We are very grateful to the Best Western Pony Soldier Inn and Suites in Flagstaff for offering us two rooms for the women's team.
Sarvodaya starts a run from the KOA in Flagstaff which offered us a discount on our campsite there.
It was a very clean and freindly facility which we had stayed at many other years as we passed through Flagstaff.
Our first stop was the Flagstaff Arboretum where we had a planting ceremony with Tom Parker. We are very grateful to Tom and to Executve Director, Lynne, who kindly approved of the planting.
Tom was very enthusiastic about our Peace Run and how it relates to living in harmony with nature, especially the trees.
We all took turns putting in some soil to plant the beautiful young Pinion Pine tree.
Haryaksha arranged for the meeting for which we are very grateful.
There were some other visitors who held the torch and offered their wishes and goodwill.
Tom Parker, Director of the Arboretum, accepts a Certificate of Appreciation and a colorful painting by the Founder of the Peace Run, Sri Chinmoy.
TV 12 News came to cover the story and interview Arpan about the Peace Run.
Cameraman and Journalist, Stephen Root, was happy to cover the story and hold the torch. We are always very grateful to the media for coming out and sharing our events with the population at large.
The Peace Run team was thrilled to be with Tom Parker and learn about the unique and beautiful vegetation in the Flagstaff area.
Jeff Stein and all these fine people all came out to welcome the Peace Run and dedicate the Peace Tree in Arcosanti.
Our next stop was in Scottsdale, near Phoenix, at the home of Martin Strel, a.k.a. 'The Big River Man.'
Martin holds many records by having swum the full length of all the major rivers of the world
including the longest non-stop open water swim in 2001.
This is the stone plaque made by Haryaksha, our Arizona coordinator, for the Peace Tree in Arcosanti, Arizona.
The Cosanti Foundation exists to promote the concept of Arcology developed by Paolo Soleri as an Urban Alternative, through educational programs, exhibits, and most importantly, through the construction of Arcosanti as an experiential example of the concept.
Martin gladly holds the torch with our team and offers his goodwill and enthusiastic smiles for our journey. He works very hard at trying to inspire people all over the world to take care of our waterways and rain forests.
David prepares the tree for planting.
We gladly share the torch with some of the locals in Scottsdale where we met Martin. They kindly allowed us to use their air-conditioned facilities to have our lunch. The temperature today was 105 F or around 41 C.
Some of our team members were quite impressed by the huge and beautiful cactus that grow in this very hot and dry climate.
It is only in this part of the state and country that we find huge and unusual cactus plats such as these. Some of them are over 100 years old!
Acupuncture therapy?
Our team bids our local coordinator, Haryaksha who lives in the Phoenix area, a sad farewell as he has to go back to work. He work very hard on arranging the wonderful events and meetings of the last few days, including the tree plantings. We are also grateful to Chandini Bachman, from Washington, D.C., who was also instrumental in these events although she could not make it out to Arizona at this time.
Colorful flowers grow even in this very hot and arrid desert climate,
We had to drive through the sandy deserts of southern Arizona and California in order to make it to San Diego and Mexico in time for our events there the next few days.
The sunset over the dry desert was quite colorful.
