Desert Botanical Gardens

On our last day in Phoenix (finally, I know), we used our Franklin Park Conservatory membership to check out the Desert Botanical Gardens. Being from Ohio where exotic plants really only thrive indoors, I was expecting a small conservatory or greenhouse, similar to the ones we have here. But, this was a *huge* desert garden, out in the great outdoors.


When we first arrived, a nice lady from the park greeted us and informed us that we had to stay on the paths, not run, not touch *anything* in the park, and to try not to fall on the cactus plants, because none of them were trimmed and they were all very dangerous. She pretty much freaked Connor out, so we decided to keep Lex strapped in the stroller. Then, to make the boys feel better, the nice lady gave each Connor and Lex one small plastic lizard to play with. And play with them they did. Lex kept throwing his lizard out of the stroller and then crying because the "lizard ran away from me, Mommy!" I think I picked that stupid lizard up approximately 150 times, but it kept him happy enough while in the stroller.

Photo by Connor
(He is getting pretty good with the camera, huh?)

The place was so vast that we only explored one path: the Desert Discovery Loop Trail. We met some small critters, including this cute guy and some birds.

My favorite cactus was the purple prickly pear. I didn't realize that cactus plants came in all different colors until we saw them all grouped together.

The path we took was very secluded, and there were all sorts of buildings replicating the building styles of the native people of the Sonoran Desert.

The boys had fun exploring this part. We even let Lex out of the stroller for a little bit.

He was pretty happy about that.

Well, after wandering around until we were about half-way through the path, and playing in all the buildings, the kids were tired and ready to go home. But, they had forgotten where we really were. Lex said, "We are stuck in the middle of the desert, Mommy! We are never going to get out!" He was so distressed about it, and Connor was so tired, that I ended up carrying Lex and pushing Connor in the stroller for the second half of the path, and we made a beeline back for the parking lot.

We only stopped to see one more thing: some Chihuly glass art installed at the park entrance.

Desert Towers
by Chihuly

The end.