Best Day Trip: Boyce Thompson Arboretum

Don’t want to worry about packing the kids’ suitcases, finding a hotel and boarding the dog? No problem. The Boyce Thompson Arboretum is a desert wonderland in Phoenix’s own backyard. Multiple trails meander through a 320-acre “living classroom,” bursting with cacti, succulents, trees, herbs, flowers, lizards, birds and rodents. Learn about the mysterious Sonoran landscape at the Smith Interpretive Center, then go overlook it from the High Trail. Explore Queen Creek Canyon and take a serene breather in the Wing Memorial Garden. Peek at Picketpost, William Boyce Thompson’s 1920’s mansion perched on a lava ridge. Don’t forget a picnic lunch or a pack of franks for the available grills. You can even bring Spot and Fluffy, if they’re leashed and well-behaved. 520.689.2723, www.ag.arizona.edu/bta/.