Our arrival at Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix was close to sunset. I was told that was the ideal time to visit because there's a light show at night where the desert and plants are lit up and magically dance to music. That is, the lights dance, not the actual plants. Not being familiar with a desert I ignorantly thought a cactus is a cactus. Not so! I got a chance to learn about the plants from all over.
There are over 50,000 plants, some of them towering over the guests in the garden. But it's not all cactus throughout the trails, there are plenty of flowers to add brightness and scent to the tour.
During the visit we explored some fascinating trails. The Desert Discovery Trail features plants from all over the world. The Plants & People of the Sonoran Desert Trail showcases plants used for nourishment, cultural activities and tools. The Sonoran Desert Nature Trail shows the relationship between plants and animals. The Center for Desert Living Trail outlines ways to live with nature. If you know very little (or nothing) about plants, you'll have a head full of knowledge as you wander around the garden grounds.
As night fell, the lights turned on and twinkled about. People took their seats to watch the mountain light up as the colorful displays danced to music. There were some oohs and ahhs but once people got settled in it was just nice to relax in the dark, listen to music and feel the desert breeze.
It's at the time of the visit you essentially go through Desert Botanical Garden for a second time. Why? Because it's an entirely different experience at night. We toured through seven exhibits featuring original music. It's pretty trippy!
