If it's not going to snow this winter, there's no reason for us to put up with the cold. So we headed south for Arizona and the Sonoran Desert.
Saguaro National Park is named after the giant cactus that grows only in this desert. If you were to draw a picture of a cactus, that's the one you'd draw. You'd probably have arms on either side but most have no arms at all but are simply columns.
The desert and the saguaro (suh-wah-rho) cover most of southern Arizona and I was a little surprised with what we saw inside the national park. I expected thick forests of giant cacti but these weren't quite that. In fact, we saw individual specimens on Cactus Road in Scottsdale that simply dwarfed anything we saw in the park and while there were large groups, they seemed a little sparse.
Well, it turns out that there is an interesting explanation for this. When the park was designated a National Monument in 1933, there were, in fact, massive forests of giant saguaro. Photographs show the size and extent. But, almost immediately, a lingering freeze hit the area and the saguaro began to quickly die off. Then, for thirty years the area recovered only to be hit by another lingering freeze in 1962 with the same result. So, most of the saguaro here date only from the early sixties. The two districts were designated a National Park in 1994 and I really have to say that the timing of that really seems to be tempting fate.
We saw a small group of javalinas, those distant cousins of hogs and boars, rooting around outside the Visitors' Center. They are apparently quite common throughout the area. We didn't see much of anything else, but that may be best since the Sonoran Desert is home to some of the world's most infamous creatures including diamondback rattlesnakes, gila monsters, black widow spiders, coral snakes, scorpions and tarantulas. We stayed on the paved trails.
Taliesan West
We couldn't go to Arizona and not visit Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home. We toured Fallingwater while we were still dating forty-some years ago and have been Wright fans ever since, visiting many of his projects in northern and southern California.
His actual living quarters are really quite spartan and it's obvious that he lived for his work. Besides being his personal residence, Taliesan West was also a campus for his architectural school (he needed the money) and a laboratory for architectural experiments. The school is still in operation as an accredited institution and the results of some of the experiments, both successful and not, are quite evident on the site. His use of (perhaps invention of) hidden/recessed lighting is quite innovative and night tours are offered to see the full effect. However, his extensive use of redwood in this desert climate merely resulted in dry rot.
Spring Training
Things have changed a bit since the days when spring training actually took place in the spring. Now, of course, spring training is a winter event and the first day of spring means opening day is almost here.
The Cactus League has grown considerably and a number of teams have to share a ballpark. The Giants have their own in Scottsdale and that's where we headed. I thought tickets for good seats were a little over-priced and hard-to-get, but all was forgiven when we got to Scottsdale Stadium. The grass was green, the trees were in full bloom and the Giants and Rockies were going to play a baseball game.
The game itself was just an exhibition game, but that didn't keep us from rooting for a win. After trailing from the third pitch of the game, the Giants mounted a furious come-back in the bottom of the eighth to pull out a victory. Giants fans left happy and headed for the bars and restaurants of Old Town Scottsdale. It was great fun.
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