Exploring Arizona One Picture At A Time!: Phoenix Get Away Part II

As I noted in the first part of this Exploring trip ---this is a very hard trip for me to post about. I realize the pictures and the Exploring have not changed, but this was supposed to be a trip about just my beautiful wife and I. And as the weeks go on since, with no replies from my wife, this trip is all the more hard to tell about. I now have little clue how much she actually enjoyed this trip, but I had a great time. And like all the times I look around work, and realize I am the only one laughing and or having a good time---is that not all that really matters? I had fun. For better or for worse here is part two. For much more Exploring -my personal pictures, random rambling, and lots of coffee love please check out my first-and longest running blog page at www.wyomingjack.blogspot.com

I can only hope there are many more pictures like this to keep filling my life

Because this is just not that attractive and probably won't sell that many books in the future.

Maybe one of the worse pictures of my wife -ever. I am usually the one that shows up deformed in 90% of pictures of me. We had stopped downtown for me to get a picture, and on the way back up to the car I got this shot of her. I guess I did not realize I was that bad a driver. Although we were in a rental car, so my driving skills were definitely not as fine tuned as when in our own vehicles. I guess if she looked like this much, I can see clearer why I am now single.

At one point we stopped at one of the most ghetto Wal Marts I have ever seen. And we have seen and worked at a lot of the retail giant stores through the years. Above is storage lockers in the front of the store for customer belongings. Something I have never seen before. And had to snap a picture of. Inside the electric carts each had extra tall poles sticking off the top---I guess so workers could locate the carts easier in the parking lots. Or when they were being drove/stole zipping down the local side walks

A little down town Exploring Even the bus stops are works of art.

I am not lion I really enjoyed this trip

I am not sure what the above restaurant sells--and am not sure I want to know. But they sell coffee just to the left! So it can't be an all bad place.

I really wanted a picture of myself mirrored in this building but whatever the building housed-- a lot of security roamed outside here. And it was far to hot outside to run any.

Near the amazing zoo is a very large park with several large ponds and streams running through the whole area. As always any time I spot water in Arizona, I run towards it, jump in it, and or get pictures. Maybe not in that order. We have visited the zoo years ago as a family and it is amazing. But huge. And after paying admittance it's very hard not to roam around all day in the intense heat so you can see it all. Tucson also has an amazing zoo--surrounded by a water filled park. A much more manageable zoo---Several posts can be found about the Tucson zoo on this very page!

I have written about spray paint a lot. And feel that many times the art is amazing more so when you realize they are using spray paint. And some times it is just pure crap--like when a mighty cactus or the local Mission church gets tagged. I just thought the above was a neat contrast picture.

As I attempted to get this reflection picture in one of the many ponds a large fish jumped full out of the water probably snacking on protein filled bugs. I than jumped back before not aware that the ponds were stocked with fish.

As the sun began to set I found many rocks and such to climb on. Fair warning I ran around trails and the open desert for awhile getting quite a few pictures.

So many trails So little time!

before and after

Much of the large rock formations were full of residents waiting for the sun to set.

This made me really want to Explore Camel Back Mountain the following day But the morning started out very warm, and we kind of ran out of time on this trip.

View from the top

Sky view

I was about to head back to the car when I spotted this strange pyramid off in the distance.

Up close. A tribute to Arizona's first Governor And a neat picture. Also quit a view from this mountain top. As I turned around the sun was just beginning to set.