The western unit of Saguaro National Park and the nearby Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum were our planned destinations for today. We started the day with breakfast at the Sunny Side Up Cafe here in Catalina. The meat portions were microscopic but the biscuits and gravy were good. Peg’s pastrami and rye sandwich was reported as dry. The prices were good and so was the service but nominal food will win few hearts. A two-and-a-half star joint. We then drove west through Tucson and/or Oro Valley (not sure which – it is hard to tell the difference) across I-10 and up the screwy one lane road into the western unit. This portion of Saguaro National Park is just as stunning as the eastern unit but it looks like a bit more water lands here because everything was very green.
We took our time as we passed through the park but eventually emerged on the other side and passed into a Pima County desert park where we pulled off at the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum which was packed. Folks were even lined up back into the parking lot awaiting a chance to purchase entrance into the museum so we moseyed right through the parking lot and set the Garmin again for the Tucson Camping World. This time they were open and sold me much stuff.
We then set the Garmin for a small local botanical garden or park called Tohono Chul. It is another of our favorite spots in the Tucson area. It sits on a small piece of land right in the middle of a big commercial district. The place is packed with all kinds of desert plants, little scurrying reptiles and fabulously colored birds all visible from the narrow, plant-lined pathways wandering through this serene retreat. There are great sculptures and fountains throughout the gardens along with buildings in the great southwestern architectural style. What a terrific legacy the original land owners left to the city.
On the way back to our RV park we stopped at a place called Tucson Tamales and purchased a variety of tamales to take home. At $3.25 a pop they ain’t cheap but they are very tasty, particularly their masa.
We took some photos you can see if you click here