A Trip to Tohono Chul

While on vacation to Tucson last January we took a trip to Tohono Chul, a Desert Garden Park. Dick and Jean Wilson donated the property, that use to be their home, to make their vision of a park that shared nature, art, and culture in the Sonoran Desert.

The Tohono Chul Park is not just about the cactus. 

This park has everything! Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardens, displays of all types of desert plants, some desert animal habitats, children's gardens, demonstrations, trails into the desert, a saguaro discovery trail, a desert palms oasis, education centers, citrus plants, statues and art work through out the park, a garden shop,  museum gift shops, and an outstanding bistro.

One of the many hummingbirds that are flying around the park.

This is one of the many pieces of artwork through out the park.

You must wear comfortable shoes, because there was a lot of walking. We not only walked the entire garden but we also did the South Loop Trail (1/5 mile), the Saguaro Discovery Trail (1/4 mile), that is inside the park, and we also did the Desert View Trail (1/2 mile) which felt like it was outside of the park. The Desert View trail had stone markers that had quotes on them that pertained to the desert all along the trail.

This was the view from our walk on the Desert View Trail.

These signs of quotes are all along the Desert View Trail

Another Desert View Trail quote.

The cool part about this park is the many, many varieties of cactus. Some are beautiful, some are ugly, some are useful, some are dangerous, some are iconic, and some are delicious! All are fascinating.

The agave cactus is one of the prettier cacti with dangerous spikes at the ends. 

This is called the Curiosity Plant. I call it the Ugly Cactus.

This cactus is called Ocotillo and is spiked all the way down.

The Park uses the Ocotillo for fencing. Nature's barbed wire fence. 

The Saguaro Discovery Trail has markers and exhibits along the trail that explain the relationship between the saguaro of the Sonoran Desert, and the Tohono O'odham people. The trail is a walking, living, thriving history lesson. It was one of my favorite sections of the park.

The Saguaro is the iconic cactus, the symbol of the West.

There is a lot going on in this Saguaro, a bird lives in the hole and a prickly pear is growing out of its arms. If you look close at the second arm from the left you can see how when the Saguaro grows it adds another ridge. It also doesn't even start growing arms until after it is about 50 years old. They can live to be over 200 years old, but can we really know that for sure?

The plants in the main areas of the park are so beautiful. It is amazing how many types of plants can grow in the Tucson environment. The numerous types of cactus is mind blowing. And as you are walking and looking there are all these interesting beautiful pieces of art mixed in. This is a very unique place.

Another piece of art that fits right into the Parks atmosphere. 

This statue and surrounding planters are displayed in the middle of the Park.

To top it all off we had lunch at the Garden Bistro. The restaurant is in the previous home of Dick and Jean Wilson. We ate out on the patio (in January) and we were surrounded by the Hummingbird Garden and citrus trees. In my blog post on the Desert Museum I mentioned that the restaurants in the museums, and tourist sites, in Tucson are truly amazing, and this was no exceptions. I had the BEC, a pork belly burger, with cheddar cheese, an over easy egg, and prickly pear arbol jam on a homemade bun. It was outstanding! They also had a prickly pear lemonade that was delicious.

Prickly Pears make delicious jams and lemonades. 

There are beautiful fruit trees in the Park

No pictures of the BEC, but look at this beautiful glass of Prickly Pear Lemonade.

 We had such a great time at the Tohono Chul, and will definitely go back, not only for the beauty of the park, but to get another BEC! The next time I will remember to take a picture.