It's our last day here in the sunny state, and Marty and I were certain to soak up as much of the rays as possible today. But before I elaborate, are you curious about breakfast?
Eggs, sausage has browns, yet another delectable fruit bowl, as well as muffins and a Lemon Poppyseed bread that just melted in my mouth! Actually, we haven't eaten the muffins yet, but I'm willing to bet that they will be scrumptious!
Honestly, I'd say that the best part of staying here is the breakfast. It's kind of like Christmas morning....waiting to see what will arrive in that basket. Only it's Christmas every morning!
I was kind of sad knowing that tomorrow we need to leave early and we will miss this daily excitement. I wrote a note prior to leaving this morning, telling the proprietor that we wouldn't need breakfast tomorrow due to an early flight.
And, you know what she did? She put food in the fridge for us to heat up, and she also left us bananas, orange juice, and more mini muffins! How's that for a pleasant surprise! Not sure if my body will be awake enough to appreciate the delectable treats, but I'll certainly try my best!
Now on to today's gallivanting adventure: We started the day at Pueblo Grande Museum which is actually relatively close to the airport.
There's nothing quite like standing in a centuries old settlement, dating back as early as 450 AD, and watching planes taking off overhead. And apparently the walls of the structures have needed extra support measures taken because the vibrations from the airplanes taking off have caused movement in the ground. It's amazing that this structure stands at all.
The site is considered to be a National Historic Landmark, and it offers a fascinating insight into the Hohokam people who inhabited it from 450 AD thru 1450 AD when they seemed to have vanished.
This archeological site features the remains of platform mounds and intricate irrigation systems. This map gives some idea just how widespread the irrigation canals were, some spreading as far as Glendale.
The Pueblo Grande platform mound is one of the largest known in the state of Arizona. This is where the Homokan people lived and flourished.
A Hohokam ball court also stands on the grounds. These were oval shaped with earthen embankments, making them unique from other cultures. This area was used for ceremonies as well as games among the tribesmen. This particular ball court at Pueblo Grande is one of the few that have been completely excavated by archaeologists.
There was a section with some recreated houses, set off in another section of the mound.
The gardens were set up to show how the Homokam used their unique irrigation systems in order to have water for crops to grow. It is believed that the Hohokam cultivated more plant species than anomy other prehistoric culture in America.
There was a schematic in the museum that gave an interpretation of a mound civilization.
The small Pueblo Grande museum held lots of artifacts not only from the local area, but from many miles away, which is how the archaeologists were able to determine that these people were tradesmen.
One of the unique items on display was a boulder from a Petroglyph. These Rocks with their unique inscriptions are featured in the side of mountains near this area.
We never did have the chance to see any on the actual mountains.
When we were finished touring the museum, we drove to Papago Park, which was only a few miles away. Along the way, we passed the Tovrea Castle, Jewel in the Desert, which can be spotted from the road. I had tried to get reservations to tour the grounds, but the place apparently books up months in advance.
Eggs, sausage has browns, yet another delectable fruit bowl, as well as muffins and a Lemon Poppyseed bread that just melted in my mouth! Actually, we haven't eaten the muffins yet, but I'm willing to bet that they will be scrumptious!
Honestly, I'd say that the best part of staying here is the breakfast. It's kind of like Christmas morning....waiting to see what will arrive in that basket. Only it's Christmas every morning!
I was kind of sad knowing that tomorrow we need to leave early and we will miss this daily excitement. I wrote a note prior to leaving this morning, telling the proprietor that we wouldn't need breakfast tomorrow due to an early flight.
And, you know what she did? She put food in the fridge for us to heat up, and she also left us bananas, orange juice, and more mini muffins! How's that for a pleasant surprise! Not sure if my body will be awake enough to appreciate the delectable treats, but I'll certainly try my best!
Now on to today's gallivanting adventure: We started the day at Pueblo Grande Museum which is actually relatively close to the airport.
The site is considered to be a National Historic Landmark, and it offers a fascinating insight into the Hohokam people who inhabited it from 450 AD thru 1450 AD when they seemed to have vanished.
This archeological site features the remains of platform mounds and intricate irrigation systems. This map gives some idea just how widespread the irrigation canals were, some spreading as far as Glendale.
The Pueblo Grande platform mound is one of the largest known in the state of Arizona. This is where the Homokan people lived and flourished.
A Hohokam ball court also stands on the grounds. These were oval shaped with earthen embankments, making them unique from other cultures. This area was used for ceremonies as well as games among the tribesmen. This particular ball court at Pueblo Grande is one of the few that have been completely excavated by archaeologists.
There was a section with some recreated houses, set off in another section of the mound.
The gardens were set up to show how the Homokam used their unique irrigation systems in order to have water for crops to grow. It is believed that the Hohokam cultivated more plant species than anomy other prehistoric culture in America.
There was a schematic in the museum that gave an interpretation of a mound civilization.
The small Pueblo Grande museum held lots of artifacts not only from the local area, but from many miles away, which is how the archaeologists were able to determine that these people were tradesmen.
We never did have the chance to see any on the actual mountains.
When we were finished touring the museum, we drove to Papago Park, which was only a few miles away. Along the way, we passed the Tovrea Castle, Jewel in the Desert, which can be spotted from the road. I had tried to get reservations to tour the grounds, but the place apparently books up months in advance.
Certainly not something someone expects to see along the highway in the desert!
But these large red formations enhance the landscape beautifully.
And, here you see our intended destination: The hole in the rock.
We ascended the trail, which was rocky but not too bad.
And the view at the top did not disappoint.
And, of course, we needed the selfie to document our adventure!
The decsent offered some equally beautiful vistas
Kind of looks like an oasis, don't you think?
And I couldn't resist one more shot of the mountain from this vantage point.
Isn't that bright blue sky just dreamy?
We decided that we had enough climbing for the day, so we headed towards Tempe Town Lake for a stroll along this waterway, and to check out the bridge that now spans this lake.
The bridge is beautifully constructed and is strictly for pedestrians and bicyclists.
And today, there weren't many people out and about, so Marty and I pretty much had the place to ourselves.
Gazing out from the bridge, I was surprised to see that the buildings seem to rise up out of the mountain in the city.
And, opposite, you can see the beautiful pointed hills in the background.
On our way back, we walked by the infinity pool which seems to flow from the Tempe Center of the Arts.
And, by then we were pretty tired, so we decided to call it a day for our gallivanting. But before I close for the night, let me just pass on some interesting information regarding Saguaro cactus. I may have mentioned this before, but it takes 50 years for one of these cacti to form an arm.
So, today, I realized that I was viewing pretty much an extended family of cacti when it came to age.
In the middle, at the bottom (where I must have inadvertently cut off the bottom of the cactus in my photo) you see a very small Saguaro Cactus. I call that one the young' un. At the far left, if you look closely, you can see the tiny bud of an arm forming, indicating that that cactus has to be over 50 years old, probably the teenager in cactus years. In the middle are mom and dad, and in the far back, you can see the large cactus, being supported by wooden planks. I figure that is the Grandpa of the Group. So, there you go, one big happy family of cacti, all in one spot.
And, below you can see one happy guy enjoying them!
Just how much fun can you have in one day?
Apparently a lot, because we finished our day with a lovely dinner hosted by my best friend from high school, Tammy. (I was going to say old friend, but that word seems to be a sensitive subject in my book as of late.)
Memories to be treasured and fun that you can't measure!
How lucky is that?
Well, that's the end of this gallivanting adventure. Glad you could follow along! If I'm out and about anytime soon in the future, I'll be sure to keep you posted!
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