Mesa, Arizona - Lots to see close by - Part One

Since I was raised in the Phoenix Valley, my family would frequently go camping in the White Mountains in Northeastern Arizona, or travel to Oak Creek Canyon and stay for two weeks washing in the streams. My dad would leave early in the morning bringing back Rainbow Trout for our breakfast. We also had a boat and would go to the nearby lakes to camp and to ski. Since I moved back to Arizona in 2000, I have been introducing my husband to the wonderful areas that make Arizona particularly special. This past Monday, we decided to drive to Payson, a little town just 1 hour and 20 minutes from our home in East Mesa. On the way up, I was surprised that just 20 minutes from our home, we came upon Saguara Lake, a place I learned to water ski. There is a small marina there as well as covered picnic areas with tables and barbeques. I remember camping there, but didn't see a camp ground. The lake is connected to several other lakes nearby such as Canyon Lake and Roosevelt Lake. More about those in another post. The views of the lake as well as the rugged mountains are breathtakinly beautiful. There's just something about water in the desert!

After we left Saguaro Lake, we continued up Bush Highway to Beeline Highway to Payson. We were actually headed up to Strawberry and Pine where we stopped to eat and enjoy the pine trees and the cooler weather. We had decided to stay overnight in Payson which is only one hour and 20 minutes from home.

I wanted to stop and visit the Tonto Natural Bridge State Park located just north of Payson down in a deep canyon. I took a few pictures of this adventure. The Waterfall Trail caught my interest. It is about 300 feet long, ends at waterfall cove, 90 steps, some very steep! Well, I'm not as young as I once was, but thought this would be no big deal. The trip was so worth it. I've included just a couple of the photos. The water was pouring out of the side and, as you can see, everything was beautifully green and cool. Notice the steps. This is the end of the trail. It was MUCH easier going down then back up. The steps were hewn out of wood or block and sometimes 6 inches thick and sometimes up to 18 inches think. My legs are still sore.

Isn't it amazing to think that we have such lush green in our state? This could be in Hawaii!!!I would share more, but I think it might be easier to post it on one of the Real Estate Shows. That way I can share more.