HikeArizona.COM

Well, I guess I'll have to change my screen name soon. My wife and I are going to be moving to Casa Grande before the end of the year. Listing the house for sale up in Page. No job yet, kinda scary, but my wife needs to go back to school full time. Even commuting to and from UofA, with the house prices in CG we'll save money over moving to El Pueblo. Big change - this will be my first time living off The Plateau since '99. Eeek!

I go to Got Sushi with my wife they have a happy hour. The food is good prices are reasonable and the staff is friendly. RWB also has great food and in the cooler months the out door seating is nice. The portions are big so there is usually enough for lunch the next day.

CG isn't so bad except for what Paul said about nothing interesting nearby. You kind of have several good options though. You can try to find work in Tucson and you and the wife could maybe carpool or you have the option of going the other way and coming up to the Phoenix area. CG is a great place to be able to commute to both if needed. Besides coming from up in the plateau, you won't be so inundated with mega-city life. CG is still pretty small townish so it won't be too rude, coming from Page....Plus, even though there's nothing awesomely exciting about CG, you have a ton of options in just about any direction from there. I gotta believe that house prices in CG are extraordinary right now too, it's just being able to afford the commute that would probably stop me, especially into Phoenix, that rush hour traffic from the south is horrific.

My commute is 3-7 minutes, depending on the two stoplights between my house and the school I teach at. Not too bad. There are hiking options in the Casa Grande mountains that I am still exploring, and have enjoyed so far. Chandler is only 30 minutes away, so all the "big city" stuff is pretty close - as close as driving across CG and back, really. I am enjoying the still-small town environment. More amenities than Page, less BS than Phoenix or Tucson.

Rob, I liked all the palm trees on the main drag in CG. Last time I was there, I drove through the old downtown, and it looked fine to me. That has to have been 15 years ago, though.

You're not too far away from the Superstitions, Pinals, and Santa Catalinas. It all depends upon how much time you're willing to invest. There doesn't seem to be much in Cossuh Gronday's general vicinity, but there are upland areas within reach.

This daylight savings time nonsense is getting the better of me. Back in Arizona, it's just after 9 PM. Here on the Reservation, it's just after 10. I don't know if its from getting up early, or using a pick ax on the soil for several hours this afternoon, but I'm tired. In a month, we rejoin the rest of the state.

What is the deal with the soil up here? It's like concrete and you can't dig into it unless you break it up with a pick. I put in 2 pines and a peach tree, and a small patch of grass. Ripping the soil is the hardest part. If it weren't for that, it would be easy.

Good luck with your landscaping, Jim. It sounds nice. Hope the Kayenta soil, cold, heat and wind don't get the better of the plants!

Jim_H wrote:What is the deal with the soil up here? It's like concrete and you can't dig into it unless you break it up with a pick.

So I'm not that familiar with Kayenta, aside from having driven through it a dozen times or so, with maybe a handful of visits to the Burger King along the way ... but the one thing that sticks in my mind is that there aren't a whole lot of (any?) natural trees growing anywhere there, except maybe up on the mesa or right along the creek? If nature can't get it to work, it seems like it might not be that easy for you either!

BTW- I always love the drive through Long House Valley and am very intrigued by the narrow entrance to Tsegi Canyon. It looks beautiful in there. I've always wanted to hike in there. Hope to see some photosets from you in the coming months.

chumley wrote:I always love the drive through Long House Valley and am very intrigued by the narrow entrance to Tsegi Canyon. It looks beautiful in there. I've always wanted to hike in there.

Me too. Every time I drive by there, I have an overwhelming urge to get out and walk. I felt that way even before I knew where it led.

Rob, you should change the name of this thread to "moving to casa grande (or the way Randal S. would say it.. "casa grand, eh?") kayenta and mesa".

anyone else moving anywhere?

our big move is on the 15th, but we're taking the smaller stuff over now.

Rob del Desierto wrote:My commute is 3-7 minutes, depending on the two stoplights between my house and the school I teach at.

They have STOPLIGHTS in CG now? Fancy!

The wild, or feral horses, were running around my neighbors back yard, and my front yard today. The neighbor's dogs, Toby and Oso, chased them, but seemed afraid of the big horses, which are about 20 times the dogs size. When the horses stopped in the street in front of my house, I gave chase. No sense in letting them hoof up the place.

Jim, you know what to do with feral horses? :bdh:

Rob, you can change that title to CG/Kayenta/Phoenix/Costa Rica! I have already bought my plane ticket!

Feral horses.... .....ahem.....When I think of Kayenta I think of high winds, feral dogs and feral Japanese tourists.

We have them, I have pics to prove it. They are wild or feral horses. We have the winds, the dogs, and the tourists, but not Japanese tourists. I haven't seen them yet. Mostly just white ones, usually from Europe, it seems.

I think it's too late in the year for the Japanese. They seem to be almost strictly June to August, probably a cultural thing...high dedication to school and work, strict adhesion to a vacation schedule? I also think the European are more apt to venture beyond the most major attractions (Grand Canyon, Vegas, Sedona, ect)

The Euros do a big National Parks loop. GC, Bryce, Zion, Arches, ect. They seem to fly to LA or Vegas, rent a car, and do an American auto tour of this part of the west. I encountered almost nothing but Europeans at Bruce last summer, and Arches seemed to be heavy with them in August. They're funny. You can really pick them out. Over dressed, dressed in designer "sporty" clothes, some wear a bandanna as a neckerchief (which serves no purpose and just looks funny), they seem to strictly order off the combo meal menu at fast food places, and they speak a different language. When I was in Moab in August, I pulled up to a gas station and there were 4 motor cycle guys with their Harleys next to me, all wearing Harley apparel. I looked at them and knew they weren't American. Their jeans were way too crisp and neat, and just had a European look to them. Sure enough, they were German, living out some European wild hogs fantasy trip, it appeared.

I've seen quite a few Germans that have shipped their Harleys to San Fran and then begin their 6 week holiday.
I envy them.....
Many of my clients are Japanese and you would be surprised how many Southwest/Indian shops are over there. Even the little town of Karuizawa up by Nagano has maybe 15 shops and most are very high end.
We've taken a few out hiking or target shooting. It's really cool to see Arizona thru their eyes.

Rob del Desierto wrote:My commute is 3-7 minutes, depending on the two stoplights between my house and the school I teach at. Not too bad. There are hiking options in the Casa Grande mountains that I am still exploring, and have enjoyed so far. Chandler is only 30 minutes away, so all the "big city" stuff is pretty close - as close as driving across CG and back, really. I am enjoying the still-small town environment. More amenities than Page, less BS than Phoenix or Tucson.

We have BS in Tucson?

I can vouch for Alston that Western art is very popular in Japan. A very prominent Valley businessman declined an offer of upwards of $250 million for his collection by a group of Japanese collectors about 20 years ago. He's got some really really cool stuff.