Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Peoria

We had to find a place to stay while our mini home was getting a new paint job and a few cracks filled. Juvaderm wasn't a fix for these fine lines. We headed west to Peoria to Cibola Resort and Spa. I didn't hit the spa but yoga in the courtyard was quite pleasant with the fountains in the background and clouds passing above.
We had stayed here 3 years ago according to Facebook and was a nice treat with a special that was more affordable than a hotel room and we had our own kitchen.


One evening we spent next to the pool in a hammock. The ropes were a little hard on the back of the heads but nice to rock and look at the stars.



We had missed geocaching because of the  heat so we headed out the find a cache that was 0.6 miles from our parking spot according to the GPS (as the crow flies).


That 0.6 turned into almost 2 miles before finding the cache. It was rather cleaver with a story about the mom that loved cooking and the cache went along with the theme. 

I don't like reaching in the rocks and voted that forego digging. Mike climbed until he heard the clink and lifted a rock, no snake, and found the treat.




I nice end to the day. The mesquite did get a bit stinky. Fortunately, the smoke was blowing away from our condo. Sorry, neighbors. 

We found a trail along the west side of the city than ran 26 miles thru Glendale to Tempe along different washes that made for a good morning ride. The next day, we headed into the wind to Lake Pleasant.


The paint on the front cap had faded pretty quickly after the first year. Premier had problems with a batch of paint they had used and many of the RVs had to be repainted. They were good enough to pay for the work even though the warranty had run out.

As much as we enjoyed staying in a lovely place with so much space, it is good to be back in our home with a good looking facelift. Everything is back in its place.


Monday, November 14, 2016

Riding with the Snowbirds

We enjoy cycling around Arizona in the fall and winter and the road to Usery Park is one of our favorites with just enough climbing, not a lot of traffic and a restroom before turning around.  Frequently, we find nice people at the visitor's center to visit with while refilling the trusty water bottles. A nice couple of snowbirds from Minnesota invited us to join a group that they ride with during the season. We had a date and time and showed up to meet some very nice, welcoming people.




Thursdays, Mesa sponsers a concert with a food truck and giveaways. We took a scenic 20 mile ride along some quiet back roads, had some lunch while listening to the tunes. Once the giveaways were done, we headed back into a pretty strong wind for 10 miles. Those were a bit tough towards the end of the 30 mile ride but we made it with a little drafting from our friends.

The Snowbirds have a nice website and plenty of routes. We plan to hookup with them again soon.

We have spent time in AZ the past few years and I won't be sharing a lot about our time here this time.
AZ has had record heat this fall. Now that it is cooling down, it was time for another hike along Saguaro Lake.

While walking, we heard eagles calling and followed the sound and found these two sitting just across the water. Later, There were two more joining them as they sailed across the lake. 

An easy walk along the shore.



Our "honey do" list is getting shorter as we prepare for the holidays and a ski trip in Colorado this winter. For now though, we are enjoying the week in Peoria in a beautiful condo as we get warranty work done on the trailer. We didn't realize how much we would forget to pack when we dropped off the trailer but I bet we will be fine without my flip flops.


Monday, October 31, 2016

Mesa, AZ Happy Halloween!

We returned to Mesa, AZ again this fall but to Valley Del Oro this time. Cal Am has a special, we pay for one month and get to stay up to four (Sept-Jan 1) for the same price. The resorts are very nice with more than enough to do while we get our "honey do" list done.  We had hit the road pretty hard this summer without staying in one place for very long and were thankful for the down time for a while. Arriving in October, it is pretty empty right now and the temps pretty warm which is fine for a little while. We have met some interesting people already that are also here for the special and been playing some cards, pickleball and pool.

We have been here four weeks and already getting the itch to hit the road but still have plenty of things we have to accomplish before heading back to Colorado to ski.


The bumper is all better.

Premier is repainting the sun damage from the sun. We have gotten some medical and dental stuff done. Now that the weather has cooled down, we get to ride our bikes again. Hurray! Maybe, we can start hiking soon.

Valle Del Oro has the ballroom all decorated for the Halloween party tonight.




This is not a bad way to spend a little time. Just not too long.
 
 

Saturday, October 8, 2016

Prescott, AZ or is it "Preskitt" as the locals say

We had wanted to visit Prescott for quite some time. Last fall, we had cancelled our reservations for Point of the Rocks Campground and decided to give it another try. A hiking path connected Watson Lake hiking trails and the campground. The Granite Dells around Watson Lake and Willow Lake are enchanting whether we were hiking biking or kayaking.
Prescott Peavine and Iron King trails were rails to trails that get plenty of use by the locals. We rode out from the campground to these trails without a problem other that the huge sticker patch we ended up in on our first ride. Fortunately, the no tubes in our tires did their job pretty well.


The 5.2-mile Peavine Trail begins just south of Watson Lake at the gravel parking lot by the lush Watson Woods Riparian Preserve.




All along this route, water leaches from cracks in the rock walls and hearty flowers—red and yellow—pop from the crevasses.
There was plenty of water fowl and turtles as we rounded the preserve.

The trail follows the former Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix Railway corridor that fed into Prescott, once the territorial capital of Arizona and famous for its copper mining. Wooden decking and railroad ties lie scattered along the trail. At Mile 3 and the "Point of Rocks," is the railroad's ghost . Here the trail passes through a cut made for trains in a tall, sheer rock cluster. A trailside historical marker shows the identical view, some 100 years prior. In the photo a hulking engine chugs through the same pass. It's a humbling reminder of how, in some places, time does stand still.








A visit to the historical old town section was up next. After walking around the town, we stopped in The Palace Saloon which is basically a museum. While waiting for our snack, we took some time to check out the place. Not much had changed from the old pictures on the walls.






This looks just like Watson Lake but is Willow Lake across the road from us. 



Prescott Pow Wow and Gourd Dance were happening in the park. We passed on the Fry Bread this time.







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