The photo above was taken at sunset on top of the Mogollom Rim in Payson, Arizona.
Many people have the idea that Arizona is a desert, dry, sandy, with sand dunes. I have to admit, before I ever moved here, that's what I thought. Well, if that's what you think too, you would be dead wrong!
Arizona does have a desert, the Sonoran Desert that lies mostly in the mid to lower half of the state. Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, Tucson, cities you have probably heard of are all in the Sonoran Desert.
Arizona actually has all climates in the state, from desert to almost alpine. One can go to Flagstaff or the White Mountains and snow ski in the winter or just stay in the Phoenix area and be by the pool if you don't mind the 70's for temperatures.
I really enjoy going to Payson, only a 90 minute or so drive from the desert to a much cooler, higher elevation and Ponderosa pines. The largest Ponderosa Pine Forest in the USA is in Payson in the Tonto National forest. The Mogollom Rim is also in Payson, it is about 4,000 feet high, about the height that the Grand Canyon is deep. We enjoy staying at the Kohl's a Ranch Timeshare which sits on a Tonto Creek. The drive from Kohl's to the top of the rim is about 30 minutes. There are a few beautiful lakes up that way as well with very beautiful, blue water, surrounded by the Ponderosa pines.
Photo above of Tonto Creek behind the Kohl's Ranch Timeshare in Payson, Arizona.
Payson, Strawberry, White Mountains, Flagstaff and Grand Canyon are all areas which will have four seasons. Pass out of Cameron, east of Grand Canyon and head up to Monument Valley and you go back into desert land. Monument valley is the only place in Arizona that I have ever seen any sand dunes! The iconic images you see in the old tv and movie westerns were filmed in Monument Valley, Old Tucson Studios in Tucson and a few other areas.
Our desert doesn't have sand, it has dirt. Just plain old dirt! Lots of dust and dirt, scrub which dries up and turns into tumble weeds and lots of Cactus. All things prickly grow in the desert. If it has pickers, it probably grows here! We have road runners, scorpions, tarantulas, hummingbirds and lots of cactus. The Saguaro Cactus grows only in Arizona as a native species and is protected by law.
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Photo above and below, taken in Sedona, Arizona
Most visitors to Arizona come to see Sedona and Grand Canyon. There are so many other things to see besides these two beautiful areas. If you are ever lucky enough to visit our beautiful state, give yourself at least two weeks to go from north to south! Visit Grand Canyon, Walnut Canyon, Sunset Crater with the ruins all around the loop. Visit Sedona and take some roads off the beaten trail so you don't just see the main road and get yourself some really awesome photos. Come down to the Valley, drive out to the Superstition Mountains and beyond and hike. Find the Peralta Trail in Gold Canyon. Enjoy our awesome sunsets. Make a trip to Payson, drive up the rim and stop at a lake. Go to Tucson and on the way, stop at the Ostrich farm along the freeway to feed the ostrich and the lorakeets! Drive through Saguaro National Monument, go to the Desert Museum in Tucson. If you know anyone in the Air Force, see if they can take you through Davis Monthan to see the plane grave yard. Go farther south to see the gorgeous Dove of the Desert, Xavier Mission, a very old Catholic Church.
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Hello, @LoloMarie! I had no idea you were here! Or somehow, I missed it. Anyway, welcome from me and wow! What a great place Arizona can be. when I lived there, it was the best and worst place I ever lived :)
I now appreciate how diverse the state is and would be more suited to life there. But, I am firmly implanted in my East Coast with the salt of the water spraying its mist on me.
Thank you for a wonderful post and also for the GREAT pictures. I think Arizona is never what one thinks it will be.
If you hashtag #tsufamily you will find anyone you knew from tsu :) Also use it on your posts so they can find you.
Upvoted and Resteemed to get it out there!!!!! xoxo
Thank you Denise, I need all the leads and the tips I can get since I still don't really understand what I am doing. How many upvotes per day and resteems per day do I have? I wish I could have written more here but ran out of time. Certainly can write another one!
Fantastic photos! I love Sedona. Upped and steemed
Thank you very much Melinda. I have to say, I do enjoy the fact that we can say as much as we like here about our photos! I always felt so limited before. Funny, I really hated writing anything in school.
Yeah... I need to get better about writing things! Your blogs are great!
Ah, thank you Melinda! I sometimes feel like I am writing to nobody as I get basically no views. I feel I have something to say and good photos to see, just haven't been seen enough for anyone to care yet. I think if I could get enough to actually read what I write, maybe a few would be interested enough to see what might be coming next?
The only way I know to get more views is to make friends here by commenting on other people's posts. (and you make money by commenting) They will come check out and vote on your posts.Your votes are valuable don't waste them. They are not 'likes' like on FB. Use 'Steemd@ your username' to see how much voting power you have. I like to keep mine above 80 or 85 %. Good luck!
Thank you Melinda, I had no idea!
The Great Outdoors... Great shots! :D Love the second especially with all that fresh green...
Thank you Ackhoo, I really love Payson, we considered moving there but where will live now, everything is so convenient for us. Not too many doctors and such there. It's a gorgeous area, reminds me more of where I grew up.
Awww... sometimes we wish we have best of all worlds wherever but...
Have a great week ahead, my friend! 💖
awesome photos, They are very beautiful!! I really liked going to Flagstaff and seeing snow!! Sedona was a fun place to go, it was very interesting there!
Wow amazing views and shots
Upvoted
Thank you JJ, now you know a tad more about my life in AZ. With all your travels, you have probably been here!
Not really I did stop over once at Phoenix, but went from airport to hotel lae at night and back to airport early next morning so didnt see much at all
Hello Dear....Very beautiful post
Thank you so much Josferod2, I appreciate the compliment very much. Glad I am finally here with everyone else!