Jewel of the Creek – a Real Gem!
After our previous experience at Cave Creek Regional Park in Arizona, we headed to Jewel of the Creek Preserve in Cave Creek. Although a small park in comparison to many, the features are worth a visit.
Jewel of the Creek is off Spur Creek Road, which offers a smooth ride to reach until the last mile, when it becomes bone-jarring and very roughly unpaved. (Jewel of the Creek is just a ½ mile shy of the Spur Cross Conservation area that requires a fee, just up the road through an arch.)
Jewel of the Creek Preserve, entrance to a gem of a setting
There are only a few spots for parking, since the area is remote. Walk through the gate and you will encounter a flat path for about the first 500 feet. After that, you will really want some sturdy shoes/boots and a hiking pole or two, as there is a steady drop with quite rocky, loose gravel underfoot. Look back and see the saguaro and scenery, but watch your footing!
Jewel of the Creek - flat at first, but not for long
Scenery from the trail - Saguaro. prickly pear, and mountains
A steep and rocky section of the path - you would be going both up and down this section to get to the creek.
Take the path down and around in a kind of arc, passing some rocky sections and keep going until you get to the creek, which is in a shaded area. Hurrah! Shade!
The creek with cattails - rare features in Arizona
And, the area is not mis-named. There is a creek that has water year round and the wildlife and plant life that appreciate having water.
Two 2 by 4s are attached to form a very small bridge, but you can just stay where you are. I was eager to get photos of a gorgeous midnight blue butterfly, so I kept moving around until I was fortunate enough to get a good shot. My husband thought my efforts were hilarious and thought I’d wind up in the creek. (It is shallow, so I was not worried.)
Butterflies enjoy the shade and greenery, too
And, amazingly enough, the water has the only cattails growing naturally that we’ve seen in Arizona.
Although this is not a whole day’s adventure, it is worth a visit if you are in the area. Figure on about a 40-minute round trip – or longer if you want to chase butterflies!
There is no fee to visit.
(See “A Carefree Experience” from our October 25, 2011 posting to see more on places to hike in the area.)
A Carefree Experience!
A recent visit to the trails of Cave Creek and nearby Carefree, Arizona was a really upbeat experience in early October.
Where we stayed
To optimize our hiking time, we stayed at the Drury Inn in Phoenix to cut our drive time for the weekend. The rate was unbeatable and the experience exceptional! The Drury Inn is a fairly new property that offers exceptional rooms, plus a free breakfast and evening “snack.” (People were making a meal out of the macaroni and cheese, salad, hot dogs and trimmings.) All of this was for the pre-tax price of $89 – for a wonderful, king-sized room that had a separate living room area.
Our extra large king-sized room had this separate living room with 2 comfy chairs, and a microwave and fridge tucked in the media unit.
The room was immaculate with two TVs and a comfy bed and two armchairs. We had a corner room – extra large – and it was quiet, despite the fact that a wedding party and a bus tour were on other floors.
Also, the staff was exceptionally professional.
Kudos to Drury Inn for a totally non-dreary hotel experience!
Eating – or dining? – what a difference!
We decided to try the Carefree Station Restaurant in Carefree’s Spanish Village. Besides not being a chain restaurant, the experience was about the best restaurant meal – ambience and all – that we’ve had for a long time!
Carefree Station in Spanish Village - Carefree, Arizona
From the moment we walked in, even without a reservation for an anniversary celebration, they treated us with a special deference. We had a table away from the mob and our wait staffer, Beth, knew just when to show up and not to. (How many times have you had a special meal that was ruined because the wait staff kept asking “how was the food tasting?” and bugging you very often.)
Beth was friendly, so we eventually chatted near the end of the meal. We confided that we were celebrating our anniversary and they comped us to our desserts. We also were introduced to Chef Thomas, who created memorable, eye-appealing presentations whose taste lived up to the look.
