Colorado and Utah trip
July 1, 2010 by taha
Jim Gray's Petrified Wood Co.
In, addition to hiking in our beautiful Sonoran Desert, we also like to adventure out to surrounding areas as well in the great Southwest! Then we get to tell you about our experiences. Well, we just returned from a fantastic whirlwind trip to Colorado and Utah! Along the way we paid special attention to things we saw, experienced and liked and disliked knowing that this would be great information to share with you. So, the plan is to share bits and pieces of the trip as it progressed each day in different blog postings over the next week.
First off, just to let you know, our itinerary included the following “official” stops along the way:
- Cortez, Colorado – Mesa Verde National Park
- Durango, Colorado – the Million Dollar Highway
- Silverton, Colorado – on the way to Ouray
- Ouray, Colorado – Switzerland of North America
- Ridgway, Colorado – Ridgway State Park
- Telluride, Colorado – home of the free gondola!
- Moab, Utah – Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Deadhorse Point State Park and Warner Lake
The plan was to stay one night in a hotel in both Cortez and Durango. Then from that point on, it was camping in a tent for us! Overall, the trip was planned for 11 days, so we were set up to spend 9 nights in our tent as we moved from place to place on our route.
We started out from Scottsdale and headed in the Payson direction. I had two sets of directions to get to Cortez. One set put us on Highway 17 North through Flagstaff where we could then pick up 40 and head east. The route we chose was the one that took us out on Highway 87, the Beeline Highway, toward Payson and ultimately dropped us off in Holbrook where we then jumped on 40 heading east. The difference in total mileage was only 10 miles with Payson being the shorter route, but the Payson route was estimated to actually take about 45 minutes longer due to lower speed limits and back road driving. We decided on the Payson route just to see some new sights along the way versus driving up 17 North which we do quite often.
So, day 1 was a lot of driving. We did make some stops along the way to Cortez. One fun stop worth making (if you like rocks and petrified wood) is Jim Gray’s Petrified Wood Co. in Holbrook, AZ. It is like rock heaven! They also have some neat fossils of prehistoric turtles, dinosaurs and birds to check out inside the store. The kids will love it! I did find the prices on some of the rocks to be a bit higher than what I am used to seeing at other rock shops, but the selection was amazing! Check them out at http://www.petrifiedwood.com to see what they have to offer before you make a trip up there. Eventually, after a number of other stops, we made it up to Cortez, Colorado. I have fond memories of counting many cows and horses along the way. So, stay tuned for more details on our adventures in Cortez and the Mesa Verde National Park!
If you have any suggestions or tidbits of information that you picked up on your travels to any of the areas listed on our itinerary, please feel free to share and I can include them in our postings! Just comment below on the blog or send us an email at info@takeahikearizona.com. Until next time!
Tonto Natural Bridge
June 9, 2010 by taha
Inside the tunnel under the bridge
Just spent the weekend up in Payson camping with the kids and enjoying the somewhat cooler weather. One of the main activities we planned for our trip was a visit to the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. The park itself is located 12 miles north of Payson right off Highway 87. It is very easy to find. Due to state budget cuts, the park is currently open 5 days a week – Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday) and is scheduled to close as of September 27th! Hopefully, a resolution (other than actually closing the park) can be found before September so we can continue to enjoy this beautiful area.
The natural bridge itself is thought to be the world’s largest natural travertine bridge. Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. The precipiation of the mineral springs forms a coating on nearby surfaces such as plants, roots, rocks, etc and forms very interesting formations including stalactites and stalagmites in limestone caves. Another great example of travertine forming over plants and roots are the Havasu Falls in the western part of the Grand Canyon on the Havasupai reservation. But, back to the Tonto Natural Bridge. The bridge itself sits 183 feet up above the ground. The tunnel below the bridge is 400 feet long and as wide as 150 feet in some places. Both the views from above and looking up from below are amazing!
Our favorite part of the trip was hiking down the Gowan Trail and entering the tunnel itself below the bridge. We spent quite a bit of time inside the tunnel climbing around and hiking to the other end. Some spots were a bit hazardous due to the slippery, wet surfaces. With that said, keep in mind that it is a lot easier to climb up some of these slippery slopes than it is to come back down them. So be sure to take a look at what you are contemplating climbing up and see if it is something you can manuever back down.
heading down some slickrock
In addition to the beautiful scenery the bridge provides, the other great thing about the tunnel is the cool air and refreshing water constantly dripping down from the ceiling above. It is a great way to cool off on a hot day!
Also, you are allowed to enter the water to swim as long as you are not within the tunnel. So as you come down the Gowan Trail, right before you step onto the man-made bridge that takes you to the entrance of the tunnel, veer off to the right and you can swim right there. The water is very refreshing (meaning down right cold) and there are quite a few little critters that the kids will enjoy looking for around the swimming hole. We found monster size crayfish (seriously, they looked like lobsters!), lots of fish and some interesting frogs. There’s also a large number of swallows that nest in the tunnel and many other colorful birds flying in and out of the area. So there is a lot to see. We spent the better part of our day enjoying the park and we look forward to going back up again later this summer before the park closes in September. For more information about the park visit the state park website and check out our photo gallery on our Facebook Fan page to see our photos from the trip.
Tranquility Trail Animal Sanctuary
June 1, 2010 by taha
If you are looking for something fun and educational to do with the kids over the summer, check out Tranquility Trail Animal Sanctuary in Scottsdale. It is a relatively new organization – a little over a year old located in a building in the Scottsdale Airpark. Their exact location is: 7701 E. Gray Road, Suite 6, Scottsdale, AZ 85260.
The organization is committed to the preservation, protection and rehabilitation of companion animals. As part of Phase One, the organization has established a sanctuary for domestic bunnies that have lost their home for one reason or another. The group offers a number of programs including adoption, spay/neuter services, community outreach, classroom presentations, pet parenting classes, education and collaborative partnerships with other like-minded organizations. What is really great (and this is the fun part for the kids) is you can visit their location and play with the bunnies!
The goal is to keep the bunnies accustomed to being handled and of course to make them feel loved! What child doesn’t enjoy petting and playing with a bunny rabbit? Also in addition to having the chance to interact with the animals up close, the kids will receive some great information from the staff about how to treat and care for the animals. You can also sign up as a volunteer and go through a short orientation on handling the bunnies and become part of a great group of animal lovers! Check out the Trainquility Trail website for more information.
For those of you wondering about what to do with a wild bunny you may find in your yard, check out the House Rabbit Society website. There is an abundance of information about what to do and what not to do with our wild furry friends. Probably one of the most important things to realize is if you find a baby bunnies in a nest, they have not necessarily been abandoned by their mother. Mother rabbits do not attend to their babies as many other mammals do. Did you know that rabbit moms only feed their young for about 5 minutes a day?! So don’t rush to relocate the baby bunnies as more than likely their mom will return in the evening to feed them. If you do happen to find a wild bunny that has obviously been injured or is in need of help, there are a number of people you can contact for guidance. A few of the organizations/individuals in the Phoenix area that you can contact include:
- Adobe Mountain 623-582-9806
- Ginny – Fountain Hills 480-816-9095
- Judy – Mesa 480-807-8355
- Regina – Queen Creek 480-987-3544
- Ruth – Paradise Valley 480-483-0130
- Liberty Wildlife 480-995-5550
These people specialize in the treatment/rehabilitation of wild animals and can be of great assistance to you. I hope you found this posting informative and I hope you find some time over the summer to visit the bunny sanctuary at Tranquility Trail in Scottsdale. If you know of any other fun/different things to do in the Phoenix area during the hot months of the summer, just send us a note and tell us about it!! We’d love to hear from you. You can post a comment here on the blog or just send us an email at info@takeahikearizona.com.
A day on the Apache Trail
April 25, 2010 by taha
View looking toward Superstition Mountains
I love when family and friends come to visit us here in beautiful Arizona! It gives me the perfect excuse to do some more local sight seeing in my own backyard that I otherwise probably wouldn’t take the time to do. Sound familiar? Our latest “adventure” was taking a day to travel along the Apache Trail, one of my favorite scenic drives. To begin this drive just head out on 60 East and take the Idaho Rd exit and follow the signs to Canyon Lake.
After a short drive down the Apache Trail, we started our day at Goldfield Ghost Town, the old mining town located right by the Lost Dutchman State Park. We had a great time exploring the old town and taking lots of photos of the area. Years ago, this little “ghost town” didn’t have much to offer, but it has since been rediscovered and tourists have been pouring in ever since. As a result, it has gotten a little bit kitschy but it is still worth seeing especially with the kids! I think we investigated every nook and cranny the town had. We also spent a bit of money of some of the tours they offer there such as the mine tour.
The mine tour was a pleasant surprise. We learned quite a bit about how the miners spent their days and toiled under ground with only candle light to help them see. Did you know that the miners were only given about 6 small candles on each shift to help them see what they were doing? They would conserve their light by putting the candles out and eating their meals in the dark of the tunnels. If I’m not mistaken, there are some restaurants that currently charge a pretty price for guests to eat in the dark now! I guess the miners were on to something.
After our adventures at Goldfield, including a mock gunfight battle performed by volunteers, we hit the road again. We drove towards Canyon Lake. It is a gorgeous drive through interesting landscape with rock formations, plants, and animals not commonly seen in other parts of the valley. We stopped at the Marina where Steamboat Dolly is docked. We parked there and walked across the street to the Boulder Canyon Trail entrance. We hiked up the trail to get some unbelievable views of the area. We could see far into the Superstitions Wilderness and a good bit of Canyon Lake. We saw some folks rafting up into one of the canyons that the larger boats cannot get into (add that to my list of things to do this summer!) and we saw plenty of collared lizards and a snake!
After working up an appetite hiking, we got back in the car and continued down the Apache Trail. Our destination was Tortilla Flats. We made it just in time for dinner. Even for a Saturday evening, the restaurant closes pretty early at 7:00pm so we felt fortunate to get in for last call (for food that is). Tortilla Flats is best known for its decor of dollar bills covering every inch of space on the walls of the restaurant. It is quite entertaining to read what people have written on the dollar bills and to see how old some of them are. The food is pretty good too! I will warn you though, if you plan to order the Nachos Grande, make sure you have someone to share them with!!
At Take A Hike Arizona, we love to share our experiences with our fans and we love to hear from you as well! Tell us about some great adventures you have had whether it is here in the valley or in your hometown. Just send us your experiences to info@takeahikearizona.com and we can share them with our readers as well! Also, we offer great day hikes in the Superstitions area, described in this posting, during which our guides will show you some fantastic scenery and share many local legends and history with you along the way. Just call us at 480-634-8488 to learn more about the excursions we offer!
Casino Arizona Showstoppers
June 28, 2009 by taha
Okay, so we are not always hiking at Take A Hike Arizona. We also have some down time of our own which oddly enough does include more hiking, but also includes all kinds of fun activities and sight seeing. We love to get out to see everything we can here in Arizona (and there is much to see and do)! And the thought occurred to me that we could share some of the sights to see and things to do on our blog along with all our other hiking related stuff! So here is our first post about stuff we have seen and done in the great state of Arizona!
A few weeks back we attended the Arizona Highways Travel Show at the Phoenix Convention Center. At the show, we chatted with individuals from a number of hospitality related businesses, one of which was Casino Arizona. The staff at this booth were handing out complimentary passes to see the “Showstopper Live!” show. So, because they were free and being handed to me, I took them. I’ve lived here in the valley for about 14 years and have never stepped foot into Casino Arizona. Not sure why, but it’s just something I’ve never done. Anyway, I took the tickets with a high level of doubt that I would ever use them.
So, to make a long story short, my mom came into town to visit. We did our annual camping trip up to Sedona with the kids and did a lot of local sightseeing of kid-friendly museums around Phoenix. Then one night, I just happened to remember that I had these free tickets. So I figured what the heck, it’s free, we have no plans for the evening, so let’s go! The show started at 7:00pm and the guest services said it was first come first serve as far as seating. Their recommendation was to arrive at 6:00pm. So we did.
We waited in line at the guest services counter which is located at the front door right when you come in. As we waited, we heard several announcements about getting complimentary tickets to the show. Apparently, anyone can just show up and receive the complimentary tickets, even though they have a retail value of $55. So my first word of advice is, don’t pay to see the show. The tickets appear to be free (at least during the week)! Okay, no real surprise there I guess. The second thing I learned within the first 5 minutes of arriving is that, we did not need to wait in the long line but we could scoot around to the left side of the counter and pick up the tickets for the show and avoid the slower moving queue for all the other services provided at the guest counter.
Now we have our tickets in hand, which come with a 2 drink minimum per person purchase by the way. What is that saying…nothing is for free? hmmmmm. Well, the 2 drink minimum is actually pretty minimal. You can just buy 2 fountain drinks for $2.50 each if you want and that will satisfy the requirement. We decided to go all out and buy 2 cocktails (on special) for $5 each plus tip. Oh and don’t be surprised when they tell you have to order your 2 drink minimum up front. You have to decide which 2 drinks you want and then they are delivered to you at the same time. I understand the logistics of doing it this way, but I didn’t really appreciate having my second drink sitting there getting warm while I drank my first one. Anyway, our total out of pocket for an evening of entertainment was $10 each plus tip. Then we waited. Don’t forget we had been advised to arrive early to get a seat, so we now had about 45 minutes to sit and drink and wait. So, we sipped slowly. Oh, and just as an FYI, they do not serve any kind of appetizers or snacks in the showroom to go along with your drinks. That was kind of disappointing.
Then the show began. The lineup for the evening was Elvis (what’s a tribute without Elvis?), Gloria Estefan, Reba McIntire, and The Four Tops. I have to say, I really wasn’t expecting much but, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the entertainment. Elvis was entertaining and had a great voice. The Reba impersonator was spot on. She looked, spoke and sang much like Reba. I had a hard time seeing a difference! But I really enjoyed the Four Tops – not my generation, however – they were excellent! They selected some great songs and really got the crowd going. The woman impersonating Gloria Estefan had a beautiful singing voice but was noticeably different than what you would expect Gloria Estefan to be like. We did miss out on seeing Madonna though. I was looking forward to that tribute. Maybe she has a larger draw and only makes appearances on weekends. I’m not sure. We also got to see a knife throwing act mid-way through the show. They were quite funny and provided a nice break from the singing acts.
So, if you are looking for something fun and cheap to do in the Scottsdale area, you should check out this show. It was quite fun and the entertainers really put their all into it. And after drinking my 2 required beverages in quick order before they got warm, I didn’t seem to mind having a 2 drink minimum purchase. The show is at Casino Arizona located at the Loop-101 and Mckellips. If you happen to go see it, let me know what you think!
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