Arizona Mountains

So when Chris and I flew out here to Arizona in December to look for a house, I was excited to look out my plane window and see beautiful mountains. We have all really missed living next to the mountains since leaving Colorado a few years ago. As we flew over them, memories of Saturday and Sunday drives came back to my mind. We loved to just have an immediate get-away vacation for the day. As I looked down from my plane window, there were portions that looked very green and others that looked a lot more brown. I have been wanting to go up to the mountains since we got here and smell the pine needles and feel the cool breezes.

Two Saturday's ago, we decided we needed a little break from unpacking and the chaos of life. I told Chloe earlier in the week that if we worked really hard all week unpacking and cleaning up, that maybe it would work to go up to the mountains. She was so excited to go on the "bumpy roads!" So that's just what we did. We headed out with our sack lunches and snacks for a day in the mountains. I knew that these mountains were going to be different than the ones I am used to in CO and UT, but never did I imagine it would look like this.....(enlarge picture to get the full effect)....

Cactus and sagebrush!!! Not pine trees and aspens!! Oh, the culture shock I recieved that day! It literally made me thirsty just looking at it!! I drank lots of water that day!

As we spent the day driving on "bumpy roads" (which Chloe ended up hating), we realized there actually is a unique beauty to this new scenery around us. (I am not the best photographer, so this is as good as you get to see this time)We saw many breathtaking outlooks over beautiful valleys and winding streams, a crystal blue lake, many caves and cave dwellings. Too bad it was a 3 mile hike up to this cave dwelling. (look closely or blow it up again)It said on the info. sheet that you needed good balance to climb parts of the trail up to the cave. I am thinking that my balance is a little off these days since I can't even see my feet!! The boys were bummed but plan on coming back to hike it and go exploring.

On the way back home, we ran across an old mining town. Bummer for Zach that we got there just after 5 and the mine had closed for tours. But we had fun walking around and seeing what was there. We thought that for dinner we should get some authentic mexican food - just seemed to fit for the days activities. But my heartburn wouldn't handle that, nor would Chloe. So we ended up getting some Mongolian bbq for dinner which hit the spot perfectly! (Zach loved the endless ice cream he got at the end!)

The End.