NOV 28, 2015 – From Grand Canyon I drove straight into Tucson, where I visited my friend Alexandra for a few days. I happened to be there for Thanksgiving, so I got to participate in a turkey dinner (which started at 2pm) and to meet locals at a party afterwards. West of the city, there is the Sonoran desert museum, which has typical animals and plants of the area, and one part of Saguaro National Park. On the way out of town, I also visited the east half of the National Park and went for a two-hour run up a mountain there. I then drove to Las Cruces and spent a night on public land outside the city. The next morning, I hiked up a hill with a view on the city before driving on to El Paso and further east.