Wrapping It Up at Cave Creek

Our stay at Cave Creek ends tomorrow morning, then it’s time to move to Lake Pleasant, hoping that we’ll get a ‘view space.’

A big event was an early breakfast at the Denny's at the Hwy 17 junction where we met Copper Canyon pals Jerry and Nancy Gayvert, who were 5th-wheeling towards Tucson.  Can't remember the last meal at Denny's, but this was good stuff. Of course we avoided the 'mystery sausage'. 

Cave Creek activities have included a visit to the nearby burgs of Cave Creek and Carefree, the former being somewhat of a tourist stop, and the latter an upscale residential area with a smattering of nice shops and its trade mark Sundial Plaza.

We had lunch in Cave Creek at El Encanto, a very nice restaurant-cantina where the food was superb, notwithstanding bird feathers in the salsa. (But for the umbrella overhead, it is likely that the birds might have made other contributions.)

Annika enjoyed Sundial Square, especially the Gila Monster slide.

 

On our final hike, Janice bailed out after a mile or so due to back spasms, but Annika and I continued on, sneaking into the nearby state land trust, which was supposedly an enter-only-with-a-permit place. She was panting hard, so I didn’t want to do any more uphill. Finally as we neared the campground, we were forced to go under a barb-wire fence and traverse a gully. Hiding in the gully under a tree about 20 feet away was a snoozing javelina, which I surmise might have been the largest one in the state of Arizona. As it rumbled away from us, all I could view was a hairy back-side the size of a boulder.  I tossed a large rock in its direction to deter any second thoughts it might have about returning. After we scampered up a hillside, we regained the main trail and returned safely to camp.

Our stay here has tested the limits of our holding tanks. We are on day 6 without ‘dumping’ them, having perfected techniques to limit input, including moonlight ‘cactus watering’ as Annika and I survey the desert each night before its time to turn in.

Visited the local Carefree Church this a.m. where a very talented preacher spoke for about 40 minutes, deftly mixing his message with some of the best pulpit humor I’ve ever heard. A very quick mind, this gentleman.