Enjoying Arizona in March

Twentynine Palms, Arizona, “El Rancho Dolores Motel”, 11 pm

The traffic has slowed down considerably in the last hour even on the formerly busy highway running through this little town just outside the northern entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. I can hardly believe how much we have seen and done in so few days. Was it really only three nights ago that we arrived in Phoenix? It is hard to imagine that it could be so.

Our flight on Wednesday night came in on time, we picked up our 'Kia Rio' at the Avis rental desk at the airport and found our way out to Mesa to Aaron and Evelyn's without a problem. It was shortly after 9:30 when we arrived. As soon as I opened the car door I was enveloped by the sweet, strong fragrance of citrus trees. It was still warm, the stars were out, the palm trees in the yard outlined against the bright sky – what a wonderful start to a holiday!

Picking oranges for breakfast

After a hearty breakfast, accompanied by freshly pressed orange juice from oranges I picked moments earlier in the yard, we went out for a 'practice hike'. We were planning to hike up to Flat Iron in the Superstition Mountains to the east, the hike Johann had completed three years ago while I opted to quit about two thirds of the way up and hike a lateral path instead. 

We didn't want to exert ourselves too much on the first day in the 30-degree heat, but were eager to walk among desert plants and rocks. Aaron suggested a hike in nearby Usery Park, a regional park with shorter hiking trails only a short distance from their home. 

It was a good choice. We encountered few people on Blevins and Cat Peaks Trail, an easy loop with nice views of the valley. A variety of cacti lined our way, but very few of them were visibly in bud, only one getting close to blooming. Here and there golden california poppies and phacelia were in bloom, and to my delight I spotted the delicate pink sprays of the Baja Fairy Duster. Small birds darted in and out of the creosote bushes, a hummingbird hovered not far away and darted over to the next bush, and from the lower arm of a saguaro a robin sized bird trilled its spring song.

Baja Fairy Duster

Back on the shady porch in Mesa we reviewed the plans for the next day, sipping 'Beergaritas', a refreshing drink made with beer, limeade and tequila. Johann's knee had been giving him trouble from time to time, and it was acting up a little now, too. Would it really be worth endangering two weeks of travel with a full program by hiking the strenuous trail he had done before? The heat, too, was a factor; we would have to make sure to leave very early, and even then we wouldn't be able to avoid the mid-day heat completely. Aaron, leafing through an Arizona travel guide, found a great sounding alternative near Payson, about an hour and a half's drive north: the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. That's what we would do!

Now, however, it is time to go for breakfast with our German friends, our travel companions for the next two weeks. A clear, bright, though quite windy morning is calling us to explore more of Joshua Tree National Park before heading out to Los Angeles and Long Beach.