Tucson is surrounded by wilderness areas, as well as regional, state, and national parks (actually one national park—Saguaro—but it has two discrete pieces to the west and east of the city). Within these areas are museums and visitor centers with up-to-date interactive displays that make learning fun. The Arizona Desert Museum is quite close to our campsite in the Saguaro forest. Here the full panoply of desert ecology is on display: geology, fauna and flora, water systems, mining history. There is even a special section devoted to the desert hummingbirds. And for an experience below ground, there is Karchner Cavern State Park. To visit here is to begin to understand how fragile cave systems are and to what lengths one must go to preserve them while still allowing tours. This incredible cave was kept secrete by its discoverers for 14 years until the State could guarantee that it would be developed with extreme sensitivity. Its beauty is now on display behind airlock doors and with precautions that extend to limiting the amount of lint that may enter from the clothing of visitors. But all of the restrictions were amply justified by the experience that unfolded as we walked along the path.