Saguaro National Park (East), Tucson, Arizona USA

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In May, 1985 I purchased my first new vehicle, a small 4X4 pickup truck. I did that for my new job and my first assignment was in Tucson, Arizona. I was so poor then I had the choice of getting a cheap hotel in the Tucson slums without air conditioning (at 100 degrees F), or camping in the cool air of the tall Catalina Mountains on the North side of Tucson. My new truck was set up for camping so I chose that option. (Camping not permitted by my new employer...to bad, so sad.)

One of my first excursions was in Saguaro National Park (East) a few miles East of Tucson. (There is a detached section of Saguaro National Park, West of Tucson that I never visited.) Getting close (about ten miles East of Tucson, Arizona) you pass the exit on Interstate Hwy 10 for Colossal Cave, and take the next exit for Houghton Road and turn Northbound. Houghton Road will take me to my part time free camp on the Redington Road in the Rincon Mts; or further to the Catalina Hwy. to my full time free camp in the Catalina Mts. (Both in the Coronado Nat. Forest). Houghton Road was free of the Tucson traffic and then the road was out of the city limits. (note: now no more free camping permitted in the very nice Catalina Mts.)

South of my camps, on Houghton Road, take a short drive East on Escalante Road or the Old Spanish trail to Saguaro Nat. Park. They have very nice large Saguaro cactus with their many "arms". Many of the Saguaros had nice white flowers on their arm tips, then all over six feet off the ground. I held my camera up over my head and took some shots and I got one close-up of a Saguaro flower. In the pics the Rincon Mts. can be seen behind the Saguaro.

This Park visit was worth my time; even though all the lower mountain sites in Southern Arizona has nice Saguaros. The Saguaros are only found in Southern Arizona and in Mexico. In many old western movies shot in California, they would place fake Saguaros around to enhance their scenery. (Hummmm, a Saguaro would look nice in my yard in East Texas.)

Completed

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Photos

Saguaro Nat. Monument
Saguaro flower

Saguaro Nat. Monument
brand new 4X4 truck