Wednesday we decided to take a drive to the top of Mt Lemmon, a ski area located about 30 miles from Tucson and about 50 miles from our park. The drive up the mountain was beautiful, winding through the Sonoran desert, Saguaro cactus, and pine trees as it rose from the valley floor at about 3000 feet elevation to over 8000 feet. We drove through Hoodoos and barren cactus slopes, and passed at least a dozen bicyclists working their way up and then flying down.
At the top of the hill we had lunch at the Cookie Cabin, which obviously specializes in cookies, but also makes delicious pizza and serves up a mean bowl of chili.
The trip back down the mountain was every bit as spectacular as the trip up.
On the way back to Rincon RV Park, we took a side trip to the top of "A" Mountain. This is the mountain that overlooks Tucson, and has a huge white concrete "A" on the side. The view of a very spread out Tucson was great, and off to the side of the parking lot we noticed an Ocotillo cactus in full bloom!
Today, Thursday, we visited the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. Twenty one acres with two miles of walking paths take the visitor through various desert habitats. There are 230 animal species represented and 1,200 types of plants. It's almost overwhelming!
The major attraction is a demonstration, held at 10 am and again at 2 pm each day, of the extraordinary abilities of "raptors", also known as "Birds of Prey". Three different types of bird, each with specialized skills, are released near two viewing areas. Staff, in a well co-ordinated tableau, allow each bird to come very close (can you say hair?) to the viewing audience.
One of the most striking of the birds was the Barn Owl.
Two separate falcons chased bits of treats within inches of us.
The variety of plant and animal species is phenomenal and Donna and I recommend it highly if you're in the Tucson area. We spent the entire afternoon walking through the various displays and still didn't see the entire facility. From Lizards to Javelinas, Hummingbirds to Arizona gemstones, Agave cactus to the tiniest Saguaro "pup" just sprouting from the parent plant, there is a wealth of information and sights at this Museum.
Spring is a great time to visit the desert because of the flowers that appear at this time. One of the most beautiful examples:
I'm sorry, but the Wifi at the park is terrible, and I can't upload any more pictures of the Desert Museum. Know that it is a "must see" in the area. We're really whittling the list of things to do down to almost nothing! In twelve days we've seen two of the things we wanted to….. We still have seven or so important things to do, so I guess we'll need to stay another six weeks or so….
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