Our Time in Phoenix

The sneezing and coughing started before we even took off.  On the fight from Mexico to Phoenix we experienced the dreaded sick person seated directly behind us.  You know, the one where you try to hold your breath every time they cough until you’re blue in the face, hoping not to catch the bug.  Well … we were not successful.

Our nearly two weeks in Phoenix is drawing to an end.  While it has been a good stay, it could have been much better if the Mexican bug had not run its course through our condo residents.  Deborah had it the first few days but managed to sleep it off in a hurry.  Kathy only had it for only a few hours and willed herself not to be sick.  When it came to the men folk of course the results were different.  Men are affected much greater than women when it comes to colds.  I was first up with long bouts of coughing and hacking from postnasal drips.  Mike soon followed.  While all the symptoms were not enough to keep anyone in bed or even from doing things, they did take the edge off the activities themselves.  Most importantly, the colds seem to reduce our wine and beer intake and have left us with an excessive budgetary surplus of condo booze.

We have managed to accomplish many of our recreational goals.  We have golfed and ridden our bikes but reading books and lying by the pool replaced hiking and tennis.  Most of our meals were taken in but we enjoyed some good Italian meals in our neighbourhood and a great feast of Barbeque at Bobby Q’s in nearby Glendale.  We also managed a Canucks hockey game to witness a shootout loss to the lowly Coyotes.

BBQ Meat Fest at Bobby Q's.

Lets start with the hockey game.  The rink was about an hours drive from the condo in rush hour traffic.  The Gila River Arena (naming rights held by Gila River Indian Community) is located in Glendale.  Things have changed greatly since our last visit about 10 years ago.  What were then open fields are now hotels, casinos, restaurants and shopping centers.  And of course, next door is the University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinal NFL football team.

The 50/50 Draw Generated a $15,000+ Win for Somebody Else

The game itself was a dull affair for the most part.  Canuck star and captain, Sedin was quoted after as being the worst game he had played in the last ten years.  For us, the experience had value in itself and for the Canucks to tie the game in the last minute and provided us with overtime and a shootout made the evening worthwhile.  An added bonus was reconnecting with an old friend.  Deborah and I were walking the concourse when I heard a familiar voice in the crowd.  I turned to Deborah and said I think I had just heard Bill Cousineau’s voice (a rugby teammate I played with 30 years ago in Kamloops).  We walked through the crowd and sure enough there was Bill and his wife Linda.  They live in Mesa four months of the year and we agreed to get in touch when we find ourselves back in Canada).  Small World.

We have enjoyed two golf outings.  As usual with golf the game giveth and taketh away.  For me the first game at Paradise Valley was fabulous.  I had enough shots to believe I had it all figured out.  Many booming straight drives over two hundred yards and some soft touches around the green.  I started to believe all my imaginary practice rounds played all winter in my head were having a very positive effect.  Our second game at Augusta Ranch crushed any such thoughts.  I couldn’t drive a ball very far and it went anywhere but where I aimed.  Mike scored the best and the ladies had some very good shots.  Maybe another day.

I Had My Best Shot with this Rotweiler Screaming at Me From a Few Feet Away

Despite the cold symptoms, we managed some great bicycle rides.   Phoenix is a great bicycle-riding city.  Paved cycle paths are pervasive along the many canals and through the “washes” providing seemingly endless choices of rides without the hassle of city traffic.

My first ride was solo and was a quick 90-minute ride out parallel to highway 51 to the north end of the city.  It was paved all the way with bridges taking you across all the busy intersections.  I started slow but managed about 29 km an hour for the rest of the ride.  Best of all, no flats!

Our second ride was from the condo, through Dreamy Draw (separating the Phoenix Mountain Preserve) and on to the Scottsdale Canal system.  We packed a lunch and stopped half way on a golf course lake and enjoyed our sandwiches watching duffers’ pound their second shots into the lake protecting the green.  A nearby condo owner added to our lunch by providing us with fresh oranges from his backyard tree.  We arrived home with tender ends but 46 + km in the bank.

The Cycling Cafe Along the Way.

Downtown Scottsdale

Our third ride was epic (by our standards).  We headed south from the condo toward Tempe.  This area has large, designated “washes”.  The washes act as runoff drainage for those times the desert is inundated with rain.  While there are signs not to enter the “wash” when flooding occurs, for the most part these are great recreational areas.  Sports fields, golf courses, tennis courts, and of course concrete cycle paths complete with water and restrooms stations are strategically placed through out.  We rode 30 km on the Indian Band Wash to Tempe and the grounds of Arizona State University (home of the Sun Devils).  We enjoyed our lunch on the shores of Tempe Town Lake.  It is more a widening of a canal than a lake but we enjoyed watching the various paddleboards and kayakers enjoying their afternoons on the water.  With our butts guiding our choice of route home we cut off a few km on the return but still ended our day with a satisfying 55 km ride.

Riding the Wash

Never Lost - Just Checking

Diamond Back in Bike Lane - Has Seen Better Days!

Peaked Between Fence at SF Giants Training

Lunch on the Lake

With our colds are in their final innings, we look forward to our next stop in Palm Springs to reunite with old friends and enjoy some more golf and possibly a ride or two.