Hubby and I have settled into life here in Phoenix, Arizona, nicely. Our first month back in the Valley of the Sun whizzed by…. enjoying exploratory outings with our daughter, socializing with neighbors, and connecting with friends, old and new.
The good: We see our son and daughter every weekend when they stop by the RV and allow me to make them breakfast. I’ve been having a grand ole time taking it up a notch in the kitchen and everyone is appreciative of my efforts. Although the constant photographing of food is something they’d like me to tone down a tad 😉
I had a blast spending the first two weeks in October with our daughter, Ashton, getting her acclimated to her new home. I was eager to show her as much of the area’s unique beauty before she had to start her new job.
One of my favorite places around Phoenix can be seen in the far southeast side of the valley; the Superstition Mountains and the Apache Trail. In my opinion, no visit to Phoenix would be complete without a visit to this area.
After a one hour drive from our RV Park in the northwest part of the valley to the Superstitions in the southeast valley, we took a quick spin through the Lost Dutchman State Park so I could point out the awesome hiking trails…… trails that I plan to tackle soon. I wanted Ashton to be as excited about hiking here as I always am.
From Lost Dutchman State Park we continued on the Apache Trail (aka 88) along a paved, winding road. Ashton was happy to see a road that could be compared to similar roads in Colorado; you know…. the kind that climb, turn, and have drop offs with no guard rails. She was feeling quite comfortable and not concerned even after passing a tow truck winching a vehicle up from the canyon below. Eek, someone obviously had a bad day. Good idea to take this road slow.
Fourteen miles north of the town of Apache Junction is picturesque Canyon Lake. Ashton and I have already discussed renting a couple of kayaks and getting out on the water one of these days, and I know our friends, G & T, would love to join us.
Just a little further up the road is the quaint tourist attraction, Tortilla Flat. We grab a bite to eat in the rustic restaurant and after lunch we stop in the general store for ice cream and fudge. They are known for serving up the best ice cream around….yum. Don’t pass it up!
With tummies full, we continued our drive toward a scenic overlook. The pavement ends and we stir up a huge cloud of dust as we travel on a dry gravel/dirt road. Ashton isn’t sure how she feels about the landscape and thinks it’ll take some time for her to get used to it.
When I tell her we are in the Tonto National Forest, she scoffs and with a smirk says, “I’m sorry, but this is not a forest”.
The desert can be an acquired taste, especially for those more accustomed to a lush landscape like that found in the Midwest or Pacific Northwest. Some folks never adjust, but I know Ashton will eventually come around and embrace the stunning beauty observed in the desert, just as I have.
What’s interesting; when we were back in the Midwest this past summer, the dense vegetation started irritating hubby and me. We had no vistas. Way too many trees. We even had a tree damage one of our sky lights, which we’ll be replacing soon. Although I must admit, Al did a fabulous job using white duct tape to fix up the crack. It doesn’t even look patched. Yep, I don’t miss having trees around.
I have lots more good to share in upcoming posts, but for now, let’s get onto the not so good.
#1 – I’ve been fighting a nasty cold that has put me in a foul mood. An unsociable mood. I’ve been sick way too much this past year, and it’s curtailing my fun. Talk about frustrating!
#2 – And to add insult to injury, my internet connection is sporadic putting a crimp in my blogosphere habit. I haven’t been able to post or comment as usual and in some cases I can’t even hit the “like” button. Double frustrating.
Oh well, this too shall pass…. after all, tomorrow is another day!
Live Laugh RV 