Picacho Peak State Park has been a beautiful home in the desert for a week, but the heat is returning to much of Arizona, so we need to find some elevation. Here are a few parting shots.
Previously I showed a picture of the sun rising behind a Saguaro. Here is the sun setting behind another one.
Lots of blooming cactus.
Tall Saguaros…cactus make me think of life forms from another planet.
Non-cactus blooms too, but no poppies here. I asked a ranger about it and she said it’s been too hot for the poppies in this area this year.
This hardly looks real, I suppose because I zoomed it so much, but I wanted you to see the two birds sitting on the very picky Cholla.
I zoomed for this too…the train going by….many many times a day and through the night. I love seeing it. From the park the sound was a low rumble.
I use my IPhone to take pictures, then I make them as small as I can so I don’t use too much data, otherwise I run out of data before the time is up and it can get very expensive.
I decide on Payson, with an elevation of about 5000 feet. The temperatures there have been running from in the 30’s at night to the 60’s and low 70’s during the day. We like cool weather, and we NEED cool weather whenever possible because Joy has developed a condition that causes breathing problems when she’s overheated.
The drive to Payson is about 150 miles. I take a route that keeps me out of Phoenix, until I come to Hwy 87 which winds through the mountains. It’s a beautiful drive, although I realize I’ve been gripping the steering wheel too hard when fingers on my left hand begin to cramp. Ok….relax….almost there….
We are staying at an RV park for two nights, where I’ll do laundry, get water, dump, explore town, and then move on to a campground in the National Forest for awhile. Looking forward to lots and lots of trees!
Shiloh, feeling frisky in the cooler climate.
Wandering Spirit 
Luv all the pics. can understand ur concern about Joy, as my Missy’s “longer” walks here in the Sunshine State need to occur before the sun comes up and after it goes down because of her heart condition.
Hi Eileen, I’m sorry to hear Missy has a heart condition. I think it’s a blessing that they don’t understand our concerns.
As long as it’s even semi-hot, we walk in the morning and the evening. Our walks aren’t as long as they used to be either because Joys legs give out and she begins to trip and stumble if the walks gets too long. Leaving her while Shiloh and I walk isn’t an option at this point because her walk, along with her food, are her favorite things!
Great pictures! thank you I understand the heat. Seems like we haven’t had much of a winter in So. Fla. Your pups are beautiful. When my beagle, Missy, feels the cool she just runs around with such joy.
Hi Alice, both you and Eileen have a Missy!😀
Same here with my dogs enjoying cooler temperatures. I think they would like it never being above 40 degrees and they prefer a stiff breeze!
You bring this beautifull outdoors right into our home and we love it! THANK YOU – and listening to a train right here in Glendale, AZ too. Take care😊
Hi Andrea, so glad to have you here. It sounds like you love the sound of a train passing by too!
So glad you are enjoying this blog. 😀
Hi
Found your blog when you posted in rvsue’s comments. Welcome to Arizona’s cooler side. Your blog is landing in Social side of Gmail but need it to be in Primary along with rvsue and crew. I’ll get it over there so won’t miss any of your adventures. Enjoy The Rim.
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn, thank you for your welcome, and welcome to this blog!
Yes, we are enjoying the cool, and the trees…love the trees.
I’m glad you will be traveling along with us!
Wow, that first shot could be a poster for the AZ dept. of tourism. Well done.
So sorry to hear that Joy is slowing down. You’re right, it’s a blessing that they can’t be bothered by our earthly concerns. But then again their job is just to love. And I bet she’s still doing that just fine. Take care.
Hi Rick, thank you for the photo compliment. 😊
It’s hard to imagine Joy slowing down, but it’s happening. She has been a wild and crazy girl all her life, and well named, because she is easily the most joyful being I’ve ever known. But it’s happening,and she is handling it gracefully. And love, yes, she has an abundance of that!
Pat(freespirit)-from texas
I loved the looks of the dog park. I’ve never been to one, as I’ve always had fenced acreage for my fur babies to run safely. Speaking of sniffing – I think my Coco’s nose is permanently attached to anything sniffable(is that a word?) They say she is a squirrel dog.
Love your camping area pics too. Is that a free area? Are there ways to get to those areas without dancing the Knuckle Crunch doing the scenic roads? Also what is the truck you drive? If I ask too many questions, just tell me to stop. I just have so much to learn & can hardly wait to join ya’ll out there!
Hi Pat, heck no, I like questions. One of the main reasons I write this blog is to help people on their way.
The pictures from this particular blog are from Picacho Peak State Park, and it’s far from free. $30 a night….nice place if you can get past paying that fee.
I’ve now moved to the National Forest and where I’m camped it’s $16 a night, but with my senior pass ( US citizens can get one at age 62 for $10 and it’s good for the rest of your life), it’s $8 a night. No hook ups, but there’s a water spigot right next to my camp. I’ll write more about where I am now, in the next post. (Just got here today, but I’m loving it so far.)
Oodles of places to camp in Arizona for the winter. Some are easy driving, but some might call for a few white knuckles. Often when you go into the mountains, the roads get curvy and…well, mountainous. There are other routes to get here to the Payson area, other than the one that I took. I’ve not been on the others, so I can’t say if they are any better. 87 wasn’t bad really, and it was two lanes from the time I got onto it.
My truck ‘Joy Ride’, (which I love!), is a 2012 Ford F-150. It’s the EcoBoost 3.5 L V6 engine. It has the max tow package. I got the mid size truck bed and the super crew cab ( for my super crew :-))