Day 21 - Phoenix AZ

After 3 nights at the Best Western we checked out to head in the direction of the Elderhostel. Since we couldn't check in yet, we drove around to see some of the sights of Phoenix, including some beautiful residential areas. My cousin Adrian's wife Debbie had told us about a scenic drive that overlooks the Valley of the Sun (as they call the Phoenix area), so we drove to the top of South Mountain. It was about as curvy as any of the mountain drives we have been on but it was worth it. We thought it looked a pretty hazy from the top but some Phoenix natives we met told us that this was a good day. The picture taken through a window of a stone structure shows Camelback Mountain in the background. I don't know what causes the haziness here but it's not humidity. Humidity figures in the teens are common. We're staying in the Hilton Garden Inn this week. It's a high-rise hotel and it's very nice. Some of their promo materials say that they have a 3,500 square foot fitness center. I'll have to go by and wave at it. We leave in an hour or so to register and to meet our fellow Elderhostelers.