Arizona

I just returned from a trip to Arizona (and am I glad to be back here where it's MUCH cooler!).

My parents had six children; I'm the oldest. My sister Lora - 11 months younger than me - and her husband Howard moved from Pennsylvania to Arizona eight years ago. None of us have seen them since. We've worried about her, as she developed cancer several years ago. She has had a rough time dealing with the chemo, and her cancer did not respond well to it and is spreading.

When Leah - child #3, two years younger than me - told me she and Lucille - the baby, nearly 13 years younger than me - were flying from Pennsylvania to Arizona to see Lora and Howard I said I wanted to go along, inviting myself on the trip.

I called Lora to see if she could handle another sister and she said she would be glad if I could make it. So, I contacted Alaska Airlines and made reservations. The trip was scheduled for June because Luci is a teacher and had to wait for the end of the school year.

Leah, Luci and I met at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and picked up a rental car to drive to Yuma, a 3+-hour drive. Luckily, our planes were only about 15 minutes apart, so timing was perfect. We were on the road about 11 a.m., missing rush-hour traffic.

The heat - already in the 90s - hit me as soon as I walked out the airport doors. Thank goodness for air conditioning!

As we left the airport and headed for the interstate highway, I looked out the window and saw Tempe Diablo Stadium, where the Anaheim Angels train in spring. It was the very first stadium we visited for Spring Training in 2000 and was one of my favorite stadiums that year. So I did what photographers are told not to do - I shot a photo through the window while we were driving.

I pretty much did that for the entire trip. We did make a few stops, but as we wanted to get to Yuma at a relatively early hour, we didn't stop for every vista.

I've been on the drive from Phoenix to Yuma several times, and remembered how very brown it was - it still is. I think I've been spoiled in PA and Alaska, with all the green.

But the desert, despite its lack of lush greenery, has a beauty all its own. The saguaro cactus had buds on top and there were creosote bushes, other short brush and a few palo verde trees.

I love the green bark on the palo verde trees.

We pulled into Yuma about 3 p.m. and checked into our hotel, then phoned Lora.

After settling in, we set the GPS for Lora's address and drove over there. How good it was to see her after all this time. We got the hugs over and started talking and catching up.

I took a few photos of the exterior of her apartment.

We talked a while, had supper, and because we were all tired, Leah, Luci and I went back to the hotel for an early night.

The next day we picked up Lora and Howard and went to the Yuma Territorial Prison. Read its history at  http://azstateparks.com/parks/yute/index.html. Unfortunately, it was closed on the days we were in Yuma, so all we could get was photos of the top of the prison for a nearby parking lot. I visited it on an earlier trip to Yuma, but was looking forward to seeing it again. Maybe next time . . .

We also saw a Native American (Quechan tribe) mission, but couldn't get into that either. 

It was a beautiful chapel.

We did some shopping, then dropped Lora and Howard off so we could all spend the hot afternoon in relative comfort and rest. Luci and I hit the hotel pool for a short while, but the air-conditioned room beckoned and we went back indoors, where I napped for a short while. 

We had supper at a steakhouse (great rib-eye!), then decided to meet for breakfast in the morning and a drive to the desert. 

The drive to the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) lands took us past Yuma Proving Grounds, an Army installation. These are outside the gates:

We drove for a short while and found the BLM lands where a lot of snowbirds - Northerners who leave the cold to spend winters in warmer climates - park all sorts of campers and tents they call home for the winter months. (http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/recreation/camping.html)

Lora and Howard spent a good deal of time in these areas, in a tent at first and later in a camper. Amenities are sparse and the land is rather barren. There's not much shade. On the plus side, they took up rock-collecting and found a number of interesting specimens. They also watched wild burros and made a number of friends who also camped at the areas.

 The rocks piled up were where  one camper had his campfire.

A pano of the area - note the different colors on the mountains in the background.

We all looked around and found a few interesting rocks, but nothing worth much money. After a round of sister photos, we headed back to town and lunch. On the way back we drove past date groves and Howard pointed out the dates growing down from the top of the palms.

 

Unfortunately, our trip was ending. Luci had to get back to PA and we wanted to get to Phoenix before the evening rush hour. We said goodbye amidst hugs and tears.

We got to our Phoenix hotel about 3:30 p.m. and checked in. Phoenix seemed hotter to me because there was absolutely no breeze - at least we had a small one in Yuma that helped to offset the heat a bit.

It was a wonderful trip. I always enjoy spending time with my sisters, and it was so good to see Lora again. The only downsides were having to leave and the oppressive heat. It was over 100 degrees every day, and I'm known for complaining when the mercury goes above 75. I think Leah and Luci didn't mind it, because it lacked the humidity they have in 90+-degree temps in PA. I DID mind it. Sweat would drip off my hair onto my ears. I could be out for less than five minutes and be sweating. It was 76 when we arrived back in Fairbanks, and it never felt so good!

It's trips like this one that make me wish Alaska were closer to PA. I'd love to do more road trips with my sisters. It was worth the heat to spend time with them.

Note to self: Stop schrunching head into neck - you look neckless!

Happy summer everyone.