April 1-2 -- SE Arizona and the the Saguaro Sonoran Desert

Tuesday, April 1 started overcast and cool at the Salton Sea; I later learned there was a storm system moving in from the west, and the high winds from it would help push Discovery on the trip east to Tucson, Arizona. The clouds and peek-a-boo sun made for dramatic landscapes just after sunrise --

And cormorants were racing across the sky --

The White Pelicans were set in scenery lit with light and clouds -- 

And a Brown Pelican engaged in its famous "plunge dive" --

Even Tundra and Discovery looked better than usual in the filtered light of the early-morning sun, with a partly-cloudy backdrop --

I head out down Hwy 111 and connect with Interstate 8, which I take all the way to Casa Grande, Arizona where it merges with Interstate 10. There are spots along Interstate 8 where the border with Mexico is just off to your right; it's marked by barricades snaking over the sand dunes. The iconic saguaro cacti appear along the way, marking the beginning of the Sonoran Desert. I arrive at Gilbert Ray campground, just east of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, just in time for a saguaro sunset --

I have errands to do in a big city on April 2, but I still have time for scenics and a short hike in the afternoon up to a desert southwest vista --

Discovery at Gilbert Ray Campground

The clouds are putting on a show

Cactus bloom macro

Teddy Bear Cholla "garden" (their spines really do seem to jump out and latch onto your skin)

The saguaro desert of Saguaro National Park

Desert View Trail along Hohokam Road

Curve-billed Thrasher in Ocotillo along the trail

Up next -- an entire day spend at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum...