Arizona Road Trip, 2023 – A Trio of Historical Sites

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Globe Arizona, Besh Ba Gowah, Windy Hill Recreation Site, Tonto National Monument, Roosevelt Lake and Dam

March 20-23, 2023

From Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro National Park West I headed northeast on quiet, secondary highways to arrive at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument located on the outskirts of Coolidge, Arizona. This magnificent four-story building, part of a larger village complex, was completed around 1350 by the Hohokam peoples who created similar Great Houses in the region, all sited alongside systems of irrigation canals.

Casa Grande, named by early Spanish explorers, is built along north/south and east/west lines and is thought by modern archaeologists to have had astronomical and ceremonial purposes as openings align with the sun and moon at specific times including the summer solstice. Protected from the elements by a large shelter, access inside the monument is not possible, but a series of interpretive panels, as well as a small museum in the Visitors Centre, gave context to this impressive site and the people who built it.

The Hohokam, descended from hunter-gatherers who lived in Arizona for thousands of years, began to build permanent settlements around the Salt and Gila Rivers around the year 300 CE. They also built vast canal systems, tapped groundwater, and diverted storm runoff to irrigate their fields of squash, beans, corn, cotton, and agave, and they participated in extensive trade networks that stretched to the Pacific shores of California, the Colorado Plateau, the Great Plains, and northern and central Mexico. As well as their cultivated foods, the Hohokam availed themselves of all that the surrounding desert had to offer. They hunted rabbits and other small mammals as well as mule deer, javelina, and big horn sheep from the nearby mountains. They snared or hooked fish, waterfowl and turtles from the rivers and gathered wood and basketry materials from riverside stands of reeds, cottonwood, and willow. They gathered mesquite pods that were eaten whole or pounded into meal and they also ate wild amaranth, saguaro, cholla, hedgehog and prickly pear cactus fruits. It was an impressive existence in a harsh land of extremes, and I also marvelled at the puzzle-solving abilities of archaeologists who try to piece together and understand the complex array of cultures that migrated, inter-mingled, lived, built on, and transformed this land over the centuries and millennia.

From Casa Grande, I made my way to the very scenic Highway 60 that heads east up to and through a pass between the Superstition and the Pinal Mountains. Unfortunately, the road was very busy and fast with lots of truck traffic and it was almost impossible to stop for photos of the dramatic rocky hillsides. I did manage to pull over a few times,

and I absolutely had to stop to photograph this astounding mountain of tailings from a large copper mine outside of Miami, Arizona (it went on for miles!). This region of Arizona that I was travelling through was explored and mined in the 1800s by hunters of silver and gold, and later copper, and its modern-day mines hold some of the largest copper reserves in the United States.

Soon I reached the town of Globe and proceeded directly to the Besh Ba Gowah museum which features a partially reconstructed pueblo, built between the years 1250 and 1450 by the Salado. Culturally related to the Hohokam, and named after the Salt river by archaeologists, the Salado were farmers, hunters, crafts people, and traders. Excavated in the 1930s, this large site delivered the most extensive collection of Salado artefacts ever recovered.

The complex featured two-story homes, a central plaza, a ceremonial building, and rooms dedicated to specialized crafts that included jewellery making, weaving, basketry and decorated pottery. Like Casa Grande, this pueblo was part of a vast trading network. Shells from the Baja Peninsula, the California coast, and the Gulf of Mexico were found here, as well as brightly-coloured Macaw feathers and copper bells from Mexico. Many examples of pottery, decorated in different styles and created in different regions of Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico were also found here as well as a wide array of tools and household objects.

I spent a long time on the grounds and in the small but comprehensive museum here and continued to learn more about how the ancestral peoples of the area were able to use the resources of the desert to survive and flourish.

I then visited the town of Globe which first sprang up in the 1880s when silver and copper were found here. The main street features attractive Victorian-era brick buildings, many of which now house antique and second-hand shops, as well as cafes, bars, and western-themed saloons. The town is popular on weekends with visitors, tourists, and bargain-hunters arriving from Phoenix, Tucson, and elsewhere.

I was here on a weekday and most of the second-hand shops only have weekend hours, but luckily the Cobre Valley Center for the Arts, housed in the stately 1906 Gila County Courthouse, was open. Run by a member-supported non-profit, the centre sold a range of arts and crafts including paintings, pottery, jewellery, woodwork, metal work, photography, and some very beautiful quilts. There was even a rather fine collection of vintage clothing that was fun to browse through. I really enjoyed my time there, walking on old fir floors through tall-ceilinged rooms and admiring all of the creativity and artistry on display.

From Globe, I connected to Highway 188 for a beautiful drive north to the Windy Hill Recreation Site campground run by the Tonto National Forest Service. Sited above and beside the huge reservoir of Roosevelt Lake, the campground had many loops and hundreds of sites but it was not busy at all and I was able to choose a wonderful spot, well away from others and close to the lake. It was beginning to rain, and there was a cold wind blowing so I bundled up, quickly prepared a hot and spicy soup, and enjoyed my meal under the protective cover of my ramada, my eyes on the lake and the fast-moving clouds and my ears happy with the sound of heavy rain drops on the metal roof of my shelter. I was warm and dry, grateful for my meal, my day, and this beautiful place and I allowed myself to do nothing except sit quietly for good long a while. The rain eased off before night fell and I enjoyed a walk around the campsite and along the lake with so much bird life on display. There were ducks and other waterfowl on the lake, including a beautiful Clark’s grebe, and I startled several groups of quail from the bushes as I walked. Small birds flitted between the shrubs and trees, a roadrunner hunted on the grassy edge of the road, and I saw an osprey fly overhead with a good-sized fish clutched in its talons!

I slept well and rose early to another windy and overcast day that threatened rain. I took my time over breakfast and coffee, and then took a short walk around the campground. I was reluctant to leave this peaceful place, but I was also very excited to visit the nearby cliff dwellings of Tonto National Monument so off I went to arrive there just as it opened at 8. There are two ruins here, the Lower Ruin and the 40-room Upper Ruin which is only accessible on a 3-4 hour ranger-guided hike that must be booked long in advance. The Lower Ruin is accessible by way of a steep paved path that switchbacks up the side of a mountain, gaining 350 feet in a half mile. Below in the distance is Roosevelt Lake that was created by the damming of the Salt River in1911.

The hillside was thickly vegetated and there were interpretive panels all along the route that identified some of the plants and provided information about their characteristics and their medical, culinary, or functional uses by the Salado people. For example, the Banana yucca had multiple uses: the buds, flowers and fruits are edible, the sharp-tipped leaves were used as awls, and leaf fibres were woven into mats, sandals, string, ropes, nets and snares while the roots were used to make “an excellent soap and shampoo.” The panels provided a good excuse to stop and catch my breath, and I also stopped often to photograph some of the wildflowers growing on the hillside, including two very distinct types of lupin and some owl clover.

Soon I reached this view of the Upper Ruin which was built around 1300 and occupied until around 1450 CE. Constructed of rock and adobe mud, and making use of a natural cave at the top of a bluff, the rooms of the original dwelling housed about 30 people and their tools, possessions, and stores of food. Water was accessed from a spring far below, but there was also a 100 gallon cistern built on site.

I was the only visitor up there and I spent a good half hour or more with the volunteer guide learning about the people that had lived here. It is thought that the families here were primarily hunters who traded with the farming families that lived along the Salt River in the valley below. Archaeological evidence shows that they were also weavers and basket makers, and that they were part of the same vast trading network that included the people of Casa Grande and Besh Ba Gowah.

Visitors are allowed to walk among the ruins and into several of the small rooms. The wooden posts and roof structures on view are all original. Beams of Arizona walnut were crossed with saguaro cactus strips and then covered by a layer of clay and mud, and 700 year old handprints in the adobe can still be seen on some parts of the floors and walls.

The ruin faces east, with far-reading views over the mountains and Salt River valley, and the volunteer told me that she often sees mule deer and sometimes javelina in the gully below and that a canyon wren visits her daily. The view was indeed beautiful, even verdant, but the desert is still so full of dangers and the punishing extremes of heat and cold, floods and drought. To make a life here certainly required endless hard work, resilience, know-how, and strength. All three of the monuments that I visited in these two days, as well as many other large communal dwellings throughout central and northern Arizona were abandoned around the year 1450 and archaeologists continue to search for clues as to why. The principal conjecture is that many years of severe drought lead to crop failures and a paucity of resources from the desert which then caused competition and warfare among groups as well as migration out of the region. Thankfully, all three of these monuments are protected and continue to be studied so that further knowledge can be acquired to help preserve the past, enrich the present, and guide the future.

From the Tonto National Monument I drove the short distance to see the Roosevelt Lake Bridge that carries traffic on Highway 188,

and then the Roosevelt Dam which was built at the confluence of the Salt River and Tonto Creek in 1911 to help with flood control and water management downstream. I couldn’t help but think about how much archaeological evidence of human occupation along the upper Salt River must have been lost when the valley behind this dam was flooded.

My next destination was Lost Dutchman State Park for two nights of camping. I had originally intended to travel there via State Route 88 which is a narrow and winding gravel road through the Superstition Mountains. Signs warned me though that a section of the road ahead was impassable due to a landslide so I reversed direction, travelled back on 188 towards Globe and then west on Highway 60 which was thankfully less busy than when I first drove it so I was able to travel a bit slower to appreciate the dramatic mountain scenery. Hopefully, I can travel State Route 88 on my next visit to Arizona when I will definitely camp again at Windy Hill and return to the Tonto National Monument to participate in the guided hike to the Upper Ruin. There is still so much to see and learn!

Thank you for joining me on this journey! 🙂

Arizona Road Trip, 2023 – Easy Desert Days in the Tucson Mountains

Saguaro National Park West, Tucson Mountain Park, Gilbert Ray Campground, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

March 17-20, 2023

From Catalina State Park, I drove west across the northern outskirts of Tucson to arrive at Saguaro National Park West where I would be camping nearby for three nights at the Gilbert Ray Campground in Tucson Mountain Park. After stops for gas, groceries, and a quick check of my email, I entered the park and made my way to Signal Hill for a short morning hike and a look at the ancient petroglyphs there.

I also took easy walks on the Esperanza Trail,

and on the Desert Discovery Nature Trail where I admired the beautiful shapes of the cacti and tiny shapes too like the lovely white bells of twist flowers and the green and yellow seed pods and flowers of western tansy mustard.

I then visited the excellent Saguaro National Park West Visitors Centre where I got a hiking map, browsed the books, and viewed a moving and beautiful film of gorgeous desert photography, narrated in part by members of the Tohono O’odham Nation, including one Daniel Preston who says, “The desert speaks to our people in many ways. We feel honoured to be here in this desert to hear the things it says.” I teared up and felt exactly the same.

From the Visitors Center I proceeded to my campground and was pleased with my site but there was no shade to be had over the noon hour so I drove to the nearby Brown Mountain picnic site with its covered shelter. This quiet and scenic spot became my much-appreciated mid-day sanctuary for lunches and for afternoon journal writing, reading, and resting over the next three days.

Late in the afternoon, after a good rest, I debated whether to walk the 6 kilometre Brown Mountain Trail that passes near my the picnic site. My ankle was improving so I decided that I would set out on the lower section of the trail and decide later whether to climb up onto the long ridge of Brown Mountain (to the left) to complete the entire loop.

The walking was easy and fun, and I decided to continue on the loop. The trail circled around to the western side of Brown Mountain and then began to climb.

There were fabulous views as I gained in elevation, looking back to the north,

and forward to the south in the direction of travel along the top of the ridge.

It was so fun to walk along the undulating ridge line with views in all directions. The sun was lowering in the sky as I neared the last rise,

and looked back along the ridge to the far peak of Brown Mountain. I had barely noticed the distance covered!

This was the view before the final quick switch-backing descent off the ridge, with my campground visible in the centre of the valley below. I felt so grateful to be here and to be able to do this hike!

The next morning, I rose early for my visit to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum which is the number one attraction in the Tucson area. Priced at almost $30 U.S. it was an expensive but very worthwhile place to learn more about the geology, palaeontology, minerals, hydrology, flora, fauna, and human history of the Sonoran Desert. I spent five hours there and didn’t see everything! The museum covers 21 acres with more than two miles of walking paths through various habitats such as desert scrub and grasslands, mountain woodland, riparian corridor, etc., and it features 230 animal species and over 1,200 types of plants. Here are just a few of the beautiful creatures there that I was able to observe and admire. First, my favourite, the gorgeous mountain lion.

Then the ocelot which was bigger than I had expected. Like the mountain lion, I was lucky to see him grooming himself leisurely and then moving in that graceful, powerful, and easy manner of all cats. Mostly found in the northern reaches of the Mexican Sonoran desert, the ocelots can occassionaly be found north of the border in remote areas of southern Texas and Arizona.

This Mexican wolf was one of a pack of five. I’m all nerves watching any big canine, but I will admit that they are beautiful creatures as well.

The museum also featured so many beautiful plants all along the pathways and also in five botanical gardens including the Agave Garden,

as well as the Desert, Cactus, and Pollinator gardens.

There was an excellent outdoor Bird Show, with a pair of ravens, a great horned owl, a crested cara cara, and then four Harris hawks flying over and near the assembled visitors, with excellent commentary about the each type of raptor. I was amazed to learn that Harris Hawks hunt as a team in small groups, the only raptor to do so. I finished off my visit to the museum by attending a live Animal Show that featured two venomous reptiles, a Gila monster and a rattle snake. Again, the commentary was excellent and covered the characteristics, adaptations, behaviours, habitats, and conservation concerns of these fascinating desert creatures.

After my very educational visit to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum I had a late lunch and rest at my picnic spot and then decided to make a quick drive up to Gates Pass. With grades of up to thirteen percent, the road through the pass rises from the valley floor to cut between the mountains and then descend to Tucson. The top of the pass is a popular sunset viewing spot. This is the view from the parking area up to an old concrete hiking hut that has two visitors standing atop it.

I climbed up to the hut and then beyond it,

and enjoyed the views all around, including this view to the west.

Happy with my day, I returned to camp for dinner and then enjoyed an easy walk around the campground walk at sunset, thrilled to hear the excited yipping of coyotes in the distance.

On my last full day in the Tucson Mountains I had planned to hike the King Canyon trail up to Wasson Peak and then loop back along the Hugh Norris and Gould Mine Trails, for a total distance of 13 kilometres and an elevation gain of 2000 feet. Hmmm, what to do? I decided that I would set out on the trail and go as far as was comfortable for my ankle. The day was perfect for hiking, with a lightly overcast sky and cool breeze, and I enjoyed the steady climb up the King Canyon trail, with views of Wasson Peak in the distance.

I came to a saddle, with views of Tucson below, and where the trail veered left to climb up and onto a long ridge that led to another ridge and then up to the peak. I almost stopped at the saddle but decided to go just a little further. Midway along the first ridge I was able to zoom in to this view of the peak with hikers atop it. I wanted to be there too!

Slowly but surely, I continued the climb and it felt fantastic to reach that summit with its hazy views over Tucson and the distant Rincon Mountains.

I began to worry, though, as I started the descent because going down is definitely harder than going up for a sore and weak ankle. From here, I debated whether to return the way I had come, along the ridge to the left on a rocky and sometimes steep trail, or to continue on the loop which would be a greater distance.

I decided to continue the loop and veered right at the junction onto the Hugh Norris trail, still feeling worried about the distance and the descent.

But the trail was fabulous! It had a gentle gradient along a curving and mostly sandy trail that was easy underfoot, and there was the added pleasure of so many wildflowers along the route. I met three new wildflowers – the yellow and orange broom-like deer vetch, the bright yellow and white of desert dandelions, and the Dr. Seuss-like round purple balls of chia flowers.

As the trail meandered, I could stop to admire the ever-changing and stunning distant views,

or close-up views of garden after garden with the rocks, cacti, grasses and wildflowers perfectly placed by nature.

And, I passed my first (and ultimately only) specimen of blooming cactus on my trip to Arizona – the bright pink flowers of a pin cushion cactus.

Down, down, with views all around, walking free and easy, I was as happy as happy can be with this trail, with this day, and with my time in the beautiful Tucson Mountains and desert. Thank you Arizona.

Arizona Road Trip, 2023 – Birthday Mishap in Ajo, Adjust and Carry On!

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Ajo, San Xavier del Bac Mission, Tucson’s Museum of Arizona, Saguaro National Park East, and Catalina State Park

March 11 – 16

On my second morning in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, I took an early morning walk on the Victoria Mine Trail. It was a fun trail that rose up onto low ridges and down into thickly-vegetated washes, and it’s where I encountered a very pretty wildflower with a very pretty name: Fairy Dusters.

I felt so good striding along, fit and healthy and so happy to be there on my birthday, and I made an impulsive decision to take a trip back into Ajo because the previous day I had learned that there would be a festival in the town plaza with food, music, and arts and crafts booths. Fun! So off I went, back north on that wonderfully scenic drive,

and sure enough I arrived in town to a bustling and colourful scene of locals and visitors enjoying a festival. I watched pairs of children and then ladies dancing traditional Spanish dances, complete with colourful swirling skirts, strolled one length of the arts and crafts booths, and then ordered a Sonoran hot dog which was advertised as a “bacon-wrapped hot dog with pinto beans, salsa verde, tomato, onion, mayonnaise, avocado crema, and cotija cheese.” It was going to take a while for the order to be ready so I visited the beautiful raptors on display by an organization that rescues, rehabilitates, and then releases (whenever possible) injured raptors. Sadly, I learned that many of the birds they help have been shot at! There was a great horned owl, a Harris hawk, and a peregrine falcon – all incredibly impressive and beautiful creatures (please click on each photo for a closer look if you like).

While speaking with the rescue volunteers about the similar work done by OWL in the Lower Mainland, I heard my name called for my food order so I started to rush over. I didn’t notice a section of uneven pavement, twisted my ankle and fell down hard. My right ankle immediately began to swell. Oh no! This entire trip was about hiking and driving, and I also immediately thought about the two long distance walks that I have booked in Ireland in June! Two gentlemen rushed to help me up, a festival organizer went to fetch some ice, and a kind U.S. Parks Ranger that was manning a booth nearby delivered my hot dog to me. I found a bit of shade to sit in, iced my ankle, and tried to enjoy my meal while a few tears fell as I worried about my trip. I had 12 kilometres of hiking, on two wonderful trails, planned for that afternoon alone!

I sat for almost an hour, then limped up another avenue of arts and crafts booths, determined to “enjoy myself”. I did chat with a woman, in her late seventies, who was selling earrings that she makes and after I chose a pair she asked me to chose another pair free as a birthday present. She is a nomad, living on Social Security alone, and travelling and living full time in her RV, saving money by mostly camping for free on Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service public lands. I felt cheered up by our talk and her kindness and felt ready to attempt the drive back to Organ Pipe. Thankfully I was able to drive without too much pain and I returned to camp and spent the entire rest of the day elevating and icing my ankle, reading, and resting. That evening, I limped in the darkness (carefully, and with a headlamp) to the campground’s amphitheatre to attend an excellent ranger-led program on the flora and fauna of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Despite my mishap in Ajo, and worries about my mobility in the days ahead, I felt very grateful to be where I was, under a starry sky, learning more about the unique and beautiful landscape of the Sonoran Desert.

The next day I woke early, breakfasted, iced and elevated my ankle while I read, and then when I got bored I drove to the nearby Visitors Centre to access wifi, catch up on my email, and download photos from my camera. While there, I overhead the park rangers recommending the Ajo Mountain loop drive to visitors. This 21 mile scenic drive, with its two trails and 18 interpretive stops had been on my “to do” list for the previous day so I decided that I would go ahead and do the drive, without the hikes. I am so glad that I did! The well-maintained gravel road was not busy and I was easily able to stop again and again to walk a few steps, learn about the local flora, fauna, geology and human history from the interpretive guide, and photograph the mountains and cacti, including some wonderful specimens of organ pipe cactus.

I also met a few new wildflowers scattered in amongst the poppies and lupines including purple wild hyacinth, bright white chicory, and tiny rock daisies.

I did feel sad when I arrived at the beginning of the Arch Rock trail which is an easy three kilometre hike that leads enticingly into a canyon. I briefly considered limping my way in, but that would have been foolish so instead I dug into my cooler for some lunch and ice for my ankle and I had a little rest on my bed in the Toyota.

I continued on the loop drive and felt a little sad again as I passed the trailhead to the next hike, but mostly I felt so much joy, excitement, and gratitude as I took in the impressive and ever-changing mountain and desert views.

Back at camp, I spent most of the rest of the day reading and continuing to nurse my ankle, and I also went to the Visitors Centre again to look at their displays and browse through their books. There was still so much left to explore in this beautiful park and I made a decision to definitely return here again one day. In this last photo from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, I feel like the saguaros are waving to me cheerily and saying, “Goodbye, we hope to see you again sometime soon!”

The next morning I began the 150 mile journey east to Tucson on the wonderfully quiet and scenic Highway 86 that traverses south central Arizona, largely through the lands and several small towns of the Tohono O’odham Nation. Just south of Tucson, I stopped to visit the San Xavier del Bac Mission. A mission was first established here in 1694 by the Spanish Jesuit priest Father Kino, and the complex of buildings still standing today was completed in 1797 by Francision missionaries. Often called the “White Dove of the Desert”, the mission has continued to be an active parish as well as a place of pilgrimage.

Built of adobe bricks and stucco, the exterior is incredibly beautiful with its carved sandstone facade, balconies, and two tall Moorish-inspired towers. One of the towers was never completed which adds an usual touch of asymmetry to the church.

The inside of the church seemed very dim and surprisingly small after the bright whiteness and grandeur of its exterior. The main altar, with its gilded columns and many brightly painted statues of saints was undergoing restoration. I love the photo below, to the right, looking back over the pews towards the brightly-lit entrance door and up to the painted walls and dome of the church.

One of my favourite parts of the mission was this view of the mortuary chapel with its simple lines and sparse and elegant cactus garden.

From San Xavier del Bac, I drove north on the outskirts of Tucson to Saguaro National Park East, located in the foothills of the Rincon Mountains which rise to almost 9,000 feet. I drove the 8 mile Cactus Forest Loop Drive that winds through the park and stopped at each pullout and at the paved Desert Ecology interpretive trail. I admired a trio of fruiting barrel cacti (top right), learned about palo verde trees with their green trunks and branches (middle right), and encountered a new kind of cacti, staghorn cholla (bottom left). Near the end of the loop drive, I put on my hiking boots for the first time since my fall and carefully hiked the very short (1.1 mile) and easy Freeman Homestead Trail with its impressive saguaros, some of which reached forty feet high.

From Saguaro National Monument I drove to my airbnb in central Tucson, a small studio suite in a rather groovy Tucson home with a large walled and covered exterior patio just outside of my room. The original art in the suite was painted by my kind hostess who is a horse lover and owner.

I enjoyed some quiet time in my airbnb for the rest of the day and into the evening, and the following day I toured downtown Tucson (such a wonderful city! See the post here: https://christineswalkabout.com/2023/03/14/arizona-road-trip-2023-a-fun-day-in-tucson/). The following morning, I woke to an overcast day with rain just beginning to fall. Originally I had planned to do the Seven Falls hike in Sabino Canyon on my way to Catalina State Park but that was now impossible with my ankle so I decided to visit the Arizona State Museum at the University of Arizona. I was impressed by the campus with its broad avenues, stately buildings, and large mature trees, and it was fun to see the students heading to and from classes with their backpacks on and ear buds in – they could be on any campus in North America.

The Arizona State Museum is the oldest and largest anthropology research facility in the American southwest. Its visitor galleries exhibit a selection of baskets, pottery, jewellery and other artefacts that span thousands of years of human history throughout the southwest.

I was impressed by this fragment of finely woven cotton cloth, some of the threads dyed with indigo, that is dated from the years 1250-1500. Cotton was grown on irrigated fields, harvested, carded, spun into threads with whorls and spindles, and woven on vertical looms.

I took my time in the museum and watched several interesting and educational films on topics related to the indigenous peoples of the southwest, past and present, and to the research and conservation work done by the museum. I was very glad to have visited.

Then it was time to head about fifteen miles north, through the suburban sprawl of north Tucson and the Oro Valley to Catalina State park for two nights of camping. The rain was light, but I was cautioned by the park rangers at the entrance that I could possibly be stranded at the campground, depending upon the amount of rainfall over the next 24 hours, because access to the campground required fording a dry wash that could flood quickly. I decided to risk it, checked out my site, and then set out on a short nature trail that was up on a small rise. The rain had eased off but the poppies stayed closed, waiting for the sun, while spherical drops of water sat prettily on the lupine leaves.

I enjoyed views of the craggy Catalina Mountains, and I also found new wildflowers – the bright yellow and orange flowers of common fiddleneck and the tiny white flowers and bristles of Arizona popcorn flower.

My ankle was feeling better and was well-supported by my hiking boots so I decided to also walk the Birding Trail. First, I had to go barefoot to cross the wide but not deep Sutherland wash.

The sandy trail first led through an area of thick and verdant new grass that contrasted with the dark trunks and branches of mesquite trees not yet in leaf.

On a drier section of the trail, I spotted by first Arizona roadrunner! He is so well camouflaged. Can you find him in the very centre of this photo?

Here is another, much better view as off he goes!

Later I saw another roadrunner, and then another! Also on this walk, many small, fast, and unidentifiable (to me) birds flew between the trees and understory but I did see a brilliant flash of red, a cardinal, in a tree and then hunting for food on the ground. His bright red feathers almost glowed!

As I neared the end of my walk on the birding trail, the rain started up again in earnest so I made my way to one of several group picnic sites in the park and took refuge under its large shelter where I read for a while and then cooked up a hot dinner. This was my view of a double rainbow as the sun emerged while the rain still fell. I stayed under that shelter, tucked up in blankets on my camp chair and reading a great book, until darkness fell and then I readied my Toyota for sleep, drove to my site, and within minutes was snug in my sleeping bag, ready for the next chapter, literally and figuratively. 🙂

The next day, I decided to attempt the Romero Canyon trail to the Romero Pools, a distance of just over 8 kilometres return. I crossed the Sutherland wash and climbed a short steep hill to a wide path that crossed a small grassy plateau and lead towards the mountains.

There, the trail narrowed to a single track and began to climb past heaping mounds of brittle bush.

I loved being able to recognize all of my favourite plants so far: Ocotillo, purple phacelia, wild hyacinth, and pink fairy dusters,

And I found more new wildflowers (Clockwise from centre top: hop bush, owl clover, desert penstemon, and desert wishbone bush).

It was a fun trail to hike as it angled up and across the mountainside, with views down into a canyon. I was so happy, all alone here, climbing steadily,

and stopping every now and then to turn and appreciate the expansive views back down and across to the Oro Valley and the distant mountains.

My ankle was doing okay and my energy was good but then I came to a section that required a lot of rock scrambling. There was perhaps only about a kilometre left to go, up and over this saddle and down the other side, but caution told me that this was probably enough of a hike less than a week after my injury. Best to stop while I was ahead!

I headed back down carefully and then I alternated between resting my ankle and puttering about in camp until the late afternoon when I decided to walk part of the Sutherland Trail. There I found yet another new-to-me wildflower, the Desert Evening Primrose. So beautiful!

On the return journey to camp I walked onto the sands of Sutherland Wash. The lowering sun gilded the scene looking both upstream,

and downstream.

What a gorgeous place! Despite my recent mishap in Ajo, I was thrilled with my travels so far, and I was ready to keep on carrying on.

Arizona Road Trip, 2023 – Joshua Tree, Gila Bend, Ajo, and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

March 8-10, 2023

After my night at Black Rock Canyon campground, it was a very short drive to enter Joshua Tree National Park. This park protects a very unique and wonderfully otherworldly landscape of Mojave desert that is punctuated by giant jumbled piles of immense granite boulders and decorated with Joshua trees and other interesting and unusual plants.

I had visited Joshua Tree once before on a day trip from Palm Springs with Brent, Sophie, and Daniel, and I was excited to revisit the park and hike more of its trails. As a former teacher and a lover of natural history, I find it hard to resist nature trails and on the Hidden Valley and Barker Dam trails I read every single interpretive panel about the flora, fauna, geology, and human history of this special place. On the Hidden Valley trail, scattered pinyon pines, juniper, and scrub oaks were tucked into the shelter of giant rock piles. They are relics from a time when this part of the Mojave Desert was much wetter,

while cholla, stag horn and prickly pear cactus, as well as creosote bushes and yucca, dominate the sandy expanses that are fully exposed to the sun.

I spent the hottest part of the afternoon at my wonderful Jumbo Rocks campsite where I made lunch, read for a while, and then had fun exploring the rock piles and scampering up for a great view of the campground below.

In the late afternoon, I did the Split Rock trail which is less-frequented than many of the other trails. It was such a joy to walk alone amongst the jumbled boulders and Joshua trees, and then to end at Split Rock which is at least three or four stories high!

The next morning, I said goodbye to Joshua Tree National Park and exited to the town of Twentynine Palms where I took a short morning walk around the Oasis of Mara nature trail, and then stopped to photograph the picturesque Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church.

From there, I headed east on the very quiet and scenic Highway 62. I loved this road and kept stopping to take photo after photo as the landscape unfolded before me and to either side of the highway where the dry sandy expanse was dotted with creosote bushes, dried grasses, and the graceful and delicate flourishes, by the roadside, of dune evening primrose and purple-coloured desert sand verbena.

Empty of habitation and of almost any other vehicles, the road stretched towards distant mountains,

passed through them,

and continued on towards another line of mountains, tinged pink, in the distance.

Beyond those far hills, Highway 62 East met Highway 177, and I turned south to travel another scenic road through more wide and lonely expanses of desert edged with distant mountains. This highway was somewhat busy which helped prepare me for the next turn, east onto Interstate 10, where I had to speed up and be hyper-focused as I drove along with the huge volume of cars and large transport trucks. Barely able to glance at the countryside, I did register some excitement when I crossed over the Colorado River into Arizona and when I saw my first saguaro cacti on hillsides soon thereafter. Hooray! I made a stop in Quartzite, famous among nomads, boon-dockers and vanlifers, where I enjoyed browsing for a few gifts at the huge Gem and Mineral World warehouse. Then, it was back on the I-10 East until, thankfully, I exited that fast and busy freeway to connect with Old Highway 80 south through a now very green world of agricultural fields irrigated by the Gila River. This area has known human habitation and use for thousands of years, and from about 300 to 1200 AD the Hohokam peoples constructed sophisticated canal systems here that irrigated vast fields of cotton, corn, beans and squash.

I continued south on Old Highway 80 and made a stop at the historic Gillespie Dam Bridge that crosses the Gila River. Built in 1927 of steel trusses, it was once the longest bridge in Arizona and from the small pull out at its end there was a view of the long concrete expanse of the Gila dam which was destroyed by a huge flood in 1993.

Soon I reached the town of Gila Bend but I didn’t have time to explore it as the sun was lowering in the sky and I wanted to arrive at my chosen campground before dark so I continued on about 18 miles west, and then up through some hills, to camp at the Painted Rock Petroglyph Site and Campground, a deal at only $8 a night. The campsite was on a wide plateau and there was a wonderful timeless feel to this place. I took a walk to loosen up my limbs after my day of driving, cooked up a quick dinner, viewed the ancient petroglyphs in the dying light, and then settled in to watch a lovely sunset and, in the opposite direction, a rising and very bright full moon. It was blissfully quiet as night descended, and I ended my day with a contented sense of peace, comfort, safety and much gratitude.

The next day I awakened just before sunrise. I took a walk in the cool morning air and watched the sky lighten into blue and pink while the full moon descended towards the horizon.

Then, as the sun rose, I went to revisit the petroglyphs. There are hundreds of them here, etched into dark basalt boulders on a granite hill over a time period that spans almost 9000 years, from about 7500 BC to 1450 AD. There were excellent interpretive panels that explained the history and significance of these petroglyphs as well as information about the culture of the peoples who made them.

I walked farther afield in the now bright morning light and photographed my first saguaro cactus as well as several pretty wildflowers (purple Notch-leaved Phacelia and Desert Sunflower), unknowing that I would be blessed with oodles of wildflowers later on this day as well as in the days to come.

I tarried a bit over breakfast, reluctant to leave this beautiful and peaceful place, but I had camping reservations further south so I returned to Gila Bend where I stopped for gas, groceries and ice, and I also had a fun session of strolling the main drag to take photos of this small town that functions as a highway pit stop for travellers and an agricultural entrepôt.

I particularly enjoyed my time at this colourful store and taco shop that was full of imported Mexican handicrafts including brightly painted pottery and whimsical metal sculptures.

Happy with my morning, and ready to move on, I found my way to Highway 85 South, headed for Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument which is located just north of the Mexican border. It is a place that I have wanted to see for years and years. The drive was beautiful with so many wildflowers lining the highway and carpeting the desert. I stopped again and again to marvel at the swaths of bright yellow bladderpods, blue lupines, and Mexican gold poppies, as well as purple phacelia, heaping mounds of brittle bush with its yellow daisy-like flowers, and elegant orange globemallow. So pretty!

But the wildflowers weren’t the only attraction. The road undulated towards and between craggy hills and mountains that were covered with saguaro, organ pipe, barrel, and cholla cacti, as well as the graceful branches of Ocotillo, and the green of creosote bushes that were sporting both their yellow blooms and their tiny white seed puff balls. It was incredibly and surprisingly green!

Forty miles south of Gila Bend, the highway passed through Ajo, a very picturesque and well-kept town. I photographed the striking Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, built in 1925 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style,

as well as the very elegant Ajo Federated Church, Methodist, built in 1926 in the same style.

Across from the churches was Ajo’s lovely plaza where I visited the town library, browsed briefly through several art galleries and a thrift shop, and then treated myself to a late lunch of tacos at a great little Mexican restaurant. It was a very pleasant stop!

Afterwards, I continued on my journey and was soon driving past huge hills of multi-coloured rock tailings from a giant copper mine that sits just south of town. Beyond that, nature took back the reins and there was more gorgeous scenery to enjoy as I drew closer to and then entered the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument which protects 330,000 acres of Sonoran desert ecology. After a quick stop at the Visitors Centre, I arrived at the Twin Peaks campground, settled into my site, and then promptly took to the trails, camera in hand.

The saguaros were all unique and had so much personality, and the organ pipe cacti were beautiful, but my favourite plants had to be the lovely ocotillos with their slender branches and vase-like shapes.

I was ecstatic with so much beauty all around me, and I felt so grateful for the opportunity to be here. The air was warm, with a slight cooling breeze as evening approached, and I was so happy when I spied several cottontails and Gambel’s quail ahead of me on the paths as I walked. Then, as the day neared its end, the sky and the mountains to the east flushed with pink,

as the sun set in the west. What a place!

I had made it to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument!

Arizona Road Trip, 2023 – Sitting out the Rain in Apache Junction, and looking back to the start

March 22, 2023

Hello everyone. I can hear the rain thundering down onto the roof of the public library here in Apache Junction, 40 miles east of Phoenix. I arrived yesterday to my campsite at Lost Dutchman State Park with a fantastic view of the Superstition Mountains.

According to the forecast it was supposed to rain last night and clear up by today but nature has her own ideas and decided that the rain would arrive this morning instead. Here is my morning “non-view” of the Superstition Mountains from my campsite!

And here is the dramatic view looking towards the northeast, my direction of travel tomorrow.

So far, my travels here in Arizona have gone wonderfully (and much sunnier!), with just one mishap in Ajo which I’ll describe later. For now, I’d like to chronicle this journey from the beginning, starting with a fairly fast 3 day drive down I-5 to central California. I won’t say much about the I-5 drive except that constant vigilance was needed to drive safely at high speeds with lots of traffic, some bad weather in terms of heavy rain, some hail, and some snow through the Siskiyou pass and other passes through the Cascade Mountains in Northern California. The radio and driving music on my CDs helped keep me focussed and happy, and I enjoyed safe glimpses of the ever-changing countryside as I sped along. I spent one night in a hotel south of Eugene, and one night in a hotel in Corning California. Stops were quick and few for gas and a restroom break and the only photo stop I made was in central California after I had driven past past miles and miles and miles of almond orchards, all in pink-white bloom. Some of the trees I passed were standing in water from the high levels of rainfall California has received this Spring, and at the orchard where I stopped the bees were staying stubbornly in their boxes and were not busy in the blossoms at all despite a break in the clouds. I hope that the crop is not ruined!

When I exited to for my close-up view of the orchard, I stopped on the overpass and took this photo of I-5 looking South. I’m not really looking forward to the long drive north again in just over a week!

With a sigh of relief, I finally turned off of I-5 onto Highway 223, just south of Bakersfield, heading east through the mountains to Highway 58 and towards the town of Tehachapi. A beautiful expanse of wildflowers greeted me as I curved up into the mountains.

Highway 58 was twisty-turny and very scenic but was surprisingly busy and fast and I had no opportunity to stop for photos of the mountains as I zoomed through at speed with the other traffic. I arrived in Tehachapi in the very late afternoon, a decent town in a rather desolate-looking sandy bowl, surrounded by snow-covered mountains and pummelled with a constant strong and very cold wind. The RV site that I had planned to stay at for $20 wanted $43 US so I decided to camp stealth in a hotel parking lot. It was a cold night, with temperatures around freezing, but I was warm and snug in my Toyota and happy to wake early, grab a quick drive-through breakfast, and head east past Tehachapi’s wind turbines towards the light of the just-risen sun.

I enjoyed the quiet morning drive east on Highway 58, descending from Tehachapi, at an elevation of 3970 feet, through mountains and mostly barren yet still beautiful land, down to Barstow, at an elevation of 2175 feet, and famous as a stopping point on the old Route 66 highway. I strolled around the downtown area with its historic motels, cafes, and many car service shops, and then I visited the exterior of the railway museum. Almost all freight traffic to and from Southern California runs through this depot, and passenger rail travel is available through Amtrak. I had planned to visit the “Mother Road Museum”, with its collection of Route 66 memorabilia and bric a brac, but unfortunately it was closed. Nevertheless, the sky was blue, the sun was warm, and I greatly enjoyed my stop in historic Barstow.

After Barstow, it was just me, Hank Williams on the radio, and the open road. I headed south on Highway 247 toward the town of Lucerne Valley.

Soon, I was driving towards the snow-capped San Bernardino Mountains (its highest peak, San Gorgonzola, reaches 11, 503 feet), while the land to either side of me stretched out mostly flat, dry, sandy and scrubby, but still interesting with small hills and mountains and the occasional small habitation or man-made feature.

At Lucerne Valley, Highway 247 veered east to run parallel to the San Bernardino Mountains for a distance until it veered south again towards the Yucca Valley. The drive was stunning! From Yucca Valley, it was a short distance to my first real camping day at Black Rock Canyon Campground, adjacent to Joshua Tree National Park. I was very happy with my campsite, with one view looking south over the Yucca Valley and one view north towards the mountains, patchy with snow.

It was finally time for a hike!

I said hello to all of my favourite desert plants, “So nice to see you again!”, and I enjoyed the peace and quiet of an empty trail and a whispering wind. I felt so grateful to have arrived at this beautiful place and I felt the stresses of my I-5 drive melt away. The “start” of my journey was over, and I was here!

Thank you so much for reading!

Arizona Road Trip 2023 – A fun day in Tucson!

Hello everyone! Well, I left home ten days ago for a month-long camping and hiking trip in Arizona and yesterday afternoon I arrived in Tucson for my one planned “city day”. (I’ll be writing later of the early part of my road trip, as well as of Arizona adventures yet to come, but wifi and time are very limited so it might be a while!) Tucson is a historic city, central to the history and development of southern Arizona. Much smaller than Phoenix, it is quite easily navigated, and it has an abundance of historical sites, atmospheric neighbourhoods, and a very walkable downtown. This morning, after a quick breakfast of coffee and apple empanada at a bakery close to my Airbnb, I drove the several miles to downtown from where I am staying near Reid Park in the centre of the city. My first stop was at St. Augustine’s Cathedral which was begun in 1896 and is built in the Spanish Colonial style. The exterior was impressive, and its carved sandstone facade features carvings of yucca, saguaro, and the horned toad, symbols of the Sonoran Desert.

The inside was surprisingly simple and modestly decorated, with soft muted colours and a beautiful wooden ceiling.

I was the only one there and it was an oasis of peace and quiet.

The side aisles featured carved wooden alters with statuary of four (again, surprisingly) multicultural saints: Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Saint Katherine Drexel, Saint Juan Diego, and Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. (This is a reminder that you can click on any photo to see a larger image, if interested.)

After leaving the cathedral, I walked to the nearby Barrio Historic District which was Tucson’s business district in the late 19th century. The original adobe buildings are painted in bright or pastel colours, and many small birds were singing mightily in sunlit gardens that were adjacent to several of the homes.

I really enjoyed strolling around here and taking pictures in the quiet of the morning, just me and the cheerful birds.

Afterward, I headed to the Pima County Courthouse with its impressive tiled dome. Built in 1927, it replaced two previous courthouses, the first of which was a one-story adobe building dating from 1869. No longer a courthouse, the building now houses the University of Arizona’s Mineral and Gem Museum as well as the Southern Arizona Heritage and Visitor’s Centre with its friendly and helpful guides and a small free museum.

Nearby was the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Bloc, and the Presidio Historic District where the original Spanish presidio, San Agustin del Tucson, was built in 1775. Some of historic adobe buildings remain and now house shops, restaurants and offices. The Casa Cordova, below, is one of the oldest remaining structures in Tucson, with two west rooms believed to have been built before 1854, and the four front rooms added in 1879.

Here are several more photos from around the Presidio district. The last photo is of the “Plaza Militar” in front of the Tucson Museum of Art. Once an open space within the original Spanish presidio, it is thought to have been named in the Mexican years (1821-1854) when soldiers practised their drills here.

While I was at the Visitor’s Centre, a very helpful guide advised me to take the free streetcar which tours through downtown and out to the University Area. Clean, air conditioned, fun, and easy, I used the streetcar to visit two more neighbourhoods. The first was the Convento area where I alighted at the “Cushing Street/Convento” stop. Beside this stop was the “MSA Annex” – a very groovy complex of rusted-out box cars which have been grouped together to create a destination for shopping and dining.

From there, I explored the area for several blocks looking for the remains of an historic convent that I had been told was here. I did not find the convent, but I found a busy and popular area of restaurants and cafes, and then later a series of quiet lanes lined with homes which were either authentically old or built to look that way. In either case, they were beautiful!

I strolled back to my street car stop and then was drawn to walk towards the attractive bridge over the Santa Cruz River.

Though lined on both sides by walking and biking paths, the river was unfortunately littered with garbage. How disappointing in an otherwise clean and well-kept city! From the bridge I also had a view of the “A” on Sentinel Peak and Park. The “A” is made up of large white-washed rocks placed there in 1915 by students from the University of Arizona.

Back on the streetcar, I headed to 4th Avenue near the university district. Well known for its youthful, colourful and unique personality, this area was filled with bars, tattoo parlours, places to eat, and quirky shops. It was very fun to stroll here too!

While walking on 4th, I passed Baco Tacos which had been recommended to me by one of the guides at the Visitor Centre. The chef at Baco, Maria Mason, was a semifinalist for a James Beard “Best Chef of the Southwest” award in 2020. Luckily, the eatery was casual, affordable, and had a shaded outside courtyard dining area. My two tacos were delicious! (For the foodies out there, one taco was heaped with shredded pork ribs slow-roasted in a Chipotle BBQ sauce, and the other was heaped with chicken cooked in a traditional mole poblano sauce. The tacos were accompanied by pickled red onion, lime, and four different and interesting salsas. Yum!)

To finish up this post, here are several more photos that I can’t resist sharing with you, taken from around Tucson’s scenic, historic, and also modern downtown.

And, finally, here’s a photo of three Tucson natives who looked so cool that I just had to ask for their picture. I wish I had thought to ask their names! What a fun day in Tucson! Sunshine, friendly people, a little bit of history, and great walkable neighbourhoods. I’ve only just scratched the surface of this vibrant city and I hope to be able to visit again.

Thank you for reading! Tomorrow I head off for camping and hiking at Catalina State Park just to the northeast of the city, and after that three days of camping and hiking to the west of the city in Tucson Mountain Park and Saguaro National Park West. (Hmmm, while there, I just might be tempted to pop back down into Tucson for another visit!)

Naples and the Amalfi Coast, 2022 – Goodbye Capri, hello Amalfi Coast, and a nod to Italian bus drivers

October 6, 2022

Hello friends and family. This might be my last post for a while as I have been unable to download the photos from my camera onto my iPad these past four days. I’ve tried to find a solution, but have not succeeded yet, and my time is limited as there is so much to see and do in my last few days here in Italy. So, until we meet again, here are some photos and impressions from a most marvellous ferry ride from Capri to Positano and then on to Amalfi.

On my last morning on Capri, I left early for Marina Grande and had time to stroll around a bit before my ferry departed. I also had time to treat myself to a delicious cup of coffee in a seaside restaurant with the most fabulous view of the azure sea!

I must admit that as I looked at the tour boats that circle the island I did regret not having done that. I’ll just have to come back again!

This is my view from on the ferry. Luckily this ferry (PositanoJet) had a sizeable outdoor top deck and I had joined the line up early in order to have my pick of seats.

Off we go! Goodbye Marina Grande, goodbye Capri.

Zoomed in, Villa Jovis is at the top of that hill!

As we drew further and further away, the ever-dramatic Faraglioni Rocks came into view.

And then it was time to look forward as we began to pass the tip of the Sorrentine Peninsula. The watchtower on the point was constructed in 1334 by Robert of Anjou and was one of a number of defensive watchtowers built and maintained along this coast during the Middle Ages. Bells were rung to warn inhabitants of the seaward approach of any invaders, Saracen pirates, or enemies.

With this last look back at Capri, it is easy to see how it was once connected to the Sorrentine Peninsula millions of years ago.

Soon we began to see the famous town of Positano, but my eyes were on those mountains! The steep and rugged Latteri Mountains form the backbone of the Sorrentine peninsula, and I believe that their highest peak, Monte Molare (1444 metres, 4737 feet), is in the far background to the right in this photo.

Positano is tucked into and climbs up a narrow river valley, like most of the communities along this coast, and many of its steep and narrow lanes are pedestrian-only.

Two medieval watchtowers guarded the approach to town. Both are now private (and expensive) guesthouses.

Our ferry docked at Positano’s marina which was busy with incoming and outgoing passengers from other ferries and from the many private boats that operate here. There were also quite a few people enjoying Positano’s beach on this warm and beautiful day.

Here is a zoomed in photo of some of the villas, hotels, and other buildings that rise up on the west side of the valley.

And here is a view, zoomed in, towards the east side of the valley, with Positano’s large cathedral dominating the centre of town.

Then were we away, heading east to my stop in Amalfi, but I was already looking forward to returning the following day when I would walk the Path of the Gods which ends here in Positano.

As the ferry passed the coastline, I wondered how high up my Path of the Gods trail would be, and the next day I had my answer. The collection of buildings high up on the right side of the photo is Nocelle, and the path passes through that town and carries on to the highest-most buildings to the left of the photo which is Montepertuso. From there, one thousand steps descend to the centre of Positano!

The next communities are Vettica Maggiore and Praiano which are unlike most of the other local communities in that they straddle a headland rather than climb inland up a narrow valley.

Soon we reached Amalfi which was once a mighty independent maritime republic with a trading fleet that rivalled those of Pisa, Genoa, and Venice. But, in 1343, a tsunami that was caused by an undersea earthquake destroyed much of the town. The ensuing centuries brought disastrous plagues and pirate raids, and Amalfi was never able to regain its former position of power and influence in the area.

We docked at the busy pier (like Capri and Positano, Amalfi receives huge amounts of tourists each day) and I made my way directly to the bus station, knowing that I would have time to explore Amalfi on another day.

And here’s where my nod to Italian bus drivers comes in, or at least the ones I’ve encountered on this trip. I know that I have complained about line ups, waits, and crowds on the Capri buses, and unfortunately line ups, waits, and crowds would continue to be a source of frustration over the following days as I travelled here and there on the Amalfi coast. But the drivers? Wow, so skilled! And the roads? Just wow! They are so windy, so narrow, so much right-on-the-edge of high sheer cliffs, especially the road from Amalfi to Bomerano that I would travel multiple times. It was scary going both up and down and it was amazing to me how much trust all of us passengers put in those drivers. The drivers blared their horns at the hairpin turns to warn onward-coming traffic that the bus needed the entire turning radius of the curve, and if two buses encountered each other, one would often have to back up to a marginally wider section of road so they could pass each other, and even then they passed with only inches between them and also within inches of the cliffside rails. Yikes, gulp, holy expletive. So, thank you very much to the very skilled and quite fearless bus drivers of Capri and the Amalfi Coast!

Naples and the Amalfi Coast, Fall 2022 – Takin’ it easy on Capri (except for some moments of heart-pounding fear!)

October 6, 2022

My intention on my last day on Capri had been to take one of the tour boats around the island and visit the Blue Grotto, but I just did not feel like being in the midst of lots of people and lineups etc., so I decided to make an early visit to the Villa Jovis, a ruined Roman Villa at the top of a hill above Capri town, one of twelve imperial villas that were built on the island. The main square in Capri town was not yet crowded as the first ferries bringing day trippers to the island had not yet arrived. (Capri has a population of around 12,000 people, and up to 20,000 people per day might visit in the high season, the majority of them coming just for the day.) I took a quick photo of the clock tower and top of the cathedral, backlit and with the sky so blue behind. It was going to be another beautiful day on Capri!

My route to Villa Jovis led me first through narrow pedestrian lanes lined with small shops just opening up (and locals hurrying to get to work), and then as I climbed the paved path of Via Tiberio, I passed many large villas set in lush gardens. In the quiet of the morning, and with few people around, I began to see the charms of Capri town.

As I rose higher and turned a corner, Villa Jovis came into view high up on Monte Tiberio.

In the final ascent to the villa,

there were excellent views back over Capri town (half hidden by the middle hill), Marina Grande down at the sea, and Mount Solaro, the highest point in the distance (Anacapri is tucked in on the other side and below Mount Solaro).

I was surprised when I reached Villa Jovis as it is not very professionally managed for such a magnificent historical site. The facilities were minimal, the advertised audio guides were unavailable, and there was almost nothing in the way of descriptive information beyond a few signs leading you in a circuit around the site (though there were plenty of safety signs, including “careful, rocks might fall on your head” (my translation!)). But, once I got over my surprise and slight disappointment, I really enjoyed my walk around Villa Jovis. There were only a few other people there and I began to appreciate the atmospheric setting and ambiance of this 2000 year old ruin surrounded by wild vegetation and amazing views.

The villa was built by Augustus before he became Emperor and was later restructured by Emperor Tiberius who lived here for ten years, from AD 26-37, and he ruled the Roman Empire from here rather than from Rome. The walk circled through the servants quarters and then up to the Imperial quarters where a terrace provided this fantastic view of the end of the Sorrentine Peninsula and of Mount Vesuvius off in the distance to the left. (A nearby terrace, with another sheer drop at its edge, is reputedly where the cruel Tiberius had people he was displeased with pushed to their deaths.)

The terrace is now dominated by the 17th century Church of Santa Maria del Soccorso which seemed to proclaim and assert the triumph of the Church over the lost might of the Romans.

I continued my walk and marvelled at all of the work that went into creating this villa so long ago – even just the quarrying and transporting of the stone and the creation of the bricks would have been a massive enterprise.

Next, I visited the Park Astarita which is next to Villa Jovis. There was a gate and a very old man on a camp chair asking one Euro for admission – I’m not sure whether or not he was an authorized gate keeper, and that was okay, but later I wondered about the upkeep and safety of some of the constructions in this cliffside park. My first view was of this cliff where you can see three belvederes (viewing platforms) constructed at various levels on its edge. Wow!

I came to this stairway and proceeded down but felt quite nervous doing so!

These were the spectacular views to my left and to my right at the first landing.

The stairs continued downwards along a narrow and precipitous ledge. I was either foolish or brave, or perhaps both, but despite my pounding heart I keep going, slowly and carefully.

The staircase went all the way down this spine of rock and kept descending,

and despite some crumbling steps I kept going, hoping that it would end soon. I thought of the old man at the gate, and wondered how often properly-trained personnel assessed the safety of this stairway and its foundation! I’m not sure if my little stops for quick pictures of the sheer cliffs helped to calm me or make me more nervous.

Finally I reached the very end of the path. Thank goodness! This sign showed me what I had walked out onto (at T2!), and I did not want to sit for even one second on the bench!

Going back was just as frightening as coming down had been, and I started muttering “Please no earthquake, please no earthquake, please no earthquake,” aloud as I climbed.

Needless to say, I did make it back safe and sound, but it took a long while for my heart to settle down and it re-started its pounding when I could see from one of the belvederes the path that I had taken.

And later, when I looked over my photos, there was this view that I had taken from Villa Jovis of the long and jagged spine of limestone that the path is built upon. I likely would not have started down that staircase if I had noticed it from this vantage point!

I visited each belvedere and continued to take photos of the thrilling views, my heart still pounding. On the left, looking straight down, tour boats are offering their passengers a peek into the White Grotto below.

After the excitement of the belvederes, I sat for a while in the nice, level, safe-feeling portion of the park and enjoyed the greenery of the native plants all around me, and then I began my walk to my next destination, the Arco Naturale which was a good thirty minutes away along scenic lanes that passed homes, a few shops, villas and gardens. The tall mature pines and cacti were stunning!

A descent through a shady forested area, and past a dramatically-placed restaurant, led to the viewing platform for the Arco Naturale which was a definite, “Wow!” Unfortunately, none of my photos can even come close to capturing its size and visual impact.

This little fellow though was surprisingly easy to photograph. Perhaps he’s used to the number of people who come here to see the arch, or maybe he was just too happy and sleepy on his warm rock in the sun to bother moving as I inched closer and closer.

By now it was well past noon and, very happy with my morning adventures, I walked back into the centre of Capri town which was, of course, now incredibly busy again with tourists. And, grrr, there was only one window open for bus tickets (!), with a long line, and then an even longer line of people already waiting for the small buses to Anacapri! I asked someone to hold my place in the ticket line and walked over to one of the taxis to ask the rate which was twenty euros, not as high as I had expected. Back at the lineup I asked if anyone wanted to share a taxi ride and three lively Irish women of about my age agreed immediately. They were so fun, and we chatted a mile a minute in the jazzy convertible taxi up to Anacapri along the crazy, windy, death-defying cliffside road. (The following photo is one I took in the morning from Capri town. The white line on the rock bluff to the right is part of the road to Anacapri!)

Back in Anacapri I had an inexpensive picnic lunch on a shaded bench in the town square, and then a rest out of the sun at my BnB until the late afternoon when I took the bus to Faro for a swim. I did not bring my camera or cell phone as I wanted to relax completely and not have to worry about leaving my valuables on the shore, but later I regretted not taking a photo of this wonderful place to swim (though I think that it will probably stay in my memory forever). Facing west, the small swimming bay at Faro has no beach and one enters the water from the rocks either by diving in or, for those like me who need to get in gradually, by way of a metal ladder attached to the rock. Locals and tourists alike sunned themselves on the rocks or swam in the sea – it was a relaxed and happy place and not overly busy. The water was perfect! And the views of the sunlit rocky bay, the lighthouse, the open sea, and the lovely clear blue water were just simply marvellous. It was the perfect way to end my last day on the beautiful island of Capri.

Naples and the Amalfi Coast, Fall 2022 – A trail of forts, a crush in Capri town, and a swim in the sea

October 5, 2022

“Peaceful and solitary, this walk traverses a veritable garden of herbs and unusual Mediterranean plants…”.

The line above, from the guide book, “Walking on the Amalfi Coast” by Gillian Price, basically “had me at hello”. So, on my second day in Capri, I set off early to walk the Sentiero dei Fortini, a 5 km trail along the west side of the island that travels past a series of forts that date to the early 1800s when, during the Napoleonic Wars, the French and the English fought each other and took turns seizing control of the strategically-placed isle of Capri.

From Anacapri, I took a local bus to Faro where the trail begins. Faro means “lighthouse” in Italian, and the trail started at this beautiful lighthouse at Punta Carena, with a view northwards from there in my direction of travel.

The path rose steeply at first in order to rise above and traverse the deeply indented coastline, and then it reached the first fort, the Fortino dei Tombosiello, with great views back to the lighthouse. I had not met or seen anyone else on the trail, so this walk was definitely “peaceful and solitary.”

It was a fresh cool morning, and the trail alternated between travelling in the shade of trees and shrubs and out in the open, often with somewhat alarming views down.

The next fort, Fortino del Pino, was very near by,

and then the trail became really fun! Narrow, rocky, twisty, precarious – it required my full attention, but then so did the views so I had to stop time and time again, quite happily.

Also fun was the series of ceramic plaques attached to the rocks all along the route that provided illustrations and information about the local flora and fauna. The botanist who provided the text for the flora seems to be a very passionate person who describes plants in the most flowery (excuse the pun) and poetic language. Here are just two examples, please read!

The zoologist, on the other hand, seem to be a much more straightforward person that sticks to simple matters of fact rather than romantic and whimsical notions. The fauna plaques described birds, land animals and insects as well as creatures to be found in the sea to my left like various fishes, crustaceans, octopi, and marine mammals (dolphins, fin whales, sperm whales). I will share two plaques – the lizard, because I have seen so many lizards (first in Naples, but especially at Pompei and at the Roman ruins at the Bagni di Regina Giovanni) but I keep forgetting to mention them (they are shy and fast and hard to photograph), and the Kestrel because I saw one on this hike, shortly before reaching this plaque, soaring high above the cliffs.

I did not photograph one of the first plaques that I passed on the trail which named the one species of snake that lives on Capri, but I do remember that, “it can grow up to 2 metres”, and “it is not venomous but is prone to biting”! In the next photo, you can see several of the plaques alongside a series of stone steps that lead up through the rough terrain. A few plaques also described some of the geology of the area and the kinds of fossils that can be found in these limestone rocks. What an educational trail!

The trail continued to be tricky but fun and included some sections where extra care with my footing was needed. At one point, I looked back and saw a couple coming along behind me. At first I felt disappointed to no longer be completely alone on the trail, but then I reasoned that if I were to stumble and fall down the cliff there would be someone to call out to!

This next section consisted of a zigzagging set of stairs on a near-vertical wall, followed by a wooden bridge that traversed a gorge.

Looking back, it didn’t look too scary,

until I had travelled a tiny bit further and had this view back!

As well as the couple behind me, I began to pass several couples that were walking the trail from the opposite direction, and the sea began to be busy with the tour boats that circle the island, but mostly, peace and solitude still reigned.

And, stopping to photograph the flowers and shrubs continued to provide an opportunity to be still for a moment and to appreciate the plants that are adapted to live in this harsh environment of rocky soil, baking sun, wind, salt spray, and little rain.

The next fort, Fortino di Mesola, blended well into the rocks of the cliff,

and later, a detour around another small inlet provided this more verdant view looking inland towards Mount Solaro.

The trail passed these impressive plants that were taller than me,

and then passed alongside a stone fence, past an olive orchard, and then into a small forest of oaks and pines, with lovely cyclamens dotting the forest floor and their poetic descriptive plaque located nearby.

The trail returned to the rocky coast and I soon reached the last fort on this hike, the Fortino di Orrico which was retaken from the British by the French in a battle here in 1808.

Then, all too soon, the trail rose up to this road,

and it was only a few hundred metres more to reach the trail’s end and the bus stop above the Grotta Azurra (The Blue Grotto). There, while I waited for the bus, I was able to watch passengers from the tour boats being loaded into small row boats in order to enter the famous Blue Grotto.

What a wonderful morning and a wonderful walk! I am so glad that I hiked Capri’s Sentiero dei Fortino.

I returned to Anacapri for lunch and a rest out of the sun until the late afternoon when I caught a very crowded bus to Capri town, my first visit there. What a crush! I couldn’t believe how many people were crowded into the town’s main square and on all of the nearby streets which are lined with exclusive shops and expensive restaurants and cafes. Not my scene at all. Yikes! I wove my way through the mass of people as quickly as I could towards my first sightseeing goal, the Giardini di Augusta, a public garden with amazing views. But of course it was very crowded there as well. I waited patiently for my turn to take a few quick snaps, first of the Faraglioni Rocks,

and then straight down to the beautiful blue sea,

and then of this amazing view of the Via Krupp, an impossibly steep, switchbacking path that was built onto the cliffside in the early 1900s by the German industrialist Friedrich Alfred Krupp.

I had intended to explore Capri town a little more but the crush of people was just too much for me so I returned to the bus stop in order to get to my next destination, Marina Piccola where I had planned to take a swim. The ticket line up was long (only one window was open – grrr), and the bus line up was longer (grrr again), but I ended up chatting with a young couple from Chile which helped to pass the time. Finally, it was our turn to cram ourselves onto the small bus, but at least we were on our way, whisked by the fearless driver down the switchbacking road that led to Marina Piccola where there is a small public beach.

Marina Piccola is in shade in the afternoon so the beach was relatively empty and my swim out to and around those rocks, again and again, was divine.

My good humour restored, I walked out onto the small Marina Piccola dock to take this last photo of the day. Yes, it’s the Faraglioni Rocks again, but this time from sea level and lit by the lowering sun. A fine way to end my second day on Capri.

Naples and the Amalfi Coast, Fall 2022 – Finding moments of quiet on busy, beautiful Capri

October 4, 2022

The ferry ride over to Capri was a crowded and confusing affair, as was accessing and riding the public buses once I arrived on the island, with ridiculously long lines for buying the tickets and getting on. I could complain more about the crowding and inefficient systems in place to move people around, but that is not very fun to read about! If any of my readers decide to visit Capri, feel free to get in touch with me first as I will have lots of good advice for you to make the experience less frustrating and more rewarding because this incredibly beautiful island has many wonderful rewards to offer visitors away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds.

My first piece of advice would be to stay over for at least a night or more rather than just coming over for a rushed day trip. There are some budget-friendly options available including my bed and breakfast accommodation at Casa Adriana, a lovely villa that is located in the centre of Anacapri just a few minutes’ walk from the principal pedestrian street. It features a large peaceful garden, and a view of Monte Solaro, Capri’s highest point.

The island of Capri has two main towns. Anacapri is located higher up on the island and is quieter, less crowded, and less ritzy than the town of Capri. Here are just a few photos from my first stroll through the quiet lanes of Anacapri.

After settling in to my accommodation, it was time to ride up to the top of Monte Solaro on the chairlift! The ride takes thirteen minutes, and rises 288 metres along an inclined length of more than a kilometre to the top of Monte Solaro (elevation 589 m). It was a very fun ride with wonderful views down to Anacapri and across the sea to the island of Ischia.

From the top, I got my first views of the famous Faraglioni Rocks, and also a dizzying view straight down a sheer cliff to the brilliant sea below.

I only stayed at the top for a few minutes as it was busy with people and I was greatly looking forward to my the hike down the mountain. Only a few people were ahead of me as I started the descent which began with a series of stone steps amongst a scattering of pines. A little lower, the trail entered a small forest and I noticed pink cyclamens growing wild in the patches of shade. I stopped to photograph them and noticed a narrow trail heading off to the right and so I decided to follow it. The trail led out of the trees and cut directly across the mountainside, and I had fun finding a few wildflowers growing amongst the rocks and low shrubby vegetation as I walked along.

There was absolutely no one around and it was blessedly quiet except for the pleasing sound of cicadas. I walked as far as I could until the trail ended at a sheer cliff with this magnificent pine tree perched precariously on its edge.

The pine graciously offered me a patch of shade and I sat for a good long while with this view before me, crunching on an apple and marvelling that I had this place all to myself.

Here is a zoomed in view of the Faraglioni Rocks below.

And to their left, also zoomed in, is the town of Capri. The cluster of buildings higher up and to the left of centre in the photo is Cetrella which sits halfway up Monte Solaro. Among the handful of buildings is the hermitage of Santa Maria a Cetrella which dates back to the 15th century. Sailors used to climb up to this church to ask for the Madonna’s protection for their voyages at sea. In the background, across the sea, is the Sorrentine peninsula.

Eventually, it was time to walk back along my trail to rejoin the main trail down, and on the way I enjoyed the views of Vesuvius in the distance.

After a short descent on the main trail, I reached the junction to Cetrella which was a mere half kilometre away. The pleasant path there travelled beside a stone wall that was inset with stations of the cross. When I reached Cetrella, there was no one about, but apparently sometimes the church is open.

From Cetrella, there were even closer views of the Faraglioni Rocks. The center Faraglioni has a large arch through its centre and tour boats take visitors through that arch. In the photo below, you can just see the wake of a boat that is about to travel through the arch.

I returned to the main trail and continued on down the mountain, with endless breathtaking views as I went. Along the way, I encountered a small herd of wild goats, and later I met a couple who were climbing up the mountain and they kindly agreed to take my picture.

It was a fabulous walk with stunning views, and a wonderful way to experience the first of several quiet and peaceful places on the beautiful isle of Capri.