October 25th - Tucson AZ

Today we took a drive through Tucson Mountain Park and Gates Pass.  Quite green for the desert.  I still don't know how the coyotes and other animals manage to move through the cholla and cacti.

 Ironwood tree

Prickly Pear cacti, Cholla, and Palo Verde trees

Gates Pass view

We had our first group meeting going over the route to La Penita, stops along the way, dos and don'ts,

and heard many stories of events of the past 22 years of trips down with the wagon train sometimes as many vehicles as 30 and this time only 5.  Although they have had "adventures" such as trailers falling off, fifth wheel hitches collapsing, a few strays, etc they have all turned out fine in the end.  We are a motley mix of Class A's, a truck pulling a trailer, a fifth wheel, our hosts huge 46 ft bluebird diesel pusher pulling a full size 3/4 ton van and us.  At least we can go anywhere that bluebird can go.