Valley of the Sun, Redone

Arizona holds a special place in my heart and I love that we keep going back. We visit with my full-time Phoenician family and also some snowbird friends – both partial-year residents and fellow timeshare travelers. We have returned many times, but always seem to find something new to see, along with several old standbys.

To start at the beginning of this series, visit The Spectacular Southwest.

Welcome Back!

This year we left about six weeks later than usual with hopes that the desert would be in bloom and that Utah would be warmer than the last time we were there. Due to an exceptionally hot start to summer in Phoenix – but no rain – our hopes of a blooming desert were quashed. And with temps in the 100s for our entire visit, some of the items on our itinerary were transferred to the next time we come – when heat stroke would be less likely.

One good thing about Arizona, when the sun goes down, so do the temps. We had some fabulous evenings on our balcony with cocktails and snacks, and only once did the latch go down on our patio door and lock us out. Luckily we had our phones and were able to call for help, because we could only survive for so long (without a refill or a potty break). Needless to say, the next time we went out we unlocked the other door to the patio.

We left Branson with a jug of wine from Mr. Gilberti’s, and over the course of our 18-night stay (and some sharing with friends), we finished it off about the time the moon we had been admiring was gone too. The moon returned before we went in for the night, but we’ll have to wait till we return to Missouri for another jug of that wine!

We also discovered that the little dude ranch across the parking lot was gone. I always enjoyed a visit with the animals as you’ll see in this post. We can’t help but wonder if that acreage won’t be filled in with more condos by our next visit. In that post there are also a few more suggestions of good stuff to see while in the Phoenix area.

The Heard Museum

We remembered too late that Phoenix has a First Friday Art Walk, with several museums in the city offering free admission on the first Friday of each month. The Heard and the Phoenix Art Museum are two – but there are more. When we missed the first Friday, a friend was able to score free tickets for the Heard Museum through the Peoria Library! We had hoped to see the Phoenix Art Museum as well but we’ll save that for next time.

This is an absolutely fabulous museum, and we happened to catch a tour that was about to start. Our tour guides got into so much detail, that after almost an hour we ditched the tour to explore on our own. The collections of baskets, weavings, pottery and kachinas were absolutely fantastic and the Native American history was both fascinating and heartbreaking.

“Discover the rich and vibrant world of American Indian art, from traditional artworks to contemporary creations, live events and a world-class museum shop and café located in the heart of Phoenix, Arizona.” ~ READ MORE

A Fun Evening Ahead

After the Heard Museum, we picked up our free-tickets friends and headed to the Cornish Pasty for some dinner. This was a different take on the pasties that we get in Michigan, but they were fantastic! Add in a cold beer and some great conversation, and it made for a great meal. Then we stopped by the Peoria Public Library for a little Celtic music! Unfortunately I didn’t get their names, but a woman on a flute and a man with a guitar shared light and funny stories relating to each song that they sang. It was a fun and entertaining evening!

On another night we enjoyed a superb meal at the Sicilian Butcher, with fabulous lobster tails (a pastry for dessert) from the neighboring Sicilian Baker. Be sure to check it out when you visit! It’s definitely not cheap, but definitely worth every penny!

Two New Discoveries

When we’re on these road trips, we tend to go… a lot… sometimes too much for Jim. Today I headed out on my own to two new places that I discovered while planning for this trip. Although the weather was a little gloomy, it was better than the hot sun we’ve been complaining about since our arrival. I guess I’ll take a little darker skies over sweating bullets! My pictures are a little dark, but we’ll suffer through.

Riparian Preserve, Gilbert

About 90-minutes from our condo, was a place I never knew existed, but was definitely worth the drive! When I pulled into the parking lot and saw a couple of school buses, I immediately panicked. But as soon as I entered the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch I knew there would be plenty of room for all of us!

I thoroughly enjoyed my walk around the lake, visiting with the birds and turtles, resting on benches to enjoy the views. I discovered that I was on the Hope Walk, that included positivity posts with uplifting messages to promote mental well-being. Lots of trails jetted off into the preserve which I will explore when I return next time we’re back. This would be a lovely place to spend an afternoon (with a picnic lunch) instead of the short time I had allotted on this day.

South Mountain Park and Preserve

About forty minutes straight west of the Riparian Preserve was another fabulous visit! South Mountain Park and Preserve is one of the largest municipal parks in the country at over 16,000 acres! You can hike, bike, or ride horseback on more than 58 miles of trails, or (like me) drive the 5.5-mile winding road to the top to check out Dobbins Lookout. During Extreme Heat Warnings, certain trails are restricted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you’re interested in biking up to the lookout, consider Silent Sundays – when during certain hours – the park is closed to motorized vehicles for a less stressful trek to the top. Check the website for those hours.

As you know, we like to start our park visits at the visitor center, but of course I picked a day that the South Mountain Visitor Center was closed. I took a picture thru the door to catch a glimpse, and also walked around the outside to see a lovely area for relaxing in the sunshine. The Judith Tunnell Accessible Trail is really two barrier-free, half-mile loops: the Interpretive Loop with information signs about native plant and animals, and the Challenge Loop with a maximum grade of 8.5%. Both sound like a great way to stretch the legs after the drive through the city.

Dobbins Lookout

I’ve been on a lot of windy, curvy roads – especially since we’ve been going on our road trips, so the road to Dobbins Lookout was not that bad of a drive. There was very little traffic which made things even easier, so up I went.

Once at the top, the views were incredible, with a panoramic snapshot of the metropolis and its urban sprawl. Phoenix has certainly grown since I lived here back in the 70s. Too much so in fact, and with water becoming a rare commodity, it makes me wonder how much longer it can survive. Yet the building of huge new subdivisions continues.

Several people were hogging the views, camped-out in each of the windows. I was still able to enjoy the views, but I would love to return to feel the breeze blowing through the silence high above the city.

“Perched at 2,330 feet with north-facing views of the city, Dobbins Lookout is the highest accessible point in the park. A stone ramada at the top offers shady seating, and a small observation platform identifies various Phoenix landmarks visible from the panoramic view, including Camelback Mountain, downtown Phoenix and more local mountain ranges.”

Back Down the Hill

On the way up, I saw several interesting buildings, but since it looked like it could rain at any moment, I decided to see the lookout first and work my way down. This area had very interesting buildings and Scorpion Gulch is definitely a place I DON’T want to visit, although I did look around a bit. “Historical photographs show a sign on the original building entitled, “South Mountain Trading Post”, under which jewelry, Indian curios, and leather goods are advertised.”

When I saw the horses, I decided to go and say hello, but the fence was a little too high to get good pictures. I’m not sure if these are the horses that are used for the horseback trail rides? I guess I better do some more research.

What a fantastic visit to the Valley of the Sun! From here we head to Flagstaff for a couple of days, but my next post will cover a short get-away during our stay in Phoenix.

Next up: A Road Trip in a Road Trip

Happy trails,
Barb