A Quick Visit to the Desert Botanical Garden, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020

When I first created this post, something was wrong and it would not let me post any photos, so it appeared that the post was empty.  This led to some comments below from family members, but now I have completed the post.

 

We had a quick trip to Phoenix Sunday and that allowed me to spend about an hour at the Garden.  The first thing that surprised me was that there was hardly anyone there - maybe the fact that it was just hitting 100 degrees when I arrived caused this.  After seeing the prior email updates where attendance this year exceeded last year, I expected to see a lot of people.  Don't get me wrong, there were visitors and staff there, but just not very many people.  I also expected that everything would be one way - while the cross trails were closed, there really wasn't much done to make the side trails or the main DDT one way.  Everyone was wearing their masks, except when eating and drinking at one the eight tables at the patio cafe.  And there were signs still up from two different weddings on Saturday.

In any event, the entrance gardens are looking good.

One of my favorite boojum trees greeted me.

Except for the fish hanging from the roof of the succulent gallery, it appeared that most of the Cracking Art plastic sculptures were there, including the snails in the entry portal.

Lots of fruit on some of the prickly pear cactus.

The Center for Desert Living Trail had some nice color.

The "Elephant in the Room" is no longer inside at the Ottosen Gallery - it has moved outside and is now "Conserve the Memory."

The Sonoran Desert Nature Loop is open, except for the area with the two telescopes. 

The compass barrel cacti there were looking good.

When I was on the People and Plants of the Sonoran Desert trail, I got to play docent near the saguaro station.  The solar powered cameras from the BBC are still there taking photos every hour and some visitors were about to walk off the trail to get a closer look of them.  While wearing my mask and keeping my distance, I explained to them what the cameras were doing.

After passing the ponds, I saw that the dry gardens on PPSD have been overtaken by sunflowers.

The Mesquite Bosquet has been trimmed back more than I have ever seen.

In the distance, I could see that there were visitors to the "Hole in the Wall" next door at Papago Park.

Another barrel cactus looking good, near the fire pit.

There is not a lot to see on the wildflower trail.

After a pleasant hour and about two miles walking, I walked the two miles to the light rail at Washington and Priest, rode the light rail to Central and Camelback and walked the mile to our condo on 7th Street.  Then it was pizza for late afternoon lunch, and then the two and a half hour drive back to Flagstaff.