.jpg "Sunset+over+Lake+Pleasant+Peoria+AZ")
View from camper
Friday afternoon Berta and I took off with the camper to Lake Pleasant, located 30 miles north of Phoenix. Managed by the Maricopa county Parks and Recreation Department, this area offers diving, fishing, hiking, camping and boating opportunities.
.jpg "Lake+Pleasant+Peoria+AZ")
Lake Pleasant, a small part
The lake was originally created in the 1920s with the building of the Waddel Dam on the Agua Fria River. In 1992 the construction of a larger dam tripled the size of the lake. Lake Pleasant is Arizona’s second largest lake with 50 miles of shoreline.
.jpg "Lake+Pleasant+hillside+Peoria+AZ")
Hillside above Lake Pleasant studded with Sagauro cactus
The lake is surrounded by Sonoran desert, the most complex of any desert type because of its diversity of species.
.jpg "Globe+Mallow+Brittlebush+Peoria+AZ")
Globe Mallow and Brittlebush
.jpg "Ocotillo+Peoria+AZ")
Ocotillo
.jpg "Blooming+Cactus+Peoria+AZ")
Pincushion Cactus
This diversity is partly attributed to geologic history.
.jpg "Barell+Cactus+Peoria+AZ")
Barrel Cactus
This geologic area of Arizona is known as the Basin and Range. After spending billions of years mostly under ocean waters a massive uplift to the north and east caused the land to stretch and allowed volcanic intrusions to build several mountain ranges. Erosion filled valleys and today we only see the tips of the mountains.
.jpg "Chalcedony+Desert+Roses")
Chalcedony Desert Rose
Quartz is found in veins and pockets. Chalcedony is quartz that formed at or near the earth’s surface or in a pocket with no pressure creating the Desert Rose.
.jpg "Berta+gathering+rocks+Peoria+AZ")
P and Berta looking at rocks
Friday afternoon Berta and I took off with the camper to Lake Pleasant, located 30 miles north of Phoenix. Managed by the Maricopa county Parks and Recreation Department, this area offers diving, fishing, hiking, camping and boating opportunities.
.jpg "Lake+Pleasant+Peoria+AZ")
Lake Pleasant, a small part
The lake was originally created in the 1920s with the building of the Waddel Dam on the Agua Fria River. In 1992 the construction of a larger dam tripled the size of the lake. Lake Pleasant is Arizona’s second largest lake with 50 miles of shoreline.
.jpg "Lake+Pleasant+hillside+Peoria+AZ")
Hillside above Lake Pleasant studded with Sagauro cactus
The lake is surrounded by Sonoran desert, the most complex of any desert type because of its diversity of species.
.jpg "Globe+Mallow+Brittlebush+Peoria+AZ")
Globe Mallow and Brittlebush
.jpg "Ocotillo+Peoria+AZ")
Ocotillo
.jpg "Blooming+Cactus+Peoria+AZ")
Pincushion Cactus
This diversity is partly attributed to geologic history.
.jpg "Barell+Cactus+Peoria+AZ")
Barrel Cactus
This geologic area of Arizona is known as the Basin and Range. After spending billions of years mostly under ocean waters a massive uplift to the north and east caused the land to stretch and allowed volcanic intrusions to build several mountain ranges. Erosion filled valleys and today we only see the tips of the mountains.
.jpg "Chalcedony+Desert+Roses")
Chalcedony Desert Rose
Quartz is found in veins and pockets. Chalcedony is quartz that formed at or near the earth’s surface or in a pocket with no pressure creating the Desert Rose.
.jpg "Berta+gathering+rocks+Peoria+AZ")
P and Berta looking at rocks
.jpg "Three+Burros+Lake+Pleasant+Peoria+AZ")
Three wild burros
A heard of 280 burros roam the adjacent public lands. Left behind by prospectors in the 1860s, they don’t pay any attention to human made land boundaries. We had seen burro dung around camp and heard their echoing cry.
Had to leave Saturday afternoon to pick up a friend from the airport shuttle. But can’t wait for the next Lake Pleasant campout.
Looks absolutely fabulous! Glad you had a good time and thanks for the cool pictures, I feel like I was there 🙂
Chuck LaPenta
Lapantz Workforce
“Go Marching One By One”
Work From Home
Free Article Publishing
Very pretty natural things you found: blue lake and sky, various blooming plants, barrel cactus with curved red hooks, Chalcedony desert rose and even wild burros! Looks like you and Berta had a nice trip.
I thought you might be out on another adventure. I hope you both had fun swimming and enjoyed the warmth of the sun afterwards.
Nice find with the quartz rocks. And the burros, what fun to see all of the living diversity that you do explore each and every day.
I love AZ because it has lakes. Never mind if they are manmade,they are lakes. The ones in NM (definitely none near me) are not so great.
The burros are fun, too. My parents used to have a few “rescued” wild burros from AZ. Probably not in this region, but they were fun creatures–though they never got REALLY tame.
Oh my..I want some of those rocks.
A lovely and informative post Gaelyn (or do yur prefer Gail?) People who don’t know the desert are always under the impression that it is only sand. If only they knew that it teams with life.
So many wonderful photos. I think the burros would be so much fun to see. It looks like you got to see many beautiful things on your adventure.
All that space to roam through; wonderful series with so many things blooming. What a neat campout; hope the next one comes along soon. Get your water system fixed up?
What an adventurous life you lead! Love the cactus photos.