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Frank's Trip to Phoenix and Vicinity

Click on the thumbnail images to get larger ones (around 100-300K). Click on the "huge" link to get the full size pictures (around 3M). Around 45 pictures included.

Lost Dutchman State Park

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Co-workers Dan and Steve, all suited up and ready to go. Both had presentations to give to The Customer, while I was along to help out as, or rather if, needed. And yes, I was wearing a suit too.

One the meetings were over, the suits came off. We went to Lost Dutchman State Park to wander around. When we asked the people at the hotel about the park, they replied, "Why would you want to go there? All they've got are rocks and cactus." Perhaps the mall might've been closer, but this was a lot more fun to us.

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The Superstition Mountains. A plaque to explain what is is, and the trail going to them.

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The gate at the start of the trail. A sign along the fence, with barbed-wire, no less! And a sign marking the Tonto National Forest. We were on Treasure Loop Trail (number 56 for those who are counting but don't want to load the huge map image).

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We saw wood on the ground that looked really funky. It has all these holes in it, like a sponge. Eventually, we figured out that it was from cactus. You can see how porous it is in the close up. We hiked along the trail for a while.

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There were various saguaro cactus in various stages of health along the trails. The one in the first picture looks like some sort of alien, desert beaver had been at it. The short, stubby cactus bush shrub things were kind of neat too. Lots of cactus needs on the ground around it.

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It's best to watch where you're walking. Dan wound up having a good number of cactus needles stuck in his shoe. Fortunately, they didn't penetrate. If it had been a jumping cholla, I'm sure he'd've been covered with them...

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The saguaro cactus is big. Damn big. We're not talking "Snoopy's brother Spike in the desert." We're talking 30-50 feet tall. The cactus is one of nature's most butch plants (except when they're flowering and go all Village People on you).

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More cactus wood. A different sort of cactus shrub. And some yellow flowers in the foreground with a cactus behind it and the Superstition Mountains in the background.

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A silhouette of Steve and a cactus. A cactus that looked like it had a face (profile), like something from Jim Henson or Sid and Marty Kroft. And the valley with the saguaro cacti on the march. Or at least that's what it looked like to me.

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Three cactus trees. Frank "leaning" against a respectable-sized cactus, and some needle-less bulbs on a cactus tree (some kind of cholla cactus, perhaps?). Not a "jumping cholla" which is just evil.

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A close up of a (cholla?) cactus with needles. Dan taking pictures. And Steve adn Dan wandering in the desert.

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Dan and Steve still in the desert. Another short cactus tree. And a trail leading to the Superstition Mountains with some sort of shrubby cactus along side the trail.

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A cactus with a flower. The Superstition Mountains. And another close-up of a cactus flower.

Aunt Sally and Uncle Norman

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My Aunt Sally and Uncle Normal live in Scottsdale. I visted them. The first picture is the three of us. The other two is of their back yard.

Arizona State University

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The first picture is of a Gila Monster that's in the biology building, where Rob will be teaching a science fiction class (who knows). They have a number of local animals there. The second was a door with the Flying Spaghetti Monster logo (and everyone replies, in unison, "ramen"). And the thrid is of some art somewhere in the middle of campus.

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Steve and I stopped at this restaurant/bar place on the second floor just beyond campus (uh, like 4th or 5th and Mill street). Like almost everything in Phoenix, it's a chain. Anyway, what amused me was we were sitting over the banner that read "Please Conserve Water" (after all, we were in the middle of the desert) and above us there was some sort of hose thing spraying water on us. It didn't really make any difference, it just wasted water. The second shot is of the hill named "A-Mountain" (Arizona State, A, get it?). And the third shot is of the full moon rising. Oh, Sandeep did take us to a good, local restaurant named Bag of Tricks or something.

Sedona

It's a very beautiful place. The "crystal energy vortex people" live there. And sadly, the town has grown and become quite commericalized. The natural scenery is still gorgeous.

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On the way into Sedona, we stopped by a pull-off by the side of the road. There were some nice views of the mountains.

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More views of the mountains.

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Steve taking some pictures by the side of the road. A prickly pear cactus. And finally, a photo in downtown Sedona itself, one in the continuing "Frank reacts to signs" series. The signs were piled in the corner of the parking lot where were parked before seeking some lunch.

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This is typical of how Sedona the crystal energy vortex people have now been supplanted by the we'll-sell-anything-to-anyone people. It's both sad and amusing how they now whore themselves out to anyone and any interest. Need I point out that signs include "crystal engergy," some old-time (spelled "tyme"!) authentic, fake western photo place, "the southwest shop" which I'm sure sells everything people expect to see in the southwest (authentic Apache red ice cream...no, actually, that'd be the place third from the bottom), and the "Hummer Store"? I'm assuming the last is referring to the HMV, worst of the worst jeep/SUV/truck for people trying to make some sort of statement about how wasteful and self-centered they can be, rather than a store that sells blow-jobs. But I could be wrong. Alright, enough of a rant for now. Also note that there is some funky, colorful art in the background.

And finally, a nice view of the mountains that you see from Sedona. No matter how commerical it is, the landscape surrounding it still is strikingly beautful.

West Fork Trail at Sedona

The pictures in this section are along the trail and few are of particular named things. So most of the descriptions are along the lines of "rocks and trees."

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Crossing the Oak Creak. Reflections of water ripples against the rock. Rocky outcroppings.

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A close-up of the jig-saw puzzle-like bark on a tree. Looking up the whole tree. Another stream crossing.

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More streams and rocks. Not much more to say.

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A log to help cross the stream. The stream. And the sun in the tree.

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More sun in trees. People crossing the strema, and general cool views of the trees and hills along the trail.

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Rocks, water and trees.

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Another jig-saw puzzle-bark tree. And a view of the hills with "canyon varnish" on it (black streaks from minerals leaching from the rocks).

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More hills and trees, rocks and trees, and water, trees, and rocks.

Bell Rock

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I'm not sure...I believe the first picture is Castle Rock, the second is Bell Rock, and the third is of the parking area, where the map below is. The first picture is to the left of the second. In the third I was facing the opposite direction of the first.

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The shelter with the map is visible in the corner of the first picture. The shelter and its map are in the second picture. I'd like to claim the third is genuine Native American Indian desert art, perhaps even the cocoa pebbles, er, kokopelli guy. But actually, co-woker Steve helped me make a shadow (mine own shadow needed some help).

On the plane home

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Co-worker Steve and I got along famously in our luxurious seats. Of course, since he had the window, I kind of had to look out it, well, continually. Once we stopped talking to each other, things kind of stabilized into an uncomfortable tension. In retrospect, I suppose the great Battle of the Armrest was an inescapable eventuality. Fortunately, there were only 3.5 hours in the flight remaining at that point.

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USAir spares no expense when you fly with them. They provided real peanuts. I was so surprised I almost went into anaphylactic shock from sheer delight. Actually, Continental provided a meal on the way out. That really surprised me. But I tried to enjoy the meal of peanuts anyway.

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