Day Six of my Arizona journey. Sunshine, hiking, and gorgeous views. So thankful for all of it!
Day Six: Exploring
There was almost no wind when I got up at 6am-ish, so I knew it was going to be a great morning for a hike. This time I headed over to Adero Canyon, a new trailhead on the border of Fountain Hills and Scottsdale at the foot of the McDowell Mountains. It was a sunny day, cool-ish, and comfortable for walking around in the desert.
You had to snake your way back there about 2 ½ miles off Palisades Blvd and through a new upscale development going in.
I parked my car and headed to one of the trails. Adero Canyon is very nice with maps and shaded places to sit and even public restrooms. And safe. That was a plus.
I took tons of pictures and had a wonderful time! The trails were well marked and with varying degrees of difficulty. Overlook trail was just what its name implies – a fabulous overlook of Fountain Hills where you can see the Superstitions, The White Mountains, and Four Peaks and how they ring the town. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!
One of my favorite things is to find plants growing out of rock. The life lesson contained in that one simple picture, for me, is affirming. I not only located some, but also came across boulders where the roots of these plants had eventually worked their way through the rock, pushing their way out and into the open air. If that’s not a lesson in perseverance and strength I don’t know what is.
Desert life isn’t easy and only the tough survive. When I think of the flower gardens I used to have in Michigan, and the plants here in the desert, I can’t help but wonder how long Michigan plants would make it. Probably not even a month. But, to be honest, Michigan plants weren’t designed to live in the Arizona heat. And cactus plants weren’t designed to live in the heavy, damp soil of Michigan. They were designed to live in sand with scant moisture.
Which is a good lesson about how each of us is different and God-designed to serve him where he has placed us. He gives us what we need to accomplish his goals.
I love the tenacity of the desert where each plant and critter who lives there understands the daily struggles they face. I love their ability to take the worst and make it beautiful and lasting.
By the time I arrived back at my condo, I was exhausted, headachy, and sore. The desert isn’t for the faint of heart. But I’ll be back soon. I promise.
One last full day here and it’s back to Florida. It’s been a real blessing to be able to spend a week here in my favorite place on earth.
When can I come back?
