Although she grew up surrounded by East Coast oaks and maples, she now lives among the cactus forests of the Arizona desert.

Vegetational diversity is equally exceptional within the park, with lowland forests, montane forests, yungas and cloud forest, subpáramo, montane and non-montane scrublands, pampas, cactus forests, palm forests, forests composed almost entirely of treeferns, bromeliad-laden cliffs, epilithic subalpine plant communities, and others.

The Bajada Loop Drive is an unpaved 6-mile loop that begins 1 miles west of the visitor center and provides fine views of cactus forests, several picnic spots and access to trailheads.

They inhabit deserts and cactus forests.

Ironwood Forest National Monument The Ironwood Forest National Monument offers quintessential views of the Sonoran Desert's ancient legume and cactus forests.

A Tucson acquaintance had said we would drive through a "cactus forest" on the way, and I was delighted when the improbable description turned out to be entirely accurate.

The child appeared in his dream and informed that it is staying in the cactus forest and asked him to make an idol of it and to worship regularly.

OUTDOORS/RECREATION Get up close to the many-armed saguaro cactuses that populate the desert with a visit to the cactus forests preserved at Saguaro National Park (3693 South Old Spanish Trail; www.nps.gov/sagu).