My trip to Arizona Jan. 2011

I just got back from a fantastic trip to Arizona and wanted to share some pics. I had too much fun and sure didn't want to come home. It was about 70 everyday, and mostly sunny every day, too. My sister Dawn met me the day after I arrived. We got in some hiking, visited the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, and saw some gorgeous sunsets. We packed in as much fun as we possibly could.

I reunited with an old friend who used to own the ceramic store where I would work on my stuff and taught classes. She still does ceramics at home, teaches classes and sells at craft fairs. She let me stay at her house for 3 nights and let me use her husband's truck (he no longer uses it, as he has Parkinson's disease), thus I was able to extend my stay for a few more days. I will be going back next year to help her out with a spring show in Fountain Hills, which is an affluent community there. She does 2 shows a year there, one in fall and one in spring. She said I could sell some of my decorated eggs there. They're very light, so the shipping cost should be minimal. I can't wait to go back.

Anyhow, Here are some pics. I'll start out with the hike Dawn and I did at Usery Mountain Park just outside of Mesa. We got to see such a gorgeous sunset there, and wonderful scenery. This was a place I hiked at many times when I lived in Arizona.

Karen

#1, Dawn at the entrance to the trails. The park is in the Tonto National Forest, which spans covers a huge area.

#2, this is a chain fruit cholla cactus.

#3 Another look at that cactus. The fruits never fall off and eventually form a long chain, thus the common name.

#4 Dawn on the trail.

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#7 Prickly pear cactus. This might be the one called Engelman Prickly Pear.

#8 Hedgehog cactus.

#9 A view of Scarface Mountain.

#10 Dawn taking pics. She got a lot of nice pics herself while we were out there.

#11 Dawn

#12 A baby Saguaro cactus.

#13 A view of Scarface Mountain.

#14 Dawn on the phone.

#15 Chain Fruit Cholla cacti.

#16 Chain Fruit Cholla cacti and a Palo Verde tree.

#17 Scarface Mountain

#18 Scarface Mountain

#19 Dawn heading towards Scarface Mountain.

#20 Looking into an arroyo with Hedgehog cactus in foreground.

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#22 Looking towards Scarface Mountain.

#23 Dawn

#24 Dawn heads into the sunset.

#25 A campfire was made here.

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#27 Ocotillo in the sunset.

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