JEREMY THE BLOGGER

According to Wikipedia, “Boyce Thompson Arboretum is the oldest and largest botanical garden in the state of Arizona.”  It is also “...one of the oldest botanical institutions west of the Mississippi River.”  The Boyce Thompson Arboretum is about 60 miles east of Phoenix, AZ at the base of a volcanic remnant, along Queen Creek.  This arboretum really is spectacular and visiting at the end of November was especially nice with all the different hues of fall leaves.  You can find “desert plants from the United States, Mexico, Australia, Madagascar, India, China, Japan, Israel, South America, the Middle East, Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Arabian Peninsula…within 135 acres of gardens.  Situated on 372 acres of scenic upland Sonoran Desert with nearly five miles of trails.” There is also a lot of history at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum as it celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.  Two homes that were built shortly after the arboretum was established in...

There are not enough words to describe what an amazing place the Petrified Forest National Park is.  You will just have to experience it in person to really take in all its beauty.  Located just off the 40 freeway near Holbrook, AZ, it has everything from 225 million year old petrified trees, blue mesa’s and painted hills.  Truly a one-of-a-kind place.  Here are some pictures from my adventure there last weekend.  

I first discovered the historic Barrio Viejo neighborhood of Tucson, AZ last year and fell in love with the colorful and beautiful architecture that dates back to the late 1800’s.   There are so many great streets that it was hard to choose where to begin my self-guided walking tour, but after my second visit there, I suggest starting at the intersection of W. Kennedy St. and S. Convent Ave.  But in reality, any street you pick will have plenty of opportunities to make you feel that you have stepped back in time.   Photo Notes: Barrio Viejo | Tucson, AZ | April 2018 | iPhone X

I live in Arizona, so naturally I am surrounded by a lot of cactus.  However, what I didn’t realize before living here in the desert is how many different types of cactus there are. There are numerous nature and hiking trails with many forms of the cactus along the way; small, medium, large and gigantic.  The saguaro is sacred in Arizona to the point where the state government put GPS trackers in them because people were stealing and selling them on the black market.   I love every form of the cactus so I am sharing my recent pictures in a new section of my website entitled PRINTS .  If you are interested in purchasing any, then just send me an email and we can work something out.  Photo Notes: Brown’s Ranch Trailhead | Scottsdale, AZ | May 2019 | iPhone X

Sometimes you feel like you are falling into an abyss and there is nothing you can do to stop it.  Choices, reactions, non-reactions, everything has infinite possibilities and outcomes.  I have never had any regrets, only the wish or hope that if I could go back and do it again, I would choose at least one-hundred different ways to see which one was truly the best result.  Maybe they all would be the best or maybe they would all be the worst or maybe it would be a mix.  But, since I am in the here and now, I have to do what my heart, soul, intuition, gut or whatever you want to call it, tells me to do.   Photo Notes: Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Falls / May 2019 / iPhone X

I will always remember the time a coworker dumbfounded me with one simple sentence.  It happened a while ago, almost ten years now, but it has stuck with me ever since.   I was working at a museum when a visitor asked me where a certain neighborhood was that she had heard about in a local guidebook and if I had any recommendations of what to do and where to eat in said neighborhood.  I excitedly explained about the great restaurants to enjoy and art galleries to explore and where it was in relation to the museum, which happened to be on the other side of the museum, no more than a five-minute drive away.  I also delved into the overall vibe of the neighborhood with its 1920’s architecture, cool boutique shops and bookstores all of which I knew first hand since I had explored the neighborhood a few days after I started my employment at the museum.  I love exploring different neighborhoods, especially ones I live in or work near.  After the visitor t...