by Blake Herzog
In the Pinal County deserts, summers are often met with fear and loathing as we plot and live for our escape to the beach or mountains; some options for local entertainment evaporate for the season.
Yet the season is far from fun-free in these parts, with hardy and resourceful souls (that means all of us) able to face the furnace and find cool diversions to make us find the happiness we thought we said goodbye to sometime before Memorial Day.
Here are some of our best ideas:
- Early morning hikes at Casa Grande Mountain and Picacho Peak — Early risers can take advantage of the slightly higher elevation and cooler breezes to build up their muscles and lung power and gaze at the jagged horizon and rolling desert floor. www.casagrandeaz.gov/254/About-Casa-Grande-Mountain-Trails or www.azstateparks.com/picacho
- Fishing at Copper Sky and Pacana parks in Maricopa or Dave White Regional Park in Casa Grande — All three are regularly stocked through the statewide Community Fishing Program with trout, bluefish or catfish. Probably not a midday activity, but it can be great fun in the mornings and evenings. Fishing license and bag limit regulations apply. www.azgfd.com/fishing-2/where-to-fish/community-fishing
- Pinal Geology and Mineral Museum — Sharing space with the Coolidge Chamber of Commerce, this volunteer-run museum exhibits minerals, fossils, stones and meteorites and has interactive exhibits onsite as well as on its website. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays. pinalgeologymuseum.org
- Food Truck Fridays at Casa Grande Neon Park — This roundup of up to a dozen or more food trucks and vendors with a live DJ continues to serve customers under the buzzing lights of this downtown park throughout the summer; powerful fans adding to their comfort. For details of each week’s events follow Food Truck Friday Casa Grande on Facebook.
- Poolin’ around — Casa Grande, Maricopa, Coolidge, Eloy and Florence all maintain public pools; check the cities’ websites and social media pages for information.
- Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch — The iconic roadside attraction at the base of Picacho Peak is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May through October featuring a flock of the massive birds and tons of smaller critters, along with monster truck tours of the farm. www.roostercogburn.com
- Throwback Family Fun (Casa Grande) — A lively hub for families and friends to hold parties, play arcade and carnival games, throw axes (ages 14 and up), enjoy the café’s food and take part in other activities like karaoke, gaming tournaments, “Axes and Art” and seasonal events. https://throwbackfun.com.
- Bruzzi Vineyard Tasting Room (Superior) — You can head over to the mountainous eastern side of the county for somewhat cooler temperatures and attractions like this tasting room housed in a historic downtown building featuring samples, bottle sales and high-quality local merchandise. Reservations are recommended. www.bruzzivineyard.com/superior
- Boyce Thompson Arboretum (Superior) — The oldest botanical garden in Arizona showcases diverse flora and fauna from deserts locally and around the globe, along with guided hikes and tours, events, classes, evening walks and events tying in with the neighboring town. www.btarboretum.org
- Hiking in Aravaipa Wilderness — If you’re looking to get into the backcountry there’s no prettier place to do it than Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness southeast of Winkelman. It’s a circuitous five-hour drive from Casa Grande, but you’re rewarded with a hike through a deep, shaded canyon on a trail that takes you through the year-round creek several times. Permits required. www.blm.gov/visit/aravaipa-canyon-wilderness
