Hello from Arizona & New Mexico! We stopped in Quartzsite on our way to Tuscon to see what all the fuss was about (tons of Rvers go there to winter). Besides some pretty rocks we bought, it is lost on us what is so great about it. In contrast, once we got to Catalina State Park (by Tuscon) there is much to get excited about!
The campground (loop B) right in the park was so nice with spacious paved sites and terrific views. Also, they had 50 amp hook up and water which was a huge plus since it was over 100 degrees.
Right from the park you had multiple trails to pick from, including the Canyon Loop trail which was the one we hiked.Most of the cactus were no longer in bloom but we did catch the end of this one. I can only imagine how pretty it is when they are all in bloom. It's crazy with so little water they survive, including this little guy below. He blends in really well!
That was us before the hike...and this was after! 😎 It was hot out there.
The trails were all well marked, which was great because you wouldn't want to get lost out there!
It was a great trail with beautiful views. The highlight of our stop however was for me to get to catch up with customers of mine from Hathaway Lakes who had moved here a couple of years ago. Warms my heart to see Sheri & Ken doing so well!💗
Next a quick overnight in Deming, New Mexico at LesCombes Winery. Love our Harvest Host stops!🍷
On to White Sands National Park and a tourist stop at the World's largest pistachio. Dave enjoyed some homemade pistachio ice cream and the dark chocolate pistachio bark wasn't bad either!
The park is made up of over 275 miles of sugar white gypsum (yes, what drywall is made from!). While the sign still says National "Monument" it actually became a National Park in 2019.
The bottom of the "lake" where the gypsum is drying and will eventually be blown into sand as it breaks apart.
Amazing that these flowers can survive here with the dunes shifting all the time. The dunes can shift up to 35' in a year! Plants and animals adapt to the conditions though by changing their color or growing different root structures.
The road looked like we were driving in snow, but this kind of "snow" was way prettier! And then the sun started to set...and it got even prettier yet!
Loved this one of the sun on me and my "photographer's" shadow!
It kept getting more and more glorious. No matter which direction you looked it was just majestic. God is the best artist ever!
And what to do after an amazing day of hiking and a sunset? A picnic in the truck of course..."Cheers" and on to the next adventure!
3 comments:
It does kinda look like snow in the stand alone pictures but as soon as you see someone in shorts, nope not snow anymore. Brian
What beautiful pics! You both look fresh and fabulous! Loved seeing the sugar gypsum. Very interesting. So much to see in our beautiful country. What has been your favorite location?
So many of your pictures are “frame worthy” but it would be so hard to choose!!! God is an amazing artist! Enjoy your travels. Patti
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