Saguaro National Park is located in southern Arizona on the outskirts of Tucson established to protect its namesake—the giant saguaro cactus. Many other kinds of cactus, including barrel, cholla, and prickly pear, are abundant in the park.

The Guadalupe Mountains National Park is located 6 hours away  in West Texas and contains Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas at 8,749 feet. Located east of El Paso, it also contains El Capitan, long used as a landmark by people traveling along the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach line. I arrived just in time for evening light but not early enough to complete a planned hike into McKittrick Canyon. Instead I pushed on to Midland, Texas where, motivated by the desire (and need) for a hot shower, I stayed in a motel for the evening.