Oracle State park and he journey to Aravaipa Farm and Orchards
Frid 21st April 2023
Our route from Sierra Vista passed through Tucson and continued northeast. The landscape was increasingly arid. We noted the presence of numerous saguaro cacti that hadn’t been a feature of the southeast portion of Arizona. My thinking was that we were now at lower elevation and thus seeing these cacti. We stopped off at a state park called Oracle State Park, to take a walk. As check-in time was 3:00 pm we had some time to fill and our little stop was perfect. We got to see those arid conditions up close!
From the state park we continued to traverse desert-like terrain for a few miles. Once we neared the valley, we could see a dramatic greening of the landscape. Our destination appeared like an oasis beckoning to us. We turned off the road onto the drive of the farm/orchard and headed steeply down hill to a ford of the stream/river. Once across the ford we entered the gate and saw the orchards on either side of the driveway. After finding the office and checking in, we spent some time unloading our coolers and food from the car. Finding space for everything in the tiny “kitchenette” was made more challenging when we spotted a plastic storage box labelled “secure food storage” with a drawing of a mouse nibbling on cheese. Some things went back into the car, some items went into the fridge and a few things had to be stored in the microwave! What a riot! There was no unpacking the coolers because we needed the fridge to store other items. Some aspects of the accommodation were rustic but the whole place was peaceful and lush, there was even a swimming pool.
We took a short walk around the orchards. Cooked a meal on the gas grill and waited impatiently for Mac and Tasha to arrive!
Gloria
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