With a day off work and a warm sunny forecast, we headed out for a morning of exploring at the Desert Museum. We soon discovered we were not the only ones. When we arrived, around 10:00 am, the parking lot was getting full, and staff was directing traffic. I think this was the fullest we had ever seen it. Because of our annual passes we were able to avoid the line at the ticket counter.
Overall, it was not bad. We just needed a little patience in a couple of areas. The weather was perfect, and the animals were very cooperative, making themselves available for a few photo ops. 😊
We were happy to be heading home after a couple of hours, and glad we decided to arrive when we did. It is a good feeling to see so many visitors enjoying our beautiful desert. Once we were outside of the park, we noticed a lot of vehicles parked near the many paths and hiking trails. We are happy to see people out enjoying our unique desert landscape.
My favorite park of the morning was to see the Cruz, the mountain lion, sunning himself on his favorite rock.
Worth noting, I was told the animals are rescued (or transferred from another zoo or facility) and not able to be released out in the wild. There have been animals born in captivity, such as the big horn lamb, born in 2014 at the museum.
To learn more about the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum visit their website.
peace of life today 
Such neat pictures, Lisa. You know how much I love that place!
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Thank you, Auntie 🥰 We were shocked to see how busy it was, but it was worth it. The animals were so sweet!
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Stunning images, Lisa!
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Thank you, Terry!
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Oh wow. You obviously had a great day. Thanks for sharing the pics.
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Thank you, Frank! It was just lovely out there!
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Lovely photos Lisa, the last one of the mountain lion is gorgeous
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Thank you, Ritva! He just loves that rock there in the sun. And it’s perfect for photos!
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🙂
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Great photos and Cruz definitely steals the show!
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Thank you, Sarah! 😊 We actually made a second trip over to see if he was out, and he was!
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I can see why you liked seeing Cruz, Lisa. Great photos of the animals there!
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Thank you so much! We’ve had some clouds and rain, so the sunshine made our day happy!
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You got some really great photos. I really like the full-face of Cruz! Also, the butterfly and flowers.
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Thank you! Yes, Cruz is a winner! 🥰We were surprised to find a few flowers out there…and butterflies!
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Those great shots make it worth dealing with the crowd. 😊
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It was worth it! Thank you, Pepper!
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👏
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Gorgeous photos – love the wolf (?) and the butterflies
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Thank you, Nora. It is actually a very healthy coyote! I really liked how sweet he looked all curled up in the sun 😊
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I always love seeing your desert photos. I miss that part of the country so much. If I wasn’t such a baby when it comes to the heat I would try a lot harder to talk my husband into moving out there. 😉
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Thank you, Nichole! The winters are quite wonderful! The summers aren’t as bad as you might think (it truly is a dry heat), but you do want to have a good AC! Seeing sunshine almost every day of the year boosts my moral!
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I’m really jealous that you get to see the sun everyday. It’s been so gray and cloudy for the past week.
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It’s crazy how the sun affects me in a positive way! The clouds make me want to curl up on the couch and eat cookies! 🤣😂
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I’ve noticed that too. It’s doubly easy to eat the cookies right now since the holidays just past and it’s been so gray here. 🤣😂
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A beautiful day, Lisa! I love these precious creatures. 🙂
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Thank you, Amy! Me too! It is so fun when we find them out, it’s like a treasure hunt! 😊
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I love the lion too. It can be a bit frustraing when so many people arrive in what we feel is “our” space, but you are right. Isn’t it nice to see them enjoy what we love?! Such tranquility in your photos, once again, Lisa.
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Thank you so much, Donna!!
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These are fun pictures, enjoyed each one. Thanks for sharing. 😊
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Thank you Chuckster! It was such a great outing!
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