Mileage: 59,235 Twin Peaks Campground Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Ajo, Arizona
Our day started early. We were at Camping World before they opened at 8:00 am. We were hoping to get our transmission serviced today before we left Phoenix.
Camping World had a 2-week backlog. They did recommend Cummins Sales and Service but they couldn’t see us until Thursday. Cummins recommended Freightliner who couldn’t see us until the 19th. Just another day on the road, solving problems. We decided to go to Cummins on Thursday. In the meantime, we had a couple of extra days to explore. Our good friend Claudia from Tucson had said that Organ Pipe was a great place to visit. It was 2 hours due south of Phoenix. We took 85 south toward Ajo. A quick internet search and a phone call to recreation.gov and we had a campsite in the park. With Tim’s Lifetime Senior Pass it was $10.00 a night…perfect.
We passed the Barry Goldwater Range. This is a military training area two times the size of Delaware. It is a tactical aviation range. Pilots from all the military branches fly here. We have been hearing and seeing lots of military jets and today was no exception.
Our campsite.
Apparently pack rats are a real concern here. They advise you to leave your hood open to avoid having pack rats eating away at your engine parts. The rats like insulation and other soft stuff for their nests. We saw one in a garden near the visitor center. He was 4-5 inches long and fast.
There were also warnings about Africanized bees rattlesnakes, and feeding coyote.
After we settled, we packed a lunch and went for a drive on the 21-mile scenic loop, Ajo Mountain Drive. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument “celebrates the wildlife and plants that have mastered survival in the extreme temperatures and little rainfall that characterizes the Sonoran Desert.” The air temperature in the summer can reach about 115 degrees. The ground temperature though, can reach 175 degrees…ouch!
This is a green desert, lush with groundcover, tons of wildflowers and 28 species of cactus. The park is named for the organ pipe cactus. Early settlers noted that dead organ pipe cacti looked like church organ pipes. These cacti don’t grow naturally in any other place in the United States, though they are common to Mexico. The cactus blooms in the summer months with a lavender white flower. The cacti only produce flowers after 35 years. The plants themselves live about 150 years. The blossoms only open at night. The plants are pollinated by bats.
Fairy duster flowers, so delicate and pretty!
Tim putting some glass on it!
The drive along Ajo Mountain Drive was lovely.
There was a young man walking when we entered the trail. About two hours later, on our way out of the park, we passed him again, still walking. He wasn’t carrying anything with him. Tim stopped to ask him if he needed water. He replied in Spanish saying “Hablo Español…no hablo Ingles.” Tim asked “agua?” The man replied “Si!” We stopped the Jeep and Tim gave the guy water. The man hastily opened the bottle of water and gulped it down. Tim noticed that the man’s lips were dry and peeling. He reached into the cooler and gave him apricots, two more bottles of water, and our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The man was very grateful, and thirsty, and hungry. As we drove away, I saw him sit on the side of the gravel road and eat the first sandwich. I’m proud that he stopped to do the right thing.
We got back to the RV just as fat raindrops fell. A nice afternoon siesta!
Later in the afternoon we went back out to explore the town of Lukeville. This is really only a tiny little border crossing town with a gas station/convenience store. We noticed a dirt road, Camino de los dos Republicas and decided to follow it awhile. This park shares 31 miles of its southern boundary with the border of Mexico. There is a brown sign at every park entrance.
We could see the wall in the distance.
Then closer.
Then, the road ran parallel to the wall.
For about two miles the wall was wrapped in razor wire…then all at once, there was only this short fence.
We have seen firsthand how porous the border is. We passed the Ajo Border Patrol Headquarters on our way here. There was an inspection station that was closed today.
Border Patrol trucks were everywhere.
The whole issue of wall or no wall is extremely complicated…what isn’t so very complicated is treating one man with kindness and compassion.