Hiking Phoeneix / Scottsdale AZ

Camelback Mountain (trail descriptions)
The sheer red sandstone cliffs and its recognizable hump draw thousands of hikers to Camelback Mountain each year. Hiking to the top is not for beginning hikers -- the two summit trails are strenuous climbs over sometimes-tricky trails. Some easier trails allow close-up exploration around Camelback's base. Trailheads are open from sunrise to sunset.

Piestewa Peak (trail maps & guide)
Surrounding the base of 2,608-foot Piestewa Peak, the Phoenix Mountains Park and Recreation Area and Dreamy Draw Recreation Area are gateways into diverse desert that offers fantastic views of the valley. You don't have to fight crowds on the Piestewa Peak Summit Trail to enjoy the area -- the area boasts dozens of miles of trails to enjoy the glory of the Sonoran Desert in relative solitude. An assortment of picnic area nestled in the hills offer a picturesque spot for gathering.

Phoenix AZ, Feb 2011

Hotel Indigo
SCOTTSDALE

4415 NORTH CIVIC CENTER PLAZA
SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85251 UNITED STATES

Hotel Front Desk: 480-941-9400 | Hotel Fax: 480-675-5240

Hotel has outdoor pool -- take swimsuit

Nearby:

• Fashion Square Mall (0.3 MI / 0.48 KM )
• 5th Ave Area (0.2 MI / 0.32 KM )
• Phoenix Convention Center (12 MI / 19.31 KM )
• Casino Arizona (4 MI / 6.44 KM )
• WestWorld of Scottsdale (11.5 MI / 18.51 KM )
• Tailesin West (Frank Lloyd Wright House) (13 MI / 20.92 KM )
• Heard Museum (15 MI / 24.14 KM )

Must See:
The Desert Botanical Gardens, Camelback Mountain, Desert Tours of the area. Grand Canyon, Sedona, Tuscon

Must Do:

Shopping at Fashion Square Mall, Old Town Scottsdale is a great tourist site, Big Surf Waterpark, Desert Botanical Gardens, SMoCA-Museum, Scottssdale Center for Performing Arts. Hiking Trails on Camelback Mountain!

What's New:

Our Scottsdale, AZ hotel is less than a mile from the newly developed Waterfront shopping area. Featuring upscale shopping, fine dining and entertainment in a beautiful area, this shopping destination is sure to have something for everyone.

Don't Go Home Without:

Be sure to visit the Heard Museum, located less than 15 minutes from this Phoenix area hotel. One of the finest museums in the US, the Heard focuses on Native American art and culture, featuring exhibits of artifacts from pre-Columbian times to today.

Tips:

While lodging in the Phoenix area, prepare for dry, hot weather and plenty of sunshine. Summer highs average over 100 degrees, while winter lows average around 40 degrees. Spring and fall are mild with infrequent precipitation.

non-sequential Sweden foray

this is E's update to family on the side-trip to Sweden...

We drove from Copenhagen to the Boxholm area on May 28 and spent the late afternoon looking for Engdahl sites. The lasting impression was of beautiful wooded countryside but a hard life. In a flash I could understand the appeal of immigration, even to the primitive United States. The terrain, trees and single-track gravel roads reminded me of Oregon logging roads. The soil was incredibly rocky; even the best land in the region shows the struggle to move the boulders aside to make room for grazing land. My sense was that C.O.’s people did not have the best land, though perhaps I’m still reeling from the recognition that my ancestors did not spring from cozy condominiums in central Stockholm.

four day stay in Brussels

Twitter posts from this time period:

Kay Burnett arrived Bruxelles SAT PM; attended Son Del Sur Flamenco Festival: fabulous: Maria Pagés; travel disturbance upside: low jet lag -- May 17 at 7:46am ·

Kay Burnett Day 2 Bruxelles: Horta Museum and neighborhood tour of Art Nouveau architecture; trappist beer from Maredsous -- May 17 at 2:03pm ·

Kay Burnett bright, sunny, windy morning in BRU: fortified castle is out of public transit range, central city and EU commission on tap -- May 18 at 3:15am ·

Kay Burnett Bruges: medieval city -- May 19 at 7:43am ·

Kay Burnett Bruges: horses pulling carriages, bicycles, boats, and pedestrians all touring the well-preserved & maintained 17th century city. See "I ... -- May 19 at 9:53am ·

Kay Burnett Security at Brussels airport: 40 minute wait! -- May 20 at 6:20am ·

Eric and I arrived in Brussels on Saturday, 5/16/2009 after traveling from Chicago on the evening of 5/14/2009. We used twitter and its connection to facebook to alert our friend, Charlie, awaiting our arrival, to our delay. They had made plans for us all to attend the Maria Pagés flamenco performance on Saturday night. After a shower and a lie down, I was able to go out. The original plan was for us to have had a day to relax into the performance but our delay put us there with a few hours to transition.

The flamenco was amazing. Maria and her ensemble of dancers worked together to tell the story of lives of people in a village; the love stories, the relationship stories, the community stories, the rivalry stories. It was all communicated with stomping feet, guitar string tunes, a small bit of drums and accapela voices. Very moving, very entertaining.

We went often to drink beer in the cafes and taverns. Beer is plentiful and diverse. It can be dark, sweet, foamy, still, tart, biting and tasty. I love the dark, but not too dark, hoppy and not sweet, rich and not heavy beer. The beers in Belgium all have their own glass with a shape, size and iconic label that distinguish it and make it unique to the beer it holds and represents.

Our friend, Anna interprets for the European Union. She interprets from Polish to English, Polish to French, French to Polish. She took us to visit her workplace on a day she was not working. We did see a press conference and related debate about a video representing the 20 years of liberty accomplished under the EU. She spends her days in these halls deeply involved in the affairs of state and country. I expect she knows more about the operations of the Union than most people. We are proud of her service and to know someone who is so driven to accomplish the mission her skills afford.

In Brussels, we visited the Horta Museum and then walked around the area where there are great examples of Horta's work and the work of other Art Nouveau architecture.

Bruges to follow...