Saguaro--can you say it? The G is pronounced like it’s a W, so it’s not “sah-GWA-row”, it’s “sah-WAH-row”. I’ve tried, but at least half the time I forget and mispronounce it. George always pronounces the G.
This is another National Park that’s dedicated to cacti. It’s unique (as far as I know) because it’s split into two separate districts, separated by the city of Tucson, which are about 30 miles apart.
We went to the “Tucson Mountain District (West)” and stopped at the Red Hills Visitor Center. The ranger suggested we drive the Bajada Loop Drive, and take a couple hikes there: the Valley View Overlook and the Signal Hill Trail.
The first one takes you through a couple of washes and then up some steps to a ridge overlooking the valley. Kind of a fun hike with a very interesting view at the top. You can definitely see where the park and “civilization” begins.
By now I’ve seen so many saguaro cacti, I’m looking for the really funky ones. Some really grow into strange shapes.
There’s a picnic area near the Signal Hill Trail that was built by the CCC. They built shelters and barbecues and the stone steps for the trail. The steps climb up a hill to a rockpile with a lot of petroglyphs on them.
PS. The day we came back from the Biosphere, we drove right by the “Rincon Mountain District (East)” but all we did was stop at the Visitor Center so George could get a Passport stamp and we could look around….I really am tired of cactus.
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