Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Discovering Phoenix, Arizona

Art district in Scottsdale
Art district in Scottsdale

Living in Southern California, I’ve always been interested in the dry desert climate of our neighbor to the east, Arizona. Last December, when we finally visited Phoenix, we got a much better idea of landscape of the state and fell in love with its desert plants.

Our first destination in Phoenix was Heard Museum, well known for its great collection of American Indian art. We were drawn right away to the unique garden featuring cacti, other desert flora and various sculptures among the trees and shrubs.

After taking quite a few photos, we stepped inside the museum and were just in time for the start of a performance by Native American hoop dancers. Dressed in bright-hued costumes, the dancers exhibited a visible pride in this exquisite art form, and the audience was captivated by their dancing and singing – a traditional form of storytelling in Native American culture.

Sponsored
Sponsored

After the performance, our tour of the galleries took about an hour, and was a learning experience that exposed us more to the history and culture. Interestingly, the most impressive among all exhibitions was the collection of American Indian dolls.

Leaving Heard Museum, we headed to the Desert Botanical Garden in the afternoon. We’ve always wanted to see its display of desert plants, and finally the sighting of cacti of different shapes and heights there satisfied our curiosity.

As we approached the entrance of the botanical garden, awe-inspiring cacti around 20 feet high came into view. Each of them looked like a giant scarecrow without arms, standing lonely in the midst of low shrubs and bushes.

Once inside the garden, a greater collection of different species of cacti greeted us with various gestures: some were short and chubby with flat leaves; some were ball-like bulky creatures with yellow flowers on top; some were as tall as 30 feet and thin like totem poles; some were cute like cartoon figures, shaped like pumpkins; some were long and spiny, shaped like the tentacles and arms of a squid; some, the size of softballs, clung tightly to the ground and formed clusters; others had the texture of a tortoise shell.

Together with all the other vines, shrubs, trees and flowers – some of which were endangered species – our reaction to the botanical garden was simply “wow!”

Before sunset, we hit Scottsdale, Arizona, to catch a glimpse of the art district there. Strolling along for several blocks, we were surprised to see so many art galleries side by side, some with great collections of American Indian artwork. Scottsdale looked like an ideal place for art lovers and shoppers – and there was more cacti!

In all, the trip changed my previous impression of Arizona: a collage of horrible movie scenes of murders on highway roadsides, desolate gas stations and hotels, mysterious flying objects in deserts, etc.

And importantly, I discovered a newfound love for cacti. Have you ever thought of hugging a pumpkin-like cactus? I have, since then!

Pheonix, AZ from L C on Vimeo.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Centennial Salute to San Diego’s Military, East Village Block Party, Birding Basics Class

Events March 29-March 30, 2024
Art district in Scottsdale
Art district in Scottsdale

Living in Southern California, I’ve always been interested in the dry desert climate of our neighbor to the east, Arizona. Last December, when we finally visited Phoenix, we got a much better idea of landscape of the state and fell in love with its desert plants.

Our first destination in Phoenix was Heard Museum, well known for its great collection of American Indian art. We were drawn right away to the unique garden featuring cacti, other desert flora and various sculptures among the trees and shrubs.

After taking quite a few photos, we stepped inside the museum and were just in time for the start of a performance by Native American hoop dancers. Dressed in bright-hued costumes, the dancers exhibited a visible pride in this exquisite art form, and the audience was captivated by their dancing and singing – a traditional form of storytelling in Native American culture.

Sponsored
Sponsored

After the performance, our tour of the galleries took about an hour, and was a learning experience that exposed us more to the history and culture. Interestingly, the most impressive among all exhibitions was the collection of American Indian dolls.

Leaving Heard Museum, we headed to the Desert Botanical Garden in the afternoon. We’ve always wanted to see its display of desert plants, and finally the sighting of cacti of different shapes and heights there satisfied our curiosity.

As we approached the entrance of the botanical garden, awe-inspiring cacti around 20 feet high came into view. Each of them looked like a giant scarecrow without arms, standing lonely in the midst of low shrubs and bushes.

Once inside the garden, a greater collection of different species of cacti greeted us with various gestures: some were short and chubby with flat leaves; some were ball-like bulky creatures with yellow flowers on top; some were as tall as 30 feet and thin like totem poles; some were cute like cartoon figures, shaped like pumpkins; some were long and spiny, shaped like the tentacles and arms of a squid; some, the size of softballs, clung tightly to the ground and formed clusters; others had the texture of a tortoise shell.

Together with all the other vines, shrubs, trees and flowers – some of which were endangered species – our reaction to the botanical garden was simply “wow!”

Before sunset, we hit Scottsdale, Arizona, to catch a glimpse of the art district there. Strolling along for several blocks, we were surprised to see so many art galleries side by side, some with great collections of American Indian artwork. Scottsdale looked like an ideal place for art lovers and shoppers – and there was more cacti!

In all, the trip changed my previous impression of Arizona: a collage of horrible movie scenes of murders on highway roadsides, desolate gas stations and hotels, mysterious flying objects in deserts, etc.

And importantly, I discovered a newfound love for cacti. Have you ever thought of hugging a pumpkin-like cactus? I have, since then!

Pheonix, AZ from L C on Vimeo.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Centennial Salute to San Diego’s Military, East Village Block Party, Birding Basics Class

Events March 29-March 30, 2024
Next Article

Navy solves San Diego homeless crisis by retiring four locally moored ships

Decommision Accomplished
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.