Arizona has been experiencing record or near record temperatures for the past couple of weeks. While Phoenix has been in the range of 110 - 115 nearly every day, at least we have decent air conditioning and the pool. Here in Munds Park, the highs have been in the low 90s - but we do not have air conditioning here at our rental. What we do have is cool night air because of the elevation we are at, some 6,600 feet about sea leaving (about 2,000 meters). Since I wake up about 4:30 each morning, I open all the doors and windows and let the cool night air come in. Then around 6:30 or 7:00, I close all the doors, windows and curtains to keep the cool air inside. That usually keeps the inside comfortable for the rest of the day. Then around 5:00 p.m., the outside temperature has started to drop and we can open the windows and doors until bed time. It is nice for sleeping - I keep one small window open near me, upstairs in the loft and that makes for good sleeping weather.
Even though Munds Park has only a small year round population and is not even an incorporated municipality, there are a lot of homes and streets here, many with unique names. One reminded me of Megan and Jon's living and working in Antarctica each southern hemisphere summer from October to February.
On the 9th, we went to Flagstaff to visit the Pioneer Museum They had lots of great exhibits about the history of Flagstaff and Coconino County. There was an extensive exhibit about the Congressional Medal of Honor winners who had connections with Arizona, either being from Arizona or being stationed in Arizona (especially in the fighting with Native Americans). Outside, they had a nice exhibit about some of the local trains.
On the 11th, we drove to the Janice Place trail head and hiked out to and then around the Frog Tank Loop, a nice 3.5 mile hike. We came across some different wildflowers.
After much discussion, comparison with charts and consultation with Jon (one of his coworkers is from Flaggstaff and has spent much time in the Coconino Naitional Forest), we feel pretty sure that most of the trees we are seeing are Ponderosa Pines.
We finally saw some large animals - a group of six deer crossed the trail about 100 yards in front of us - too far and too fast for me to get a photo. It took us the first 11 days of June to see something bigger than rabbits, squirrels and birds. What we did see a lot of was cattle - the US Forest Service has a policy of multiple use for the lands they oversee. So we saw a lot a cattle as we hiked around Frog Tank Loop.
We also saw the power of water in this dry stream bed. Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me.
Near the end of our hike, we came across a small canyon which downstream from the washout in the photo above.
Friday the 12th, we looked at the map of Munds Park and it looked like we could walk down to and through the golf course. Much to my surprise, there are a load of condos on the Pinewoods Country Club. This meant lots of signs that said members and guests only, so we did not go through the golf course but back out and around it. We stopped for lunch, our first meal ever at the Pinewoods Restaurant and Bar (it is erroneously listed as the Lone Pin Restaurant and Pub, but you can see from the photos on Trip Advisor that the real name is Pinewoods Restaurant and Bar).
Friday evening, our friend Jane came up for the weekend - she was happy to escape the heat of Phoenix for a couple of days. We walked the dog, took a short hike, relaxed, went to the farmers market, went out for lunch, watched one of the NHL playoff games on TV and just had a pleasant visit until she headed back to Phoenix on Sunday.
The 15th to the 17th, we just took it easy, walking the dog, taking short hikes and enjoying quiet time here in the hills. To avoid cooking and heating up the house, Monday evening we got take out pizza from Pinewoods Restaurant - they actually make pretty good pizza, really substantial with lots of toppings. On the 16th, we went out for dinner. At first, we thought about just grabbing a light dinner and visiting the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. We went to the Himalayan Grill, advertised as serving Indian, Nepalese and Tibetan food. Patty ordered a glass of wine and I ordered a Taj beer from India - it came in a 22 ounce bottle. Patty had Lamb teekah (the lamb came out sizzling with peppers and onions with with rice) and I had lamb with bismati rice. We both ended up getting boxes to take food home. After the good food and drinks, we decided to call it day and never made it the Lowell Observatory - that will have to wait for another trip.
On the 18th, I went back to Phoenix for some medical appointments. When I left Munds Park at 9:00, it was about 70 degrees. An hour later and sixty miles south, it was 105 degrees.
Around the errands I had to run and the medical appointments, the official high tied the record of 115 degrees set in 1896. After one errand, the car was 125 degrees. Later it was 129 degrees.
Those hot temps made me happy to get back to Munds Park for dinner that evening.
On Friday the 19th, we went out for a bike ride.
On a prior bike ride, Patty's bike had problems with shifting. I had used WD 40 on the derailer and it seemed to be okay. It was okay but only for about the first 20 minutes. Without the ability to shift, Patty ended her ride. I looked on Google for bike shops in Flagstaff and found that the best rated one was Flag Bicycle Revolution. At 11:30, I called them and they said come on in. So I put the bike rack on the car and loaded up the bikes, and went to Flagstaff. The shop was as busy as a bee hive, but I took them at their word. I went to get the car wash, and just as I was finishing, they called me. The had replaced the tube on my rear tire (it had a slow leak), and greased and adjusted the derailers and gear shifts on both bikes. I was shocked when I came back to get the bikes - only $11.56 charge!!! Needless to say, I went online and gave them a great rating.
Saturday was another quiet day, but Sunday was Fathers Day and our 40th Anniversary. So we went to Josephine's American Bistro in Flagstaff where we had Bloody Marys and an excellent buffet lunch - a great way to celebrate and definitely a place to visit again.
After lunch, we visited the Museum of Northern Arizona - this is what is classified as a place museum. Everything in the museum was related to one place, the Colorado Plateau. This included the geology, the ethnology of the peoples who lived there, history, botany, even photography. This was both educational and interesting - an excellent museum to visit. There was both a book store and a store that had handmade jewelry, pottery, weaving and blankets from the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni and Pai (including Hualapai, Havasupai and Yavapai) artisans.
Even though Munds Park has only a small year round population and is not even an incorporated municipality, there are a lot of homes and streets here, many with unique names. One reminded me of Megan and Jon's living and working in Antarctica each southern hemisphere summer from October to February.
On the 9th, we went to Flagstaff to visit the Pioneer Museum They had lots of great exhibits about the history of Flagstaff and Coconino County. There was an extensive exhibit about the Congressional Medal of Honor winners who had connections with Arizona, either being from Arizona or being stationed in Arizona (especially in the fighting with Native Americans). Outside, they had a nice exhibit about some of the local trains.
After much discussion, comparison with charts and consultation with Jon (one of his coworkers is from Flaggstaff and has spent much time in the Coconino Naitional Forest), we feel pretty sure that most of the trees we are seeing are Ponderosa Pines.
We finally saw some large animals - a group of six deer crossed the trail about 100 yards in front of us - too far and too fast for me to get a photo. It took us the first 11 days of June to see something bigger than rabbits, squirrels and birds. What we did see a lot of was cattle - the US Forest Service has a policy of multiple use for the lands they oversee. So we saw a lot a cattle as we hiked around Frog Tank Loop.
We also saw the power of water in this dry stream bed. Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me.
Near the end of our hike, we came across a small canyon which downstream from the washout in the photo above.
Friday the 12th, we looked at the map of Munds Park and it looked like we could walk down to and through the golf course. Much to my surprise, there are a load of condos on the Pinewoods Country Club. This meant lots of signs that said members and guests only, so we did not go through the golf course but back out and around it. We stopped for lunch, our first meal ever at the Pinewoods Restaurant and Bar (it is erroneously listed as the Lone Pin Restaurant and Pub, but you can see from the photos on Trip Advisor that the real name is Pinewoods Restaurant and Bar).
Friday evening, our friend Jane came up for the weekend - she was happy to escape the heat of Phoenix for a couple of days. We walked the dog, took a short hike, relaxed, went to the farmers market, went out for lunch, watched one of the NHL playoff games on TV and just had a pleasant visit until she headed back to Phoenix on Sunday.
The 15th to the 17th, we just took it easy, walking the dog, taking short hikes and enjoying quiet time here in the hills. To avoid cooking and heating up the house, Monday evening we got take out pizza from Pinewoods Restaurant - they actually make pretty good pizza, really substantial with lots of toppings. On the 16th, we went out for dinner. At first, we thought about just grabbing a light dinner and visiting the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. We went to the Himalayan Grill, advertised as serving Indian, Nepalese and Tibetan food. Patty ordered a glass of wine and I ordered a Taj beer from India - it came in a 22 ounce bottle. Patty had Lamb teekah (the lamb came out sizzling with peppers and onions with with rice) and I had lamb with bismati rice. We both ended up getting boxes to take food home. After the good food and drinks, we decided to call it day and never made it the Lowell Observatory - that will have to wait for another trip.
On the 18th, I went back to Phoenix for some medical appointments. When I left Munds Park at 9:00, it was about 70 degrees. An hour later and sixty miles south, it was 105 degrees.
Around the errands I had to run and the medical appointments, the official high tied the record of 115 degrees set in 1896. After one errand, the car was 125 degrees. Later it was 129 degrees.
Those hot temps made me happy to get back to Munds Park for dinner that evening.
On Friday the 19th, we went out for a bike ride.
On a prior bike ride, Patty's bike had problems with shifting. I had used WD 40 on the derailer and it seemed to be okay. It was okay but only for about the first 20 minutes. Without the ability to shift, Patty ended her ride. I looked on Google for bike shops in Flagstaff and found that the best rated one was Flag Bicycle Revolution. At 11:30, I called them and they said come on in. So I put the bike rack on the car and loaded up the bikes, and went to Flagstaff. The shop was as busy as a bee hive, but I took them at their word. I went to get the car wash, and just as I was finishing, they called me. The had replaced the tube on my rear tire (it had a slow leak), and greased and adjusted the derailers and gear shifts on both bikes. I was shocked when I came back to get the bikes - only $11.56 charge!!! Needless to say, I went online and gave them a great rating.
Saturday was another quiet day, but Sunday was Fathers Day and our 40th Anniversary. So we went to Josephine's American Bistro in Flagstaff where we had Bloody Marys and an excellent buffet lunch - a great way to celebrate and definitely a place to visit again.
After lunch, we visited the Museum of Northern Arizona - this is what is classified as a place museum. Everything in the museum was related to one place, the Colorado Plateau. This included the geology, the ethnology of the peoples who lived there, history, botany, even photography. This was both educational and interesting - an excellent museum to visit. There was both a book store and a store that had handmade jewelry, pottery, weaving and blankets from the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni and Pai (including Hualapai, Havasupai and Yavapai) artisans.
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