Arizona: Take a Hike! Or a Walk in the Park . . .

Pinnacle Peak is a neighbor of our Scottsdale timeshare.  And we had only last June’s  100-degree temperatures to blame for not getting acquainted then. We finally met in December.

A Walk in the Park

Pinnacle Peak is the centerpiece and namesake of the 150-acre Scottsdale city park Pinnacle Peak Park that abuts the  Four Seasons Hotel and Residence Club Troon North.

We aren’t talking a slow stroll through an oasis of green with leafy trees and carpets of lawn. We are talking a 1.75 mile, (moderate-difficulty) trail of naturally decomposed granite that took us to an elevation of 2,570 feet.

The trail is an IN and OUT trail, not a loop – so what you walk going in will also be your route out and you’ll be walking 3.5 miles if you do it all.  And its wide, 4 – 6 feet in most places which is good as signs tell pedestrians to yield to horseback riders (as if we wouldn’t, right?)


Pinnacle Peak is a granite summit that rises 600 feet from the valley floor to a height of some mountain passes in Washington State at 3,171 feet. 

The trail elevation rises only to 2,570 feet and it takes about two hours at a leisurely pace to complete the hike in and out.

Several passed us who were jogging its length and others were sucking air within minutes of starting the climb – know your limitations!

We posed at the trail's summit, our dress, as you can tell from the photo, was for sun protection -- hats, sun glasses, sleeves  -- as well as for ‘critter and bush’ protection – long pants and closed-toed shoes.  We didn’t encounter any critters but the place is home to several varieties (rattlesnakes, Gila monsters and coyotes to name a few). I carried bottled water in that bag at my side; water and restrooms were available at the trail head.

Take a Hike! (but know your limits)

So inspired were we by Pinnacle Peak that we decided on a subsequent outing to try the newly-opened Tom’s Thumb Trail head, a few miles away in the heart of the scenic 21,400-acre McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

In October 2012 the new trail system opened with five miles of new multi-use trails that include the Marcus Landslide Interpretive Trail.

There is no water available here and despite being only three miles off Dynamite Blvd., a main thoroughfare in Scottsdale, the area is remote.  The view’s literally for as far as the eye can see:






That’s the roadway leading to the trail head that bisects the photo above.

 

Unlike Pinnacle Peak, this trail – as we learned after we got there – has a vertical climb of 800-feet, it is steep and the decomposing granite makes for a slip-sliding experience (bring a walking stick and hiking boots for this one.) 


The Interpretive Center has restrooms and signage but no vending machines for beverages or water – you need to bring your own.


If you Go:

Pinnacle Peak Park, 26802 N. 102nd Way (Jomax Road).

Tom’s Thumb Trail head, 23015 128th St. (three miles off Dynamite Blvd.)

Information about both at:  www.Scottsdaleaz.gov


 Thanks for stopping by today.  Hope to see you back again on Travel Photo Thursday when we head to. . . (you’ll just have to come back to see where we are off to next!)

Until then, happy travels.

On The Road to Arizona’s Summer Deals

Pssstt. . .did you know that when Arizona’s Valley of the Sun (Phoenix and Scottsdale) starts heating up in the summer you can nab some of its coolest hotel deals? 

Think 5-star luxury . . . pools . . . spas . . . fine dining. . . at prices so low you could stay three or four nights for the cost of one night in the same room during the winter.

Places like at the Four Seasons Troon North in Scottsdale. That’s their pool area pictured below.  Can’t you imagine yourself sunning there while sipping a cool one?

I wrote about the drop in prices in an article that appears in today’s Seattle Times.  You will have to click this link however, to see what kind of deals I am talking about (believe me, it is worth your time to do so).

And if you are contemplating a road trip to Arizona, I have another article in the Seattle Times  today in which I point out  some ‘not-to-miss’ stops and things to do in the North Central part of this Grand Canyon State (beyond the Grand Canyon, you might say).  To see those, you’ll need to click this link.

And for those of you who do click the links to the Seattle Times, you might recognize the guy in my photos with the orange shirt. . .

Hope to see you back here again this week because we are introducing a Travel Classics series featuring some charming historic hotels we’ve happened upon and we will also be taking you to Amsterdam for a night on the town!  
Until then, ‘Happy Travels!’

Raindrops and Rainbows~ Sunshine and Snowflakes

I sat reading a book Thursday evening in front of the fireplace as rain lashed the windows and the wind howled outside our adobe casita  - winter was announcing its arrival in Scottsdale, Arizona.


It was time for High Plains Drifters to head north.  We’d lucked out on the weather since our arrival the weekend after Thanksgiving as most of our days had been sunny and unseasonably warm in Arizona. As we headed out of town Friday morning  Black Mountain near Carefree was hidden behind a thick cloud cover.

Scottsdale roadways were covered in places with water and desert sand that had washed across the asphalt.

We would follow a route  that took through the small hamlet of Wikiup, past Hoover Dam and loop us around Las Vegas  as we headed to Highway 318 which would take us. . .

on a near magical journey through Nevada’s Great Basin.  If you’ve never visited this stretch of country we highly recommend adding it to your bucket list. 

One of its many highlights is about 90 miles north of Las Vegas,  the  8,400+square-mile Paharanagat National Wildlife Refuge, which was created in 1963, to provide habitat for migratory birds, especially waterfowl. The lakes and marshes are a rare sight in this part of Nevada.



Our plan was to reduce our travel time from four nights on the road to three – if road conditions permitted.  So far, so good, we thought.



From expansive vistas to winding our way through towering cavernous walls we sped north. . .


We planned to spend our first night in Ely, Nevada, a small community where mining provides the economic foundation, where the third generation pharmacist works in the independent pharmacy that opened in the 1940’s and where the County Courthouse that belongs in a Norman Rockwell painting, serves three of the sparsely populated counties around it.


It wasn’t until we were within minutes of  Ely, that rainbows and raindrops and sunshine gave way to snowflakes.  As we crossed Murray Summit, elevation 7,312-feet (more than twice as high as Washington’s Snoqualmie Pass) we encountered the first snow of the trip. Luckily Ely was only minutes away. . .

Eight hours, 609 miles later we concluded Day One’s in Ely –  I'll take you there later this week and then we’ll set a course north through Oregon as we wind down the Winter Western Roadtrip. 

TP Thursday: The Joy of Travel

“Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death they would be asked two questions and their answers would determine whether they could continue their journey in the afterlife.

The first question was, 'Did you bring joy?'

The second was, 'Did you find joy?' "

                                               -- Leo Buscaglia, author and educator

Day breaks in Scottsdale, Arizona. The stillness is broken when a donkey's brays, ring out like laughter, announcing the new day.

 

Day’s end in Roussillone, France: Our sunset feast, a baguette, cheese, a bottle of wine.

Early morning in Amsterdam when the streets were empty and the only sound was the canal boat's engine.

“Joy – the emotion evoked by well-being, success or good fortune 

or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.”

A late night departure from Barcelona, Spain ~ our ship passes a freighter that looks as festive as a carousel.

Joy's Synonyms ~ happiness, gladness, delight, pleasure

Morning in Paros, Greece after the day's catch has been unloaded, time to reload the nets.


Nightfall –  Mascota, Mexico.

I like the concept of 'continuing the journey in the afterlife'; it's particularly comforting to those who embrace travel as a passion. As we look back on our journeys. . . Did we find joy? Most certainly.  Did we bring joy? We hope so. How would you answer those questions?

Today is Travel Photo Thursday so for more photos from around the world head over to Budget Travelers Sandbox. And if this is your first visit to TravelnWrite, please come back again - soon!

A Taste of Travel: Reata Pass Scottsdale AZ

A dust-filled rocky trail once led over Reata Pass just to the north of downtown Scottsdale, Arizona. In 1882 there was a one-room stage station there that served the coaches traveling between Phoenix and Fort McDowell on the Verde River. 

Reata Pass is now where we have our timeshare ‘home away from home’ at the Four Seasons Scottsdale Residence Club.  So close were we to the summit that from our place we could see the old water tower.

Our location put us conveniently between three wonderful Scottsdale eatery traditions: the Cavalliere family’s Reata Pass Steakhouse (which was closed for the season) and their Greasewood Flat outdoor eatery (click the link to read about it.)

This time – with a whole week in which to explore the area – we ‘discovered’ Pinnacle Peak Patio – and I say that with a smile because the place has been around since 1957 and we’d never even heard of it until last week.  (Have you noticed? There is just too much to discover when you travel!)


Perhaps a bit touristy, but if you want a taste of the Old West – not to mention some good ol’ Western hospitality – this expansive eatery and brewery (Cowgirl Blonde Ale and Gunslinger Stout among the brews) is the place to go.

We made two visits: once to belly up to the bar and sip some margaritas and the second time to fulfill a need for animal protein.

We dined at the outdoor picnic tables (open from April to October) and listened to some country music. Looking to the west we saw Pinnacle Peak and to the east Troon Mountain.

A  post about this place wouldn’t be complete without mentioning “Big Marv” Dickson – ‘a man of many steaks’ – who came to work here back in the 60’s as a dishwasher/landscaper and progressed up the food chain, you might say. He now holds the distinction of ‘having cooked more than 11 million mesquite grilled steaks.” So. . .that might be a tall tale, but with the number of steaks we saw being served we have no doubt it might be true.



This was our picnic table view of  Troon Mountain, elevation 3,478-feet (1,060M). To put that in perspective, the elevation of Washington State's Snoqualmie Pass is 3,022-feet (921M).

If You Go:  North on Pima Road to Happy Valley (you’ll see Pinnacle Peak) Follow Happy Valley to Alma School Road. Left on Jomax to reach Pinnacle Peak Patio (10426 E Jomax Rd. 85262, phone 480-585-1599) or continue on to Greasewood Flat and Reata Pass.

TPThursday: A Sonoran Spring

The temperature hovers at 100-degrees, the sky is a cloudless blue.  We’ve been in Arizona for just a bit more than two weeks; we now understand its most apt nickname of “Arid Zona”.

A highlight of our time here  has been discovering the beauty of a Sonoran Spring:
 

The local newspaper, The Arizona Republic,  has a daily column that features a historical highpoint of the date, a chuckle for the day and also a prayer.  Today’s prayer couldn’t have been more appropriate for this post: “Lord, We thank you for the beauty that surrounds us. Amen.”



This barrel cactus is one of our favorites.



These delicate blooms adorned for several days the thorniest of cacti outside our unit at the Four Seasons Scottsdale.



It doesn’t require any strenuous hikes into the desert to find these beauties, most of the photos were taken either along roadsides outside Scottsdale or near parking lots.



Next week’s posts will include a garden tour with the Landscape Supervisor for the Four Seasons Scottsdale and some road trips in north central “Arid Zona”.  Today is TPThursday so head over to Budget Travelers Sandbox for other shots from around the world.

High Plains Drifters, Mad Dogs and Englishmen

June 2012 arrived Friday in Phoenix/Scottsdale with a sizzle:  113-degrees was the prediction ~ it felt hotter. Like a sucker-punch-to-the-stomach-hot.

We like hot, dry climates. And that is good, because that’s what we’ve had since arriving in the Valley of the Sun.

Fellow travel blogger, Dick Jordan, (whose Tales Told From the Road is worth a visit) reminded us that there’s a reason for the saying, “Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen travel to ‘Arid Zona’ between baseball’s spring training camps and Thanksgiving” and that reason is the weather.

We arrived during a ‘cold spell’ by locals’ standards. It was 89-degrees. The heat kept rising until Friday and is now back to a more comfortable ‘hovering at 100 or so degrees’.

Don’t be put off by the weather report though, because mornings and late afternoons are great for poolside lazing.

We are loving “Arid Zona” and if you haven’t yet planned a summer getaway give some thought to heading to America’s Southwest. Hotels are offering some great deals (and rooms are air conditioned). Those resorts, like the Four Seasons Scottsdale where we are this week, are offering some great deals in their spas – also air-conditioned paradises. (That’s a photo of the Four Seasons pool with Pinnacle Peak in the background.)

If that isn’t enough to bring you here, then let me tell you there is no better reason to sip a margarita than to cool yourself after a day in the sun.  We’ve been on a quest for the perfect one since arriving in the state – we’ll tell you where to find ‘em in a future post.

(These tasty treats were consumed in Prescott, AZ right after we hit town.)

Right now, I’m headin’ off to quench my thirst. . .again!

High Plains Drifters on the Road Again

The High Plains Drifters, our other nom de blog, will soon be living for a couple of weeks in our hot, dry timeshare world -  Arizona’s desert. 

We’ve got plans to see a number of long time friends from the Northwest (who have also migrated south seeking sun) as well as some local folks we’ve met in the blogosphere: Jackie Dishner author of the guidebook, Backroads and Byways of Arizona, and publisher of the blog, Bike with Jackie (I love that title!) and David and Carol Porter, known  as The Roaming Boomers.  (Take a minute and check out those blogs by clicking the blue links.)

Before we settle in to our Scottsdale ‘home-away-from- home’ life, we’ll be traveling some of the back roads and byways,with stops in Prescott and Jerome in the north central part of the state.
 
We’ll also be taking a four-hour tour aboard the vintage train, the Verde Canyon Railroad, travelin’ 12 miles an hour through the Verde Canyon, once the home of the Sinagua Indians.

Have any recommendations for us in the Scottsdale/Phoenix area? Or north central Arizona?  How about recommendations for books set in Arizona? 

TP Thursday: Give me land, lots of land. . .

Remember America's singing television cowboy, Roy Rogers and his horse, Trigger? They brought the Old West to life back in the mid-20th Century. And way back in 1944, he introduced Cole Porter’s song,  “Don’t Fence Me In” in a movie called, Hollywood Canteena.  The song is one of those cowboy songs that even now, decades later, I can't help but hum when we head out on road trips through America’s Southwest . . .

“Oh,give me land,

lots of land. under starry skies above,

don’t fence me in. . .

Let me ride thru

the wide open country that I love,

don’t fence me in. . .

Let me be by myself

in the evening breeze,

Listen to the murmur

of the cottonwood trees. . .

Let me wander over yonder

Till I see the mountains rise. . .

. . . Don’t fence me in. . .”

Note:  It is TP Thursday so saddle up and mosey on over to Budget Travelers Sandbox for more photos from around the world.   Photos taken in Scottsdale and Tucson, Arizona, and points in between.  If you want to hear Roy singing the full song, click the link above which will take you to a You Tube clip.