Now that we’re camped at a site in Arizona for a few weeks, we decided it was time to experience the neighboring communities and what they had to offer visitors. This is the first of many (hopefully) Day Trip posts showcasing these places and their attractions.
First up, I visited the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, as Dan had other commitments. I highly recommend it but also suggest you arrive early as temperatures are rising and it could become very uncomfortable, very quickly. Fortunately, they open at 7am from May to September, offering a better opportunity to avoid too much sun. Also, I found many shaded locations throughout the garden, along with a nice gift shop and restaurant.
In full disclosure, the rock climbing photo below is not actually in the gardens but I found it in so many of my shots I wanted to make sure you knew it was nearby and an additional thing you can do after visiting the gardens.
I’ve visited several botanical gardens in Texas, but none quite like this. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of colors and diversity of the plants growing in the desert heat. I’ve always found cactus and succulents to be beautiful but had never seen this many in one location. Just stunning!
While you’re enjoying the scenery, keep your eyes on the lookout for wildlife. I saw a large variety but they were not easy to spot. Below are just a few.
I took nearly 100 pictures of this beautiful place but couldn’t post them all here. The next time you’re visiting Arizona, take a day trip to the Desert Botanical Garden. For more information about the garden, visit their website http://www.dbg.org.
Eccentric Nomads 