On one of the last below 90 days here in the desert, thanks to a neighbor, we discovered the White Tanks Mountain park.  The White tanks are the view out the back of our house.  A nice range of mountains that separate our neighborhood from the city of Phoenix.  Makes for beautiful sunrises & also blocks out the city lights providing us a crystal clear night sky.

The park is on the East side of the mountains, as we are on the west, so about a 30 minute drive from the house.

Aidan was in heaven!! I think he would have climbed & climbed & climbed if I’d let him.  We did a small hike trail about 1/2 mile long at the foothills.  We got up close and personal with lots of different cacti.

 

 

View back toward Phoenix.  The picture doesn’t show well but you could see parts of the city buildings & the University of Phoenix Stadium.

Out lil’ hikers….or “searchers” as Aidan call all the old folks walking with sticks.

 

Me with my boys & my neighbor with her 2 “S” & “A”.  “S” (4) & Aidan (3)  are buds who love all things transformers, super heroes & power rangers!! “A” & Isaac (both 19 mo.) are more like an old married couple. ;)

This cactus was SOOOOO big.  That’s Aidan standing at the base & I chopped the top off in the picture!!

 

“A” & Isaac rock climbing ;)

Day concluded with picnic lunch & playing on the playground.

   

This will definitely be a place to take future mid-west visitors who want to see the Arizona terrain. The park also has a library story time that we plan to go back to….& to take Emma who’s a bit sad she missed out due to school!! :)