Tucson, AZ

Leaving San Diego, we headed across the southern border of California towards Tucson, where we would stay with Ali - another MV alum - before heading north toward the Grand Canyon and Utah. Along this drive, the desert changed: out of the barren Mojave, we were now in the Sonoran Desert, with thick brush and the iconic Saguaro cacti. During most of our drive, the temperature was 110 F. The desert scenery, punctuated by red rock mountains, was neat, and very much the classic image of the Southwestern desert.

We paralleled the Mexican border for a short time on the way. Although we didn't get close, the fence must be pretty huge considering how big it looked from the highway...

Looking over the black fence to Mexico

After catching up with Ali Monday evening, we visited the Desert Museum just outside the city on Tuesday. I really enjoyed going there; as I've mentioned, the desert seems so foreign, so I jumped at the opportunity to learn more about it.

In addition to the exhibits, the outdoor walk-thru portion contained many cool cacti species, including the famous Saguaro:

and more odd cacti, like the teddy-bear cactus, named for its deceptively cuddly appearance.  

At the end of the day, we biked across the city to meet two of Ali's friends and to watch the sun set from their rooftop. It was very good, and different from the Pacific Ocean sunset from only two days before.

Tucson was a great stop on the trip: in sharp contrast to many big, bustling cities, this dot-in-the-desert place was funky and different. There are strong activist and aging hippie cultures, which help keep Tucson weird. I don't imagine moving to the desert anytime soon - but I am glad to have been there to see what it's all about.