Tall Saguaro at the Boulders

What a great day for a hike among the Boulders in northeast Scottsdale.

Look how tall the Saguaro Cactus is. It is over 100 years old.

I love the mix of boulders, blue sky, cloud and cactus. A perfect Arizona day.

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Arizona Sky and Boulders

I like this photos of the big Arizona sky filled with clouds overlooking the Boulders Resort golf course and the natural boulders in the desert.

This is a great time of the year to go out hiking in Arizona.

Nice weather, great outdoor activities, but we do have to start watching out for snakes when hiking as it is starting to warm up, which means snakes are coming out of hibernation.

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Mystical Boulders

Here is a photo of those mystical boulders in the area I like to hike at in north Scottsdale.

These boulders are so special and spiritual to many.

Anyone who has the opportunity to visit Arizona, should make time to hike at the Boulders. It is a great lunch spot and has a beautiful golf course also.

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Theme day: Passageway

Here is a photo of a passageway through the boulders on a hike in northern Scottsdale.

I love passageways like this. It is great to walk through and be surprised at what you see on the other side.

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Bride and Dog at Boulders

Here is a wedding I stumbled upon while taking photos of the Boulders Resort and Spa.

Can you see the bride and the cute little dog in her arms?

The prelude music being played was quite nice to enjoy while I was taking photos.

The Boulders is a wonderful place for a wedding.

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Housing at the Boulders Resort

Here is a photo of a gorgeous winter day for us in Scottsdale.

I took this photo in north Scottsdale at the Boulders Resort and Spa.

You can see the houses that line the golf course. The open space of the golf course allows homes to have spectacular views, and they can watch the golfers for fun as well.

This area has great scenery, lots of wildlife, boulders, and desert vegetation.

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The Pool Amid the Boulders

Would you like to lay by this pool and soak of the sun's rays while watching the water fall down the boulders?

You can drink up this view at the Boulders Resort and Spa in north Scottsdale.

Maybe a nap by the pool would be a great afternoon activity if you stay at this resort. Don't forget your sunblock lotion.

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A Romantic Lunch

This photo depicts a beautiful spot to have a picnic or elegant brunch at the Boulders Resort and Spa.

The tree ever so slightly hangs above the table, the interesting boulders and peaceful water co-exist artfully along the green golf course and superb housing. The spot makes for a lovely setting.

Would you like a glass of champagne to go with this view?

We are lucky in Scottsdale to have so many wonderful restaurants and resorts.

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Lunch for Two with a View

Here is a photo of an inviting place for lunch or dinner. Don't you love that view? Awesome!

This is a table in the restaurant at the Boulders Resort and Spa, one of my favorite places.

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The Doors at the Boulders Resort & Spa

For the theme day of doors, here is a photo of the very unique doors at the Boulders Resort and Spa in the Scottsdale and Carefree area.

The door shows boulders mirroring the surrounding area. The door is wood carved. You can see the reflection of a giant saguaro cactus in the glass at the top of the door.

To see more of this spectacular resort and surrounding boulders, at labels, just click Boulders Resort and Spa.

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Today is theme day for all City Daily Photo bloggers.

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A Gigantic Boulder Larger Than Some Houses

Today's theme day for all city daily photo bloggers is "BIG."

Well, this photo shows a gigantic boulder. It does not look real. It looks like we are in a small model of a community with houses, grass and saguaro cactus. Enlarge the photo for the full effect of BIG!

When these houses and golf course were built, they were built around this gigantic boulder. This area is at the Boulders Resort and Spa in North Scottsdale. The resort name fits perfectly for today's photo.

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Purple Prickly Pear Cactus

This cactus is popular because of its purple-gray color. It is called Purple Prickly Pear cactus or Opuntia Santa-rita.

It has a deep gray-green skin tinged with purple. In cold weather, the purple becomes more pronounced.

You can see the glochids, which are the tiny barbed spines you see spread out all over the prickly pear pad and across the top of the pad. The tiny barbs from the glochids are very fine and get all over you and in you. 

I prefer dealing with the long, sharp spines at the top of the cactus pad as they are easy to see and avoid.

I took this photo while hiking around the Boulders Resort and Spa in North Scottsdale. You can see it has raindrops that have tried to clean off the desert dust.

Boulders and Clouds

The Boulders area is in far north Scottsdale and is a great place to hike. 

The rocks are interesting and my hike this particular day had blue sky and gorgeous clouds. 

I like to have lunch at the Boulders Resort and Spa when I hike in the Boulders area, or you can go to El Pedegral to enjoy food, live music, and shopping.

Get out there and take a hike and take your camera, of course!

Desert Boulders

One of my favorite places to hike around is near the Boulders Resort and Spa and El Pedegral. I just love rocks of all sizes, shapes, and types. 

Growing up in Arizona, it was a regular hobby as a kid to hike and look for colorful and interesting rocks. I always brought home interesting rocks in my pockets to add to my yard. 

The geology is wonderful in Arizona.  Happy Monday!

El Pedegral

El Pedegral is a distinctive Scottsdale shopping area.  It is located near the Boulders Resort & Spa, the Heard Museum North, and Carefree.  

El Pedegral has a unique southwestern and Moroccan-inspired architectural style.  It is situated among 12 million year old boulders.

Live music is regularly played at the Courtyard stage.  There are restaurants and interesting shops.

For more information, click El Pedegral.

Golf, Cactus, Lake and Desert Housing

Scottsdale is a mecca for golf enthusiasts. Scottsdale has 51 golf courses and there were over 12 million rounds of golf played last year.

This photo is from The Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa in Carefree, which is on the northern edge of Scottsdale and the spa is excellent.  The resort is exquisite, and it has residential housing as a component of this master-planned community.  You can see how the housing design fits into the landscaping.  You can see the bird nests burrowed in the Saguaro cactus, which is very common. 

There is a great hiking trail called the Boulders Trail that I enjoy as it has beautiful views and amazing rocks.  I will intersperse views from the hiking trail and around the hotel over the next few weeks.  There is lots to show you from Scottsdale!  To learn more about this resort, click The Boulders.