Getting Acclimated

So far these first couple of days have given us a chance to get used to the Southwest environment, since after going from the tundra to the desert, it only makes sense to take in the great outdoors of Tucson. On Saturday, just after we arrived in Arizona, we went on a scenic hike through a small canyon in the northern mountains, which allowed us to see some of the diverse vegetation (mostly cacti) found throughout the desert , not to mention seeing the incredible views from the trail once we made it to the higher elevation up the trail. Then today, we all went to the Arizona Desert Museum and had a chance to learn about both the plant and wildlife found throughout the Southwest. There was so much to see and do there in just a single day! It was great to see birds, snakes, and many other desert animals in their own environment, instead of a fabricated enclosure like you'd see in a regular zoo. But the most amazing thing to see there had to be the "Free Flight", where we had the opportunity to watch a group of raptors (hawks) fly around the museum area as they would in the desert, while their handlers taught us about how they behaved, what they eat, how they live, etc. And so, by now I'd say that we've all pretty much gotten used to the Arizona environment, and are ready to begin exploring the sky of the Southwest!