Unless you really like winter sports, this time of year the greatest place to be is Arizona. I know Arizona’s been taking a lot of hits lately, but the weather In January and February is why Arizona has a major tourism influx.
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! (more…)
A few weeks ago, I promised to tell about the images on my new web site, Hiking.fortheCouchPotato.com That’s – Hiking for the Couch Potato – -http://hiking.forthecouchpotato.com
Head over there now! (I’ll wait!) http://hiking.forthecouchpotato.com
Take a quick look at image number 4 at the top of the page (just scroll over) and you’ll see a reddish, sandstone rock that seems to have some people tucked in an opening.
Okay, now that you’ve seen that truly unusual natural development, wouldn’t you like to know where it is?
That image is the closest of the four to my home in Arizona.
It’s – Papago Park in the Phoenix, Arizona area. Of the many natural formations in the central Arizona area, Papago Park allows visitors to come and hike up (from the area behind the photo you’re seeing) and look out at the world. The walk is not too challenging, but since it’s terraced with some built in “stairs,” it would be tough for someone in a wheelchair. However, most other people would be able to walk up to see the view.
Papago Park also is well-located, as it is near both the Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Garden. Plan a day seeing all of those sights if you’re planning to come to Arizona.
And, despite the bad press Arizona is getting these days about guns, most of us are not gun-toting, wild west types spoiling for a fight. You can expect to be treated well here as some of the most luxurious hotels and exotic scenery of the US southwest is right here in the Phoenix area. And, the majority of people are well- behaved, law-abiding citizens.
When you’ve finished visiting Old Town Scottsdale and Scottsdale Fashion Center, there is more shopping up the road! Shopping in Scottsdale could be a daily experience for weeks and you might still not see everything!
Traveling up Scottsdale Road, you see other major retailers like Crate & Barrel, restaurants like Cheesecake Factory, and several shopping plazas. Although it might seem counterintuitive with Arizona’s months of extreme heat, most of the newer shopping locations are open air centers where you travel outside from shop to shop.
A street in Kierland Commons
Previously, we’ve visited Scottsdale in this blog, but we have some new items to share and some new perspectives. Scottsdale really is a state of mind, like being in Boca Raton or Palm Springs.
Trendy Kazimierz World Wine Bar calls itself a speakeasy and has its entrance around the back!
Until we spent part of a day in Payson after visiting Tonto Natural Bridge (see previous blog two weeks ago), we had just been through Payson on our way to other places. It is the junction for Arizona State Routes 87 and 160, and about equidistant between Flagstaff and Phoenix, so it was just a place to fuel our car and keep going. We’re glad we stopped by this time, though!
With a population (at last count) of over 13,000, they are a giant metropolis in comparison to Strawberry and Pine, the neighbor burgs we visited the same day. There is more of everything, but the scenic backdrop of the mountains gives everything the “aah” factor. You can relax in Payson. It’s that kind of place.
There is shopping along the main street, including the Swiss Village shops which a resident we met at the Natural Bridge told us not to miss. We missed it, because we weren’t there for shopping. We just wanted to see what it was like for someone visiting and looking for scenery. (more…)
Well, really, that’s what the Grand Canyon is: It is a one-mile hole in the ground that is over a mile above sea level that stretches for nearly 300 miles. But it is vast and a testament to what nature can do over the eons of time that the earth has evolved.
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. (more…)
This week, I promised something unusual. Although this posting is a little later than usual, I ‘m keeping my promise.
In Arizona, south of Phoenix, the Gila Indian Reservation has some welcomed guests – wild horses. Although during some seasons, you might not see them, these wild creatures may be viewed just along the highway. Invariably, I haven’t had my camera with me, but sometimes I have managed to get some photos.
Wild horses
Wild horses watching us watching them
The Gila Indian Reservation has vast acreage where the animals are able to roam – somewhat – free. (The lands are fenced from the roads to keep the horses safe and people out of these private lands.) Since the Gila River Indian Communities are good stewards of their lands, the horses literally have free reign – and no reins in open areas. In warmer weather, the horses take refuge in more sheltered area, but often in the spring, they can be seen in plain view.
How many major metropolitan areas can claim such a refreshing and unusual glimpse of such an inspiring sight?
Wild horses see us and leave
Next week we’ll offer another, lesser known, but scenic, Arizona spot.
Coming soon: If you’ve just been thinking of traveling and would – at least secretly – consider yourself a Couch Potato – you’ll be excited when we launch our new e-book. We’ll share more next time.
The first time I flew into Phoenix, I was amazed at how spread out the metropolitan area is. From west to east, Buckeye to Apache Junction, the metropolitan area of Phoenix, with all its suburbs, easily reaches 70 miles.
In some giant US cities, they build up with multi-storied skyscrapers. But, with the vast spaces available in Arizona, they have built out and even have had height restrictions on how high buildings can be built.
So, welcome to Phoenix. Spread out and still in the desert.
Saguaro cacti and mountains are a short ride from the hustle and bustle
After a long trek around the University of Arizona campus, resting my tired feet while trying out the Old Pueblo Trolley was much anticipated. The Old Pueblo Trolley, billed on their Web site as “an operating transit museum” is a short, evocative experience. (more…)
It’s highly unlikely that passengers on the Black Canyon Stagecoach in 1884 would have ever guessed that their rest stop between Prescott and Phoenix would become famous for … PIES! (more…)
