In Awe of Arizona~

Incredible vista's~

It's not that I'm a great one to travel...  at least if it's not on horseback!  :-)  But... when I do get the opportunity to go somewhere, I do my best to enjoy every minute.  Arizona is so different from Western, WA - that it was almost like going to a different planet!  Cactus & Succulents are the plants that fill the ecosystem of the desert!  Would have loved to bring some home, but my 50 lb. bag limit was 1/2 pound over when I checked it in!  That was the 3 t-shirts that I brought home for the grand-kids & shot glass for Butch's collection.

Fountain Hills Golf Course

I was amazed at the amounts of water that it must take to keep these area's green!  No wonder the Colorado River is at an historical low!  Move to a desert, then turn it green?  Sounds typical for we humans :-)

I had planned to stay long enough to do some tourist type things.  One afternoon, we drove out to the old ghost town of Goldfield, on the Apache Trail.  It was laid-out like a mining town of the old west.  Main street was lined with shops, most selling art with a western theme.  One artist made more things out of horseshoes than I had ever imagined possible.  The livery had horses available by the hour or by the day.  Nice looking buckskins were in the corral. 

We also stopped at Apacheland - "Western Movie Capitol of the world", build in 1958.  Only two of the original buildings survived a fire in 1969 that destroyed 18 buildings and another fire in 2004 that brought Apacheland to it's final curtain call. 

"The Yearlings"

Scottsdale was INCREDIBLE!  Plenty of shops full of beautiful merchandise, all with the flair of the Southwest!  My favorite shop was;  Jewels of the West, Old Town Trading Co.  where I ordered some sterling silver galloping horse earrings.  I could have spent a Lot of money there - but have to remember that one of these days I might be able to get a new saddle?  

Anyway, the only thing I really missed - was the opportunity to get out into the desert on horseback.  The weather didn't cooperate, since the temperatures were unseasonably warm - high 90's every day I was there!  When the local's complain... you know you're in trouble!  I did love the horse trail signage though!  This horse & rider looked like they were going somewhere!  Unlike our signs that look like the horse is half asleep!  

AZ "Horse Crossing"!

It was a blast, I had fun - but loved dropping through the clouds to come back to the Emerald City!  It's hard to fly into Seattle without thinking that you're a bit like Dorothy!  I've been freezing since I got home, but think I've finally lost some of the wrinkles!  :-)  Just love this time of year, October is one of my favorite months - all the warm colors,   I've put up our amber twinkle lights on the cottage, front porch & wood shed.   Always so Good to be Home!