Arizona Desert Museum

The Desert Museum is a mixture of vegetation, insect life, as well as animal and bird sanctuaries. Some of the animals are contained outdoors in a habitat type environment (mountain lions, long horned goats, wild boars, coyotes, etc.) One netted area contained hummingbirds that flew all around us. The butterfly museum was a bevy of activity. Trails enable you to visit these animals and the vegetation in the open desert setting.

Nick took this photo of the hummingbird sitting in its nest. It is one of the best shots he's ever taken and we will be making a print of this for the wall. It was an incredible sight to be five feet from her. She was not bothered by the crowds at all.

Sabino Canyon

Our friends highly recommended hiking in this canyon. We were stunned by its beauty and contradictions between desert and lush vegetation. The tram takes you to the top of the mountain and stops four times along the way if you choose to walk a portion. We rode to the top and hiked over three miles to the bottom. I have a large stick with me as there were numerous and detailed instructions about what to do if confronted by a mountain lion. Yikes!! I spent the first twenty minutes looking for them before I finally relaxed.

This is one of the many nooks to enjoy when you leave the trail. Breathtaking!

This is the main trail (a paved road) for chickens like us. Many people leave the "safe area"and wander through the very rough trails. Big sticks required!

The photo of the rocks in the river bed is Nick's attempt to imitate Ansel Adams. You could spend hours photographing the scenery. Is that Jennifer Anistan sitting by the river?