January 2nd through 8th, 2022
We'd been in Tucson for a few weeks, and we did and saw some amazing things -- see Part 1 and Part 2 for those photos and videos. Toni and Sue were staying just south of Tucson, and we spent time with them in our last week in the area. We also found time to see dad and Linda before heading out.
We started the year off right with a trip to the Agua Caliente Park. It's an amazing place, an oasis in the desert. There are palm trees, ponds, and lovely walking trails with the mountains in view. The dogs loved it, too. It was a great time.
We had to visit Saguaro National Park, of course. Though we'd seen plenty of Saguaro cacti in and around Tucson, we had to add the park to our passport book. We've been having a good time seeking out national parks so we can get stamps and stickers, adding them to our book and learning new things. Saguaro National Park is a bit different, because there is basically just a visitor center at the two locations surrounded by hiking trails. We bought a bunch of stuff at the gift shop, took a couple pictures, and then headed off to the next adventure.
Luckily, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is right down the road from the Saguaro National Park Visitor Center, so it was possible to do them both in one day. We had already visited the museum a few weeks before, but we didn't get to see everything. On our next trip to Tucson, we'll buy an annual pass so we can go back multiple times. The walking paths, animals, and desert plans are all very cool. This is definitely one of our favorite places.
We also had already gone to Patagonia Lake State Park, but we forgot the 360-degree camera that time. Margot, Sue, and Toni went back to the lake, remembering the camera. It was a fantastic day, and we really enjoyed the water. It's a small lake in the middle of nowhere, but it's gorgeous.
We were able to spend our last night with Sue and Toni, and we visited a cool spot in downtown Tucson. Live music, good food, and great times with friends. We left Tucson in the morning, and we couldn't wait to come back. Arizona is pretty awesome.
