Saguaro National Park
Giant Cacti, The Thing, & the World’s Largest Pistachio
“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.”
Entrance to Saguaro National Park
If you spend much time traveling, you’re going to encounter delays and challenges. You must be prepared to make the most of these setbacks. For us, that challenge was an unforeseen problem at our hotel in San Diego which delayed our start by several hours. As a result, we arrived in Tucson, AZ well after dark. We decided to hit the reset button and just settled into our hotel for some much-needed sleep. Well rested, and in a much better frame of mind, we set out the next morning for Saguaro National Park and a few other silly stops en route to our next destination.
Saguaro National Park
Tucson, AZ is home to the largest cacti in the United States. The only place in the whole world where these giants thrive is in the Sonoran Desert. Our first stop of the day was the Visitor’s Center of Saguaro National Park to learn more. We love it when we have an opportunity to visit one of the many beautiful national parks our country has to offer.
While planning for our “Big Trip” and establishing the itinerary, Kevin had each of us make a list of the 3 things we most wanted to see along the way. He had already seen one of his top picks while visiting Moab, UT. The giant saguaro cactus was one of Ellie’s top 3. Having only seen them in movies and cartoons, she was super excited to finally view them in person. Any time she talked about them she would throw her arms up looking like a football official giving a lopsided signal for a touchdown to imitate the iconic cactus shape. Even years later, this is the way we visually represent this stop on our journey.
We learned that it takes more than 75 years for these cacti to sprout a single arm and much longer for that arm to extend upward. So the saguaro cacti, with multiple appendages, that you’ve seen in photos are at least 100 years old. They can live to be about 200 years and, by then, can be over 50 feet tall and weigh over 16,000 pounds! The tallest saguaro ever recorded reached a height of 78 feet! This information gave us a much greater appreciation for these monstrous plants as we continued our journey through the desert.
Click on photo to enlarge and see descriptions.
While at the Visitor’s Center, we saw several lizards, learned about other species of cacti, and took lots of pictures. We learned that the park is home to many different species of animals. Mammals found in the park include jack rabbits, bears, and bobcats. Many species of birds, from the tiny Anna’s Hummingbird and Elf Owl to the large and majestic Red-Tailed Hawk, make their home in the park. Saguaro National Park is also home to 5 different species of rattlesnakes, along with many other types of snakes and reptiles. At one point, I spotted a particularly large cactus across the parking lot. I walked over to take a picture and heard an ominous noise - I’m not sure if it was a rattlesnake but I wasn't sticking around to find out!
If we’d had more time, there were other things we could have explored inside the park. There are a multitude of short hikes to take and campsites are available year-round on a first-come first-served basis. For the little ones, there is a Junior Ranger program where kids can earn their own official park badge. Our time was running short, though. Sophie had already burned her hand on a hot metal monument sign and announced loudly: “my leg needs some food.” So, we tucked back into the minivan for a snack and the drive to our next destination.
The Thing
By mid-afternoon, we arrived at the exit for The Thing. This roadside stop is a tourist trap, located along Interstate 10 between Tucson, AZ and El Paso, TX. We’d been seeing it advertised on billboards for over 100 miles and our curiosity got the better of us. Knowing we needed time to stretch our legs and take a break, we made the stop and wandered inside. It was a typical kitschy shop with a hodgepodge of trinkets and southwestern merchandise for sale.
The main attraction, The Thing, has been on display since 1950, and in its current location since 1965. We paid our admission and made our way back to the dusty old museum. I won’t reveal here what The Thing is; you’ll just have to experience it for yourself. We found it to be a bit creepy, but we’re glad we decided to make the stop. We all had some good laughs, and we still talk about it years later.
After our tour, we found ourselves back in the gift shop. Rachel was fortunate to finally find a lucky rabbit’s foot, which she’d been trying to find since our entire trip started. (We were shocked that we couldn’t even find one for her while we were in Las Vegas.) Ellie also purchased a pair of socks that became one of her favorites and served as a wonderful reminder of this stop on our journey.
While we were there, the place felt a bit run-down and in need of a refresh. We’ve learned that the location has undergone some major renovations in the past few years. The store was doubled in size and a new museum was constructed. I’m sure this has helped make it even more popular. Regardless of the renovations, you’ll appreciate the opportunity to stretch your legs and grab a treat at the attached Dairy Queen. It is definitely worth the pause in your travels, even if you’re not particularly curious enough to pay for the main attraction.
World’s Largest Pistachio
Our final pit stop for the day was to see the World’s Largest Pistachio in North Alamogordo, NM. By the time we arrived, the gates were closed, but we didn’t let that stop us! We hopped out of the mini-van, grabbed a couple of family selfies, and added this one to our bucket list for the next time we pass this way. The giant pistachio (or as Sophie pronounced it: “spitstashio”) actually sits inside the gates of PistachioLand. It is home to McGinn’s Pistachio Tree Ranch and the Arena Blanca Winery. During your visit, you can take a tour of the farm and try some free samples of pistachios and farm made candies and wines. You can even visit the ice cream shop for some homemade hand-dipped ice cream.
Takeaway
We enjoyed this travel day immensely. These stops combined to make what could have been just another boring and long travel day into a truly fun adventure, filled with learning and long-lasting memories. Saguaro National Park has a wonderful Visitor’s Center where you are sure to learn so much about the plants and wildlife that live there. We highly encourage you to visit any national park that you find yourselves passing along your journeys. We even suggest that you make time for some silly roadside stops along the way. You’ll be surprised how much laughing and experiencing unexpected things together will have you looking back fondly for many years to come. With a really fun travel day drawing to a close, we pointed the van toward Roswell, NM and the next leg of our journey.
What’s the silliest place you’ve ever stopped on a family vacation? Do you still find yourself looking back on it and enjoying the memory?
