Saguaro was next on my list. Known for the Saguaro cactus, which I had just seen tons of in Aravaipa, I had low expectations. I was also dealing with a minor injury, a strained ankle/calf muscle. I was able to walk but with minor pain. One of the highlights of Saguaro was the park video-- it showed incredible photographs of the Saguaro cacti, desert animals, and scenery and the Native American narrator talked extensively about conservation and how we all come from and return to the earth. At the end of the moving slideshow hidden curtains quickly are pulled apart and the screen slides up revealing a beautiful vista of Saguaro hillside through the large glass windows. Very effective.
I kept the hikes in the park to a minimum because the scenery wasn't that extraordinary and my left ankle hurt. Here are some photos from Saguaro: a Horned Texas Lizard, a Saguaro glamour shot and a petroglyph. (Pics 1-3)
Around 1pm, I decided to push on and drive to my next stop White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. I only had eight days until my Escalante backpacking guided trip and I had four-five more places to explore. Make that six. Two hours into the six hour drive to White Sands I saw a sign for Chiricahua National Monument. I remembered Chiricahua as it was in my maybe list. A quick google search on my phone showed a scene of slender rocks similar to Bryce Canyon. But short on time and being an hour off the freeway I wouldn't be able to visit Chiricahua then continue to White Sands that day-- so I drove on.
Luckily one minute later I changed my mind. I would never be in this position again-- in a far corner of the US and one hour away from what one person called "the hidden gem of the national park system". I pulled off at the next exit, turned south down a beautiful road and drove. (Pic 4)
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