Arizona Vacation

A documentation of our trip to Tucson, Arizona this past April...better late than never right? So, here goes:

First, we flew into the Phoenix Airport, where we were picked up by my parents. Then, we took the scenic drive to Tucson, and stopped on the way at the Mesa Temple and Visitor's Center (which you should all visit when you get the chance), as well as a couple of church bookstores. Finally, we arrived in Tucson, stopped by and spent some time with my Grandma Bern, then went out to eat at the Golden Corrall. Finished, full, and worn out from the heat (98 degrees), we crashed at my parents new house on the other side of town.

The next day, we went to Colossal Cave, a natural, completely dry cave formed from sulfuric acid. It was my first time being in a cave, and it was totally cool! We went on a guided tour, learned the history of the cave, and saw a lot of really neat formations. I took a million pictures, but none of them really do it justice, so I won't post many of them on here.

Here's the cave entrance:

Trav and I walking along the cave path:

A view of the cave ceiling:

A super neat cave wall formation:

Me, with my mom walking in front:

This had been the first time that my dad had visited the cave since he was a teenager/in his early twenties, and the first time ever for the rest of us, so we all had a good time. Thanks mom and dad!

The next day, we went to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, one of our favorite spots in Tucson. It is a museum dedicated to the wildlife (plants and animals) of the Sonoran Desert. There are specialists who teach you about various plants and animals, as well as indoor and outdoor venues for the animals. And the really neat part of it is that it is mostly an outdoor museum!

Here is a view of the Sonoran Desert (beautiful, huh? The tall cacti are Saguaros. We also saw agaves, ocatillos, and prickly pear, to name a few of the plants):

Here we are walking along the path to see some of the animals:

I had to get a picture of Trav in the desert--it being his first time and all:

This is an owl that one of the museum volunteers talked to us about (I didn't use the zoom for this picture). I think he's beautiful.

I love this picture. It makes me laugh every time I look at it. You can't help but wonder what the deer is thinking.

A prickly pear:

This little guy crawled into and out of one of the exhibits =)

Here is a coyote:

My dad used to have a dog that was part coyote when he was younger, and truly has a love for dogs. (Notice what the coyote is looking at.)

After we saw the outdoor exhibits, we went into an auditorium where they had a presentation on Gila Monsters and Rattle Snakes (called "Live, and sort of on the loose"). It was cool to safely see these creatures in person, and to learn more about them.

Thanks mom and dad for a fun time at the museum!