hi ho, hi ho, it's off to hike we go

Joe and I have started hiking a lot recently. When we decided to find a place to live in Phoenix, we found a good location right near the Phoenix Mountains Preserves because at the time we were thinking about living somewhere where we could spend a lot of time with our future dog. We FINALLY started going recently and it's just so much fun!!

I know the trails are right in the middle of the city, but there's actually a point where you hike up to the top of one of the summits and then start hiking down into a canyon-type area, and you can't hear a sound. You can actually see the Phoenix skyline off in the distance, but it's so silent and peaceful that it's almost eerie. I love that.

And the absolute BEST time to go for a hike is the day after a storm. I know storms in Phoenix happen only once in a blue moon, but when it happens, the rain washes away all of the pollution and for a single moment the Arizona horizon is completely pure and beautiful.