I am now a true believer in desert beauty. It came true on this fateful day of 1/14/08 when I had the pleasant fortune of hiking around trails in the Desert Botanical Gardens. I soaked up the knowledge as much as I soaked up the beautiful sunshine and breathtaking aerial views that some of the paths led me.
I even lost track of time while I learned about how much water a Saguaro can hold and doing my best to detect the animals that inhabit the gardens. I spotted jackrabbits and many birds (including quail, and hummingbirds)!
One of my favorite paths told me the stories of the people that have survived off the desert lands for the past decades of years! It explained how they would survive with the resources at hand and gave hands on examples of little projects that kids/adults alike would be very interested in doing. This particular path also gave the descriptions of what various plants/trees/cacti are used for currently (i.e. building, fuel, food, medicinal, etc.).
This place is truly an oasis in the desert!