Road Trip: Tonto, Phoenix, Tonto

Tonto National Monument

So, this is the part of my trip where my desire to see EVERYTHING and my GPS's inability to calculate travel time got me into a little trouble. I decided that, if I were quick, I could make it to Tonto National Monument and back to Jeanne and Hal's by 6:00 p.m. 

Tonto is reached by a spectacular drive east of Phoenix that winds through canyons and past some copper mines. The National Monument overlooks Roosevelt Lake, which is formed by the Theodore Roosevelt Dam on the Salt River.

Tonto consists of two 700-year-old ruins of cliff dwellings set in a beautiful canyon. The lower ruins can be reached by a short walk up the hill from the Visitor Center. 

Visitor Center

The upper ruins can be seen from a pull-out about a half mile before the turn-off to the national monument. I didn't know that, so didn't see them on the way in and did not have time to go back and see them as I left.

When I arrived, I knew I had very little time because I had to get back to town. The ranger told me that I needed to take my long lens and water for the hike up, so I rushed back to the car to get geared up. I then went back into the Visitor Center to stamp my National Park Passport and start the hike. I rushed up the paved trail, which winds past desert vegetation.

Trail

I quickly toured the ruins, which had 12-rooms built into a cliff. There was also a grinding stone, one of many artifacts found in the dwelling.

Left, ruins; Right, grinding stone

The structure, which was occupied for more than 100 years is only a half a mile from a spring. Currently, the trail to the spring is closed.

The ruins are in a beautiful setting

Then I rushed back down (I didn't need the long lens or the water, so that was wasted time).

Here's where I made my mistake. My GPS indicated that I could make it back in time if I went north and took the Apache Trail. This is a road that I last drove about 25 years ago when it was narrow, winding and dirt. I figured that it must have been improved. It hadn't. And, it took an hour longer than estimated to drive. And, I was driving as fast as you possibly can on a rutted, often-one-lane, winding 22-mile-long dirt path with sharp curves, steep drop-offs and slow drivers. I had no cell service, so I couldn't even let Jeanne and Hal know that I would be late. Unfortunately, because I was in such a hurry, I couldn't take pictures or enjoy what really is spectacular scenery.

When I finally reached a point where I had cell signal, I pulled over to call Jeanne to let her know that I was late. I had a message from Tonto. I had left my National Park Passport there! 

Disaster!

That is one of my most prized possessions. I figure that it fell out of may pack as I was getting ready (in a hurry) for my jaunt up the hill. I called back, but they were closed. So I left a message that I would call in the morning to make arrangements to get it back. As horrified as I was that I left the Passport behind, I was also so thankful that the ranger had called.

I then called Jeanne and let her know that I was late (so rude) and rushed on my way. I did, however, have to stop once when I rounded a corner just as the sun dipped below the clouds to illuminate Canyon Lake. 

One of my best-ever photos

The glorious moment lasted exactly three shots ...

A quick photo

... and was gone ...

Just before the light left

I finally made it to Jeanne and Hal's. We had a wonderful Mexican dinner and then they showed my pictures from their recent trip to Africa. I am considering going soon and will probably take the same tour or similar. They saw so many animals; it was really inspiring. Plus, it was so great to see old friends. It has been too, too long.

The next morning, after saying goodbye to Jeanne ...

Me with Jeanne

... her lovely house ...

Great desert landscaping

... and the dove that is nesting in the cholla in her front yard ...

So sweet

I called Tonto to make arrangements for them to mail me my Passport Book. I was going to the Grand Canyon because Scott had said he would like to meet there as we both headed home. Plus, I wanted to make a few stops on the way.

But, with Tonto's limited abilities to ship overnight, I decided not to risk losing the Passport. So, I drove back to Tonto. I was glad I did. I got to see the upper ruins. 

I got to photograph the lower ruins with fewer people. 

A better shot

And, I got my book back.

Thank goodness!

Trip date: March 7-14, 2015

Road Trip: Casa Grande National Monument

Onward and upward! As I left Tucson, I was beginning my trip home. I had made arrangements to visit with Jeanne and Hal Elliott that evening and was squeezing in a few sights on my way north. My first stop was Casa Grande Ruins National Monument in Coolidge, Arizona.

Next stop!

This rather unusual national monument preserves the ruins of multiple structures surrounded by a compound wall constructed by the ancient people of the Hohokam period, who farmed the Gila Valley from around 1100 to 1450.

Protected ruins

"Casa Grande" is Spanish for "big house," which refers to the largest structure on the site -- the remains of a four-story caliche building consisting of outer rooms surrounding an inner structure. The outer rooms are three stories and the the inner room is four stories high. The building was constructed using traditional adobe processes in which the base is thicker than the top. It is the largest known structure of the ancestral people of the Sonoran Desert.

Adobe wall

Its walls face the four cardinal points of the compass and a hole in the upper west wall aligns with the setting sun on the summer solstice. Other openings align with the sun and the moon.

Small openings in a big wall

To protect the structure, which was probably some sort of public building, a unique metal roof was erected in the 1930s.

The roof

It is evidently needed, based on the eroded state of some of the walls and other structures.

Eroded wall

There is a lovely museum with a number of artifacts and its a relatively quick tour of to walk around the ruins.

Just a quick look at a short stop

Trip date: March 7-14, 2015

Road Trip: Saguaro National Park

Panorama

This post may seem a little bit redundant because my next destination was very similar to the previous. Saguaro National Park showcases the Sonoran Desert just as Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument does. But, here the centerpiece is the iconic saguaro cactus.

The main star

These giant cacti have long been vital to the people living in the Sonoran Desert. They use the fruit to make jam, syrup and wine. They use the ribs for building and also eat the seeds. Plus, many animals live in saguaros.

Saguaros have a long lifespan, growing from seeds rather than cuttings. They do not grow their first arms until they are 75-100 years old (if they grow an arm at all). A saguaro without arms is called a spear. They can get as tall as 70 ft.

Standing tall above the other cactus

Saguaro National Park, although originally in the wilderness, is now pretty much an urban national park. It is split into two parts: Tucson Mountain on the west part of Tucson and Rincon Mountain on the east.

Posing

I started out on the east side and drove the eight-mile Cactus Forest Loop Drive at the edge of the Park. Most of the east side of the park is accessible only by trail. The short loop road is the only place you can drive. Like Organ Pipe, the park features many cacti and looks as if a landscape designer put it together.

Saguaro National Park has 25 species of cactus. Less than 12 inches of rain falls in a typical year and summer temperatures are in triple digits. It was in the high 80s when I was there.

A natural garden

Many of the cacti and plants were in bloom ...

Barrel Cactus

A variety of plants

Pretty blooms

Daisy

... and I even saw a few jackrabbits.

Running

Then, I drove through the traffic of Tucson for about 40 minutes to reach the west side. The road into the park passes the absolutely fabulous  Sonoran Desert Museum. Unfortunately, I did not have time to visit the museum (which is actually a zoo and botanical garden) on this trip.

The first thing I noticed on the west side is the gorgeous Visitor Center, with its white slats that echo the ocotillo roofs popular in native architecture.

The bright sunlight created dramatic shadows

Amazing

One of the sad things about Saguaro and especially about the west side is that most of the saguaros look sickly and many are dying ...

Not looking good

Interestingly, the number-one cause of saguaro death is freezes (I had assumed pollution or disease). Because the western section of the park is on the edge of saguaro habitat, it experiences more cold weather than, say, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, which is further south. That's why it has more damaged cacti.

Fortunately, there are still some healthy specimens to see.

Breathtaking

Trip date: March 7-14, 2015

Road Trip: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

At the bottom of Arizona on the border with Mexico lies an absolutely beautiful park: Organ Pipe National Monument. 

Most of the cacti were not Organ Pipes

Reaching it is somewhat a lesson in the political climate of Arizona regarding immigration. I passed through two border patrol stations and I would estimate that every third car I passed was a police car. Plus, once you reach the park, you receive multiple warning flyers about border activity. But, as intimidating as the drive is, it is worth the trip.

I only had the one afternoon to visit the park, so I asked the ranger at the visitor center for his suggestion. He said that the 21-mile Ajo Mountain Loop is a "must see," and that the much-longer Puerto Blanco Drive doesn't often anything different. So, I headed out on the Ajo Mountain Loop, which is predominantly a one-way dirt road that winds through the desert and up a mountain (with a lovely surprise).

The road up the hill

Organ Pipe, which showcases the Sonoran Desert, was in its glory. The Sonoran Desert is the most diverse desert in North America, home to more than 4,000 species of plants and animals. It differs from other U.S. deserts because of its relative lack of frost and its very short rainy seasons. Mountains create a number of distinct habitats.

A distant spire

It looks like the masterpiece of a desert landscape artist. 

It looks landscaped

The Park is, obviously, named for the organ pipe cactus, which is relatively rare in the United States. In fact, the park protects almost its entire U.S. range. The organ pipe isn't easily seen on the drive in. In fact, I was thinking to myself as I drove down the main road and began the Ajo Mountain Loop that the park should have been called Saguaro National Monument because it is filled with spectacular specimens of the iconic Sonoran cactus. But, as I drove the loop, the organ pipe finally came into view.

Saguaro and Organ Pipe

It grows on sunny slopes and blooms in May, June and July -- at night. That's a sight I would like to see some time. It takes 35 years for an organ pipe to reach maturity and bloom -- that gives you an idea of how fragile this environment is and why protection is so necessary.

A special place

It gets its name from the long pipe-shaped branches.

The first Organ Pipes I had seen

The Park is also a haven for cholla ...

Chollo

... ocotillo, some of which were in bloom ...

Pretty cacti

... barrel cactus (in the foreground), prickly pear ...

Barrel, saguaro and prickly pear

... and lots of desert bushes and flowers ...

A pretty hillside

As I drove up the mountain and rounded the corner, I was rewarded with a view of Arch Rock, which sits at the top of the back of Arch Canyon. That's the surprise, which probably wouldn't have been a surprise if I had more carefully read my map.

An unexpected arch

It certainly capped off a beautiful drive. The Park is home to many animals; Javelina, Bobcats, Foxes, Coyotes, Owls, Mule Deer, Cottontails, Packrats and many birds. 

Let's go thataway

Unfortunately, I didn't see any in the Park. 

I did see what I think was a very red Coyote (it could have been a Mexican Wolf, but I doubt it) after I left the park and was driving toward Tucson through the Tohono O'Odham Indian Reservation.

According to Park literature, as recently as 25 years ago Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument was shrouded in smog from a nearby copper smelter. Although the smog is gone, the effects have not yet been totally reversed.

It was a lovely afternoon and then a long drive to Tucson.

Trip date: March 7-14, 2015

Road Trip: Heading to Arizona through Southern California

Having completed my visit to Joshua Tree National Park, I needed to decide what to do next. I had considered meeting up with Scott in Death Valley, but our itineraries didn't really match up. Plus, I wanted to stop by and see Jeanne and Hal Elliott in Phoenix. So, I set my sights on another national monument that I had not visited: Organ Pipe Cactus, which is in Arizona on the border with Mexico. So, that dictated a southern route. First, I drove from my hotel in Yucca Valley through Joshua Tree one more time, crossing from the Mojave Desert ...

A lone tree

... to the Colorado Desert ...

Mountains as far as you can see

Then, I drove through a winding canyon (filled with warnings about flash floods -- I am not sure how you could get through in the rainy season) with golden cliffs.

Golden cliff

I was headed for the Salton Sea, about which I knew nothing ... it just looked interesting on the map. The route was through agricultural land -- palm trees, vineyards, strawberries.

The Salton Sea is a shallow rift lake in California's Imperial and Coachella valleys directly on the San Andreas Fault. It sits 234 ft. below sea level; its deepest point only 5 ft. higher than the lowest point of Death Valley. 

Salton Sea

The sea as it is now, which is fed by the New, Whitewater and Alamo rivers, as well as agricultural runoff, drainage systems and creeks, was accidentally created by engineers of the California Development Company in 1905 when they dug irrigation canals to increase water flow for farming. To prevent silt buildup, they dug a cut in the bank of the Colorado River. The outflow overwhelmed the engineered canal and the river flowed into the Salton Basin for two years, filling the historic dry lake bed and creating the modern sea. Although it varies with fluctuations in runoff and rainfall, the Salton Sea averages 15 miles by 35 miles, making it the largest lake in California. 

A hazy day

The lake's salinity, about 54 g/L, is greater than the Pacific Ocean, but less than the Great Salt Lake. Due to the high salinity, very few fish can tolerate living in the Salton Sea. Tilapia live in the lake and other freshwater fish live in the rivers and canals that feed it. The Salton Sea has one of the "most diverse and significant" populations of bird life in the continental United States, rivaled only by Big Bend National Park in Texas. It supports 30 percent of the remaining population of the American white pelican.

American White Pelican

Much of the shore is state park and it appears to be a haven for "snowbirds" and RVers.

Campground

Interestingly, Sonny Bono, when he was a California Congressman, was active in preserving the area. The Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge is named after him.

After my Salton Sea drive-by, I reconnected with the interstate (I-8) and headed to Arizona. One of the most interesting rest stops (a pit toilet in a rather nasty-looking area in the center median) was in the middle of California's Imperial Sand Dunes (also known as the Algodones Dunes). This field is approximately 45 miles long by 6 miles wide and is the largest sand dunes open to off-highway vehicle use in the United States. You can imagine what the traffic was like in the area.

Dunes

Trip date: March 7-14, 2015