Neighborhoods

ALWAYS be ready to have the time of your life.

Wandering does not mean mountain hideaways and secluded beaches need to be on the agenda. Wandering means one thing, just go.  Sometimes a plan is irrelevant because what you do and how you do it is part of the adventure.

So open the gate of opportunity.

All too often, we set aside places near us because it doesn’t feel like a trip, or that mighty adventure we were looking for.   Maybe you could make it one.  You might be surprised by what is outside your own backdoor or a short ride down the street.

Even breakfast can make an impression.

 

We landed at South Mountain expecting the views everyone talks about, and discovered remnants of lives that had wandered these hills long before the roads were there. The locals boast of the view that brings structure to the city we live in, for good reason, but the sides of the roads tell another story.

J.C. Dobbins, who was one of the original park committee,  lived at the park entrance that eventually became a ranger station.

The layered bricks and log beams show us turn-of-the-century architecture, and the saguaro skeleton offers a glimpse of southwestern decor. 

Further down the street we found Scorpion Gulch, an abandon trading post that will tempt you to imagine shoppers arriving on horseback.  

Interesting that the random-placed stones create a castle-like structure in the desert, and this time, the saguaro cactus gave  us insight on the  unique layers necessary for survival in the desert.  

And then I wondered….could they appreciate the views the way we do?  Did they have time to wander to the summit? Or did survival, and busy lives get in the way…the way we let ours?  

I guess that is for me to decide today.   Just remember to pay attention,  always keep your eyes wide shut, and always have the time of your life.

Where did you wander today?

 

The Daily Post: Irrelevant Mighty
WPC: Layered

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Stones