Saguaro National Park presents a typical Western landscape
This is the first part of our trip report, click here for the second part.
From late April to early May, 2022, just before flying back to France, we spent a few days touring the American Southwest. We rented a car in Phoenix on April 28 and returned it to the same location on May 5; between those two dates, we explored parts of Arizona and New Mexico.
We spent the night in Tucson, and on April 29, after picking up Eric and Steph at the airport, we visited the Tucson Mountain District portion of the Saguaro National Park that preserves the landscape, fauna, and flora of the Sonoran Desert. Walking on those trails, surrounded by literally thousands of Saguaros, I felt I should be on horseback and part of a movie about the Wild West.
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Saguaro National Park presents a typical Western landscape |
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At the entrance, a sign warns visitors to look out for rattlesnakes |
The trails are easy |
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Desert landscape |
Heading to the Valley View Overlook |
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There are a few steps |
Cactus flower |
A Saguaro cactus closeup... |
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...and another one. |
Saguaros can grow over 40 feet (12 meters) tall |
Near Valley View Overlook |
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The vista from Valley View Overlook |
There aree other species of cacti, too |
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The saguaro blossom is the state wildflower of Arizona |
A last look at this typical landscape |
In the early evening, we set out for Las Cruces in New Mexico, some 274 miles (438 kilometers) from Tucson. We arrived very late because while Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time, New Mexico does, so we had to set our watches an hour ahead when we got there.
White Sands National Park looks surreal: the gypsum crystals that make up the dunes give them the appearance of snowy ski slopes, but we really are in a desert. People can and do climb the dunes, and some use makeshift (or real) sleds to slide down. Just being there was eerily disconcerting. I recall having had similar feelings the first time I saw a black sand beach in Hawaii back in 1980: you look at the scene and something doesn't feel quite right. Be that as it may, the landscapes are as beautiful as they are unusual.
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The white sand dunes look very much like snowy slopes |
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The white sand requires a similar exposure adjustment... |
...as taking pictures in the snow (here, overexpose by 1 stop). |
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Climbing one of the dunes |
Some vegetation manages to push through the sand |
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Long stalks prevent being covered by the dunes |
A walkway facilitates exploring the dunes |
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In large numbers, low plants like these... |
...create eerie and otherworldly landscapes. |
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We only saw very few flowers... |
...but quite a bit of dead wood. |
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All in all, it makes for a rather desolate landscape |
A quick stop in Encino on the way to Santa Fe |
We arrived in Santa Fe just in time to take a quick photo of a beautiful sunset. We really enjoyed this town with its many shops (some more authentic than others), interesting architecture, and extensive history. For example, Santa Fe is home to the oldest church structure in the United States, built round 1610, ten years before the arrival of the Mayflower in the New World. Much more recently, 109 East Palace was the Santa Fe address all scientists working on the Manhattan Project were brought to; their final destination, Los Alamos, was such a tightly guarded secret that they could not be told about it. Today, a plaque reminds visitors of the significance of the address.
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Shops along West Plaza Avenue, bordering Santa Fe Plaza |
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The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi |
Another view of the Cathedral Basilica |
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The Pioneer Monument in Cathedral Park |
The bandstand on Santa Fer Plaza |
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At the northeast corner of Santa Fe Plaza |
Building on Old Santa Fe Trail |
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The Capricho boutique sells women's clothing and accessories |
Further south on Old Santa Fe Trail |
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The San Miguel chapel |
Shops along East Plaza Avenue |
Walkway around an interior courtyard |
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Pasqual's Cafe and Gallery |
Reflections in a shop window |
The Loretto Chapel |
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Relaxing in Cathedral Park |
The Santa Fe Public Library |
Strolling along West San Francisco Street |
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The Lensic Performing Arts Center |
The Original Trading Post⸺since 1603 |
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Restaurant on Washington Avenue |
Street musicians busking by Santa Fe Plaza |
This is the first part of our trip report, click here or the second part
The photos on this page were taken from April 29 through May 1, 2022.
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