Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Cave Creek Hike and Just Chillin’…

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One great thing about Mesa Regal RV Resort is there is live music happening somewhere inside the park every single day. While all the bands aren’t great they are for the most part pretty good and play a wide assortment of music. The music line up does not include Zydeco music but that is okay as we have already booked a month in late spring at Betty’s RV Park in Louisiana to get our Zydeco “fix.”

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Just about every evening we head over to one of the two pools to enjoy happy hour and listen to whomever is playing. There are times when there is one band playing at each pool and we can decide on which one is best to listen to. Sharon loves to get up and dance then before we know it it is dinner time. While here we have also been trying new recipes periodically and one night I made some fabulous Mexican Shrimp Cocktail… YUM!

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Another reason we like to stay here in the winter is to have some appointments with the Mayo Clinic. I had one appointment there recently to get a second opinion on my ailing right knee. I learned after the imaging and consultation that knee surgery will definitely be in my future. How soon only my knee knows. I have had a few cortisone injections which offer two to three months of pain relief allowing me to hike more than a mile or two and play some pickleball. I had my last one in December when we were in San Diego.

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Since the Mayo is in far north Phoenix near Scottsdale we took the opportunity to hike in Cave Creek, AZ at the Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area. We parked and donned our hiking boots to hit the trail.  A short way up the trail is a booth where $3.00 per person is collected to hike there. Man, it bothers me to have to pay to hike on lands bought by tax dollars but what is a person to do…

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This 3 plus mile hike was through the typical vegetation found in the Sonoran desert with a varied assortment of cacti with few trees and sparse underbrush. However, for those of you that haven’t visited the Sonoran Desert it has a unique beauty all to its own. With the towering Saguaro Cactus and other indicator species the vistas in all directions are delightful.

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Our hike took us up down a small canyon and we even crossed  small wooden slat bridge across Cave Creek. While we didn’t see an wildlife on our hike we were treated to various desert birds during our stroll. I love the sounds made by both the Cactus Wren and the Curve Billed Thrasher as it tells me I am in the Sonoran Desert just as the Saguaros do.

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NOTE: We are currently in Mesa Arizona until March 11th 2020, then over to Tucson for a few days.

3 comments:

  1. There's petroglyphs in the Cave Creek area, a nice place to get on the trail.
    We've practiced with the Golf Discs and Monday decided to try a real course at Morley Field. After watching a few on the 1st T, Fran leans over and says "I wish Sharon and John were here". We could have used your sage advice!, at least it was a nice day for a walk :)

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    1. It's always a nice day for a walk... keep at it and it will all come together!

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  2. Very sorry to hear about your knee. Getting older is seriously the pits. Great pictures of your hike. I'm really glad to be learning about the SW as a possibility for future winters. Thanks.

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