Cactus Life

On a recent trip to Arizona, I fell in love with the gorgeous cacti that adorn the State's dry land. Here are some cacti pictures that I took while hiking through the desert. The Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is shown in the above photos.

When people grow old, or are injured, they often rely on canes or walking sticks to help support their stance. Similarly, as cacti age, they grow arms to help support their posture. One can determine the age of the cactus by the amount of arms it has. Cacti only begin to develop arms between the ages of 50-75. Check out the younger cacti pictured below. Notice that they are armless.

Another common cactus that I spotted during my hikes/bikes was the Teddy Bear Cholla (pronounced Choy-ya). Although this cactus (pictured below) may look soft & fuzzy like a teddy bear, it is actually quite dangerous as it's covered with sharp, yellowish spines. These spines serve as protection from rabbits and other herbivores that inhabit the desert. They also provide protection from intense sunshine and can serve as a cooling mechanism for the cactus.

After a long and enjoyable life in the desert, it's time for the cactus to decay and become a skeleton. Check out this ghost of a cactus that I found on the golf course. Scary stuff!

Hotel Gansevoort in Toronto

I recently read that the uber trendy Hotel Gansevoort of New York (also with a location in South Beach) will be opening up in Toronto in 2011, most likely at the end of the summer in order to reap the benefits of TIFF.

The picture above is a projection of what the asymmetrical and LEED certified hotel & condo will look like in Toronto.

For those of you who don't follow celebrity gossip, Hotel Gansevoort is a sylish mecca for movie stars, famous DJ's, party girls and high rollers.

Naturally I assumed that the hotel would open in Toronto's trendy King West District which features many upscale dining and entertainment options, but few hotels. Aside from the Soho Metropolitan, the aging Travelodge is the only hotel I can think of in the area and it's truly an eyesore on the rapidly gentrified King & Portland 'hood. With Freed's new high end condo being constructed across the street, the Travelodge would've offered the perfect venue for Gansevoort goodness.

Instead, The Gansevoort will be opening in the John & Richmond Entertainment District which I found quite surprising. Although the notoriously touristy/905ish zone has slightly increased its cool factor with the addition of Circa, drawing hipsters over from Queen West to check out the latest Parisian DJ's, Toronto's Entertainment District is still one worth avoiding if you don't feel like getting your stilletos stuck in puke, or being bombarded with flyers for crappy clubs.

Perhaps The Gansevoort will revive the area with some much needed style? Or will it be transformed by its surroundings and develop a trashy image? Who knows? At least one thing's for sure; it will offer its guests close proximity to the best late night burritos and street meat in town!