And We're Off

Final preparations are winding down. Packing is almost finished. Something new for the hike, too. This is the first time I've tried dehydrating various fruits for hiking snacks. Pleasantly surprised at how they turned out. The mangos and bananas are good, the apples are great. Strawberry and kiwi are a little more tart. Now to figuring out the rest of the snacks and the water.

The packs are almost complete. Just waiting for my hiking partner to arrive soon to review the supplies and make final adjustments. It won't be long now.

Appreciate your prayers and thoughts as we embark on this amazing trek!

Adventure Week

In March, we experienced the "pre" adventure week. My grandson and I hiked, kayaked, and tested ourselves to make sure we were ready for this week in May. Now the big test.

I started this week with a solo kayak trip. When the two of us went in March, we went just over a mile. Today, I challenged myself to go two miles. It was an absolutely beautiful morning. No congestion at the launch beach. The water looked like glass, so smooth. 

That didn't last long. The wind came up and the waters became choppy. It was the first time I felt like I was going over rumble strips on the water. That made paddling a bit harder. The head winds were even more challenging. I felt like I was standing still in some areas, which shows up on the map. There is more red/slow on the route than usual.

Overall it was a great ride. I went further away from the beach area, accomplishing my goal of two miles. There is still a cove another half mile beyond where I went today that is on my bucket list. I might even venture out to other nearby lakes in the future. It is such a peaceful exercise. I didn't even listen to music today. Just the sounds of the water and nature.

Today went smoothly overall. In fact, I finished over an hour earlier than expected. That gives me encouragement that our hike later this week will also go well. I cannot wait.

So Excited!

The time has come. After a year of anticipation, my grandson and I will attempt a rim-to-river-to-rim hike. 

A little history. Our original/first plan was to hike rim-to-rim, meaning down North Kaibab and out Bright Angel. After considering the needs of all involved, we went with the second plan, rim-to-river-to-rim, meaning down South Kaibab and out Bright Angel.

A couple months ago, we discovered the Bright Angel trail closure for the water project, which raised a red flag. The website said the project would be completed May 15, 2025. No problem, right? Well, is a project deadline always right? No. The Bright Angel trail is expected to be completed but the River Trail that connects Bright Angel to Phantom Ranch/Silver Bridge will now be completed in September/October. So...

Plan #3. We will still visit Phantom Ranch, and join the rest of the hikers detoured onto South Kaibab. Down and up the same trail. The good news is we can go and the weather forecast looks about perfect. Here's our plan:

TRAIL POINT	ELEV	DIST	GRADE	DOWN	UP
South Kaibab Trail Head	7,260	0		5:00a	4:00p
Oh-Ah Point	6,575	0.9 mi.	14%	5:40a	3:00p
Cedar Ridge	6,060	0.6 mi.	16%	6:00a	2:30p
Skeleton Point	5,200	1.5 mi.	10%	6:45a	1:30p
Tonto Trail Junction	4,010	1.4 mi.	16%	7:40a	12:15p
The Tipoff	3,870	0.2 mi.	13%	7:50a	12:00
South Kaibab Bridge	2,600	2.1 mi.	11%	9:00a	10:30a
Phantom Ranch	2,480	0.9 mi.	.03%	9:30a	10:00a

Blooms Abound!

The weather has been wonderful! I remember many years when the start of May meant triple digit temperatures. Fortunately, this year is still relatively cool, The forecast high for today is only 70 degrees. A rare treat.

Papa and I took advantage of the mild temperatures to explore Boyce Thompson again. Yes, it is a favorite destination. And it did not disappoint. The spring flowers are blooming. In fact, the rose garden seemed just a few days beyond it's peek. Next year, an earlier April visit to see the Wallace Rose Garden.

The excitement, if it can be called that, was waking up one morning to find a weight used on the patio curtain had been an overnight meal for a critter. After investigating, it seems a mouse or rat had gnawed the ONE sandbag that had rice vs. sand. Why? It was my test bag to see if they would weight the patio curtains. Once I obtained sand, I filled the remaining bags, but didn't replace the rice with sand. My fault.

The day I found my mistake, I repaired the bag, replaced the inner bag and filled that with sand. Problem solved, right?  Nope. The little vermin returned, gnawed a new hole and discovered the sand. A couple other bags had small teeth marks as if the critter had to double check for possible rice, then gave up.

An electronic mouse deterrent has been added to the patio (I do not want to deal with traps or dead rodents). The potential entrance points have been secured. New low curtain rods have been added, better securing the curtains in the breeze and allowing for easier cleaning.  We have enjoyed a few nights with no evidence of nocturnal visitors. People are welcome visitors! Dogs, too. Little critters with long tails are definitely NOT!

Final Preparations

Less than a month until my grandson and I descend into the Grand Canyon. This will be his first trek and likely my last. He is excited. I am a bit nervous. The Camelback hike reminded me that I'm not as young as I was. 

When Papa and I hiked the Canyon before, I put together a table with the various waypoints along the route and estimated arrival times. That is still a reference point for us, but this graphic was posted online. Unfortunately I did not grab the source, I apologize. It was a hiker who is planning rim-to-rim-to-rim. That is a much longer/harder hike than we will do. Our plan is to go down the South Kaibab (1st column) and out Bright Angel (4th column). This graphic provides a better visual.

Outside of last minute details, and continued training, I believe we are set. We're prepared to send mail from Phantom Ranch, the only place in the U.S. where the post mark reads "delivered by mule." It is also the only place to purchase a Phantom Ranch (PR) souvenir t-shirt. That's a definite to-do item. The sack lunch is ordered, and we will toast the midway point of the hike with a lemmy (that's lemonade folks) during our lunch break at the PR cantina.  The anticipation builds.

Big Kachina

Just outside the town of Carefree, Arizona stands a 39 ft. tall statue of a Kachina doll. Kachina dolls are part of the Pueblo Indian culture and very popular in the desert southwest. 

Roadside America published an article on this unique attraction. There are many places to see around Arizona. In fact, we missed the giant sundial located nearby. We did drive to Bartlett Lake. I'm kinda partial to visiting lakes, beaches, water in general. It looked like a beautiful lake although a bit out-of-the-way. Guess that might be why it didn't seem as busy as Saguaro or Canyon Lake.

This trip reminded me that Arizona has so many interesting places to visit. We have the time, we need to continue to explore!

Living History: Desert Style

Pioneer Living History Museum in North Phoenix is similar to other living history places we have visited around the country. Covered wagons, old buildings, board sidewalks are similar. Still it is fascinating to visit these places and image what it was like for settlers over a 100 years ago. Add the desert to the mix and I cannot image how bumpy those covered wagon rides were over the rocks in the desert. Or how stifling the heat would be.

One of the first buildings we saw was the jail from the late 1800s. It reminded me of a primitive Mayberry RFD with the side-by-side cells exposed to the central area.  No walls, just one large room. This was one of several original buildings from the late 1800s. Some of the buildings were from the local area, a few were moved here. (see list -- click on picture to enlarge)

The entire area is quite large. On a cooler day, we would have explored more of the grounds. Instead, with temperatures creeping near 100, we did the Reader's Digest version, staying to the central core of buildings. 

Outside of the jail, the church was another beautiful building. It reminded me of some of the old country churches where I grew up. The inside was a large open area with wooden pews, floor and minimal altar area. Near the church was the one room schoolhouse and the teacherage, the single room house for the teacher. All this set in the desert landscape, very barren in comparison to the Midwest living history villages we previously visited.

On our way to the exit, we stopped by a more modern, luxurious farmhouse. The crew was busy cleaning and they allowed us inside. Since the ropes limiting access were removed, we were free to wander inside a bit to see an old, large organ in the parlor.  The cast iron stove, the main and almost only item, defined the kitchen. Oh it made me grateful to live in the time we do. 

The Test: Camelback

Prior to hiking the Grand Canyon (yes, I've done it three times before), there is a "test" to pass. Camelback is a good way to get an idea of elevation change, carrying the backpack weight up said elevation, and endurance in heat. The idea is to hike up Echo Canyon, over and down Cholla. This isn't a long distance, just under six miles (which includes surface streets back to the car). The challenge is nearly the 1,500 feet up and then back down.

Echo Canyon is a steep trail requiring boulder hopping. Well, boulder hopping for the younger group. I did that years ago, but now it's more like boulder crawling with my older, short legs. Not sure the grandson thought I would make it, but I did. And he was patient with my boot-scootin' routine. I was impressed with his ability to navigate the steep grade without any trouble.

The view from the top is always gratifying. It is also surprising how limited the available space is at the top considering the number of people who traverse the mountain every day. 

The temperatures were around 90 degrees with full sun and yet some people didn't carry water, or only a single bottle. We carried our full Grand Canyon supply of water and were ready to share with anyone in need. We noticed a couple others doing the same. 

After a light snack and brief rest at the top, we ventured down the mountain via the Cholla Trail. Less rocky, a little longer so it is less steep, especially the last half of the trail. The picture has arrows pointing to various hikers along the Cholla Trail. This was the easiest part. The Cholla also has spectacular views of golf courses located at The Phoenician and The Royal Palms resorts.

Rather than going back up and over the mountain, we opted to walk surface streets back to Echo Canyon trailhead and our car. Temperatures were creeping into the 90s and my legs were stressed enough. I think the grandson could have done it so hats-off to him. He's totally canyon ready. I will work on the legs. That said, there are not the large boulders to climb over at the Grand Canyon. It is the distance (18 miles) and elevation (5,000 down/4,300 up) that are the challenges. We will be ready.

One More Easy Hike

Another easy hike with the weight of the backpacks, plus Papa came along with us (sans backpack). Part of getting ready for the Grand Canyon is being able to carry water and a few basic necessities. It is surprising the affect that weight has on legs, knees, backs. 

The path along Queen Creek is peaceful. We go to Boyce Thompson regularly and I was surprised at how much the creek had dried up since the last visit a few days ago. There was still enough flow to hear the babbling creek but barely.

This is one of our favorite spots. The town of Superior isn't far away. We have visited a few times and are learning our way around. Will update more on our discoveries in the future.

Meanwhile, I do believe the grandson and I are ready to tackle our biggest challenge of this visit. Camelback.

 

How about kayaking?

Adventures continue. Before the next hike, let's try tandem kayaking. Two people/two paddles in one kayak requires some coordination. It starts with inflating the kayaking. Yes, we practiced at home the night before, both to learn how and to make sure the kayak was still airtight.  

Once inflated at the lake, we lugged the kayak to the shoreline and launched. It was a reasonably busy day on the lake. Spring break time so there were a few water lovers, paddlers and boaters on the lake. The birds and hikers were out, too. 

The challenge with tandem kayaking is synchronizing the paddles. We had a few clashes, and managed a little water splashing on  each other. That actually felt good on the warm day. 

Kayaking is not a fast voyage. It is a leisurely glide on the water. Not sure it was fast enough for the ambitious grandson. For this old gal, it is one of my favorite peaceful activities. My hope is to get a few hours alone on the water, enjoying the peace and restoration it provides.

Let's Try Hiking

Eight weeks from the big event: Grand Canyon. I'm so excited for this adventure with my grandson. A definite dream come true. Time to test how we do as hiking partners. We have a few activities planned to gauge our abilities.

The first test will be a scenic hike. This relatively easy hike is just under six miles, out-and-back. The views of the lake are spectacular. This is one of my favorite hikes. A good place to start. And it, and the grandson, didn't disappoint. 

The day was perfect with a light breeze and slightly cloudy. There was boat activity on the lake, making the views even more spectacular. When we got to the end of the trail, the view of the lake and Four Peaks in the distance was perfect. Just enough people on the trail to know we weren't alone yet we had time to ourselves to take in the various views without crowds. An ideal day.
 

Dolly

It was a beautiful afternoon on the lake with our granddaughter. The Dolly on Canyon Lake is wonderful. First, Apache Trail is an adventure. The curves through the mountains are so scenic. The weather was absolutely perfect: blue skies with picturesque white clouds, slight breeze to cool but not create choppy waters, and warm sunshine.

Second, the boat crew was pleasant. The narrator was understandable and noted wildlife along the shore. It was very pleasant and relaxing. And that's saying something when a pre-teen is enjoying the excursion, too! Canyon Lake is beautiful. Now I'm intrigued to kayak here sometime.

Wheels

The plane tickets are purchased. Hiking supplies gathered. Travel plans in place. Training started for the big hikes ahead. 

One of the best, if not the best, training aid has been wheels. Papa does not go the distance I need to walk. Solution: wheelchair. We purchased a light-weight transfer wheelchair in December. Perfect. Papa walks as far as he can, then I push him in the chair. I get the distance needed plus strength training. 

We've added some "fun" to the chair. It has a waterproof bluetooth speaker for music. A bicycle headlight and tail-light for safety. Pockets on either side for drinks, snacks, and other necessities. Recently we added an umbrella for a little shade from the summer sun.

Papa's balance, gait and distance have improved. He can hold onto the side of the wheelchair for stability while he walks, too. Added bonus.

2024 in Review - Preview 2025

Another long spell without posting. 2023 ended with a major goal being achieved: visiting all lower 48 via car. There isn't much in the way of big milestones left to complete. We do stay active, locally.  Golf, walking, day trips. Nothing monumental, but we have fun. 

In 2024 we took short trips to California and northern Arizona, mainly as brief escapes from the desert summer heat. We toured several places we passed on previous trips and “hoped to revisit when we have more time." We have time now. I'm glad we went back when we could fully appreciate the locations.

When we moved here several years ago, we started renovating. It has taken a few years but we finally completed all renovations in 2024 by updating the backyard and garage. We now have space for hosting friends and family. 

We enjoyed family visits in 2024. We like to host neighborhood gatherings, including a breakfast buffet for over fifty neighbors in December and a sit-down Christmas Day potluck dinner for twenty with with great food and lots of laughter. Grateful for the space.

In 2025 we hope to continue taking small trips, especially in the hot summer months. The biggest item on the calendar for me is a final hike of the Grand Canyon. It has been fourteen years since I last hiked down to Phantom Ranch. Papa isn't going on this hike with me, but my oldest grandchild is. This is a long-held dream for me. Lots of encouragement from friends and family is needed to accomplish this feat, but I have faith it will happen.

So, it is time to be accountable. Daily walking is a necessity. Strength and endurance training. I am not a youngster anymore and I don't want to be a burden for my grandson. Here we go! 17 weeks and counting...

Grateful

 

There isn't a day where I don't experience a wave of true amazement, gratitude. Oh that doesn't mean the day is all sunshine and roses. It does mean we can find good if we just look around. One of the frequent sources of those waves of gratitude is our travels. Places shown on television or discussed with friends come alive with memories from seeing in person. How wonderful is that! That drives me to want to see more.

Which is what we did last week. After decades living in the Valley, we finally visited Taliesen West in Scottsdale. How fascinating to see the surrounding area, the unique signature style of Frank Lloyd Wright, the school, which is ongoing. We learned why the ceilings were so low and his keen interest in Chinese art. 

Yes, I did not post last week. Bad. As predicted two weeks ago, we are very busy, just not in noteworthy style. We hosted a wonderful holiday coffee and have a couple more gatherings coming so there is time devoted to preparing for those. I also have a history of making Christmas gifts and, worse, waiting until the last minute to complete such gifts. Ah, 'tis tradition? Lousy one, yes, but here we are again.

It isn't all work. We went out to dinner with friends this week. For several years, my mother-in-law and I would take a day to visit Prescott in December. We wandered the Square and did a little Christmas shopping. We didn't stick around to see the lights illuminated at night, and I have been wanting to do that. Cross another item from the wish list. Our gracious friends went with Papa and I for the two-hour drive to have dinner at The Palace along the famous Whiskey Row. What an amazing "wild west" vibe and delicious food. Walking outside after dinner to see the Square bright with lights was awesome. We even saw Olaf!

Nine days until Christmas. With the calendar full of activities yet lacking anything noteworthy, don't be surprised if the next post isn't until the last Saturday of the year as we near New Year's Eve and reflect on 2023. Have a wonderful Christmas.

Busy, Busy, Busy

"Busy, busy, busy." That's a line from the Christmas cartoon Frosty the Snowman. The evil magician utters those words. The holidays sure are busy, and sometimes it feels like there's a little magic needed to get everything done, and guilt for being busy. 

The week started off wonderful for me, though. I had a delightful helper (aka granddaughter). We baked cookies and decorated the golf cart, traditional Christmas and grandma stuff. She decorated golf balls for Papa and me. I do believe those magic golf balls have improved my game.

One of my favorite memories of our children growing up was the Friday after Thanksgiving. No, we did not spend the day in the crazy Black Friday shopping scene. That day was spent going through all their toys. We sorted, organized and cleaned. We reminisced about when they received the toys. We were grateful for all the wonderful memories with them, and, in the spirit of the season, donated some of the gently used ones. See, if they wanted Santa to bring more toys, they had to have room. It was surprising how their letters to Santa contained shorter wish lists this way.

This week I saw a posting online about the three stages of "stuff." How true! So this week, there was a lot of closet cleaning and donating. It is so easy to accumulate too much stuff. That said, I was very happy to find my large covered cake container on the very top shelf of the cupboard. I don't use it often, but it is very handy for when I do. Christmas is one of those times, when I make a large double-or-triple batch of Chex Mix for holiday snacking. It's a great place to hold the finished product until I can get it all bagged and tagged for gifts. It has been five years since I made this. I didn't think my smaller kitchen would be able to handle such an assembly process, but it worked just fine.

Last week I worked on interior Christmas decorations. This week has been exterior decorating and OH the beautiful sunsets I have enjoyed while working on placing the lights and decorations. Plus, I did not realize the trees at the end of our street were havens for the loudest, most beautiful birds happily chipping away as the sun sets. I'm sure for our neighbors close to those trees, the sound may become overwhelming because it is constant and loud. For me, it brought a smile at the beauty of the sky and the accompanying music. Nature! Add a full moon and what a wonderful week.

I keep thinking things will slow down and we will get more activity in besides golf and short walks. Hopefully this week we will. We definitely will the following week because we have tickets to a long-awaited excursion. Meanwhile, let the holiday fun commence with parties and friends gathering. How blessed we are!

Celebrations

As predicted, this week centered around the Thanksgiving holiday AND an anniversary. Thanks to friends, both were celebrated together and beautifully. What a wonderful day we had on Thursday. So grateful.

Although there was lots of cooking and holiday preparations, we still had time to get out on the golf course a few times. It is so awesome right now. The cooler temperatures make playing golf so intriguing. Instead of focusing on how to stay cool, we can focus on the game itself. Now, you would think that would help us improve? Not yet, nope. Still working on it.

After the Thanksgiving festivities, it was time to transition to Christmas. Hard to believe it is only a month away. Decorations are in the works and should finish early next week. 

Sale!

I'm a day late. This week was not wildly adventurous, but it was physically demanding. That was good. Papa and I helped a friend with their large garage sale. Lots of lifting, walking, standing, which was really good for us. Better yet, it turned out wonderfully for our friend and that makes it all fantastic.

We started the week by re-gripping our golf clubs. It was recommended we do annually and, well, it has been two years so definitely time. We also went with larger grips. I'm finding those more comfortable, especially the over-sized putter grip. With the garage sale, I only used those "new" clubs a couple times because something unexpected happened.

Our friend was a very good golfer prior to "retiring." She put a very nice set of clubs on her garage sale. I purchased that set after a little encouragement from another friend, kindly pointing out that I would be, say, less-than-smart if I passed up a chance to purchase those clubs. And, yup, I re-gripped those clubs too. What a wonderful set! I've enjoyed a few times out with them, and anxious for more as I get used to them.

Papa and I also paid a visit to our friends at Carl's Damaged Pet Warehouse. We made the mistake of going on the weekend and it was busy with lots of young families bringing bags of goodies. There were several whole pumpkins being devoured. As a result, we didn't get a lot of time with the animals. They had a lot of options. We learned we are best to visit during the weekend when the kiddos are in school. Animal time with the seniors. LOL!

A couple weeks ago we visited Veteran's Oasis Park and that got us curious about the other urban water parks. Short on time, this week we went to a familiar place, Freestone Park. This is absolutely one of my favorite parks to visit. There is a mini-amusement park area with small train, ferris wheel and carousel. Lots of water full of fish, ducks and so many birds. Beautiful spots for photography, both landscape and portraits. I think 90% of the time we visit, there is a professional photographer capturing a family group, wedding or prom. It's beautiful. This visit, we were amazed at the large number of birds that swooped by us and congregated under a tree.

This coming week is Thanksgiving and we're cooking. That means less time to get out and explore but plenty of busy activity. We do plan on getting those new grips out on the links, though. Hopefully a hike but that may have to wait another week as we get all the holiday preparations done.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Celebration Week

This week has flown by with a lot happening and no pictures. Sunday started with a birthday and the week filled in with meals out and fun with friends. Mixed in golf. The week ended with vaccinations, which often takes me out for a couple days. So not much to share this week. More next week!

Many thanks to all the veterans!

Chandler

 

Last June, Papa and I checked out murals in downtown Phoenix. It is fun seeing the colorful artwork, the creative ideas. This week, we went to Chandler, Arizona to see a few of their downtown murals. We didn't find a large selection, but those we found were in a very walkable area. On a beautiful fall morning, it made for a great outing. Fresh air, sunshine and an easy walk. Plus we walked by several intriguing restaurants and shops enticing us to spend more time exploring in the future.

Speaking of future, guess what else was happening in downtown Chandler? A crew was working on the initial stages of installing the tumbleweed Christmas tree. They were putting up the framework that will hold the tumbleweeds. It is an annual trip to see the tumbleweed Christmas tree illuminated!

We couldn't let such a beautiful morning end, so we stopped by the Veteran's Oasis Park in Chandler. What a true oasis! There is a short trail around the lake where we saw people fishing. Several groups of people and families were enjoying the walk. There is even a Solar Walk with stations for each of the planets. What a fun way to combine being outside, a little exercise and learning for the kiddos. 

In addition to the main sidewalk loop, there are several gravel trails that branch off. I noticed people with binoculars so bird watching is also big. In many ways, it reminded me of The Riparian in Gilbert. We also noticed several ramadas, each one named. A few of them had small groups of people enjoying coffee. Nice park. 

During our recent road trip, we enjoyed several hikes around urban and rural lakes. The magic of water. Gotta admit, now we're curious: How many urban lakes, oasis areas are there in the metro area. We might have a new obsession?