A visit with Nancy and Steve - part 2

While Nancy and Steve were here, we also drove out to the Boyce Arboretum, near Superior, AZ.

Nancy and Steve had visited the Arboretum in the past, but this was our first visit. The Arboretum was established 100 years ago (established 1924, opened to the public 1929).

Map of the Arboretum - I think you can click on this if you're viewing the blog online in a browser to get a larger picture view.

It has been a very dry year, so there weren't many plants flowering, but this one was!

Some information about deserts -- again, I think you can click on this if you're viewing the blog online in a browser to get a larger picture view.

There was such a diversity of desert plant life to see!

Getting a hug!

Steve and Nancy and Pepper too!

Checking out where we were and where we wanted to go

Some pin-cushion cactus

Golden barrel cactus

We headed out to the easternmost part of the Arboretum, hiking Thompson's Trail...

... by Ayer Lake (which is not a natural lake, but was created to help irrigate the lower section of the park).

You might see some palm trees just left of center -- these are in the area where the water is brought into Ayer Lake.

We saw these signs in multiple places "Rattlesnakes Only Beyond this Point" -- we couldn't figure out why the signs were not closer to the ground -- how could the rattlesnakes read it so far up on a pole?

A beautiful flower

Queen Creek that runs through the Arboretum

A suspension bridge over the creek -- when Steve and Nancy were here before, they took a path that went up on the hills on the far side of the creek, but they said that it was rather steep and all in the sun, so we elected to bypass it on this visit.

Enjoying a bench in the shade!

Nancy is a bit of a tree hugger!

Some of the desert plants make me think of pictures from Dr Seuss books!

Pretty flowers

Back at the entry area, there was a blackboard where people could record wildlife sightings, what they saw and where -- note the 5th one down!

Information about Boyce Arboretum from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyce_Thompson_Arboretum):

Boyce Thompson Arboretum is the oldest and largest botanical garden in the state of Arizona. It is one of the oldest botanical institutions west of the Mississippi River. Founded in 1924 as a desert plant research facility and “living museum”, the arboretum is located in the Sonoran Desert on 392 acres (159 ha) along Queen Creek and beneath the towering volcanic remnant, Picketpost Mountain. Boyce Thompson Arboretum is on U.S. Highway 60, an hour's drive east from Phoenix and 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Superior, Arizona.