MikeThe North American desert, a whole different environment! Here the sun comes out abruptly, raising the temperature by dozens of degrees in just a few hours. Everything around you tells a story of survival and struggle for that precious liquid element. A historically charming small city surrounded by the Sonoran Desert lies nearby. All of these under the Southern Arizona heat!
Tucson, Arizona. The name of the city means “black spring” in Pima language. The area has prehistoric roots. The Anasazi, Mogollon, then the mysterious Hohokam, and much later Pima and Apache tribes inhabited the site. Then, Spaniards settled and started the small town of San Agustin del Tucson with its Presidio (fort), Jesuit and Franciscan missions around the year 1775. A good present-day example, open to the public, is the San Xavier del Bac Franciscan mission, located about twelve miles South of the city.
Famous characters like Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and Eusebio Kino are part of the local history. The small town represented the northernmost inhabited post in the New Spain. outside of California. The old pueblo then became part of independent Mexico, and soon after, part of the United States (Tucson: A short history. 1986).
Present day Tucson is a small vibrant city-town rich in contrasts where shopping malls, a multitude of restaurants, bars and lounges can be found. The city is on the “U.S. creative city of gastronomy” list. The main campus of the Arizona State university is located there, along with golf courses and multimillion dollar homes overlooking the desert mountains in the Northeast area of the city. Its international Airport is at reach, and a number of nature-seeking options are close, including Mount Lemmon and the Sabino Canyon in the east, and the Saguaro National Park in the west. The city of Phoenix is located about two hours north, and the border with Mexico is a drive of about 1.5 hours south.
Since we mentioned the Saguaro National Park, I have to say that if you really want to experience the Sonoran Desert and its richness, this is a must-go stop. Head from Downtown Tucson to the Saguaro National Park Red Hills visitor center (a 30 min. drive). There, they offer exhibits, a continuous video presentation and a store, along with a beautiful site of the desert and the native Saguaro Cacti, which I learned, can store water for up to ten years and survive without any rain, produce sweet fruit, can live for hundreds of years and grow up to twelve meters! If you look around you will surely see wildlife around you, especially in the evening, when the sun sets lower, and temperatures cool down.
While hiking the desert there, I experienced a fabulous sunset. The local Native Americans believe that the Saguaro represent people. I can assure you that the plants become very alive during sunset, where hundreds or even thousands of them populate the colored horizon as far as the eye can see. You got to go see it to believe it .!
References:
-Southwestern Mission Research Center. Tucson: A short history. 1986.
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