Saguaro National Park...January 16, 2014

Saguaro National Park...Tuscon, AZ area

 We didn't realize how close we were to Saguaro National Park when we decided to camp at Catalina State Park.  We drove for about an hour to get there on Thursday.  We thought we had "seen" saguaro cacti at Lost Dutchman State Park...but now we have really "SEEN" saguaro cacti and many other types of desert vegetation.  When we arrived we were just in time to hear a ranger led talk on lizards.  It was VERY interesting and it as so cool how God designed lizards with the perfect adaptations to survive in the desert.  One of our favorite facts was how one type of baby lizards have a blue tail as a child, it if is bitten by a predator it will come right off and flop around, catching the attention of the predator and allowing the baby to escape.  After the presentation we went on 3 different walks.  We learned a lot about different type of cacti, and were amazed at the desert's beauty. 

 This is my favorite...I call it the lollipop cactus.

 We were also able to visit the site of some ancient petroglyphs.  

This last week has really opened our eyes of the beauty and diversity of the desert.  

Today we are going to explore the city of Tuscon.  We hope to visit a small zoo, tour the University of Arizona campus and visit the science museum and planetarium on the campus.  Tomorrow we will head towards Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico with a stop over in Deming.