To kick off 2023, I made a Google Maps themed fruit platter which was mentioned in the amazing @AdamGT 's Leaderboard post:Top 100 Local Guides in Each Country. The main fruit platter logo is made of 4 ingredients: kiwis for the green, pineapples for the yellow, raspberries for the red, and blueberries for the blue.
Each of the 4 colors also represent my memories of exploring Arizona for Google Maps, and that is the invisible seasoning to the dish. A reminiscent Google Maps fruit platter…
1. GREEN 
We start out with kiwis. Slice it in half and then scoop out the fruit. Cut into smaller chunks.
- Green is the color of the cacti that stood proudly like soldiers on a lesser-visited trail in Cave Creek Regional Park. It was so quiet. The eerie aura was comically broken by a cyclist speeding by, his bells jingling frantically.
- Green is the color of the patio at White Tank Regional Park Nature Center. It was a warm summer day and I, like a camel, got my fill of crisp cold water. One of the best tasting water from an outdoor water fountain might I add.
- Green is the color of the grass that envelops the trail at Jewel of the Creek. The rain was starting to patter down and the wind was picking up. I hurried back to the parking lot, and the gray clouds let loose in sobbing torrential rains on my way home.
2. YELLOW 
Open up your can of diced pineapples. Grab a handful.
- Yellow is the color of the gravel that covers the trails in our desert parks. Crunch crunch go your shoes over it. Sometimes on busy days, the go-getter hikers will tailgate you, eager to push ahead. I stand aside, pretending to text, so they can pass by.
- Yellow is the color of the mischievous cholla plant. My hand brushed by too close once. The thorns hooked on and did not want to let go, like the embrace of two lovers who will never see each other again. Finally I pried it off with a stick.
- Yellow is the color of the flowers that bloom in the spring. At Estrella Mountain Regional Park, I climbed all the way up Baseline Trail. In spite of the rocky ground, somehow a bush grew there, dotted with yellow flowers.
3. RED 
Open up your box of red raspberries. Take out a handful.
- Red is the color of the trail signs in the desert parks- a brown-tinged red. Often, my favorite sign to see is the one that reads “To Parking Lot —>.” I miss my sofa when I’m away from it too long and I’m more than ready to lounge after a jaunt outside. The parking lot brings me one step closer.
- Red is the color of the siding of one of the ramps at Freestone Skate Park. I came earlier to avoid the crowds and get clear shots. There was a lone skater, so I skirted around him for the photos while silently beaming a thought out to him, “Don’t mind mind me, not creeping on you. I’m just taking photos for Google Maps.”
- Red is the color of the juicy fruit of the cacti. One fell on a bench along Merkle Trail. It was split open like a flower. I sat on the bench next to it for a while. The stone bench heated up by the sun felt like a heating pad, a delightful reprieve to my stiff legs.
4. BLUE 
Open up your box of blueberries. Take out a handful.
- Blue is the color of the super tall and long slide at Gilbert Regional Park. Who says Local Guides have to be serious? The slide looked so fun that I gave it a whirl. Cautiously, I used my sneakers as brakes so I wouldn’t fly out too fast. On another concrete slide, I couldn’t brake so I faceplanted.
- Blue is the color of the sky. Back again atop Estrella Mountain, the clouds stretched for miles on a background of light blue.
- Blue is the color of the man-made lakes in the desert. Desert Breeze Lake was on my to-visit list for a while. My first time there, it got too hot to film the whole lake, and my phone flashed “Device Overheating” as it was almost 120°F. Weeks later, I returned to film, taking my time to savor the blue watery expanse.
Now, take your groups of fruit and arrange them into the Google Map logo shape. To make it easier, you can print out the logo on a piece of paper and put plastic over it to lay your fruits on. The last step- enjoy and dig in! 
(Scribbles hastily to take notes 
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