Passing through Superior when we’re traveling east on Highway 60 is always a pleasure as it’s not too far from Phoenix and the landscape changes dramatically while traveling west on the I-10 towards California involves more than one hundred miles of desert.

A quick stop at Boyce Thompson Arboretum satisfies our need for lush vegetation.

Driving north out of Globe, you pass the Apache Drive-in, which is almost startling in appearance as you realize that it’s still open. How much longer can these relics from the past continue?

A yellow bug for a yellow flower.

It’s still monsoon season here in Arizona, and where there’s some elevation, the water isn’t immediately absorbed by the thirsty desert. Not only does the rain replenish the plant life, but it also goes far to refresh our parched senses.

A little off the beaten path is the Ft. Apache Historic Park. From here, we ventured into Pinetop for a short drive through town and something to eat.

Passing through Clay Springs on the loop back to Phoenix.

Payson up on the Mogollon Rim is our last stop before heading down the hill and back to the hot desert we crawled out of.