What makes the Sonoran desert unique? It is the wettest, hottest, and most bio diverse desert in North America.The Sonoran desert is the only place on the planet where the saguaro cactus grows in the wild. This giant cactus can grow to 70 feet and live to be 150 years old. They bloom in the night, when the gorgeous white flowers are pollinated by bats. In addition to the saguaro, common plants include the barrel cactus, organ-pipe cactus, prickly pear, cholla, ocotillo, yucca, agave and palo verde, to name a few. After our trip to Florida, returning to Arizona feels like coming back home. It's familiar territory, we have been here several times in the past and we feel comfortable in a desert. This time, we have discovered some great new places around the Tucson area. I have to say, it makes me feel kind of sad that this could be our last time at this beautiful desert land. Maybe not, you never know.
Sunday, February 28, 2021
2021.02.28 Sonoran Desert, Arizona
What makes the Sonoran desert unique? It is the wettest, hottest, and most bio diverse desert in North America.The Sonoran desert is the only place on the planet where the saguaro cactus grows in the wild. This giant cactus can grow to 70 feet and live to be 150 years old. They bloom in the night, when the gorgeous white flowers are pollinated by bats. In addition to the saguaro, common plants include the barrel cactus, organ-pipe cactus, prickly pear, cholla, ocotillo, yucca, agave and palo verde, to name a few. After our trip to Florida, returning to Arizona feels like coming back home. It's familiar territory, we have been here several times in the past and we feel comfortable in a desert. This time, we have discovered some great new places around the Tucson area. I have to say, it makes me feel kind of sad that this could be our last time at this beautiful desert land. Maybe not, you never know.
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
2021.01.22 Quinta Mazatlan, McAllen, TX
The adobe home was designed and built by a composer, writer, and adventurer Jason Chilton Matthews during late 1930's.
The grounds consist of the house and beautiful gardens with sculptures, water features and native trees and plants. You can also find a lot of different species of birds in here; they claim over 250 species, but we only saw a few of them. Overall this little gem in the Rio Grande Valley did not disappoint.
Thursday, January 21, 2021
2021.01.21 South Padre Island, TX
The very last resort town on the Gulf of Mexico in the most southern tip of Texas, South Padre Island is a very popular place for Canadian snowbirds. The beaches are super wide with beautiful sand dunes. You can found lots of big shells here and we saw a bunch of pelicans resting on the beach as well. It was fairly quiet, not too many people around, just a few fishermen and some people horseback riding. It was relaxing and peaceful, but I have to say it was a long boring drive from Corpus Christi to South Padre Island.
Saturday, January 16, 2021
2021.01.16 Bishop's Palace, Galveston, TX
The victorian style mansion was built 1886-1892 by Walter Gresham, a steel and railroad tycoon, and designed by architect Nicolas Clayton.
The house is one of a few buildings to survive the great 1900 hurricane that destroyed almost entire Galveston Island. There are beautiful stained glass windows, elaborate carved woodwork, and impressive fireplaces. This is an interesting historic place that is worth seeing while visiting Galveston, TX.
Thursday, January 14, 2021
2021.01.14 Vermilionville Historic Village, Lafayette, Louisiana
The village consists of Acadian, Creole and Native American cultures from the time period of 1765-1890. There are 19 structures, including several restored original homes with local artisans that provide demonstrations on a variety of crafts. We spent a pleasant afternoon at this living history museum with a folklife park, and got a brief and very interesting overview of the Cajun and Acadian history.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)