Summer at the Arboretum

Living in the Queen Creek area allows you access to some wonderful natural beauty within driving distance. One of my favorites is the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior. It's a 20 minute scenic drive off US Highway 60 from Apache Junction and the Ironwood Exit near Queen Creek.




They have some wonderful walking paths and trails with excellent cactus specimens and other desert plants. This is a nice place for a leisurely walk with natural beauty all around.





Bring water, a camera, binoculars, a hat, sunglasses and walking shoes.

Through August the arboretum is open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. For Information call 520-689-2723.

The Arboretum offers guided tours such as a bird walk to identify native Sonoran desert birds and exotic migrants or Plans of the Bible tours.

This place is a bit more rustic than the Desert Botanical Gardens in Scottsdale. The drive is scenic and the setting is fabulously Arizona. In the summer I would suggest an early morning visit due to the heat.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park
37615 E US Hwy 60
Superior, AZ 85273
520-689-2811
http://www.btarboretum.org/

A Vist to the Desert Botanical Gardens

One of the wonderful things about living in Queen Creek is the close proximity to some of the big city offerings. Yesterday I ventured out to the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. The weather here is starting to warm up and it was a great day for a walk.

If you go the desert botanical gardens I would recommend bringing the following:

Walking shoes - you will do a lot of walking. Some of the trails are paved and others are a fine crushed gravel.

A camera - you WILL want to take photos. The cactus specimens and the butterflies are fantastic.

Binoculars - especially if you are a bird watcher. There is plenty of wildlife at the park. We ran into lizards, quail, hummingbirds and a cute little friendly prairie dog.

Bottled water - There were water fountains and vending machines in various locations throughout the park but you may want to bring an ice cold bottle with you. It get's hot here in the afternoon.

A hat and sunglasses - The sun is very bright and hot in Arizona. You will be thankful for the extra shade about your head and the protection for your eyes.

Suncreen - if you are sensitve to the sun you can easily get an uncomfortable sunburn here in the desert.

Money - they have a wonderful gift shop filled with arts, crafts, books and gardening items and plants.

This month the gardens are holding a "paintout" Throughout the park there are individuals painting and creating art. The Maxine and Jonathan Marshall Butterfly Pavilion exhibit is also open.

One of the great things about the desert botanical gardens is that it can give you a good idea of the types of plants that can be grown here in the Sonoran Desert.

I highly recommend the Desert Botanical Gardens. We should all take time to stop and enjoy the natural beauty around us. It is good for the spirit.

Christmas in Arizona

I've been pretty busy and neglecting my blog. I have more Queen Creek photos to share soon. Below are a few photos I took today in Tucson. A little Christmas cactus humor.