Summer In Phoenix

Don't Fear It!

I've been a Phoenician now for almost 20 years.

Taking a moment to let that sink in....

I grew up and lived my first 18 years in a house my dad built in Oakland. Then at 19 pure wanderlust kicked in. Over the next decade I lived in Coeur d'Alene and Moscow Idaho, Seattle, Anchorage, San Jose, and Hawaii before eventually relocating to the Valley of the Sun.

Now, I should point out that I have loved every place I have ever lived. But....perfect year round weather in the bay area actually became kinda boring....

And in Seattle I got tired of rationalizing why I was enduring 11 months of crap weather for that one amazingly beautiful month each summer (Hint: always around SeaFair).

In Coeur d'Alene summers could be really nice or week upon week upon week of grey dreck.   

In Alaska summers were short but came with 21 hours of daylight and enormous mosquitos. 

So here I am living in a place where summers replicate the surface of the sun.... 

But, after all these years I find summers here fall into kind of a nice cycle.

In May as the heat returns we start making mental notes where the shady parking is.

By June our beloved winter visitors are long gone, and our best restaurants suddenly have reasonable wait times for a great table under a mister. City streets are much less crowded (and much more sane) and evenings offer a perfect time to take a dip in our warm backyard pools to ponder the stars.

By July we are experiencing our amazing summer monsoons. These are electrical storms of epic proportions with lightning chains that fill our summer skies. They typically deliver rain in sheets and afterwards the fragrance of creosote fills the desert air.

In August our European visitors arrive. Mostly German and French they stay only briefly usually on their way to rent a houseboat on Lake Powell. By August 6th or so many of the kids in Phoenix are beginning to  return to school. And when Labor Day arrives (signaling the close of summer for everyone else), Phoenicians are kind of going a bit crazy. So we try to make a desperate weekend trip to San Diego, Payson, Flagstaff or Prescott.

But summer clings on getting the last digs in and our 100° plus days roll right on until around October 15.

So for those that are adventurous (or a contrarian traveler like me - I love Alaska in winter hoping for a view of an aurora borealis) consider summer in AZ!

Moonrise Over the Red Rocks of Sedona

A 4 or 5 star resort room costing $300 in winter is $120 (or less) in summer. The pools are splashy, many offer family barbecues, water slides or lazy rivers. At night there are dive-in movies!

And while here, you can visit indoor delights with bulletproof air conditioning (which was invented here) there is the Arizona Science Center, the Heard Museum, the Phoenix Art Museum or the amazing new MIM Musical Instrument Museum.

The Phoenix Zoo has misters and the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum just outside of Tucson offers special evening programs showcasing their nocturnal critters. For sports you can take in a D'backs game. Many just use Phoenix for a home base to go visit the Grand Canyon, gaze at the stars at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, or go spend a day or two in a jacuzzi surrounded by the red rocks of Sedona.

There is Only One Grand Canyon

So, scratch skanky old Las Vegas off your list. Be bold, bring sunscreen, come visit Phoenix or Tucson in summer!

Enjoy a big loud monsoon!

Your wallet will thank you.

And after two or three days in a big old pool, making new friends, so will your kids.

Roadboy's Travels © 2013

The West Fork of Oak Creek

Sedona's Perfect Family Hike

Sedona is 2 hours away from America's 6th largest metropolis. This results in a sometimes overwhelming hoard of visiting Phoenicians. 

In winter they seek the magic of snow dusting Sedona's red rocks. In summer Sedona spells immediate relief from America's most extreme metro-urban heat sink.

Of course what Phoenicians also find are overpriced hotel rooms, a lot of good (and some not-so-great but frequently very jammed) restaurants, crowded narrow streets filled with shops pitching candles, t-shirts, art glass, crystals, and made in China kokopellis.

But, the good news is that the real Sedona is still there. You just have to venture away from the roadways and wear good shoes.

A wonderful easy hike for families is the West Fork of Oak Creek in the Coconino National Forest. It is a 9 miles miles north on 89A. It is Sedona's most popular trail (for good reason.) It is served by a parking lot that fills up early. The daily fee is $9 / car (includes 5 hikers) or if you walk in the fee is $2 per hiker. A couple of $40 annual passes are also available covering all of Sedona's various trails.

The west fork trail starts with a bridge over the creek. It then meanders past an old apple orchard (which was blooming this week) and the ruins of an original homestead. The trail then moves into the deep slot canyon. The trail is easy and well marked. There are numerous places where you must cross the creek so water shoes are a good choice. Bring sunscreen and snacks, and (in summer), maybe a swim suit under hiking shorts to enjoy the cool spring water. The developed trail takes you about 3 miles in the canyon (so 6 miles round trip.) The actual trail runs 14 miles, but much of that is in wilderness areas where the trail is simply a walk (sometimes a swim!) in the creek.

In summer there is a lot of poison oak along the way, so beware.

Remnants From the Homestead 

Zane Grey's Inspiration for "The Call of the Canyon"

(It is Hard Not to Look Up)

A Great Slide Rock 

(A Great Stop WIth Kids, About a Mile In)

Lots of Fragrant Pines

(A Friend Clued Me In - The Bark Smells Like Butterscotch!)  

Crystal Clear Water

This is a hike that is just made for families. Go and enjoy! Phoenicians can leave home by 8:00 am, drive, hike, and easily be home in time for dinner. 

Of course if you can spend a day or two hiking and perhaps camping, well thats even better!

Roadboy's Travels © 2013