With a welcome bit of sunshine, we headed for the botanical garden and nature preserve just outside of San Miguel de Allende; el Charco del Ingenio.
El Charco is a wonderful place full of walking paths, scenic lookouts, and of course a wide variety of plants native to the region. They are particularly well known for their efforts to preserve and restore a variety of cacti on the verge of extinction.
We had a great fun exploring the greenhouses, where we were able to enjoy an immense number of lovingly planted and cared for cacti of all shapes and sizes. Each one was labeled and displayed such that it could be appreciated and enjoyed.
The preserve is full of paths which provide all sorts of opportunities to explore. Crossing the dam that runs over the river, we were able to view some of the old ruins that were once part of the mill and hacienda that were on the property.
We had fun exploring and getting our hands dirty. The kids found a wide variety of flowers among the cacti, as well as grasshoppers, butterflies, and all sorts of other insects.
They also discovered a wide variety of sparkly stones to collect and play with.
It was a great place to simply enjoy the fresh air and sunshine, and relax a bit in nature. 
There were all kinds of nooks and crannies to explore from large grassy areas, to deep canyon like cliffs, and even areas to play in "plant caves".
