Day 64 03 Jan 2016 Boulder Oaks CA to Tucson AZ (379 miles)
Yesterday afternoon, after leaving the San Diego Zoo Safari Park at Escondido, we drove through Ramona and Alpine to Boulder Oaks Campground at 3300 feet elevation. The Pacific Crest Trail goes through this campground, so our friend Glen Pendergrast would have been here at the beginning of his 2,650-mile walk last year.

It was a freezing, clear night on wet ground so the tent needed drying before we could pack up.

We had breakfast at Starbucks in El Centro, where the Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron had just arrived for 10 weeks of winter practice for their new air show.

From El Centro we drove through the mountains

and into the Imperial Valley.

We passed a number of trucks pulling trailers with sand buggies.

They were all headed for the Imperial Sand Dunes BLM Rec Area.

We entered Arizona at Yuma,

and stopped at Dateland AZ where we bought a 9-pound box of medjool dates for $20.

We took Interstate Routes 8 and 10 to Tucson.

Just before Tucson we stopped at the Red Hills Visitor Center for Saguaro National Park West.

Saguaro

National Park
Arizona

Late afternoon light on the forest of saguaro cacti behind the visitor center.

Close up of a saguaro

Argentine cactus moth trap

At the visitor center we were told we might get a good view of the sunset from Gates Pass ... and we did.

Day 65 - 04 Jan 2016 Tucson AZ (60 miles)
Today we drove across Tucson to go to the other half of the park, Rincon Mountain District Saguaro National Park East, where we walked on a 3.4-mile loop starting at the Loma Verde Trailhead.
Barrel cactus with yellow fruits.