Day 26 - November 5, 2019
Today’s outing was the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
We went to the Visitor's Center and watched the film, looked at the exhibits and Bob even found packets of cactus and desert wild flower seeds. There was also a short nature trail around the center.
We continued South to the border crossing,
and then Bob wanted to take Wilbur and I on the Aho Mountain Drive (a 21 mile loop) to get a more up close and personal feel for the Sonoran Desert. I was not in favor of this idea! The temperature was "hot", the road was rough gravel and the sign said the maximum allowed vehicle length was 25 feet. Well that’s not a problem because Wilbur is only 24 1/2 feet, not including bikes! The sign also cautioned us about not talking to or otherwise confronting strangers because we were within walking distance of the border. It was also pointed out to me (Vana) that another option was going to the tribal casino we passed on the way into Why. Ok fine, options are limited, so let’s take the loop.
It was all up, down and all around!
The mountains all around this area are great!
They are volcanic so they stick up pointed and jagged, and they are covered with several different kinds of cactus. I was not excited about looking at more cactus since I could see them perfectly well from the highway. I didn't realize the wandering road went through the Aho Mountain range. So cool!
There is even a natural arch that I would have loved to hike to, had it not been 90 degrees and a border patrol truck parked at the trailhead.
It was worth the dirt, heat, 21 miles and a hour and a half, but who was counting.
With the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument explored we moved on to... exploring Ajo, Arizona. To get there we headed north through another border check point. These men and women look so young. I wonder if their mothers know they are out here?
Ajo is another open pit copper mining town that has had it's heart dug up and stacked in man-made mountains of tailings.
We went through the local historical society museum, housed in a mission that was built in the very early 1900s, that included local history as well as mining related exhibits.
I find these little towns so sad. The houses have no love. Well that's my opinion. They aren’t cleaned up, have no landscaping and many are simply boarded up and/or for sale. Even new houses are bare and vacant looking, but probably not.
Back to Why for the night. Don’t ask me why...
We went to the Visitor's Center and watched the film, looked at the exhibits and Bob even found packets of cactus and desert wild flower seeds. There was also a short nature trail around the center.
We continued South to the border crossing,
and then Bob wanted to take Wilbur and I on the Aho Mountain Drive (a 21 mile loop) to get a more up close and personal feel for the Sonoran Desert. I was not in favor of this idea! The temperature was "hot", the road was rough gravel and the sign said the maximum allowed vehicle length was 25 feet. Well that’s not a problem because Wilbur is only 24 1/2 feet, not including bikes! The sign also cautioned us about not talking to or otherwise confronting strangers because we were within walking distance of the border. It was also pointed out to me (Vana) that another option was going to the tribal casino we passed on the way into Why. Ok fine, options are limited, so let’s take the loop.
It was all up, down and all around!
The mountains all around this area are great!
They are volcanic so they stick up pointed and jagged, and they are covered with several different kinds of cactus. I was not excited about looking at more cactus since I could see them perfectly well from the highway. I didn't realize the wandering road went through the Aho Mountain range. So cool!
There is even a natural arch that I would have loved to hike to, had it not been 90 degrees and a border patrol truck parked at the trailhead.
It was worth the dirt, heat, 21 miles and a hour and a half, but who was counting.
With the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument explored we moved on to... exploring Ajo, Arizona. To get there we headed north through another border check point. These men and women look so young. I wonder if their mothers know they are out here?
Ajo is another open pit copper mining town that has had it's heart dug up and stacked in man-made mountains of tailings.
We went through the local historical society museum, housed in a mission that was built in the very early 1900s, that included local history as well as mining related exhibits.
I find these little towns so sad. The houses have no love. Well that's my opinion. They aren’t cleaned up, have no landscaping and many are simply boarded up and/or for sale. Even new houses are bare and vacant looking, but probably not.
Back to Why for the night. Don’t ask me why...
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