Arizona

Sabino Canyon, known for its magnificent canyons and running water creeks, is a natural desert oasis located in Tucson’s Coronado National Forest. No cars are allowed in Sabino Canyon. There is a system of hiking trails that lead into the high country and also lead deeper into the canyon. There is also a paved roadway for the tram and those people who don’t want to walk down the trails. There are lots of picnic tables along the way, so it might be fun to bring along a lunch.

Sabino Canyon is rugged and beautiful area. The canyon is rich in plant and wildlife. Sabino Canyon has over a million visitors a year. Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is open to visitors 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. The visitor’s center has restrooms, beverage machines, and information about trails in the canyon. A shuttle tram operates in the canyon. It is a narrated tram ride that takes visitors up and down the canyon throughout the day. There is a fee for entering the canyon as well as a fee for riding the tram. The tour last about 45 minute and you can exit the tram at different locations to explore the area and catch the next shuttle back. The tram crosses the creek on nine stone bridges as it winds its way up the canyon. Lower Sabino Canyon is a popular area for picnicing and wading. Mountain lions have been spotted in the canyon as well as deer and other wildlife. The canyon is a great place for spotting birds. Moonlight tram rides on nights when there is a full moon is another great way to experience the canyon.

Set in an incrediblly lush Sonoran Desert landscape, with views of nearby mountains, spectacular sunsets, and views of the Phoenix North Valley, Anthem, Arizona, a master planned community is located just north of Phoenix, Arizona. Take Interstate 17 north about 34 miles. I-17 is a congested road and traffic slows down as you leave Phoenix heading north. Located in Maricopa County Arizona, Anthem is built on the foothills of Daisy Mountain. The town’s elevation ranges from 1,760 to 2,428 feet. Anthem is currently an unincorporated community that opened in 1998. The quiet residential community has two championship golf courses winding thru the desert and the Anthem community. It is a community of about 35,000 people.

Anthem is being built on 5,856 acres, or nearly 10 square miles. Anthem award winning master planned community, is located in a desert setting that has diverse desert vegetation and animals. Anthem is planned for approximately 10,000 homes. Anthem offers a wide variety of housing, medical, commercial, recreational and educational facilities. It one of the best places to live in Arizona. You can participate in golf, tennis, swimming, baseball, basketball, rock climbing, hiking, walking trails, fishing, skating, fitness gym, the waterpark, train rides. They even have community park with stocked lakes for catch & release fishing, The area is close to other desirable areas, such as Cave Creek and Sun City and Anthem is a great place to appreciate the mountains, deserts and lakes in the region. For shopping there is the Anthem Outlet Mall.

Today I looked out my patio window and saw a massive swarm of angry bees buzzing around the patio. The buzzing sound was loud enough that I could hear it from inside my home. I quickly made sure that my dogs were all inside and closed the doggie door so none of them would venture outside. I was very relieved to see that my pets were all still inside. Early this morning one of my dogs was snooping around the area where I had spotted a few bees. I knew these bees were most definitely Africanized bees by their attack. They are fiercely defensive and will leave a hive in swarms to attack a person or animal that disturbs them. Africanized Bees are also known as ‘Killer Bees’ due to their aggressive territorial gang up defensive behavior. Africanized bees are an extremely vicious type of honeybee when it comes to protecting their hive. I was extremely upset to see the bees attacking some baby doves that appeared to have just fallen from a nest. In a matter of minutes the poor little birds were stung to death. I felt so helpless that I couldn’t rescue them.

I do know that disturbed colonies may remain agitated for as long as 24 hours, attacking perceived threats up to a quarter mile from the hive. Once disturbed, colonies may remain agitated for 24 hours, attacking people and animals within a range of a quarter mile from the hive. As the number of Africanized bee colonies increases in an area, so, too, does the likelihood of human and animal encounters with them. I will stay inside today, a prisoner in my own home until the bee service arrives to fumigate them.

Every year I have to deal with this problem. I try to be very vigilant in sealing outside openings in my home and walls. Last year they came and nested in my meter box. The year before, they entered a tiny crack in a block wall. A lot of my neighbors have had problems with the bees as well. One of my neighbors even purchased a beekeepers suit to try and take care of the problem. This is certainly a bad idea if you are not experienced. People in Arizona have died as a result of an attack. It is not necessary to disturb the hive itself to initiate an African bee attack. The bees do not like loud sounds such as lawn mower. They do not like perfumed smells or dark colors either. The best method of escaping a bee attack is to cover your head and run for shelter.

In the middle of the Tonto National Forest, situated in Arizona’s eastern mountains, just below the Mogollon Rim at an elevation of 5,200 feet is the town called Young, Arizona. This town was formerly known as Pleasant Valley. It is a very small, remote desert town and home to a variety of interesting people and old western history. It is about a 3 ½ hr drive from Phoenix, Arizona. You can also experience Arizona wilderness at it’s finest with hiking, horseback riding, camping and fishing in the Tonto Forest.

The town is known as the site of the Pleasant Valley War aka the Graham-Tewksbury Feud. This Old Western feud was between cattlemen and sheepmen and their struggle to control access to the valley grasslands. It is one of the most famous and violent feuds in the history of the Old West.

I first came to know of Young, Arizona by accident. I had purchased a picture of an old Union 76 service station/museum at the Flagstaff County Fair back in the 90s. On the back of the picture were the words “Young, Arizona”. Being a prior Union 76 owner and wanting to see this place, curiosity got the best of me so I decided to take a road trip to that area which is in the White Mountains. After driving about 24 miles down a winding dirt road, my adventure soon ended and to my disappointment it was now a “ghost” station and no longer operating. The scenery was well worth the drive and I still have the photograph of a little bit of history.

Sonoran Desert wildlife can be viewed at the world famous Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Founded in 1952, the museum is
dedicated to the conservation of the Sonoran Desert. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is located at 2021 North Kinney Road
which is about 15 miles from downtown Tucson, Arizona. The museum is much like a zoo, except that the animals are all native to the Sonoran desert. The museum is a nonprofit research and education institution. It is a world-renowned zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden. Much of the museum is outdoors. Exhibits at the museum include mountain lions, javelina, black bear, white-tailed deer, Mexican Wolf.

First-time visitors need to know to wear walking shoes, a hat and use sunscreen. Picnicking is not allowed at the museum but there are places to eat available in the museum. Tucson Mountain Park has picnic grounds within a mile of the Museum entrance.

You can sign up to “Walk with an Animal Keeper” which is an hour and a half walking tour behind the scenes to see the animals up
close. You will walk about half a mile with an animal keeper at the museum. There is a fee for this tour.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has a great gift shops with regional and international gift items. Try The Mountain House Gift Shop and The Ironwood Gift Shop. The museum is open every day of the year! Enjoy!