When I was planning my trip to Phoenix, I added an extra day to my itinerary for the sole purpose of getting outside the city to explore a bit of the desert. I wanted to see large cacti up close and I really wanted an experience different that the previous days spent exploring the urban environment of downtown Phoenix. Every local I met during my visit stressed to me that I had to visit the Desert Botanical Garden, located about 30 minutes outside the city. I’d get to see all the cacti I wanted in a well-planned garden that blended a rugged terrain with interpretive signs to help me learn more about the vegetation that is indigenous to Arizona.

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