Arizona 4/20/08

We left Sedona on Sunday morning and headed towards Phoenix. First we stopped at Montezuma’s Castle National Monument. It was a huge cliff dwelling in the side of the mountain and was rather intact compared to others that we had seen. Not being used to lizards who are not intimidated by people, I had to take photos of the lizards. I also saw a hedgehog cactus that was blooming and the red blooms really stand out.

After we left there we headed to Arcosanti designed by Soleri which someone suggested to me on Twitter. It was really interesting because the project had hoped to have 5000 people living on 25 acres demonstrating ways to improve urban conditions and lessen our destructive impact on the earth. Unfortunately they never got enough funding to finance the project but it is still an urban laboratory.

We arrived in Mesa about 3pm and are staying with our friends Kathy and Tom, who have graciously opened their home to us. They also invited 2 other people (Carol and Charles) over for a grill out and we had a great time together. Kathy, Carol and I serve on the Board of Directors of Council for Exceptional Children. We all had a great visit together! I’m surprised at how different the climate is here compared to the Grand Canyon and lots of Saguaro cactus we see all around us. I’m really looking forward to our stay here.