When you mention deserts, most people's first thought turns to the more famous arid spots in the world, like the Mojave or the Sahara, without realizing that a hot time, can be had right here at home in America.

Deserts are not the sole property of countries around the equator, where one would expect temperatures to be the hottest, one of the chief features associated with a desert. In fact, temperature figures in very few definitions. A middle-ground description for deserts would be: "A region with an average annual rainfall of 10 inches or less and sparse vegetation, typically having thin, dry, and crumbly soil. A desert has an aridity index greater than 4.0".

The United States is home to the largest one in North America, the Chihuahuan Desert, a 200,000-mile stretch of yuccas, agaves, and creosote bushes. It crosses three states- Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, and sits right on the Mexican border.

The less than ten inches of rain a year, restricts vegetation to certain species and their variations, including Mormon Tea, Honey mesquite, and white-thorn. The native plants flourish in a climate that can be deadly hot in summer, but pleasantly cool in winter.