Finally out of the desert and into……….the desert!

Saguaro Cactus can grow to 50 feet tall


Brenda and a big Organ Pipe Cactus


A few of the observa tories on Kitt Peak







Leaving Las Cruces kept us in the Chihuahua Desert for another day (OK…Maybe we don’t go that far in a day!!) but, as we approached Tucson, the desert landscape changed dramatically. We crossed from the Chihuahua Desert into the Sonora Desert. The two could not be more different. The Yucca and other vegetation grew larger and more robust and, the giant Saguaro (Sahuara) and Organ Pipe Cacti were everywhere. Very unique. These two cactus species are only found in the Sonora Desert. Lots of picture taking.

Tucson is another clean, modern, low rise, desert city with lots going on. We visited what is being touted as the Cistine Chapel of North America (the Mission San Xavier del Bac). Don’t you just love the hyperbole in tourist brochures??? The Mission was beautiful, very ornate and, completely different from the missions around San Antonio, although they were all part of the same Camino Real (Royal Road) from Mexico City. The Tucson Desert Museum, which is located well out in the desert, was a highlight which we didn’t want to leave except for the fact that we had reservations at the Kitt Peak National Observatory for a night of telescopic star gazing. The museum could easily take an entire day to fully explore.

But….star gazing with the largest group of telescopes at a single observatory anywhere. Museum schmuseum!! We arrived at the base of the mountain at 4:00 P.M. and drove up to 6900 feet for an orientation with a group of 3 other people. We were even supplied box lunches. We caught a great sunset from the mountaintop and went inside for more background and information. BUT…..when we next went outside, it was dark or, what I mean to say is IT WAS DARK. We immediately stopped after the door closed because we had no sense of where we were or, what was around. There are strict light protocols on the mountain. Looking up, the sky was more intense than we had ever seen. The Milky Way was almost a solid band of white. The telescope operators seemed to know what newbies would want to see and, served up Saturn and its moons, the Andromeda Galaxy, star clusters and other interesting astronomical features. It was a great night made even more exciting by the ride down the mountain road WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS!! Light pollution!! Actually, the staff has a good system of getting people off the mountain by taping over daytime running lights and having all cars closely and slowly follow a staff car, driven by someone who knows the mountain road. Different!