{"id":5614,"date":"2022-08-26T09:15:29","date_gmt":"2022-08-26T16:15:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/janetalcorn.com\/staging\/1364\/?p=5614"},"modified":"2022-08-26T09:15:32","modified_gmt":"2022-08-26T16:15:32","slug":"saguaro-national-park-east-during-a-wet-monsoon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/janetalcorn.com\/staging\/1364\/2022\/08\/26\/saguaro-national-park-east-during-a-wet-monsoon\/","title":{"rendered":"Saguaro National Park East during a wet monsoon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A couple of weeks ago<\/a>, I mentioned that we’ve had lots of rain, and the mountains are greening up. Well, we’ve had more rain, and the mountains are even greener, and Long-Suffering Husband and I finally made time to get out and enjoy them. And you, lucky reader, get to tag along. But first: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share<\/a>, hosted by Natalie the Explorer<\/a>. Lace up your hiking boots and grab your water bottle–we’re going to do some Sonoran Desert hiking!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Wet desert = beautiful desert<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the best things about living in Tucson is all the outdoor recreation. We have so many places to go hiking, biking, and nature-watching. One of my favorite places to get out in the desert is Saguaro National Park<\/a>. It has 2 units, one about half an hour west of me and the other about half an hour east. Both are wonderful. Last week we spent a lovely, cloudy morning in the east unit taking the Cactus Forest Drive and hiking at Javelina Rocks and the Freeman Homestead Trail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you visit the park website linked above, you can see pictures of how the park usually looks. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t look that way now. Now, thanks to lots of monsoon rains, it looks green and lush: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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View from Cactus Forest Drive with Santa Catalina Mountains in background<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My husband describes cactus as, “land coral,” and he’s right. The picture above reminds me of the shapes and textures of a coral reef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Desert planting beds outside the Visitor Center<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I took this picture to inspire me as I start working on our front yard garden this fall. I love the variety of layers and textures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Javelina Rocks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of my favorite sites in Saguaro East is Javelina Rocks. It’s accessible from Cactus Forest Drive and features interesting rock formations, amazing views, short trails, and opportunities to climb around and explore. A short article from Tucson.com<\/a> has more information about the site, including pictures of what it looks like most of the year. Here’s what it looks like now: <\/p>\n\n\n\n