The San Pedro House --Revisited

          Several months ago, way back in the fall I visited The San Pedro House in near by Sierra Vista.  The leaves were all changing and our newly adopted dog was very busy chasing the leaves as they blew in the wind.   Sadly I can not show you any of these pictures.  You will just have to form your own mental pictures of all of this beauty.  Because on that day I had a major brain fart, and left our camera on the back of our pickup, as I was loading up.  On Saturday our daughter and I had some  free time, and went back to the place.   This time we also have pictures! 

 

After some shopping and such chores we first attempted to check out the swap meet.

But with clouds rolling in and it being late in the afternoon, we found it very dead.

The remaining sellers were very friendly but advised us to return much closer to 8 in the morning for the real deals and flair of the swap meet.

 

 

         Just out of the parking lot--there is a ton to see.   The amazing sized cotton woods around the house are beyond huge and green.  A sight not seen to much in this desert landscape.  All along the further down river is also a trail of actual green trees.  The trail we took this day was amazing, because it was a mixture of desert brown and actual green.  Also we were never to far from water.   Another rare sight around here.   For this one needs to keep to the left on the trails leading away from the house.   Last time I went to the right past the old water tower and was soon greeted by all out desert land scape. 

    Just to the right of the large parking lot is the care takers trailer.   And this egg tree!   A nice reminder that Easter really is just around the corner. 

 

 

 

 

Many small paths are in this area along with covered pick nick areas and restrooms. 

 

 

 

The sure size of these trees can not fully be with held without standing beneath them. 

But they  still make for some great pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Venture just past the care takers area and you pass this great relic. 

 

 

The house is now a museum and gift store ready to Explore.

 

 

 

 

 

Birds are very welcome in this area.

A large chart hangs outside the house with all of the birds you might see on any roam around the property.   Binoculars are also loaned out to the adventurous  as well as walking sticks. 

 

 

We spotted this very red bird.

He is very hard to make out in this picture but he is also several football fields away from us.

 

 

 

If you stay to the left  you are soon greeted with calming water.

 

 

 

Our daughter got this shot right before I lost all of my footing and slid into the water.

No I was not digging for grubs.

The water  was rather chilly, but it also felt good on this warm day.

 

 

We also found tons and tons of caterpillars.

Way to many to ever count.

The most un lucky were fond floating down the stream.

 

 

 

As in most of our hikes  we were surrounded by amazing mountains.

The clouds allowed for some break from the heat on this day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This stick makes a great pointer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our view on the way back to the parking lot. 

The weeds are as tall as us all the way back. 

 

 

Next Exploring blog----

I tell about further down the trail.

Part II of my trip a few months ago to California.

 

Please continue to check this new page out and share, share, share it!

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Local Mini Hikes & Search For Water Part I

           Good morning to everyone!  As always I hope that you enjoy this Exploring page even half as much as I enjoy posting and taking the pictures for this page.  This is my third such page, and I would like to hope that with my newest page things are getting close to perfect.  For the most part this blog is about amazing Arizona and will soon take us across the entire state and back.  I hope that you share the link with anyone that lives in the sun filled state, has a special place in there heart for Arizona, or to your family and friends that are not seeing as much sunshine!  Although I try to keep this page very local -sometimes I venture further down the road.  Next week I will be in Palm Springs, so of course several picture filled posts will follow.  Our new home is Benson, Arizona so many of the adventures focus around this part of Arizona at the moment.  For tons of more adventures  and maybe some random rambling please check out my first blog page  at: www.wyomingjack.blogspot.com

I just read an amazing article about how important it is to take your kids on hikes.

From teaching them new skills, to just getting them away from it all.

And most of the time I take one or all of our kids along with me.

On this day though it was just Butch and I.

Sometimes we just need to be alone with our thoughts

sweating out the negatives and enjoying the quiet the desert has to offer.

Like these plants I have been searching for areas of water in the last week of Exploring.

Not an easy task when in the desert in February.

But the next few posts will show I have found some areas in and around Benson!

Most of the places we seem to roam will be filled with gushing water during the mighty monsoon season.

Down by the runoff I found this small rock stack.

I used to find them all of the time while roaming around the bay in Bellingham, Washington.

An area so pretty I also have a picture filled blog page just from the area!

Maybe after coming from an area with so much water--to living here

is the main reason I am looking for an desert oasis.

Maybe I am just bored.

Rock stacking-Expert level.

Clouds kept rolling in and than on by on this day.

This downed barbed wire fence is not protecting much anymore.

 Although we saw many signs that water was lurking just below the sandy surface, we found no standing water once again.  These pictures are once again from the area in Benson just down from the motels, Jack In The Box, and on the way to the city dump.  I have reported on this area several times before and had found no water so we moved on. 

What path will you choose?

In your hikes and in every day life. 

The easy path that is well traveled

or the path that few have ventured. 

Before we venture to the next Exploring location--I must vent a little bit. 

Every time I take a hike through the desert, I find piles of garbage every time I venture out.  Many times when still basically in city limits.  

I realize the above picture is of abandoned palm trees and not really garbage, but it was dumped in the middle of the desert.  

This is the desert NOT your personal/free dump sight.  

My kids are instantly drawn to the garbage to look for something neat or to break. 

And of course our dogs are equally as drawn. 

This takes away from any great adventure -every time. 

If you pack it in--pack it out. 

Please stop!

 OK  I will jump off of my soap box now and continue on with the Exploring.

We jumped in the pickup and headed further down the road.
Still searching for water. 

This time we headed towards St David.

Parking just before the rail road tracks and quickly headed across the highway- down beside the bridge. 

Butch and I had found water. 

Nor much and not the cleanest

but Butch was instantly running back and forth threw the liquid. 

Since we were again greeted by a very sunny day, we ventured on.

This mostly hidden tree fort looks strong still, but also appears to not have been used for a very long time.  

Soon we found a solar powered electric fence.  After stopping Butch from marking the fence- we decided it was time to head back.  

But first I must share this quick story about my buddy I am going to visit next week.

Years ago he and some friends decided to tube a mighty river in the heart of Washington state. 

My buddy got separated from his group and at some point decided to leave the cooling water and walk.  He came to this huge field and noticed many cows just standing in the middle of the field with what appeared to be a string supported by fence posts all around the cows. 

The pasture was in the way of getting to his truck -so he proceeded forward. 

As he again started walking, he pondered why the stupid cows would stay in an area only protected by a thin string. 

He was still processing this, as he approached the string and grabbed it with both hands.

This completed the circuit and shocked the crap out of my buddy.

It seems he really is a city slicker, and was not simply grabbing a cow restraing string, but the wire for an electric fence!

This was just on the other side of the electric fence.   

I am not sure what it is, but it really seemed to need to be protected. 

And I was not about to get shocked to attempt to learn what this was for.  

One last shot of the actual flowing water, before heading back to the truck.

This was Butch as soon as we returned home.