First Visit to Phoenix - Salt River Fishing, Trial Etiquette Sign

One of the other activities planned for us was a fishing trip on the Salt River, about a 45-minute drive from Chandler.  This is still the Old West in a lot of ways, as there are herds of wild horses roaming the landscape that occasionally stop to drink at the river to the delight of anyone fishing nearby.  We didn't see any on that day, but our son-in-law caught a little fish, which was memorialized with a quick snap of the Bigger Cahoona.

First Visit to Phoenix - Downtown Chandler Art

 

The kids actually live in Chandler, a town to the southeast of the Phoenix metroplex.  One day we went downtown where I found this affixed to a wall.  Immediately I thought of this post captured in Taiwan some years ago...

First Visit to Phoenix - Gilbert Riparian Preserve, Bird with Blue Feet

There was lots of wildlife in this preserve, but it was all under cover or in the shade due to the tremendous heat.  What we did find was very interesting to us East Texans, including this guy with blue feet (closeup below):

First Visit to Phoenix - Gilbert Riparian Preserve, Hanging Cross

 

There is a cross hanging in this picture, a pendant that someone left who knows when.  It's hard to see, but as a hint, it's in the middle just below one of the sunrays on the green stem, in front of the biggest branch.  Closeup below:

First Visit to Phoenix - Gilbert Riparian Preserve, Signage Through Reeds

 

Heretofore all the pics posted from our first visit to Phoenix were captured with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which actually turned out pretty well.  I did bring the Bigger Cahoona, however, and brought it along on a few excursions.  The first of these was a trip to the Gilbert Riparian Preserve.  It was hot, hot, hot that day but we managed to clock in a mile or so around its famous ponds and lakes.  Didn't get too many passable pics due to the full afternoon sun, but found a few that were interesting, including this sign captured through the reeds.

First Visit to Phoenix - Stained Glass

 

First Visit to Phoenix - Aqua Mural

A big mural...didn't know what to do with the busy background, so just blacked it over.

This area reminded me a little of Montrose in Houston, where there are pockets of art-inspired enclaves.  On our walk we went into a shop that sold old timey woodblock-printed posters.  The kind proprietors gave us a little tour and printed a custom poster to demonstrate the process.

First Visit to Phoenix - Dressed Up Tree #2

Another one...with grapes.

First Visit to Phoenix - Dressed Up Trees #1

 

First Visit to Phoenix - Sunset Shot #4

 

In spite of the unbearable heat (for us), we walked a ways into the desert, enabling a capture of these rock formations against a sunset sky.  This was a terrific way to become introduced to the region's beauty on our first visit to the "Valley", as they call the desert floor on which Phoenix and its suburban communities sit.  In subsequent days we explored parts of the city plus a remote fishing spot on the Salt River, which will be feature in future posts.