Mormon Christmas

This is our third year visiting the East Valley of Phoenix for the "season" and it was time to visit the lights of the Mormon Temple and Christmas scenes. Sometimes, it is nice to do something that doesn't involve sweat and dirt.
Visiting the Mesa Arizona Temple during the Christmas season is a feast of both sight and sound.

Hundreds of thousands of decorative lights covering ground-level flower beds to towering-tall palm trees illuminate the north lawn with Christmas music playing in the background..

I

We expected large crowds but were pleasantly surprised to find them not too big.

Inside the visitors’ center is the annual nativity display. There is a collection of nearly 100 crèches from around the world.

A life-sized white sculptured nativity that appears to float on a negative reflection pool in front of the temple, and a blazing star lights up a large, traditional nativity imported from Italy with a neighboring shepherds’ field.

It was a good way to spend an evening getting into the holiday spirit.



Bushwacking cactus to Sunrise Arch

Why would anyone bushwack through cactus? We started our hike just off Bush Highway by the Salt River, excited that we were going to see one of the Goldfield Mountains secrets. These mountains have many natural arches. Most hikers do not know this nor have they been to any of them because there are no trails throughout most of these mountains. There are a few faint jeep roads around the lower elevations but the majority of hiking would be off trail.

Wild horse family in the river

We changed our water shoes into our hiking boots after crossing the river.

Good thing Mike carries his handy pliers to remove the chollas as we weaved between the cactus. There were plenty of opportunities to remove the buggers from our body parts.

Another wild horse.

There is controversy over the management of the growing wild horse population in AZ.

There is some steep scrambling the last 1/4 of a mile reaching the arch.

The arch goes through an outcropping of rock with a rock cliff directly behind it is difficult to pick out from afar.

The actual arch is about 25 feet high and 30 plus feet across and has a saguaro growing on top of it. It is called the Sunrise Arch because at one point in the morning the sun from the east shines through the arch. At all other times it simply blends into to rocky backdrop.

The arch is beautiful with varied colored rock walls and the views of Saguaro Lake and the Salt River are spectacular

Time for a snack and rest.

Happy Thanksgiving with Matt and Megan



Schnepf Farm and Hackberry Trail

Cycling with the snowbirds from Minnesota, we learn new routes to ride, meet nice people and stop for lunch. This day was a stop at Schnepf Farms.

 The Schnepf’s joined other farmers to begin clearing the brush for row crops. The farmers soon realized the sandy soil in this area was perfect for crops such as cotton, wheat and vegetables. In the late 60’s, Ray Schnepf began growing potatoes used for potato chips. They continued to diversify in the 70’s planting Queen Palms, Mexican fan palms and pine trees in a large field. Before long the Schnepf’s were farming over 5000 acres and shipping vegetables across the country. His favorite crop was candy corn. As visitors drove out to the small farming community they would often stop and ask if they could pick a few ears of corn and some peaches. It wasn’t long until Ray realized that selling corn and peaches for U-Pick was the way to go. And Schnepf Farms began to grow….

Today Schnepf Farms is enjoyed by over a quarter of a million people throughout the year. Visitors come to the farm for festivals, events, weddings, educational tours, pick your own vegetables, to pick peaches,  shop, foodie events  or just to enjoy the beautiful feeling of walking on a true family farm

There is much for a person to do while in Arizona with the Snowbirds arriving and ready to get out and go. We pulled on the hiking boots to head out for a hike with a group from our resort.

This was an easy hike with a stop at the Hackberry Spring as we rounded the hill.

Hackberry Springs Loop is just an extension of the Garden Valley Loop. The trailhead starts at the First Water Trailhead just past Lost Dutchman State Park 

This hike was rated as easy and 4 miles and a good one to get our hiking legs back.

 

It is amazing to me how easily the desert can change. On the other side of this mountain are jumping chollas and mesquites, and here are grasses growing in the wet soil amidst lush green shade trees.

Dave was our leader and chief picture taker.

Looking up, we could almost see where the rains during the monsoons would flow over the cliffs above.

First Water Ranch