Magnificent Art & More in Mesa

After leaving Tucson, we returned to the original RV park we stayed in when we first visited Arizona in April, Eagle View RV Resort in Fort McDowell. We’re here through the rest of the year. Temperatures are perfect for the RV lifestyle with highs in the 80’s and lows in the 60’s. The park is located in the Tonto National Forest area, just 40 miles from Phoenix. A quieter park with a nice amenities, the best thing about Eagle View is the wildlife viewing with the sunsets and sunrises running a close second. Since returning, we’ve seen the Salt River Wild Horses, free-range cattle, hummingbirds, a peccary and bald eagles.

It’s across the highway from the Fort McDowell Casino but gambling isn’t our favorite reason to visit. They have great Indian fry bread at a very affordable price, well, as long as you don’t gamble or, if you do, you win. I think Dan could eat it almost every day.

We’re also close to a number of great communities including  Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, and Tempe, but I thought first I’d share our experiences in Mesa.

While we have so much more to see, including hiking at Usery Mountain, we’ve enjoyed breakfast at Wildberry Diner and grabbed excellent Mexican fast food at Senor Taco. We anxiously await the opening of the Orange Patch, a citrus grove in Mesa. And I’ll add, this area seems to have citrus trees in almost every neighborhood. We’ve frequented Superstition Ranch Farmers Market several times as it has some of the best priced fruits and vegetables we’ve seen.

While all of the things listed above have been fabulous, the downtown art work in Mesa blew us away. I didn’t get photos of all of the bronzes and interesting sculptures in the downtown but here’s a small sample. Along the way, Mesa also has numerous shops and restaurants to enjoy. It’s definitely worth a stop.

While enjoying the sculptures, we came across the many murals located in the downtown. Again, we were taken in by the beauty and whimsy they presented.

Having worked in many communities during my travel and tourism career, I’ve seen some struggle with the revitalization of their downtowns, but Mesa seems to be getting it right.

One thing I absolutely loved was the vacant lot with a mural of a movie screen, offering residents and visitors a Free Movie on every second Friday of the month. In fact, I loved the idea so much, I’ve shared this picture with my tourism friends around the country. Brilliant!

As we settle in for the next couple of months in Arizona, we don’t know where the road will take us but, for now, we’ll continue to enjoy this beautiful desert oasis and everything it has to offer. Bring on the next day trip. Safe travels!