For my birthday we went to a state park just outside of el paso called hueco tanks. Because there are hollows that always have water and as it is located in the middle of the desert, it has a long history of travelers. Hueco tanks is famous for several reasons - one the water and the plant life.
This plant is know as a prickly pear and is a tradition hispanic food - you can even buy it in the local walmart (the pad is chopped up and cooked with onion, cilantro, peppers, etc. The fruit is used to make perserves.) If you see the yellow green in the post below, that is from a plant that is considered a "cure all." Traditional use of it has ranged from upset stomaches to athletes foot and is supposedly being researched for cancer potential. You have to be careful with it however, as the potency varies greatly will rainfal. Other plants in the area include night shade, yucca (I don't remember the exact variety, but the heart was a native american food source), mormon tea and brittle bush.
3 comments:
hum, I'll bet you stopped and read the little signs along the road for all your info. I knew they would grow on you.
Happy B-day
Actually the tours are guided. Do to individuals who have cause damage to the art via things like graffiti, only one of the 3 mountains are open to exploration without a guide. The tour guides are actually volunteers, and we had a guy who obviously loved the history and area, but was a bit long winded for the kids, especially since it was fairly cold that day. But there are no signs, the info came for the tour guide.
It sounds like a nice trip. Hope you had some cake in the evening.
Post a Comment