Bill and I are all settled in at San Tan Mountain Regional Park in Queen Creek Arizona and we are loving everything about this park.
From the moment we arrived last Saturday and passed through the pay booth shown below,
right through the first week of training, it has just been one fun and exciting thing after another.
Bill and I had one-on-one, on the job training, to learn all about the daily use park fees, annual passes, senior passes…
and what the entry fees support…
We learned that the park now has an Arizona Memorial, to honor fallen Arizona soldiers from Afghanistan and Iraq, that was donated and is maintained by one family of a fallen Arizona solider. The names of fallen Arizona solider’s are engraved on huge plaques within the memorial. This family also supplies a new American Flag as needed for the memorial.
Just beyond the Arizona memorial is a buddy pond established by a very generous donor, with help from the Friends of San Tan Mountain Regional Park, to supply fresh water for the wild life within the park.
Just beyond the buddy pond is an interpretive trail
This is one of the “interpretive” stations along the interpretive trail.
Well of course, I had to pause for a few moments, to ponder on the meaning of this interpretive structure on the interpretive trail…
Moving along, one can choose from many, many, beautiful hiking trails within the park, that will accommodate a wide verity of walking, hiking, biking, and horseback riding skill levels.
It is so beautiful and peaceful out here and we are so blessed to be able to have all this available to us everyday throughout the winter months. And, we have already been asked if we will come back next winter and for as many winters as we want to come… YEAH!!! Don’t have to ask us twice.. 🙂 🙂
After a lovely hike I returned to our camp spot to find our group of teenagers, that are part of the Arizona Work Corp., enjoying a little dance time before they started cooking their dinner. They spent three weeks camping in tents just outside our coach. They went out early every morning and cleaned/maintained all the hiking trails. They were all so polite, quiet, and just a fun, fun, group of teens. I hadn’t met them yet so when I saw them outside dancing… well of course I just had to go right over and join them as I introduced myself to them… They LOVED that I did that!
That black cylinder on the ground is a speaker for their music…
So we just danced and danced…
and had the best time getting to know each other… they said they wish they had a dancing grandma like me… I told them to be careful what they wish for because all my grandkids live far away from me and I just might need to keep them around as substitute grandkids…. However, they all had to pack up and leave at the end of the week. Their work/camp time here is over, but maybe we will see each other again next winter… I hope so… 🙂
When the dancing was done, as I walked back to our coach, they told me that they love my Halloween wind sock, and said that I am a “fun, fun, lady” How sweet is that?
Did I mention how much we love it here?
Stay Tuned!
Oct 24, 2015 @ 04:11:08
What a lovely day you had and brought fun and laughter to all your new young friends. Seems like it’s going to be a fun winter for you and Bill! Love you both!
Oct 24, 2015 @ 15:41:17
It is going to be a real fun winter for Bill and I Aunt Ellen. All the people here are so nice and we have already made new friends with the other two work/camp hosts here in the park. Love and hugs to all of you. XoXo
Oct 24, 2015 @ 16:26:46
Your post to your friend GG sounds so exciting and you will have tons of fun and excitement! What a wonderful new life for you and Bill! Harvey would love getting dressed up with a scary face mask on and be behind a tree and jump out and scare everyone. He has done that with the kids. Love you all and looking forward to hearing all about it!❤️
Oct 25, 2015 @ 12:21:33
Oh yes Aunt Ellen, we need uncle Harvey here. He would be the perfect person to dress up and jump out and scare people… love you. XoXo
Oct 24, 2015 @ 12:28:15
You totally cracked me up…pausing to ponder on the meaning! In other words…what the hell is that? Ha ha!! How fun to join in on the group…that’s my girl! So love you and counting the days! Hugs to Bro! Oh, will you have tricker treaters on Halloween??? Please tell us all about it if you do!!
Oct 24, 2015 @ 15:48:13
Oh it’s going to be a huge Halloween Bash here GG. The park manager already purchased over $1,000.00 worth of candy to hand out along the trails that will be all lit up and decorated. There is going to be a haunted house in the nature center, and we have been helping to decorate the grounds/trails all week. The Friends of San Tan dropped off another $1,200.00 donation this past week to help support the event and the event has been advertised on several websites and at other group events throughout the valley. All of the camp hosts will be on hand from 2:30 to 9:30 helping to direct activities etc. I will for sure take pictures and dedicate a post to the event. Stay Tuned! Love and miss you MORE. XoXo