How to enjoy Phoenix, Arizona


When I was going to ASU, I remember that most people made arrangements to travel away from Tempe during the breaks. When I told people that I lived in Tempe, and wasn't going away, most people just gave me a sad look. And I gave them a sad look, too. Because I was going to get a chance to enjoy one of the most incredible cities in the world, Phoenix, Arizona, and they were just going away.

Don't get me wrong, I did go back home for Christmas once to Minneapolis. And the only thing that it reminded me of is the reason why I moved to Phoenix. And after that, I swore that whenever I had a chance, I would go exploring in my own backyard, which was Phoenix.

I still feel this way. I know a lot of people who get up every morning, stare at the taillights of the cars in front of them, look at freeway exit signs, do a job, and then go home and watch TV. And when they get some time off, they spend time in airports, or driving on a freeway, maybe going to another state, or city. And I saw the same thing when I lived in Santa Barbara. I felt like saying to these people, "do you have any idea where you live, and how beautiful it is?" Mostly I would get dull stares.

If you live in a world of elevators, and sitting in your car on the freeway, and staring at your TV, it really doesn't matter where you live. But I decided a long time ago to live in some pretty cool places, and Phoenix is one of them. If you disagree with me, and live in Phoenix, and say that there's nothing to do, nothing to see, well, I can't blame you. Most people have been telling that about wherever I've lived all of my life. I have a feeling that if the most interesting city in the world could be invented, most people wouldn't even see it, even if they lived there.

I'm an explorer, and an adventurer. My friends know this, but most people can't even imagine it. So I use a trick that I learned from the book "Cannery Row". If you recall, Doc wanted to just walk around America and see it for himself. But people were distrustful, so he told people that he was doing it all on a bet. So, I have reasons that other people can understand, if they don't understand adventuring and exploring for its own sake. I can say that I working on my fitness, or walking my dog, or doing some research because of my interest in history.

So, if you ask me if I'm going away on vacation, I will say that I need to stay in town to work. But really I just love being in Phoenix, and there's so much to see!

Image above: driving along the Arizona Canal in 1915, Camelback Mountain in the background.

Thank you to my patrons on Patreon who help support History Adventuring! To support History Adventuring on Patreon, please go to patreon.com/PhoenixHistoryAdventuring. Thank you!

What Patreon is http://bradhallart.blogspot.com/2016/03/supporting-creators-on-web-with-patreon.html

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