It may sound crazy, but I miss Phoenix’s monsoons. They were a respite from the monotony of sunshine and 110 degree heat. The storms didn’t last long, but they put on a colorful show.
Graham and I used to race to the mountain when we knew there would be a storm or when a storm had just passed through our neighborhood. Those storms always created the best sunsets.
We would run to a specific viewing spot at Dreamy Draw Recreation Area. The trick is to get to the parking lot before it closes.
Sometimes storms in the West Valley would be visible. The rainfall would created a silhouette. If you’re lucky, you might see some lightning. To the south would be downtown Phoenix’s skyline, clouded in the city’s dusty haze. We would wait long enough to see the colors change. Those evenings were always the best summer nights.
Sometimes I miss being able to hike those mountains in the middle of the city. But one thing I don’t miss? That feeling of just having opened an oven — all day, every day. If things work out as we’d like them to, we’ll find ourselves in Phoenix in the cooler months. I can’t wait to go back our spot.
