I haven't even posted a trip report yet for my last trip...and I'm already thinking about another trip plan.
RicoV's mention of his visit to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument reminded me again of how much I enjoyed that area on my last visit (two visits in the '90s)...and offline discussion of it with him got me excited and maybe kinda committing myself to going there this year.
In March, I think.
That map isn't necessarily the route I'd take -- not for both directions, at least, but it is the route I took when I drove there in the early '90s...and it's a likely route again.
If I'm going that far (~1250 miles one-way), I'll definitely be hitting other spots, too -- either on the way down or way back...maybe revisiting other desert places I've enjoyed on previous far-south trips...KOFA NWR, Mojave Nat Preserve, J-Tree, etc. Possibly venture a little further east to the Chiricahuas, which I've never visited... Too early -- and not necessary -- to have a specific itinerary yet.
I'd probably make this a pretty long trip -- maybe 3 weeks or so. Most of the cost is fuel for getting there (other than paying a cat-sitter at home), so time spent there and on small wandering around off-route/off-axis gets me more bang for the getting-down-there buck.
I just hope ga$ price$ stay down for a few more months!
RicoV's mention of his visit to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument reminded me again of how much I enjoyed that area on my last visit (two visits in the '90s)...and offline discussion of it with him got me excited and maybe kinda committing myself to going there this year.
In March, I think.
That map isn't necessarily the route I'd take -- not for both directions, at least, but it is the route I took when I drove there in the early '90s...and it's a likely route again.
If I'm going that far (~1250 miles one-way), I'll definitely be hitting other spots, too -- either on the way down or way back...maybe revisiting other desert places I've enjoyed on previous far-south trips...KOFA NWR, Mojave Nat Preserve, J-Tree, etc. Possibly venture a little further east to the Chiricahuas, which I've never visited... Too early -- and not necessary -- to have a specific itinerary yet.
I'd probably make this a pretty long trip -- maybe 3 weeks or so. Most of the cost is fuel for getting there (other than paying a cat-sitter at home), so time spent there and on small wandering around off-route/off-axis gets me more bang for the getting-down-there buck.
I just hope ga$ price$ stay down for a few more months!