Photo: McDowell Mountain Preserve

It will soon be hiking season in the Valley of the Sun, as temperatures cool.  This photo from the McDowell  Mountain Preserve in North Scottsdale shows how houses are creeping into the high desert.

Most of the McDowell Mountain Preserve is park land, so it will remain in its natural state.

This week we have photos of the wildlife and people of Tanzania posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Climbers on the top of Tom's Thumb

This is a closer view of the climbers at the top of Tom's Thumb.  It looks like the person at the top is tending to the rope lines to help other climbers, with one of the other climbers just below the top.

There are several rock climbing gyms  in the area for people to practice their skills, but certainly climbing rocks and mountains such as Tom's Thumb requires a lot of skill and conditioning.

Every once in a while the news will carry reports of people rescued by the mountain rescue teams.

This week we have photos of Blarney Castle, Ireland, this week posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Tom's Thumb

Stuart made it all the way to the top of his hike to Tom's Thumb. There were some rock climbers who had scaled the rock formation.  You can see one of them in the center bottom of this photo, and a colleague is peaking out from the top left.

I will show a closer view tomorrow.

This week we have photos of Blarney Castle, Ireland, this week posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: High Desert Scottsdale Homes

Here is another photo from Stuart's hike to Tom's Thumb.  There are some large homes scattered in the high desert at the foothills of the McDowell Mountains.  It is about 3-4 degrees cooler for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain.

This week we have photos of Blarney Castle, Ireland, this week posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Tom's Thumb Trail

This is the opposite view from yesterday's photo, looking up into the McDowell Mountains rather than back across the Valley.

This photo illustrates that the Sonoran Desert can be green, not all sand and rock.

There is a controversy occurring in Scottsdale right now.  Some State Trust Land has been added to the City's McDowell Mountain Preserve.  The State allowed jeep tour operators to drive tourists on the land, but the City does not allow vehicles in the mountain preserve.  The City has to decide whether to allow the jeep tours to continue.

This week we have photos of Blarney Castle, Ireland, this week posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Tom's Thumb Trail in Scottsdale

I have shown a few photos during the last few days of hiking in northern Arizona, so I thoguth I would show some photos from hikes here in Scottsdale. This is near the beginning of Tom's Thumb trail in the McDowell Mountain Preserve in Scottsdale.

You can see the suburban sprawl of north Scottsdale in the distance.  The large white object in the center is the exhibition tent at Westworld, where the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show, the Barrett-Jacklson Automobile Auction, and other events are held.

I will show some additional photos from this hike in the days ahead, courtesy again of Stuart, who took these photos during a hike in the Spring.  The City of Scottsdale opened a new trailhead for the Tom's Thumb Trail last October to make it more convenient for hikers to access this trail

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of Blarney Castle, Ireland.

Photo: McDowell Mountains

This is photo from Paradise Valley across north Scottsdale to the McDowell Mountains.  Looking at the mountain, you can tell you are in a desert.

Looking at the lush green valley floor, you can see that people defy the desert with the landscaping around their homes.

This photo was taken through a telephoto from the same spot as yesterday's photo, and the mountains are probably about 20 miles (32 km) away.  The dry desert air provides excellent visibility.

The large white building that you see in the center of this photo is part of West World, an equestrian exhibition facility in north Scottsdale.  It is also the site of the Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction that is held each Spring.

We are showing photos of the temples of Siem Reap, Cambodia, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Photo: Across Paradise Valley & Scottsdale

This is a view across Paradise Valley and north Scottsdale.  Does this look like the desert to you?

The McDowell Mountains on Scottsdale northeastern boundary are largely preserved, with hiking trails through the natural desert landscape.

We are showing photos of the temples of Siem Reap, Cambodia on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Photo: Camelback Mountain in the distant haze

Near the top of Four Peaks, Stuart looked west towards the Valley of the Sun and took this photo through the afternoon haze. You can see the distinctive shape of Camelback Mountain in the distance.

Scottsdale is located primarily over the ridge of the McDowell Mountains, which is the ridge closer than Camelback in this photo. Phoenix is located on the other side of Camelback.

Although there is haze in this photo because it is pointing in the direction of the sun, this view is placed in perspective by the realization that Camelback is probably about 50 miles (80 km) away. Stuart said that he could even see the White Tank and Estrella Mountains on the west side of the Valley of the Sun, which are about 80 miles from Four Peaks.

Although Stuart has a point-and-shoot camera, he got to good photos and I appreciate his willingness to allow me to use them. He is always happy to share, especially if Dave or I need computer assistance. It helps to have a younger-generation techie in the family.

This week we are showing photos of the architecture and theater district of Chicago on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Scottsdale Waterfront and Canal

Here is a photo of the new Scottsdale Waterfront project and Salt River Project's Arizona Canal.

The reflections of the palm trees in the water look lovely.

We like to walk to this area from our house and enjoy the restaurants and ambiance of this new area. Those are condos in the buildings on the left.

The Arizona Canal is 38 miles in length. The canal starts at Granite Reef Dam at Salt River to 75th Avenue in Phoenix where the canal links to New River.

Please check out the fabulous photos from Xcaret on our travel site, Viva la Voyage!

Library with a View

Here is the Scottsdale Civic Center Library. You can see the McDowell Mountains in the background behind the palm trees.

And yes, that is a big quill pen statue in front of the library. It is rather cool looking.  

The Scottsdale Civic Center Library has over 800,000 items and circulates over 2 million items pr year.  It is located at the Civic Center Mall.

The architect was Bennie Gonzales, who designed the majority of Scottsdale's municipal buildings, including city hall. He was recognized with over 131 architectural design awards.

Join a book club or just check it out at Scottsdale Civic Center Library. The phone number is 480.312.READ (7323). The address is 3839 N. Drinkwater Boulevard. Scottsdale has five city operated libraries.

Nightfall Over Scottsdale

Yesterday you saw a part of Camelback Mountain, and  this photo is taken from the East side of Camelback Mountain, about one-third of the way up the mountain. 

This photo looks out towards north Scottsdale and the McDowell Mountains. We regularly have visibility of mountain ranges that are 50 miles (80 km) in the distance. The McDowell Mountains are about 20 miles (30 km) away.  Click to enlarge for details.

Other than the Arizona theme day post tomorrow, for the next few days I will share a few photos of nightscapes using the lessons we learned from our Full Moon Photography class last Friday night at the Desert Botanical Gardens. I hope you enjoy this series and the fabulous Moon rise we captured.