Jan 28, 2023 Day 2 Gilbert Ray Campground, Tucson AZ

It was around 8:00am when we got up and made coffee. I think we all slept well with the overnight temperatures of 38 degrees, made for comfortable sleeping and we didn’t have to run the furnace at all.

We read about the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum briefly but what we read was sorely lacking in detail in comparison to our visit there. This place is amazing, and we were enthralled with the animals, birds, scenery and displays – truly outstanding! We got there around 10:30am and thought we might spend an hour or two but all total, I think we were there over 5 hours and could have gone longer.

These exhibits showcase wildlife, plant-life, insects, spiders, snakes, reptiles, and more than inhibit the Sonora desert. It’s a self-guided walking tour and we started with outside exhibits and finished with those inside. Our first stop was at the Earth Sciences Center & Cave that showcases the rocks, gems, and minerals of Arizona. From here we walked to the Mountain Woodland exhibit containing a Mountain Lion, Black Bear, Mexican Gray Wolves, and Mule Deer. We were able to capture photos of the mountain Lion and Gray Wolves, but the Black Bear is hibernating, and we did not see any Mule Deer.

From here we walked to the Desert Grassland and saw some Prairie Dogs, but the burrowing owl exhibit was closed. Life on the Rocks exhibit contained coyotes, Javelinas, and Lizards and we captured photos of all but the lizards here. Our next exhibit was the Cat Canyon featuring an Ocelot, Bobcat, and Gray fox, and got photos of all but the Ocelot.

The next exhibit was the Riparian Corridor with river otter, Beaver (got a video), Bighorn Sheep, and other aquatic animals. We captured photos of the Beaver and Sheep. Our next stop was at the Aviary featuring birds of the Sonoran Desert and from here we visited the Hummingbird Aviary, capturing photos of birds in both areas.

The last 2 exhibits inside featured snakes, tarantulas, scorpions, toads, and fish and we were able to get some photos here too. I am not sure what photos to add as it was an overwhelming number of unique animals and wildlife, it’s difficult to choose.

We are so glad we got to stop here for a couple of nights at Gilbert Ray Campgrounds and the Sonora Desert region, it’s truly a gem.