Coming back from hunting in Willcox, AZ last weekend, I drove through Redington Pass. It was the first time for me to come through this area. One of the interesting things for me about Tucson is that, as the city is abutted by mountains on two sides, some of the major roads actually become dirt trails leading up into the mountains. This is the case for Tanque Verde Road, which transforms from four lanes to being a mountain trail within a matter of miles.
Redington Pass is popular with ATVs, dirt bikers and hunters, but the main road is actually in pretty good condition. If you live in Tucson and have never been out there, I highly recommend a trip. The views of the mountains are spectacular, and the pass is full of deer, javelina, coyotes and even a healthy population of mountain lions. There are also some beautiful homes out there - a rough commute I imagine.
Most impressive for me though were the saguaro cacti. We have big ones all around Tucson, including in Vail, where I live, but I have not seen any which compare with these. It can take a saguaro up to 75 years to develop an arm, and can live for over 150 years. I can only guess at how old this one is.
A few more in the same area - there are a large number of very old and developed cacti here, bigger than what we typically see around urban areas. These are genuinely beautiful plants, even though they aren't pretty in a convention sense.
I'm Simon Smart, a loan officer in Tucson with Sunstreet Mortgage. If I can do something to help you out, give me a call.
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