Boyce Thompson Arboretum

I've lived in Arizona for almost 8 years now. Sometimes, I think I might be missing the winter of the Midwest. In those moments, I take a trip outside and remind myself why I live here.

I took the kids and my camera to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum yesterday. It's about 30 minutes east of us. I'm not sure why we don't go more often, that must be remedied...

We spent a few hours there. Ollie free to run and explore, and I enjoyed taking some photos. Brandy examined the outside world from the stroller, then napped for a while. The air was cool, the sun was warm, the sky was clear blue. We were surrounded by the sounds of bugs, birds, water, breezes in the trees, and most of all, silence. Sitting in the Eucalyptus forest under towering trees, we enjoyed everything there. Ollie made friends with some rocks, and laid down in the dirt at one point. We watched bees buzz from flower to flower, and found the goldfish hiding in the pond.

So I ask myself... Why on earth would I ever go to the mall again when I can go there?