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Scottsdale Our introduction to the Sonoran Desert is thanks to Desert Botannical Garden, Phoenix. dbg.org
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| Reference Map | Incoming | Scottsdale Old Town | |
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This commences "Exploring the Southwest III." The third and last installment of successive sightseeing trips, it fulfills a plan Noriko hatched years ago. Living in the U.S. for 39 years she had heard of many interesting places in the Southwest. Each of the trips was relatively grueling on account of relentless moving from place to place. We had a lot to see. Measured by the total numnber of snapshots, this one took the record. We briefly visited astonishing places. Because our visits were brief we made our cameras remember for us. | |||
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Our destinations in southwestern and central Arizona; the extents of our travels.
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On her flight from Seattle Kay flew over a lot of beautiful desert.
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_21may04-k_1515.jpg Finally, the sprawl of Phoenix.  |
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Scottsdale has scale; Phoenix has none. Just arrived from the airport, we sample the town and the very warm dry air. Scottsdale does not overwhelm with culture, cognizance, hostory or astute urban planning. At least, its city blocks are smaller and walkable than those of Phoenix. The street art is quickly persued and not inspiring. Let's hope they keep trying. But visitors are not drawn by Scottsdale's street art. We were here for Cinco de Mayo.
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This is Scottsdale public art. Better than nothing. _21may04-k_1821.jpg  |
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No prior experience prepares you for the Sonoran desert. "Is this stuff real or something dreamed up by movie set designers?"
I doubt that any other desert supports such a rich diversity of flora, all beautiful, much strange. We read every narrative board because we knew nothing and wanted to know everything. | ||
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_21may05-k_1135.jpg Fasciation of a saguaro. This is popularly known as a "crested saguaro". But fasciation occurs in many types of succulents.  |
_21may05-k_1139.jpg The green bark belongs to the palo verde tree, a species beloved by landscape designers and ordinary folk. Photosynthesis is performed by green trunk and branches regardless of absence of leaves.  |
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_21may05-b_1155a.jpg The Boojum tree, the most outlandish plant of all. It actually is native to to Baja. It's name was given by Godfrey Sykes and is taken from Lewis Carroll's poem "The Hunting of the Snark."  |
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