After spending the morning at Tumacácori National Historical Park, we cut cross country through the Patagonia area toward Sierra Vista, and then south to the Coronado National Memorial.
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was one of many names that I remember learning about in American history class growing up. A quarter century and 2500 miles separated from those classes, the name of this Spanish conquistador came back to me with a new appreciation for who he was, where he went, and what he was after.
Though Coronado would have passed through this area in the valley, the monument was placed at the peak of Montezuma Pass to afford a sweeping view of San Pedro Valley.
We pulled into the visitor center parking lot for long enough to see swarms of some sort of bee or wasp, then pulled back out and drove back toward the main entrance so we could put the roof back on to keep the insects out while parked. The ranger inside told us that they were there for the water used to irrigate the greenery around the visitor center. They didn’t bother us at all, but it did take a few minutes for us to get up the nerve to get out of the Jeep!