PHOENIX — Some places lure us with their very names.
Dreamy Draw, for example.
We spotted the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area on a map of the Phoenix metro-sprawl and felt compelled to investigate.
Is it, in fact, a draw — a sort of ravine amid mountains?
And is it dreamy?
Our findings: Yes and not exactly.
The site, in the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, is a craggy cut in a little range that includes popular Piestewa Peak.
With a network of trails, Dreamy Draw attracts lots of hikers, runners and mountain bikers. It offers a quick, convenient workout for Tucson residents visiting the Phoenix area.
Hiking a stretch of the Charles M. Christiansen Memorial Trail, a 10.7-mile route connecting Dreamy Draw with other recreation sites, is a good way to sample the turf.
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Another scenic path is the 4.8-mile Perl Charles Memorial Trail. A map at the parking lot shows the trails.
The origin of the Dreamy name?
Well, the area is pleasant enough — but only moderately "dreamy" or mesmerizing.
Apparently, the name stems from the fact that mercury mines operated in the area about 80 years ago.
"The term Dreamy Draw was named for the effects that an intense exposure of mercury had upon the miners when working deep in the shafts," says a report on the Web site of the Friends of the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum. "It gave the workers the appearance of being inebriated. People would say that the miners were returning from the Dreamy Draw. However, these effects can no longer be detected in this area."
Get to Dreamy
Take Interstate 10 to Phoenix and then follow Arizona 51 to the Northern Avenue exit. The recreation area is at 2421 E. Northern Ave. Free admission.