Throughout America: 20 Years of Personal Discovery – Chapt. 13

Hot Stuff

There is so much to share about California, such as the attractions and many wonders like Yosemite National Park, Death Valley National Park, Redwood National Forest, and many others. We will touch more on parks later in the series, where national and state parks will be the focus.

After nearly 3 years in the Sacramento area, the next hotel assignment took me to Scottsdale, Arizona. I arrived there in late August, so needless to say, the introduction to the Sonoran Desert was a surreal one. The air temperature was a scolding 115 degrees. I often heard from others that it’s a “dry heat” but truth be told, it can only be compared to an oven. When the wind blew, it felt like a hair dryer blowing in my face. And although we sweat in this type of climate, there is no trace of it on the skin, as it dries before it can accumulate.

The Sonoran Desert is massive, covering an area of about 100,000 square miles. It makes up most of the desert southwest, extending in to California and northern Mexico. There are many notable things about this region, but despite the arid climate, many plant species flourish. The most popular plant, the saguaro cactus, grows naturally only in the Sonoran Desert, and no other place in the world. I never imagined them in person, as they towered high, between 10 and 50 feet in height. These fascinating plants typically live for 150-200 years. It is illegal to meddle with them in any way. I remember an occasion when a motorist hit one, destroying it. He was fined heavily, accident or not.

In this harsh region, only the strong survive. Insects and animals have adapted, but just like nearly all life there, there comes danger. Scorpions are plentiful, as are the venomous snakes. I thought it was a description of lore when I was told that there were Gila monsters amongst us in the desert. I scoffed, but when I was shown what one was, I was taken aback.

Gila monsters are not an animal of fairy tales. As it turns out, they are the only venomous lizard native to America. However, they are rarely a danger to humans. Because of its namesake and rumored reputation as being aggressive, some who encounter these species of lizards kill them. They too, are protected by Arizona state law, as they are nearing endangered status.

Another animal of interest is the javelina. Some mistaken these herbivores for pigs, but it is anything but. Javelinas are a species of the Tayassuidae family, sometimes also called skunk hogs. They are closer in nature to goats than pigs. I didn’t really know about these animals until I encountered a small herd of them. Many rumors circulate that javelinas are aggressive, but that’s simply not the case. While there is potential for injury, it is rare. They have poor eyesight, and mistakenly charge blindly when there is an encounter with a human. While my encounter was a peaceful one, never get close enough to take a picture such as the one below like I did.

All told, I spent about 3 years in Arizona, and like California, there is plenty to keep the typical explorer busy. The Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, and a list of other points of interest will be discussed in a chapter covering only national and state parks. I suppose I had better get busy digging through the dusty box that holds years of photographic images from one coast to the other.

To learn more about the state of Arizona and things to do, click here.