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.
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.