Page 38 - Dreamscapes Magazine | Winter 2021-2022

THE ART OF ADVENTURE IN
MESA, ARIZONA
PADDLE, HIKE AND HORSEBACK RIDE ON A DESERT HOLIDAY
By Lisa Kadane
y son and I glide soundlessly in a M kayak across Saguaro Lake in Arizona. Our only companion is the great blue heron fishing for breakfast in the shallows along the shore, and the stately saguaros reflected on the reservoir’s glassy surface. Their arms seem to beckon us deeper into the canyon, where water from
the Salt River courses in shadow.
The previous day, cacti in Tonto National
Forest had dripped with rain during a downpour on a trail ride at nearby Saguaro Lake Guest Ranch. Drenched from the squall yesterday, and splashed by water with every dip of my paddle today, I can’t help but think we’re surrounded by an awful lot of water in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. It’s one of the many surprises we discover in Mesa, the state’s third largest city located just east of Phoenix.
From the solitude of our peaceful watercraft, you’d never guess that a metropolis of half a million people is just a 30-minute drive away, where the red quartzite rocks of the desert give way to uniform terracotta suburbs. That wilderness–city juxtaposition, combined with 300 days of annual sunshine and average winter temperatures of about 20C, makes Mesa an ideal destination for outdoor adventures. On this trip with my son, we check off as many activities as possible.
PADDLE
Saguaro Lake is part of a system of lakes and rivers that makes up the Lower Salt River
38 DREAMSCAPES WINTER 2021/2022