We enjoyed the rushing waters of Bridalveil Fall (it really is singular- both in letters and as a view!).  Walking up a short path in the May-June time period, you can find it hard to keep your footing, there is so much rushing water – and that it is a challenge to keep from getting a camera wet.  We wore waterproof jackets, but expect to get wet if you go that time of year.

Lower and Upper Yosemite Fall are both visible from many vantage points and, since they are accessible from the main shuttle bus route (free) that travels around the Visitor Center area, you might have a lot of company.  They are still worth seeing.

Another popular view, but also dangerous if you get too close, is the Mist Trail, which leads to the Vernal Fall and other hiking trails.  Vernal Fall’s trail is accessed by taking the bus to the Nature Center at Happy Isles, then go over a small bridge and follow the trail.  Early on, the trail is level, but later it becomes very steep.  We were told in one travel book that the trail was easy – no way!  By the top of the ascent before even reaching the bridge that overlooks Vernal Fall, most people are red-faced and puffing.  We asked a Park Ranger how difficult they consider that trail.  His response – “strenuous!”

So take travel books’ assessments of trail difficulty with a grain of salt.

By late in the year, the falls have a lot less water and are a lot less spectacular to view.  But go and enjoy the view if you can – nature surpasses herself in Yosemite!

On a recent trip to Wilmington, North Carolina, we took our time exploring the sites from the boardwalk that looked out over the Intracoastal Waterway.  Putting one foot in front of the other, we received the benefits of an energetic walk as we saw the USS North Carolina, numerous boats, and many shops and restaurants.

One of the many historic homes in Wilmington

Wilmington has a historic charm, which we were able to enjoy as we saw the riverboats that ply the river offering dinner cruises and sightseeing tours.

One of the many small malls in Wilmington

Riverboats ply on the Intracoastal Waterway on Wilmington

So, hiking can be a hike in the wilds, but a stroll on the boardwalk can also meet your requirement for energy use.

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

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.

Evolution of lights

Changing lights

Changing again

And changing yet again

Unfortunately, despite trying a number of settings on my digital camera, the photos don’t do justice to the inventiveness, whimsy and movement of the light displays that use over three million lights – mostly LED – we are assured, so they use less electricity.

An elephant

An elephant that playfully squirts water

There is a horse that seems to move, trotting along as each subsequent display is set up.  An elephant playfully squirts water. There are “dancing trees’ that are the most impressive display with colors flashing red, green, white.  There is an orb that changes colors while floating shimmering on the lake.

Dancing trees

There are hundreds of different sculptural lights displayed as everything from flowers to an enormous orangutan arch.   Children seem to be the most awed by the exhibits.  And, there are other things to experience –  Camel rides, a “Polar slide,” wagon rides, a merry-go-round and other rides.

However, in the entire zoo, only a real komodo dragon was available to be seen, since the other real animals were tucked away for the night.

ZooLights is held annually from around Thanksgiving until early in the new year during the evening hours after the zoo is closed.

Other cities have a zoolights event and it could be one of the more delightful family events that people can share.

Catch the light show next year!

I’ve been offline for a bit because I’ve been concentrating on getting Hiking for the Couch Potato out to the world!  If you take a look at http://hiking.forthecouchpotato.com, then come back for details, I’ll explain what image number 3 at the top of my new blog is about.

Okay, so  - did you go look at the other web site?

If you did, then let me share with you that the image is from Hawaii, Wailoa River State Park, a park on the Big Island.  This is a gorgeous place to meander that provides many vantage points for photography. A local park, there is no admission fee.  You can climb down to be near the water or see the falls from higher up.

It’s peaceful and we had almost no one else to bother us, unlike many more known sites in Hawaii, where everyone seems to be jockeying for a place to take photos.

Sometimes, it is just a good idea to relax, take a walk and enjoy nature.

If you are visiting the desert, it is surprising to find that there are actually spots with water and ducks.

Ducks, ducks, ducks!

Riverview Park - a small park with water, picnic areas and playground

(Riverview Park is located in Mesa at Dobson Road and 8^th Street.)

And, if birds are your thing, head to see another park that has an even greater area and an abundance of birds, the Riparian Preserve in Gilbert, Arizona.

See more on my other website,

http://hiking.forthecouchpotato.com/hiking/

(We have had some “technical difficulties” and the website is not quite as complete as we had hoped, but you can check this link and see three great images.)

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.

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.

Things to do – besides shopping

Green Valley Park is a central recreational place where we saw people fishing, picnicking and just relaxing.

Fishermen do their thing at the scenic Green Valley Park

Green Valley Park - another view

Nearby, we saw a statue honoring firemen in front of the Rim Country Museum, which also had a reproduction of the Zane Grey Cabin (the Western writer who had lived in Rim Country).

With heavily treed areas in Rim Country, firemen are honored with this statue, acknowledging their part in keeping the citizens safe.

We drove around some more and located three golf courses, the location for their annual rodeo days, and the Mazatzal Casino and Hotel.   The casino, run by the Tonto Apache Indian Community, was a typical Arizona casino with all of the gaming action most people look for – slots, bingo, etc.  The hotel seemed well-kept and attractive, but we didn’t get to see a room.

Mazatzal Casino and Hotel - with another large wing not pictured

Dinner at Macky’s

When we finished driving around, we figured we were due for either an early dinner or a very late lunch. We headed to Macky’s , which had gotten good reviews online.  Although it was only around 4 PM, the staff treated us with great attention, like they always have people showing up at unusual hours.  The menu was voluminous, with everything from burgers to full dinners.  Mostly everything was in the $7.95 to $12.95 range.  I opted for a burger, but I didn’t make it easy for my very friendly waitress. (Sorry, I forgot her name!)  There were so many burgers with very exciting combinations, but what I wanted wasn’t any of those.  So, she gave me my guacamole on my bacon cheeseburger and we were both happy.  And unlike some restaurants, where they act like they’re being put out and doing you a favor, they were very nice about it.  My husband had the Philly cheesesteak and pronounced it “good.”

Macky's Grill

Did I mention that they are a Western-themed restaurant?  They have western music playing, interesting carvings on each booth, and even have the theme in the restrooms.  (No, I did not take a photo in the restroom!)

Carving on the booths is unique

We finished our meal with their “Southwest Cheesecake,” which had a combination of cheesecake in fried tortillas with ice cream, strawberries, and enormous clouds of whipped cream.  The cheesecake, nestled inside of the tortillas was warm and rich, was definitely enough for two.  It was unique and worth having. We were polite about sharing, but we ate every drop!

Southwest Cheesecake - sooo good!

Macky’s also has an outdoor patio and obviously likes to make guests feel welcomed.  We did!

So, we ended our visit to Payson with full bellies and glad we’d stopped.  As a place to vacation, it is really a quiet haven with outdoor activities as the central focus.

Find out more  at  http://www.paysonrimcountry.com/ – there are inns, small hotels, RV parks and other places to stay in if  you plan a visit.

Next up … We visit Scottsdale, AZ

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.