Palo Verde flower
“WOW!” was the first word that came out of my mouth as we approached Tucson on I-10 from the east. We were looking at a sea of yellow as the Palo Verde blooms had virtually exploded! This was our “nth” visit here, the unofficial home base where we’d spent several winters and one long hot summer. During most of those visits we’d seen a lot of brown and dark olive colors, and some uniformly lush green. But this time it was yellow all around!
The Sonoran Desert in springtime, after an unusually wet winter
The weather Gods were finally with us during our two-week May visit, the coolest in more than 40 years according to the National Weather Service. The locals also confirmed the desert would be more colorful longer this year, and they couldn’t remember a more intense and widespread Palo Verde bloom. It looked like our timing was good!
The Palo Verde is Arizona’s state tree
Palo Verde is Spanish for “green stick”
Our priority on this visit was doctor appointments, everything from cancer follow-ups to eye and dental inspections. Fortunately we both continue to have eyes and teeth, and no cancer!
While driving around we couldn’t help but notice the vibrant colors along every road, hillside, wash and just about everywhere else:
We managed to hike two trails: the Cactus Forest Trail at Saguaro National Park-east and the Douglas Spring Trail at a nearby city park. During both outings we were awestruck by how lush, colorful and vibrant the desert was:
A Cholla cactus bloom brought red highlights to the landscape
The desert was awash with yellow and splashed with red from Ocotillo blooms. Hints of pink to light yellow from Prickly Pear flowers, and deep red or bright yellow Cholla blooms added to the mix:
Red Ocotillo blooms added brilliance to the scenery
The usually drab Chollas and Prickly Pears were bursting with color:
Not to be outdone, the stately Saguaros were sporting green crowns on their heads, bulbous nubs blooming into beautiful flowers. They usually start to wake up in mid-May, but a large number were already showing off their milky white blooms that are Arizona’s state’s flower:
A single Saguaro can produce as many as 100 flowers in a season, with each lasting only one day. They usually open at night and close soon after the sun starts to beat on them:
This Sonoran Desert beauty was sporting white headdresses
All doctors gave us two thumbs up, with extra happiness about two years cancer-free for Steve. Even Betsy got a full bath to remove filth carried many miles from Texas. A great visit all around!
Oh, Steve (a habit copied from one of our fellow RVers, you know who you are!) 🙂
Wickenburg, Arizona
We moved on to Wickenburg, 60 miles northwest of Phoenix, to explore it as a possible place to settle down one day. We placed it near the top of our list after driving around, hiking, talking to locals and looking into real estate prices. It met most of our requirements and we intend to come back to take another look later this year.
We consulted several pioneers who were milling around downtown. They seemed to be frozen in time, but each had a story to tell via audio stations:
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- A miner leads his donkey, depicting early mining activity
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- I talked with a cowboy and a dancer about social activities here
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- Even a chained felon had something to say
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- Serenaded by a vaquero
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- Mrs. Smith welcomed us to a local hotel
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- A schoolteacher from the early 1900’s
With the Sonoran Desert as a backdrop, the surrounding mountains keep residents close to nature with access to numerous hiking trails. We tackled two of them during our stay; Vulture Peak and Sophies Flat.
At an elevation of 3,660′, Vulture Peak is the highest point in the Vulture Mountains
We had hiked Vulture Peak in 2015, but Steve wanted to give it another try. It’s only four miles out and back, but the last half going up is a strenuous climb up a steep hillside on loose rocks. We ran into a terrible gnat invasion this time which pretty much spoiled the hike, but Steve was happy that he made it without the exhaustion he experienced the first time around.
Dozens of gnats seemed to like our hiking pants
Assessing the challenge ahead
Scrambling through a rocky gully
Made it to the saddle!
He attempted the summit, but a rock wall and no available ropes stopped him 😦
The view from the mountain’s saddle is worth some scrambling
Sophies Flat Trail was a fairly easy 7-mile trek through washes, over hills and around Red Top Peak. It was another scenic desert hike with yellow remaining the dominant color:
Soap Yuccas were in bloom too
Wickenburg in the distance
The Teddy Bear Cholla blooms were waning
Barrel Cactus showed some buds
Our lucky day, we spotted not one but two venomous Gila Monsters along the trail. One of them hissed at me!
The Palo Verde put on a spectacular show, turning the desert a gorgeous yellow-gold. We were delighted to be here during a special spring brought on by the unseasonably cold and wet winter that several of our RV friends had endured. Simply breathtaking!
Next up: Summer plans revealed, more hikes and meet-ups with friends!
