LOCATION: North of Tucson, in south central Arizona
WEATHER: Sunny and hot. Record highs of 83
We got an early start, as I didn't want to be hiking in the hot PM sun. We went to the Arizona Desert Museum. We really enjoyed it....exhibits with hummingbirds, butterflies, reptiles, and cactus gardens and desert trail. It was pretty hot so we wore hats and guzzled water.
We watched two shows, one with venomous snakes and one with raptors. Very interesting.
Then, we took a scenic drive through Saguaro National Park West. Kazillion saguaros!
Back at the state park, George worked on the bed. He was in his element. He has an idea of putting some automatic lifters on the board under the mattress. We had seen this at the RV show, and think it will help us access storage under the bed, and should help with our condensation problem. He loves projects like this.
DINNER: Using some of the leftover grilled pork, I made an Indian curry, adding sweet potato, fresh spinach and onions. Garnish was mango pickle I brought back from India.
Hi Karmen. Roger Thiemann here. I have been following your blog since Day 1 and have to admit, I really have enjoyed your travelogue. You and George have expressed an interest in hiking, which is a blooming passion of mine as well. I see you ready to head into the Phoenix area, so I thought I’d share some of the trails I’ve done and truly enjoyed: (1) Mormon Trail/Hidden Valley (on the South Mountain); it is a “moderate level” trail. (2) Squaw Peak (now renamed Piestewa Peak) is “moderate” and provides great views. (3) Camelback, which is difficult, but if you enter it from the east side it’s much easier. I have climbed Camelback multiple times and the trail usually is PACKED with hikers. (4) One of my favorites is “Tom’s Thumb” which is in the McDowell’s northeast of the Mayo hospital campus. This is much easier than the others and provided awesome views. You would really enjoy this hike and there is plenty of room for your truck and camper in the parking lot. The other trails have pretty small parking lots. I also have enjoyed some of the State Parks in the region. One interesting place is “Tonto Natural Bridge” which is on the way to Payson. Lastly, if you head north out of Phoenix, you’ll definitely want to hit Sedona. Be sure to take the “Pink Jeep” tour which heads into the gorgeous hills that surround town. You’ll really enjoy that jaunt! Safe travels! Roger
ReplyDeleteIt is below zero here so this looks FINE to me!
ReplyDelete