We’re in the Bloomin’ Desert! Lost Dutchman State Park

We set up at site 79 in Lost Dutchman State Park, on the eastern outskirts of Phoenix.

I was hoping there would be saguaro cacti here, I’d seen some on our drive in. Not only did we have this stately specimen along with this ocotillo right next to our site,

we were situated (like everyone else) with the dramatic Superstition Mountains behind us, and…

we had a blooming buckthorn cholla right next to our water and power hookups!

I took a walk up to the gate and the Native Plant Trail and I found teddy bear cholla in bloom,

along with dark pink…

and salmon pink prickly pear cacti.

Foothill palo verdi is in bloom all over here. I learned that it is the state tree of Arizona and the most important nursery plant for sheltering young saguaro, which later can grow bigger than the foothill palo verde.

They can reach fifty feet tall and 10 tons. This huge specimen…

is providing a nesting spot for this starling. I guess the birds know how to avoid the thorns.

On other walks I found this strawberry hedgehog cactus,

this desert willow,

and this aloe in bloom.

Some of the saguaros have buds. In town today I almost gave Bud a heart attack when I spotted an open flower on one. He thought when I yelled he was about to pull in front of a car. Nope, just a flower. I hope there are saguaros at the next place we go and I can get a picture of one in bloom.

Those mountains look inviting…

and there are some trails going up there, but we didn’t get to do any hiking. We were only here 3 nights and on the two days here we had business.

Matey got groomed Wednesday morning. In the afternoon it was too hot to hike so we took a ride on the Apache Trail, Arizona 88.

It goes northeast past beautiful Canyon Lake.

The road crosses arms of the lake on two one lane bridges.

This isn’t mountainous, just very rugged.

There was a yellow bloom on a prickly pear cactus out past the lake.

Eventually the road turns to dirt.

That’s a place where a stone wall has been built to support the road.

We went as far as the Fish Creek Overlook.

There was a buckhorn cactus blooming there.

We decided not to go down the famous Fish Creek Hill; the gate was open but the road described as primitive. The overlook had a sign saying “last turn around”. Last until when?

This morning I had hoped to hike, but Bud made an appointment to have the oil changed in the truck and I didn’t want to leave Matey alone. He’s had a couple of bad days lately. He and I walked.

Later I took him in the stroller. I did a short trail over to the day use area and then we walked on all the park roads.

We have really enjoyed our stay. There are a lot of birds here, and the quails are quite used to campers.

And it has to be…

one of the most photogenic places…

we have ever stayed. We’d definitely come back here.