Tucson, AZ - In the Wash

Nice campground here but this is not our first time here. We stayed here back in 2010 - was that really 7 years ago? Oh, my how time flies. On one side of the campground is a large wash - a block wide sometimes. On the other side is a nice bike trail which extends for miles. Perfect place for an afternoon walk. But to get there we’ve got to cross the wash. Well, hey, it’s just sand and bushes, right? Maybe a rabbit or a lizard. Sometimes.

First you’ve got to have the right kind of shoes. Wash shoes. Not your mall shoes, not your beach sandals. Your wash sloggers.

And, here we go.

Bike trail on the right and our campground on the left.

One day we were walking the trail and saw a coyote run across the trail and head down into the wash. Followed by another. And followed by a third. Big healthy coyotes. Well-fed coyotes. At night we hear some awful screeching. High pitched wails - lots of them in chorus for about a minute or so. Yep, the coyotes. And, I have the feeling that one of those high pitched wails is a small animal in trouble.

Then we saw this one day. It had been in the parking lot but a group of 4 guys had used a fishing pole to bring it over to the wash and dump it. 5’ long at least. The temps have been up in the low to mid 90’s for the last week and not only are the lizards out but the snakes also.

On the other hand we see cute critters like this skittle across the trail too.

The trail itself is a real work of art and is lined with donated trees and bushes. This project started about 5 years ago and is still growing. The trail was divided into several sections: one of them is the Garden of the Masks, one is the Garden of the Families, one the Garden of the Flute Players. There are 7 gardens for the 7 ancient signs.

And, then the park has sold trees to be planted as a commemorative tree for someone who has passed or someone who is alive and being honored. “It’s very unique,” said Glenna Overstreet, administrator with Tucson Parks and Recreation. “The petroglyphs serve as the symbol for each garden, and every tree is a commemorative tree for someone who has passed or someone who is alive and being honored.” So far there are 355 trees and they plan to plant 570 in all.

Each garden has a large sign listing the names of those who have donated a tree and their memorial.

And, then as you walk the trail, you can see each of these memorials. Some are quite elaborate.

Here’s one that was just decorated for St. Patrick’s Day.

This person loved Dale Earnhardt, the University of Arizona, John Deere and lighthouses.

This is a person after my own heart.

There are other works of art along the trail too. Here’s a Bat on a Bike.

And, a bunny with a friend.

Then to get back into the campground, you have to know the correct code. Unfortunately, the gate lock crashed, that orange lock was around it and we had to leave the park a new way and return the new way for a few days.

Here’s our RV in our spot. We love the rocks which keep the dirt at bay.

“42.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.’
                        Anonymous