Daytime temperatures get into the 70ºs (Fahrenheit) and the sun is shining. Soon, we’ll have a profusion of flowers – yes, it really can flower in the desert!

So, on a day when most of the country was socked in with snow, I’ll show you where I hiked.  With a jacket that I wound up taking off since I became too warm while hiking, I headed out on a trail that gave me views of downtown Phoenix, Camelback Mountain and a panorama of the whole surrounding area.

Take a look – South Mountain Park – the largest city park in the USA.   These pictures show the Javelina Canyon Trail (Easy to moderate difficulty) that you can enter from 46^th Street (south off Baseline Road).

Beginning of the trail - Javelina Canyon Trail in South Mountain Park

Camelback Mountain in the distance

The trail

Phoenix downtown (in the distance) from South Mountain Park

So, take a peek at the site and look at the second image near the top.  When you do, you’ll see an almost other-worldly location where the rocks have encircled a watery, breathtakingly beautiful lake.  If you look really carefully, you’ll even see a mountain with snow on it off in the distance.

Where is it?

The shot is of Granite Dells, just north of Prescott, Arizona at Watson Lake.  It’s a park, a picnic place and a fabulous place to hike.  There is a small entrance fee, but just sharing the view is worth it!

Take a look at our previous blog on this site that tells you more.  http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1687

Enjoy!  We certainly have and we’ve been back several times.

A difficult, winding road, State Route 87, from the Phoenix area is a challenge – definitely not for the faint of heart.  North of Payson by just a few miles and still on 87, a turn-off leads to another winding access road.  Wiggling every which way, when you finally arrive at the bottom, the park is spread out below, but the natural bridge is not immediately noticeable.

Pay your entry fee ($5 per person) and head to a parking lot.  There are several trails and viewpoints to visit so you can see the travertine (according to Wikipedia a “sedimentary rock, formed by the precipitation of carbonate minerals from solution in ground and surface waters”) bridge, which has a waterfall dripping down.

A picturesque grotto with waterfall awaits the intrepid

Waterfall Trail

We were out for a day of hiking, too, so we decided to test two of the trails.  The park’s brochure says, “strenuous” to describe the trails, and they are.  The Waterfall Trail, while short, has angled, narrow steps that are partly wood, partly metal mesh and partly rock.  Water flows over some of the walkway and it is definitely not for anyone with a disability.  While only 300 feet long, the trail is a challenge!  At the bottom is a narrow area with a cave-like grotto surrounded by vines and foliage with a small falls.  You must take turns to see the very end of the trail, since it is narrow.

Stairway at Waterfall Trail - most were not this wide

Viewpoints 3 & 4

We stopped briefly to look at the natural bridge from these perspectives and were rewarded with a rainbow emanating from the falls.

Natural Bridge from Viewpoint 4 with rainbow

Gowan Trail

Again, the brochure warns that the trail is strenuous. Do people pay attention?  NO!  We saw people with flip flops and other footwear ill-suited to the twists, turns and narrow stairs.

The trail continues – up, down, and around – for nearly a ½ mile and arrives at an observation deck from which people can venture into the bridge.

Tonto Natural Bridge from a distance

Not for the faint of heart or for persons who are not surefooted – I had hiking boots on and still slid and fell just as I was almost back to the deck.  The rock is highly polished by the constant spray and EXTREMELY slippery.  There are pools of water nestled in the rock areas and it is not a good place to navigate even with the best of shoes.  A park guide said that even with just socks on, he didn’t think it was an easy experience.

We did enjoy the view – and I now share photos of them with you. (And see the short video by clicking below.)

View through Tonto Natural Bridge

Natural Bridge

Picnic time

We headed to a picnic table that had shade and enjoyed a picnic lunch we brought.  (The gift shop where you can pay for admission also has a small shop with some food items, but not an extensive selection.)

In general…

One able-bodied male in his late 20s indicated he wished he had our hiking poles.  There were some elderly people looking exhausted and huffing and puffing.  Let me repeat – do not attempt this series of hikes without water, proper shoes (and, even then, it isn’t easy to navigate at the actual natural bridge), and, perhaps, a hiking pole.

Note: Only portable toilets are available in the parking lots.  Bring hand sanitizer.  You should bring your own drinking supplies – and a lot.  The altitude (if you’re not used to it) and the climbing up and down the steps are demanding, so you need water.

We did enjoy the experience, but I wish I had not ventured on the slippery rocks.

Next week… The oldest schoolhouse still in existence in Arizona and some craft-y people.

Grand Canyon - just a very small part of the vast view

A trip to the Grand Canyon is a “must see” when you travel out West in the USA.  Arizona recognizes it as one of its finest attractions by designating itself the “Grand Canyon State” on license plates.Most people drive or come by bus to see nature’s show.  It is a drive from Flagstaff (80 miles) or Williams (59 miles), but can also be reached by the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, a fun trip.

Upon arrival during the main summer tourist season, expect to park in the lot at the South Rim and use shuttle buses to get you to the viewing areas.

Mather Point is a focal point for viewing, but anywhere along the South Rim Trail is a great place to settle in for views.  (I found Mather Point to be overwhelming with tourists who were all jockeying for position to get “the” photo shot of all time.)

Grand Canyon view

Calming walking along the paved path the skirts the rim, I found spectacular views, including some views of the Colorado River ‘way down below. Close to dusk, we were edging down the South Rim trailhead, just trying to get photos from different vantage points when we were stopped by a Parks Ranger who told us we could not go any further at that time of day.  They are protective of people, since the path can be treacherous.  People do take mule rides down the trails, but late in the day, they keep people in “civilization.”

Grand Canyon with Colorado River way below

Grand Canyon at dusk

Food and Lodging

There are restaurants at the Park’s South Rim, but they are of the hewn wood and rustic variety.  There are landmarks like the El Tovar Hotel that have been around for over a century (which was refurbished a dozen years ago), as well as Bright Angel Lodge, Kachina and Thunderbird Lodges, Maswik Lodge, and Yavapai Lodge.  All of the previous have some form of dining facility.

If you are the intrepid sort and plan the strenuous hike to the Grand Canyon’s floor and need a rest stop, Phantom Ranch is the respite for those travelers.  (Reserve meals before you attempt the trip.) We did not attempt this long hike, which we understood could only be accessed by mule, hiking or river rafting.

Grand Canyon at nightfall

We recommend that you allow a day to hike around the various vantage points, take zillions of photos, and visit the various historic hotels for rest stops, food and souvenirs.

While in the Area…

We were impressed with the Grand Canyon, but if you are in the Southwest, we also highly recommend a side trip to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park in Southern Utah.  Canyonlands is also vast and amazing, as well as Arches National Park. (See our other blogs on these national parks.  Just enter the name in the “search” box.)

Our favorite? – I’ve been twice – is Bryce Canyon.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/

Leaving Jackson Hole after we whisked through (it is was very early and nothing was open, not even the visitors center), we headed north to Grand Teton National Park.  Before you arrive at the toll booth, a side trip to Craig Thomas Discovery Center puts the natural wonders of the area in perspective.  The land seems open and vast, a series of mountains with wildlife tucked away.  Friendly Park’s Rangers are happy to explain what there is to do and see, but the exhibits themselves are worth a few minutes to understand the forces and creatures (human and otherwise) that have created this area. The architecture of the Discovery Center is gorgeous and on a grand scale, befitting the land of which it represents.

Once on the road again, we paid our toll ($25 for a week pass that also gave us access to Yellowstone National Park) and saw deer just a few miles up the road.  It is telling that the sign said, “Elk, moose and buffalo crossing next 20 miles.”

A short side trip to Jenny Lake

We decided to take a little respite from driving and visit Jenny Lake.  The views were breathtaking and the area had very few people.  This was in late May, but the area was still chilly and we wore warm clothing.  (A pleasant change from the temperatures in our home state of Arizona where temperatures were soaring to the 100-degree mark.)

We walked along the lake, watched the boat (rides are available, but there is a fee and we didn’t want to spend the time or money) leave a wake in the water and enjoyed the stillness.  There were few people about, so we could really appreciate the scenery.

We’ll let our photos tell the story of our visit to Jenny Lake.

A camping store and a few amenities are available at Jenny Lake, but they are near the parking lot, not on the lake’s shore.  Fortunately.

When at the store area, you become aware of the fact that bears can be frequent visitors. The garbage cans have a special opening that would prevent bears from getting to the refuse.

Lunch at Jackson Lake Lodge

We grabbed lunch at the semi-rustic Jackson Lake Lodge in the restaurant.  The tab for two came to around $20 for our hamburger meal.  Most memorable was the very friendly wait person who took our order.  It seems that people are really eager to work at these locations as a “working vacation.”  The views are spectacular from the Lodge, but the prices to stay are spectacular, too. We saw rates of up to $300 a day for the rooms, which are fairly modest park lodging. (No television, no radio, no A/C – not that it would be that necessary, no wireless access in the room, but it is in the lodge.)

Jackson Lake Lodge Lobby

View from Jackson Lake Lodge

Leaving Grand Tetons

Eager to get to Yellowstone, we headed north.  There is some road construction, which can make the road only one lane so that cars take turns in each direction.  This can slow things down. We were lucky and didn’t have to wait for the ½ hour delay that the posted sign warned about.

We still saw a lot of snow clinging to mountainsides.

We have been so eager to share the most dramatic visits first, so now we’ll head back to civilization and visit Idaho for a few weeks.  Urban, but great!

Come back next time and we’ll visit Boise, Idaho.

(Okay, we have not been blogging recently.  Our internet connection was very iffy, but now we seem to have resolved those issues.)

After reviewing travel options for our nine-day excursion, we have decided to choose -   ta da da da dah da!-

IDAHO!

Our choice of Idaho was for the following reasons:

1. We have never been there.
2. They sent us information very quickly – we like responsiveness!
3. We know images can be enhanced, but the stunning views of mountains and lakes were irresistible.
4. After living in the Arizona desert, an abundance of lakes, waterfalls and rivers will be a welcome change.
5. The scenic byways sound entrancing and the diversity of climates is always a great idea if you want to see a lot in very little time.
6. Boise sounds like our idea of a great city to visit.  A university town, that always seems to add something special to the life of a community.   “A vibrant downtown bordered by a 25-mile greenbelt and seven grand parks, line the city’s waterfront.” (Although there is a punctuation/grammatical error there, we get the point.)
7. My husband wants to get some golfing in.  Idaho has an abundance of that.
8. Towns with names like “Bliss,” “Eden” and “Cascade” are so evocative we can’t resist.
9. We once met a Coeur d’Alene resident who couldn’t say enough great things about the city.  We want to see Coeur d’Alene – scenery, culture and golf – sounds almost too good to be true!

10.  After looking randomly at the Idaho Web site, I was hooked! www.visitidaho.org

More to come as we refine our travel adventure!

We have thoughts of migrating ourselves.  We have a short trip to LA coming up, but we’re also planning a longer stay.

But, where to go?  We have nine days and we want a new place –“somewhere where we’ve never been before.”

We had several ideas.  First, we’ll stay stateside since we’re not in the mood for customs and dealing with currency conversions.

Also, we don’t want an enormous plane ride.  We’re open to the possibility of a drive, but we don’t want to spend most of the vacation getting there.

I voted for open spaces, but I need to see water.  My husband also likes open spaces, but he likes mountains.

California?  Been there, done a lot of it.

Colorado?  Maybe.  I keep hearing about Durango and picturesque mountains.

Wyoming?  Certainly, it has the open spaces!

Idaho?  The scenery looks great in the brochures!

Washington (the state)?  We drove through on our way to Vancouver.  I’d get my water and my husband his mountains.

We’ve sent for new brochures.  Yes, I know, the mountains and natural features don’t change too much in a few years.  But, hotels and manmade items do change.

With visions of exploration and open vistas dancing in my head, I will sign off for now.

Come back next week, and we’ll share more about our plans.  Out west for sure!

Traveling means you go everywhere and try everything –for our readers.

Without a mine tour, we figured we weren’t experiencing Bisbee at its most memorable.  So, we joined a tour.  Advanced reservations are suggested as once the tour trolley is full, you must wait for another trip.  With five trips daily, there is lots of opportunity to have this experience.

Preparing for the experience

Once you’ve paid your money ($13 for adults, $5.5 ages 4-12), you receive a small, pin-on medallion.  When it’s time for your tour, you line up and get suited up.  Everyone – everyone the smallest child – receives a heavy yellow rain slicker and a lamp they wind around you so you don’t lose it.  (It’s best to leave large and heavy bags behind. Sturdy shoes would be a good idea.)  Once you’re suited up, you tramp outside and get on a trolley that you straddle.  It isn’t fancy, but probably it’s a lot nicer than what the miners had.

Suited up and ready to go below

Time to go below

The several-car trolley moves on its track to the opening of the mine, curving as it heads into the darkness.  It is cold and forbidding the moment you can no longer see daylight.  Miners, who worked 8-10 hour shifts, did not see a lot of daylight.  The extravagant amount the miners earned at most: $12.30 per shift (not hour!)

Our tour guide Steve kept us together and filled us in on what life was like for miners, how the metals were extracted and housekeeping issues.

Life in the Mines

Actually, in the Copper Queen area there were two mines, the open pit mine that was exposed for all to see, and the Copper Queen that includes 260 miles of tunnels.  Mine shafts are horizontally placed at 100-ft intervals.  Without lights, it is BLACK as night.  Early on, candles were the light source and, according to Steve, 5-7 candles were needed for each miner’s shift.  Two shifts were worked each day.  (In the mills and smelting, once the ore was extracted, three shifts tackled that effort.)

Trooping up stairs to a cavern area

The massive effort was responsible for over 8 billion lbs of copper being extracted from the mine.  By products included zinc, lead, and silver.

The miners did not use canaries to gauge air quality.  Rats and cockroaches would let them know if cave-ins or poor air quality was an issue.  Still, many miners developed silicosis, a disease that cause lung problems.  Steve, our tour guide, told us he worked in the mines, but not for long.  He went back to school, earned a degree in mining, and improved his status in life.  Being a tour guide, he now goes underground regularly.

In the early mining years, tools were more rudimentary.  Dynamite, which was produced in nearby Benson at the Apache Powder Company, was used to blow holes in the walls.  Timber was used to prop up areas and support the walls.

Steve show how the drills worked

Interestingly, miners had an elaborate procedure for placing the dynamite, which was only done at the end of a shift.  They had an intricate way they set up the dynamite at distances and amounts for the explosions and safety procedures in place.  Since it took 40 seconds for a blast to go off, they could judge when to get out of the way. If a blast did not go off, they notified the next shift so they could be alert for it.  Phones were in the mines for emergencies that were hooked to both the local hospital and the mine office, so quick action could be taken to save anyone injured.

An elaborate system of bells was also used to let others know where people were in their rudimentary elevators that traveled between shafts. Five bells meant they were ready to blast, an important warning.

A map showing the mine tunnel locations - and the way out

With their precautions, purportedly only 14 were killed in cave-ins.

Still, it was not a fun life.  “Bathrooms” were “two-seater honeypots,” chambers fastened to a wagon that could be hauled away and dumped.  Steve said he never saw two people on the honeypot at the same time.

To make a point about how dark the mine is without lights, Steve had everyone turn off the lights for a moment.  Not just dark, it was profoundly black, damp and scary.  We rapidly turned our battery-operated lights on again.

What did miners do if their lights went out and they wound up alone (miners did work in pairs)?  They moved along feeling for the tracks that carried the ore out, following its path until they could get out. Not a situation anyone would relish.

Sadder than the miners’ lives underground was that of the mules used to haul the ore.  They never came up from underground for years!  When they were finally brought to the surface, they were close to blind and had to be gradually acclimated to light again.

According to one Bisbee local, the miners trudged up the hills, after a long day in the mines, to their homes that had no running water and no electricity.

Out again

Back to daylight

When we finally came back to daylight again, it was liberating.  We had been 1,500 feet into the mine.  An interesting experience, we were glad that we were not miners.

Surrendering our slickers and lights back in the tour office, we were glad to be back above ground again.

A shop with geodes and other possible rock purchases is available, plus a min-museum showing some of the tools and history of the mines.

Every time we see a copper penny or pipes, we will remember how that copper came to be used for that purpose.  The miners, in essence, made modern life possible.

Later this week…shopping around Bisbee.

In general, smaller cities in Arizona have a character and individuality that you won’t find in the medium and large-sized cities.  You might see some familiar stores, but, for the most part, you don’t feel that you could be dropped down in any one of them and see all the same stores and buildings.  There are some unique buildings and a close-knit character to the people who live in these towns.

Leaving the interstate, I10, in Arizona south of Tucson at SR 80, you enter a much different environment than the built up cities in Arizona.  About an hour’s drive from Tucson, the terrain becomes more mountainous, with snow visible on the distant peaks.  Nothing but open land seems to exist for miles and miles.  Traveling with children, they are likely to begin the “Are we there yet?” litany.  There are few houses and what seems like an endless amount of nondescript brush.

Things get interesting as you hit the outskirts of Tombstone.   Suddenly, you see civilization with signs and buildings.  One sign proclaims where the “OK Corral” fight occurred.  We’ll visit Tombstone later this week.

Twenty-eight miles down the road from Tombstone is the quirky, artsy town of Bisbee, formerly a city dominated by copper mining.  We’ll visit a copper mine and show you the shops and sites.

So, join us this week and next for some fun in the Old West.

Also, take a look at our SHOP – see the “SHOP” button above and check out the images we’ve captured you can wear or use.

A great time greets you at Coyote B & B

If you’d like to swim, there’s a pool with a vista that takes in mountains and saguaro, those amazing cacti with arms reaching to the sky – or so it seems.

A view - and a pool

And, says hostess and owner Mary Jane Lopez, “every room has a view.”  And, great views include blue skies and mountains.

Saguaro stands sentinel over the property

Coyote Trail B & B offers a private casita with three bedrooms, plus some bedrooms in the main house. The casita has a roomy living room with a kitchen area that includes a refrigerator, sink, microwave, dishwasher, and complete dish service. Outside on the patio is a grill so you can have the flavor of the west.

Every room is tastefully decorated without a fussy look, that adds to the restfulness.  However, if you really feel the need to connect with technology, every room has wireless and all bedrooms have a television.

Mary Jane Lopez, your hostess, prepares a bedroom

For breakfast, Mary Jane offers a great menu with choices to please almost everyone.   Choose your beverage – Coffee, tea, milk and orange juice; then, you can try a continental or heartier menu with several items.  You choose your breakfast time. The muffins are homemade.

If you’d like to savor the old west, Mary Jane can connect you with an excellent horse riding location for a trail ride.  Or, indulge yourself with a hot and cold stone massage at a nearby spa.  Two golf courses are also less than a half hour away.

The fenced property is a delight to the eyes with clean lines that seem to be planned around a giant saguaro in the center of things, wherever you are.

At night, you can head to the roof deck where you can borrow a telescope to take a look at the stars.  The sky is dark with twinkly stars in this rural area.  It’s a real treat!

Nearby forest of saguaro

Visitor reactions

Coyote Trail B & B’s guests have come from as far away as Latvia, as close as the next town.

Mary Jane is proud to show her guests’ comments.  A recent batch included:

“We honestly thought everything was perfect. Thanks for the lovely evening.  We’ll definitely be back.”

“Delightful place to stay…Very nice hostess and delicious breakfast.”

“Wonderful! Wonderful! Thank you so much!  So enjoyable and an anniversary we will never forget.”

Arrangements

A non-smoking facility, Coyote B & B is eager to greet visitors.  They don’t charge for things like drinking water and the wireless.

Rates are currently $79 per night, a very reasonable price considering the amenities and the great breakfast.

Plus, you’ll have a chance to enjoy nature and peace – which you can share with the native birds, jackrabbits, quail, ground squirrels and, even, a rare coyote.  (Don’t worry, you’re safe – the property is fenced.)

More than the amenities, you’ll appreciate the warmth of your greeting and the lovely feel of an appealingly decorated facility with more cacti than neighbors nearby.

Come visit!

Find Coyote Trail B & B at: http://www.coyotetrailbedandbreakfast.com/

Come back next week for more flavors of the old West!

Visit our SHOP for a souvenir you can keep of some of our memorable scenes.