Location: Canyon Lake Marina Campground, Apache Junction, AZ
Last night was pretty magical. We decided to sleep on the top bunk of Winnie, partly for the cool breeze and partly to see the incredible night sky. Light from the campers' fires danced on the canyon walls, the stars were brilliant in the sky and the moon shone brightly down on everything. The sun woke us up this morning and the desert continued to amaze us. Bunnies were hopping around, the birds were serenading us and the moon still shone brightly in the sky. Who knew the desert could be such a vibrant place! Reluctantly we left Joshua Tree National Park and headed towards Phoenix. Our original plan was to stay at a hot springs, but the thermometer was pushing the 90's and soaking in 104 degree water no longer seemed appealing. Instead we decided to check out Taliesin West in Scottsdale. Years earlier Ned and I had toured Frank Lloyd Wright's home in Oak Park, Il and did a walking tour of the homes he designed. We were wowed by the architecture and fell in love with his style. We really thought we were in for a great treat today. We took the 1.5 hour tour which ended up being close to 2 hours. Unfortunately, we were a bit underwhelmed with the experience. Our illustrious guide, Don, spent most of his time being put out by us mere mortals who couldn't possibly comprehend the greatness of this institute.
What we did learn is that Taliesin West is a working architecture school and foundation that continues Frank Lloyd Wright's legacy. The actual architecture itself is not nearly as impressive as what we've seen in Oak Park and Sedona. I enjoyed some of the art sculpture created by artists in residence, but the craftsmanship of the buildings and furniture was pretty crude. If you're in Scottsdale I recommend doing the tour for the historical significance, but don't get your hopes up for the architecture.
Since we blew off the hot springs our next goal was to find a place to camp for the night and, better yet, a place to cool off. Never fear...I had a back-up plan! (Yes, my blue book itinerary contains such contingencies. Ned is laughing as I type this.)
We drove through Lost Dutchman State Park but the idea of camping in blazing heat among the cacti didn't look that appealing. We drove another half hour to Lake Canyon Marina. It's a private campground and not nearly as nice as State Campgrounds, but it has a lake! We are parked pretty much in a road, but our campsite is right on the lake. We didn't waste any time blowing up our dollar store floaties and cooling our heels. Our entertainment has been watching John Q. Public wading waist deep in the water with coolers, chairs and towels and sneak around the cyclone fence next to the boating ramp in order to avoid paying the day use fee. This place looks like a war zone after the Memorial Weekend. The ladies room has no tp and the showers are locked, but I'm still hopeful the camp fairies will visit in the night and straighten things out. It's a far cry from our magical desert night, but I ain't complaining! I'm sitting near a cool lake with my honey in the mountains of Arizona. Life could be worse...
