the MIGHTY Saguaro! (a weekend getaway)

1930s, Paradise Valley, Arizona

We'd been in Sedona for over a month, plugged in at The Pines resort, exploring the area immensely, but starting to think about visiting the Phoenix area sooner than later, before it gets too friggin' hot to hike around or do anything.  it was perfect timing! that our friend Charlee from MN was coming into the same area for a couple of weeks, and invited us to meet up with him for some dancing in the desert.  Sedona still astonishes me, yet i looked forward to a change in our routine, and to see more of what's around this state.  I've also been longing to sleep outside in our tent, and this would be a fine time to do it.  so we packed up our camping gear, a few days clothes, some food, and took off for a little road trip!
One thing about heading south from where we now live means being among the Saguaro cactus.  these guys don't grow as far north as we are.  they're so captivating.  And like most desert plants, they grow very, very slowly:  “The tallest saguaro cactus ever measured towered over 78 feet.  It can take 10 years for a saguaro cactus to reach 1 inch in height.  By 95-100 years in age, it may reach a height of 15-16 feet, and could start to produce its first arm.” 

HeHe

Saturday-  Joel and I drove around Phoenix but could see it faintly off in the distance.  we would drive through it tomorrow.  Hot air balloons dotted the sky as we looked in that direction.  the sun would set in another 90 minutes.  Foothills all around us.  We rolled into the party location near dusk and found a spot away from the action where nobody else would seem to wander, and pitched our tent right next to a giant saguaro.  it was a fun little dream come true! being i've never camped in the desert before, except for the empty, vast terrain of Black Rock City.  it was too close to dark to get a photo of it.  but i got a classic cactus shot as a silhouette.

Superbowl Sunday- we drove thru Phoenix so i could buy myself some new hiking shoes with a gift card i've been hanging onto for a while.  happy birthday to me.  altho, this day was actually Joel's bday.  (and his twin brother's.  AND his MOTHER'S! 😄)  we split after birthday shoes, over to Tempe, a city just outside of Phoenix.  We walked along the lake, laid out in the HOT HOT HOT, it's already HOT HERE, in the sunshine, and i started getting a tan!  Saguaros.  After baking, we scooted over to our see our weekly hiking buddy, Cam, and spend the night sleeping outside by the pool.  they have a queen size bed out there- we just rolled out sleeping bags, put on our stocking hats and mummied-up for a snooze all nite long under the stars and moon.  the bed was very nice! for being left outside all the time.  we both slept great.  i woke up once to see the moon had finally risen, high above the fence that surrounded us, right overhead beaming down...  AAAAAH!!!  i smiled, tried to take it all in with my sleepy mind then drifted back to sleep.  we awoke in the morning to the birds sitting in the trees right behind our heads, chirping and chatting away.  it was so sweet!  i drifted off for a little bit longer...  Sleeping out in the open air, under the sky = Heaven.  One of many, many Heavens.  

standing in the riverbed @ Saguaro Ranch

Monday- we left Tempe in the direction of the Superstition mountains to visit a place where Joel used to work, called Saguaro Ranch.  lots of saguaros around.  We had plans to meet up with his boss from 10 years ago, and see how much the place had changed.  We got there before Steve did tho, so Joel toured me around the grounds; showed me the horses, the cute little cabins, the river that's not "turned on" right now, where they store the kayaks, the pool, etc.  It was a hoot for Joel to see Steve again! and we had a lovely visit.  Before we parted ways, we were invited to return with our RV to park on his land for a few days, after the busy season, and go kayaking down the river.  so that's on the agenda for springtime/May-ish 👍  After the ranch, we drove deeper into the mountains to meet back up with Charlee and our other friend, Gianna.  Gianna had never been to Arizona before! and we all camped out together in the Tortilla Flats area.  it's a pretty quiet time of year for camping there!  we were practically alone.  surrounded by high rock walls on every side, it felt like we were in a canyon.  we went on a quick hike just before sunset, were in bed by 10:30pm and made a bombin' breakfast the following morning.  

Tuesday- we all got to spend together, taking it easy, enjoying the sun, letting the dog run (Salem) and exploring the area.  We landed in a beautiful picnic space for a few hours on Canyon lake, one of four reservoirs that were formed by the damming of the Salt River back in the mid 20's.  We made lunch there, Charlee swam with Salem (too cold for us!), and it was just a warm, but with a nice occasional chill in the air, gorgeous day.  We left after lunch to get sucked into a tourist trap we'd passed by the day before, called Goldfield Ghost Town.  Joel wandered me into a shooting gallery, where you aim a rifle at little red lights that blink on and off.  it was funny!  peggin' off cans and warning off rattlesnakes- HAHA!  it was fun.  Apache Junction was calling our names for that night, not far from where we already were, at a friend's house.  We ate dinner there, then went back into Tempe for a little bit after dark so Ginanna could have some cool back drops for her photography.  We found a lively bridge to stand under 🌟 The next morning afforded us the most amazing FRESH, PLUMP, CRAZY-SWEET grapefruit plucked right off the tree.  WooWhee!! one of our friend's neighbors grows them in their backyard and we were invited to pick our hearts' content.  I've never cared for the taste of grapefruit, at all.  but i fell in love with these ones HFSB-  they're like candy, all around, i love it, WoW

canyon lake, az

Wednesday- was time to again part ways with Charlee, until after the weekend, and leave the saguaros behind until another day.  We started heading home, taking our time, trucking along happily through the mountains on a route Joel had never been before.  along the way, we came across some incredible native indian ruins, preserved and maintained by the federal parks system.  We swung in to check it out!  it was a slow, steady, steep climb on a nicely paved path to this giant cave area overlooking Lake Roosevelt, another reservoir lake.  This is where the Salado people lived.  They were greatly known for their pottery- decorating with shapes and designs that were unique for their time.  We were told that their pots and handiwork were sought after and traded for by tribes all across the country. ?!  this site was built deeper into the mountain than we have seen before, and we could walk through much of it, so i got a few decent photos.  It was a pretty drive home, the road followed all along lake Roosevelt, and we saw some stellar boondocking areas right on the lake.  i snapped a quick shot of them down on the beach.
Mmmmmmm...  yum.   WHAT A VIEW

Salado ruins

  

Click here for all the pics

~tally ho!