The urban side of Arizona

(Glendale, Arizona, U.S.A.)

After our hike in Cave Creek Regional Park, we went to the nearby town of Cave Creek for lunch. There seem to be two distinct parts of town: the tourist-oriented section (see the photos immediately above and below), and the more “local” section slightly to the east. Seeking an authentic experience, we headed east after exploring the tourist shops.

This seems to be the epicentre of the touristy part of Cave Creek, Arizona.

And what could be more authentic than going to a saloon? And so it was that we found ourselves entering Cave Creek’s Buffalo Chip Saloon.

Front door of the Buffalo Chip Saloon – Cave Creek, Arizona

The food was solid and plentiful. And the saloon seemed to be quite a haven for fans of the Green Bay Packers. But it looked like this place really comes alive in the evenings and on weekends…as I guess one would expect from a saloon. They have live bull-riding two evenings/week in a large enclosure behind the saloon. They also have line-dancing, a mechanical bull, and lots of live country music (at lunch, it was “canned”).

Outdoor seating area behind the Buffalo Chip Saloon

Unique restaurants continued to be hard to find closer to our hotel. Most were chains, and often served bloated portions of uninspired food. But I did find something a little out of the ordinary, about 20 minutes south of our hotel in a nondescript strip mall.

A very impressive prickly pear cactus, in downtown Cave Creek

One of my most memorable trips was my 2014 journey through Bosnia & Herzegovina. I stayed for multiple days in each of Sarajevo, Mostar, and Trebinje. Since then, I don’t think I’ve encountered a single Bosnian restaurant. So I was very surprised to find a place in Phoenix called “Old Town Sarajevo”.

The wildlife in downtown Cave Creek is kind of prehistoric.

Eating at “Old Town Sarajevo” really did feel like being back in Bosnia again. The decor: 100% Bosnian. The food offerings made few concessions: the menu was in Bosnian first, and then English. But it was exactly the kind of food you would find in a local restaurant in Sarajevo.  

Our table at Old Town Sarajevo (Phoenix, Arizona)

My wife and I opted for “Punjena Pljeskavica”, which is a large meat patty topped with cheese and mushrooms…and served inside fried bread. My teammate chose “Ćevapi” (a.k.a. Ćevapčići), which is basically a lot of small beef sausages…once again inside a traditional bread, and served with ajvar (a red pepper and eggplant condiment).

View from our table, at the Old Town Sarajevo restaurant (Phoenix, Arizona)

While this was rather heavy food, the desserts from this part of Europe are impossible to pass up. Bosnia has had a tumultuous history, but the food has had the resulting benefit of influences from (among other places) Austria, Hungary, Greece, and Turkey. I found myself having some Bosnian baklava, with walnuts. But my dining companions went for something more strudelesque. I think we all won.

View outside our hotel in Glendale, Arizona.

As it turned out, this evening was our last chance to be tourists in Arizona. My final two bowling events were quite successful – as a result, I was on the green all day for the final four days of our trip. It just means that I still have some things to explore if I’m able to return again in the future.

Hiking in the Arizona Desert

(Cave Creek, Arizona, U.S.A.)

While Sun City is filled with palm trees, we took a short drive north to experience a place filled with cactuses (or cacti – apparently, both plural forms are acceptable). Our destination: Cave Creek Regional Park. Our mission: a hike in the desert.

The U.S. and Arizona flags at the entrance to Cave Creek Regional Park

Armed with sunscreen, water, Gatorade, and maps, we set out on a loop that looked manageable. While the air temperature seemed rather cool, the late-morning desert sun made it relatively warm once we started moving. Somewhat alarmingly, we saw warnings about rattlesnakes.

The “Go John” trailhead at Cave Creek Regional Park

In the end, the only wildlife we saw were some really tiny lizards. And since the hiking trails were shared with horseback riders, the biggest hazards were the occasional piles left behind by those large animals.

Cave Creek Regional Park

The terrain was dry, rocky, and uneven. You wouldn’t want to hike these trails while multitasking, as you would eventually find yourself doing a faceplant. Even so, we saw more than one person texting while walking the trails. Just like texting while walking in a big city, this is just asking for trouble.

Cave Creek Regional Park

As you can see, I took a lot of cactus pictures. This is partly because I just don’t see them very often. They aren’t well-suited for the relatively humid Ontario climate. But it is also because this harsh environment doesn’t let much else survive.

Cave Creek Regional Park

We ended up covering a lot more territory than we thought we would. We decided to supplement our loop route with a spur line to an abandoned clay mine.

Cave Creek Regional Park

The spur route featured more cactuses and more views of distant mountains. We found the clay mine, but it was completely fenced off and we couldn’t enter it. That was probably a good thing, as the mine has been abandoned for a long time and likely wasn’t very stable.

Rent your horses here, to explore Cave Creek Regional Park

We also saw the horse enclosure, where people can rent a horse (and a guide) to experience the desert in a different way. This wasn’t an option for me, due to a a severe horse allergy, but the horses seemed sure-footed and happy in this environment.

Cave Creek Regional Park

See if you can spot the additional passenger on the lead horse above!

Looking north from Cave Creek Regional Park

After about 2 hours in the desert, we returned to our car and discovered that we had worked up quite an appetite. I was even craving more liquids, despite sipping water almost continuously throughout our hike. I don’t think it is possible to bring too much water along on a trip into the desert.

Cave Creek Regional Park

Stay tuned for another Arizona post…this time, in a slightly less harsh environment!

Here we are in Sun City, Arizona

(Sun City, Arizona, U.S.A.)

Some trips are predictable. For example, I knew it was only a matter of time before I made it to Chile. But other trips can’t be foreseen. I certainly never thought I’d be in Sun City, Arizona, to play in the US Open lawn bowling tournament. And yet, here I am.

Bell Lawn Bowls Club, in Sun City, Arizona

From a bowling perspective, this place is amazing. There are 5 clubs within perhaps a 15 minute drive of each other. The greens are true, quick, and aesthetically appealing. I can see why so many of my bowling friends have raved about it. I can’t wait for play to begin – for now, we have a couple of days of practice. But, for travel blog purposes, I will try to focus on all aspects of the trip…not just the lawn bowling ones.

US Open Opening Ceremonies – Lakeview Lawn Bowling Club, in Sun City, Arizona

Sun City is essentially a suburb to the northwest of Phoenix, Arizona. Phoenix currently is the 5th largest city in the U.S.A. Who knew? But Phoenix is not a typical city, and Sun City is hardly a typical suburb. For starters, home ownership in Sun City is limited to those 55 and older. So, there are a LOT of recreational activities available. And also a lot of “Snowbirds” (retired Canadians who spend the winters in the southern U.S.A.). After only a day here, I can understand why it is so popular.

The gazebo overlooking Viewpoint Lake in Sun City, Arizona

While Phoenix summers are brutally hot, the winters here are very comfortable. It is now early November, and today’s high temperature was a balmy 27’C. But it isn’t like 27’C in Canada, as there seems to be little or no humidity. I might even find it a little too dry: my nose and throat have felt a little dried out since we arrived. We’ll see how I adapt to this over the next few days.

Viewpoint Lake in Sun City, Arizona

The car reigns supreme in many parts of Canada, especially outside of urban Ontario and Quebec. But this part of the U.S.A. takes it to a new level. At Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport, the train that zips passengers between terminals actually has a station dedicated to car rentals! It is like an entire airport terminal in itself, and just for rental cars.

Viewpoint Lake at Sun City, Arizona

There’s a good reason for all the cars: Phoenix and its suburbs are really spread out. It’s not surprising – practically every building outside of the downtown core seems to be a one-level bungalow. The trend towards urban densification does not seem to have reached Phoenix yet.

Looking towards the Lakeview Lawn Bowling Club – Sun City, Arizona

Regular readers of this blog will know that I make a point of finding independent and unique restaurants wherever I travel. That will be a little more challenging on this trip. Near our hotel in Glendale (another northwestern suburb), pretty much everything is a chain…whether it’s a restaurant or a retail store. But I have put together a short list of places that still hold some promise. We’ll just have to drive to get to them.

Sunset over the Lakeview Lawn Bowling Club – Sun City, Arizona

At least some of the chains are quirky. “Trader Joe’s” is a grocery chain that sells mostly its own products (usually made secretly by other manufacturers). But its prices are quite competitive compared to other stores, and they manage this despite also offering a lot of unique products (many of which are organic). For example, I didn’t know that prickly pear wheat beer was a thing.

Trader Joe’s in Glendale, Arizona

My focus on this trip is obviously on competing in the US Open. But I will do my best to post some more blog entries about this interesting corner of the United States. Stay tuned!