A photographic celebration of the city of Tucson, AZ
A spring trip to the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, AZ inspired this post. See also my first post about this zoo.
1 This is Tuari, a baby Grevy’s Zebra. His name comes from TUcson ARIzona in honor of his birth city. He will be transfered to another zoo when he is old enough to be away from his mother. For now we get to enjoy his antics as he grows up.
Lately it seems that this is how often I post. I hope to do better in 2010, but to end 2009, and celebrate the second full moon of December, popularly known as a blue moon, that happens on December 31, 2009, I thought I’d post some of my favorite moon shots from the past several years.
1 A saguaro cactus is silhouetted by the rising moon in Saguaro National Park on the east side of Tucson, AZ.
Although there are no running rivers in Tucson anymore, we still have many bridges that span the dry riverbeds and the large washes that feed them. The expansion joints under these bridges provide an ideal habitat for several bat species that live here during the warmer months. Every evening, at sunset, thousands of bats emerge from under these bridges to eat their fill of insects throughout the night. Below are some images of one such emergence from the Broadway bridge over the Pantano wash.
1 Thousands of bats emerge from under the bridge near Broadway and Pantano on the east side of Tucson, AZ.
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is located about 15 miles west of Tucson. One of the first naturalistic zoos in the nation, it also has features of a museum and botanical garden. The Desert Museum focuses on the plant and animal life of the Sonoran desert and is one of the most visited attractions in Tucson. Below are a few of the animals that you might see on a trip there.
1 A Desert Bighorn Ewe stands at attention in her enclosure at The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum outside of Tucson, AZ.
Since Tucson sits between several mountain ranges–the Catalinas to the North, the Rincons to the East, The Santa Ritas to the South and the Tucson Mountains to the West–there are many canyons to hike and explore, all within an hours drive (or so). A favorite of many residents is Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains, South of town. Here are a few wildflowers taken on a hike through Madera Canyon several years ago.
1 Yellow flowers grow at the base of a tree in Madera Canyon.
Summer in Tucson means monsoon rains. The heat creates a convective force creating thunderheads over the mountains, that then move through the city, dumping rain on its residents. These late afternoon storms often leave a canvas of clouds on which the beautiful sunsets Tucson has become famous for are painted. But the monsoon is not the only time we enjoy these amazing sites—our signature sunsets happen year round. Enjoy these sunsets.
1 Light poles at a park are silhouetted by the setting sun in Tucson, AZ.
Many years ago what is now the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, AZ, was a series of square concrete cages housing the typical assortment of animals – lions, tigers, monkeys. The zoo has come a long way, with all animals in much larger areas designed to be more like their natural habitats. Where possible, animals are grouped together as they would be in the wild, such as the zebras and ostrichs. There are plans to expand the zoo to provide even more area for the animals to roam.
1 One of the giraffes at the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson, AZ gets up close and personal with the camera.
Sufficient winter rains bring a beautiful season of wildflowers in the spring, and a sufficiently wet monsoon will do the same in the summer.
1 This beautiful display of wildflowers appeared along Ajo Road near Kitt Peak National Observatory.
A favorite spot for visitors and Tucsonans alike is Sabino Canyon. It serves as a trailhead to miles of hiking into the Catalina Mountains as well as being a place to simply enjoy the beauty of the desert. In the summer, during monsoon, the clouds are fascinating to watch as the thunderheads build in a constantly changing display of beauty and power. Desert dwellers especially appreciate this as the clouds promise cooling rain and he water that is desperately needed for survival in this dry, hot climate.
1 Clouds form in a blue sky over Sabino Canyon outside of Tucson, AZ