After a short but lovely visit with friends in Tuscon, where we were pampered with delicious home cooking and lovely conversations, we headed further south towards Organ Pipe National Monument. We’d never heard of it before, but figured it was worth the visit since we haven’t yet been disappointed in any national park or monument, and it was on our way towards San Diego, our next big destination.

The entire drive was pretty much an endless forest of the quintessential symbol of the American Southwest: the saguaro cactus. It was like a dream to see them in person and marvel at their size and numbers. We decided they indeed resembled people and liked to call out different characters and poses we saw. Some had arms embracing their neighbor, some were dancing, while others were supplicating to the heavens.

The timing of our visit put us in 100-degree weather, so we appreciated that there was a nice long driving tour through the monument. The visitor center provided us with a brochure that described different numbered areas on the route, including information on geological formations, types of plants and their uses to native people in the past, and other historical facts.

The organ pipe cactus for which the park is named is quite rare in the US outside of that area. They’re very sensitive to frost, so even within the park, there are only certain places they thrive. There are also many other types of cacti in the park, including several types of cholla cacti. Because of the uniqueness of this part of the Sonoran Desert, in the 70s it was designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve for its conservation.

A travel trailer towed by a pickup truck rests at a dry campsite in Arizona at sunset.
Dry camping spot outside of Why, AZ

A tall saguaro cactus rises as a dark silhouette against a glowing orange sunset in the Arizona desert.

Tall saguaro cactus stands upright against a blue Arizona sky with soft clouds.

A blooming saguaro cactus stands tall against a soft blue Arizona sky with the moon glowing above.

A tall saguaro cactus stands among desert shrubs under a pink twilight sky in Arizona.
We experienced incredibly colorful sunsets in AZ.

A woman stands gazing at a blooming saguaro cactus in an Arizona desert under a soft pink sky.

A silhouetted organ pipe cactus stands against a vibrant orange and pink sunset sky in Arizona.
A young woman points across a sunset sky above a silhouetted cactus in the Arizona desert.

A spiny cactus crowned with white flowers and green buds rises against a blue Arizona sky.
I figured we were too late in the season to see cactus blossoms, but we were fortunate to see the saguaros in bloom!

A tall saguaro cactus reaches upward toward a bright blue Arizona sky scattered with wispy clouds.

Saguaro cacti rise from dry desert brush against a backdrop of rocky Arizona mountains.

A tall cactus stands beside a dirt path leading through the Sonoran Desert toward a rocky mountain.
An organ pipe cactus next to the scenic drive route.

Saguaro cacti dot a dry rocky hillside in the Arizona desert under a clear blue sky.

Saguaro cacti rise above dry golden scrub brush in an Arizona desert landscape with distant mountains.

Tall saguaro cacti stand scattered across a dry Arizona valley below rugged rocky mountains.

A web-like, decayed cactus stem lies across rocky desert ground in Arizona.
A cholla skeleton.

A tall saguaro cactus stands before a rocky Arizona hillside topped by a natural stone arch.

Tall saguaro and ocotillo cacti dot the desert floor beneath a rugged Arizona mountain ridge.

Tall saguaro cacti stand across a dry Arizona desert with rugged brown mountains rising behind them.

A man and young girl walk along a dirt path among tall saguaro cacti in Arizona desert.
These children are for scale purposes only. They are not a natural part of the Sonoran Desert ecosystem, nor can you expect them to appear on your visit to the desert.

A bird stands on concrete beside a painted restroom sign in Arizona.
When you gotta go….