Arizona--Sonoran Desert Drive
Date: 2004-11-14
Think of the American Southwest and you're likely to
picture the cactus-strewn beauty of Arizona's Sonoran Desert. Seeing it
on a picture postcard is one thing; experiencing it with a leisurely desert
drive is quite another. Thirty minutes east of Phoenix is Rte. 79, a sun-bleached
stretch of two-lane blacktop that connects Florence Junction to Tucson.
The 74-mile long route is lightly traveled, flanked by heat-ravaged landscape
dotted to the horizon with giant saguaro cactus.
The town of Florence, halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, is the last place to offer hometown amenities before venturing onto the desolate highway. Be sure to check your gas gauge before leaving the city limits--there won't be a gas station or convenience store for the next 45 miles. Although Florence is a quiet burg, its main thoroughfare exposes some of life's reality more harsh than its desert surroundings. At the intersection of Rte. 79 and Butte Avenue is the Arizona State Prison Complex, a sprawling mass of buildings that house five correctional facilities. Hardened types from as far away as Alaska are brought here. Across from the prison, on Butte Avenue, is the Prisoner Outlet Store--a retail shop for those travelers seeking that "one of a kind" gift. Traveling down Rte. 79, you pass the Arizona National Guard Training Range and the River Bottom Saloon, a local watering hole at the edge of the now dry Gila River. With the glitzy sparkle of the prison's sunlit barbed wire still visible in your rearview mirror, head south out of town into the Sonoran where the arms of the saguaro cactus embrace you for 45 miles on your driving journey toward Tucson.
Plenty of wayside areas are along the road, including one dedicated to the early cowboy film star Tom Mix. These sites make for an adventuresome picnic stop, but like the desert itself, lack water and the usual creature comforts. Picnic tables and cabanas are provided; tree shade is not. Driving the old two-lane to where it splits at Oracle for Tucson takes you into the desert, not past it. The beauty of Rte. 79 is its slow pace, where one can absorb the grandeur of Sonoran Desert.
Starting Point:
Phoenix, AZ
Distance of Drive:
137 miles
Must Eat:
Diego's Mexican Restaurant
620 East Queen Valley Drive, Apache Junction, AZ 85218
Phone:520-463-2225
Call ahead to confirm hours of operation.
Best Time of Year for Drive:
Winter, spring and fall
Points of Interest on Drive:
McFarland State Historical Park/Museum
Old Capitol Building--the original Capitol Building for the state of
Arizona
My Office--Rustic saloon established in the 1800s. Original mural painted
on interior walls. Bar came from South America.
Taxidermy animal highlights.
Tom Mix Monument
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