Let's also not forget the main attraction--the fish tacos! We walked past what looked like a restaurant advertising fish tacos for 10 pesos each (less than $1) and were immediately sold. Inside, it was a home kitchen with a woman serving up the greatest bites. And these baja style fish tacos were on a whole different level than anything you might think you have had that was awesome.
With Mexico checked off, we had to keep moving. After a few hour drive through eastern California, we arrived in Arizona. While it does fit the stereotypes of long stretches of desolation, desserts, cacti and mountains, there is so much more to discover if you want to. And we wanted to! With a tiny fraction of annual visitors to that of the Grand Canyon, Saguaro National Park is an often overlooked point of interest when in Arizona. However, it's is a magnificent with six biotic communities and well worth checking out. So for 3 days, 2 nights, temperature extremities (85 hi-28 lo), 10,000ft elevation gain, with scarce water availability, we backpacked to the top of Mica Mountain and took advantage of it all! It was definitely one of the touchest backpacking trips, but knowing a handful of people yearly get to enjoy what we did, made it that much more special.
Making our way east, we drove through the town of Tombstone; or a place where grown-ups go to play dress-up. Seriously, it looks like something you see in a Western film. With a booming population of just over 1,000, the historical town is the home of the infamous gunfight at the OK Corrale.
The next day we were ready to get some more hiking in, and going off of references from some Arizonians we met along the way, we went to check out the Chiricahua National Monument. It's hard to accept that the "Island in the Sky" exists. Due to a volcanic eruption millions of years ago, subsequently followed by millions of years of erosion, tons of massive rock pillars were formed. Hence the name--it's seems like you are on a sky island.
We wanted to keep the Southwestern National Parks tour going throughout New Mexico, by making our way to Gila Cliff Dwellings. Little did we know that driving there, we would discover one of the most amazing places on the trip and the best food we've had! Tucked away about 10-miles north of Silver City, NM lies a town of Pinos Altos. There, you will find the Buckhorn Saloon and Opera House. The place dates back to the 1860's and is not one of those recreations of an Old Western Saloon that has been many things since--it's the real deal! The green chilie stew (what NM is known for) was absolutely to die for and the perfect pork chimichanga was like sinking your teeth into heaven. And that's just the food! The people there were the warmest and kindest we have met on the trip, including an amazing gentleman who treated us to the whole meal and drinks just because!!! We'll definitely pay it forward!
After an evening which seemed almost unreal, we did finally make it the next day to the Gila Cliff Dwellings. In the Cliff Dweller Canyon, you will find homes of the Ancient Puebloans dating back to 1276-1300 in caves! The area is also the home of many hot springs. Considering that the temperature dropped down to the teens that night (while we had to sleep outside), we sat in those hot springs for hours!
Next up was White Sands National Park--a desert made of gypsum rock, which gives it a blinding white appearance. It looks like an arctic tundra full of snow, when really it's far from it. Well, maybe the nightly temeratures are similar.
To finish off the New Mexico portion of our National Parks tour, we had to make a stop at Carlsbad Caverns. This is yet another natural wonder that makes you question how it even came into existence?Or who discovered it? Or how deep it goes beneath the earths surface? And, all your questions can be answered if your read the signs in the cave.
What could possibly be the continuation of the Southewestern extravaganza? Brisket and Big Bend NP in Texas!
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