Saguaro National Park

We headed down to Saguaro National Park on Matthew's birthday. Matthew was excited to go as his teacher had shown his call some pictures of the park and told them it was what Arizona used to look like before so many people lived here. We went to the Tucson Mountain District of the park. We listened to a presentation on the life-cycle of the saguaro which was fascinating.

View of some of the many saguaro.

This saguaro looked like it was dancing or trying to hug someone.

Matthew and Megan receiving their junior ranger badge.

More saguaro.

Matthew and Megan

U and Me

Tall saguaro

Young saguaro. The plants they grow under are called nurse plants.

The saguaro may be crested (it was a bit hard to tell from far away even with the zoom).

There were many petroglyphs at Signal Hill.

Dad and Me

A crested saguaro

It looks like the saguaros are marching up the hill.

View from the top of the hill.

Grandpa, Matthew, Sarah, Me, Megan, Grandma

U, Grandpa, Sarah, Matthew, Me, Megan, Grandma

After visiting the park, we went by the Tucson Temple and by Grandma's old home.

The house Grandma lived in when she graduated from high school. Her mom bought one of the saguaros in the front yard and had it planted (we think it's the one on the left). She said it was such a cute little saguaro and it was just getting its first arm. It's not so little anymore! (As a side note, since saguaros get their first arm around age 50, it wasn't so young at the time either.)

We enjoyed our time at Saguaro National Park and will definitely go back again!