Miriam McFate Travel Journal - 1926

Mon, Nov 22, 1926

Started this morning 7:45. Lots of claims all along here. Everyone has his little house or cabin, some have fenced and some have not. Each one has his name staked along the road. This is all very sandy, don’t know what these people do for a living. Maybe they have enough to live on till they claim out.

Passed 7 big army trucks loaded with cement. It will be only a few years till this road across the desert will all be paved. No one need have a fear of the desert. Some of our best roads off of pavement have been stretches in the desert. Lots of trees about the size of cherry trees grow thro most all of this desert. The trunk and branches are green. Looks as if they had been painted. The leaves resemble our willow trees. As we came nearer the city of Mesa, some of these claims have in crops some of them are just clearing the land. There water supply comes from the Roosevelt damm. This damm is built up in the Mts. Saw cotton here just bursting into bloom. This is about 2 miles from Mesa.

Saw our first oranges growing on the trees here. Lots of fruit all along the way. Bees sure are plentiful to. Every one has 15 or 20 hives. It is wonderful what they can grow when they have plenty of water. Great red roses in bloom all along here. they have stock of all kind. We just had to stop and buy some apples and oranges at a fruit stand. Naval oranges are .40 cents a dz. These are the large thin skinned ones. Very sweet. Bought strained honey .35 cents a quart. Mesa is a fine little city. Not large but a nice clean place.

This country thro here appeals to us. Country between Mesa and Tempe (7 miles) is all settled. It sure is fine. From Tempe to 4 miles this side of Phoenix is desert and sand hills. Nothing here but sand, brush and cactus. Lots of cars coming and going. This all fine pavement. Everywhere along here where it is level enough to build someone has built a filling station or a little cabin.

As we get nearer Phoenix the country looks better again. The valley is watered here from the Aquaria river. We pulled into a free campground 2 miles east of Phoenix at 10:30. Have to tighten to rods in the car. Staid here until 4:00 Lots of campers here. Got the rods tightened had to have the car pulled again to get it started. Didn’t cost us anything this time.

Phoenix is a nice city. Not as old a city as we thought it was. Nice country around here. It is very hot. The sun shines as hot here as it does in July back in Iowa. Drove about 12 or 15 miles then we pulled into camp at a little place by the name of Cashion. Little village every few miles here in the valley.