US aquaria

[natan]

I liked Baltimore national aquarium most; followed by Boston. I saw New Orleans, New York and Atlanta. The latter was a disappointment but is the only one form which I have my own pics: (welcome posting here comments, pics and links to world aquariums)

 

[Bifferwine]

Baltimore is the only *major* one I've been to, but I've been there 3 or 4 times, and it is very very very impressive. I also visited the Chattanooga Aquarium last summer, and theirs was interested, but mainly freshwater oriented.

I still think that for saltwater, a good LFS beats most aquariums hands down, and it's free to visit!

 

[natan]

I don't drive (that's normal in New York) and most good LFS are in the suburbia.

Off topic: do you also have a nice cactus garden down in Tucson? I was mesmerized to see the state park there last summer. Such an amazing desert ecosystem!

 

[Bifferwine]

I don't have a cactus garden at my house. The dogs tend to dig up anything that I've tried to plant, but there are lots of awesome places here that do. It's definitely unique terrain.

 

[Altohombre]

when I was in Arizona and climbing the red rocks I saw a road runner. I swear it makes a sound like Meep Meep.

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah but they don't look anything like the cartoon roadrunner.

 

[natan]

This is not even close to the parks around Tucson:

 

[fatman]

I thought it interesting that as I was on the highway between Florence and Phoenix that there were virtually no large cactus on open areas until you reached military reservations then the cactus were every where. Thats a lot of over harvesting of cactus. So many good things in nature get so exploited. Seems like mot of natures things, even when it is a crime to harvest or hunt them, get stolen and or killed anyway. Lots of homes and businesses with cactus in their yards though.

 

[Bifferwine]

If you are talking about saguaro cacti, we are at the very northernmost reach of their range here, so they naturally thin out and get sparse as you go towards Phoenix.

Saguaros are protected now and no one can harvest them. In fact, developers have to go transplant them before they clear land.

 

[fatman]

I am glad to here they are now protected, but it is a shame that laws were even necessary to protect them.

 

[Bifferwine]

It seems that nowadays, unless there are laws specifically to protect something, it will be exploited no matter what it is.

 

[cgoodman381]

A few months ago i was lucky enough to visit the aquarium in Maui. I think they boasted being the largest reef aquarium in the northern hemisphere. They have a really cool tunnel you can walk through their 750,000g tank!

Long beach and Monterey aquariums are really nice as well.