travel Archives - Page 18 of 31

April 25, 2013

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.

Carolina Escobar: Desert Botanical Garden--wildtalesof.com

Whispers of a New World by Carolina Escobar

Philip Haas: Desert Botanical Garden--www.wildtalesof.com

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.

April 21, 2013

Celebrating National Park Week with Pinnacles

It’s National Park Week here in the United States!

Admission to all parks (including historic sites, recreation areas, monuments, memorials, and more) is free this week (April 22-26, 2013) making this a great opportunity to check out a park near you. According to the National Parks website, every state has at least one national park, and no american is further than 100 miles from a national park! What are you waiting for? Time to get out and explore.

The United States’ newest park to bear the official National Park title is Pinnacles National Park. In January of this year, it was upgraded from a National Monument to a National Park. Pinnacles is located in central California between Highway 101 and Interstate 5, about 60 miles East of the Monterey Bay Peninsula. Pinnacles is special to us. We visited the park during our Central California coast road trip in 2011, which was dubbed one of our two babymoons.

Here we took in the views of distant mountains that seemed to go on forever, marveled at the wild rock formations (called pinnacles), and went on what seemed like the longest wildflower guided-hike in history. The hike went on so long, in fact that we were the only two souls left at the end, accompanied by our most knowledgeable ranger of course! I also have great memories of Slaed and I calling out and playing around with possible baby names for our future little adventurer.

What was the last National Park you visited? (Us: San Juan Island National Historic Park)

Which National Park will you visit next? (Us: Most likely Yellowstone!)

Info to Know:

All National Park Free Entrance Days for 2013:
- 1/21 (MLK)
- 4/22-4/26 (National Park Week)
- 8/25 (National Park Service Birthday),
- 9/28 (Public Lands Day)
- 11/9-11/11 (Veteran’s Day Weekend)
Visit the Find a Park site to find a park near your home or travel destination.
If you think you and your family will visit a few National Parks this year, consider purchasing an Annual Pass for $80.

Come join the conversation! Join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!

April 18, 2013

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.

April 15, 2013

Colds Happen: Traveler’s Tool Kit for Helping Sick Babies and Toddlers on the Road

Babies get colds. For us, every time we turn around, it seems like Bergen has picked up some sort of bug. It’s not often at home though. It always seems that the little guy gets sick when we travel. You’d think we’d call it quits. We’re not about to give it up, even though colds and other sicknesses actually feel so much worse when we’re away from the comforts of home.

With all these colds and just the fact that we are parents of a toddler, you’d also think our tool kit would be pretty obvious, but I’ve added to it in the 18 months or so we have been traveling with Bergen. I just didn’t think of these things or think we’d need them in the beginning.

I’ve learned the hard way that it’s much easier to be prepared, than to scramble at our destination. We can tell you first hand that these tools are readily available (at least where we’ve traveled so far), but who wants to run out to the store at 9, 10, 11 o’clock in the evening?

1. Tylenol/Acetaminophen

In the event of a higher than normal temperature, tylenol/acetaminophen is often a necessary remedy. We also now keep it handy to help with possible ear pain on the airplane.

2. Snot Sucker

Whether you use an aspirator or one of those “nose fridas”, it’s nice to be able to help your little one out with the endless spicket of mucus that comes out of the nose during a cold. I always feel so bad that they don’t know how to blow their nose! Even just a few months ago we weren’t traveling with this tool. Since we had to go out and buy a new one on Christmas day while traveling in California, I find room for it in your bag!

3. Saline

Another recent addition. The little bottles of baby saline that gently depress a moisturizing salt and water mixture into the nasal passages really help clear up Bergen’s stuffy nose. Also, with so few remedies out there that are appropriate for babies, I can at least feel like I’m doing something!

4. Thermometer

Yet another tool that I didn’t instinctively pack. Thankfully Bergen really hasn’t had any worrisome temperature spikes, but it’s nice to be able to rule out a fever when faced with the sick baby.

5. Anti-bacterial Wipes

I’m thinking some of you out there can think of endless possibilities for these, some might think they are overkill. For me, I’m not one to go crazy cleaning every surface my little guy might possibly touch. Some germs are good, right? However, a few wipes do come in handy when noses are running all over the place, and Bergen is spreading his sickness everywhere.

6. Tissues

It’s nice to have a little travel-size pack for obvious reasons, but again I didn’t always intuitively take these along. The softer, the better to save their poor little noses.

7. Vaseline/Petroleum Jelly

We now carry along a little tube and find it quite useful. For us, it’s particularly helpful for when Bergen’s runny nose has been wiped too many times for us to count and it’s red, irritated, and sometimes even dry and cracked. I also hear vaseline is necessary for use of some types of thermometers.

Traveler’s Tool Kit for Helping Sick Babies and Toddlers on the Road: WildTalesOf.com

Poor guy spent a sleepless Christmas Eve…now we’re more prepared.

Note: I’m in no way a health professional. For advice on treating colds and other sicknesses, consult your physician.

You must have additions of easy-to-pack remedies and tools for the cold kit. Please add your ideas for tools and products that will help all of our little ones. Leave a comment!

Come join the conversation! Join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!

This post is part of Travel Tips Tuesday on WalkingOn Travels and Suitcases and Sippy Cups.

More on traveling with babies and toddlers:

April 4, 2013

A Visit to Arizona’s Biltmore Hotel: Mom & Toddler’s Takeaways

While in the Phoenix area we managed to squeeze in a visit to the Arizona Biltmore Hotel. Between Bergen’s nap schedule, Mariner Spring Training games, and vital family time, we were busy, and taking your toddler to a luxury hotel was a bit of a hard sell to my travel companions. I was curious about the design. I heard raves about the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture, and on the other hand, I heard others say it reminded them of a jail.

This adventure needed to be quick and focused. We still managed to enjoy ourselves though as we toured the grounds with drinks in hand.

I had to takeaways from the experience:

Look Up
Look Out

When looking up, the details in the ceiling and in the lighting are incredible. I learned that Frank Lloyd Wright is known for his use of low ceilings, and this was especially evident to me in the bathroom of all places. My favorite though was the lighting in Wright’s Restaurant.

Wander out to the courtyard, look out, and you’ll notice all the little touches that make this space an architectural marvel. The landscaping, the placement of artwork, and the structure of the hotel itself all come together and was quite pleasing to my eye. I also feel like Camelback Mountain in the distance is necessary for all of these elements to work.

Bergen (18 months) also had two takeaways from the experience:

Throw oranges
Try to take a swim in those lovely fountains

Ever since he found out that balls were for throwing, he’s found all sorts of round shaped objects to practice his skill. The abundance of oranges in the Phoenix area was perfect for his new hobby and worked wonders on the his accuracy.

Bergen is a water baby. He seems to think any water, whether an ice cold lake, murky swamp, or gorgeous fountain, would be a great place to take a dip. In fact we quickly had to whisk him away from the pool because he started throwing a fit not being able to get in and enjoy a swim.

Needless to say, I’m a fan of the hotel and the hotel’s design even though I may never get chance to actually spend the night!

Are you a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright? What structures of his design have you visited?

Come join the conversation! Join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!

This post is linked up with Budget Traveler’s Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday!

March 28, 2013

Escape the Ordinary and Experience the Magic of Orcas Island Pottery

If you spend even just a couple hours on Orcas Island, a San Juan Island North of Seattle, you’d really need to be out of it not to notice art sprinkled all around in nooks and crannies and in places you wouldn’t necessary expect. Many art installations, like the sparkly mobile hanging on the side of the road going into town essentially became landmarks for me, reminding us of an upcoming turn or destination.

Unfortunately, many of the galleries and museums are closed during the winter months (we visited the island this past January). If places were actually open, they often had limited hours, so some of my choices for outings, like the Howe Sculpture Garden, had to wait for another visit.

One truly special place stays open year round though, with hours that easily worked into our schedule. Orcas Island Pottery is no ordinary pottery studio. It’s been around for generations. In fact, it’s the oldest existing craft shop on the island and the oldest pottery studio in the entire Northwest!

You might think it would be quite foolish to bring a young, energetic, rambunctious toddler to a place that sells, makes and displays pottery, but it turns out Orcas Island Pottery is great for kids and adults alike. That’s not to say we could kick back and relax, we still had to watch Bergen like a hawk. The difference is that he had diversions and he was welcome.

For one, the grounds are spacious with lots of room to run around and little paths to take. Plenty of recognizable (and some not) ornaments and fascinating objects to point at and wonder about. Did I mention we were visiting in January? We had the place to ourselves.

Once Bergen was tired of wandering around, he climbed up and explored an incredibly built tree house. From the top, we were able to view the property as a whole and I took some time to look out onto the President’s Channel with other islands and even Canada in the distance.

Later, the friendly potters invited Bergen and Slaed in to learn about how all this beautiful work is crafted. Bergen even got to touch the clay and watch real live students try their hand at the art. Syd Exton, the owner of Orcas Island Pottery gave them a personal tour, and helped us to pick out a set of glasses; perfect for sipping wine.

And finally, our visit was capped off with a good old-fashioned swing. Bergen’s definitely done some swinging in his little life and has enjoyed some nice views, but this one has to be at the top of his list.

Info to Know:

Orcas Island Pottery:
- 338 Old Pottery Road Eastsound, Washington 98245 (follow signs)
- 360-376-2813
- Open Everyday (except Christmas and Easter) 10am-5pm
With so much to explore, plan to stay for an hour or so.
Owners are welcoming. On a nice day or evening, feel free to pack a picnic and enjoy it on their grounds.

What’s been your experience with toddlers and art studios, galleries and museums? Share your stories and tips.

Come join the conversation! Join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!

Desert Botanical: 10 Family Favorites

You must have additions of easy-to-pack remedies and tools for the cold kit. Please add your ideas for tools and products that will help all of our little ones. Leave a comment!

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