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As
we begin our visit to the Valley of the Sun, were hovering
over Scottsdale and Paradise Valley, looking west-southwest.
Notice that big outcropping of rock two miles away that looks like a
sleeping camel? Its called Camelback Mountain.
Downtown Phoenix is eight miles beyond it.
Some
fancy resorts lie to the right of Camelback. They have
addresses on Lincoln Drive, the road that runs down the right side of
this picture.

In
late 1973, when my parents were planning their first winter stay in
Arizona, my father noted that the Smoke Tree Resort (outlined in
pink) also had an address on Lincoln Drive, which meant that it was
in a good neighborhood. (The thoroughfare in the foreground is
Scottsdale Road.)
Unlike
the fancier resorts, the Smoke Tree was comparatively inexpensive,
and its ambience of a friendly motel was closer to what he was
looking for. He made a reservation for two weeks, sight unseen.
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My
parents enjoyed their stay and extended it to a full month in
subsequent years. In 1976 through 1980, I joined them for a
week. I described my experiences in these
letters.
My
mother especially enjoyed the plantings of colorful flowers
as you can see if you click on the picture at the left, which will
direct you to another larger photo. |
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My
technique for taking stereo pictures with an ordinary camera
doesnt work very well with human subjects, so I concentrated on
flowers and landscaping. |
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The
plants had the good manners to hold their pose while I snapped one
photo, moved a few inches to the right, and snapped another one.
Had
I known these pictures would be used 32 years later for "wiggle
stereo," I would have moved a shorter distance between the shots
in order to achieve a subtler, more realistic result. |
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We
"snowbirds" were familiar with beds of petunias and lawns
of grass. But the Smoke Tree grounds featured flora native to
Arizona, including plants we couldnt even identify. We
didnt know the difference between ocotillo and palo verde.
We couldnt tell a mesquite tree from a creosote bush. |
To
fill the gaps in our knowledge, we traveled five miles south to
Papago Park, home to both the Phoenix Zoo and the Desert Botanical
Garden (in the foreground).

Backed
by a natural hillside, the Garden featured displays of all kinds of
plants that grow in the arid regions of Arizona and Mexico. A
25-cent booklet facilitated a self-guided tour.

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For
example, the little post in front of these Saguaro cacti bears the
number 48. Under that number in the guidebook: A
group of young Saguaros approximately 40 to 60 years old. They
give an idea of the very slow growth of our Arizona giant. When
these Saguaros were transplanted in 1950 they suffered
transplant shock. As a result, they stopped growing
for a season, and on a number of them you can see a tight
waist that marks their height in 1950. |
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To
your right, two forms of one species of cholla. The name is
pronounced CHOY-ya. They are common cacti of the desert Southwest. |
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Octopus
cactus, Rathbunia sonorensis.
When the top of a branch touches the soil, it sends down roots and
produces another independent plant.
The
non-profit Desert Botanical Garden also raised funds by selling
hard-to-find plants with low water needs ... that have been
tested for adaptability to our desert. |
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Golden
barrel cactus, Ecinocactus grusonii.
They are from the high mountains of south-central Mexico, and must
be shaded against our hot desert sun. These choice and
expensive cacti are popular in desert landscaping. |
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No
other botanical garden had built an aluminum lath house when we
pioneered with this building in 1950. ...The aluminum lath
walls and roof keep the temperature as much as 15 degrees cooler in
the summer and 15 degrees warmer in winter.
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Finally,
to the right of these mature Saguaros we see the Boojum tree, Fouquieria
columnaris (Idria), one of the
worlds oddities. It has been called the
upside-down tree and compared to a monster parsnip.
The
garden and its staff hope you have enjoyed your visit. |
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