This was a superbloom year in SoCal, and we definitely saw some spectacular superblooms. Go here if you want to see.
I thought I'd catch the end of the superbloom at Joshua Tree.
But also punctuated with splashes of bright color.
And a movie here.
Three days of meetings in Phoenix with the research and evaluation group for First Things First, AZ's state agency that supports programs for young children and their families. Wonderful, great group of people. I love working with them. Last year in Phoenix I found out about the Phoenix Indian School and Park. This year I stumbled onto George & Dragon, and English-ish pub/bar. Excellent shepherd's pie.
Then headed north, hoping to see Arconsanti, a projected experimental town designed by visionary architect Paolo Soleri.
Unfortunately the town was closed (yes, closed! how visionary) for a special event. This was the closest I could get to it:
So we kept riding north to Camp Verde where I spent the night. Kind of a cool place, bills itself as "Home of the Yavapai-Apache Nation." There's a cultural center (closed), a place to buy cigarettes (open), and a place to buy "native arts and crafts" (closed). Also a casino (never closed), which might be the town's main industry along with some outdoor touristy things. See more Camp Verde pix and a vid here.
No idea this existed until I got to Camp Verde. One of those great finds. Two, actually since they're 10 miles apart. The castle is the remains of a cliff dwelling; and the well is actually a sink-hole. And Montezuma was never anywhere close to either.
Fog on the day I drove through made it even more eery.
A long row of radio telescopes made it seem downright otherworldly.
Cool small towns, some ghostly, and colorful western history (Billy the Kid) make NM fun to drive through and look at.
Next stops: Home of Smokey Bear and Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
Turns out is no legend but based on an actual bear cub that survived a forest fire in New Mexico's Capitan Mountains. Capitan, NM is now ground zero for all things Smokey.
