Day 5: Yuma to Oro Valley: about 200 miles; about 5 hours.

We discovered a possible reason that the hotels were filling up in Yuma.  There was a rodeo in town.  All the local newscasters were wearing their rodeo wear.  We started of at about 8:50 driving in partly cloudy skys into the Sonoran Desert towards the Gila Mountains.  The desert has a beauty all its own.

We discovered by reading our pamplet for Joshua Tree National Park that T's  "wispy trees" are actually called Palo Verde which roughly translates as "green stick."
The young trees have very distinct green branches.  We entered Dom Valley.  I think "dom" must refer to a smaller hill or mountain formation.  The dom's are very rocky and sparcely vegitated.

We saw a sign warning of an inspection station.  I was worried about our lemons -- I wasn't going to chug them like we did the oranges.  R and T told me to relax -- it wasn't that type of inspection.  This was the border patrol and they weren't looking for fruit.  We made it through with no problems.

Speed limit was 75 (Jim, take note) so we were moving right along.  We saw signs advertising RV lots for $27,000 and another RV City.  Near Welton the aroma from the feedlots hit us.  Hope those RV lot buyers take that into consideration.

We passed a solar energy collection station, then some green fields and more feedlots.  We started to see farms about 14 miles east of Gila Bend.  We stopped for gas at Gila Bend and thought we were in Mexico -- for all the Mexican wares that were for sale there.

The place was packed.  Perhaps rodeo fans looking for souveniers.  Seems that dinasaurs, ants, and turtles are popular now.

After Gila Bend the Saguaro started.  We saw more and more of them as we went along.

We got to the Oro Valley exit (about 10 miles north of Tucson) and proceeded east on Tangerine Rd. to the city of Oro Valley where we are staying.  On the road, R said that she really wanted to see a coyote.  On cue, one appeared at the side of the road.

We are in a fairly new development surrounded by parks and the desert and close to many attractions that we will be exploring.  We went on a walk along the wash behind the complex where they told us we might see javelina -- but not to feed them!

Battery is low -- off to Tubac tomorrow.