Arizona

Arrived without incident at Heathrow, now just waiting patiently for my flight. One of the side effects of getting out into nature is the need to be amongst SOOO many people at the airports. Grin and bear it and look towards the next 16 days. Who wants to hear the amazing Itinerary that myself and Paul cooked up? This is the recipe for success

Day 1 and 2 - Phoenix
This is the meeting point for everybody who's travelling from far and wide to join the fun. It gives me 2 days to do some City Herping. I know a good spot and I'll share it with you all.

Day 3, 4, 5 and 6 - Phoenix to Rio Rico
Pick up the fun bus, load up the troops and head towards the Mexican Border. We will have a couple of stops en route at Eloy and Missile Base Road. See if we can't turn up some gems on the first full day as a group. Quick stop for supplies as we head through Green Valley and on to our amazing home for the next 4 days. We have 30 acres of private land around the house to really get our teeth into. Lake Patagonia, Sonoita and the famous Ruby Road all to explore, I don't think 4 days is even close to enough lol.
Hoping for Blacktail Rattlesnakes, Tiger Rattlesnakes and the big ask .... Ridgenosed Rattlesnakes. Will we get them? Read on and see

Days 7, 8, 9 and 10 - Rio Rico to Green Valley
A stop at Tabac Creek en route to Canoa Ranch Golf Resort, green trees in the middle of the desert, should bring all the animals to us right? Here's hoping.
Canoa Ranch is an Oasis amongst the rocks and cacti. Beautiful, lush surroundings and some incredible trails to walk. We have Mount Wrightson, Madera Canyon, Keystone Peak and Helvetia all on our doorstep. Awe inspiring vistas and incredible wildlife to boot. Mount Wrightson gave me a Bear and Wild Turkeys last year, let's see what she gives us this year. Madera Canyon and Mt Wrightson are strongholds of the Banded Rock Rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus klauberi) and the Ridgenosed Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi) and the beautiful Arizona Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis pyromelena). A good search can also turn up Arizona Black Rattlesnakes (Crotalus cerberus) along with the more common Blacktail (Crotalus molossus) and Western Diamond Back (Crotalus atrox) Rattlesnakes.
Keystone Peak is Gila Monster territory, let's get out there and look for these most charismatic of Arizona's native reptiles.

Days 11, 12, 13 and 14
Green Valley to Tucson
This short drive will give us plenty of time to stop off at the Sonoran Desert Museum. This is a beautiful collection of native Flora and Fauna. They have one of the most complete collections of Arizona's Rattlesnakes and a mind boggling collection of Native Cacti and Succulents. A walk through Aviary of Arizona's humming birds and the icing on the cake... good cake at the Cafeteria 😊

After this we can explore the Saguaro National Park until it's time to check in to our next BEAUTIFUL house in the very trendy Catalina Foothills area of Tucson. This puts us in the perfect place to make the most of Sabino Canyon, Peppersauce Road and the Saguaro National Park. Almost endless trails to walk, roads to cruise and animals to find. Keep your eyes peeled for Javelina, Coyotes, Cougars and Bobcats. Reptile wise we have almost the whole scope of Arizona's offerings available for those with sharp eyes and determination

Day 15 - Tucson to Phoenix
It's almost the end of the trip guys, but we haven't had enough yet have we??
On the way to Phoenix we have a stop off at an area known to be a hotspot for Sidewinders (Crotalus cerastes), will the snake gods be smiling on us? Only one way to find out.
From here it's back to Phoenix for our last night before we head home. Where has the time gone? Did we really do all of that in just 2 weeks? Do we want to do it all again? Of course we do!
Say goodbye to the trusty fun bus, relax by the pool and get a burger at the Burger Theory Bar.Read more