Los Angeles (03-09-14)

It’s very nice having at least one of our kids living someplace that we can visit during the winter. Although Los Angeles is not our favorite place to visit- (lots of people, millions of cars, narrow roads) it’s worth it to be able to stop by on a fairly regular basis to see our daughter.

The last time we were here, we went hiking with Jess, and I figured we’d try to do that again, but the weather forecast called for temps in the mid 80s so we decided to take to the water instead.

Jess and Geoff and Paul and I headed out on a beautiful sunny day to get some kayaks. Since it was off season the kayak rental place wouldn't make a reservation, so we had to wait over an hour for the boats.

Once we had them, we paddled around the Marina Del Rey area for a while before stopping at a beach to eat the lunch we had packed.  This is the first time Jess has ever kayaked, but she did great.

We also managed to meet up with Paul’s brother Tom and his wife Sue for an evening, and we went to P.F. Chang’s for dinner.  It was my first time eating at this restaurant chain. Great food!

One more dinner out during our short visit- Jess and Geoff took us to one of their favorite restaurants-Gyu Kaku- a Japanese Barbecue. It was a bit noisy, but I really enjoyed the interesting dishes, the pace, and the cooking of parts of the meal right at the table.  Luckily they knew what they were doing, because Paul and I wouldn't have had a clue how to order from the menu.

We crammed a lot of activity into a short, 4 day visit.  Much too soon it was time to leave, and we headed north to Pismo Beach, where we’ll meet up with some friends.  Next week we land in Fresno for 6 weeks, partly to prep the truck camper for our trip to Alaska.  I’ll take advantage and fly home to Boston for a week while Paul works on some projects.

Desert Surprises (03-04-14)

Paul and I managed to fit in two hikes before we left the Phoenix area.  The first one was supposed to be the Siphon Draw trail to the Flat Iron Trail. 

This is a 6-7 mile hike with 3200 feet of elevation gain. We didn’t make it to the top- after 2 hours of hiking we were only half way there and 1700 feet still to climb. At the top of this picture you an see the Flat Iron portion of the trail.  It does look like an iron.  If you enlarge the picture (click on it)  you will see the little tiny people on the trail.

   We didn't get on the trail early enough in the day to make the whole trip.  Once we got to the basin part, the going got a little slippery and slow going. The trail is pretty steep. It wasn't anything we couldn't handle, but I got concerned about making it back down. Sometimes going down is more dangerous than going up.  I saw many people scooting down on their butts.  I’m not proud- if scooting on my butt is what keeps me from falling, so be it.

Once we had gone as far as I was willing to go, we sat down and enjoyed the view while we ate lunch.

Paul decided he wanted to explore a bit further, so I waited for him while he climbed higher up the mountain.  If it looks like he is going straight up, it’s because he is!

   

Once he was on the other peak he called out to me, and I took a few pictures of him. If you look carefully you can see him standing along the ridge.

It turns out I was worried for nothing, and going back down the slick rock was slow, but not too slippery.  If we come back, I’d be willing to try again to get to the top.

Dutchman’s Trail

The second trail we hiked was actually a combination of the Dutchman’s Trail and the Bluff Spring Trail, in the Tonto National Forest.

Here’s where most of the “surprise” came into play.  The views from the Siphon Draw trail were dramatic and although the views along the Dutchman’s trail were great, they didn't really compare. 

The combination of the two trails was about 9.5 miles long, and took us over 6 hours.  There wasn't a ton of elevation gain, but I stopped to take a million pictures, which slowed us down.

Hiking in the desert after a spring rain brings many surprises.  First of all, there is the water- quite a few streams and waterfalls were running that usually aren't.

The water turns everything green.

The greenery brings out the “wildlife”

 

….and the color and variety of flowers  was absolutely amazing:









    

It was an excellent hike.

We've now left Mesa and have actually been in Los Angeles visiting our daughter for the last few days.  That, of course, will be a different post.

A Little Taste of Arizona (02-28-14)

When my brother Ray and sister-in-law Dawn arrived from Boston, they wasted no time shedding their heavy winter clothing and donning their summer attire.  And they were soon sipping on summer-time adult beverages.

Our week was pretty much divided into two themes- Fun in the RV Park, and Day Trips.

RV Park Fun

It would be hard to get bored at this place- there are so many activities, you could be busy all day, every day.

With great weather, we spent a fair amount of time outside enjoying the sunshine.  We tested out the bocce ball court and even played a game of Pickle Ball.  Ok, well, we didn't really play a game, we just tried to hit the ball back and forth to each other.  It was still a great work out!

When it was time for some relaxing, we played Rummikub or headed poolside for the live music every afternoon at Happy Hour.












There’s just something about the scooter that attracts guys.  Ray found many opportunities to go for a spin.

Day Trips

  Our first venture out was to hike the Blevins Trail. This is a 4 mile hike without too much elevation gain, so those in our group who have been housebound by sub freezing temperatures and constant snow storms weren't overwhelmed.  The trail was a great one for showing off the Sonoran Desert.

Although Sedona is 2 hours away, we decided it was worth the drive and hit the road early in the morning. On the way we stopped briefly at Montezuma’s Castle. There are actually numerous dwellings here that were occupied from about 1100 to 1400 A.D.

Although the structure itself is impressive, they don’t allow tours anymore so this is as close as we could get.  A little disappointing.

Sedona itself is beautiful, of course, and the weather was perfect for checking out all the rock formations. We checked out a few stores too, but sticker shock sent us out the door pretty quickly. After a great lunch and a few hours of looking at rocks with names like Coffeepot, Bell Rock, and Cathedral Rock, we started the trek home.

Having spent the previous day driving all day, the shorter trip down the Apache Trail was next on our agenda. Completely different, looks wise,from Sedona, the view from the Apache Trail is just as impressive in its own way.

   

Apache Trail is a mostly dirt road that meanders through the Tonto National Forest.  You can see the road in the picture above.  If it looks as though the road is cut into the side of a mountain, that would be an accurate assessment.

The trip all the way around is a very long one, and one that requires nerves of steel.  We elected to go only as far as Tortilla Flat, an old stagecoach stop that now houses a saloon, a small museum, and of course, a store. Soon thereafter we turned around and headed back to town.

Friday night, their last night here, was dance night at the RV Park.  Every Friday night they have a live band.  I like these dances because they start at 7 pm and end at 10- a reasonable time for us old folks. This particular week the music was mostly country, with some rock and roll. We all spent a lot of time on the dance floor.

Before we knew it, it was time for Ray and Dawn to head back to the cold.  Actually, they got out in the nick of time.



  The day they left we had torrential downpours all day long, causing such flooding that the water went up over the hoods of cars. The next day it was confirmed that a small tornado formed down the street from where we are staying.