Arizona vacation with Mom: Phoenix and Mom's arival

Apr 1 2013: Phoenix (No really, no joke!)

Mom is scheduled to fly into Phoenix tomorrow so I headed in that direction this morning.

But not before taking a quick peek into the exhibits at the Picacho Peek State Park visitor center and driving to the end of the road at the Sunset Vista trailhead. This park looks like a place worth a longer stop some day with some easy as well as more difficult trails to try out. Of course I couldn't resist trying out at least one, which turned into two and - well -  my 'quick peek' ended up taking pretty much all morning.

Between Casa Grande and Phoenix I10 crosses the Gila River Indian reservation. Maybe it’s my imagination but I10 was a smooth, well maintained road right up to the border of the reservation where it degraded significantly until exiting the northern edge of the reservation just before entering metro Phoenix where it got nice and smooth and fresh again. I don’t know who’s responsible for the road maintenance through the reservation there but they aren’t doing a very good job. Maybe the difference between federal oversight within the reservation and state oversight outside the borders. But the rest areas, both north and southbound, within the borders of the reservation are very nice indeed and lots of native artisans are displaying their work there.

My first job upon reaching Phoenix, besides negotiating the traffic, was to head for the airport where I located the terminal Mom would be arriving at as well as the cell-phone lot where I could wait for her arrival. My second job was to locate the home of a family friend where Mom would be spending her first night.

This home was over in Gilbert on the southeast side of the city and after I found my way there and marked it on my map so I could get back, I located a nearby campground, the Hacienda Solano Park, which is more like a mobile home park but has a few spots for campers and a reasonable bathhouse. Turns out the people manning the front office are from Michigan (Where our family is from and most still live.) and one of the residents of the park used to own a well known apple orchard not far from our house.

 

 

Apr 2 2013

 

Vacation with Mom starts today. Yay!??

All went well at the airport today and we spent the evening visiting with the friends Mom is staying with tonight.

I’m back in my campsite for the night and we have a plan for tomorrow.

I can’t believe I’m on vacation with my Mom!!!