Saguaro National Park Petroglyphs Another special place in Saguaro National Park is the collection of petroglyphs that were pecked out on boulders by ancient people centuries ago. We drove the graded dirt road, Bajada Scenic Drive, to the Signal Hill trailhead, passing through stunning desert scenery on the way. The Signal Hill hike is a short path that goes to the decorated boulders. The Ancients somehow managed to chisel away the dark surface of the rocks to reveal a lighter shade underneath, and their designs on these rocks include circles with spokes that look like wheels, and animals with swept back horns that look like African impalas but are officially thought to be big horn sheep. One very large spiraling circle adorns the flat face of a huge boulder, and another rock is decorated with a circle that has rays coming out of it. That image just had to be the sun. It is drawn exactly the same way a modern child would draw the sun.
There are a few designs of four-legged creatures with long curving tails that might be lizards, and there are other designs that look like doodles. We will never know exactly what this “rock art” depicts or why it was created, but it is fascinating to look out at a landscape that is completely devoid of the human touch save for a collection of boulders where ancient people created patterns in the rock long before Europeans arrived.
A spiral Signal Hill Petroglyph at Saguaro National Park
Adobe home in Tucson’s Historic District
Signal Hill Petroglyphs at Saguaro National Park
Tucson’s Historic District Tucson is a lively and an artsy town, and the heart of its vibrant flair can be found in the historic neighborhoods where old adobe homes line the streets. Before air conditioning was invented, people living in the Sonoran Desert had to find ways to stay cool. Adobe is a thick mud that is formed into bricks, and the adobe walls of these homes are 8 inches thick or more. This keeps the house relatively cool when the summer sun starts to bake the area at 110 degrees or more every day. We loved the brightly colored doorways of these homes, and their deeply recessed doors and windows, and we spent several pleasant hours walking the streets.
Strolling these scenic neighborhoods on your own during the daytime is fun, but joining dozens of locals to walk or jog these streets in the early evening followed by a drink and/or dinner at a bistro is even better. “Meet Me at Maynards” is the name of a weekly Monday night event that takes place all year, rain or shine. At day’s end an enthusiastic crowd gathers at Hotel Congress, grabs a route map, and ventures out into the streets for a walk or a run. It is a totally self-paced event, and distances range from two to five miles while speeds range from a leisurely dog-walking stroll to full-on race pace depending on how fit, and how much exercise, each participant wants.
TUCSON DELIGHTS
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE FALL 2022 | 14
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