If the Grand Canyon was our favorite stop, this couple of days was the best time we had on our trip. This was due mostly to the fact that we got to spend a couple of days with Zac, Teresa, and their boys. On June 25, 2022, we headed south on I-17 from the Grand Canyon and made a pit-stop in Phoenix. We were excited to share our desert home with Jack, who was born there. The thing is, after more than a decade, not much was familiar to us! We made stops at Greenspointe (our old apartment), REI (walking distance from our apartment), and, of course, Ironwood Elementary. Thankfully, these places were fondly familiar and we were able to bore Jack with lots of little memories.
We were anxious to get into Tucson and see our friends! We arrived at Gilbert Ray Campground around 5:30, quickly set up (we’d gotten really good at this), and then met the Chapmans at In and Out for dinner. It was great to catch up – and we got to meet Oliver and Andy for the first time! We made plans to meet at Saguaro National Park in the morning. It was dark when we returned to the campground, but I have to take a minute and mention just how beautiful this spot was. With the landscape of Brown Mountain behind us, we were surrounded by saguaro and other desert wildlife. There were multiple trails within the campground to explore. We did not have the chance to explore, but could have easily filled a few more days here.
Saguaro National Park was just on the other side of Brown Mountain, and the drive itself was beautiful. We drove the Bajada Loop and took a short hike up Signal Hill. Here we saw lots of petroglyphs and a sea of saguaro cacti. There were many other trails and overlooks, as well as an entire other District of the park, at Rincon Mountain. After a short time, we decided to leave Saguaro National Park and head to the Sonoran Desert Museum, which we had driven past on our way. Zac and Teresa thought there would be lots for all of us to enjoy there.
The Sonoran Desert Museum was part botanical garden, part nature preserve, part zoo. We really enjoyed this place and spent a couple of hours there. We touched stingrays, saw many cactus varieties, and explored indoors and out. We were hot and tired by the time we left! We returned to the campground for the afternoon to relax and get ready to meet back up for dinner.
For dinner we went for good, authentic Mexican food at Guadalajara Grill. Later we hung out at Zac and Teresa’s house where we had cake, ice cream, and were entertained by Andy’s multitude of stuffed friends. Jack and Oliver went head to head playing Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl while Dave and I encouraged Andy maybe a little too much! We had such a great time, it was awesome to see friends and spend some time together.
