The border crossing was both easier and harder than expected. Note for those crossing the Mexico/US border in Douglas Arizona, the Mexican border office (where you hand back your tourist cards and car permit) is outside the border area. Find it FIRST, then join the line to cross into the US. Otherwise, you will have to line up to cross twice like we did. The border guards however were a real surprise. Friendly, polite and easy to chat with. They searched our car (as expected) but weren’t rude and demeaning as is so often the case. What a great surprise!
We celebrated our entrance to the US with a stop at McDonalds. It wasn’t your usual McDonalds though. All writing was in both English and Spanish, staff announced orders in both languages, and customers seemed to be a 50/50 mix of Spanish and English speakers. It was like we had left Mexico, but hadn’t all at the same time. This feeling was intensified when we picked up groceries, and found the grocery store packed with Mexican candy, ceviche and hot sauce. It made me jealous. I’d love to live in a place surrounded by Spanish language and Latin American culture. It would have made the task of learning Spanish much easier.
After our various food stops, we were off to Chiricahua National Monument in Southern Arizona. Tall spirals of rock, eroded away in places by wind and water, leaving round lumps of delicately balanced rock. It was a wonder to stroll through these tall rock sculptures.
We celebrated our entrance to the US with a stop at McDonalds. It wasn’t your usual McDonalds though. All writing was in both English and Spanish, staff announced orders in both languages, and customers seemed to be a 50/50 mix of Spanish and English speakers. It was like we had left Mexico, but hadn’t all at the same time. This feeling was intensified when we picked up groceries, and found the grocery store packed with Mexican candy, ceviche and hot sauce. It made me jealous. I’d love to live in a place surrounded by Spanish language and Latin American culture. It would have made the task of learning Spanish much easier.
After our various food stops, we were off to Chiricahua National Monument in Southern Arizona. Tall spirals of rock, eroded away in places by wind and water, leaving round lumps of delicately balanced rock. It was a wonder to stroll through these tall rock sculptures.
Saguaro National Park
Rolling red hills and tall spiky cactus, Saguaro National Park is quintessentially Arizonian. We camped in a nearby BLM area, (where local’s trailers, were complete with US flag flapping on a pole) and spent the evening serenaded by gunfire, drinking an $8 six pack of craft brew beer. While Mexico was my favorite country we saw on this trip, it sure was good to be back in the States.
Montezuma National Monument
Montezuma Castle is an earth and wood building perched precariously on the side of a cliff. Built in around 1100AD by the Sinagua people, it’s quite a spectacle. The shaded walk around the site gives you some interesting information about the builders, the dwelling and their intricate irrigation system. The building is 5 stories high, has around 20 rooms (including living quarters and food storage areas) and was built over a 300 year period.
The Grand Canyon
The most famous of Arizona’s National Parks, I found the Grand Canyon one of the least impressive. While it is quite big, it’s hard to get a sense of how big it really is. We spent our first day hiking along the ridge, and on our second, we hiked down into the Canyon. A definite highlight for me was visiting Kolb Studio. Perched on the very rim of the canyon this little cottage used to belong to the Kolb brothers. The brothers moved to the Canyon in its early days, to make a living off the newly developed tourist trade. They photographed and printed photos of the mule party that travelled down into the depths of the canyon with fascinated visitors. In their spare time, they photographed the canyon and produced captivating video footage of their many boat rides down the Colorado river into the Canyon. Photo and video displays in the studio give you a glimpse of the excitement and danger of discovering the canyon in its early days.