FUN FILLED DAYS IN PHOENIX

Me Riding a Quarter Horse

I have spent the last few days with my good friends Chuck and Sharon Shinall here in Arizona.  On Wednesday we ventured up to Cave Creek, Arizona where we had planned on taking a horse back ride at the Spur Cross Ranch at Queen Creek.  However there was a problem at the ranch and they were unable to accommodate us. The did offer us the opportunity to ride at their Prescott Location on Friday, which we accepted.

Being unable to ride We decided to have lunch at the Buffalo Chip Saloon in Cave Creek. The original Buffalo Chip started in 1951 and consisted of a small saloon on about a third of an acre. Today the entire venue sits on 5-acres and feature live entertainment including music and live bull riding. Chuck opted for the BBQ Pulled Pork, while I tried the Brisket. The food was really good and there was plenty of it.

While at the Buffalo Chip I had to try my hand at riding one of their quarter horses.  It was a bucking experience but I managed to stay on for the full 8-seconds.

Cave Creek, Arizona

After lunch we took a few minutes to explore the small community of Cave Creek where we found a small park with several metal sculptures featuring an old west Indian attack. The characters appeared to be welded together out of old scrap metal. All in all it was very interesting.

Thursday we made out way down to the Queen Creek Olive Mill.  I really didn't know what to expect here but it turned out to be a great experience. We took the brief tour and found out how the olives are harvested and turned into virgin olive oil.  Then we had a very tasty lunch in the small restaurant.  I had a panini sandwich and a very tasty IPA beer.

Friday we left the Scottsdale Camelback Resort and made the two and a half hour trip to Prescott where were were scheduled to go horseback riding. Chuck and Sharon knew our guide from previous trips and rides so he had the horses saddles and was waiting on us.

My trusty steed for the ride was a large white horse named Destiny. Chuck was mounted on a former Grand Canyon Mule name Blue.  Our guide for the ride was a great guy named Boot and he led us on a fun ride thru the area adjacent to the Prescott National Forest.  The trail featured outstanding views through a forest of tall pines.  Along the way we saw a number of deer who seemed to care less as they barely moved as we rode by.

The ride lasted about an hour and a half and was really enjoyable. But all good things must come to an end and about mid-afternoon it was time for us to head back to Scottsdale and begin preparations to check out of the Scottsdale Camelback Resort.

Today, we all packed up and checked out of the Resort just a few minutes before the 10 a.m. deadline. After leaving the resort, we made out way down to the Enterprise Rental Car Location on McDowell where Chuck turned in his rental and I picked up mine.

It was a fairly quick process and about 20-minutes after arriving I drove off in my 2017 Ford Focus Hybrid. After Dropping Chuck and Sharon off at the American Terminal at the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport it was time for me to begin the next part of my Arizona Adventure.

The rest of the day I spent traveling around the Valley of the Sun visiting the the graves of several Famous people who are resting in the Valley of the Sun. The grave of  Waylon Jennings who is buried in the Mesa City Cemetery was one grave that I really wanted to visit. His grave was easy to find thanks to the GPS Coordinates being listed on Find-A-Grave.

Another grave that was also easy to find was that of former senator and Presidential Candidate Barry Goldwater.  Senator Goldwater was the Republican nominee for President in 1964. He ran against the incumbent President Lyndon Johnson and lost. Senator Goldwater died in 1998 and his ashes are entombed in the Memorial Garden of the Christ Church of the Ascension in Paradise Valley.

State Farm Stadium

Along the way I made a couple of quick Stops at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe and at the Newly named State Farm Stadium, which was formerly known as University of Phoenix Stadium, which has been the site of several Super Bowls and the current home of the Arizona Cardinals.

By about 5 p.m. I made my way back to east Phoenix and checked in at my nights lodging at the Holiday Inn on University. My plan is to be up early in the morning and head north toward Sedona and Flagstaff.