CHECKING OUT CANYONS,CRITTERS, AND CACTI

“On the road again…” as the song goes finds us heading to the U.S. Southwest exploring with the motor home for two months.  The first two weeks of this fall journey has brought some cool stops along the way. Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks south of Yosemite NP in California has made it off the bucket list after all these years. It is quiet an amazing place and much less impacted than Yosemite. There are 75 groves of sequoias in the world and thirty of them lie within these two national parks. 

Giant Sequoia Sherman Tree

These oldest trees in the world each average the weight of five blue whales and have survived between 2000 to 3000 years. The tallest is the General Sherman Tree spanning 40 feet in diameter and a height of 275-feet which is taller than the Statue of Liberty. Their majesty leaves one in awe.

Kings Canyon climbs 4000 feet up the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, then drops 3700 feet into the geological wonderland of the canyon depths. At Junction Overlook there is an explosive view of the impressive canyons of the Middle and South Forks of the Kings River.

At the Roads End we see a ranger back country permit office for information to the numerous trails. Hikers so inclined can link to the Pacific Crest Trail in the high country of Kings Canyon which is said to be deeper than the Grand Canyon. Along the Kings River at the base on the canyon we noticed to the north, glacial abrasive scarred granite North Dome (8717 feet) and Grand Sentinel reminiscent of Yosemite National Park.

Kings Canyon

Joshua trees galore

Miles to the south in the Mojave Desert are acres of another unique tree known as the Joshua Tree. We decide to spend two nights in Joshua Tree National Park so we could enjoy a full day exploring around in the Jeep. We spend much of the second day driving through the park on unpaved roads to grasp a true sense of desert. An air conditioned car is a blessing even in the fall. A most memorable experience was a drive off an unpaved road at dusk.

New moon with shadows of a Joshua tree and agave cacti

Jumbo Rocks at Joshua Tree NP

It was a great chance to catch the shadows of the Joshua trees, cacti, and rock formations against the colorful glow in the sky after sunset. This being the desert one doesn't expect JTNP to be so beautiful with its huge rock formations. At 800,000 acres, this park is almost incomprehensible in its vast open space. It is a surprise what one can see out on the trails.

Cottontail

Morning Sunrise

EXPLORING ARIZONA’S HIGH DESERT RED ROCK COUNTRY

We were offered free tickets for a four hour train excursion along the Verde Valley River Canyon if we’d to attend a 90 minute presentation to learn about the Sedona Pines Resort. Why not we decide as there is no obligation to purchase property. Little do we know what was in store for us in that regard however. After booking the free train ride for later on, JR and I drove the Jeep  up Oak Creek Canyon for starts the rest of that morning. Breathtaking in its red rock beauty, the Canyon is a spectacular 16-mile gorge with streams and waterfalls between sheer rock walls. Zane Grey wrote about this canyon in his book, "Call of the Canyon”.

Despite notes suggesting that driving through the canyon is dangerous, we found this to be no difficulty at all in terms of the switchbacks and elevation. There are guardrails all along the way, so danger of driving over the side is minimal. It is a beautiful drive along SR 89A from Sedona toward Flagstaff to the top of the canyon. There are a few hairpin turns but nothing scary. In addition to spectacular scenery en route, the viewing area at the top of the canyon has good signage interpreting the various geological layers. There are fields of yellow flowers at Oak Creek Vista lookout.

Driving south on I-17 we took a turn off on to Schnebly Rd which brought quite an adventure. It was an unpaved dirt road for four wheel driving. Having been tipped off at the tourist office that Sedona Jeep Tours uses this cut through road for their adventure excursions we opted to give it a try on our own. The first part of the drive took us through forest land blanketed with fields of yellow flowers. The dirt gravel road was smooth the first 4 miles. The last 8 miles the dirt road adventure had lots and lots of bumps over rocks and potholes along the steep switchbacks of the canyon.  JR down shifted the gears and set our Jeep into four wheel drive as needed. Naturally he was in his extreme element as a thrill seeker. I was white knuckling it as he cautiously maneuvered us up and down slowly over outcrop rocks along the narrow bumpy dirt road. Viewing the red rock cliffs of Sedona up close and personal off the beaten path while descending along canyon walls is a pretty amazing experience.

And by the way, that free Valley Verde Canyon Railway Excursion?  The following day seated in a first class train car was a bit more relaxing along that scenic route. It is not the destination that is important, rather the journey… so the saying goes.

LANDMARKS OF THE SOUTHWEST ARIZONA

Despite the name, the ruins within Montezuma Castle National Monument are neither castle nor Aztec dwelling (as the reference to Aztec ruler Montezuma implies). This Sinagua ruin is, however, one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in Arizona. The site consists of two impressive stone pueblos that were, for some unknown reason, abandoned by the Sinagua people in the early 14th century.The intriguing ruins is set in a shallow cave 100 feet up a cliff overlooking Beaver Creek. Construction on this five-story, 20-room village began sometime in the early 12th century. Because Montezuma Castle has been protected from the elements by the overhanging roof of the cave in which it was built, the original adobe mud that was used to plaster over the stone walls of the dwelling is still intact.

Off I-17 south of Camp Verde 25 miles near Mayer, thanks to the GPS the rig turned down a gravel dirt road toward the experimental community of Arcosanti. The motor home absorbed every bump in the road as it rattled like a shaker box for two miles. "Arcology" -- the marriage of architecture and ecology -- is the philosophy of Italian architect Paolo Soleri, who launched this prototype community in the high Arizona desert in 1970. The antithesis of urban sprawl, its futuristic-looking cluster of solar-powered domes, vaults, and greenhouses is compact and sustainable; even the concrete is cast in local desert silt. The project was started by Italian architect Paolo Soleri in 1970 and is far from completion.  They just don't have the cash to get it finished. We had a private tour of Arcosanti and visited Soleri’s Cosanti wind bell foundry and residence in Phoenix several days later. 

Cosanti Originals

Checking out the famous Soleri wind bells

Paolo Soleri home design at Cosanti in Phoenix

 Taliesin West (known as the winter camp home of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his School of Architecture) became a must do. High on a plateau surrounded by open space overlooking Scottsdale and Phoenix was the opportunity to take a tour of his estate. The guide was very knowledgeable and informative about life at Taliesin West. Wright and his third wife Olga who was thirty years younger lived on this property as their winter home each year from November until April. They lived at their Wisconsin estate known as Falling Waters the rest of the year. The brilliance of FLW is really on display here, including the desert-made concrete and rock walls.  

Saquaro trees and prickly pear cacti

Just for curiosity sake checking out the luxury historic resorts of The Phoencian, Royal Palms, and Arizona Biltmore seemed like a thing to do in the Phoenix area alo. 

However moving south to Tucson and exploring Saguaro National Park’s Sonoran Desert brought more wonders to catch  our interest. 

Barrel Cacti in bloom

Gambel Quail

A monarch pollinating on a desert flower

Desert tortoise crossing the road in Saquaro National Park

Spotting a roadrunner becomes a thrill

Mexican Desert Trantula

Lizard up close and personal