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| - The Desert Botanical Garden is a real treasure. I would rank it right up with the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California as an absolute "must-not-miss" regional attraction.
We visited the Garden recently on our "day off" between Spring Training games. I had thought it would be worth spending, maybe, an hour or two on, and was actually worried that I hadn't planned anything else to do that day. As it was, we stayed nearly four hours, and are already planning our visit for "next time."
The Garden is huge, and is organized along various themed "loop" trails. We took the "Desert Discovery" loop first, which took us past plants (cacti, succulents, and trees) native to the various deserts of the world. Well-informed and friendly docents staffed stations along the trail, answering questions and demonstrating such things as how the interior of a cactus absorbs water or how the native peoples have used desert plants for everything from construction to medicine. That led to the second trail we chose to explore: "Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert," which explores the ways in which the native and Hispanic peoples who have called this area home throughout the centuries have used the various plants and habitats for everything from food and medicine to shelter, worship, and artwork. After a brief break for lunch, we took a turn on the "Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail," which showcases the plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert. We also paid a visit to the succulent and cactus galleries.
The whole place is fascinating, and extremely well-done. We'd have stayed longer if we'd had the energy!
We also saw an amazing array of birds (the quail and the cactus wrens were my favorites). Books posted throughout the exhibits encouraged visitors to record their wildlife sightings, and we were very happy to record that we'd spotted a jackrabbit!
Tours of the Garden are available as part of your admission...we didn't avail ourselves of one this visit, but they sounded interesting.
If you visit, be sure to wear a good sunscreen and a hat, and to carry water with you (you'd be amazed at how quickly you can dehydrate in a desert climate!).
The park has two dining options: A casual cafe and a sit-down restaurant. We chose to eat at the cafe, which features salads and wraps (I had a very satisfying hummus and tabbouli plate). It was interesting to see quail begging for tidbits, as sparrows, starlings, and pigeons do in other habitats (it was also hilarious watching the very territorial ground squirrels chasing the quail!)
The Garden is also enhanced by original artwork, including Philip Haas's intriguing "Four Seasons."
Another thing to remember if you visit: allow plenty of time for the very nice gift shop! We managed to pick up unique and affordable gifts for family back home, as well as a couple of souvenirs for ourselves, without spending a lot of money.
We're very glad we chose to spend our free day here, and we will definitely return, should we be fortunate enough to visit the Phoenix area again
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