Saguaro NP is home to 25 different species of cactus. The ones we noticed most were
of course the saguaro (sah-wah-roe), the teddybear chollo, prickly pear, and chainfruit cholla.
We thought the saguaros look like people. Here's Asher doing his best impression of this one.
The cacti are so thick trails narrow in parts that it made me nervous having the kids hiking so close to them. I stepped backwards into a barrel cactus a couple years ago and it just recently stopped hurting, so I'm especially careful with the kids around them. Fortunately we had no issues.
Overlooking the Sonoran Desert
We found a few of these saguaro "skeletons" which look pretty cool. The rangers told us
these are very valuable and they sometimes catch people trying to smuggle them out of the park.
these are very valuable and they sometimes catch people trying to smuggle them out of the park.
Saguaro grow at different rates depending on the climate and precipitation. Here they begin growing flowers after around 35 years and it takes about 50-70 years for them to start growing "arms. They are considered an adult at 125 years and will continue growing up to 50 feet tall and weighing over 6 tons! This one that Asher is checking out is probably well over 125 years old!
We found a few bird nests built among the cacti and were excited to find four little blue eggs in one.
To cool them off, Daddy put water in their hats. They thought this was great fun.
Feeling refreshed, apparently it was time for Journey to dance it out down the trail.
Once we made it back to the truck it was time to break out a watermelon for snack.
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