuous hike on the Peekaboo Loop but somehow ended up back on the Navajo Loop. Overall, Bryce is truly one of my favorite places. It is so serene and for some reason my heart is so peaceful when we visit. It is definitely a must see.
Bryce Canyon National Park Information - https://www.nps.gov/brca/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm Phone: (435) 834-5322 Physical Address:
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