It was four in the afternoon and we weren't really looking for something to eat so much as a chance to rest up a bit before returning to STV. So we just ordered jalapeno poppers that were a bit hotter than we'd like.
Payson is elev. 5,000 so it's considerably cooler. In fact the temp was about 64 degrees when we were there compared to about 80 back in the Phoenix area, so it would seem to be a place that many folks would escape to in the summer. The area is scenic, and being higher in the mountains has a number of pine and cedar trees as an alternative to all the cactus we've seen earlier this day.
We remarked frequently on this drive as to the unique scenery, and how it changes as the sun changes and the drive goes on. The cactus tend to grow on the sun side of the hill, and the mountains range in color to a subtle red towards the end of the day. Some mountains show the striated levels and then we round a bend and the mountains seem composed of large round boulders sitting atop each other. The closer we got to Payson the more green we saw on the hillsides, and as we returned to Phoenix it turned to sand.
A friend advises you really want to be here in the summer to determine if you really like it, when the temps are continually over 100 and eggs fry on the sidewalk. But like Lonna says, there are 5 million people who haven't been scared away from the area. Making a decision about living here would involve a lot of pro's, and con's are up to the individual.
With all the photos I have taken I have found it difficult to capture the view that you see realtime. This one is no different. Click the photo to view a full-screen image.
We're not done seeing all there is to see and know we won't get to it this year. We've already booked a 6 week visit next February/March and we're hopeful it won't be as cool as it was this year. We've been struck by the friendliness of the people we've met, both tourists and locals. At Tonto National Monument we basically walked the last half to the cliff caves with a couple from Moscow, ID, and enjoyed the visit along the way. Even the check-outs at Walmart speak to you in conversation, and the servers at various restaurants seem to care about who you are. Unless they're super busy, and that's fine.
"Where are you from?" is a common question, asked because most people came from somewhere, and we often run into tourists or folks who have moved here - from North Dakota, Ohio, Idaho, Minnesota. That seems to strike a common bond immediately with people, and the homeowners quickly go into the story of how/when they made their purchase. One fellow from OH that we met on our walk still owns a farm back there which he is hoping will have oil wells on it when he gets home. We know he bought his 1640 sq ft home here for $89,000, has 3 daughters, one divorced, none of whom can afford to fly out here (he may use some oil money, huh?), his firs wife died of cancer in 2003 and he married his current wife in 2009 although she had been chasing him all through school 50 years ago and he says he wasn't aware of that.
Sometimes the stories get long. But he's made a couple of good referrals for us, has given us insights on the home maintenance process, and certainly enjoys visiting. He drives a Harley, set up a shop in his garage with all kinds of tools, and shows he is a man who uses his hands. Bottom line for Roger is that he has lived a pretty good life and now enjoys where he is. Nothing wrong with that.
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