Cactuses!

When I first got the call that I would be doing the tour, I immediately went through the list of cities on the itinerary. I had to see what fun extra curricular activities I would be able to partake in. When I saw Tempe, I immediately knew what I wanted to do. Years ago when I was a kid we took a vacation to the Grand Canyon. Somewhere along the way we stopped off in Phoenix to go to the Desert Botanical Garden. I have been a bit obsessed with cactuses since I was a kid. Now some 20 years later, I am still interested in cactuses, and so I made the trek up to the garden today. It turned out to be a four mile walk from the hotel, but I am very glad that I made the walk. The garden is in Papago Park, which is a desert environment park with many cactuses and the buttes in my last post. The garden itself was great although it was more cactuses than succulents. There were many spectacular plants, and if I had not been on tour I would have dropped a ton of money on plants in the gift shop. Sadly, I found that I really only had vague recollections of our other visit. Hopefully Mom knows where the pictures from our previous visit are (or even slides. It has been forever since we had a slide show!). I am hoping to make a return visit before I leave, but it is supposed to rain tomorrow! I got rained on today as I walked back, and I am not sure that I want to walk four miles again in the rain. It is just my luck that I am here in the desert when they break their 88 day streak of no measurable rain!

(Just for the record, cactuses is an acceptable plural for cactus. Look it up!)