Day 12: Made some miles across Arizona on I-10, I-8, and I-10 again. Pretty deserts. Gorgeous views in Saguaro National Park. Lunch at Gila Bend has a mixed review; my hopes were too high.
--Click to Enlarge--

The pool may have been drained, but the classic motel architecture and California landscaping manage to amuse me on our final stop in California.
--Click to Enlarge--

Zoomed in selfie
--Click to Enlarge--

The breakfast is as uninspared as everything else in this Days Inn, with frozen waffles and weak coffee. So we pack up and as I take the all important multi-paned selfie, Karen fetches some coffee to hit the road at 9:20.
--Click to Enlarge--

As we zoom eastward along I-10, I start noticing saguaros. Sure, Karen tells me we'll see plety later. But my upbringing with Chuck Jones animation has given me a fondness for these elderly armed catci.
--Click to Enlarge--

I first found this place with a Google map search for espresso. No such thing in this town. Just a roadside diner with a theme. But an air conditioned place to sit for a while in the desert is welcome (local high temp today 97°) — at Best Western Space Age Lodge.
--Click to Enlarge--

I chose the Space Age Cafe from a Google search for restaurants along our route. Here in Gila Bend, I was hoping for some kitschy roadside ode to the cultural Space Age that followed on the heels of the Atomic Age when Sputnik sailed the sky and science became a national priority.The food turned out to be good. But the walls were painted painted with scenes from the ISS, and the gift shop was all about post X-Files era aliens.The plates and cups amused me, though.
--Click to Enlarge--

Layers of mountains past the scrub.
--Click to Enlarge--

I appreciate rest areas designed by someone with a snese of whimsy, a sense of appropriate siting.
--Click to Enlarge--

These accumulating swirls of clouds are promising. You'll see why in later pictures.
--Click to Enlarge--

Can anyone tell me for what purpose this weird maifold was built? I can say that it is on its way back from repairs; note the combination of aged and new pipes.
--Click to Enlarge--

One can better appreciate the immensity of our national infrastructure when seeing it at various stages. Here we travel under an expanse of wires that are probably heading off to power three separate cities.
--Click to Enlarge--

Lunch!
--Click to Enlarge--

I chose the Space Age Cafe from a Google search for restaurants along our route. Here in Gila Bend, I was hoping for some kitschy roadside ode to the cultural Space Age that followed on the heels of the Atomic Age when Sputnik sailed the sky and science became a national priority.
--Click to Enlarge--

Space Age Restaurant: The exterior looked quite promising. But apparently the tourist trade didn't inspire keeping the interior to the era promised by the outside. The curatorial effort was not made. The stage design has failed.But, it did have good southwestern diner food.
--Click to Enlarge--

Zipping past cholla. We must be gaining elevation.
--Click to Enlarge--

Tall cacti and rolling rocks as we get close to Saguaro National Park
--Click to Enlarge--

Arizona, land of cotton?
--Click to Enlarge--

Not sure whether to credit Arizona or the Tucson metropolitan area for these fun decorations
--Click to Enlarge--

Wouldn't think wading would be an issue here in the high desert.
--Click to Enlarge--

Maybe flash floods gave the road a name.
--Click to Enlarge--

Karen leading calisthentics?
--Click to Enlarge--

Remember that could swirl that I was so interested in? Now we see the fruits: Patchy light and intermediate vistas.
--Click to Enlarge--

Be glad that I am only sharing a fraction of the pix I took this day.
--Click to Enlarge--

Sentinels
--Click to Enlarge--

Note the beams of darkness in the sky
--Click to Enlarge--

Saguaro skeleton. Or maybe mummy is a better word.
--Click to Enlarge--

Karen bonding with a Saguaro — at Saguaro National Park.
--Click to Enlarge--

Because of my limited stamina, we did a couple of easier walks. And along these walks they have nicely designed rest areas.
--Click to Enlarge--

Karen grabbing some tail.
--Click to Enlarge--

Don't tread on me.
--Click to Enlarge--

There was rain yesterday, so a pond exists.
--Click to Enlarge--

I get to drive the winding dirt roads up to the less well traveled parts of the park.
--Click to Enlarge--

Karen clears a pebble from her shoe.
--Click to Enlarge--

At the top of the park, there are ancient petroglyphs. I am barely stong enough to climb the steep paths. This irks me, as I still think of myself as a kid. I.e: a young, goatish climber.My cycnical suspicion is that the long dirt road and steep paths are to discourage the loutish and lazy folks who may be more likely to vandalize such acessible aritfacts.
--Click to Enlarge--

A wide view of the park from up by the petroglyphs.
--Click to Enlarge--

As I said, partly cloudy can make for dramatic lighting.
--Click to Enlarge--

Sagruaro drama
--Click to Enlarge--

We spent much of the day in Saguaro National Park just west of Tucson. So many appendages! A true forest of saguaros.A patchy cloud bank parked over us while we were there, creating some really cool lighting effects.I got to do some dirt road driving up to some ancient petroglyphs. For me the hard part was climbing the trails. But I am getting stronger; I refused to rest on a bench when Karen got a bit worried about me.I got to drive the winding mountain road through Gates Pass after we stood up there watching the shadow cross Tucson.
--Click to Enlarge--

Spouse presented for scale
--Click to Enlarge--

Layers of mountains and fields of cacti at Saguaro National Park.
--Click to Enlarge--

Layers of mountains, scrub and younger saguaros — at Saguaro National Park.
--Click to Enlarge--

As I said, partly cloudy can make for dramatic lighting. — at Saguaro National Park.
--Click to Enlarge--

So many cacti, glowing brightly against the dark mountains at Saguaro National Park.
--Click to Enlarge--

So pretty here.
--Click to Enlarge--

Heading around the corner toward the exit as the sun gets low.
--Click to Enlarge--

Shadows of peaks on peaks as we get up to Gates Pass.
--Click to Enlarge--

That light patch way down there in the valley, in our shadow, is Tucson.
--Click to Enlarge--

We found a motel, the Tucson Riverpark Inn, right by the interstate.
--Click to Enlarge--

Ending the day in the Tucson Riverpark Inn. A convention hotel a bit fancier and pricier than our preference. But not out of our price range, like some stays in the north of this state last week.
--Click to Enlarge--