SASEAS Flat Stanley Blog

Hello to all of my 3rd grade buddies,

It’s me, Flat Leo, and I wanted to send a quick update to share what I’ve been up to recently. I got lucky and was able to catch a flight out west – and decided to try a new activity, mountain climbing! I spent some time in Phoenix, Arizona and decided to try climbing up a mountain called Camelback Mountain. This mountain is located in a place called Echo Canyon, and is is actually shaped like a camel’s back. I did not see any camels on my hike, but I definitely felt a little bit scared because some of the areas were really steep! The summit of the mountain was 2,700 feet above the ground, and it took me about 2 hours to hike up there. I had to be really careful as I have lots of other adventures to still take before coming back in May.

While in Arizona, I also had the chance to visit a really cool church that had been built up in a mountain called Chapel of the Holy Cross. It was very small, but was a very peaceful and beautiful area. The hotel I stayed at also had a cool swimming pool that was warm all year round and there were orange trees right outside of my room. Good thing my hair is already orange or it might have turned orange because of all of the fresh oranges I picked and ate while I was there! It was very cool to visit a place that stays so warm all throughout the year that citrus fruits will grow easily all year on the trees. Definitely can’t do that in Ohio! 

Speaking of orange, I still can’t believe how red every single rock was. There was hardly any dirt on the ground – the desert is really rocky and mostly different shades of pink, orange, and red. It was really beautiful. 

Here are a few photos from my trip!