Did a white propane gas tank come to mind? How about a white military tank? A hot water heater tank? Well, our last adventure involved the words “White Tank.”
Last Saturday, Feb. 17th, we took a little day trip to White Tank Mountain Regional Park in Waddell, Arizona (I bet a mountain didn’t pop into your mind with the words “White Tank,” did it?). It was about a thirty minute drive, and it was well worth it.
This park is just over 29,200 acres of desert and mountain landscape and encompasses most of the White Tank Mountains. The park has picnic areas, campgrounds (tent and RV camping) with restroom facilities equipped with showers, and an extensive network of hiking trails (almost 26 miles of trails!). Bicycling and horseback riding are permitted on many of the trails (BYOBAH: Bring Your Own Bicycle And Horse). Here are just a few photos of the beautiful landscape.
One of the reasons we chose last Saturday to go to this park is that they were having an arts and crafts festival. Needless to say, the attendance at the park that day was WAY up from a normal Saturday. The festival was unique and had a lot of interesting booths. We enjoyed looking at all the unique and spectacular craftsmanship at each booth, and there were A LOT of booths!
The iron craftsmanship on these wall hangings and statues was absolutely amazing!
The horse standing in the foreground was beautiful (this photo does not do it justice).
This shows a really unique way to display a horseshoe from your favorite horse or any horseshoe for that matter.
Just on the edge of the rows of booths at the arts and crafts fair was this REALLY BIG cactus. These are called Giant Saguaro and is the most fascinating plant of the Sonoran Desert. It has a tough, waxy skin that is pleated and a woody skeleton inside the plant. These mesmerizing plants can grow to 40 feet or more. The saguaro blossom, which appear in April through June (so we didn’t get see any), is the state wildflower of Arizona. They are white with a pale yellow center that has numerous stamens. The blossoms open well after sunset and close in mid afternoon. Our friends, Dennis, Mary Ann, and Charlie, are in this photo with Jack, Zoey, and myself. That is one BIG cactus!
At the entrance to White Tank Mountain Regional Park is a beautiful library and nature center built in 2010. This 29,000 square foot, LEED-certified building (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) features a large, panoramic viewing area of the park. The nature center includes live native reptiles, an information center, and a gift shop. It also has numerous educational programs for children of all ages. Imagine doing your homework, working on a computer, or just sitting and reading in this lovely environment looking out at such a wonderful and relaxing view!
We had a wonderful day enjoying the beauty of God’s creation at White Tank Mountain Regional Park. When we returned to the RV camp and after we ate our supper, we were blessed by a gorgeous sunset through our RV windshield!
God’s paint strokes are sure beautiful, aren’t they?!
So for now ….. “On the Road Again!”
Betty