Zach planned this diversion not knowing a lot about the area but curious enough to make the special trip since it’s not on the way to or close to any town or other landmark. We are so glad we made the journey! We learned even more about the vast Sonoran desert, and now we’re all confidently walking around subsequent trails correctly identifying different desert foliage. We went on a scavenger hunt drive where we stopped at specific mile markers to find the cristate cactus, these are cactus that where they grew abnormally and created these beautiful fins or crowns. The kids have been gobbling up ranger badges and this park was no different, but they had a desert ranger badge that Natalie could work for (which was a little more reading and a higher level than some of the Jr. Ranger books), and in addition to their wooden badges this park went all out with patches and pins.

The most thought provoking part of this visit to us was the very visible border wall between the US and Mexico. I’ll be frank. It’s a crock of BS. There were signs all over the park asking to report “suspicious” activity while at the same time trying to assure the public that someone crossing illegally would likely not try through such a public thoroughfare. The only real suspicious activity we noted at all was the myriad of Border Patrol trucks zooming to and fro all over the otherwise completely quite landscape. It’s almost as if this government agency was given free reign to do as they please terrorizing people with brown skin and trying to make their job look important and necessary to the rest of us. This is where on one hike basically the only thing I could think about was I get to willingly trek through this desert with a destination and end in mind and it’s still hard and it’s hot and water is scarce, but what about the person who is doing it out of desperation for hundreds of more miles, far less resources, scarce water and food, and so much fear. I’ve always held a tender spot in my heart for anyone making such a perilous journey. I tear up anytime I hear a story about someone fleeing terrible circumstances from their home country. I understand it because I’ve spent a lot of time witnessing the poverty and hopelessness present in some of the places they are fleeing from. But having my feet on the ground where perhaps someone has crossed and maybe dropped a glove or left a broken piece of something really deepened my compassion and empathy for their struggle and courage to go anyway because they see it as maybe the only ounce of hope left for them or their family. So, getting back to the issue of my infuriation with that wall. It’s just a blatant power statement that we as a country would rather waste our money and resources on building such an ugly monstrosity, then pour billions of dollars into patrolling and capturing people seeking asylum. Wouldn’t we do better by using those billions of dollars for humanitarian help, or how about supporting the countries that we corrupted in the first place so people don’t have to make the difficult decision to leave? Or, how about we allow people of all skin colors and education levels to come here legally with a path to citizenship? I hope that in my lifetime we can really reform what immigration looks like. People have been migrating since the beginning of human time, people will continue migrating especially as the effects of climate change touches more and more areas. Seeking asylum, immigration of any form should not be criminalized or weaponized. We are a country, built by immigrants, with more than enough abundance to share our wealth and resources with those seeking the opportunity to participate in our society. I hope we tear down that wall in my lifetime and we stop wasting resources in such a cruel and needless manner. This is why we travel, so that we can learn firsthand and with our bodies about the deeper things that are affecting us as a global population. Yes, the sights are fun and we’re also getting plenty of rest, but overall I want to teach by showing my family a different point of view. To consider somebody else’s story.