Payson, AZ

Hwy. 87 heading towards Payson

Yesterday, I took a day trip northeast of Phoenix to Payson, AZ, which is in Arizona Rim Country. It was nice to go up in elevation and get treated to temperatures that were 15º cooler than Phoenix. From Payson, I detoured through the Roosevelt Lake area on my way back to Phoenix. (see post below)


Arizona Rim Country - The rim referred to is the Mogollon Rim, which is a geologic escarpment that forms the southwest boundary of the Colorado Plateau. Elevation on top of the rim averages about 7000 ft. and the communities below, at about 5000 ft., constitute Rim Country.

The Mogollon Rim off in the distance

Another view of the Mogollon Rim

Green Valley Park - This park is the location of the Rim Country Museum and the Zane Grey cabin. Payson is a regional fire fighting center and a lot of the museum area is dedicated to that.

The lake with fishing dock

Firefighting stuff

There's an old fire engine inside

Herron Hotel

Zane Grey cabin - quite robust for a cabin

Haught cabin - now THIS is a cabin

Disrepair in Payson - The Sidles Mud House was built around 1881 and is the oldest standing structure in Payson. It was later bought by the Pieper family and was their home until they built their "mansion" next door.

Sidles Mud House

Another view

Nestled next to the "mansion"

Rental cabins next door to the Mud House

The "mansion"

El Rancho - I had lunch at the El Rancho Restaurant. I ordered a shredded beef burrito smothered in green chile sauce. It was pretty good, but still not as good as the burritos at La Pasadita in Denver.

Exterior

Interior

Lunch

Roosevelt Lake and the Tonto Basin

Gassing up the truck in Jake's Corner

From Payson, I backtracked a bit towards Phoenix and went south on Hwy. 188 into the Tonto Basin and towards Roosevelt Lake. Roosevelt Lake is a man-made reservoir formed by the damming of the upper Salt River. Tonto Basin drains the Tonto Creek area which originates near the Mogollon Rim. Roosevelt Lake consists of the lower Tonto Basin and the upper Salt River Basin.

Backwaters of Roosevelt Lake

I bet there's some good bass fishing in there

Coral pink hillsides slope down to water's edge

The Sierra Ancha Mountains to the east of the lake

Roosevelt Bridge from Hwy. 188

Roosevelt Dam

Boats under the bridge

Chase Field

Upper deck down the left field line

The Reds were in town, so I went to the game last night at Chase Field in downtown Phoenix. It's a massive structure with a retractable roof. The roof was closed tonight and the inside cooled to escape the 105º heat outside. I may have to go back in late September and watch a game when the roof is open.

The stadium, with it's hangar-type roof and windows along the top, has the feel of an old-style fieldhouse, but on a much larger scale. It has all the amenities of a modern stadium - giant center field scoreboard, concession stands everywhere, restaurants overlooking the outfield, etc.

The Reds won 11-7 after scoring 4 runs in the 8th to tie the game and 4 runs in the 9th to win it. I also found out I was part of history. This game had the smallest crowd in Diamondbacks history - 15,509 in attendance.

Just about ready to start

The field is ready to go

Looking across the diamond from the upper deck along the left field line

Edinson Volquez on the mound

The mongo scoreboard in center field

Leaving Chase Field

Downtown Phoenix

The Rising Phoenix

This afternoon, I took a stroll through downtown Phoenix to photograph the architecture of the various buildings. It's a mix of old and new, classic and modern, beautiful and ugly.

I parked in front of the County Courthouse and took off on foot. It was a robust 108º and soon I was sweating like Moses Malone. By the end of my walk, I was drained like a Larry Bird 3-pointer. If Gage and DeSoto had come upon me, they would have ordered IVs of D5W and Ringers Lactate. STAT!

Anyways, enjoy the pics!


New School -

Ugly and hive-like

U.S. Airways Center - Home of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury

Bank of America - a good looking building

Chase Field - Home of the Arizona Diamondbacks

The Phoenix Convention Center

Futuristic

The Arizona Center

Fountain at City Hall

Old School -

The Art Deco Luhrs Tower

Brick and stone

Classic hotel

The Westward Ho

More Art Deco

The Arab flair of the Orpheum Theater

Maricopa County Courthouse

Very Spartan

Churches -

St. Mary's Basilica

Imaculado Corizón de Maria

First Presbyterian Church

Bonus Section - Gutted Gothic: I came upon this by accident. It's the historic First Baptist Church, which is now overseen by the National Park Service as an Historic Building.

The First Baptist Church lies in disrepair

Sky through the stained glass frame

The gutted interior complete with eroding balcony pillar

Offices are closed!

View from the rear

Beat up belfry and roofless