Road Trip with Jeff Day!!

This is one of my favourite days of my vacation. Jeff always takes us on a road trip to show off Arizona. Jade had not been on a road trip with Jeff before. I went with him last time I was here but we took a different route today! I'm glad he was driving.....the roads were very narrow and he had to put his truck into 4-wheel drive part of the way. He showed up at 5:30 to pick us up! Here we go.!!

It was still dark when we headed out - but the sun soon came up. I sat in the back seat so Jade could see out the front window and not get car sick - and so she could take some good pictures. I had my camera too and got some pretty good ones I think!

This is a crown cactus. You don't see very many of these, but we saw one today.

Saguaro cactus - I read that they don't get a branch until they reach 95 years old. Up until then they are only one single stalk. We saw some OLD ASS cacti today then!!

Look at the branches on this one!

This picture doesn't really do this image justice...but the sky was soooo blue behind the tree and it was so high up on that rock it was really pretty.

One of our views.

We stopped and hiked a little to go back to an apple orchard in hopes of seeing some deer or elk.....unfortunately - Snow White (aka Jade) was not drawing the animals towards her today!

We were hiking through a part of the forest that had been burned recently.

Track - possibly mountain lion

The sign for the Tonto National Forest

The little path we followed up to the apple orchard

Ranger station at Aztec Peak

View from Aztec Peak

The photographer getting her picture taken!!! And sitting on a huge rock chair! I was calling her Betty Rubble!!!! (from the Flinstones - for all you youngin's that might be reading this blog!)

Jeff checking out Aztec Peak

It's hard to tell from this angle, but there are huge rock chairs - a table with benches and a fire pit - with a "kick ass" view!

Jeff lounging in one of the rock chairs - this picture you can see the rock table and rock bench for sitting around the table

Jade and Jeff looking through Jade's zoom lens to see if they can see some elk.

Little stream running through the forest

Century cactus

Prickly pear cactus

We are up top of a huge dam and could see these fish in the water - they must be huge - yes I zoomed with my camera - but you could see them from up high where we were just with the naked eye.

Little lizard trying to hide from us behind the grass.

Sail boat on I believe is the Apache River

Ocotillo cactus

Another beautiful view

some cacti blooming. I really wanted to see the desert in bloom, but I think by the looks of the buds on the cacti, we were about 2 weeks too early.

Our tour guide Jeff showing Jade something off in the distance

another cool view

This butterfly put on quite the show for me. It landed on the flower and then when I bent down to take his picture, He turned a little then a little more then a little more till I got his best side!

I love the purple flowers on the cactus!

Another great view!

What a great day!!! Jeff is a great tour guide! We left at 6 AM and got back to the house at 5:30 PM!!!! We stopped at a little restaurant for breakfast in Globe and  then we stopped I can't remember the location, but the restaurant was called Butcher's Hook - and the food was DELISH!!!

We both got a little bit of sun from our two hikes we did!!! So heading to bed!!!! Tomorrow is GRAND PEDICURE day!!!!!

Chow for now

Jacqui