Southwest deserts offer surprises

Cliff dwellings, cacti, canyons all add charm to landscape

? To the Tohono O’odham tribe, which has lived in Arizona’s Sonoran desert for centuries, the upstretched arms of the prickly saguaro cactus evoke the image of a human protector and provider.

As I traveled along Saguaro National Park’s Bajada Loop Drive in west Tucson on a recent trip to the Southwest with my boyfriend, I couldn’t help but think that the saguaros seemed to invite contemplation of the stark yet beautiful desert landscape. Living in Tucson while in college, I had found the desert harsh and alienating. But during our two-week tour, which took us to Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico, the landscape felt strangely like home.

Cacti dominate desert

Saguaros, which grow 50 feet high and can live 175 years, cover the desert’s rolling hills and dominate everything around them. While the wild javelinas — which look like brown pigs — look for a place to snooze in the shade, and the prairie dogs dart in and out of underground burrows, the saguaro reaches its mighty arms up to the endless blue sky as if to say: “Behold.”

Saguaro National Park has two districts, to the east and west of downtown Tucson. The eastern district is larger, but visitors looking to escape Tucson’s mini-malls and sprawling housing might prefer the western district, which borders the excellent Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

Meandering in the desert

“Museum” is a bit of a misnomer for what is really a geological and zoological park. There are indoor exhibits of reptiles, desert plants and the like, but the real attractions are outdoors. The museum grounds are home to thousands of specimens of plants, animals, rocks and minerals. As my boyfriend and I meandered along the easy foot trails, we spotted coyotes and javelinas, studied desert flora like brittlebrush and ocatillo, contemplated hummingbirds as they zipped past our heads in the aviary, and read about the saguaro’s life span.

Next stop was Sedona, which is surrounded by the Coconino National Forest. We escaped the trendy downtown full of New Age-themed stores with names like “Native Spirit” by heading to nearby Oak Creek Canyon. We camped by the water and hiked the dazzling red cliffs, their rich hues and massive rock formations an astounding sight against the brilliant blue sky.

Good food and a grand canyon

Cathedral Rocks are reflected in a pool of water beside Red Rock Crossing in Sedona, Ariz.

After two days of trekking, we were ready for a break. We rewarded our efforts with an excellent dinner at the Cowboy Club in downtown Sedona of lamb and a hamburger, topped off with prickly pear margaritas.

Our next destination was the Grand Canyon. We drove north on Highway 89 through the scarred landscapes surrounding Flagstaff, the bare trees black and broken from recent wildfires. Our journey took place in early spring, and at elevations of 7,000 feet, snow still covered the ground. After a daylong hike along the South Rim, and another day floating down the Colorado River in Glen Canyon, we drove several hours to Bryce Canyon National Park.

‘Sheer weirdness’

I’d seen pictures of Bryce’s narrow, craggy orange hoodoos, which make the canyon look like a giant, haunted chess board. But there was no hint of the trademark landscape as we traipsed along a serene path through aspen and ponderosa pine that leads to the canyon.

Then, as we reached the canyon rim and peered in, the magnificence and sheer weirdness of Bryce jolted us. As we began our hike into the canyon via Queen’s Garden trail, the brightly hued rocks, some of which fade from burnt orange to smooth cream at the top, stretched hundreds of feet above us as the trail wound around and through them via natural arches.

Getting up early pays off in Bryce Canyon, as the first light of dawn illuminates the rugged terrain near Bryce, Utah. Mineral deposits left in the sandstone and limestone during erosion have left a spectacular array of pastel colors. The national park includes walking trails that wind through to the canyon.

Cliff dwellings

From Bryce we headed out across southern Utah for Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. We drove through red rock cliffs, along the spine of a 9,000-foot high mountain that dropped away on either side, and then traveled through wide open desert.

After eight hours we found our way to Cortez, Colo., just outside Mesa Verde. Mesa Verde National Park is the site of the cliff dwellings of the Anasazi, an agricultural people who lived in the region from about A.D. 600 to A.D. 1300. In the late 1100s they built elaborate stone villages in the canyon walls’ sheltered alcoves — an astonishing feat considering the sheer drops from the cliff face. The park is still viewed as a sacred site by the 24 Southwest tribes that have ancestral ties to Mesa Verde.

The villages are remarkably well preserved and visitors can tour several of them; there are 600 in all. Spruce Tree House is the best preserved and most accessible, but the park’s crown jewel is Cliff Palace. Open for tours only a few months a year, the sandstone formation contained 150 rooms and is believed to have been used for ceremonial purposes.

Stopping in Santa Fe

We spent the last night of our trip in Santa Fe, eating local cuisine. As we packed our bags to leave, I made a long mental list of the places I plan to revisit on our next trip.

Seasons: Most parks are open year round, though Mesa Verde partially shuts down in the winter. Summer visits are feasible, but head out in early morning to avoid the sun’s full heat, bring a lot of water and take frequent breaks in the shade.Parks Pass: If traveling to three or more national parks, the $50 National Parks Pass usually pays for itself. It offers admission to all national parks, and is good for one full year from the date of purchase.Saguaro National Park: Rincon Mountain District, (520) 733-5153; Tucson Mountain District, (520) 733-5158; www.nps.gov/sagu/. Both districts open daily, 7 a.m. to sunset. Visitor centers open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. $6 per car.Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum: Tucson; (520)883-2702 or www.desertmuseum.org/. Open March through September, 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m; October through February, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.; admission, adults, $9, children ages 6 to 12, $2; under 6 free.Cowboy Club: 241 N. Highway 89A, Sedona; (928) 282-4200. Lunch served 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.; dinner served 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.Mesa Verde National Park: (970) 529-4465 or www.nps.gov/meve/. Park open year round; Far View Visitor Center open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. mid-April to mid-October. Ranger-guided tours and self-guided tours are available spring, summer and fall. Admission: $10 per car.