Tucson

March 13-15, 2009
AC103 YYZ-YVR, UA1137 YVR-SFO, UA6352 SFO-TUS, US2980 TUS-PHX, US273 PHX-IAH

Also inspired by the aggressive Air Canada seat sale and what is normally the last few weeks of Winter in Toronto, we headed to Tucson.  Although it rained a little bit on Saturday morning, it cleared up and we spent the day at an interesting National Monument on the Mexican border.  Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (part of our National Park Pass!) is the only place in the US with Organ Pipe cacti and has some beautiful scenery.  With the current Mexican drug violence along the border the park was partly closed off, but we did find a great drive and day hike through the mountains and cacti.  I had a meeting in Houston that I had to get back to for Monday, so I went directly to Houston on Sunday afternoon. 

Mar 13
Travel day to Tucson

Mar 14
Drive to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

View of the Ajo Mountains on our way into the park

Me next to a very tall saguaro cactus

The carcass of an arm of the cactus

Ajo Mountain Drive, a bumpy ride, but a great view

Organ pipe cacti and desert brush

A close up of an organ pipe cactus

Various cacti

Arch Canyon

Some spring flowers along Bull Pasture hiking trail

A well-camouflaged lizard on our hike

Looking down from the peak of our hike

A look south over the pull pastures and onto the Mexican border

Looking back through the valley

One celebratory pose before we start the hike down

Cactus close up

More spring flowers, and a ladybug

A hummingbird about to take flight

The end of our hike

I brave standing under a somewhat flaccid cactus arm

Mar 15
We end the day in Tucson and fly out on Sunday