ProfilersFebruary 2008
McDowell Mountain Regional Park
Beginning on a Tuesday, our arrival date, the weather had changed from clouds and rain to clear, sunny and cool. (Read that as Frosty Cold!). Mid afternoon a late lunch was provided by our hosts of soup and chili along with other items that made it a full meal. Each evening we were able to enjoy a big campfire lots of stars and later be lulled to sleep by the howling of the many local coyotes.
Nights were all cool, but with plenty of blankets all were warm and cozy overnight.
Day by day the snow on the visible mountains began to melt from view providing needed moisture for the expected spring flowers.
Our first morning dawned clear and cool. Plenty of time was available to visit some of the local shops in Fountain Hills, and bring home some great ‘treasures’. Later, time as available for some friendly games of bolo toss and horse shoes.
Mid afternoon produced yet another of the pot-lucks that this group is famous for. With grills grilling, pots boiling and ovens baking another grand feast was enjoyed by all 18 campers and day-trippers.
As the evening camp fire dies down, warm beds beckon and again the coyotes sing us to sleep.
Once again the sunrise calls us into activity. Some return to the
games. A
fewardy souls venture in search of hidden treasure in the form of a
geo-cache, an enterprise enabled by the use of a hand held GPS locating
device. The cache was found hidden atop Loosee Mountain, a winding half
mile hike up the tall peak from a nearby parking lot. The view from the
hilltop covered several small communities and was well worth the effort
to make the climb.
Then
it was time to convoy downtown to the lake, fountain, for which the town
is named, and a beautiful war memorial park. Watched the fountain come
to life and spray water hundreds of feet into the air. Somehow this
generated an apatite for lunch. Next stop was the restaurant at one of
the golf courses. Nice view, good company and excellent food.
This accompished we mve on to the "River of Time" museum in the city
library
complex. A tour guide gave us a fine history of the area from the
Hohokam Indians, through the later Indians, the Spanish, th Army, the
cowboys and finally the developers which make places for the present day
inhabitants.
A final campfire and a picnic table full of snacks disappear amidst the "not very hungry" campers. Off to bed to dream of meeting once again in a few weeks at Catalina State Park, Tucson.