We dropped the car off at a Mini Cooper dealer and got a 2019 Mini Cooper as a loaner. We were expecting it to take a couple of hours so we found a wonderful bookstore to hang out at. They called about lunch time and said it would be done mid to late afternoon. So we headed off for an adventure. We went to a butterfly garden and aquarium in Scottsdale AZ.

Butterfly Garden

Mark went off with the hosts and got lunch while Meg went to the butterfly garden. This is what Mark missed…. Butterflies, beetles, reptiles, oh my!

Butterflies

Beetles

Reptiles

Aquarium

We connected with Meg and went to the Aquarium after lunch.

Turtles

Sunfish and Bass

 

 

 

 

 

After the visit to the aquarium, we picked up the car and returned to AJ and Margarett’s house. We went out for a Mexican dinner. The next day we went to  Botanical garden in the morning and drove to Prescott in the evening to spend the night in James and Kate’s house.

Desert Botanical Garden

There is a wonderful Dessert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. It is full of native plants and a joy to visit.

Cactii

Birds in Garden

More Birds

I am forced to admit I spent more time looking for birds, lizards and rodents than looking at the plants. The plants provided excellent habitat.

Prescott AZ

The next stop in our cross country adventure was Prescott AZ where we spent one night. The bird channel was good there.

Boids

Heritage Park Zoological Sanctuary

On out way out of Prescott we stopped at Heritage Park Lake and the Zoological Sanctuary.

Lake in Heritage Park

Zoological Sanctuary

All of the animals at the zoo are rescues. It was interesting to watch the zoo keepers feed the animals

Next Stop: Meteor Crater and Petrified Forest National Park

Mark and Meg

ROAD TRIP

1. Road Trip 1 – The Beginning
2. Road Trip 2 – Sequoia NP, Death Valley and Hoover Dam
3. Road Trip 3 – Phoenix
4. Road Trip 4 – Meteor Crater and Petrified Forest National Park
5. Road Trip 5 –  Grand Canyon
6. Road Trip 6 – Canyon de Chelly
7. Road Trip 7 – Great Salt Lake – Antelope Island
8. Road Trip 8 – Dinosaur National Monument
9. Road Trip 9 – Rocky Mountain National Park
10. Road Trip 10 – Wilson’s Creek Battlefield