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The vast beauty and richness of the desert can be easily seen in one place in Tucson Wholesale Doug McDermott Jersey , Arizona. Known as the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum [?Desert Museum?], this gorgeous and convenient site is host to a cornucopia of plants, birds and animals native to the desert. Home to more than 300 animal species and 1200 plants in natural settings, it is a photographer's paradise.


Located in the Tucson Mountain Park just a few miles outside of Tucson, the Desert Museum was founded in 1952. The private, nonprofit organization Wholesale Raymond Felton Jersey , dedicated to the conservation of the Sonoran Desert, offers a zoological park, a botanical garden, an art gallery and a geology museum. The Desert Museum is a 15 minute drive from the heart of Tucson and is open every day of the year. Hours are from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. from October through February, and 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. from March through September. The entrance fee is $9 for adults.


While this is in fact a 'museum,? don't be confused by the name. The facility is out in the open and feels more like a zoo or a park. It includes almost two miles of paved and dirt paths through 21 acres of desert.


WHAT YOU CAN PHOTOGRAPH THERE


The hardest thing about this location is deciding what to photograph. Should you spend your time shooting in the cactus garden or the hummingbird aviary? Do you first go through the pollination garden filled with bees Wholesale Kevin Durant Jersey , butterflies and moths, or visit the several exhibits of mammals, including black bears, mountain lions, bighorn sheep, wolves Wholesale Gary Payton Jersey , bob cat, fox and coyote? It will take several visits to take in all of this.


Docents - trained volunteers - wear white shirts and are available throughout the Museum to answer your questions and to give demonstrations. One docent enthusiastically shared his Mexican Boa snake with me, while another held a screech owl and explained the differences between the many species of owls. While there is much to photograph, don't become so enamored with the various subjects that you forget about making your best images. Backgrounds and people will be your biggest challenges. Tripods are allowed everywhere, but signs advise photographers to be mindful of the other visitors. Put your lens right up to the birdcages so that the cages are so out of focus they can't be seen in your final photo. Avoid photographing the animals in dappled or spotty light (where parts of the animal are in shade and other parts in light). Like many zoos, the animals often are sleeping around corners where they are difficult to photograph so talk with trainers Wholesale Shawn Kemp Jersey , docents and museum staff to see when they feed the animals. This is when they will be most active.


TIPS FOR SHOOTING THERE


You also have to practice your technique. For example, the hummingbirds move fast as lightening, so it's impossible to follow them to shoot. Instead, look where they roost or feed, set up your shot for the best background, and then patiently wait for the hummingbirds to return - they will. While the light is best both morning and afternoon Wholesale Detlef Schrempf Jersey , the animals are more active early in the day. Be careful to avoid the bright background where the mountain lion likes to perch. Note that the Desert Loop Trail, home to the javelina and coyote, is a relatively steep and hot trail.


You'll want a long telephoto lens in the range of 300-400 mm to frame the wildlife. An extension tube or telephotomacro will allow for close focusing of the hummingbirds. For the full compliment of images, add a wide-angle lens for the few landscape shots and a macro lens for the cactus garden. In addition to the birds and mammals, the Desert Museum has excellent reptile, invertebrates and underwater exhibits Wholesale Ray Allen Jersey , as well as a mineral display. The light in these areas is inadequate for photography, however.


The heat of the desert makes it a difficult visit to the Desert Museum in summer. In October during my visit, the noonday heat was tolerable with a hat and sunglasses, but the temperatures were more comfortable during the early morning and late afternoon. One docent advised that April is the best time to visit for desert flowers, but she tells her friends to visit in March when it's cooler.


DIRECTIONS


For more information, check the website at Wholesale Paul George Jersey , or call 520-883-1380. The address is 2021 N. Kinney Road, Tucson, AZ. To get there, take I-10 to the Speedway Boulevard exit and go west for about 10 miles. Note that Speedway Boulevard turns into Gates Pass Road along the way, and be sure to stop at the two scenic view turnouts there. Turn right at the dead end onto Kinney Road, and drive for three miles. The Desert Museum will be on your left. If you arrive via the Tucson airport Wholesale Enes Kanter Jersey , signs will direct you to the Desert Museum by way of Highway 86. I found this to be the longer and less efficient approach, but you see more of the beautiful Tucson Mountain Park this way. Also use this route if you are carrying a trailer, because the Gates Pass Road is steep and winding as it travels over a mountain pass. The Desert Museum provides a tremendous abundance of wonderful photographic and educational opportunities in one place, and is worth many visits.


MISCELLANEOUS


Food: There are four food facilities on the Desert Museum property, ranging from a snack bar to casual fine-dining. No picnicking is allowed inside the property due to the presence of animals, but a small picnic area is available just outside the entrance. Additional large picnic areas are located throughout the Tucson Mountain Park Wholesale Russell Westbrook Jersey , including the San Juan Carlos picnic area adjacent to the Desert Museum on Kinney Road.


Lodging: Since the Desert Museum is close to downtown Tucson, there are lots of places to rent a hotel room. Convenient hotels include the Four Points Sheraton Hotel (800-843-8052), the Marriott University Park Hotel (520-792-4100), and the Red Roof Inn (520-744-8199). The Gilbert Ray Campground (RV friendly) is located on Kinney Road about two miles south

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