With Tucson in our rear view mirror we headed north to Phoenix or more accurately east of Phoenix in Mesa.
We landed in Usery Mountain Regional Park, one of our favorite Maricopa county parks.
Site 67
The recent rain has made the desert very happy and green.
We spend our days biking and hiking the desert and it just doesn’t get old.
While riding the trails at dusk we passed a saguaro with a Harris hawk at its nest.
The Harris Hawk is an interesting bird of prey in that they hunt cooperatively in packs. They are referred to as “wolves of the sky”.
We took a break from riding and flew to Chicago to celebrate Thanksgiving with our son and his family.
We sure had fun with these guysThe Helper
While visiting we got a taste of the weather we’re escaping.
It was touch and go with the weather but we did make it back to Phoenix in spite of the airport delays.
Our backyard view
On our first day back at camp we decided to take a short hike along the Vista Trail.
That’s Pass Mountain in the background 
After our hike we drove over to the Tonto National Forest and the Salt River where wild horses can be seen. We didn’t see any horses this trip but it’s always magical to be around water while in the desert.
Phoenix has many wonderful museums to explore. This trip we stopped at the Phoenix Museum of Art. We were drawn there by a special exhibit called “Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists From Japan”.
Tanka Yu- Bag Work, glazed Shigaraki stoneware
Yes. This is made of clay. We kept returning to this piece in awe of the skill that was required to create this sculpture.
Back at camp we filled our final days at Usery Mountain Park hiking, biking and birdwatching.
Rosy-Faced Lovebirds
These lovebirds are not native to Phoenix but descendants of escaped pet birds. Local legend holds that the birds escaped from an overturned delivery truck bound for a pet store. Regardless of how they showed up they are thriving in Phoenix.
Super moon over Pass Mountain They spelled it wrong
We’ve had a lovely stay but it’s time to head back to Tucson.
We left the Sedona area and headed toward Phoenix. It was with some trepidation that we headed to the valley that is the city of Phoenix where approximately 1.6 million people reside. The valley is surrounded by mountains where you can find some of the nicest county parks we’ve had the pleasure to stay in. We reserved eleven days in Usery Mountain Regional Park in Mesa, Arizona. It’s a great park for hiking and biking in the Sonoran Desert.
Site 10Our front yard at dusk On the Lost Sheep TrailOn the Pass Mountain Trail
Mesa is located in the East Valley and has had double digit growth since 2010 giving the city a population of just under 500,000. If it’s growth continues at its current rate of 13.3%, in a few years it will surpass Tucson as Arizona’s second largest city.
The Mesa Arts Center is an impressive complex of galleries, performance spaces and art studios. On Thursday they present a lunch time concert series.
William Clipman (percussion) and R. Carlos Nakai (Native American flute)The downstairs galleries Heading down to the galleries
The galleries featured three exhibitions; Just Cause: The power of contemporary art in social engagement, Facing the Giant: 3 Decades of Dissent- Shepard Fairey and Gift In The Rapture- Caledonia Curry (Swoon).
Hero from the Spiritual Security series 2016 by Alexi TorresDetail Thalassa, 2022 by SWOON /Caledonia Curry
We’ve long admired the work of Shepard Fairey but have not seen his originals. We weren’t disappointed.
Make Art Not War (2005) 2019Greetings From Iraq (2005) 2019End Corruption (2016) 2019
Usery Mountain Regional Park encompasses 3,600 acres with elevation ranges from 1,700 to 2,750 feet and contains a large variety of plants and animals with great birding opportunities. The park features miles of bike trails for every skill level and we spend most of our time in the park exploring those trails. There are two trails that are geared to hikers, the Pass Mountain Trail and the Wind Cave Trail.
Taking a break from biking we laced up our hiking boots and headed to the Pass Mountain Trail and it’s Vista Point, about 4.5 miles round trip.
Vista Point
In between biking and hiking, we found time to visit the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden. The Garden features a wide assortment of cacti as well as a gallery for rotating art exhibitions.
Crested saguaroDale Chihuly glass work
The Garden was presenting a large exhibition of the work of Columbian artist Fernando Botero.
Woman in the Bathroom, 2002Family in the Plantation, 2020Dancers, 2005Woman With Mirror, 1998
One hot afternoon we decided to drive to the Salt River in the Tonto National Forest to see if we could find the wild horses that live along the river.
The Salt River One of three horses we saw crossing the river
Phoenix is the home of the Heard Museum. The museum features the work of Native American artists, both traditional and modern. The featured exhibition was “Early Days: Indigenous Art from the McMichael”. It was ironic that we came to Phoenix to see work from a gallery in Ontario, Canada. The exhibit featured both historical and contemporary work from throughout Canada.
Headdress-Shadae, 2018 by Dana ClaxtonHamat’sa Crooked Beak Mask, 2005 by Henry Speck Jr. Whale and Pook-UbS Transformation Mask, 2002 by Art Thompson Taksam (left) by Beau Dick and Eagle Spirit (right), 1995 by Simon Dick
While getting around Phoenix can be problematic, it’s an area that has a lot to offer. From great art museums, botanical gardens, restaurants, and local breweries, we’ve enjoyed our stay. We haven’t even mentioned the great regional and state parks that offer outstanding hiking and biking opportunities in addition to the sunsets.
At the end of our stay we experienced a meteorological phenomenon that we had not experienced in Phoenix before. Heavy cloud cover all day. A touch of Buffalo in the desert.
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