Falling in Love with the Sonoran Desert
My relationship with the Sonoran Desert began with a brief encounter. I had to wait twenty years to really get to know it.
When Tessa was not quite five and Willem was about to turn one, we flew into Phoenix before making our way to Prescott, Sedona, and the Grand Canyon. We didn't spend any time exploring Phoenix itself. Our one memorable encounter with the Sonoran Desert came on the drive back to the airport, when we pulled off the highway to admire a group of towering saguaro cacti.
I remember standing there in amazement beneath those giants, posing for family photos. One of my favourites shows little Tessa proudly holding Willem in front of a magnificent saguaro. That photograph has hung on our gallery wall ever since.
Looking back, I think that was the moment the seed was planted. One day, I wanted to come back—not simply to pass through the Sonoran Desert, but to spend time getting to know it.
The Desert Greets Us
Two decades later, when Tim and I returned to Arizona this January, I expected our real introduction to the Sonoran Desert to begin when we reached Saguaro National Park or one of our other planned desert excursions.
Instead, it welcomed us before we'd even unpacked.
As we drove toward our resort, I could hardly believe the enormous saguaros growing along ordinary streets.
On our way from the airport to Marriott Canyon Villas
They weren't confined to national parks or scenic lookouts. They stood quietly in neighbourhoods, beside shopping centres, and throughout the grounds of the resort where we stayed for the week.
Next to the main office at Marriott Canyon Villas
I had imagined the Sonoran Desert as somewhere we would visit.
Instead, it seemed to be saying,
"Welcome. You're already here."
On a leisurely stroll around the grounds of Marriott's Canyon Villas, I spotted something with excitement.
High on the trunk of one enormous saguaro was a large nesting cavity. Then I noticed that one of its arms cradled a nest.
I immediately thought of Cactus Hotel, one of our favourite children's books that we had brought home from our earlier Arizona trip.
We couldn't see the occupants—the hole and the nest were much too high—but we stood there wondering who might be living in our own real-life cactus hotel.
Before we'd visited a single attraction, the desert had already begun to greet us.
Settling into Phoenix
One thing we have learned over our years of travel as a family is how much we enjoy staying in one place for a week.
Rather than changing hotels every couple of days, we love to settle in.
One of our family's first traditions after arriving somewhere is a grocery run.
If there's a Trader Joe's nearby, that's almost always our first stop. We don't have them in Canada, so it's become part of the fun of travelling in the United States. We stock up on favourite treats, try a few new things, and—because traditions have a way of growing—we take a photo outside every new Trader Joe's we visit.
This one even had a giant saguaro standing proudly beside the parking lot.
The Sonoran Desert was determined to keep reminding us where we were.
Trader Joe’s in Phoenix
The second morning we headed to Papago Park before sunrise to climb to Hole-in-the-Rock.
The short walk in the glowing red desert landscape rewarded us with beautiful views across Phoenix as the city slowly came to life. It was such a peaceful way to begin the day.
One afternoon we relaxed on the sunny patio at Songbird Coffee and Tea House, where to our pleasure, the resident tailless cat, Inky Bob, made an appearance.
Later we wandered Roosevelt Row, smiling at colourful murals, including one unforgettable cartoon saguaro opening its mouth wide enough for a tonsil check.
The desert wasn't just part of the landscape.
It was part of the city's personality.
A Novel Way to Experience a Place
One afternoon we visited the Arizona Biltmore.
Tim was reading Murder at the Arizona Biltmore by Edward Marston, a historical mystery set during the hotel's construction in the late 1920s. Rather than simply admiring the architecture and moving on, he settled into the lobby to read another chapter while I wandered through the public spaces.
For Tim, there was something especially satisfying about experiencing the hotel while reading a story set there. History and imagination seemed to overlap for an hour or two.
The Arizona Biltmore is famous for its geometric concrete blocks.
Some quiet reading time in the lobby
Horseback Through the Sonoran Desert
If there was one experience I had been anticipating most, it was horseback riding through the desert at Cave Creek Regional Park.
The moment we set off, I couldn't stop grinning.
I took multiple selfies from the saddle because I simply couldn't believe I was actually riding a horse through a landscape I'd dreamed of exploring for years.
Before we started off on our ride, our guide introduced Tim to his horse, Archie.
"He likes to bring up the rear," she warned.
It turned out Archie had found exactly the right rider.
Before long, horse and rider were happily drifting farther and farther behind the rest of us. Tim has never been one to worry about keeping up with the group. He enjoys lingering, taking in the scenery, and exploring a place at his own pace.
They were perfectly matched.
Our horses mostly kept a nice horse-length apart.
Right from the start Tim and Archie lagged behind.
Horse and rider fell further and further behind as they took the trail at their own pace.
The ride itself was wonderful, but one of my favourite itinerary-planning decisions came afterwards.
Rather than paying extra for the sunset ride, we had chosen to book the hour before sunset. That allowed us to stay and explore some of the trails on foot during a magical time of day.
We wandered quietly through the glowing desert as the late afternoon light softened around us.
We stopped whenever something caught our eye.
We meandered.
We took photographs.
We soaked it all in.
Golden hour transformed the desert, and we were there to see it, just the two of us.
Sunrise Among the Saguaros
The next morning, getting up before dawn didn't feel like a sacrifice.
We were eager to reach Saguaro National Park before sunrise.
Our arrival at the park was unforgettable. As the first hint of daylight appeared, the road stretched ahead through dark silhouettes of towering saguaros. Gradually, the desert revealed itself—not all at once, but gently—as the rising sun washed the landscape in soft light.
It was unlike anything I had ever seen.
As we wandered the trails, I found myself noticing how different each saguaro was.
Some stood tall and straight without a single arm.
Others wore multiple arms twisting in improbable directions.
Still others bore the scars of lightning, weather, or time.
With the trails almost empty, we had fun interacting with the giant cacti and posing for photographs beside them.
After seeing some of those photos, several friends asked if we had actually touched the cacti.
"Oh no," we laughed. "We were only pretending."
We had learned our lesson years earlier.
Little Tessa had been unable to resist touching a small, harmless-looking cactus in a souvenir shop. She knew she shouldn't, but curiosity won. A few minutes later she sheepishly admitted she had several painful prickles embedded in her hand.
The shopkeeper didn't seem the least bit surprised.
He reached for a bottle of Elmer's Glue, spread it over the tiny spines, waited for it to dry, then peeled it away, bringing the nearly invisible barbs with it.
It worked beautifully, and we never again underestimated even the smallest cactus.
Before leaving Saguaro National Park, we wandered into the gift shop to stamp our National Park passports.
There on the shelf was Cactus Hotel.
It felt like running into an old friend.
Learning More About the Desert
One place I had been especially looking forward to visiting was the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Despite its name, it isn't the sort of museum where you spend your day indoors. It's a wonderful mix of desert gardens and wildlife exhibits, with walking paths that let you experience the plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert together.
When we reached the javelina exhibit, another memory came rushing back.
Tessa had loved pigs from the time she was barely a year old, so when we visited a wildlife rescue zoo in Prescott during our first Arizona trip, she was convinced she was going to see one. We gently explained that this zoo featured desert animals, not farm animals, and prepared her for disappointment.
Instead, she was absolutely delighted to discover the javelina—a pig-like desert animal that quickly became one of the highlights of the trip.
We brought home from that vacation the wonderful children's book Don't Call Me Pig. During and after that trip, we read it over and over, and Tessa never tired of its funny explanation that javelinas aren't pigs at all.
But the javelinas weren't the only highlight.
The organ pipe cactus was another.
Until that day, I had never heard of one.
Its impressive, many-stemmed form was completely different from the familiar silhouette of the saguaro, yet just as captivating.
I couldn't resist sending a photograph of myself standing beside one to a longtime friend who is an organist and spent many summers helping build and maintain pipe organs.
Surely anyone who loves pipe organs should see an organ pipe cactus at least once.
By the end of our visit, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument had found its way onto my travel wish list.
Sometimes the best part of one journey is discovering the next one you hope to take.
Discovering Phoenix's Creative Side
The Sonoran Desert shapes more than its landscape.
It also inspires the people who call it home.
One of my favourite discoveries was The Hive, a collective showcasing the work of local artists and makers.
I love bringing home souvenirs that remind me not only of a place, but of the people who live there.
As I wandered through the shop, one artist was creating delicate wire jewellery.
I asked if she could make me a necklace in the shape of a saguaro, and she created it while Tim and I relaxed in the courtyard café with a cold drink.
Of all the souvenirs I could have chosen, it felt exactly right.
Whenever I wear it, I don't simply think of a cactus.
I remember a week filled with one delightful discovery after another.
The Sonoran Desert had become much more than a landscape.
It had become a collection of moments I'll always treasure.
A Fitting Farewell
Our final major stop before leaving Phoenix was Taliesin West.
Touring the property felt like the perfect conclusion to the week. Frank Lloyd Wright designed the collection of buildings to belong to the desert rather than compete with it. After spending a week falling in love with the Sonoran Desert myself, I couldn't imagine a more fitting way to end our visit.
Stories Along the Way
Long before I spent a week exploring the Sonoran Desert, Cactus Hotel by Brenda Z. Guiberson had taught me to see a saguaro as much more than a giant cactus. We bought the beautifully illustrated children's book during our first Arizona trip, when Tessa was not quite four, and read it over and over together. It follows the life of a single saguaro and all the birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects that eventually make it their home. Tessa loved it so much that she chose it as the favourite book she brought to kindergarten. Over twenty years later, spotting Cactus Hotel in the gift shop at Saguaro National Park felt like greeting an old friend.
We also brought home Don't Call Me Pig by Conrad J. Storad after meeting javelinas at the wildlife rescue centre in Prescott. Like Cactus Hotel, it quickly became a family favourite. Its playful story explains that javelinas aren't pigs at all while celebrating one of the Sonoran Desert's most endearing animals—at least from a visitor's perspective. My parents, who spent parts of several winters in Arizona, often heard locals grumbling about the pesky animals getting into their garbage cans!
On this trip, Tim brought Murder at the Arizona Biltmore by Edward Marston, a historical mystery set during the hotel's construction in the late 1920s. Reading part of it while relaxing in the hotel's lobby made the building's history feel even more tangible and reminded us once again how stories can enrich the places we visit.
More from Our Arizona Journey
While we were based in Phoenix, we also took an overnight side trip to Sedona and the Grand Canyon. Read about that side of our Arizona journey in Returning to Northern Arizona.
