Because my grandma had just moved here to Phoenix, we gave her a membership to the Desert Botanical Garden. We thought she would appreciate getting to learn more about all our unique desert plants. So, when the time came to visit, I was forced to go with them, although I admit it was a lot of fun. Since I didn’t know how much wheeling I would need to do in the garden, I brought my Quantum power wheelchair just in case. Boy, am I glad I did! I had stayed up late the night before, so I was really tired. Here’s some of the highlights of our tour of the Desert Botanical Garden.
Leading the Way in My Quantum Power Wheelchair
Typically, I dread going outside since I can easily get overheated. I am thankful we decided to go in winter when it’s nice and cool here. Additionally, the Botanical Garden had a “dog day,” so we brought our senior dog, Molly, and my grandma’s dog, Izzy, with us. The moment we went inside to the front of the garden, dogs were everywhere! I have a knack for reading maps, so my role quickly became guiding my mother and Grandma along the various trails. I figured out where we were supposed to go and we headed along the red trail.
Meeting a Plethora of Dogs
Within minutes of starting our tour along the red trail, I got distracted because we met a 5-year-old Great Pyrenees at a very busy intersection. Oh my gosh, it was the size of my Quantum power wheelchair, and I believe he is still growing. I loved him so much and didn’t want to leave! He was the fluffiest, most curious, and loveable big puppy I had ever seen. I got to pet him until my mom finally pulled me away. We continued to follow the red trail and visited a long winding dirt trail with a steep uphill climb along the way. Then, we met a corgi with red paws from the red dirt. As we went around the side trail, we saw some mountains and eventually looped back around, where we had to go down a trail slowly since it was so steep. We also saw an extraordinarily odd but pretty-looking cactus, which was quite memorable.
The Desert Botanical Garden is Worth the Visit
It was a lot of fun seeing the native plants of Arizona and learning about the creatures that live here. Still, the trails were rough and would be a pain to navigate in a manual wheelchair. If you ever come to Phoenix, Arizona, I recommend visiting the Desert Botanical Garden. My only recommendation is to come during the fall or winter when Mother Nature isn’t constantly reminding you that you’re in the desert!
Written by: Maddie