Deciding to visit zoos in the towns and cities that we travel to is a no-brainer. First off, with our membership to our zoo here in Seattle (Woodland Park Zoo), our entry to other zoos is often free or discounted. Secondly, it’s one of those win-win places for kids and adults. Plenty for grown-ups to enjoy without feeling like they are missing out and sitting at the kiddie table all day, but also so engaging for children with exhibits designed just for them. It would be hard to find a kid who wasn’t interested in animals, right?
Hiking Lake Pleasant Regional Park: Typical Arizona with a Few Surprises
We packed a whole lot of Arizona into one excursion during our visit to the state a couple of weeks ago.
A whole lot of typical Arizona was involved. You know…
- Saguaro cactus (among other varieties) towering over us, waving
Travel Snapshots: Poolside at Phoenix’ J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort
Do you ever feel the post-travel blues? You get back from a trip, and just feel down in the dumps, wishing you were back exploring that fantastic place with perfect weather? Yes? What’s more, the feeling doubles when the day after you return home, it’s your birthday!
Instead of having a pity-party though, I’m reminiscing.
My 2.5 year old couldn’t get enough of the water.
Trip Planning with Kids: Building Background Knowledge with Books
What’s your favorite way to plan and research for upcoming travel? Do you involve your kids?
With Bergen (2.5 years old) talking and understanding more and more, I’ve been anxious to get him involved in some of our traveling planning. While I love that two of us (Mom & Dad) can still ultimately do all the deciding, its fun to see what types of things that really peak his interest.
Built into two different books (both reviewed on the blog), one a family travel handbook, one a memoir, is a tip I couldn’t wait to try with Bergen. Both authors suggested visiting the public library with kids before a trip to explore the available books and resources on the locale. Travel guides, non-fiction books about the landscape, fictional stories set in the location, maps…you name it, they all have a place in getting kids excited about travel and loading them up with information.
Kids are explores by nature, and travel gives them permission to dive deep into their curiosity and open their eyes in surprise. -Tsh Oxenreider
Family’s Favorites for a Springtime Visit to Phoenix’ Desert Botanical Garden
Based on our incident with poor Bergen, you’d think we would have ill feelings (or that we’d want to forget the place all together) toward Phoenix’ Desert Botanical Garden. Despite the mishap however, our only wish is that we’d had more time to explore both the gardens and the surrounding sites within Papago Park as a whole, which includes the Phoenix Zoo, The Hall of Flame, and Hole-in-the-Rock, just to name a few.
We started off the morning being greeted by blown glass art sculptures among beautiful desert plants thanks to Dale Chihuly. We felt right at home (aside from the sunny, dry weather) as there are very similar pieces back home at his new garden and glass museum at the Seattle Center.
Once inside, we learned that essentially the garden is made up of 5 loop trails with other little pathways and diversions in between. Upon entering, to the South is the Desert Discovery Loop, which allows for access to the Center for Desert Living Trail, Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail, and Plants & People of the Sonoran Desert Loop Trail. West of the entrance is the Desert Wildflower Loop Trail.
We explored 4 of the 5 loops with our left-out loop being the Center for Desert Living Trail (no particular reason why, we just ran out of time), and want to pass along our favorites.
Desert Botanical: 10 Family Favorites
1. Cactus
It’s quite obvious that you’ll see cactus at a botanical garden in Phoenix, but what I didn’t expect was to acquire such an affinity toward the desert plants. Coupled with the hike we took in the White Tank Mountains, I really got to know and appreciate all the varieties and little unique characteristics of each.
2. Blooms
We were a little early for full on cactus blooms in their glory, but we were lucky enough to see the beginnings of a few. Peak blooming season is from mid-March to late-April.
3. Cute Furry Friends
Stay put for a little while, or in our case just look for people who look very intent in their photo snapping, and you’re sure to run into one of these ground squirrels. This one in a particular must be used to the lime light because he/she waited so patiently and stayed so still.
4. Art
Check the garden’s website for the latest in events and exhibitions. I loved the way Escobar’s sculptures blended into the landscape, but at the same time added pops of unexpected color. Haas’ exhibit has 3 other sculptures (along with the one pictured below) to depict the 4 Seasons. Each portrait is at least 15 feet tall, and is composed of painted fruits, vegetables, and other plant related accoutrements.
Whispers of a New World by Carolina Escobar
The Four Seasons by Philip Haas
5. Butterflies
The butterfly pavilion is just East of the main Desert Discovery loop, and holds a spring (March-May) and fall (September-November) exhibit. Note that there is an additional charge for non-members of the garden. The pavilion is small, and even though a certain number of guests are allowed in at a time the area get crowded. It was on the “cooler” side for Phoenix standards on the morning we visited, so I’m told there were fewer visible butterflies than usual. We still managed to see some beauties.
6. Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert
This was my husband Slaed’s favorite loop, and I think older kids would particularly enjoy the hands-on aspects of the many displays. We learned on this trip that when people talk about “Ramadas”, they probably are not talking about a “Ramada Inn”, but instead an open porch, trellis or shelter.
7. Birds
I should have guessed (but didn’t) that this would be a birdwatcher’s dream! There are so many perfect perches for our feathered friends, and it was a lot of fun to watch their antics, particularly in the holes that some create in the Saguaros.
8. Agave Yucca Forest
For much of our visit, Bergen sat tight in the stroller. I hate to say it but, we were dreading him getting out because we knew there would be a lot of chasing involved and worry for the plants and his fingers. We finally set him free here and the great boardwalk was a perfect place for him to toddle around and explore.
9. Wildflowers
As you may have read, our visit to this loop was cut short, but what a fantastic contrast to the usual greens of the cacti to see the bright bursting colors of the desert wildflowers. A great place to scope out butterflies and hummingbirds too. Flowers do bloom all year long, but the peak seasons is March-April.
10. Views
Some of the best views of the distant landscape can be seen from the Sonoran Desert Nature Loop Trail. I’m hoping to actually get to hike Camelback Mountain (pictured here) on our next visit to Phoenix.
Info to Know:
- Desert Botanical Garden is located in Phoenix’ Papago Park.
- 1201 N. Galvin Parkway Phoenix, AZ 85008
- Hours: Daily 8am-8pm
- Fees: Adults $18, Seniors (60+) $15, Students $10 (13-18), Children $8 (3-12), Under 3 years FREE
- We purchased our tickets through Groupon, so it wouldn’t hurt to be on the look out for the deal if you plan to go.
- Picnicking is not allowed. The garden has two dining options: Gertrude’s Restaurant, and the smaller Patio Cafe.
Have you visited the Desert Botanical Garden? What was at the top of your viewing list? Got a great botanical garden to add to our list? Please share in the comments!
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This post is linked with Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday.
Phoenix, AZ Rainy Day Adventure: Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium
When planning the trip we took to the Phoenix area last month, we had a few things in mind. Sun, heat, shorts, t-shirts, flip flops, and good times with family were all on the list. On the other hand, while dreaming away of our visit, COLD and RAIN were very far from our minds. The rain of course did have it’s benefits, but it also meant shifts in plans.
With precipitation in the forecast, we needed to be careful in our activity choices, and we certainly weren’t about to take the day off from exploring the area to hunker down at home. Bergen wouldn’t allow that anyway.
The day before this adventure, while Bergen was tucked away for the night and Slaed and his Mom tried their luck at bingo, I scoured handouts, magazines and newspaper clippings (all bundled together by my mother-in-law) for a proper outing given the circumstances. The Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium seemed to be our best bet.
With it’s location in Litchfield Park, AZ (Northwest of Phoenix), the attraction is not too far from where we were staying in Sun City. Given that the facility now has the addition of an aquarium, I knew that along with a few other indoor exhibits, we’d have enough coverage in the event of a downpour. Also, zoos are fun for all ages and not just adult or kid focused.
Not such a sunny city on this day…
As we arrived, we were faced with a few negatives. The first: A hoard of middle school students. I don’t know about you, but middle school students by the dozen terrify me, even with a background as a school teacher. The noise level alone sends me running for the hills. One on one, and in small groups, however, the 12-14 year old set can be quite lovely. The second negative: The price. At $30 dollars per adult, I thought the cost was quite steep for the zoo’s size and offerings.
Cautiously optimistic, we charged ahead (in the opposite direction of the middle schoolers), and began to explore some exhibits starting with birds and monkeys near the entrance. While the creatures were beautiful, I couldn’t help but notice the tight quarters of their living space. It was also hard to overlook the employees smoking right outside the animal’s home. My hope is that their time in these enclosures is temporary for purposes of people to view them, but I’m afraid this is probably not the case.
We moved on to the petting zoo area where there are a variety of animals for kids and adults to interact with. Tortoises, goat, chickens, and even small deer were waiting for us to spend time with them. You could of course buy a handful of pellets for 50 cents to feed some of the animals. Unfortunately, we learned that Bergen is absolutely terrified of petting zoos, or possibly goats? He was not comfortable walking around the fenced area, and screamed and cried, so needless to say, we made a quick exit. This was fine by me as it was difficult to find a clear spot to step in the mess of goat droppings.
As we traveled up past the porcupine and meerkats, things started to look up. Bergen enjoyed seeing many of the African animals at a distance, and we were surprised at how many creatures we saw that we have actually never seen before. We marveled at large groups of hoofed animals like gazelles, antelopes, and addax. We also had the chance to see many animals that we see from afar (or hiding) at our zoo, quite close. One particular favorite of our group was a trio of lovely warthogs who certainly lived up to their name!
Our funniest encounter had to be the New Guinea Singing Dog. If we hadn’t read the sign, we honestly would have thought they plucked a little mutt from the Humane Society, and put him in the zoo. I now know that the singing K-9’s are a true species of dog. Their howl really does sound like singing, but they seem to run around just like any other dog would in their backyard. We couldn’t help but think of Norman, our pup back home.
With the rains headed our way and lunchtime approaching, we squeezed in our inside visit with the baby white tiger, hurried past the flamingos, and took some time to explore the aquarium areas. Just outside the indoor portion, by the log flume ride, of the aquarium is a family of river otters. These guys are adorable, and always my favorite at all the zoos and aquariums we visit. They just know how to have a good time swimming, sliding, and standing up on their hind legs to check something out.
We got to see some beautiful fish, and there is one station where kids can touch (and sternly enforced not pick up) starfish, urchins, and even feed stingrays.
Would I go back? Absolutely not.
Do I feel like it was a complete waste of time? Of course not. Together we laughed, got to see animals we’ve never seen before, and learned a few things along the way.
Info to Know:
- Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium is located about 40 minutes Northwest of Phoenix.
- 16501 W. Northern Ave., Litchfield Park, AZ 85340, (623)-935-WILD (9453)
- Hours:
- Zoo: 9am-6pm Daily
- Aquarium: 9am-9pm Daily
- Fees: Adults $29 + tax, Kids (3-12 years) $14.25, Children (3 and under) FREE
- Check local newspapers and websites for a possible $4-off coupon.
- For lunch, we dined at Dillon’s Barbeque, which is located on the zoo and aquarium premises. We were more impressed with the location (visited last year) in Peoria food-wise, but here we got to sit right next the shark tank, which was quite an experience.
Visited a great zoo or aquarium? Tell us about it in the comments! Visited a not-so-great one? We want to hear about that too!
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This post is linked with RWeThereYetMom?’s Friday Daydreamin’! and Delicious Baby.