After a week at a resort, we were delighted to arrive at Catalina State Park. This beautiful park is located at the base of the Santa Catalina mountains. We could see snow on the mountain peaks, especially Mount Lemmon which was closed several times during our stay because of heavy snowfall.
The campground is full of burrows dug by round tailed ground squirrels. These cute little guys pop out of their burrows, look around, grab a few bites of food, and disappear at the slightest provocation. Bob saw a hawk swoop in at high speed and snatch one. There’s a resident coyote who prowls the grounds hoping for a tasty morsel. Add to these the woodpeckers, cactus wrens, and a few hummingbirds, and one can easily spend several hours just watching the wildlife.
Deb saw a roadrunner vs poodle standoff. The roadrunner was eating seeds at a site. The poodle was leashed outside. The poodle chased the roadrunner to the end of his leash. The roadrunner stopped, just out of reach, and squawked at the poodle. The poodle was terrorized! The roadrunner then sauntered back to his breakfast. Unfortunately we couldn’t get a photo of roadrunner with breakfast, so here’s Elmo with breakfast!
The park has several trails, but most cross a wash that was running with lots of water due to several heavy rainstorms. One, the nature trail, is located above the wash, with beautiful views of the desert and the mountains.
At the end of our stay, we walked the Romero Ruins trail which had the remains of a Hohokam village.
Of course, we saw lots of saguaros, some normal looking, some not so much.
Old Tucson
Old Tucson is a movie set that was used in many westerns such as Rio Bravo, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean and Three Amigos and television shows including Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie, The Wild, Wild West, The Big Valley and High Chaparral. Many buildings were constructed, some wood and some adobe brick. These include a saloon, a one room schoolhouse, a mission, some boarding houses, a Chinese alley, and the High Chaparral Ranch. We walked around with a guide who pointed out locations used for particular movies. Today, it is mostly a tourist attraction. We saw dancing girls in the saloon and a shootout in front of the mission. A small museum has props and clothing from various shows.
Tohono Chul
This park began when a couple bought some land, moved into the house on the property, and started a garden. The garden grew larger, they opened it to the public, and eventually it became a nonprofit. In addition to the gardens, there is an art gallery on the premises. We saw a special exhibit of very elaborate bolo ties and some interesting art pieces. Several art pieces are scattered throughout the gardens.
Biosphere 2
Biosphere 2 started as a private project to develop a closed ecological system, with 3.14 acres under glass and a stainless steel liner at the bottom. There are several different environments including ocean, rainforest, and desert. Two “missions” took place with people sealed inside for extended time periods while growing their own food and maintaining the ecosystems.
Our favorite spot on the tour was inside a “lung”. Because Biosphere 2 was sealed, the designers had to provide for expansion and contraction of air volume caused by temperature changes. They built two half domes. Inside each is a flexible membrane that moves toward the top of the dome when it’s warmer and toward the floor when the air cools. This prevents exploding or imploding windows.
The facility is now an earth science research lab for the University of Arizona, and it is no longer sealed. The university gives tours which explain the history, systems, and ongoing research.