Southwest National Parks Provide Surprise and Fun During COVID Travels

It was a cold day in late January as we started our journey from home in Central Illinois to our February Airbnb In Morro Bay, California. Our journey took us through several states and many unique landscapes and ecosystems. Along the way we visited four of our nations finest national park sites. 

Our first was White Sands National Park in New Mexico. It was an unplanned stop, but as is usually the case, a wonderful surprise addition to our trip. Tucked within military mission training sites, this park is a stark landscape of deep white gypsum sands. The overcast cool day, dark rain clouds, and white drifts gave the impression that we were in the Arctic, not a desert. Dotted among the crystal white sand dunes are some of the hardiest plants. Similar to arctic plants, the plants here are adapted to the harshest of conditions: dry, hot, cold, infertile, and wind blown. Yet, the soaptree yucca, rubber rabbit brush, cholla, and little bluestem grass thrive and add graceful green to the vast whiteness. I climbed the dunes to see the views, then sledded back down with screams and giggles of delight. Wow, that was fun! 

The next day found us in Tucson where we visited Saguaro National Park East. We had visited the western part of the park in 2014 while there attending a Garden Writers Association meeting. The eastern portion had less saguaros overall, but I liked it better in many ways. The hard paved road around the park took us through hills and valleys full of desert plants unique to this area. Giant saguaro stood tall among prickly pear, cholla, acacia, barrel cactus, mesquite shrubs, and more. On the Mica trail we walked among the desert plants while viewing the snow capped Mica mountains in the distance. 

We left there and headed toward our next stop in Blythe, CA. On the way, we decided to make another unplanned stop - this time at the nations oldest preserved archaeology site. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument preserves an ancient cultural site of irrigation farmers who grew corn, cotton, prickly pear, squash, and more. Completed about 1350, this central walled compound contained a four-story house, ball court, mounds, and networks of irrigation canals. 

Our final park stop before reaching our February home was Joshua Tree National Park. As we moved through the cholla teddy bear cactus garden, giant smooth boulders, Joshua Trees, and Hidden Valley, this park quickly moved to our top ten favorite places. The teddy bear cacti’s deceptive furry looking spines glowed in the morning sun. Ocatillo cactus started to come alive following the recent rare snow event, sending out red spikes and small leaves along their long, spiky stems. Small and large Joshua trees dotted the expansive Mojave desert with shaggy trunks and spiky leaves. As we climbed up and down and around the hidden valley nature trail, the plants put on a show of various colors and shapes, where pinyon pines, oaks, and junipers joined the cacti and succulents. 

Five days and 2400 miles later we arrived to a brilliant orange and yellow sunset ocean view from the picture windows in our temporary Morro Bay home. After a 10 day quarantine, we hiked, biked, and kayaked natural areas all around Morro Bay (see other blogs about our adventures). 

We added one more National park visit on our way home in March at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. After a short look around the visitor center (surprisingly open during COVID), we hiked the large log trail. The massive petrified tropical trees were fascinating. So many colors in the logs from minerals during the petrification process. We were short on time so drove through the rest of the park, only stopping briefly at the other end to see the picturesque desert view. It is truly a painted desert with layers of colors in the rocks, very few trees, and only a few shrubs scattered across the wide desert. We need to go back and explore this park more. 

Our National Parks are truly unique and astonishing, each in their own way. I can’t wait to visit more parks this year. We have camping reservations for Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and Rocky Mountain National Park this fall.