2015 Escapade in Tucson, Picacho Peak State Park and heading home!

We returned to Tucson to attend the 2015 Escapees RV Club Escapade from March 8-13 again at the Pima County Fairgrounds.  Escapade this year was huge with close to 1000 RVs, good entertainment three nights, nearly a hundred educational seminars, a large RV show from a top dealer with many dozens of RVs available for inspection, a Pet  Parade, a chili contest, inside market area for vendors, the ROW for all the Escapee chapters to have a table to tell new members about their chapter and activities and much more.  Although there are 400 electrical RV spaces at the Fairgrounds, we like many others wound up in the huge boondocking area but we were at least lucky that we came early and were parked in the first row of boondocking (means no hookups—you run on your batteries, your generator or solar power!) so the walk to all the halls and events was relatively close.

We attended a lot of seminars and packed in a little more knowledge, primarily in the technology area, with our favorite instructors, Chris & Jim from Geeks on Tour.  We ran into a lot of people we knew from past Escapades and many members of Chapter 8, the Mexican Connection. 

Attendance at our "Escape to Mexico" seminar

On Wednesday afternoon, we taught our seminar called “Escape to Mexico” to the largest audience yet, well over 100 people, and many stayed after with questions about Chapter 8 and our 2016 Rally to Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, aka “Rocky Point.” Our Chapter 8 "Fiesta" followed:chips & salsa!

We had an early meeting Thursday morning for Chapter officers then we headed out to start home.  We stopped briefly at the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun once more then headed for the I-10 Freeway.

Our planned stop for the night, Picacho Peak State Park, is about 45 miles north of downtown Tucson.   

This dramatic high pointed peak sticks up 1500 feet above the desert floor and 3374' above sea level and has been a landmark for explorers since prehistoric times. Spanish Lieutenant Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza led the famous DeAnza Expedition from Tubac Presidio to San Francisco in 1775 that passed by Picacho Peak and duly recorded it.  The Mormon Battalion came through in 1849 and 49ers headed to California for the Gold Rush passed in 1849.

It was the site of the largest Civil War battle, the Battle of Picacho Pass, fought in Arizona on April 15, 1862 when a California Union cavalry patrol clashed with Confederate scouts from Texas resulting in 3 deaths.  In March each year, there are Civil War reenactments in the Park.

The park opened to the public on Memorial Day 1968 and has become very popular!  It is certainly one of our favorite places!  It now consists of 3747 acres of beautiful unspoiled Sonoran Desert landscape.   Picacho Peak is famous for its wildflower display in mid-March and April each year.  Here are some of the plants and cactus varieties we saw in a good hike around the park.

Baby Blue eyes, Desert Mallow and Penstemon

Saguaros come in the strangest formations--the small hedgehog cactus (bottom) was already in bloom

The Park facilities are very nice with an attractive entry station and Visitor Center with displays and a gift shop.  The campground has 85 sites all with 30 amp electric service, very unusual for state parks. Fresh water and a dump station are centrally located near the entrance.  There are 2 large restroom buildings, both with free hot showers!  The fee is $25 per night and was almost completely filled when we arrived and usually fills up on weekends.   Free wifi also to all sites!  There are several group campgrounds and day use areas for picnics with a shelter.  There are 5 different hiking trails from 0.2 mile to 2 miles and ranging from easy to very difficult to climb the trails to the top of the mountain!

The wildlife and bird list here is very typical of the Sonoran desert  including 3 species of rattlesnakes!   Lots of mammals all to way to rare sightings of mountain lion.  And many birds singing near the campground including a Costa's hummingbird that teased us to come closer!  Picacho Peak is a great place to spend a night or a week.  It closes down during the summer because of extreme hot temperatures.

We had a beautiful typical Arizona red sunset at night--- Cacti and a setting sun!

So the morning of March 13, (yikes, Friday the 13^th!!) we set off in earnest to head back home and made it to an RV Park in El Cajon, CA close to San Diego. Then we took 350 miles of so a day and we'll be in Portland on 3/17, go shopping, visit Roland and family, do some maintenance on our RV at the McCoy Freightliner Sprinter service center in Portland then home!    It's been a great 7+ week journey with about 5100 miles racked up along the way!  We hope you enjoyed coming along with us!